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2006-02-09 2:35 PM

Regular
53
2525
Missoula, MT
Subject: Good books?

I have this gift card to Border's that is burning a hole in my pocket and I just happen to be in need of a good book.  I like stuff that can be challenging to read, or offers me something (no romance novels or fantasy for this girl!).  I just finished We Wish to Inform you that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with our Families, about Rwanda and The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion and one of her other books.  And I have read all the standards of recent years (Life of Pi, Kite Runner, DaVinci Code).

Somebody please help me find my next book!



2006-02-09 2:56 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Elite
3201
20001000100100
South Florida
Subject: RE: Good books?
Not challenging, but I loved it anyway - Fierce People by Dirk Wittenborn.

I don't have a big interest in history but I loved Fly Boys and Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley (both about WW2) I learned more in those two books than I retained from all my high school history classes I think.
2006-02-09 3:01 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Extreme Veteran
584
500252525
coastal NC
Subject: RE: Good books?

Hmmm... Middlesex, Mating, by Norman Rush. Anything by bell hooks. 1776. The Path or the science/religion book whose title I can't remember by Chet Raymo.

 Have fun.

2006-02-09 3:03 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Expert
1279
1000100100252525
Northern VA
Subject: RE: Good books?

Have you read "Swimming to Antarctica"  by Lynne Cox?  

Sorta tri related and inspirational. I think its an excellent read.

2006-02-09 3:11 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Elite
2673
20005001002525
Muskego, WI
Subject: RE: Good books?
"Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer (non-fiction about ill-fated climb on Everest)
"Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane (fiction by author of Mystic River)
"Becoming an Ironman" by Kara Douglass Thom (non-fiction individual inspirational stories about various first-time ironman finishers).
"Shadow Divers" by Robert Kurson (non-fiction about deep-sea divers that find an unexpected German U-Boat off American Shores.)

The above are some AWESOME books.
2006-02-09 3:12 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Pro
3906
20001000500100100100100
St Charles, IL
Subject: RE: Good books?

Loren Eiseley - The Night Country

-Chris 



2006-02-09 3:13 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Got Wahoo?
5423
5000100100100100
San Antonio
Subject: RE: Good books?

Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates - Tom Robbins

 

Best book ever. Ever.

2006-02-09 3:38 PM
in reply to: #342533

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Elite
2421
2000100100100100
Subject: RE: Good books?

Any collaboration by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are good for a thrill...

bts 

2006-02-09 3:42 PM
in reply to: #342533

Subject: ...
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2006-02-09 3:48 PM
in reply to: #342533

Master
2278
2000100100252525
State of Confusion
Subject: RE: Good books?
"The Devil In The White City" by Erik Larson. "...a true tale of two men-the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death."

Excellent writing.
2006-02-09 4:00 PM
in reply to: #342603

Pro
3906
20001000500100100100100
St Charles, IL
Subject: RE: Good books?

KSlostStar - 2006-02-09 2:48 PM "The Devil In The White City" by Erik Larson. "...a true tale of two men-the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death." Excellent writing.

KSlostStar, have you read any Caleb Carr?  If so, how would this compare?  ( I loved Caleb Carr, The Alienist and the follow-up and looking fre more in a similar vein ).

-Chris 



2006-02-09 4:26 PM
in reply to: #342533

Expert
893
500100100100252525
Livermore, Ca
Subject: RE: Good books?
Many-Body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics: An Introduction. By Bruus. Great Book
2006-02-09 4:44 PM
in reply to: #342533

Extreme Veteran
584
500252525
coastal NC
Subject: RE: Good books?
Reading Shadow Divers right now--Great!
2006-02-09 5:28 PM
in reply to: #342533

Veteran
171
1002525
Decatur GA
Subject: RE: Good books?
If you want somthing challenging I recomend Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe.  Thomas Wolfe, not Tom Wolfe.  Although both are from NC they are very different writers.  Many people consider Thomas Wolfe to be the greatest American novelist and Look Homeward Angel to be his greates work--completed at age 26, I think.  He was contemporary of Hemingway but didn't recieve near the scholarly aclaim.  The lack of recognition was due to the rise of post-modern literary theory, or deconstruction.  Hemmingway's work fit in much better with this line of thought.  It is certaintly the greatest American novel to reamin under the radar of the nonacademic world.  If you can mke it through the firs 100 pages (its tedious) you will not regret it.   Think of it as a literary ironman.

Edited by tsmith 2006-02-09 5:30 PM
2006-02-09 6:03 PM
in reply to: #342613

Master
2278
2000100100252525
State of Confusion
Subject: RE: Good books?
coredump - 2006-02-09 4:00 PM

KSlostStar - 2006-02-09 2:48 PM "The Devil In The White City" by Erik Larson. "...a true tale of two men-the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death." Excellent writing.

