Page 5 of 70 FirstFirst ... 345671555 ... LastLast
Results 81 to 100 of 1399

Thread: What Was the Last Book You Read?

  1. #81
    Senior Member VertOlive's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Gulf of Mexico
    Posts
    3,886
    Thanks
    4,128
    Thanked 3,788 Times in 1,642 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by hbdk View Post
    E.H.Gombrich: A Little History of the World. Actually a book for kids, but nevertheless a nice and informative book - reminded me how little I picked up during history lessons in school, as it was so boring (Gombrich is anything but boring).

    Just started on "guns germs and steel" (Jared Diamond) to get a completely different perspective...
    Guns, germs is one of my most memorable reads. Truly enjoyed it.
    "Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine

  2. #82
    Senior Member Kaputnik's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    By the long tidal river.
    Posts
    1,043
    Thanks
    2,713
    Thanked 2,570 Times in 695 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by henkm View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Kaputnik View Post
    And right now I'm reading The Good Soldier Švejk, by Jaroslav Hašek, with illustrations by Josef Lada.
    How are you liking it? I've tried it a few times but it seems the humour is lost on me.

    Last book I read, which took me a long time, was Citizens by Simon Schama.
    I still have Citizens on my shelves somewhere. I remember finding it very informative at the time, but I'm afraid that I've lost much of what I learned by now.

    About 200 pages into Švejk, I suppose I find it funny in spite of myself. He takes all these horrible things, like the treatment of soldiers in the military jails, the callousness and inefficiency of the Austrian officers, and just makes you concentrate on the absurdity of it all. Long way to go, though. It's also gotten me interested in learning more about Austrian involvement in WWI. Seems like all we generally read about in this country is the Western front.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Onogaro View Post

    You read some really interesting stuff, Kaputnik. I haven't met anyone else (besides my husband) who has read The Good Soldier Svejk.
    I heard about it quite accidentally, I think, not even sure how. It ended up on my Amazon wish list and now it's here.
    "If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing badly."
    G.K. Chesterton

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Kaputnik For This Useful Post:

    Lady Onogaro (May 26th, 2014)

  4. #83
    Senior Member Lady Onogaro's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lafayette, LA
    Posts
    2,197
    Thanks
    5,214
    Thanked 1,578 Times in 943 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by VertOlive View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Onogaro View Post
    I just finished Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind. I understand it is to be made into a film with Ian McKellan as Sherlock Holmes. I believe he is working with the same director he worked with on Gods and Monsters (a film I liked very much).

    It's really a very good book on memory, mortality, loss, loneliness, etc. Not everyone will like it in these days of SHERLOCK, but I found it quite moving.
    I just this hour read about this upcoming film. Very much looking forward to it.
    The book has the same kind of meditative quality as I remember that film having. I read not too long ago the book The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, another book along the same themes, so I thought it interesting that Cullen takes this iconic figure as his main character--though the subject is not Sherlock Holmes, really, at all. But then it seems to me that almost every book that has really moved me or touched me has done so because I feel that it is, on some level, talking about me (even the Sherlock Holmes stories, strange as that might seem). I agree with what Edward St. Aubyn said in his interview with Teri Gross last week: "Books always had this very powerful effect on me because of some communication, somebody seeming even in a very symbolic or displaced way to understand what I was feeling. And I think that is the miracle of literature, is this private communication between one intelligence and another." And that's why the book touched me.
    Lady Onogaro

    "Be yourself--everybody else is already taken." --Oscar Wilde

  5. #84
    Senior Member VertOlive's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Location
    Gulf of Mexico
    Posts
    3,886
    Thanks
    4,128
    Thanked 3,788 Times in 1,642 Posts
    Rep Power
    14

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by Lady Onogaro View Post
    I just finished Mitch Cullin's A Slight Trick of the Mind. I understand it is to be made into a film with Ian McKellan as Sherlock Holmes. I believe he is working with the same director he worked with on Gods and Monsters (a film I liked very much).

