Reading Books For Pleasure

[FurryFury]

Awesome! Thanks for the links and information!

*hugs*

FF

Yosemite and Kings/Sequoia are within 3 hours by car from Monterey. Easy drive on great roads. The scenic drive up from Visalia through Sequioa will take your breath away. Not kidding, some of the vistas have 5000 ft drops and you can see the earth curve. And, when you see your first Sequoia you will say "WOW!" Then, the road will curve and an even BIGGER tree will be right there for you to exclaim over.

If you go up that way, definitely check the local Chambers of Commerce for the cities along Hwy 49 for local events. They also have museums and other gold rush stuff. You can even pan for gold during the tourist season (the panning sand is "salted" but it's still fun to do the first time). The museums in Mariposa are interesting too if you're there after Memorial Day. (2 of them - A mining and and a living history museum.)

A/C is a MUST HAVE for inland areas. For instance, every year in Bakersfield they have an over/under for when the temp will go over 100 for the first time in the year. Usually around early to mid-May. It's stays up there until late Oct/early Nov. Even on the coast A/C is nice in August/Sept.

Interesting History - the largest fresh water lake west of the Mississippi used to be in the Central Valley of California. They used to have ships (not boats) sailing on it and catching the fish there. You can read about it; Tulare Lake.

Another thing you can read about is The Grapevine. Once called the Ridge Route it was an amazing feat of Highway engineering. http://www.ridgeroute.com/ If you go to the gallery section of their site, you can see historic photographs. The locations are not easy to get to but I have stood at the markers for some of those places. There are plaques there that almost no one reads or cares about anymore.

Anyway, I'll shut up now. Have fun whatever you decide to do and see.

 

[seela]

I read Heart of Darkness for the first time and I'm not sure what to think about it.

At times it's very poignant and the feeling of paranoia is very palpable. Then at times it just goes on and on and makes me want to skip pages. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not sure I got out of it the experience I was expecting, and maybe that's my problem - I went in expecting certain things and that's when books almost always fail in my eyes.

It also made me wonder, if, back when the book was written, the parts that to me felt very labored and clicheed were considered good writing and, well, not-clicheed. How have the standards of what's considered good writing changed and what makes a classic? Lots to ponder from such a short book.

It was book #12 this year for me, so I'm right on track with my reading challenge. I marked this one down as the book I've been meaning to read for a long time.

 

[RubiDia]

That's what you get for reading dead authors! I like to send fan mail and do reviews. The last book I read was literally given to me by the library, so I'm trying to make the most of it. I have a new one on the way that I'm holding the movie to.

 

[twister947]

Hogs Wild
Ian Frazier

 

[HisArpy]

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs. 4.5/5

She's an excellent author with a truly genuine talent in writing fantasy fiction. The whole Mercy Thompson series is fantastic. As are the Alpha/Omega series books. As are all the rest of her works.

 

[FurryFury]

Love that series.

**Born a Crime:** Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4/5

**Tara Road** by Maeve Binchy 3/5

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs. 4.5/5

She's an excellent author with a truly genuine talent in writing fantasy fiction. The whole Mercy Thompson series is fantastic. As are the Alpha/Omega series books. As are all the rest of her works.

 

[seela]

Utopia by Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, one of the most prominent Egyptian novels and writers.

It's a dystopian novel set in near-future Egypt, where a part of the population lives in Utopia, a city-state where they have everything, whereas the other part of the population has nothing. Two young Utopians venture outside the walls for creepy reasons, stuff happens.

The book itself was only okay. The story has been told a bazillion times before and this was not the best version I've read. What made it very interesting, though, is that the author wrote this to show what were some of the reasons that lead to the dawn of the Arab Spring, in Egypt but also throughout the Arab world. The publisher got in trouble with the military junta for publishing the book and starting the revolution.

It's an interesting book to read if you keep in mind the context of when it was written and what happened afterwards, but as a story it isn't very original. I'd definitely recommend it for everybody, because of the political aspect of it. Just read it with the context in mind.

 

[pete]

I read Heart of Darkness for the first time and I'm not sure what to think about it.

At times it's very poignant and the feeling of paranoia is very palpable. Then at times it just goes on and on and makes me want to skip pages. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not sure I got out of it the experience I was expecting, and maybe that's my problem - I went in expecting certain things and that's when books almost always fail in my eyes.

It also made me wonder, if, back when the book was written, the parts that to me felt very labored and clicheed were considered good writing and, well, not-clicheed. How have the standards of what's considered good writing changed and what makes a classic? Lots to ponder from such a short book.

It was book #12 this year for me, so I'm right on track with my reading challenge. I marked this one down as the book I've been meaning to read for a long time.

loved that book, his writing and language are so wonderfully thought provoking (especially impressive considering that english was not his native tongue)

i attended a great book club last night for "Dubliners", such a great little book that only gets better with each re-reading.

starting "Bonfire of the Vanities" tonite

 

[seela]

loved that book, his writing and language are so wonderfully thought provoking (especially impressive considering that english was not his native tongue)

I always appreciate people writing in a non-native language, because it can add a very interesting twist through word choices.

Me being a non-native English speaker reading a book written by another non-native English speaker, I'm not sure I could appreciate all those little nuances in this case. But the books written in Finnish by non-native speakers are always a treasure trove of interesting word choices and expressions.

