Books and Literature - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

Zarathustra · 05-20-2006, 04:50 PM

Now that the Flames season is over I've been doing a lot of reading.

What are your favourite books? What book(s) are you reading now? What books would you recommend to other posters?

Currently I'm reading 3 books:
"The Real Fidel Castro" by Leycester Coltman
"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy
and "Chess for Dummies".

What type of literature are you interested in? Non-fiction, horror, classics, philosphy, biographies?

Buff · 05-20-2006, 08:27 PM

I'm finally reading the DaVinci Code. I must say that I'm having a hard time getting through it. It isn't boring but it just isn't keeping my attention yet.

After that I'll read the Conqueror's trilogy by Timothy Zahn. It is a sci-fi series by arguably the best author to pen a Star Wars novel.

Then I'll go back to reading my Star Wars novels.

flames_fan_down_under · 05-20-2006, 08:42 PM

Definately a good read is "The World According to Garp" by John Irving, another good one is "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, and "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson is a good one

My favourite book however is "Into thin Air" by Jon Krakauer, "Into the Wild" is also very interesting too, its by the same author. "The Beach" by Alex Garland was good.

I don't know if anyone has read any of the Adrian Mole series by Susan Townsend but i liked them quite a bit.

STeeLy · 05-20-2006, 09:20 PM

I bought the book War and Peace a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time ago... my mom said she'd read it first but she never touched it...

I'm not much of a reader... but I tend to be in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy sort of deal...

I'm currently 2 books Away from finishing up the entire Ender's Game series of a total of 9 (pretty popular if u asked me).

My teacher was going to lend me a book which I have forgotten the name at the moment, another Sci-Fi novel...

sadora · 05-20-2006, 09:32 PM

Books I'm currently reading.

The Film Snob's Dictionary
Wiseguy (True Crime Novel that was the basis for Goodfellas)
Goodfellas (The Script)
No Logo
Equilibrium

And Buff, I felt the same way when I read The Da Vinci Code a few months ago. The Hype around this book was such that you automatically have high expectations before reading a single page. While I found the story entertaining, perhaps a bit cliched at points, it was nothing like I was expecting it to be.

Bobblehead · 05-21-2006, 03:03 PM

There are a few authors that are popular, that when I read their stuff, I love the ideas and the story, but hate their writing style and the way they tell the story. DaVinci Code was like that, and any Stephen King I've tried to read (Bachman books, Gunslinger bk1).

Flames Draft Watcher · 05-21-2006, 06:02 PM

Looking to read the Dune series, Don Quixote and some Nietzsche this summer.

Looger · 05-21-2006, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

"War and Peace" by Leo Tolstoy

started it... like a year ago! can't do more than 50 pages in one sitting, though i hear it picks up after page 500.

been reading some hunter s. thompson lately, which has me wondering: why didn't i read this guy years ago? i've had questions aboot the 60s forever, and in two books he answered them all: 'hell's angels' and 'fear and loathing'. neither is primarily supposed to be aboot the 60s, point of fact 'loathing' doesn't even take place then. could not put either book down.

other than that, mostly sci-fi and history.

Eastern Girl · 05-21-2006, 06:24 PM

I am currently reading the Rum Diary by Hunter Thompson. It's pretty good thus far, fairly different from his other books. Loved Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He definitely can paint a picture.

Some of my favourites have been Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, The Manticore by Robertson Davis (really good if you are into psych., dream interpretation and the like) and The Notebook by Nicolas Sparks.

Looger · 05-21-2006, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eastern Girl

I am currently reading the Rum Diary by Hunter Thompson. It's pretty good thus far, fairly different from his other books. Loved Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. He definitely can paint a picture.

cool, my copy's with the rest of my crap, two weeks behind me, hopefully i'll get it monday because i'm out of floor books and i don't want to clean my car. i will read it next.

JiriHrdina · 05-21-2006, 08:28 PM

Always enjoy these threads so I thought I'd start up a new one.

