Summer Reading List.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Ok I know it's a few weeks late but post all your recommended books here.

I just finished Genghis Khan and the making of the modern world by Jack Weatherford. It' s about how the mongols conquered and changed the world. It's also a book for globalization. The book is very enjoyable because it's written from a sociologists POV and provides an in depth look into the culture instead of
just plain old history.

Im now currently reading The Perfect Mile. It's about the race for the 4 minute mile. I'm 1/3 through it and it is pretty good. Providing a look into the lives of the 3 men who broke the barrier. As well as tips to improve my 2 mile time.

[DeToxRox]

If you like true crime, the Black Dahila Avenger is a good read, as it finally leads to the solving of one of the most notorious murders ever.

Live From New York - The Saturday Night Live book told by the stars of the show is simply amazing. if you have any interest in SNL, read this book. It tells some amazing stories, and is very detailed. A MUST.

I'll think of more and post.

[terpkristin]

I'm currently starting reading Cory Doctrow's works. Generally sci-fi, but with an almost conversational writing style and some interesting views in general on tech and politics. Most of his stuff is available free through his website, http://www.craphound.com

I'm just starting "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom"
and also have "Eastern Standard Tribe" and "Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town."

/tk

[Peregrine]

I'm currently reading Tim Powers' "Aware" which is quite a great book, the guy is just an incredible author.

I definitely recommend "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clarke, it's a great read, sort of half historical novel, half fantasy.

[Calis]

I am presently reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.

It ranks among one of the funniest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's also very heartwarming and sad at times. It's got it all.

I'm sure some folks find it rather blasphemous, but I'm not too big on that. I definitely don't think 't portrays Christ or Christianity in a bad way. It just details the missing years of Christ's life, from the point of view of his best friend..who is of "questionable" moral fiber. One of the more enjoyable books I've read, and I'll definitely be grabbing another Christopher Moore book after this.

[Izulde]

If you're looking for one of the great classics of literature, pick up Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita.

[st.cronin]

Leavitt's Freakanomics is the book I am recommending to everybody.

[Peregrine]

I've been wanting to read that, st. cronin, seems like it would be interesting.

[bosshogg23]

Im reading Kathy Reichs latest book Cross Bones.

Shortly I will be reading the 6th Harry Potter.

[st.cronin]

I'm currently making my way through some of Bill Bryson's excellent books - A Walk In The Woods, Notes From A Small Island, A Short History of Nearly Everything. He's a tremendous writer.

[terpkristin]

"A Short History of Nearly Everything" is on my list to read. A book group I'm a part of (ok, well it's a writing and reading group) is reading that right now. If I wasn't enmeshed in 3 books at the moment, I might have picked it up.

Also reading (in addition to previously mentioned Doctrow) "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman.

/tk

[Wolfpack]

Last books read:
Ninety Degrees North by Fergus Fleming
*About the exploration and supposed conquests of the North Pole during the 19th and 20th Centuries. Amazing stories to read.

Beowulf a new translation by Seamus Heaney
*If you need it explained, you didn't pay attention in school. Still a good read and definitely more appreciable to read as an adult than in school.

Just checked out:
1001 Places to Go Before You Die by Patricia Schultz
*Pretty much what the title says. A travel guide to just about any place on the planet that should have at least a passing interest for travelers.

Sir Walter Raleigh by Raleigh Trevelyan
*Biography of SWR (first I'd seen of it, though it was put out last year, apparently).

Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
*In-depth history of the events surrounding the famous Crossing of the Delaware by the Continental Army in 1776 that lead to victory at Trenton and eventually independence.

[ntndeacon]

I'm currently reading Tim Powers' "Aware" which is quite a great book, the guy is just an incredible author.

I definitely recommend "Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clarke, it's a great read, sort of half historical novel, half fantasy.

I second the nomination of Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I am also rereading The Bourne Identity. Ludlum is always good for some hair raising reading.

[AZSpeechCoach]

Blue Blood by Edward Conlon - A look into the life of a detective in NYPD.

The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty by Buster Olney - A great baseball book

The Unicorn's Secret - about 60's icon Ira Einhorn and how he killed his girlfriend

Star Wars Episode III

And I'm about to start:

The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide - Douglas Adams - All 5 novels. I never read them before, and I feel like I should

I'm also trying to find another book to add to my Sophomore curriculum for next year.

[Crapshoot]

The Hitchikers Guide is one of my bibles- extraordinary book.

