Reading Books For Pleasure

[FurryFury]

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson 3.5/5

I didn't like the magic system at all. The ingesting of metals, flaring them, or burning them it just seemed unwieldy.

I also didn't like the political system. The idea that you can make a people so downtrodden is difficult to swallow. When people have nothing to lose they are at their most dangerous and creative IMO. So the Skaa who would do nothing but work and suffer thing, that didn't work for me.

I did however like Vin. She made the book for me. I'm curious about her Secular Humanist noble house bf. I'm not sure if I like him at all.

I also liked Sazed and some of the crew. I found Kelsier too unbelievable to know or like. I'm also curious about the Kandra.

The fact that the author is a mormon in good standing leads me to the question what does his strange religion have to do with what and how he writes. I'm still contemplating that. Had I known he was a mormon I might not have bought the book. I don't want to support religion that basically want to take over our country or the world, have their own planets, whatever.

The book was strangely compelling despite it's problems that stopped my willful suspension of disbelief over and over again. Perhaps due mostly to the Vin character and just wanting to see the corrupt and evil government overcome. I suspect that in the future, and I did buy a three volume paper back set, the evil lord ruler will be revealed to have been actively keeping something worst from ruining the world. Therefore he will be characterized as "good" sort of like Snape in Harry Potter, and that would be bullshit. That will piss this reader off.

Damned Good Company: Twenty Rebels Who Bucked the God Experts by Luis Granados and Roy Speckhardt 4/5

I found this one dry at first but by the 4th chapter or so it got more interesting as it delved into things I hadn't previously known. I think the author's POV is very interesting. I don't always agree with him but I think this is a good book to make others really think about what they believe and why. Also how religion has impacted the world. Some say for the better, this book clearly disagrees as I do I.

 

[desertslave]

How We Got To Now - This is a delightfully readable book about inventions that we, in our present-day, technology-rich society pretty much take for granted. I'm partial to the part about glass, since it's my primary art form. It's really damned cool how art couples with technology throughout its development, all the way from early beads, to lenses to windows to high art beads to space shuttle windows.

Granted, I'm a fan of shows like How It's Made, Connections and even the Make a Wish of my childhood. Technology is cool!

 

[FurryFury]

That book does sound cool. What do you do with glass?

How We Got To Now - This is a delightfully readable book about inventions that we, in our present-day, technology-rich society pretty much take for granted. I'm partial to the part about glass, since it's my primary art form. It's really damned cool how art couples with technology throughout its development, all the way from early beads, to lenses to windows to high art beads to space shuttle windows.

Granted, I'm a fan of shows like How It's Made, Connections and even the Make a Wish of my childhood. Technology is cool!

 

[SassyKatz71]

For me,I used to love romance novels while I was a late teen-early 20's. Stopped reading them after that.
Maybe 4 years ago,A friend of mine's son handed me a book and said " Auntie read this,you will like it !!
Not being into the Fantasy realm stuff, I was skeptical. But read it I did..

It was a Sci-fi/Fantasy book series by Sherrilyn Kenyon called The Dark Hunters...books with Demi-Gods,Gods/Goddesses,Daemons Werehunters,Humor,Drama,Romance and Suspense all rolled into one.The dialogue between some characters often quirky and hilarious,Even if said in a not so nice tone.And what grabbed me the most is all the books tie into one another in some way.Many characters are throughout the whole series.Not just in one book.At the beginning of each book there's a pro logue of each characters "Beginning" or How They became as they are today.

So after sucessfully reading the first book given to me. I had to know more about the characters,stories and everything. I was hooked. I love how Sherrilyn writes..I've now read all but ,maybe 2 of the books in her series.Started reading CON= Chronicles of Nick also.So I will see how I like those ones.

My all time Favorite of her books is Acheron..That story had me in tears,laughing,yelling and very somber. The first half of the book is very brutal.About Ash's ( The top main character of the whole series) life before modern day times.I almost couldn't read it. But had to know if he had a happy ending somewhere down the line.