    It's really a very good book on memory, mortality, loss, loneliness, etc. Not everyone will like it in these days of SHERLOCK, but I found it quite moving.
    Ian McKellan will do this so well.
    "Nolo esse salus sine vobis ...” —St. Augustine

  6. #85
    Senior Member Bogon07's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    Sydney, Terra Australis
    Posts
    2,830
    Thanks
    4,859
    Thanked 1,764 Times in 808 Posts
    Rep Power
    15

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Back into China Mieville's "Kraken"

    "Something driven and intense and intent on itself. And since shortly after that, it had unfolded again and become something a little more itself, emerged from a pupa of unspecificity into sentience, an obsessive moment of now that trod heavily in time."
    Last edited by Bogon07; May 26th, 2014 at 06:37 PM.
    sinistral hypergraphica - a slurry of ink
    "Nothing means less than zero"

  7. #86
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    31
    Thanks
    7
    Thanked 27 Times in 15 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    La folle journée ou le mariage de Figaro by Beaumarchais. My French isn't really up to scratch to catch all the jokes but it's mostly slapstick type comedy (my husband, quick, behind the sofa). For it's time it made very free with the faults of nobility, which is why I read it but I should really have read the Barber of Seville first.

  8. #87
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    354
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 114 Times in 74 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default What Was the Last Book You Read?

    THE MISSING INK by PHILLIP HENSHAW
    Last edited by GING GING; August 1st, 2014 at 09:37 PM. Reason: wrong first name

  9. #88
    Member Kurt S's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Michigan
    Posts
    63
    Thanks
    34
    Thanked 75 Times in 26 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Last book I read was "Prey" by Michael Crichton. Currently reading "The Terror" by Dan Simmons. Pretty good book so far!

  10. #89
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2013
    Posts
    273
    Thanks
    134
    Thanked 109 Times in 67 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Anyone else own an ereader? I've had mine for months and just can't seem to enjoy it.

  11. #90
    Senior Member caribbean_skye's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Central TX
    Posts
    1,690
    Thanks
    890
    Thanked 498 Times in 358 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by velo View Post
    Anyone else own an ereader? I've had mine for months and just can't seem to enjoy it.
    I have a kindle paperwhite and it usually sits under my pillow for those times when insomnia hits. I used to use my book light but that kept blinking out. Initially I found it difficult to enjoy but find myself enjoying it more but it certainly cant replace a physical book for me.

  12. The Following User Says Thank You to caribbean_skye For This Useful Post:

    velo (August 4th, 2014)

  13. #91
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Posts
    401
    Thanks
    134
    Thanked 216 Times in 132 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Yesterday I read On Becoming a Novelist by John Gardner.

  14. #92
    Senior Member Dreck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Naptown
    Posts
    649
    Thanks
    1,518
    Thanked 894 Times in 408 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    What I've read this summer:
    "Octopus: the ocean's intelligent invertebrate" by Jennifer Mather. Fascinating & informative. Enjoyable despite an unnecessarily outspoken Naturalistic Evolutionary bias.

    " Handbook to Life in Ancient Egypt" by Rosalie David. Dry, but informative enough to engage. Mostly a synopsis of archaeological discoveries over the past century.

    "Archaeology and The Bible" by J.A. Thompson. A very dated book, but still relevant, & fun to "fact check" against more recent academic journal articles. Probably my favorite read so far.

    "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel DeFoe. Painfully moralistic. I'm not a third of the way through, and may never finish it. For those of you who remember struggling through Melville's "Moby Dick," this one is less interesting, & not nearly as well written.

    "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway. I hate Hemingway's sloppy grammatical style & structural technique. Seriously. I cringe when I see in Hemingway the same errors that were so painstakingly beaten out of me, & that I strive to eradicate from my students--but his stories are just so gripping! He writes in a way that makes the mundane so deep and real that he is one of my favorite authors. Nobody captured the human condition like Ernest Hemingway. Nobody.

    "Changeling" & "Madwand" by Roger Zelazny. I read these as a teen, but re-read them to be able to dialogue with my daughter as she enjoyed them. Zelazny was to science fiction as M.C. Escher was to art. Pure genius.
    Last edited by Dreck; August 4th, 2014 at 08:17 PM. Reason: There's no maybe; it's Moby, not Miby.
    Online arguments are a lot like the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
    As soon as the audience begins to participate, any actual content is lost in the resulting chaos and cacophony.
    At that point, all you can do is laugh and enjoy the descent into debasement.

