July 2010- Why wont this rain stop and I am reading...
My bad. Also I wrote JUKY, meh I dont care. Im also reading The Passage by Justin Cronin.
Just finished The Warded Man by Peter V. Brett and have started The Desert Spear, which is the next book in his series.
The Warded Man was the book Ward sent me for the Gift Exchange. It was really REALLY good.
Derek! You were supposed to make fun of me for living in the past or something like that.
You ok?
I'm reading The Lie by Chad Kultgen
Cinema Kisses by Eric Fottorino. My fantasy reading doesn't go as well as planned.
Derek! You were supposed to make fun of me for living in the past or something like that.
You ok?
I'm reading The Lie by Chad Kultgen
Yip Im good. I have crap typing but Im sober!
I just started Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I read the first two chapters, and I haven't really formed an opinion yet. It's written oddly (as if his other novels aren't) and it's a little boring thus far.
I recently finished Superfreakonomics, which was awesome. I had to busy myself for three days so I wouldn't finish it so quickly. I recommend it, if you're into economics.
Derek! You were supposed to make fun of me for living in the past or something like that.
You ok?
I'm reading The Lie by Chad Kultgen
Yip Im good. I have crap typing but Im sober!
Good to hear Derek.
I love books like that. I've read a ton of them. Freakonomics sort of started that revolution. I think Freakonomics was much better than Superfreakonomics. Have you read any other books like that?
I have a bunch of recommendations for you if you'd like.
Just list them, we can't wait for Ms. Caitlin to come back! I've been meaning to read Freakonomics forever.
I think that the first book to go to after those two is The Undercover Economist by Tim Harford. It takes economic principles and explains them more detailed than Freakonomics or Superfreakonomics did. It starts with the story of why Starbucks can rape you for coffee and that will actually make them sell more (if I remember right).
He's also got another book out now, which I haven't read yet, called The Logic of Life.
An economist that started exploring economics in daily life (outside of the "market") before Levitt and Harford is Robert Frank. The easiest place to start with him is Economic Naturalist.
Another one that gets mentioned a lot, but I found it a little slower than the others, is The Armchair Economist by Steven Landsburg.
A pretty good read (and quick) on a similar topic Crimes Against Logic by Jamie Whyte.
And then any list can't go on without mentioning Malcolm Gladwell. His last book What the Dog Saw was ok. But his other three books were not only amazing, they were really well written and easy to read. They are:
The Tipping Point. Which about that moment when change takes place - whether it be a lethal outbreak or an idea to catch on.
Blink. This one is about how we make split second decisions. It's worth it just to learn about the first story in the book I think. But it's really interesting.
Outliers. This might be my favorite. Or maybe it's just because it's the most recent one I read besides What the Dog Saw - which was just a collection of his articles from magazines. Outliers is about the difference between the good and the truly great. Like why wasn't Bill Gates just one of the other countless computer geeks? Or why were The Beatles pretty much set to blow up and become international stars - the first ever boy band?
That's a pretty good start. 
Nice list! I've only read 'Blink' and' The Tipping Point', but they kind of annoyed me. I'll check out a few of your other suggestions, thanks!
Why did they annoy you?
Like I said, I think my favorite is Outliers.
And I really wouldn't recommend What the Dog Saw. Some of the stuff was really good. But I just wish he would have expanded on one or two of those topics and created a book from them. Reprinting his articles just didn't flow for me.
Oh, and the thing I like about all of the books on that list is the fact that they were written for the average person. They are really easy to understand. Sometimes economist come off as overly academic, like they write just to impress with their knowledge and get lost in theory.
All of those books sort of dumb it down so it's super easy to understand. And the authors write as if they're just explaining how to build a birdhouse or something. Really easy to read. And really entertaining.
I think the Gladwell books that I read were too insubstantial and too accessible, like pop music-y or something.
I can see that. There was a lot more studies and "proof" quoted in Outliers than the other two. I wish you would give that one a try. But if you don't like Gladwell, I don't want to be the one to force another of his books down your throat. lol
The Levitt or Harford books are all excellent. If you're interested in the subject at all, you will probably like any of them.
Thanks, Pete! I'll check those out. They're being added to my already-too-long reading list, so I don't know when I'll get to them. However, I'm going book-shopping on Friday so I'll probably throw some in with the fiction.
About a hundred pages into Syrup and LOVING it. Can't wait to read more from this guy. Reminds me of Sonbert a little, except obviously lighter.
"There’s no use in denying it: this has been a bad week. I’ve started drinking my own urine." -Patrick Bateman
Jennifer Government by Barry wasn't one of my favorite novels, but it has one of my favorite villains. And the humor is great. All and all I recommend it, and I'll probably read Syrup in the near future.
"[B]eing good is a fearful occupation; men strain at it and sometimes break in two." - Ray Bradbury
Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski
I just read Blood Meridian a couple of weeks ago. I kept changing my mind on whether I thought it was good or not. I think it's better now that I've finished reading it than I did at while reading it.
My favorite by Barry is Company. If you've ever worked in an office, you will really sympathize with the situations in this book.
I gotta stop looking at these threads, I want to check out some of those Economics books now. Yet, I want to make my to-be-read file smaller (currently, at least 90 physical books waiting for me to read at my house.)
Currently reading Oryx and Crake, read the first couple chapters and was kind of bored, read a couple more and now I'm hooked.
Think for yourself. Question Authority.
I'm finishing off The Passage by Justin Cronin.
Sometimes the amount of reading you do amazes me.
Isn't that book like 800 pages? And you read it in a day?
