GOOD BOOKS TO READ

[l2ridehd]

Thank Tal for this topic idea, although it may have been done before.

In the last few weeks some good books I have finished.

Overlook by Michael Connelly
State of Fear and Next by Michael Crichton
Exile by Richard North Patterson
Machiavelli Covenant by Alan Folsum

Others?

[Taltarzac]

I am reading The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. Saw the movie of the same name and could not figure out why some Christians were so upset with this book and the movie.

It is a kids' book like the Harry Potter books.

[SteveFromNY]

World Without End by Ken Follett. A sequel of sorts to Pillars of the Earth. Didn't finish WWE yet, but the 1st few hundred pages are not a disappointment.

[villages07]

I'm almost done with "Boom" by Tom Brokaw... a look at baby boomers who came of age in the 60s and are now today's leaders...and how the events of the 60s (Vietnam, women's movement, music, Kennedy/King, etc) influenced how these folks think today. It's a very good read.

[beady]

For fun and light reading try some Carl Haissen. Skinny Dip was my favorite. Most of his writing has an underlying theme regarding the abuse of the Everglades, past and present.
I am in the middle of World Without End and it is just as good as Pillars Of The Earth, which I read over Christmas.

[Boomer]

Tal,

Thanks to you and I2ridehd for getting this topic going again.

It must be autobiography season at the BB house:

Born Standing Up by Steve Martin and Clapton by Eric Clapton

The two Ken Follett books mentioned here and Brokaw's Boom await on a table.

And, Beady, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I love Carl Hiaasen's humor and insight into human nature. Stormy Weather is my absolute favorite. I also really liked Skin Tight.

[Taltarzac]

Let me take a shot at it Tal.

Christians are upset at The Golden Compass maybe because:

Pullman the author is an aethist which gives creedance to the next bullets.
In this series of books, at the end they kill God and everybody lives happily ever after.

The movie is especially dumbed down to reel kids and parents into thinking it's just a Harry Potter thing.



The first movie The Golden Compass is a Harry Potter like escape. I have read that if they make the second and third books into movies they plan to stick closer to the original works. That's a big if though even if the first movie recouped a lot of its US profit margin losses overseas.

Personally, the movies-- if they have some deep message about religion and authoritarianism-- should stick more to the original author's intent. That way it is harder to argue that some kind of deception is going on to get children interested in these books on false pretenses of their not being anything like the Harry Potter books.

[redwitch]

Tal, it was written as a direct slap towards the Narnia trilogy -- which has pretty obvious Biblical references. Both trilogies are very much based on the Christian religion -- one for, one against -- and both are geared towards children. If you look at them from a religious context, neither is innocent. If you take them at face value, both are innocent.

[l2ridehd]

For those that like Carl Haissen, and I have read all his books and enjoy his humor, try Lawrence Sanders. His McNally series is great plus he has written many others. Most all take place in Southern Florida and have the detective twist. Nelson Demille also has a wise cracking detective in many of his books and an excellent author as well. I have to get the new Ken Follett book as I have also read all of his. Lie Down with Lions was my favorite of his with Pillars of the Earth being second. And all time favorite author is James Clavell.

[Taltarzac]

Tal, it was written as a direct slap towards the Narnia trilogy -- which has pretty obvious Biblical references. Both trilogies are very much based on the Christian religion -- one for, one against -- and both are geared towards children. If you look at them from a religious context, neither is innocent. If you take them at face value, both are innocent.


Good to know, Red. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chronicles_of_Narnia

The movie The Golden Compass seemed rather devoid of any philosophical nuances. The book of the same name seems to get into it a lot more.

[Boomer]

Re. the Pullman trilogy: I have not read them because that's not my genre, but I think The Amber Spyglass, which is the third in the trilogy, is the one that really got people upset.

I know there are probably issues that could be found - with anything - but fans of fantasy fiction are just looking for a good story to follow up their main man Tolkien.

And fans of fantasy fiction are often really fast readers who will read straight through an author in record time. They seem to love the detail and the web of the genre.

I have a little theory on fantasy fiction that I have tested over the years by just talking to people who like it. Fantasy fiction often seems to be the genre of choice for those who are mathematically inclined. - engineers, etc.

I have to mention here a book that I bought last night. (Mr. BB and I need to stay away from Borders or we will never be able to afford a house in TV.) Anyway, the book is called House Lust by Daniel McGinn. It has a 2008 copyright and addresses the psychology of what we go through with our real estate. I have not started it yet so I don't know if I can recommend it or not. But it looks good to me.

[Taltarzac]

Re. the Pullman trilogy: I have not read them because that's not my genre, but I think The Amber Spyglass, which is the third in the trilogy, is the one that really got people upset.

I know there are probably issues that could be found - with anything - but fans of fantasy fiction are just looking for a good story to follow up their main man Tolkien.

And fans of fantasy fiction are often really fast readers who will read straight through an author in record time. They seem to love the detail and the web of the genre.

I have a little theory on fantasy fiction that I have tested over the years by just talking to people who like it. Fantasy fiction often seems to be the genre of choice for those who are mathematically inclined. - engineers, etc.