Some of her other series are also very good..So check her out at least if your into those kinds of books..She's a worthy author

 

[desertslave]

That book does sound cool. What do you do with glass?

I play with fire. I make handmade glass beads and marbles.

http://forum.literotica.com/showpost.php?p=63925843&postcount=668

 

[midwestyankee]

How We Got To Now - This is a delightfully readable book about inventions that we, in our present-day, technology-rich society pretty much take for granted. I'm partial to the part about glass, since it's my primary art form. It's really damned cool how art couples with technology throughout its development, all the way from early beads, to lenses to windows to high art beads to space shuttle windows.

Granted, I'm a fan of shows like How It's Made, Connections and even the Make a Wish of my childhood. Technology is cool!

There's also a TV show/short series based on this book with the author as the on-screen narrator. The episode on cold and refrigeration was fascinating. I grew up along a river that had been very important in the 19th century ice trade.

 

[desertslave]

There's also a TV show/short series based on this book with the author as the on-screen narrator. The episode on cold and refrigeration was fascinating. I grew up along a river that had been very important in the 19th century ice trade.

I read the book first, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the TV series as well.

The house where my dad was born & raised, which became the family biz office on the first floor, also had a small ice house at the end of the back yard. I'm not sure who has them now, but either my brother or nephew has a set of the old ice tongs. They would cut ice down on the Susquehanna River and haul it up by sled, and pack it away in with straw. There was also had a large commercial ice house a few blocks away that I loved to visit in the summer. We would get blocks of dry ice for our 4th of July parties and camping trips. One year Dad got the idea to use our big apple butter kettle (huge copper bucket) for Halloween, with some dry ice on the bottom and a road flare. He made hands out of papier mache and put them on the edge, Mom and I made wired black gauze wings and hung them over, so it looked like a giant bat was climbing out. He went all out with getting the lighting just right. The little kids were almost too scared to come up on the porch! (The weird thing is, I'd totally forgotten that until I read your comment on ice!)

 

[midwestyankee]

I just finished Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon. Yes, I understand that a movie based on the book is out or will be in wide release soon and yes, I do plan to see the movie. But, the book itself is an amazing feat. it shows the death of the surfer/stoner culture in Southern California as it begins to give way to the vileness of the early 70s. The main character is a former surfer and stoner private investigator who gets into a situation where he is seemingly way over his head. Pynchon, like Faulkner, can get away with sentences that are several dozen words long and then hit you over the head with one with just five or six. The characters are a bizarre mix of surfer, rocker, and bad-guy cultures and the main plot line (with Pynchon there are always three or four stories going on at once) seems like a straightforward whodunit, but then it really isn't one, either. It's a great read.

 

[desertslave]

After the attack of reading nostalgia I had with one of my FB pals, I ordered the book we had connected over (again x10^23). It was a dead tree book, and one I sadly lost in a basement flood many years ago. So much dated tech, but still a great plot! I commend you to find The Adolescence of P-1, if you can, and enjoy. You're welcome! (Ignore the movie, it never really happened, honest!)

 

[FurryFury]

That's kewl!

I play with fire. I make handmade glass beads and marbles.

http://forum.literotica.com/showpost.php?p=63925843&postcount=668

 

[desertslave]

That's kewl!

Thanks much!

 

[FurryFury]

Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol 2 1/2 / 5

312 pages

I wanted to learn something new about Billy Idol. Mostly what I learned was the same old. He is hawt looking to me. I've liked a few of his songs but yeah, I wanted more.

To his credit he didn't make excuses and apologized taking credit for being a shit where credit was due.

 

[insomniacdreams]

Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker. It's the second in the "City of Fire" trilogy, but it works as a stand-alone novel. It's historical fiction about the 1863 Draft Riots in New York City as seen through the eyes of several different protagonists and antagonists. If you're a historical fiction junkie you'll like Baker's tone and style of narrative.

 

[desertslave]

Master and I are tag-team reading the most recent batch of Tom Clancy (or not) novels. He's a book ahead of me, and we've been having fun remarking about various scenes and poking about spoilers.

