Author Topic: book recommendations  (Read 229992 times)

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Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2050 on: March 31, 2021, 08:53:15 AM »
Newt Gingrich wrote a book about Gettysburg and framed it as the South Won the battle.

:horrorsurprise:
How arrogant and dumb does someone need to be to attempt a novel about Gettysburg? Like you have something valuable to add to the literature around this event??? I mean you already have Killer Angels and then the actual narrative of the battle that Shelby Foote wrote (Stars in Their Courses) is more gripping and incredible than some dumb novel by Newt Gingrich.

Offline star seed 7

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2051 on: March 31, 2021, 08:58:34 AM »
On a road trip to California a few years ago I ran a train on like 5 Cormac Mccarthy audiobooks.

Also no country (not part of the train) reads like a screenplay. There is one additional scene not in the movie but everything else is exactly the same.
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Offline chum1

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2052 on: March 31, 2021, 09:11:32 AM »
Have we discussed Cormac McCarthy's novels ITT? I think The Crossing is still my favorite with Blood Meridian andNo Country for Old Men close behind.

I loved ATPH and decided to read the rest of the trilogy. Each book is good on its own, but I was surprised and amazed at how great they are together. I finished, thought about the themes running throughout, and was like, "holy crap that is incredible."

Part I of the crossing is one of my all time favorite books/parts of a book.

The earlier stuff is so damn bleak. Good. But damn bleak.

Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2053 on: March 31, 2021, 09:17:49 AM »
Have we discussed Cormac McCarthy's novels ITT? I think The Crossing is still my favorite with Blood Meridian andNo Country for Old Men close behind.

I loved ATPH and decided to read the rest of the trilogy. Each book is good on its own, but I was surprised and amazed at how great they are together. I finished, thought about the themes running throughout, and was like, "holy crap that is incredible."

Part I of the crossing is one of my all time favorite books/parts of a book.

The earlier stuff is so damn bleak. Good. But damn bleak.
I also appreciated how the elements of The Border Trilogy tied together. It has been a long time since I've read Cities of the Plain.

Agree about the early stuff being more relentlessly bleak. I could not get into Sutree or The Orchard Keeper
« Last Edit: March 31, 2021, 09:20:54 AM by Sandstone Outcropping »

Offline Rage Against the McKee

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2054 on: March 31, 2021, 10:38:27 AM »
Blood Meridian was hard for me to stay interested in because there wasn't really an overarching plot to speak of. It was entertaining, but it was almost more like reading a series of short stories set in the same universe.

Offline mocat

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2055 on: March 31, 2021, 11:14:40 AM »
i am reading A Perfect Spy and it's unlike any other Le Carre. i mean there is still spy stuff, but so far a good bit of it reads like Great Expectations

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2056 on: March 31, 2021, 12:03:34 PM »
Blood Meridian was hard for me to stay interested in because there wasn't really an overarching plot to speak of. It was entertaining, but it was almost more like reading a series of short stories set in the same universe.

felt the same.  got bored 3/4 of the way through.

Offline TheHamburglar

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2057 on: March 31, 2021, 12:09:09 PM »
The woman at the hotel pool is much younger and has a bigger role in the book. That’s the only difference I can remember in No Country.
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Offline Pete

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2058 on: March 31, 2021, 12:21:53 PM »
Newt Gingrich wrote a book about Gettysburg and framed it as the South Won the battle.

:horrorsurprise:
How arrogant and dumb does someone need to be to attempt a novel about Gettysburg? Like you have something valuable to add to the literature around this event??? I mean you already have Killer Angels and then the actual narrative of the battle that Shelby Foote wrote (Stars in Their Courses) is more gripping and incredible than some dumb novel by Newt Gingrich.

Not to mention that every southern soldier or collaborator is guilty of mass murder, treason, and countless human rights violations during the course of their attempt to violently overthrow the government of the United States of America, and should have rightfully been hung. 

I'll read nothing of the sort, thank you very much.

Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2059 on: April 01, 2021, 07:34:30 AM »
Newt Gingrich wrote a book about Gettysburg and framed it as the South Won the battle.