I have to mention here a book that I bought last night. (Mr. BB and I need to stay away from Borders or we will never be able to afford a house in TV.) Anyway, the book is called House Lust by Daniel McGinn. It has a 2008 copyright and addresses the psychology of what we go through with our real estate. I have not started it yet so I don't know if I can recommend it or not. But it looks good to me.


I will have to read The Amber Spyglass at some point. Have to get through the first two in the His Dark Materials series first though.

I am more of a mystery/suspense/horror fan than one of fantasy and science fiction at least in books.

Look into joining Barnes & Noble with a Membership when you get here. Think its $25 a year but you get coupons every month or so for 20 to 25% off of various items as well as weekly coupons for substantial savings off of selected usually best selling items. You also get quite a lot off of a lot of stuff as a Barnes & Noble Member. You get 40% as a member off of current hardback bestsellers.

You can then combine the monthly coupon with the Member's discount. Quite a savings.

There's a Barnes & Noble at Lake Sumter Landing in TV.

[Boomer]

Tal,

Thank you for the offering of advice on how to support my habit. We have a similar thing with Borders. It actually makes us spend more on books. They email these lovely little discount coupons. We find ourselves watching for them. When they make us an offer we cannot refuse, we make the pilgrimage.

A bookstore affects me like Sam's or Costco can. I find many things I did not know I needed. Once, many, many years ago, I took a parttime job at Waldenbooks. I wanted to do it for the discount. At the end of the week, I owed them money.

Boomer

[Taltarzac]

Tal,

Thank you for the offering of advice on how to support my habit. We have a similar thing with Borders. It actually makes us spend more on books. They email these lovely little discount coupons. We find ourselves watching for them. When they make us an offer we cannot refuse, we make the pilgrimage.

A bookstore affects me like Sam's or Costco can. I find many things I did not know I needed. Once, many, many years ago, I took a parttime job at Waldenbooks. I wanted to do it for the discount. At the end of the week, I owed them money.

Boomer


One good thing then about moving to TV; I do not recall a Borders anywhere close to TV. You would have to drive to Gainesville, Orlando or the Tampa Bay area to find a Waldenbooks or a Borders. There's a Books-A-Million in Leesburg that's about 30 to 45 minutes from TV depending on what part of TV you are.

[redwitch]

I have to seriously limit my visiting at any bookstore, even with the discount cards I'm lucky to walk out with only two shopping bags full. Right now, I'm seriously considering flying to California to kill my best friend -- she sent me a B&N gift card for $25.00. The problem is I haven't walked into a book store for 6 months to SAVE money. Can you imagine how behind I am in book buying and what kind of damage I'm going to do to my pocketbook when I walk in there?

But for books, just finished Crisis by Robin Cook. Pretty good book.

A good poolside book is any of the Janet Evanovich books, at least for us females (doubt the men would appreciate them).

Nothing else really going right now bookwise. Guess I've taken one of my few breaks from books. May be a good thing? Now, if I could take a break from the puter!

[Boomer]

I am about to do a very bad thing here. I am going to recommend a book that I have never read. But it is a book that I thought was going to set the woods, or something, on fire when I got some friends started reading it.

The book is an older one. It is Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and it is the first in a series.

Here's what happened: - I had gone to a meeting where there were lots of word nerds. The talk turned to favorite books. Someone mentioned Outlander and the women in the room went into a frenzy. It is a time-travel romance, sort of. Not usually my style, but I bought it immediately. I had a lot going on at work at the time. This thing is 600 pages long. I did not read it, but I told several friends about it and about the reaction in that meeting room.

This book set off a chain reaction, as my friends told other friends about it. One friend went to the library to get it, and the librarian she asked about it nearly burst into joyous flames as she searched the shelves for the well worn copy. It seems the main character travels through time and meets this hot Scot...Welllllll, the book is quite full of history and such. Yeah, uh huh, that's it.

H-m-m-m, maybe I should have put this rec over on the Girl Talk thread.

I am so glad I just remembered this book. Now that I am retired, I am going to actually read it.

Boomer

And Tal,

I know that your heart is in the right place when you tell me I will be safe in TV because there is no Borders. But, alas, B&N can get me, too. You are probably thinking, "Why doesn't this woman just go to the library?" I do. And I am a big supporter of libraries. But I am afraid that where books are concerned, I want what I want when I want it.

[beady]

Boomer:

I read the whole series as each was released. They are fabulous, the first 4 books, that is. Outlander, Drums of Autumn, Dragonfly in Amber, and Voyager.
The last 2 ,Fiery Cross and Breath of Snow and Ashes, were not so good. Too much of a good thing after the first 4.
Enjoy

[barb1191]

Recently read a couple of light reading about life in TV which has a more positive slant on TV and yet with amusing twists and turns in the fictitious plots.

The author of the two book is Lorraine Harris who is a resident of TV. I found "Casserole Parade" and "Casserole Surprise." Interesting as the setting in both novels is in TV where she places the various settings within TV. ....b


http://www.authorsden.com/lorrainemharris