  15. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Dreck For This Useful Post:

    Bogon07 (August 4th, 2014), LagNut (August 8th, 2014), tiffanyhenschel (August 5th, 2014)

  16. #93
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    655
    Thanks
    831
    Thanked 703 Times in 283 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    I just finished The Cuckoo's Call by "Robert Galbraith." (J.k. Rowling) I'm not a big mystery/detective fan, but I liked this one. Then again, I also thought The Casual Vacancy was well written, so my taste is probably not with the majority.
    Draw close. Hold hands. Life is short. God is good. - Jan Karon

  17. #94
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    655
    Thanks
    831
    Thanked 703 Times in 283 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by velo View Post
    Anyone else own an ereader? I've had mine for months and just can't seem to enjoy it.
    After fighting against them for years I finally got one a year and a half ago. It's not the same experience as reading a book, but I have learned to appreciate mine for its own benefits. It is more convenient for traveling, for sure. I really like that I can change the screen from white to beige to black depending on the light in the room. I have less eye strain now.
    Draw close. Hold hands. Life is short. God is good. - Jan Karon

  18. The Following User Says Thank You to tiffanyhenschel For This Useful Post:

    velo (August 4th, 2014)

  19. #95
    Senior Member Newjelan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Australia
    Posts
    214
    Thanks
    133
    Thanked 166 Times in 90 Posts
    Rep Power
    12

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by velo View Post
    Anyone else own an ereader? I've had mine for months and just can't seem to enjoy it.
    I've been using an eReader since they were first available. I love the fact I can have so many books in 1 small package. I also love that I can buy a book immediately I hear about it or whenever I feel like it and I don't have to go to the shop either. I think they're ideal for reading novels.

    These days I tend to buy from independent booksellers or smaller chains and never from Amazon.

    That said, there are some books I prefer to have in "hard copy" especially those with pictures. Also, I prefer a physical book if it's a reference book and I want to make notes. (I can do that on my eReader but prefer marking notes and inserting tabs onto physical pages.)

  20. The Following User Says Thank You to Newjelan For This Useful Post:

    velo (August 10th, 2014)

  21. #96
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    655
    Thanks
    831
    Thanked 703 Times in 283 Posts
    Rep Power
    13

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by Newjelan View Post

    That said, there are some books I prefer to have in "hard copy" especially those with pictures. Also, I prefer a physical book if it's a reference book and I want to make notes. (I can do that on my eReader but prefer marking notes and inserting tabs onto physical pages.)
    Yes! When I finally gave in and got my ereader, I carefully thought through my criteria for buying hard copies. As a result, I buy fewer hard copies of books, but they tend to be more expensive per book. Since I'm not buying as many, I can splurge on the occasional first edition and look for beautiful editions that are as much about the art of the printed page as the words on the page.
    Draw close. Hold hands. Life is short. God is good. - Jan Karon

  22. The Following User Says Thank You to tiffanyhenschel For This Useful Post:

    velo (August 10th, 2014)

  23. #97
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Posts
    154
    Thanks
    24
    Thanked 54 Times in 31 Posts
    Rep Power
    10

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Doing the 'Jack Reacher' series. On book #12, Nothing to Lose.

  24. #98
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Location
    Frankfurt am Main
    Posts
    851
    Thanks
    981
    Thanked 284 Times in 216 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche

  25. #99
    Senior Member Dreck's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Naptown
    Posts
    649
    Thanks
    1,518
    Thanked 894 Times in 408 Posts
    Rep Power
    11

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by RuiFromUK View Post
    Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
    A couple of the students in our High School Bible class are reading that. I had a copy many, many years ago; back when I thought he was profound & read a bunch of his stuff. When Nietzsche is good, he is spot-on good. When he isn't, though, you're in for some ridiculous rambles.
    Online arguments are a lot like the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
    As soon as the audience begins to participate, any actual content is lost in the resulting chaos and cacophony.
    At that point, all you can do is laugh and enjoy the descent into debasement.

  26. #100
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Posts
    354
    Thanks
    72
    Thanked 114 Times in 74 Posts
    Rep Power
    0

    Default Re: What Was the Last Book You Read?

    Quote Originally Posted by GING GING View Post
    THE MISSING INK by PHILLIP HENSHAW
    It was a decent enough read but it wasn't worth the ten dollars I paid for it on the App Store.

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •