What you reading?+favorite books/characters?

Reading Gone with the Wind right now...

...before ya all start on me, Yahoo had a list of Top Ten favorite books. I'd already read 5-6 of them (The Stand, LoTR, Harry Potter..., they counted sets as a 'book').

Tracked down and read To Kill a Mockingbird, which was enjoyable. I'd seen the movie, but that was so long ago I couldn't remember the plot.

Angels and Demons by the guy who wrote Da Vinci Code was on there. Highly enjoyed that one. I think it's better than DVC myself.

And now reading GwTW... jeeze... it's like reading a soap opera... I could see it being a racially charged book if it was required reading in a school. I had the Library get the Large print version to make it easier to read (small print was 800+ pages and tiny print) Large print is in two volumes!

Last book on the list that I've never read was also the number 1... The Bible. When I get ready for that, I'll start a new thread asking for recommendations for the "easiest-to-read" version.
 
I read all of Clive Cusslers "Dirk Pitt" series, Before his son started co-writing with him, They kind of went flat after the partnership. Louis Lamours books are allways great for long distance travel, but right now for general reading I am taking up "Uncle Toms Cabin". After that, something light.
 
I just spent three weeks out of school recovering from heart surgery, and had a lot of time to read. I mainly read Chrichton- State of Fear, Sphere, Timeline, Congo, and the Lost World, in as many days. I'm always reading a James Bond (Fleming) book of some sort, and am currently reading Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Surprisingly good. When I finish, I'll watch the movie, which is one of my top-ten, and which I finally bought on DVD.
 
I'm reading these two. They don't really have any recurring characters, except for a precession of reporters who act as lose foils for Arthur Machen himself.

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Just finished The Woods and Hold Tight by Harlan Coben. Although these are "stand alone" novels, they run somewhat hand-in-hand. Some of the main characters are interwoven throughout. Good novels. Started Zero Game by Brad Meltzer but am becoming quickly disappointed with it. It's trying too hard to be "suspenseful". Also, it's written in the first person and the dude DIES! That's right, dies. Then some other dude takes over in the first person dilogue. Very strange writing style.

By the way, this is my 1st attempt at posting from a smartphone. As crappy as a smartphone is, it beats the crap outta landline dialup. Cheers.
 
Gary W. Graley said:
Dean Koontz, pretty much all he writes, mostly his recent offerings such
as the Odd Thomas series, he never writes trillogies but for this character
he broke tradition and published a set of three
Click to expand...

Gary, I just found this a few minutes ago on Amazon(I keep getting called in to work, haven't had time to get Odd Hours yet, and was thinking of just ordering it). He's planning SEVEN of them!


Odd Thomas came to me as a gift, the entire first chapter of his first book having poured out of me as I was in the middle of writing The Face. I wrote it by hand, though I never work that way, and I never hesitated to think what should come next. He was fully-realized in my mind from the moment I began to write in that lined legal tablet. With other stories and characters, I can identify the source of the inspiration, but not with Oddie and his books. He just suddenly was. When I write about him, his narrative voice is so clear to me that I almost hear him in my head.

For those among you who long have thought that I should be institutionalized, just relax: I said I almost hear him.

Many times over the years, I said I would never write an open-ended series. Then along came Oddie, and he proved me wrong. Or so I thought. As I wrote the first chapter of Odd Hours, the fourth featuring my fry-cook hero, I realized that this was not an open-ended series, after all, but that it would conclude with six or seven novels. I now think seven.

I suddenly saw the end point of his journey, the arc of it to the final book, and I was stunned. Beginning with this fourth story, the stakes were being raised dramatically; Oddie was going to face far more physical and moral danger than previously; and he was going to mature toward the fulfillment of a destiny that I had not seen coming until that moment.

Initially, I tried to argue myself out of the direction that Odd Hours was taking. I didn't believe that the first three books had put down a sufficient foundation to support the formidable architecture that I saw rising from it in the next three or four novels.

When I began to reread the first three books, however, I quickly discovered that I had unconsciously paved the road that the series was now taking. I had thought I was writing a series with an overall theme about the power and beauty of humility. Indeed I was, but it was also something more than that; and Oddie's ultimate destiny will not be merely purification to a state of absolute humility, but will be that and something else I find quite wonderful.