I'm personally peeved, because I swore I wasn't going to get sucked into any series for at least the first few months of the year.

 

[FurryFury]

Sounds interesting but not like my kind of book.

Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker. It's the second in the "City of Fire" trilogy, but it works as a stand-alone novel. It's historical fiction about the 1863 Draft Riots in New York City as seen through the eyes of several different protagonists and antagonists. If you're a historical fiction junkie you'll like Baker's tone and style of narrative.

Reading with someone is so fun. I miss that with my husband.

Master and I are tag-team reading the most recent batch of Tom Clancy (or not) novels. He's a book ahead of me, and we've been having fun remarking about various scenes and poking about spoilers.

I'm personally peeved, because I swore I wasn't going to get sucked into any series for at least the first few months of the year.

Fer-De-Lance by Rex Scout 2/5

285 pages

Finished it yesterday, this is not my kind of mystery at all. It was a Book of the Month in one of my groups at Fet. I do not like, and it strains willful suspension of disbelief, that someone would notice, figure out and know things from tiny little details. In Nero Wolf's case it's even less believable because he never leaves his home and has someone else do all the leg work for him, then report back. I greatly dislike arrogance and the character had a good bit of it as did Archer, Wolf's assistant.

In spite of all that, I thought it had a surprisingly good flow to it. It was very easy to read. I particularly liked the noir aspect to the writing that emanated from the Archer character.

 

[Mairu]

I pick up my book . . .I see the book mark well into the last third of the pages and feel sad.

I don't want this book to end. I rarely want any book into which I immerse myself to end. That is why I tend to prefer series of books.

Does anyone else feel this way?

KC, it's the book you recommended, The Angry Angel. I didn't want to read it when I read the word Dracula as I didn't enjoy that book. I read one chapter as I often do to get a taste and see if it grabbed me. It did!

Thanks for the recommendation. I would say this has a BDSM feel to it as well as a neck biting lusciousness.

Fury

okay im only saying responding because i really don't want books to end and pick series because of it.

 

[lesliecannon]

It's sad when you read cover to cover in a day because you just can't put it down then when you finish it you feel so lost because it is over.... happens with series also when you get to the end of it

 

[seela]

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa al Aswany.

I've read one of al Aswany's newer books, but only now got around to reading his big hit. And it's definitely worth it! The first half of the book I thought was at times a little hard to follow, because his chapters are very, very short and there are so many characters, but the second half is really good.

It's a story about religion, homosexuality (published in Egypt in 2002, has had a major influence on the discussion about homosexuality all through the Arab world), scheming, social classes, poverty, extremism, corruption, politics and much more. The Yacoubian building is a house in central Cairo and all the main characters either live or work there or are related to someone living there.

The book is really a fascinating, even if kind of bleak, look into the Egyptian society in the 1990s.

 

[IrisAlthea]

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa al Aswany.

I've read one of al Aswany's newer books, but only now got around to reading his big hit. And it's definitely worth it! The first half of the book I thought was at times a little hard to follow, because his chapters are very, very short and there are so many characters, but the second half is really good.

It's a story about religion, homosexuality (published in Egypt in 2002, has had a major influence on the discussion about homosexuality all through the Arab world), scheming, social classes, poverty, extremism, corruption, politics and much more. The Yacoubian building is a house in central Cairo and all the main characters either live or work there or are related to someone living there.

The book is really a fascinating, even if kind of bleak, look into the Egyptian society in the 1990s.

I liked it a lot.

 

[FurryFury]

Sadly, this wasn't a long series just two books if I remember correctly. I used to pick series for that reason too. These days I'm happy finding new books and new authors. New to me that is.

okay im only saying responding because i really don't want books to end and pick series because of it.

I've felt that way many times. It hurts!

It's sad when you read cover to cover in a day because you just can't put it down then when you finish it you feel so lost because it is over.... happens with series also when you get to the end of it

Sounds interesting. Glad you enjoyed it. Not my kind of thing I think.