Right now I'm reading "3 nights in August" by Buzz Bisssinger (author of Friday Night Lights).

I highly recommend it for baseball fans. The book uses a 3 games series between St. Louis and the Cubs in part to tell the story of Tony Larussa, and in part to give the reader an behind the scenes look at the game from the manager's point of view. It literally goes through every decision that Larussa faces in the 3 game series and how he makes those decisions.

The book also touches on other notable subjects including the implosion of Rick Ankiel, the untapped potential of JD Drew, and other stuff.

Just a fantastic read.

Table 5 · 05-21-2006, 08:43 PM

right here, buddy.

http://calgarypuck.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25866

Calgary Flames · 05-21-2006, 08:47 PM

Days of Infamy - Harry Turtledove. An alternate history of the attack at Pearl Harbor

@theCBE · 05-21-2006, 08:56 PM

Reading an anthology or Sherlock Holmes novels and short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle..

Just read Atlas Shrugged a few months ago (amazing book) .. next up is Freakonomics

JiriHrdina · 05-21-2006, 09:09 PM

Welllity wellity wellity. How'd I miss that. Ah well. Merge.

Zarathustra · 05-21-2006, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looger

started it... like a year ago! can't do more than 50 pages in one sitting, though i hear it picks up after page 500.

.

I'm only about 100 pages in. 1/15 done!

Although I haven't been reading it much lately after picking up that Fidel Castro book.

Iowa_Flames_Fan · 05-21-2006, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarathustra

I'm only about 100 pages in. 1/15 done!

Although I haven't been reading it much lately after picking up that Fidel Castro book.

Hey, it's a bold undertaking--give yourself credit.

For some reason, I've been having a hankering to re-read Moby-Dick this summer, but I pretty much have to stick to work-related reading for the time being.

For the science-fiction aficionados out there, I'd recommend Richard Paul Russo's Carlucci trilogy, which is excellent. I also liked his more recent novel The Rosetta Codex. I'm also a fan of William Gibson and Bruce Sterling--and those two authors collaborated on a shorter book called The Difference Engine, which is excellent.

On the topic of sci-fi, has anyone read anything by Canadian author Charles de Lint? I've been meaning to check him out.

For those of a more literary bent, I'd recommend John Dos Passos--his USA trilogy is a kind of unsung modernist epic that's starting to regain some currency--and it's one of my favourites, though he's probably more famous for Manhattan Transfer.

Circa89 · 05-22-2006, 01:42 AM

If you haven't read Yann Martel's The Life of Pi I suggest to get it done. It should only take 2-3 nights tops and they are making a movie soon so get it done quick. This was one of my most enjoyable reads in the last 5 years or so. Read it, love it or hate you won't regret reading it. A true "story" in the ilk of a Hemmingway or Steinbeck.

sadora · 05-22-2006, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Looger
...been reading some hunter s. thompson lately, which has me wondering: why didn't i read this guy years ago? i've had questions aboot the 60s forever, and in two books he answered them all: 'hell's angels' and 'fear and loathing'. neither is primarily supposed to be aboot the 60s, point of fact 'loathing' doesn't even take place then. could not put either book down.

I've always been a fan of Hunter S. Thompson, IMO his writing epitomizes Gonzo Journalism. Fear & Loathing's vivid nature has to come from all the drugs he was on while researching the story, very popular with many who aren't familiar with most of his work but perhaps The Rum Diary is his strongest piece.

If you're interested in reading more Hunter S. and if you can actually find any of his other works in Calgary I would recommend that you check out any of the four volumes of the Gonzo Papers. Jack Kerouc and Allen Ginsberg might be other writers that could interest you if you liked Thompson's work.

Footscray · 05-22-2006, 03:07 AM

I've been drinking up the Irvine Welsh this summer. I'd read about 4 of his books before and am filling in the holes this summer.