What lies ahead will be a challenge to write--or perhaps not. The character of Odd Thomas was a gift to me, and now I see that the entire architecture of a seven-book series was another gift that came to me complete on the same day Oddie arrived, although I needed time to recognize it.

This world is a place of wonder, and life is a mysterious enterprise; but nothing in all my years has been more mysterious than Odd Thomas's origins and my compulsion to write about him.

-- Dean Koontz
 
Wow, well, I've liked most of allthat I've read by him but hope he doesn't change
Odd TOO much, for me the first and third were good, the middle one wasn't up
to the others, but ok, I'll have to check the book stores today, just got back from
out west.
Thanks Owen,
G2
 
CaptInsano said:
I'm reading these two. They don't really have any recurring characters, except for a precession of reporters who act as lose foils for Arthur Machen himself.
Click to expand...
The only thing I've read by Machen was The Great God Pan but it was impressive. In the Wikipedia entry on TGGP it mentions that the story inspired H.P. Lovecraft's The Dunwich Horror, which I didn't pick up on at first but now that I think about it, there is an influence. I will have to find those books now!
 
Great thread. I didn't see anybody list him but if you like Lee Childs you will really like James Lee Burke's material. The series takes place down in the bayous of Louisana and the main character is Dave Robicheaux who is one bad dude. Great story lines and wonderfully written.

I also like Michael Connolly and some James Patterson.

Just finished "Duma Key" by Stephen King and really enjoyed it. Before that I found myself working thru the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child and have the latest in my truck now.

Most recent non-fiction: "Lone Survivor". INCREDIBLE STORY.

Again great thread.

Mark
 
Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence

And...

Minimanual Of The Urban Guerrilla by Carlos Marighella

I tend to hop around........ :)

TR Graham
The Glocksmith
 
i just finished reading THE CRUISE OF THE SEA EAGLE by BLAINE PARDOE. its a true story about count felix von luckner,who took a captured three masted sailing ship andturned it in to a warship for sinking allied merchant ships during world war one. if you like stories about pirates,naval battles ,sailing ships or world war one i think you will like this book. i just started THE EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVEby PETER DRUCKER. its kinda boring but i"ll probably take something from it before i finish it.
 
myright said:
I'm reading Johnny Got His Gun by Dalton Trumbo right now.

I've tried to read it a few times, get a couple pages in and stop.
Click to expand...
Great movie!!!
And great Metallica video!!===>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwW9L_qzqp8

I like non fiction books mostly
I am reading Wah-to-yah & the Taos Trail
http://www.amazon.com/Wah-yah-Taos-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211832674&sr=1-1

The last book I finished was Seeking Pleasure in the Old West by David Drary

Did I mention The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things yet?? ;)


Ambrose====>
I bought Undaunted Courage: Meriwether Lewis, Thomas Jefferson, and the Opening of the American West
But haven't read it yet

All the Pretty Horses===>
I really liked that book

Elmore Leonard===>
Get Shorty rules!!!
He did Mr. Majestik?? :eek:
Has anyone read Stick ?

Northwest Passage===>
Read it in high school
I think it whet my appetite for Mountain Men books

PKDMSLF===>
I recommend Gunfighters, Highwaymen, and Vigilantes: Violence on the Frontier by Roger Mcgrath (of The History Channel/UCLA fame)
and
Tom Tobin And The Bloody Espinosas by Bob Scott
I can loan them to you if you want


I like this thread
As a self professed internet JUNKY
I have forced my self to READ A BOOK at least an hour every night the last few months
It helps with my insomnia


I think BF needs a book loan/exchange program

Elmore Leonard's 10 Rules for Writing===>
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE3DD103BF935A25754C0A9679C8B63

*******************************************************
Favorite character (s)?
That's easy
Winston Smith from 1984

Honorable mentions:
NapoleonAnimal Farm
Holden Caulfield Catcher in the Rye
Randle McMurphy One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest
Lennie SmallOf Mice and Men
Perry Smith In Cold Blood
Willy Loman Death of a Salesman
Atticus Finch To Kill A Mockingbird
Josey Wales Gone to Texas
Humbert Humbert Lolita
Jack Lord of the Flies
Sam Minard Mountain Man:A Novel of Male and Female in the Early American West
John Rambo First Blood
William Lee Naked Lunch
Jack Isidore Confessions of a Crap Artist

