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rtpoe

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Read any good books lately?
« on: February 13, 2003, 09:22:13 PM »
Just wondering...

We're such an erudite and diverse bunch, I thought it might be interesting to see what we've all been reading lately.

For me, my most recent good book worth recommending is "The Savage Wars of Peace" by Max Boot (yes, that's his real name - he's a Senior Fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations). The book is mostly a history of all the little conflicts the U.S. has been involved in - from the actions against North African pirates in the early 1800's to the actions in Nicaragua in the 1920's.

He makes a very strong case that we have to be able to fight "small wars" like these just as much as we should be ready for the Big Wars. And we have to make sure we don't fight a Big War when a small one will do (as was the case in Vietnam).

So what have you read lately?

rtpoe  
rtpoe

The last fling of winter is over ...  The earth, the soil itself, has a dreaming quality about it.  It is warm now to the touch; it has come alive; it hides secrets that in a moment, in a little while, it will tell.
-  Donald Culross Peattie

Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #1 on: February 13, 2003, 09:31:16 PM »
Heh, mine is not quite so erudite.. I've just finished re-reading the Lord of the Rings saga myself. I'd forgotten most of it at this point, and wanted to go back and see how closely the movies had followed it after all. I've read the first book several times, the second and third not so frequently. They were much better than I remembered.

Yours sounds like a good read, rtpoe .. I may look for that one.

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Catch

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2003, 09:37:03 PM »
Time Enough for Love - Robert Heinlein
Re-read for the third time.

Anything by REX STOUT. Too many to list, but try the Nero Wolfe mysteries. There's only about 72 novels and shorter stories.  
If only...

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Palomine

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #4 on: February 13, 2003, 10:28:16 PM »
Heh, I'm just getting started on Time Enough For Love, Catch.. funny coincidence there. Parts of it I like, parts of it seem a bit repetitious; haven't made it all the way through yet so I can't say where it would rank on my list of favorite Heinlein's just yet. Nonetheless, an entertaining read, as only the Grand Master can offer.


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Zasha

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #5 on: February 13, 2003, 11:05:16 PM »
Harlequin Romances, hands down the finest reading EVER!!!


(Now pulling tongue from cheek...) I'm currently in the middle of JFK, UFO's and Elvis:  And other Conspiracy Theories by Richard Belzer (yes, THAT Richard Belzer).  An excellent read.

(I suspect you'd really like it, Catch...)

I greatly enjoy the semi-humorous crime-drama series with the Native American elements by Tony Hillerman (no, NOT that Tony Hillerman).  A surprisingly good book that I read recently is Have A Nice Day!, a semi-autobiography of professional wrestler Mick Foley (aka Mankind, Dude Love, Cactus Jack, etc.).

My husband enjoys the occasional Nero Wolfe, Tom Clancy, or Dale Brown, but his favorite series is the Spenser  series.  
 
Choosing doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.

Morphermor did me!...Er...Mine!

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MunchWolf

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #6 on: February 14, 2003, 12:41:59 AM »
Let's see .. the last book I read ... don't recall the title ... but it was about a guy named Mr. Fern (maybe) ... and he painted his house purple ... I think it was called Mr. Fern's Purple House .. but don't quote me on that ...

-Munch "Hey ... when there is a 5-year old in residence ... you tend to be curious about what they read" Wolf

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Grayface

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #7 on: February 14, 2003, 06:09:21 AM »
Area 51: The Truth, by Robert Doherty. It's pure candy, real fun and easy to read series. The book I read before was Souls In The Great Machine, by Sean McMullen.  
The Law of Fives states simply that: ALL THINGS HAPPEN IN FIVES, OR ARE DIVISABLE BY OR ARE MULTIPLES OF FIVE, OR ARE SOMEHOW DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY APPROPRIATE TO 5. The Law of Fives is never wrong.---Principia Discordia

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Scarab

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #8 on: February 14, 2003, 12:13:22 PM »
I love oriental fantasy... I'm now reding though Legend of the Five Rings Clan War book series...

