Books!

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Radbird
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Re: Books!

Post by Radbird »

heyzeus wrote:Shteyngart is one of my favorite authors, but this book is a mixed bag. It's about a hedge funder billionaire who flees his marriage and special needs kid in NYC to take a Greyhound across the country to find himself and his romanticized/idealized ex, set on the dawning of the Trump era. There's a lot of insufferable talk about expensive watches, and the protagonist is an unlovable dolt, but it tells a good story of America today and offers some hope of redemption. 7/10, would mildly recommend.
What’s a good Shteyngart book to start with?

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JCShutout
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Re: Books!

Post by JCShutout »

I just read the first two installments in the Kingkiller series. Really really good. The depth of Rothfuss' character development and worldbuilding rivals Tolkein. Something like 1700 pages between the two books and I knocked them out in about a month and a half. Just couldn't put them down. We read the first one in my book group, and some people thought it moved too slow, but I think the depth of detail makes the world and the plot more satisfying.

Spoilers/guesses at the third book below.
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My guess is Kvothe either killed Ambrose after he became King, or killed the person in front of Ambrose, making him King, explaining how F'ed up the world is. Kvothe also has a conversation with Denna, (who I think is either some version of Artemis, or Kvothe is really fibbing in his explanation of her) mentions a type of magic where when you write something down, it becomes true. I think that will be how Kvothe lost his power (maybe Ambrose or someone got hold of his name) and/or how he gets redemption/earns his power back
Just about to start the short novel about Auri.

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JCShutout
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Re: Books!

Post by JCShutout »

pioneer98 wrote:
Tim wrote:Leaders Eat Last - Simon Sinek

Not something I would typically read, however I am undergoing a job change and this seems applicable.
I just don't trust that guy. Most of his videos I see on social media are simply him telling Baby Boomers to fear Millennials. But he presents it as a more "intellectual" argument rather than a political one (like Fox News does). In the end, it's just a different flavor of the eternal cottage industry called "Kids these days".
To go the other direction, anyone read Generation of Sociopaths, about how Boomers are ruining the country? I got through about half of it before I had to return it to the library.

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Tim
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Re: Books!

Post by Tim »

Couldn't make it very far in that Simonek book

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Freed Roger
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Re: Books!

Post by Freed Roger »

Ready for A good book. what you got Zeus? Ok anybody.....but really, Zeus.

a book that FB kept feeding at me, and I bit. Wilderness: Gateway to the Soul. Author Stillman.

Mildly Poetic musings on various wilderness trips this guy has taken. Many of them solo.

He is repetitively evangelistic about how great this all is. He is preaching to the choir in my case. I can relate to several of his reflections, the solo aspect and the effect these sort of trips can have on a person.

In the outdoor travel/adventure genre of writings, I prefer a little more facts, beta and history, rather than just feelings and thoughts. But surprising how in just conveying his feelings about places, I am now looking into/mentally bookmarking future trips to his locales. (Wind River Range for one).

Also, neat to read his take on some places visited, which have already experienced at some level. He made me think a bit more about this world, and my small place in it and beyond.
Worth a read.

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redbirdjazzz
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Re: Books!

Post by redbirdjazzz »

Freed Roger wrote:Ready for A good book. what you got Zeus? Ok anybody.....but really, Zeus.

a book that FB kept feeding at me, and I bit. Wilderness: Gateway to the Soul. Author Stillman.

Mildly Poetic musings on various wilderness trips this guy has taken. Many of them solo.

He is repetitively evangelistic about how great this all is. He is preaching to the choir in my case. I can relate to several of his reflections, the solo aspect and the effect these sort of trips can have on a person.

In the outdoor travel/adventure genre of writings, I prefer a little more facts, beta and history, rather than just feelings and thoughts. But surprising how in just conveying his feelings about places, I am now looking into/mentally bookmarking future trips to his locales. (Wind River Range for one).

Also, neat to read his take on some places visited, which have already experienced at some level. He made me think a bit more about this world, and my small place in it and beyond.
Worth a read.
Check out Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time and Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier, both by Mark Adams.

Freed Roger
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Re: Books!

Post by Freed Roger »

Great. Thanks RedbirdJazz.

Now to get the new e-reader back from my daughter. I guess it's fair she apprehend, as I've done same with her SUP.

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Famous Mortimer
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Re: Books!

Post by Famous Mortimer »

I just finished the Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer, and it was fantastic. Lots of good stuff to chew on, and from him mentioning his own reading list that inspired him before and during the writing of the novel, it gives you some ideas of what perhaps Area X was all about. But not really, cos I'm not smart enough.

Next up is "Alex's Adventures In Numberland" by Alex Bellos, a journalist who does a Bill Bryson-style thing, just about maths. Like Bryson, it's not wildly complicated, but he does use a few equations.

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Re: Books!

Post by Freed Roger »

redbirdjazzz wrote:Check out Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time and Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier, both by Mark Adams.
Reading the Machu Picchu one. Enjoying it. Thanks again.

First use of kindle paperwhite. I am a fan. Easy to use. can make bigger font size for old man eyes. don't need a light on to read. will be great for camping. It puts me to sleep almost like when reading a paper book. I will still patronize library and book stores, but this is a nice thing to have.

Edit,: also liking the dictionary and wiki text links. though it might be a bit burdensome to the mind flow, but not so much.

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redbirdjazzz
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Re: Books!

Post by redbirdjazzz »

Freed Roger wrote:
redbirdjazzz wrote:Check out Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time and Tip of the Iceberg: My 3,000-Mile Journey Around Wild Alaska, the Last Great American Frontier, both by Mark Adams.
Reading the Machu Picchu one. Enjoying it. Thanks again.

First use of kindle paperwhite. I am a fan. Easy to use. can make bigger font size for old man eyes. don't need a light on to read. will be great for camping. It puts me to sleep almost like when reading a paper book. I will still patronize library and book stores, but this is a nice thing to have.

Edit,: also liking the dictionary and wiki text links. though it might be a bit burdensome to the mind flow, but not so much.
Sweet! He has another one that's more travel and less adventure travel, but it's really good too. If you find you like his authorial voice, check out Meet Me in Atlantis.

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