Does anyone read? Part II

[Shapley]

Just finished Letters from a Nut and More Letters from a Nut by Ted L. Nancy.

This is a collection of wacky letters, and the replies they recieved, sent to a variety of sources: Motels, restaurants, Heads-of-States, businesses, etc., by the fictional Mr. Nancy. Most of the letters are quite funny, many are hilarious.

Jerry Seinfeld wrote the introductions to the books, and is believed by many to be the elusive Mr. Nancy.

I also have a copy of The Lazlo Letters, which is said to have started the genre. Mr. Lazlo wrote letters to various political figures. First published in 1977, I have the 1992 edition. I have not yet begun to read, so I can provide no further details at this time.

[Schmeelkie]

Husband uses 'Library Thing' - catalogs your books and comes up with recommendations. Think he's been having good luck with it - think he got the rec for The Lies of Locke Lamora from there. I have a hard enough time keeping up with you guys and FB - no time for other things....unless I get a webphone someday...was drooling over my brother's Droid X the other day.

[piqaboo]

Got a box from storage at my dad's. Packed it so long ago, I dont remember. Full of "keeper" paperback sci fi.
Am thru Robert Silverberg, AE VanVogt, and am working on Vonda McIntire. Love it.
(well, except for needing to find yet another shelf for books, somewhere in the house...)

Also reading old love letters - that was another box, full of stuff from high school and freshman year in college.
Oh my. What WAS I thinking, back then?

[Giant Communist Robot]

"Too Big to Fail," Sorkin

Fascinating inside story of Washington's and Wall St.'s struggle to save the financial system. A quick and easy read, except there's too many characters to keep track of.
"Insectapedia," Raffles

Essays about bugs.

"Westerners Through Chinese Eyes," ed. by Wang

Chinese tell their stories about interaction with Westerners. Curious why we're called "Ugly Americans?" Read chapters like "The Greedy Landlord" or "The Swindling Lawyer". But remember, the Chinese actually like Americans compared to Europeans.
"Chinese Wit and Humor," ed. by Kao

What make Chinese laugh?


"Wow," Ohashi and Kurazono

Handbook for living by a business management coach and a lyric writer.

[piqaboo]

Is the bug one suitable for small people?

[Giant Communist Robot]

Is the bug one suitable for small people?

No.

[dai bread]

"Coffee with Mark Twain", a series of fictional interviews with fictional replies written by someone (Fred Kaplan) who grounds his work in historical fact. In Twain's case, there's plenty of documentation.

It's a short work, but provides some interesting insights into Twain's life and work. I must re-read "A Connecticut Yankee at the Court of King Arthur". Apparently it's full of philosophical and social comment that I missed completely when I read it years ago.

[Schmeelkie]

Recently started rereading Harry Potter 5 (the Order of the Phoenix), then of course, ended up moving through 6 and 7. Only completed 7 relatively quickly as I was home sick with Bella for two days this week, and she wasn't showing particularly good taste in movie and TV selection - so I banged through ~400 pages in two days. Anyway, as part 1 of the HP7 movie comes out in Nov, it was a good idea to refresh the memory anyway!

Now I'm back to trying to finish Brisingr the third Eregon book by Christopher Paolini. I'm vaguely bored, but just want to see where he goes with certain elements... Will be moving on to the other Robin McKinley I got for my birthday, A Door in the Hedge. Husband is on the third book of the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud. Apparently there's a fourth book due out next Monday. He's been on a fantasy kick lately - right up my alley, so those may be next on my list.

[piqaboo]

WIZARD, John Varley.

[Nicole Marie]

OK I have a confession.... a few weeks ago my husband and I went out for dinner at the local pub and had a few drinks. Walking home, we stopped by the local market for a few items and by the register they were selling the paperbacks of the Twilight books - those teen vampire books... Well I blame the three beers and feeling a little tipsy but I bought them.

I could not put them down!! If you are looking for a quick read and a fast paced love story with interesting twists; basically a cheap thrill ride... then get these books.

My husband has not stopped making fun of me and rented the DVD's of the movies and did a movie night with me to see what all the hype was about. The books are better.

[jamiebk]

Just finished "Deception Point" by Dan Brown. Very entertaing light and fast read. Good fun...lots of intrigue and a bit of science thrown in.

[analog]

"Fingerprints of the Gods" by Graham Hancock - another book on the ancient pyramids of Egypt and S America.. but pretty thoughtful....
he observes that there exist some ancient maps from around 1000-1500 AD on which longitude is very accurate, something not known how to measure by western civilization until late 1700's.
He then follows logicaly to propose a theory that earth's surface was disrupted cataclysmically during last ice age perhaps 14,000 years ago... reminiscent of Velikovsky. Pyramids and Sphinx are possibly geodetic markers to annotate earth as to where was North and when did it become north - Sphinx is a lion looking dead at constellation Leo on equinox during that ice age, pyramids are aligned same as Orion's belt was then too. Coincidentally the cataclysm he describes would have relocated North and South poles explaining how Siberia suddenly got very cold, why they find beech tree stumps in Antarctica, and evidence of glaciation in Australia and new Zealand...

Not to be be taken as a new geological history, but an interesting read well researched....

"I was Hitler's Doctor" by Kurt Kreuger
published in 1941, purports to be memoirs of a physician who treated Hitler for various neuroses from 1919-1934. Follows his rise to power. Interesting, it carries nuances(at least) of propaganda ..... if it's close to truth he was a real nutcase from childhood.

[Giant Communist Robot]

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw" Kinney

I like this series; think it's pretty funny. I've read them all now, including the new one. My favorite is "Roderick Rules."