Also, please avoid Thomas "I like catchphrases" Friedman - the man is simplistic, 3rd grade level crap attempted primarily to fit his cliche of the moment. If you want to read about globalization, pick up Bhagwat's book.

[amdaily]

I've been getting caught up on older history books with "Theodore Rex" and "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt." About 80% though Rex - excellent. I read that Edmound Morris is working on a 3rd book about TR post-Presidency. Can't wait.

[ntndeacon]

I am presently reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.

It ranks among one of the funniest books I've ever had the pleasure of reading. It's also very heartwarming and sad at times. It's got it all.

I'm sure some folks find it rather blasphemous, but I'm not too big on that. I definitely don't think 't portrays Christ or Christianity in a bad way. It just details the missing years of Christ's life, from the point of view of his best friend..who is of "questionable" moral fiber. One of the more enjoyable books I've read, and I'll definitely be grabbing another Christopher Moore book after this.

Christopher Moore is one of my favorite authors. They are all kinda screwy. I liked Practical Demonkeeping, or The Island of the Sequined Love Nun.

[ISiddiqui]

In less than 20 days, I'll be picking up my happy of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" :D

Even though it comes out less than 15 days from my bar exam... damn bar exam. They should postpone it because of the Potter book ;).

[Swaggs]

Currently: Under the Banner of Heaven : A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer -- I've read a couple of books by Krakaur (an outdoorsman/mountain climber/journalist). The description from Amazon.com is much more concise of a summary than I could put together: "Using as a focal point the chilling story of offshoot Mormon fundamentalist brothers Dan and Ron Lafferty, who in 1984 brutally butchered their sister-in-law and 15-month-old niece in the name of a divine revelation, Krakauer explores what he sees as the nature of radical Mormon sects with Svengali-like leaders."

Next Up:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova-- Supposed to be one of the big hits of the Summer. Described as "The Dracula Code." I don't know anyone who has read it yet, but it sounds promising.

The Broker by John Grisham -- After this one, I will only have two more Grisham books to finish.

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm currently reading The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Half way through, I'm enjoying it.

[Swaggs]

In less than 20 days, I'll be picking up my happy of "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" :D

Even though it comes out less than 15 days from my bar exam... damn bar exam. They should postpone it because of the Potter book ;).

Wow. We've been on this board a long time. I remember when you first left to go to law school. Congratulations. :)

[Swaggs]

I'm currently reading The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Half way through, I'm enjoying it.

Nice. That's on my list after The Broker.

I guess I shouldn't need to buy any books for awhile. :)

[JW]

1776, David McCullough - about the first year of the American Revolution. Describes Washington's disastrous blunders that so nearly led to American defeat, and then his remarkable winter campaign that started with the crossing of the Delaware. It is a very good thing for America that today's mass media did not cover Washington's first campaigns.

The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide, Douglas Adams - compilation of the Hitchhiker books.

The Taking - Dean Koontz - horror, suspense, sci-fi, with a twist. For light reading I'm currently reading Koontz's The Face, another horror, suspense book. I like him.

Steel My Soldiers' Hearts - David Hackworth - How Hack took command of a screwed up infantry battalion in Vietnam and turned it into a deadly and efficient unit. That late COl. Hackworth was a true hero. He was also a maverick who could be very self-serving, as he probably is in this book. But it presents such a detailed and graphic view of military command and infatnry combat that it is fascinating reading.

[ISiddiqui]

Wow. We've been on this board a long time. I remember when you first left to go to law school. Congratulations. :)
Hey thanks :D. Yeah, isn't amazing how an online community grows and you can follow your fellow posters' lives.

[Young Drachma]

Here's my summer reading list

I never actually get to read lots of fiction except in the summers and I think there is an unusual amount of it on this list this summer. We'll see how much I can manage to get done depending on when I can escape Wyoming.

National Pastime: How Americans Play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer by Stefan Szymanski


Why White Kids Love Hip Hop: Wangstas, Wiggers, Wannabes, and the New Reality of Race in America by Bakari Kitwana


The Icarus Girl : A Novel by HELEN OYEYEMI


Early Bird : A Memoir by Rodney Rothman


Small Island : A Novel by Andrea Levy



Something Blue by Emily Giffin


The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

[Peregrine]

Other books I've read recently:

Hell in Hurtgen Forest - Interesting case study of the fighting of one American infantry regiment in one of the less glamorous and less well-known battles of the Western Front. It's pretty technical though, not so much a high level overview as a very detailed research into how a regiment could keep fighting even though sustaining unbelievable casualties - in the 18 day engagement they took something like 2,800 casualties out of their 3,200ish strength. If you're interested in learning more about the American army's replacement and reinforcement system, as I was, definitely a good read.

