Summer Reading

[Kim]

Whats this illustrated version? bullshit? Not needed right?

[Hero*]

I'ver heard a lot of great things about the Davince Code, and im planning on reading it this summer. Also I'd like to recommend any (almost) novel by Charles Dickens, especially A Tale of Two Cities. It is a bit slow in the beginning, but you can piece things together later in the book, its really a great read.

[dchao]

If you liked the Davinci Code, Angels and Demons is even better. As for the illustrated version, it has the paintings and clues that Langdon sees...which is pretty cool imo.

[ZeUs!!]

Actually I'll be reading a shitload of journal articles linked to piracy around the Mediterranean trade routes in the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly focusing on the Uskok pirates of Senj and their relations with the Venetians, the Barbary Corsairs of Northern Africa and the rest of the Ottoman Empite, and the Christian (seafaring) Knights of St John based at Malta

[Sufficient]

If you liked the Davinci Code, Angels and Demons is even better. As for the illustrated version, it has the paintings and clues that Langdon sees...which is pretty cool imo.

I thought Angels and Demons was a great read too. The others kinda stink tho.

[ZeUs!!]

Just finished Motley Crue - The Dirt, really good but you have to be into rock music

[Sleepy Weasel]

I'm reading Cold Mountain since my grandma gave it to me to read. It's pretty boring so far, but maybe it will get better. I'm heading to Ireland and then Germany tomorrow so I'll read it on the trip. Haven't seen the movie by the way. Maybe I'll try to pick up the Davinci code for the ride home.

[hogo]

reding iz four ideots

[Sufficient]

Just to give you guys an update ... I've finished:

1) The Last Juror - John Grisham

Decent read. It's a little bit of a change of pace for JG. It's basically 2 stories intertwined together and told in parallel. Imho it's slightly better than his avg stuff. Fast and easy read. I wouldn't read it again tho.

6/10 about

[Sufficient]

I finished

3) A Widow For One Year - John Irving
4) Sarah - Orson Scott Card

AWFOY was a great read. JI's characters really come alive and have personalities unlike a lot of quick paced 1 day reads. The story is what makes this book great. Everything seems to fit together perfectly ... all the multiple stories/side-stories. Compared to A Prayer For Owen Meany however, I thought this was a little worse. Probably the "Snatch Effect" of me reading it first.

8/10

/--

I was also surprised how well Sarah was written. I think it adds something to the Bible stories some of you prob heard when you were younger. Of course OSC took some liberties, but the main parts still remain from the original Bible story. Sarah exceeded my expectations. Apprarantly OSC has 2 other books on female Bible characters.

7/10

/--

Hey TK, who's Graham Greene? And why is he famous (what books has he written)?

[RogerMexico]

If you're looking for some simple, entertaining reading for the summer, I think it's worth checking out Roberte Ce Soir and the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes by Pierre Klossowski, if you're not scared off by the pretentious title. Ask for it at your local library if you don't want to shell out the cash, though (or just get your parents to buy it for you).

[Troll King]

Hey TK, who's Graham Greene? And why is he famous (what books has he written)?

Graham Greene the celebrated 20th novelist was a writer of thrillers and mysteries, no doubt influenced with his tenure working for MI6 (a la James Bond). He also wrote "high literary" novels (read: not a pop-genre like "mystery") as well as several plays and travelogues and a screenplay. Probably his most famous work was "The Power and the Glory", a story about a Roman Catholic priest facing off against a Mexican government that tried to repress the Church. Much of his work centred around religous characters strugging with their doubt. Several of his novels have been made into films like "Our Man in Havana" starring Alec Guinness, "The Comedians" featuring Liz Taylor and Richard Burton, and most recently, "The Quiet American" starring Michael Caine and Brendan Frasor. Oh, and according to IMDB, he once wrote something creepy about a 9-year old Shirley Temple.

Oh, and there's also the Graham Greene the Oscar nominated Native Canadian actor from Dances with Wolves, Maverick, and the Red Green Show, and one of my favourite actors, but I think you wanted to know about the other one.

[NaiLed]

Oh, this thread reminds me of that book I ordered, "The World According to Garp". It's been like 2 weeks and it still hasn't even been dispatched yet (some seller from amazon). argh..

edit: got an email saying it might be lost in the post or something- they offered a refund if i don't get the book soon

[Subjugation]

I was hoping to be further ahead on my reading list, than I am now, but I had something unavoidable come up that made me put all my reading off for 3 weeks. But so far, I've read

The Alchemist---Paul Coelho
Things Fall Apart---Chinua Achebe (The best book I've read in a while)

Currently reading: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles

Upcoming: Davinci Code, and re-read The Art of War. Hopefully I'll get through them by mid-August, when Fall semester starts up again.

[GHB]

Can anyone recommend me some "classical" British legends or tales from middle age?


Since the beginning of June, I have already read:

The Older Edda (Icelandic Tales from middle age)
Albert Camus: The Stranger
Friedrich Nietzsche: Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Legenda Aurea(Legends about saints from middle age)
Thomas Mann: Doktor Faustus
Johann Wolfgang Goethe: Faust I
Some prose by Franz Kafka
Hermann Hesse: The Journey To The East

And now I'm reading The Nibelungenlied, some books about Theology and Christianity, blahblah, nothing really exciting.