The Yacoubian Building by Alaa al Aswany.

I've read one of al Aswany's newer books, but only now got around to reading his big hit. And it's definitely worth it! The first half of the book I thought was at times a little hard to follow, because his chapters are very, very short and there are so many characters, but the second half is really good.

It's a story about religion, homosexuality (published in Egypt in 2002, has had a major influence on the discussion about homosexuality all through the Arab world), scheming, social classes, poverty, extremism, corruption, politics and much more. The Yacoubian building is a house in central Cairo and all the main characters either live or work there or are related to someone living there.

The book is really a fascinating, even if kind of bleak, look into the Egyptian society in the 1990s.

Glad you enjoyed it.

I liked it a lot.

 

[lesliecannon]

Sadly, this wasn't a long series just two books if I remember correctly. I used to pick series for that reason too. These days I'm happy finding new books and new authors. New to me that is.



I've felt that way many times. It hurts!



Sounds interesting. Glad you enjoyed it. Not my kind of thing I think.



Glad you enjoyed it.

I love going to the library and just walking through the shelves looking for a book to pop out at me in any genre. New authors are always welcome!! Usually have a different view

 

[FurryFury]

Agreed. That's why I belong to so many book clubs because they bring to my attention different and new to me authors. I joined a book club on fetlife. The owner kept promising a BDSM BOTM and this was back when i liked to read that stuff more but never delivered. So in frustration I began doing it.

Five years later I needed help and he wouldn't respond. So fetlife contacted him and didn't give the group to me so I could appoint more mods.

Therefore I made my own group. THEN they gave the old group to someone else.

Go figure.

But it's great to have so many books and authors new to me come up.

We have a BDSM BOTM and a Nilla rotating genre BOTM, A Reader of the Month who picks a fav book of nilla or BDSM content and an Author of the Month which one might read a book of or not.

And we have yearly challenges, as well as summer reading ones.

I love it but more participation would be nice.

You set up a book club which I have done both online and locally and everyone wants to be a part of it but do they actually read the book, show up and participate? Not that much. No.

I joined a group at cafemom and the admins just quit it seems only they made me an admin so I'm trying to keep that going.

Locally I found a group that actually meets but the last meeting only five of us showed up. Of that five two had not read any of the book, two had read some and only one, me natch, had read the whole book. I'm trying to figure out and research how to make book clubs work better.

I love going to the library and just walking through the shelves looking for a book to pop out at me in any genre. New authors are always welcome!! Usually have a different view

 

[FurryFury]

Unwound: The Mastered Series by Lorelei James 3.75/5

374 pages

I liked the first one enough to read this second book. I'll be putting these in the BDSM BOTM Club here for sure.

Here is what Amazon sez:

In the continuation to the Mastered series by New York Times bestselling author Lorelei James, a man’s need for control is tested by the one woman he’ll risk everything for…

When sensei Ronin Black first encounters Amery Hardwick, the fire in her eyes ignites a sexual spark a thousand times better than the primal rush he used to get from mixed martial arts matches. She accepts his darker edges and admits to him that her desires aren’t as wholesome as he believed. And before long Ronin is grappling with emotions he’s never felt before….

Yet despite demanding Amery bare her body and soul to him, Ronin holds a part of himself back. When she learns Ronin’s secret and walks out, his life begins to unravel. To regain her trust he must let go of his pride and prove to her that it’s more than passion binding them together.

 

[RISsey]

I am currently enjoying the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. A friend was reading the last book and recommended it. I think it is wonderful, great writing with interesting mini plots and peeks into life the 1700's. I am on book four and while I think each book has started slightly slower than I would like, each one has also grabbed me at some point and I can't put it down!

 

[FurryFury]

Many love that series. I've not been able to read it yet but I hope to someday.

I am currently enjoying the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. A friend was reading the last book and recommended it. I think it is wonderful, great writing with interesting mini plots and peeks into life the 1700's. I am on book four and while I think each book has started slightly slower than I would like, each one has also grabbed me at some point and I can't put it down!