books anyone?

[NJBillsFan]

anyone got a favorite book or series? what do u like to read, fantasy, drama, autobiography, cookbooks? or do u not read? just curious.

i love fantasy novels. Robert Jordan is my fave author, and he writes "The Wheel of Time" series, which is now included in my avatar and signature. he has all the greatness of a fantasy novel, but leaves out elves, dwarves and all the other odd races. the only thing he has besides humans is a race called Ogier and the Dark One's evil minions and creatures. if u like fantasy, check out the first one "The Eye of the World" and let me know what u think of it.

anyone else got faves out there??

[YardRat]

Isaac Asimov is one of the 20th centuries greatest minds, IMO.

The Foundation series, coupled with the Robot series (which he entertwined in his later years) are all keepers and hold a prominant place on my bookshelf (right next to my Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes collections!)

When I read, I read mostly for "escapism", I think, since I tend to lean toward sci-fi/fantasy or humor.

I've actually just started to read "From the Two Rivers", NJ, and will let you know how I like it.

Through the influence of my kids, I also enjoy the Harry Potter books and have just recently finished about a dozen books in the Redwall series by Brian Jacques.

[jimmifli]

Canadian Tax code :(

On the pleasure side I just finished Unless by Carol Sheilds.

[FrankieA]

I love old American stories such as The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Or Edgar Allen Poe stuff.

[Henry4MVP]

I read all sorts of stuff. I particularly love Vonnegut, Bradbury, Huxley, Hemingway, Bellow, Welsh...jeez, too many more to really list. Philosophers of many stripes write fun stuff. Sci fi and fantasy have some decent writers. I love good poetry. I'm a book fiend, actually. :D


I tried the Wheel of Time but Jordan started spinning his wheels for about 4 frigging books or so and I got tired of waiting on him to move the story along. How many books is he up to now?

[honey]

Stephen King! Every single book, every single short story, I love him! He IS the best! :D

[Henry4MVP]

Originally posted by honey
Stephen King! Every single book, every single short story, I love him! He IS the best! :D

I like The Gunslinger books, and his collaborations with Peter Straub are good. He's an amazing sort of writer...I think, like he says, that he could publish his laundry list and have it top the best-seller charts. Not all of his books do it for me but I have enjoyed most of 'em.

[honey]

Every single Stephen King book or story totally ROCKS1! :D

[YardRat]

Originally posted by honey
Every single Stephen King book or story totally ROCKS1! :D

I read most of his early stuff, but haven't kept up in the last 10 yrs or so. The man has an impressive imagination.

My impression of King has always been that it's a good thing he's found an outlet through novels, otherwise he might have become another Jeffrey Dahmler.

[reeves84]

Currently it is A History of Britain, by Schama.

Favorites - lots.
Killer Angels, Michael Shaara
Catch-22, Joseph Heller
Smiley's Trilogy, by le Carre
Wilt, Indecent Exposure and Riotous Assembly by Tom Sharpe
Most of Vonnegut
Some of Hemmingway
Some of Kipling.
19th and 20th Century poetry

That sort of stuff

[jimmifli]

Hey Reeves, bought any Egyptian cotton from Milo?

[reeves84]

I have cornered the market. Want some?

[jimmifli]

LOL I expected nothing less. I have some parachu uuuuhhh - some silk. Want to trade?

[reeves84]

Well, thinking of Bogus, I might mention I have some chocalate covered cotton. I might get a better deal from her - mention chocolate to BT and........

[Snarf]

Jack Kerouac is my favorite. I would recommend On the Road to anyone who has never read his work. I also like true crime books with Helter Skelter about Charlie Manson my favorite. Now I am reading The Last Good Season by Michael Shapiro, which is about the Brooklyn Dodgers 1956 season.

[Henry4MVP]

I love Kerouac. On The Road was great, as was The Dharma Bums.

[gilchristfan]

My favorite Steven King quote: (to paraphrase), "I write salami, its good salami, but its still salami." The Shining and Pet Sematary (that's how he spelled it, I believe) are 2 of his best, I think.

Currently re-reading One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest. Probably my favorite 20th Cent. novel.

