Author Topic: book recommendations  (Read 230032 times)

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #450 on: May 13, 2013, 02:31:35 PM »
Read a book about some chick who's uncle runs Scientology and she was raised in the church's ridiculous organization before bolting in her 20s.  Really, not as shocking as I'd hoped.  Pretty much shrugged the whole time going "Well, that's one thing that batshit insane people might do"

Really hoping Libby or the other recently escaped Phelps daughters does this.  Would probably be pretty interesting/disturbing.  Would make them some dece money now that their family has disowned them. 



It seems interesting but now that I've read this one, I don't know what the point is.  I mean, what in that book is really going to surprise you?

Nothing, probably.  I mean, that group seems so messed up I would believe pretty much anything about them.  Would just be interesting to read a point of view perspective about something that deeply screwed up with the contrast of no longer believing it.  I don't have to be surprised to be interested. 

The two should do it more for the money than my interest, though.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #451 on: May 13, 2013, 04:13:15 PM »
I finished Ready Player One over my lunch break and thought it was a pretty decent book.  It was an 80s reference heavy book, but I dug it.  The first 100 or so pages were pretty boring (talking about how the world has gone to crap and the OASIS which is a massive online simulation that everyone pretty much lives in).  It was a coming to age book that didn't require much thought, but I had a blast reading it.
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Offline felix rex

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #452 on: May 15, 2013, 08:06:18 AM »
Review of Dan Brown's "Inferno":

Quote
Renowned author Dan Brown woke up in his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house – and immediately he felt angry. Most people would have thought that the 48-year-old man had no reason to be angry. After all, the famous writer had a new book coming out. But that was the problem. A new book meant an inevitable attack on the rich novelist by the wealthy wordsmith’s fiercest foes. The critics.

Renowned author Dan Brown hated the critics. Ever since he had become one of the world’s top renowned authors they had made fun of him. They had mocked bestselling book The Da Vinci Code, successful novel Digital Fortress, popular tome Deception Point, money-spinning volume Angels & Demons and chart-topping work of narrative fiction The Lost Symbol.

The critics said his writing was clumsy, ungrammatical, repetitive and repetitive. They said it was full of unnecessary tautology. They said his prose was swamped in a sea of mixed metaphors. For some reason they found something funny in sentences such as “His eyes went white, like a shark about to attack.” They even say my books are packed with banal and superfluous description, thought the 5ft 9in man. He particularly hated it when they said his imagery was nonsensical. It made his insect eyes flash like a rocket.

Renowned author Dan Brown got out of his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house and paced the bedroom, using the feet located at the ends of his two legs to propel him forwards. He knew he shouldn’t care what a few jealous critics thought. His new book Inferno was coming out on Tuesday, and the 480-page hardback published by Doubleday with a recommended US retail price of $29.95 was sure to be a hit. Wasn’t it?

I’ll call my agent, pondered the prosperous scribe. He reached for the telephone using one of his two hands. “Hello, this is renowned author Dan Brown,” spoke renowned author Dan Brown. “I want to talk to literary agent John Unconvincingname.”

“Mr Unconvincingname, it’s renowned author Dan Brown,” told the voice at the other end of the line. Instantly the voice at the other end of the line was replaced by a different voice at the other end of the line. “Hello, it’s literary agent John Unconvincingname,” informed the new voice at the other end of the line.

“Hello agent John, it’s client Dan,” commented the pecunious scribbler. “I’m worried about new book Inferno. I think critics are going to say it’s badly written.”

The voice at the other end of the line gave a sigh, like a mighty oak toppling into a great river, or something else that didn’t sound like a sigh if you gave it a moment’s thought. “Who cares what the stupid critics say?” advised the literary agent. “They’re just snobs. You have millions of fans.”

That’s true, mused the accomplished composer of thrillers that combined religion, high culture and conspiracy theories. His books were read by everyone from renowned politician President Obama to renowned musician Britney Spears. It was said that a copy of The Da Vinci Code had even found its way into the hands of renowned monarch the Queen. He was grateful for his good fortune, and gave thanks every night in his prayers to renowned deity God.

“Think of all the money you’ve made,” recommended the literary agent. That was true too. The thriving ink-slinger’s wealth had allowed him to indulge his passion for great art. Among his proudest purchases were a specially commissioned landscape by acclaimed painter Vincent van Gogh and a signed first edition by revered scriptwriter William Shakespeare.

Renowned author Dan Brown smiled, the ends of his mouth curving upwards in a physical expression of pleasure. He felt much better. If your books brought innocent delight to millions of readers, what did it matter whether you knew the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

“Thanks, John,” he thanked. Then he put down the telephone and perambulated on foot to the desk behind which he habitually sat on a chair to write his famous books on an Apple iMac MD093B/A computer. New book Inferno, the latest in his celebrated series about fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon, was inspired by top Italian poet Dante. It wouldn’t be the last in the lucrative sequence, either. He had all the sequels mapped out. The Mozart Acrostic. The Michelangelo Wordsearch. The Newton Sudoku.

The 190lb adult male human being nodded his head to indicate satisfaction and returned to his bedroom by walking there. Still asleep in the luxurious four-poster bed of the expensive $10 million house was beautiful wife Mrs Brown. Renowned author Dan Brown gazed admiringly at the pulchritudinous brunette’s blonde tresses, flowing from her head like a stream but made from hair instead of water and without any fish in. She was as majestic as the finest sculpture by Caravaggio or the most coveted portrait by Rodin. I like the attractive woman, thought the successful man.

Perhaps one day, inspired by beautiful wife Mrs Brown, he would move into romantic poetry, like market-leading British rhymester John Keats. That would be good, opined the talented person, and got back into the luxurious four-poster bed. He felt as happy as a man who has something to be happy about and is suitably happy about it.
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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #453 on: May 15, 2013, 08:18:27 AM »
The Da Vinci Code was a fun read. I don't care if it was poorly written. It seems to me that the publisher should find an editor for Brown and people should just lay off of him so he can tell his stories in piece.





The mistake was intentional, critics.

Offline Rams

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Re: Re: book recommendations
« Reply #454 on: May 15, 2013, 08:22:40 AM »
Review of Dan Brown's "Inferno":

Quote
Renowned author Dan Brown woke up in his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house – and immediately he felt angry. Most people would have thought that the 48-year-old man had no reason to be angry. After all, the famous writer had a new book coming out. But that was the problem. A new book meant an inevitable attack on the rich novelist by the wealthy wordsmith’s fiercest foes. The critics.

Renowned author Dan Brown hated the critics. Ever since he had become one of the world’s top renowned authors they had made fun of him. They had mocked bestselling book The Da Vinci Code, successful novel Digital Fortress, popular tome Deception Point, money-spinning volume Angels & Demons and chart-topping work of narrative fiction The Lost Symbol.

The critics said his writing was clumsy, ungrammatical, repetitive and repetitive. They said it was full of unnecessary tautology. They said his prose was swamped in a sea of mixed metaphors. For some reason they found something funny in sentences such as “His eyes went white, like a shark about to attack.” They even say my books are packed with banal and superfluous description, thought the 5ft 9in man. He particularly hated it when they said his imagery was nonsensical. It made his insect eyes flash like a rocket.

Renowned author Dan Brown got out of his luxurious four-poster bed in his expensive $10 million house and paced the bedroom, using the feet located at the ends of his two legs to propel him forwards. He knew he shouldn’t care what a few jealous critics thought. His new book Inferno was coming out on Tuesday, and the 480-page hardback published by Doubleday with a recommended US retail price of $29.95 was sure to be a hit. Wasn’t it?

I’ll call my agent, pondered the prosperous scribe. He reached for the telephone using one of his two hands. “Hello, this is renowned author Dan Brown,” spoke renowned author Dan Brown. “I want to talk to literary agent John Unconvincingname.”

“Mr Unconvincingname, it’s renowned author Dan Brown,” told the voice at the other end of the line. Instantly the voice at the other end of the line was replaced by a different voice at the other end of the line. “Hello, it’s literary agent John Unconvincingname,” informed the new voice at the other end of the line.

“Hello agent John, it’s client Dan,” commented the pecunious scribbler. “I’m worried about new book Inferno. I think critics are going to say it’s badly written.”

The voice at the other end of the line gave a sigh, like a mighty oak toppling into a great river, or something else that didn’t sound like a sigh if you gave it a moment’s thought. “Who cares what the stupid critics say?” advised the literary agent. “They’re just snobs. You have millions of fans.”

That’s true, mused the accomplished composer of thrillers that combined religion, high culture and conspiracy theories. His books were read by everyone from renowned politician President Obama to renowned musician Britney Spears. It was said that a copy of The Da Vinci Code had even found its way into the hands of renowned monarch the Queen. He was grateful for his good fortune, and gave thanks every night in his prayers to renowned deity God.

“Think of all the money you’ve made,” recommended the literary agent. That was true too. The thriving ink-slinger’s wealth had allowed him to indulge his passion for great art. Among his proudest purchases were a specially commissioned landscape by acclaimed painter Vincent van Gogh and a signed first edition by revered scriptwriter William Shakespeare.

Renowned author Dan Brown smiled, the ends of his mouth curving upwards in a physical expression of pleasure. He felt much better. If your books brought innocent delight to millions of readers, what did it matter whether you knew the difference between a transitive and an intransitive verb?

“Thanks, John,” he thanked. Then he put down the telephone and perambulated on foot to the desk behind which he habitually sat on a chair to write his famous books on an Apple iMac MD093B/A computer. New book Inferno, the latest in his celebrated series about fictional Harvard professor Robert Langdon, was inspired by top Italian poet Dante. It wouldn’t be the last in the lucrative sequence, either. He had all the sequels mapped out. The Mozart Acrostic. The Michelangelo Wordsearch. The Newton Sudoku.

The 190lb adult male human being nodded his head to indicate satisfaction and returned to his bedroom by walking there. Still asleep in the luxurious four-poster bed of the expensive $10 million house was beautiful wife Mrs Brown. Renowned author Dan Brown gazed admiringly at the pulchritudinous brunette’s blonde tresses, flowing from her head like a stream but made from hair instead of water and without any fish in. She was as majestic as the finest sculpture by Caravaggio or the most coveted portrait by Rodin. I like the attractive woman, thought the successful man.

Perhaps one day, inspired by beautiful wife Mrs Brown, he would move into romantic poetry, like market-leading British rhymester John Keats. That would be good, opined the talented person, and got back into the luxurious four-poster bed. He felt as happy as a man who has something to be happy about and is suitably happy about it.
that's great. also makes me feel better for not reading any of his books. :sdeek:
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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #455 on: May 15, 2013, 08:26:47 AM »
My favorite thing about Dan Brown books is that they only take a few hours to read. Orson Scott Card books are the same way, though the critics don't give him nearly as much flak.

Offline felix rex

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #456 on: May 15, 2013, 08:33:45 AM »
I'm not criticizing Brown. Good for him. He's like the Two and a Half Men and Big Bang Theory of books. Hate the game etc. I just really enjoyed the review.
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Offline Cire

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #457 on: May 15, 2013, 09:28:41 AM »
light fun quick easy reads.  how awful.

Offline mocat

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #458 on: May 15, 2013, 09:45:28 AM »
Just like Katy Perry or Michael Bay, just in book form.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #459 on: May 24, 2013, 02:46:12 PM »
anyone have a great audiobook recommendo? i prefer non-fiction, but anything works.

i just finished The Bros. Karamazov. it was fantastic.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #460 on: May 24, 2013, 02:47:58 PM »
Zombie podcast

Offline Mrs. Gooch

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #461 on: May 24, 2013, 02:50:58 PM »
World War Z audiobook was pretty good.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #462 on: May 24, 2013, 02:51:55 PM »
Life Before Life
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Offline bubbles4ksu

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #464 on: May 27, 2013, 12:45:48 AM »
light fun quick easy reads.  how awful.

They are good on a plane. That's where I've read all of the Langdon books.

I have a hard time concentrating on planes.  I just need a mindless page turner.  Brown works in that spot.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #465 on: May 27, 2013, 01:02:07 AM »
great review, lolled several times.
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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #466 on: May 28, 2013, 06:19:39 PM »

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #467 on: June 10, 2013, 01:10:01 PM »
For some reason I never read Call of the Wild.  Need something to read now.  Worth it?  Am I too old?

Offline bubbles4ksu

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #468 on: June 10, 2013, 01:11:02 PM »
For some reason I never read Call of the Wild.  Need something to read now.  Worth it?  Am I too old?

worth it. it's only 84 pages.

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #469 on: June 10, 2013, 01:12:27 PM »
For some reason I never read Call of the Wild.  Need something to read now.  Worth it?  Am I too old?

I enjoyed it in my mid 20s.  If you like "20 something wandering aimlessly because he doesn't know what his purpose is and can't stand working a 9-5" type books, then you'll like it fine.

Offline bubbles4ksu

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #470 on: June 10, 2013, 01:13:33 PM »
For some reason I never read Call of the Wild.  Need something to read now.  Worth it?  Am I too old?

I enjoyed it in my mid 20s.  If you like "20 something wandering aimlessly because he doesn't know what his purpose is and can't stand working a 9-5" type books, then you'll like it fine.

are you thinking of Into the Wild?

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #471 on: June 10, 2013, 01:24:50 PM »
For some reason I never read Call of the Wild.  Need something to read now.  Worth it?  Am I too old?

worth it. it's only 84 pages.

Practically a short story, thanks.  :thumbs:

Offline ChiComCat

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #472 on: June 10, 2013, 01:31:25 PM »
For some reason I never read Call of the Wild.  Need something to read now.  Worth it?  Am I too old?

I enjoyed it in my mid 20s.  If you like "20 something wandering aimlessly because he doesn't know what his purpose is and can't stand working a 9-5" type books, then you'll like it fine.

are you thinking of Into the Wild?

MAYBE!

Offline Mikeyis4dcats

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #473 on: June 10, 2013, 01:32:08 PM »
Just started Pendulum.  The first chapter was probably the nerdiest I have ever read outside of a text book.

No hate, just an observation regarding his love affair with points that have no dimension or size and cannot move.

Hang in there, Casey. It's all worthwhile.

I read it a couple of months ago.  While not the worst thing I've read, I felt a little let down after the hype here.   Very plodding storyline.

Offline Mikeyis4dcats

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Re: book recommendations
« Reply #474 on: June 10, 2013, 01:33:32 PM »
KState common book for next year's incoming fresmen is Ready Player One. Anyone read it?

very fun read