:horrorsurprise:
How arrogant and dumb does someone need to be to attempt a novel about Gettysburg? Like you have something valuable to add to the literature around this event??? I mean you already have Killer Angels and then the actual narrative of the battle that Shelby Foote wrote (Stars in Their Courses) is more gripping and incredible than some dumb novel by Newt Gingrich.

Not to mention that every southern soldier or collaborator is guilty of mass murder, treason, and countless human rights violations during the course of their attempt to violently overthrow the government of the United States of America, and should have rightfully been hung. 

I'll read nothing of the sort, thank you very much.
Don't you think hanging every ex-Confederate soldier would have been a bit harsh? What if the executions were limited to only to officers at the battalion or regimental level and higher. It would be interesting to see what effect that might have had on the counter-revolution that undid the reforms of the Reconstruction era.

Online Cire

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2060 on: April 01, 2021, 08:04:24 AM »
Reconstruction failed because they just quit in 1876 ish, there should have been a total and complete "deNAZIfication" of the South and it's leaders, like the Nuremburg trials.

TJ Stiles James book is centered around this theme mostly in Missouri but you can expand it into the south.

The South lost the battle but won the war in a weird way. 

Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2061 on: April 01, 2021, 08:12:43 AM »
Reconstruction failed because they just quit in 1876 ish, there should have been a total and complete "deNAZIfication" of the South and it's leaders, like the Nuremburg trials.

TJ Stiles James book is centered around this theme mostly in Missouri but you can expand it into the south.

The South lost the battle but won the war in a weird way.
I'm interested to learn more about this as I read Prophet of Freedom. I've read a fair amount about the Civil War but really nothing about the reconstruction era.

Offline Pete

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2062 on: April 01, 2021, 09:48:50 AM »
Definitely should have hung as many as we got our hands on.  The rest should have been encouraged to "escape" to Ireland or something.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2063 on: April 01, 2021, 09:31:28 PM »
You guys were right about no country. Reads like a screen play


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Offline steve dave

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2064 on: April 01, 2021, 09:34:41 PM »
if you guys haven't read them you should read Winds Of War/War And Remembrance by Herman Wouk. I think I've mentioned that on here before. Both incredibly good. I read them when I was 18 and then when I was like 24 and then when I was like 30. And they are a LOT of pages. And NO pictures. So you know they ruled.

Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2065 on: April 02, 2021, 08:36:33 AM »
if you guys haven't read them you should read Winds Of War/War And Remembrance by Herman Wouk. I think I've mentioned that on here before. Both incredibly good. I read them when I was 18 and then when I was like 24 and then when I was like 30. And they are a LOT of pages. And NO pictures. So you know they ruled.
Just looked those up on wikipedia. Sounds pretty compelling. I may add them to my list.

Offline Pete

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2066 on: April 02, 2021, 09:02:51 AM »
For the Fantasy nerds, I am about 85% through the latest Brandon Sanderson "Stormlight" book "Rhythm of War."  It's massive, of course.  Unlike all of the other books in the series, this one has a been a real chore for me to get through.  Maybe this thing wraps up in some mind blowing way, but I'd say this is easily the worst book of an otherwise wonderful series, and probably the worst Brandon Sanderson book I've read.  It's just kinda boring.   :frown:



Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2067 on: April 02, 2021, 09:23:02 AM »
For the Fantasy nerds, I am about 85% through the latest Brandon Sanderson "Stormlight" book "Rhythm of War."  It's massive, of course.  Unlike all of the other books in the series, this one has a been a real chore for me to get through.  Maybe this thing wraps up in some mind blowing way, but I'd say this is easily the worst book of an otherwise wonderful series, and probably the worst Brandon Sanderson book I've read.  It's just kinda boring.   :frown:



Pete, do you read a lot of fantasy novels? What would recommend as an entry point for a person who thinks that they don't like fantasy novels?

Offline michigancat

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2068 on: April 02, 2021, 09:32:29 AM »
For the Fantasy nerds, I am about 85% through the latest Brandon Sanderson "Stormlight" book "Rhythm of War."  It's massive, of course.  Unlike all of the other books in the series, this one has a been a real chore for me to get through.  Maybe this thing wraps up in some mind blowing way, but I'd say this is easily the worst book of an otherwise wonderful series, and probably the worst Brandon Sanderson book I've read.  It's just kinda boring.   :frown:



Pete, do you read a lot of fantasy novels? What would recommend as an entry point for a person who thinks that they don't like fantasy novels?
I don't read a lot so I would suggest Name of the Wind.