My tastes are more of towards non-fiction though. If anyone wants to read a good autobio of a true American hero, I definitely recommend William O. Douglas, The Court Years. Very good insight into the workings of the Supreme Court, written by a first class mind.

On advice of Mr. Reeves, I believe I'm going to be reading an autobio of Lord Denning, an English maverick judge, in the near future.

[NJBillsFan]

Originally posted by Henry4MVP
I tried the Wheel of Time but Jordan started spinning his wheels for about 4 frigging books or so and I got tired of waiting on him to move the story along. How many books is he up to now?

he is up to book 10, with at least two more to come out. i know what u mean about it being a slow story, and in my opinion, he put in so many characters with such important roles and yet gives them two chapters in a book, it becomes confusing following everything he has, but to me, that just makes the world so much more real. books 5-7(maybe 8) are a little slow, but book 9 picks the series right back up and i haven't gotten to book 10 yet. bought it in january but had to re-read the series first, and i am on book 6.

[NJBillsFan]

Originally posted by honey
Stephen King! Every single book, every single short story, I love him! He IS the best! :D

i am ashamed to admit that i haven't read a king novel yet. i very much want to, but i fall behind in my reading so much its very fustrating. i have to re-read my fantasy series when the new books come out within years of each other, and i love series so i have one story that might take up months at a time.

next series i have to read is the vampire chronicles by Ann Rice. i have read the first two (interview and lestat) and have all the books up to memnoch the devil. i am unsure if thats where it ends or does in continue after that??

i am also reading a fiction christian series, Left Behind. just for extra reading and i really enjoy it. i dont' belive everything that is in there, but its fun to read, and interesting to see an interpretation of our 7 years of trial and tribulation after JC raptures his church. its educational if u want to learn about the bible's take on the end of the world.

[Henry4MVP]

I like a few of Rice's novels, but she got boring after awhile too. All that family history and such in the Mayfair books. You might like 'em, though. I figure you must have a longer attention span than me, NJBF. :D

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest is great. If you like true crime, try one of the first novels of the genre: In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote.
My favorite 20th century novels might be The Sound and the Fury, Breakfast of Champions, and The Catcher in the Rye. I really, really love those books. Other good picks would by The Grapes of Wrath, A Clockwork Orange, 1984, Brave New World, Henderson the Rain King, Gravity's Rainbow, Lolita...I could go on for a while like this, actually. :)

[gilchristfan]

Henry, I don't know if you know, In Cold Blood wasn't really a novel, it was based on the last executions performed in the State of Kansas. I think the Clutter murders happened in the 50's or early 60's. It IS a good book.

Someone else mentioned Helter Skelter, which was also a very good book. If interested in the Manson murders, there is book called the Family, which provides a little different perspective, and has been updated periodically.

[Henry4MVP]

I knew it was based on those killings, but I thought you could still refer to it as a novel. I dunno. That sort of thing always confuses me. :)

The book itself was written in the 60's...exactly when I forget...and the murders were in the 50's.

[BironsGirl43]

I liked The Great Gatsby....... :)

[Henry4MVP]

That's another good book, BG. Excellent, in fact.

[gilchristfan]

I agree BG, its been so long since I have read it, but it was very good.


And if anyone here is a fisherman, I don't know if any book, including Moby Dick, equals Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea.

[Henry4MVP]

We've got some posters here with excellent taste in literature.

[gilchristfan]

Actually, Henry, tonight's literary collection I got to read was "What was that?" "The Big Red Dumptruck" "The Bernstein Bears--Too Much TV", "David goes to School" and my favorite: "Ten Minutes til Bedtime"

[reeves84]

Originally posted by gilchristfan
Actually, Henry, tonight's literary collection I got to read was "What was that?" "The Big Red Dumptruck" "The Bernstein Bears--Too Much TV", "David goes to School" and my favorite: "Ten Minutes til Bedtime"

You think you have problems. My wife illustrates children's books, and I have to read 'em all.

[EricStratton]

I feel your pain Gilcrist. Last night I read “Dinner at Joey’s”, “Froggy’s Big Day” and “Where’s Clifford”.