"The Cow in the Parking Lot," Scheff and Edmiston

A lawyer and a Buddhist writer discuss Zen management of anger issues.

"Life on Other Planets," Emmanuel Swedenborg

Swedenborg claims to have spoken with aliens. Maybe this is some insight into religion.

"Popes and Bankers," Cashill

History of credit and debt. Did you ever wonder how the Medicis made money with the Churchs' prohibition on interest in effect?

"Science, Math, Checkmate," Root

Activities for inquiry and problem solving. I wonder about this stuff.


"Finding George Orwell in Burma," Larkin

Larkin is a journalist whose life is fixated on Burma. This narrative traces her journey through the places in Burma that have a connection with Orwell. Strangely enough, the government there seems like something right out of 1984. Larkin's portrait shows a people being ground and crushed by an oppressive government.

I thought the construction of the story first rate, some evocative imagery, but something about the style of writing just misses the mark for me.


"Everything is Broken," Larkin

After a devastating cyclone, the xenophobic country of Burma refused to let aid workers or aid into the country. Larkin arrived shortly after the storm. She said the country even denied a problem existed. Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past.

I found it truly dry and dull. Very little happening and a style better suited to newspapers.

[piqaboo]

Shame that someone with such an interesting topic cant make it into an interesting book - tho the premise of the second Larkin book seems more suited to a feature length article.

Rereading HG Wells. Interesting to see him inveigh against decreasing genetic diversity due to selective agriculture "way back then".

Lots of escapist supernatural lit from folks here at work, serves nicely as brain potato-chips (my drug of choice is the thinly sliced, crisply fried, nicely salted potato, not candy).

Feeling guilty because I am not reading, living and breathing the dog training book.
Which reminds me, somewhere on this board I ought to post the adventures of Bella the terrorist dog.

[Giant Communist Robot]

"Earth Science Demystified," Williams

My 12 year old needs to learn something about geology

"Rocks and Fossils," Busby, Coenraads, Willis, Roots

See above

"The Wave Watcher's Companion," Pretor-Pinney

Meditations on light waves, ocean waves, shock waves, etc.

"Guide to Economic Indicators" The Economist

Just what it says. Interesting.


"How to Build a Dinosaur," Horner

Horner proposes reverse evolution.


"The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter," Kawabata

Japanese folk tale wherein a bamboo cutter finds a three inch tall girl among the bamboo. Obviously a spirit of some sort.

"The Hill of the Dragon," Newman

The author discusses dragon legends.

"The Great Movies",
"The Great Movies 2",
"The Great Movies 3," Ebert

I think Roger Ebert's opinions and insights are fascinating. His recent reviews are more interesting than these collections, but it's worthwhile to see what he says about these flicks.

"Halfway to Each Other,' Pohlman

A Guideposts book. The author and her husband, while in the process of divorcing, decide to move from L.A. to Italy with their two teenage kids. Of course neither speaks any Italian and both are immensely ignorant of the culture. It all works, and their marriage is saved. I liked this book, even though I can't stand the author.


"Brain Building," Vos Savant

Marilyn's going to make a genius of me in 12 weeks.
"The Complete Idiot's Guide to Global Economics," Hovey, Rehmke

Just what it says.


"Food Culture in Italy,' Parasecoli

One in a series of Food Studies books. Discusses history, ingredients, eating habits, cooking techniques.


"Knives Cooks Love," Jay

Book about kitchen knives. Selection, care, use.

"Food Culture in Mexico," Solis, Vargas

Was on the shelf next to the Italy book. Both books have about eight or so recipes.

"Busy People's Slow Cooker Cookbook," Hall

I tried some of these recipes and was disappointed. Not for me.


"The Spices of Life," Wells

Recipes from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.


"Theories for Everything," Langone, Stutz, Gianopoulos

A sort of history of ideas. Lotsa pictures, too.

"Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook," Ranck, Good

Slow cooker stuff. I tried one tonight. Pork butt and an envelope of taco seasoning in the crockpot for 24 hours. Not bad.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

OK I have a confession.... the paperbacks of the Twilight books - those teen vampire books... Well I blame the three beers and feeling a little tipsy but I bought them. ...I could not put them down!!.

OK, the antidote to "Twilight, the Sparkly Vampire series": read Robin McKinley's "Sunshine". Seriously. Way different take on vampires, and no sparkle. Plus superior writing.

Oh. And cinnamon rolls.

[piqaboo]

More Piers Anthony (Xanth series), and more Terry Pratchett (Discworld)

[BigJon]

Finished "reading" Stephen King's The Dark Tower I - The Gunslinger It is probably the most literate of his works that I've read. He remaps some familiar words so you have to pay attention to how they are used. There's a consistent pressure of doom over his dystopia that sometimes makes the book a slog, but I want to continue on to the next volume so I stay attuned to this universe.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Picked up the latest Tom Clancy on audio CD in Costco yesterday evening: it runs 20 hours! And includes a 2 CD MP3 of "The Hunt for Red October"! Now I need a really long road trip on which to enjoy both books.

Started "Red October" this morning on the drive in to work, and we just finished putting Putin's corpse in the freezer. I also have the sound track from the movie (a friend ripped it for me with a nifty program he has) and I find I keep hearing Sean Connery's voice instead of the reader who's actually on my car stereo. I may just go back to the movie actors...

[Schmeelkie]

Selma - you and I are on the same brainwave when it comes to fantasy - LOVED Sunshine - made me hungry, though... now I'm thinking cinnamon rolls for my weekend baking with the kids...

BigJon - I read Dark Tower years ago - only S. King I've ever read. I remember having a hard time deciding if I liked it or not - the darkness got to me, but really well written. Never got to second book, however.