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Markies
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Re: Books!

by Markies Sun Dec 31, 2017 7:50 pm

Pulsar_t wrote:Dan Brown is the definition of far-fetched :lol: That said, just started reading his latest novel. The thing with mainstream novels is that you know how they will end 99% of the time.


Oh, it's complete fiction. No doubt about that.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through The Da Vinci Code and I can't believe people actually thought it was based on fact. It's complete hearsay and has little merit to it whatsoever. To me, it's like a book about how fake the Moon Landing was.

With that in mind, it is incredibly interesting. Like, I understand how some of the points make sense and there are some giant leaps of faiths, but it is a unique idea. It is intense and he knows how to tell a good story. Both of them are very similar and the story is complete Fiction, but it is a good read.

Jagosaurus wrote:Should mention I finished Lord of the Rings! Wrapped up Return of the King last week. I enjoyed them but won't be one of those people re-reading them annually. I still do need to read The Hobbit at some point. What a universe he created.


The Hobbit is very much worth reading. I read that after the Lord of the Rings trilogy and it is a very good book. It's much more straightforward and doesn't dance around like the other books do. It's a simple read and well worth the time.
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Re: Books!

by MrPopo Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:05 am

So I'm in the middle of reading the most amazing book. I bought it on the strength of its description and it hasn't let me down. So now I'm going to describe it for you guys:

Imagine a world much like ours; people go about their lives, play D&D games, and watch anime. Then one day Stephen Russ fights off strange creatures out of our nightmares to save a little boy. This courage does not go unnoticed, and he is soon introduced into the true nature of the world, of its battles against the darkness threatening to consume it. Battles waged throughout the millennia, turned back each time by a team of extraordinary people. The magic that creates this team also ensures no one remembers them once the job is done, but they are still remembered in the collective unconsciousness, and are most recently paid homage to in shows like Sailor Moon. And just as this revelation is sinking in Steve is informed that the time is neigh once again for the five Apocalypse Maidens to fight to save the world. He must become:

Princess Holy Aura!
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Re: Books!

by Jagosaurus Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:03 am

@Markies, Thanks for the nudge. I was thinking The Hobbit would have to be a quicker pace to cram that story into ~300 pages. They obviously reference Bilbo's journey in LOTR & I've seen the Peter Jackson movies (which I saw him quoted saying were too drawn out) and it seems like a lot happens. I'll make sure it's on my 2018 to read list.

@popo, curious how you stumbled on that book with our only 20 amazon reviews. Let me know how it ends up! Always looking to explore books outside of my "old man genres." You'll see what I mean below.

My 2018 To-Read List So Far
Fire Ice by Clive Cussler
White Death by Clive Cussler
Lost City by Clive Cussler
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Lost World by Michael Crichton
Blink of an Eye by Ted Dekker
The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

I'd like to add about 5 more books to that making it one a month, but we'll see. I have a huge backlog of games, movies, TV shows, & 2 kiddos that keep me running wild. I read more in 2016 & 2017 and it just feels great. Some nights I just don't want to mess with screens. Yes, I haven't gave into the ebook wave yet although it's all Mrs. Jago uses.

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Re: Books!

by MrPopo Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:27 pm

Jagosaurus wrote:@popo, curious how you stumbled on that book with our only 20 amazon reviews. Let me know how it ends up! Always looking to explore books outside of my "old man genres."

John Scalzi has a feature on his website called "The Big Idea", where he invites other authors to plug their new books, with an emphasis towards describing some part of how the book was conceived or created. This was one of theme.
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Re: Books!

by Jagosaurus Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:33 pm

MrPopo wrote:
Jagosaurus wrote:@popo, curious how you stumbled on that book with our only 20 amazon reviews. Let me know how it ends up! Always looking to explore books outside of my "old man genres."

John Scalzi has a feature on his website called "The Big Idea", where he invites other authors to plug their new books, with an emphasis towards describing some part of how the book was conceived or created. This was one of theme.


Hm, I'll have to look him up :/. I don't watch anime but the plot sounds interesting. Report back if it keeps up & ends well!

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Re: Books!

by MrPopo Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:29 am

Jagosaurus wrote:
MrPopo wrote:
Jagosaurus wrote:@popo, curious how you stumbled on that book with our only 20 amazon reviews. Let me know how it ends up! Always looking to explore books outside of my "old man genres."

John Scalzi has a feature on his website called "The Big Idea", where he invites other authors to plug their new books, with an emphasis towards describing some part of how the book was conceived or created. This was one of theme.


Hm, I'll have to look him up :/. I don't watch anime but the plot sounds interesting. Report back if it keeps up & ends well!

So I wasn't able to put the book down and just wrapped it up. It was just as fantastic a finish as it was a beginning. A nice conclusion that still lets him come back and write more, and I certainly hope he does. And it definitely needs to have an actual animated adaptation at some point.
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Re: Books!

by Pulsar_t Fri Jan 05, 2018 6:05 pm

I could use a recommendation for a new book on philosophy or psychology (or both).
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Re: Books!

by prfsnl_gmr Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:11 pm

Pulsar_t wrote:I could use a recommendation for a new book on philosophy or psychology (or both).


Here’s one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/03745335 ... 5193792533

.....

Right now, I am reading Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. It forms the basis for Tarkovsky’s masterpiece, Stalker, and while it is not without its issues, I am enjoying it very much. Also, the film captures only a very small portion of the book - the last chapter, basically - and as I finish it up, I can’t help but thinking it could actually be adapted into a pretty great TV show. One day, maybe...
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Re: Books!

by Markies Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:06 am

So, I finished The Da Vinci Code tonight. A little less than 4 months for a book is actually really good for me, so I'm happy for that.

I have to say that I enjoyed 'Angels and Demons' better than 'The Da Vinci Code'. Angels and Demons at least was based more in reality than The Da Vinci Code. The puzzles were unique, but that is about it. If you read both books back to back like I did, you can see the similarities between the two.

It's interesting and a quick read, but it has as much weight as reading People magazine. It's an enjoyable thrill ride and a good story, but that's about it.
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Re: Books!

by casterofdreams Wed Jan 17, 2018 10:23 am

Unfortunately I don't have the time to rea so for the last year I've heavily invested into Audible. Given the fact that I'm on the road for about two or so hours on the weekdays it was a good value for me.

Assuming that I'm accepted here (there's kind of a rift between readers and listeners; all teasing of course) I've gone through about 30 books in a year.

Given that I have some recommendations:

Narconomics by Tom Wainwright takes a look at how drug cartels are run using Economic concepts.

Will Save the Galaxy for Food by Yahtzee Croshaw is a funny sci-fi space adventure about a space adventurer in a dying industry (traveling in a space ship since the invention of teleportation).

The Bobiverse series of books (three in total) which is about a human being who died and was uploaded into a computer tasked to find a suitable planet for humans to live. Lots of pop culture references here.

400 Things Cops Know by Adam Plantinga is well, about 400 things that cops know. It's a good read and the list like format (saw it in physical form) is good for short bursts of reading. Even though I'm not a LEO this is actually a very good hand book for all walks of life.

Lastly, in an effort to not bog down my post, Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Sciwnce of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths.

Pulsar_t wrote:I could use a recommendation for a new book on philosophy or psychology (or both).


I have a pair of books in the psychology department: Influence and Pre-Suasion both by Robert Cialdini. I'd read them in that order.
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