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Juan Jose Colin Arciniega
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6413
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| Posted: 14 July 2011 at 9:53am | IP Logged | 1
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A new book of religion that my Husband pass me. "Black Battle, White Knight: The Authorized Biography of Malcolm Boyd".
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Tom French
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 January 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 4154
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| Posted: 14 July 2011 at 12:39pm | IP Logged | 2
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I wonder why I find these so utterly impenetrable? Perhaps Tolkien just set the bar WAY too high in my (then) young mind. Without the HBO series behind me, I'm sure I'd feel that way myself. You know what I think the problem is? There's not BEGINNING in this series -- there's no idyllic life in the Shire, no innocence of youth. We are thrust into the thick of it from Chapter One. It's bad now. It's BEEN bad for a while... and it's going to get worse. I'm two books in -- and I think only one character is really "good". (The Imp, for those of you wondering.)
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Bobby Beem
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 22 September 2009
Posts: 161
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| Posted: 14 July 2011 at 1:58pm | IP Logged | 3
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How is Tyrion more "good" than say, Jon Snow, the most traditional of the protagonists? Even if you look past his drunken whoring (which isn't exactly evil, but probably wouldn't be characterized as "good"), Tyrion's main goal is to ingratiate himself to his father, an unquestionably evil man, by manipulating and often harming others. There is one character who is really good, but you've hardly met. As to your other observation, it's true that the darkness within the story is a big part of its allure, though it often grows tiresome. However, it's definitely and clearly implied that at least a few happy and innocent times are being had right before the first book begins. I think it's enough to mention such, instead of taking us through a tour of it.
Edited by Bobby Beem on 14 July 2011 at 2:51pm
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Brian Tait
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 April 2004
Location: Canada
Posts: 1817
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| Posted: 14 July 2011 at 2:37pm | IP Logged | 4
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I have also begun digging through A Game of Thrones.
I had no idea the show was based upon a series of books. Once I saw the series I had to look into the books.
Finished the first book and well into the second.
This is also the first time that I think I've benefited from seeing the series on TV first.
I have a hard time remembering names, terrible at it. In long saga type books like these - I get lost......real fast.
But, having seen the series, I can put a "face" to the name to get me started. Once I've grasped the main characters and the "feel" of the world, I'm good to go.
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Matt Reed
Byrne Robotics Security
Robotmod
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 35941
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| Posted: 16 July 2011 at 10:39am | IP Logged | 5
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Tina Fey's BOSSYPANTS was exceptional. Now I'm halfway through
ISAAC'S STORM by Erik Larson. Not the writer/artist but the best
selling author of both this book and DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY.
ISAAC'S STORM tells the true story of the hurricane that devestated
Galvaston, TX in September of 1900. It started out slow, but is
gaining momentum as that fateful day approaches. Having just read
THE CHILDREN'S BLIZZARD, which is also about the lack of warning
despite clear signs of a blizzard that killed a thousand or more people
in 1888, it's distressing to say the least that 12 years later the nascent
Weather Service was still plagued with individuals who ignored
warning signs due to hubris and attempted to shut down Cuban
forecasters who knew a hurricane of epic proportions was working it's
way through the Gulf of Mexico.
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Russ Webb
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 323
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| Posted: 16 July 2011 at 1:36pm | IP Logged | 6
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Warhammer 40,000 Book: "Galaxy in Flames" by Ben Counter. Have about 40 Warhammer 40k books read so far, with another 40-ish already bought & ready to be read.
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Flavio Sapha
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: Brazil
Posts: 12912
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| Posted: 16 July 2011 at 9:13pm | IP Logged | 7
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Started out JULIET, NAKED - by Nick Hornby. Big change of pace for me. Heard that the singer character was based on
Morrissey and that piqued my curiosity.
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Flavio Sapha
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: Brazil
Posts: 12912
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| Posted: 16 July 2011 at 9:19pm | IP Logged | 8
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THE SEVEN PERCENT SOLUTION wasn't as entertaining as I expected, but
the final chapters seemed pretty clever to me (not an expert in
Sherlockiana). Turns out that Sigmund Freud was a pretty good detective, too.
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Brett Wilson
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 07 April 2010
Location: United States
Posts: 318
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| Posted: 16 July 2011 at 9:27pm | IP Logged | 9
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War and Peace. Anyone read it? How did you keep up with all the characters?
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William Lukash
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 May 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1405
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| Posted: 17 July 2011 at 6:59pm | IP Logged | 10
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I read war and peace a long, long time ago. I strongly identified with two of the characters but can't remember any of the rest. I'm not sure I did keep track of them all.
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Matt Reed
Byrne Robotics Security
Robotmod
Joined: 16 April 2004
Posts: 35941
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| Posted: 17 July 2011 at 7:06pm | IP Logged | 11
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What kinds of books do you guys gravitate to? Fantasy? Nonfiction?
Novels? Given only the choice of one type of book, what would you
choose without fail above all others?It's an interesting question for me. 20 years ago it would have been
hands down novels, particularly mysteries. Now? I'd choose
nonfiction accounts of historical events and people rather than fictional
accounts 9 times out of 10. In other words, I find that I read
nonfiction at an older age much more than I ever could have guessed
at 25 years old. I hear that's normal, but it's very strange to me!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 133317
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| Posted: 17 July 2011 at 7:42pm | IP Logged | 12
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Rereading AMERICAN BRUTUS, by Michael W. Kauffman. As you might guess, it's about the Lincoln assassination, and one of the most detailed reports of that time and place I have ever read. (In many ways it makes an excellent "bookend" to Doris Kearns Goodwin's TEAM OF RIVALS.)The title bugs me, since Booth did not have anything like the same relationship with Lincoln that Brutus had with Julius Caesar -- having PLAYED Brutus doesn't really count! -- but the rest of the book is fascinating and highly recommended.
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