The Scorpion, The Phoenix by Stephen D Sullivan
The Dragon, The Crane by Ree Soesbee
The Crab by Stan Brown
The Unicorn by A.I. Lassieur

Good series if your into that sorta thing, but my fav book is the Fight Club book I re-read it once every three or four months... had to buy a new book after the tenth time



-Scarab



 
If you could be either Gods worst enemy or nothing, which would you choose?
We are Gods middle children, according to Tyler Durden, with no special place in history and no special attention.
Unless we get Gods attention, we have no hope of damnation or redemption.
Which is worse, hell or nothing?
Only if we're caught and punished can we be saved.
"Burn the Louvre," the mechanic says, "and wipe your ass with the Mona Lisa. This way at least, God would know our names."

-Fight Club, page 141

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Rafe

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #9 on: February 14, 2003, 01:19:19 PM »
You can add my name to the "just starting Time Enough For Love" for the first time list, too.  co-reading that with "Stranger in a Strange Land" (gave the SBH "Moon is a Harsh Mistress" for XMS last year).

Just finished "Pet Sematary" for the first time (one of the few remaining gaps in my steve king ouevre), and am currently blazing through the entire Dark Tower pantheon (midway through Waste Lands atm, did "Drawing of the Three" over the weekend).

Also, for a hysterical read, pick up William Goldman's "The Princess Bride" - the movie was good, but the book is GREAT. (and i love the movie - the book is just that much better, it's amazing).

I've also resumed my own writing (short horror/sci-fi/cyberpunk) - so I'm re-reading a lot of my own efforts.

I am anxious to get my hands on William Gibson's latest, "Pattern Recognition."

And, somehow, I still have time to work, **82**, and surf porn.  However, my gym time has suffered the last week and a half.
<i>
Prince of Darkness seeks Willing Wench.
Flexible hours, shoddy pay.
Should possess improbable bustline and liquor store.</i>

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gOOber

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #10 on: February 14, 2003, 02:07:52 PM »
   Really great plot.  

     
....rejoicing in the fullness thereof....

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St Stephan

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #11 on: February 14, 2003, 05:31:32 PM »
Just finished Water Music by T. Coraghessan Boyle.  Fascinating historical novel based on Mungo Park's Niger explorations.  I had to look up a word every two pages or so, and even then most of those words weren't even in my desk dictionary.

0 ( ( o ! < J
No, not Dick and Jane's ABC, Webster's New World.    
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JizzTits

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #12 on: February 14, 2003, 05:36:31 PM »
i think i've only read 3 books in my life (as in reading a book COMPLETELY)

and they were short books:



Catcher in the Rye (very cynical if you're into that kinda stuff)

Tuesdays with Morrie (very positive and the complete opposite fo Catcher in the Rye, if you're into this kinda stuff...)

and
Animal Farm (good stuff.)



so if you're like me and hate reading, these books are for you. they are short and easy to read, so if you like it then great, and if you don't like it it's ok you didn't  have to waste much time with them.

"It's like being married to my best friend, but she lets me feel her boobs!"
-Homer Simpson talking about Marge
______________________
Lisa: Swim towards San Francisco!
Homer: I'm not made of money! We'll swim to Oakland!


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Dick_Woods

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #13 on: February 14, 2003, 07:35:10 PM »
Goober...that is freakin hysterical. We just want everyone to know that that version is an UNAUTHORIZED biography, and we were never in a hot tub with the Barbie Twins. Moreover it was never proven that was us on that video....

Anyway....we have both read Roses are Red...Followed by Violets are Blue by James Patterson. We love all the Alex Cross Novels. Also check out Cradle and All...great book.

Lately we have put novels aside...and are reading books about spirituality. There is just never enough time to read what we'd like.

Peace, Love and Light- D&J  

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midsize

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Re: Read any good books lately?
« Reply #14 on: February 14, 2003, 08:20:08 PM »
The Hamlet -- by William Faulkner
The Unvanquished -- by William Faulkner
Requiem for a Nun -- by William Faulkner
Under the Volcano -- by Malcolm Lowry
Bend Sinister -- by Vladimir Nabokov
The Unified Neutral Theory of Biogeography and Biodiversity -- by Steven Hubbell.


In my youth I read lots of spy novels and now the only ones I can stand are John LeCarre (and not even the new ones).

-mid