 

[FurryFury]

Art of the Pie: A Practical Guide to Homemade Crusts, Fillings, and Life by Kate McDermott was a charming surprise with lot's of practical advice for life.

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan was such a fun read for me. I love a book that celebrates a love of books. There was some magical stuff here.

Early Del Rey by Lester Del Rey so far I've only read one of these short stories along with the notes before and after it. Del Rey had quite an interesting mind. It's good revisit or visit for the first times the early sci fi writers.

The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers was not what I expected. It started out bleak and with seemingly little in the way of a cohesive story that would even get back to the title of the book.

Eventually it got there but I was left wondering if the people who wrote the book, did the movie and were part of the ministry of sports and religion just left this girl and her family in the slums. Did they just exploit her and leave her?

Subsequent research showed that she is out of Katwe and considering going to Harvard. Not enough to save the book for me but I was relieved.

 

[Farawyn]

I Am The Messenger by Marcus Zusak, author of The Book Thief. He wrote this first. I'm only about 60 pages in, but the dark humor and the plot development is drawing me in.
Both books by Zusak recommend.

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/

 

[HisArpy]

The Queen of Katwe by Tim Crothers was not what I expected. It started out bleak and with seemingly little in the way of a cohesive story that would even get back to the title of the book.

Eventually it got there but I was left wondering if the people who wrote the book, did the movie and were part of the ministry of sports and religion just left this girl and her family in the slums. Did they just exploit her and leave her?

Subsequent research showed that she is out of Katwe and considering going to Harvard. Not enough to save the book for me but I was relieved.

She and her family may have made it out, but all those others stayed behind. Meanwhile everyone else made millions.

Slumdog-whatever stories are depressing because there is no attempt at a solution. No attempt at heightening awareness to effect change. It's all: "LOOK HERE! Now pay me" thinking and actions.

Haven't been reading (or writing) lately, too busy dealing with life's realities. I need to get back to it.

 

[FurryFury]

Agreed. Greed is ugly. This is not the kind of world I want to see being built.

She and her family may have made it out, but all those others stayed behind. Meanwhile everyone else made millions.

Slumdog-whatever stories are depressing because there is no attempt at a solution. No attempt at heightening awareness to effect change. It's all: "LOOK HERE! Now pay me" thinking and actions.

Haven't been reading (or writing) lately, too busy dealing with life's realities. I need to get back to it.

I did not like I am the Messenger much glad you are enjoying it. I loved The Book Thief though.

I Am The Messenger by Marcus Zusak, author of The Book Thief. He wrote this first. I'm only about 60 pages in, but the dark humor and the plot development is drawing me in.
Both books by Zusak recommend.

http://www.randomhouse.com/features/markuszusak/

Mastering the Art of Japanese Home Cooking by Masaharu Morimoto 3/5 Love him as an Iron Chef but was dissappointed by no actual veggie dishes even if listed as veggie.

 

[HisArpy]

The lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. 3.5/5

The Magehound 3.75
The Floodgate 3.5
The Wizardwar 3.25

The last 3 are by Elaine Cunningham. The series started off great with a unique twist and plot but deteriorated into blah very quickly. Midway through book #2 I was bored. By the end of the 3rd book I was hunting for something else to read rather than finish what I had in hand.

 

[HisArpy]

In The Frame by Dick Francis. 5/5 (I love his books.)

 

[HisArpy]

Exiles Song Marion Zimmer Bradley. 4.5/5 Great series though the later books are much better than the earlier ones.

 

[HisArpy]

Dead Iron Devon Monk. 4/5 She's a good author and the plot is unique. I have the other 2 books in this series and will be reading them next.

 

[Miles Long]

I'm about halfway through Chicago City on the Make by Nelson Algren. Absolutely loving it.

 

[seela]

The Course of the Heart by M. John Harrison.

What an odd book! It completely sucked me in at first, but then I hit a wall that made reading feel like a chore for a while. After that difficult section I loved it again.

 

[MistressMoira]

Just read Wilbur Smith's "War Cry". Decided to go back and read a lot more Wilbur Smith books, including some that I have already read.

 

[HisArpy]

Tin Swift Devon Monk 4/5
Cold Copper Devon Monk 4/5

The last 2 books in the series. Decent plot, somewhat repetitive in each book but unique enough to be interesting to the end. It did leave me wondering if there will be more even though the story seemed complete.

 

[HisArpy]

Riders First Call by Kristen Britain. 3.5/5 Not bad, just a bit unpolished around the edges of believability.

 

[Skylex499]

I finished the Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers this year and all I can say is that Alexandre Dumas is a magnificent story teller, though they are long reads.

The Count of Monte Cristo would be my first choice as it reflects on how a desire for revenge can end up consuming the possessor and the power of redemption and new love. The build up towards the revenge scenes are written out with a master's hand.

 

[HisArpy]

Green Rider by Kristen Britain. 3.5/5 The second in the series. Still good but starting to turn a bit humdrum, if you know what I mean.

 

[HisArpy]

The High Kings Tomb by Kirsten Britain. 3.5/5 The 3rd book in the series. It's like I keep waiting for something to happen but it doesn't. Yes, things happen, but there's still something missing. Or at least I feel that way.

On to the last book now.