KSlostStar, have you read any Caleb Carr?  If so, how would this compare?  ( I loved Caleb Carr, The Alienist and the follow-up and looking fre more in a similar vein ).

-Chris 



Chris,

No I haven't read Caleb Carr. I think the Alienist was one of the books my book club read a few months ago. I have been an inactive member of this club for awhile and try to read as many of the books as possible without going to the meetings. That was one book I haven't read. I will have to put it on my list and see how it compares to Erik Larson. Thanks for the suggestion!

Kori
2006-02-09 6:05 PM
in reply to: #342631

Master
2278
2000100100252525
State of Confusion
Subject: RE: Good books?
nbo10 - 2006-02-09 4:26 PM

Many-Body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics: An Introduction. By Bruus. Great Book


geek!


2006-02-10 8:04 PM
in reply to: #342698

Expert
893
500100100100252525
Livermore, Ca
Subject: RE: Good books?
KSlostStar - 2006-02-09 6:05 PM

nbo10 - 2006-02-09 4:26 PM

Many-Body Quantum Theory in Condensed Matter Physics: An Introduction. By Bruus. Great Book


geek!


Of Course.
2006-02-11 6:21 AM
in reply to: #342533

Champion
5183
5000100252525
Wisconsin
Subject: RE: Good books?

I am the Messenger by Marcus Zusak.  It was published through a children's division and is marketed to  teens, but it is one of the most challenging books I have read in a long time. If I tell you why, I'll spoil the whole thing.

There is so much interesting stuff being published for teens right now, and so many "adult" books with teen protagonists, the crossover marketing is really odd, but it means more people are reading more books.

Also consider:

Upstate by Kalisha Buckanon

Come Back to Afghanistan by Hyder Akbar Said

Stripes of the Sidestep Wolf by Sonya Hartnett

On Beauty by Zadie Smith 

(My faves of 2006

2006-02-11 1:04 PM
in reply to: #343564

Master
1938
100050010010010010025
La Crosse
Subject: RE: Good books?
possum - 2006-02-11 7:21 AM

On Beauty by Zadie Smith 

(My faves of 2006



Ohhhhh, I haven't read that yet. Always checked out when I go to the library. The White Teeth was brilliant; Autograph Man less so.
2006-02-11 1:12 PM
in reply to: #342533

Master
2033
200025
Subject: RE: Good books?

WOW!!! I saw some of my favorites listed here...

Into Thin Air was awesome!

So was Swimming to Antarctica.

I LOVED 1776... John Adams was good too.

Just finished "Winning" by Jack Welsh. That was t wonderful book for the budding executive.

Going Long was well worth the money.

Right now I am reading A Brief History of Time... Its a page turner!

2006-02-11 1:25 PM
in reply to: #342533

Elite
2661
20005001002525
DC Metro, slowly working my way to NC
Subject: RE: Good books?
I'm about halfway through "Dogs of God : Columbus, the Inquisition, and the Defeat of the Moors", and it's fantastic.


2006-02-12 12:56 AM
in reply to: #342533

Master
1867
10005001001001002525
The real USC, in the ghetto of LA
Subject: RE: Good books?
freakonmics

economics applied (by a guy who can relate it to you) in crazy ways. why a crime drop in the 90s? abortion? FREAKOMICS. trhe best book ive read in the past 5 years. FREAKOMICS. LOVE IT! read it seriously. sh%t ill ship my book to you.... PM me!
2006-02-12 11:48 PM
in reply to: #342533

Coach
9167
5000200020001002525
Stairway to Seven
Subject: RE: Good books?
I recently attended a book club for Look Homeward, Angel (Like Alton Brown, I was only there for the food and had not read the book). The men seemed to enjoy it much more than the women.

I just read swimming to antarctica, and it was great. I hear shadow divers was good. The motorcycle diaries was great. Touching the Void is great.

Education of a Wandering Man is an autobiography by Louis Lamour, a very, very interesting little book, nothign like his fiction. It is about his formative years, running away from home, working as a laborer and reading, reading, reading anything he could get his hands on. His first fiction wasn't published until he was about 40, and he writes about htis too.
2006-02-13 1:41 AM
in reply to: #342533

Master
2278
2000100100252525
State of Confusion
Subject: RE: Good books?
Another interesting book that I was reading before "The Devil in the White City" was "Blink" by Ted Dekkar. (sp?) I was half way through it and when I accidentally left it at the club someone took it! (Can you believe that??) I was entertained by it, but hadn't had a chance to really think about it since I didn't get to read the whole thing. (I'm gonna have to get it from the library and finish it!) Another book I enjoyed is "Einstein's Dreams" by Alan Lightman (or is it just Light...can't remember.)
2006-02-13 1:45 AM
in reply to: #342533

Master
2278
2000100100252525
State of Confusion
Subject: RE: Good books?
So, LauraLee, did you pick up a new book yet??
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