Isn't that book like 800 pages? And you read it in a day?
No not at all. About a week I took a break from it and read the Informers by BEE.
I have about 200 pages to go in this.
Ah, that makes me feel a little better. lol
My favorite by Barry is Company. If you've ever worked in an office, you will really sympathize with the situations in this book.
Cool, thanks Pete. I have not worked in an office, but I loved JPod, so I'll still check it out.
"There’s no use in denying it: this has been a bad week. I’ve started drinking my own urine." -Patrick Bateman
I'm going to be reading "One Vast Winter Count" for the rest of my LIFE.
There is hope, but not for us.
Cool, thanks Pete. I have not worked in an office, but I loved JPod, so I'll still check it out.
I'm actually listening to JPod in my car on my ride to work! I see a lot of similar "inner office" behavior. Company is much better in my opinion. But, I haven't finished JPod yet so I'm not in a good position to fully make that call yet.
My favorite by Barry is Company. If you've ever worked in an office, you will really sympathize with the situations in this book.
And even if you haven't, Barry makes it all palpable through humor and character interaction. Company is my favorite, too, because it combines the strengths of the two preceding novels--the characterization of Syrup and the engaging plot of Jennifer Government--while excising the weaknesses.
Cool, thanks Pete. I have not worked in an office, but I loved JPod, so I'll still check it out.
I'm actually listening to JPod in my car on my ride to work! I see a lot of similar "inner office" behavior. Company is much better in my opinion. But, I haven't finished JPod yet so I'm not in a good position to fully make that call yet.
That's interesting that there's an audio version of this... have you ever flipped through it?
"There’s no use in denying it: this has been a bad week. I’ve started drinking my own urine." -Patrick Bateman
The actual book? Yeah - It's got a really weird format. Which doesn't translate well into audio format. Like when he list the 900-some words you can use in scrabble. It's like a 20 min part. I just fast-forwarded through that. And a lot of the emails and random things make no sense in audio form.
Yeah, the book. I was curious if they left those parts in. There's like a ten page list of prime numbers, tell me that's not in there!
"There’s no use in denying it: this has been a bad week. I’ve started drinking my own urine." -Patrick Bateman
haha I'm sure it is. And it will be another part I fast forward through.
wow. that books, although it sounds cool, and like a very neat idea, i'd just flick past all that crap. i could barely read Bateman's shitty essays on Whitney Houstan let alone 100 words to use fo scrabble or pages of prime numbers. ugh.
JPod kind of fascinated me at the bookstore. Amazon tells me it's not very good though, so I'm not sure I should ever get it.
O my brothers, I'm reading A Clockwork Orange. It's a real horrorshow deciphering the slang sometimes, but I'm still enjoying it greatly.
I really liked Company and Syrup. It was a while ago, but I think I liked Syrup more. I'd like to check out Jennifer Government.
I had a bit of a Coupland binge a couple of years back starting with Jpod, which I really liked, then Microserfs very very similar to Jpod, but still an enjoyable read. Then I read Eleanor Rigby, and after that I attempted Shampoo Planet, that was it. I couldn't read anymore. I needed a break from Coupland.
I just started The Heroine Diaries.
I really liked Company and Syrup. It was a while ago, but I think I liked Syrup more. I'd like to check out Jennifer Government.
I had a bit of a Coupland binge a couple of years back starting with Jpod, which I really liked, then Microserfs very very similar to Jpod, but still an enjoyable read. Then I read Eleanor Rigby, and after that I attempted Shampoo Planet, that was it. I couldn't read anymore. I needed a break from Coupland.
I just started The Heroine Diaries.
I really didn't care for Shampoo Planet. It was a good book. But it just didn't hold my attention. I could care less about what was going on as I read it.
My favorite is Generation X. And as far as actual novles, I really like Hey! Nostradamus.
I have Girlfriend In A Coma sitting on my to-read pile.
I always feel like Coupland starts out with an amazing piece of work and then he just distrusts it as time goes on. And then he pulls out some weird plot trick because he's scared of writing the ending or something. Case in point: The last 1/4th of "Hey Nostradamus!"
There is hope, but not for us.
Speaking of Coupland, anybody here read GENERATION A? Just started it.
Yeah - I feel like Hey Nostradamus was amazing. But there was one thing I didn't like - It felt like it was building up to something huge and it never really did. (I don't exactly remember the last 1/4 though.)
The last part was all about after the guy disappeared and his girlfriend starts seeing a psychic to try to communicate with him from the beyond. It's like a completely different book. Completely unnecessary and depressing and dumb.
Edit: Looking at the plot on wikipedia, it turns out that I'm thinking of the 3rd section, not the fourth. MY ARGUMENT STILL STANDS.
There is hope, but not for us.
The Gum Thief is by far my favorite Coupland, given I've only read four of his books. Haven't read either of the Generation books.
"There’s no use in denying it: this has been a bad week. I’ve started drinking my own urine." -Patrick Bateman
"Horrorshow" means "good." It's a play on the Russian word for good, "khorosho."
Curently reading:
After that:
I heart the local liberry
Thanks, Caitlin. Well, you can see the point I was trying to make at least.
I'm a huge Burgess fan. I recommend reading The Wanting Seed after you finish A Clockwork Orange.
Okay I will. Thanks for the heads up. A Clockwork Orange is the first Burgess book I have checked out, but since I am enjoying this read so much I'll be sure to take a look at The Wanting Seed.
I feel so completely illiterate when compared to you book reading bastards.
You can't post from the future!