Offline ben ji

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2069 on: April 02, 2021, 09:42:57 AM »
if you guys haven't read them you should read Winds Of War/War And Remembrance by Herman Wouk. I think I've mentioned that on here before. Both incredibly good. I read them when I was 18 and then when I was like 24 and then when I was like 30. And they are a LOT of pages. And NO pictures. So you know they ruled.

 :surprised:

Wouk decided to break it into two when he realized it took nearly 1000 pages just to get to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Will give it a shot though

Offline Spracne

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2070 on: April 02, 2021, 09:45:45 AM »
For the Fantasy nerds, I am about 85% through the latest Brandon Sanderson "Stormlight" book "Rhythm of War."  It's massive, of course.  Unlike all of the other books in the series, this one has a been a real chore for me to get through.  Maybe this thing wraps up in some mind blowing way, but I'd say this is easily the worst book of an otherwise wonderful series, and probably the worst Brandon Sanderson book I've read.  It's just kinda boring.   :frown:



Pete, do you read a lot of fantasy novels? What would recommend as an entry point for a person who thinks that they don't like fantasy novels?

This is easy: Game of Thrones (I realize that's not what they're called).

Offline Pete

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2071 on: April 02, 2021, 09:56:53 AM »
For the Fantasy nerds, I am about 85% through the latest Brandon Sanderson "Stormlight" book "Rhythm of War."  It's massive, of course.  Unlike all of the other books in the series, this one has a been a real chore for me to get through.  Maybe this thing wraps up in some mind blowing way, but I'd say this is easily the worst book of an otherwise wonderful series, and probably the worst Brandon Sanderson book I've read.  It's just kinda boring.   :frown:



Pete, do you read a lot of fantasy novels? What would recommend as an entry point for a person who thinks that they don't like fantasy novels?

I read vast, vast quantities of Fantasy.  I agree with Rusty and Spracne, both...The Name of the Wind and Game of Thrones are both great, and both series that are not finished, unfortunately, but the books and series are great.  Fantasy is a pretty wide genre. I tend to like the really violent graphic stuff, and not the Tolken Lord of the Rings stuff as much.  I'd start with Peter Brett's book in the Demon Cycle series called The Warded Man.  That's a really great series, and super fun.  Below is a pretty good list as well.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/88

Offline Sandstone Outcropping

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2072 on: April 02, 2021, 10:31:13 AM »
For the Fantasy nerds, I am about 85% through the latest Brandon Sanderson "Stormlight" book "Rhythm of War."  It's massive, of course.  Unlike all of the other books in the series, this one has a been a real chore for me to get through.  Maybe this thing wraps up in some mind blowing way, but I'd say this is easily the worst book of an otherwise wonderful series, and probably the worst Brandon Sanderson book I've read.  It's just kinda boring.   :frown:



Pete, do you read a lot of fantasy novels? What would recommend as an entry point for a person who thinks that they don't like fantasy novels?

I read vast, vast quantities of Fantasy.  I agree with Rusty and Spracne, both...The Name of the Wind and Game of Thrones are both great, and both series that are not finished, unfortunately, but the books and series are great.  Fantasy is a pretty wide genre. I tend to like the really violent graphic stuff, and not the Tolken Lord of the Rings stuff as much.  I'd start with Peter Brett's book in the Demon Cycle series called The Warded Man.  That's a really great series, and super fun.  Below is a pretty good list as well.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/88
Thanks, my 10 year old just finished reading The Hobbit and whatever the first LOTR book is and I don't really know anything about them other that watching the movies when they first came out. I guess Harry Potter is in this genre, too. Older kids have read / listened to all of them multiple times.

Offline CHONGS

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2073 on: April 02, 2021, 12:45:00 PM »
@Pete what do you think about the Broken Earth series? I've almost finished Fifth Season and it's pretty good so far.

Offline steve dave

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #2074 on: April 02, 2021, 01:03:11 PM »
I read the first one of those but it didn’t draw me in enough to pickup the second o e


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