In case you haven’t read them, Clifford is behind the house but really, how good can a 30 foot red dog hide.

On a serious note, a good book I got a few years ago was "Balling the Jack” by Frank Baldwin. Any young gambler should read it.

[Henry4MVP]

Well, I've got another book to add to the queue now. The only book on gambling I actually own is Doyle Brunson's Super System.

I took a children's lit class, and there are a few good kid's books out there. I might have even read one that your wife illustrated, Reeves.

[EricStratton]

It's not actually a book on gambling Henry, it's a book about a gambler.

It's a good lite read, nothing world-changing or earth shattering. I was given the book at the beach a few years ago and read it during a weekend in the sun with plenty of cold beers and sand in my toes.

[Henry4MVP]

That's a good way to enjoy a book, Eric. I'll check it out!

[NJBillsFan]

Originally posted by EricStratton
I was given the book at the beach a few years ago and read it during a weekend in the sun with plenty of cold beers and sand in my toes.

thats the best way to read. in fact, it was my "perfect" place in the "perfection" post

[EricStratton]

Originally posted by NJBillsFan
thats the best way to read. in fact, it was my "perfect" place in the "perfection" post


Being you’re in Jersey you’ll appreciate this, it was on a great stretch of sand in Manasquan.

[NJBillsFan]

i actually hardly ever go to the shore in jersey. if i do, i go to AC and hit the casino and not the beach. but my family does own a lil cottage on Lake Erie in canada and i go there once a summer for a week or so. always bring about 3-5 books and read them all. its sweet

[gilchristfan]

Originally posted by reeves84
You think you have problems. My wife illustrates children's books, and I have to read 'em all.

Like Eric said, we may have read a few books she's illustrated. Any titles?

[The Philster]

I just finished the Robert Doherty series, Area 51, a 7-book series. Definitely a great read. It follows the adventure of Mike Turcotte, a special forces op sent in to find out what's going on in Area 51 by Lisa Duncan, the President's Science Advisor. I won't divulge all that happens but WWIII occurs.

[NJBillsFan]

that sounds pretty cool phil, i might check if my local library has it

[gmnj]

I enjoy Nelson Demille novels. Particular favorites I recommend include Plum Island, The Gold Coast, The Lion's Game. all three are worth a read.

[The Philster]

Originally posted by NJBillsFan
that sounds pretty cool phil, i might check if my local library has it

Be happy you're hearing about it now rather than a few years ago. I bought the first book about 3 years ago, read it a few months later, bought the next three nooks in the series that were out, then had to wait for new books to come out.
The writer has a website with a little bit of info on his projects here (http://www.bobmayer.org/) and announced that he's got 2 follow-up books to the series in the works.

[NJBillsFan]

thats what its like with my series now phil. its about two years inbetween books and i am going nuts waiting for each new book. it sux, but when they are all out and u can re-read them all 1-whatever, its pretty awesome.

[The Philster]

Be warned, Area 51 is a 7-book series.
Area 51
The Reply
The Mission
The Sphinx
The Grail
Excalibur
The Truth

I guess there's a movie script in the works for this series as well...I'd go see that one opening day!!

[NJBillsFan]

if anyone could turn a book into a movie, what would u choose? also, is there a fave movie based off a book that u have??

i would love to make robert jordan's Eye of the World a movie. it would take about three movies to make that one book, but it would be awesome.

as for my fave, i really liked Interview with the Vampire. i saw the movie and then read the book, and i was amazed at how much they had to leave out. but all in all, its still one of my fave movies of all time.

[Henry4MVP]

Henderson the Rain King would be an awesome movie. So would some of F. Paul Wilson's work...anything with Repairman Jack.

[NJBillsFan]

did everyone stop reading??

[homerun throwback]

dick schaap wrote some pretty good books

[The Philster]

That he did. Flashing Before My Eyes is an excellent read.

[homerun throwback]

htats a great one phil, he also wrote a couple books about the packers that are really good reads for any fan of the game, they concentrate just as much on the game as they do green bay. A lot of good history in them.