The books thread

[tarkil]

Is there such thing as following a trend when it comes to reading a certain book? Hell, I think the fact that a book is popular means that it is actually pretty good.

Actually I don't think so : look at Dan Brown's Da Vinci code... It's sooooooo popular but it's not that good. When you read it, it's okay, story is okay, everything is okay, but it's definitely not a great book. But it is definitely way too overrated !

[BigDave]

the exception is of course the da vince code, that was, as far as books go, a trend.  but yea, on the whole, if a book does start to get recognition it probably is good.  a lot of the novels that make it into the top 20 have got decent reviews in the more 'respectable' newspapers and a lot of book-buyers base their purchases on that.

[tarkil]

I kinda disagree with you. Sometimes of course, it's like that, but that's not the majority. To me it's pretty much the same thing as with the most saled CD : they are usually not the best CDs of the moment. Yeah of course sometimes, there will be a Tool or a Deftones in that list, but you will never find some smaller bands, or some old ones, etc.

It's the same in my opinion with the books.

[Chrisbo]

Well I havent read the Da Vinci code, and yeah, I dont read books a hell of alot (I probably should), just on the occasion, when I have the time to just sit down and relax with a good book! So I dont know a hell of alot. That's why I asked if there was such a thing as a trend when it comes to certain books. Now I know.

[vida_mae]

im not saying that popular books arent good, im just saying that best seller list are usually chock full of reduntant authors who could shit on two pages, smush them together and ask you what you see, then, make you buy their book. Popular modern authors honestly in my opinion usaually have one or two major good books, in their career.. people just continue to buy there work because they never try to find something different or new...

set them on the coffee table as convo peices..


i was saying read something not popular, because maybe you will come by a rare gem.. and then you can share it with the rest of us!!!

but anyways, i went to the bookstore today and i read a little from the book " the Feminine Mystique" by  Betty Friedan ..

its from like the 50's/ 60's and it was a revolutionary piece that caused a ruckus...regarding womens gender issues.. 

[ChickdelaLynch]

but anyways, i went to the bookstore today and i read a little from the book " the Feminine Mystique" by  Betty Friedan ..

its from like the 50's/ 60's and it was a revolutionary piece that caused a ruckus...regarding womens gender issues.. 

I just learned about her this year. I want to read that book.

[vida_mae]

me too.. i didnt have the money to buy that also.. ha ha ha.. im sure she would find the irony in that... seeming how men make more money then us............

[devilinside]

I just started the book "Wake up to your life....Discovering the Buddhist path of attention".

[BigDave]

i read fear and trembling by amelie nothomb yesterday and liked it a lot.  today i started we need to talk about kevin by lionel shriver; 50 pages in and it's good, if rather heavy going.

[tarkil]

The Outsider from H.P. Lovecraft

[vida_mae]

i read fear and trembling by amelie nothomb yesterday and liked it a lot.  today i started we need to talk about kevin by lionel shriver; 50 pages in and it's good, if rather heavy going.

ive read fear and trembling as well like, a while ago for a philosophy class, its good...i havent heard of that other book is it non fiction? I read Hes just not that into u...by this guy and girl, who writed for sex in the city or something. I thought it would be dumb, but it has a lot of female empowering issues in it. After i read it, i deleted all my phone numbers i have for guys i met. If they want me. They can do the work...

[BigDave]

i read fear and trembling by amelie nothomb yesterday and liked it a lot.  today i started we need to talk about kevin by lionel shriver; 50 pages in and it's good, if rather heavy going.

ive read fear and trembling as well like, a while ago for a philosophy class, its good...i havent heard of that other book is it non fiction? I read Hes just not that into u...by this guy and girl, who writed for sex in the city or something. I thought it would be dumb, but it has a lot of female empowering issues in it. After i read it, i deleted all my phone numbers i have for guys i met. If they want me. They can do the work...

are you thinking of the fear and trembling by soren kierkegaard, the danish, christian existential philosopher?  that's a good book also.

we need to talk about kevin is fiction.  it's told from the perspective of the mother of a teenager who shot up his school, in the form of letters to her husband.

[fireflyry]

Johnny and the Bomb - Terry Pratchett

[vida_mae]

@ dave, yes. The one by soren k. I love him, was what u read any thing to do with his work or ideas? Thats weird that they have the same titles, and i never heard of the one u read..

[BigDave]

no, it's a novel about a woman from belgium working in japan for a year, pretty different lol.  but yea kierkegaard is good, i used some of his work for my philosophy synoptic.

[Mazzy]

I'm reading Anna Karenina at the moment. I've read the majority of Tolstoy's work except this one. The intro is good so far.

I finished reading Murakami's Kafka on the Shore a while ago. It was better than I expected it to be. It surprised me at times.

And We Need To Talk About Kevin sounds really interesting Dave. Have you read Kitchen by Yoshimoto Mahoko? I think you'd love it. She changed her name though, to Banana Yoshimoto.

[raynor]

now and then I listen to Wheel Of Time, I'm on the third book now. simply kickass fantasy.

[Mazzy]

I hate fantasy novels. Not all but the majority are rubbish. I start yawning at page two. I love Narnia though <3

[raynor]

WOT is awesome. there's no elfes in, no giant monsters that eat you alive, not stupid wizards. read WOT and change your mind

[Azwethinkweiz]

I love reading anything by Faulkner.