I bet you didn't know TARZAN (Ron Ely) is an author of detective books based in Santa Barbara
ely-ron-photo-xxl-ron-ely-6233377.jpg

http://www.amazon.com/East-Beach-Jake-Sands-Mysteries/dp/0373262272
 
I read Odd Hours last night. It was....different. Not sure how well it will go over with fans, since it's a wide departure from the usual Odd Thomas stuff. Because of that, throughout most of the book, I kind of had the feeling that the main character was just plugged into a separately written story, rather than the story being built around him.
I'm getting a little sick of dog content just for the sake of having dog content, too.
This is starting to get corny. I looked on Koontz's website, and in July, a prequel comic book(?), In Odd We Trust, is coming out.
Now there are Odd Thomas t-shirts with a quote attributed to him that Koontz stole from one of his other books "It's only life, we all get through it."
One cool thing was that Koontz has actually written a previously fictitious book that he quotes from The Book of Counted Sorrows. Think I'll have to have that.
 
I'm with you Owen, a bit much with the dogs, plowing through 'The Darkest Evening of the Year '
my wife bought it knowing I enjoy his books but I probably would have passed on that one.

And The Book of Counted Sorrows I've always thought he should compile them up
into a book and good to hear that he finally is!

I may wait for the paper back now for the Odd Hours although I'm leaving for Thailand
next week and will need to bring something along ;)
G2
 
Bismark. The epic and relentles hunt for the German Battleship. The people on both sides. The loss of the Hood due to inadequate deck armour and, worse, the bureacracy that meant that it was a known but never remedied achillies heel.

The new weapons system in the other new UK battle ships constantly giving problems taking guns out of play at critical times.

The Rodney, antiquated battleship was voyaging to US for a refit when called upon to join in. Wheezing and puffing joined in and was the most relable weaponry.

The Polish destroyer with some really pissed off Poles with an Axe to grind joining the frey.

The resignation, of those on the Bismark, knowing they were to get a snot kicking when their rudder was jammed by a fluke Swordfish torpedo. Aircraft that were so antiquated that their flying speed would be frowned upon by most freeway drivers today.

The army officer who decided to take his leave with his friend, a lieutenant on a destroyer. A joyride that included a 1on1 with the Bismark with all the fireworks.
 
OwenM said:
I read Odd Hours last night. It was....different. Not sure how well it will go over with fans, since it's a wide departure from the usual Odd Thomas stuff. Because of that, throughout most of the book, I kind of had the feeling that the main character was just plugged into a separately written story, rather than the story being built around him.
I'm getting a little sick of dog content just for the sake of having dog content, too.
This is starting to get corny. I looked on Koontz's website, and in July, a prequel comic book(?), In Odd We Trust, is coming out.
Now there are Odd Thomas t-shirts with a quote attributed to him that Koontz stole from one of his other books "It's only life, we all get through it."
One cool thing was that Koontz has actually written a previously fictitious book that he quotes from The Book of Counted Sorrows. Think I'll have to have that.
Click to expand...

Got the book a few days ago, finished this afternoon, yep a bit different than
the others but still some of Odd in there. And yes, even with Boo, he had to
bring in another dog, surprise, a Lab, near the end of the story.

Have you listened to any of the Odd series on cd yet? The guy that reads the
novel does a pretty good job, David Aaron Baker is his name.

I'll be looking for the next edition...
G2
 
No, I haven't. Don't like those things.
If I have a gift as a reader, it's that I read faster than it could be put into words, and the book is like a movie playing in my mind(at least if it's good). One of the things I love about Koontz' ability to paint a mental picture for the reader is that his "movies" are particularly vivid.

For the sake of the thread, I haven't read anything but my Bible in the last week or two. Time to shop again, I suppose:)
 
I'm presently reading The Last Patriot by Brad Thor. A thriller in the vein of The Da Vinci Code but based on the premise that there was another revelation that Mohammed was assasinated for to prevent it's addition to the Koran. Events through history, and then into the present in the quest to discover, and from the opposing side to stop it's disclosure.

Update 07/16: I see that this is already jumped straight in at #1 on the New York Times best seller list as of this week.
 
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