The Years of Rice and Salt - I can't say enough good things about this book. Kim Stanley Robinson can write, sure, but this totally blew me away. An alternate-history book on a global scale, he uses the premise that instead of just killing lots of people, the Black Death mutated and basically wiped out European civilization completely. He then tracks the progress of the world's other great empires, primarily the Muslim and Chinese, in exploring, technical development, and war, but does so in an extremely unique manner, by breaking it into several stories, each with interesting characters.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I've also finished ''The Last Ridge. Its a riveting account of The original and real 10th Mountain Division in WW II. A great insights into mountain warfare.
I also liked Ed Ruguerro's Combat Jump. About the 82d ABN's combat jump into Sicily.

[SackAttack]

I've been reading the American Empire saga from Harry Turtledove. From the looks of things, he's just getting up to World War II, although I'm uncertain if the first book in that cycle is out yet. I hope it comes out soon if it isn't out already.

While Turtledove's stuff is sort of historical "what-if" fiction, if anybody out there is into traditional historical fiction, I read Herman Wouk's "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" over the spring, and found them to be most excellent.

On sort of a different track, I got a kick out of Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas," which is unusual because I don't usually care for his stuff.

And on the audiobook side of things, I'm currently listening to "The Green Mile," with George R.R. Martin's stuff to follow. I've not read the hard copies, but the series has come so highly recommended that I used some Audible credits on them. Hopefully they're as good as advertised, because they weigh in at around 45 hours each. (eep!)

[Peregrine]

In audiobooks, I'm listening to Sarah Vowell's "Assassination Vacation," it's just hilarious!

[korme]

I recommend online reading:

http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/

[Tara]

I'll have no much time for off-topic (in-topic is my research work, i've to start writing)reading, but last week I bougth two new books that's I was looking for a while.
They are both by Jaques Le Goff. They talk about Medieval history and culture....That's could be sound boring, but that's not!!!

[Peregrine]

Neat, Tara. I read Le Goff's "History and Memory" in my Historiography class when I was doing my master's, and also his Medieval Civilization book. The English translations are a bit hard to follow sometimes, there's some strange structure, but he has a very sharp mind.

[ice4277]

I've been reading the American Empire saga from Harry Turtledove. From the looks of things, he's just getting up to World War II, although I'm uncertain if the first book in that cycle is out yet. I hope it comes out soon if it isn't out already.

I'm about to start the fourth book in his "Worldwar" series. I've never been a huge reader of "what-if" fiction but its a very enjoyable series.

[SackAttack]

I'm about to start the fourth book in his "Worldwar" series. I've never been a huge reader of "what-if" fiction but its a very enjoyable series.

"Worldwar" is a little different from "American Empire" in that it's more alternative future history than anything else.

"American Empire" starts with the premise, "What if the Southern secession had succeeded?" and sort of tracks events on the world stage over the next hundred years or so. It's really a plausible read, and it's interesting to see how he weaves in some of the true historical trends of the early 20th century into the re-imagining.

[bossfan2000]

I'm about to start the fourth book in his "Worldwar" series. I've never been a huge reader of "what-if" fiction but its a very enjoyable series.

I have read the first two of Worldward and have the rest, but haven't been motivated to start book 3 yet.

Currently on book 5 of the Recluse saga, by Modesitt "The Death of Chaos". Plan to either read book 6 next (Fall of Angels), or read books 4 and 5 of harry potter, so i am ready when 6 comes out.

I did buy Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell when it came out, but havent read it. I thought with all the early buzz, a 1st edition 1st printing version of the book might be worth something one day.

[flere-imsaho]

For those of you interested in The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I'd like to recommend Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Neil Gaiman, which is basically a complete telling of how the various presentations (radio, theatre, TV, books) came to be.

[Peregrine]

For those of you interested in The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I'd like to recommend Don't Panic: Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Neil Gaiman, which is basically a complete telling of how the various presentations (radio, theatre, TV, books) came to be.

While you're looking for that you can pick up Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, possibly the funniest book ever written.
:p

[judicial clerk]

Even though it comes out less than 15 days from my bar exam... damn bar exam Hey Isiddiqui, you need to put warnings before you post something like this. here i am reading a nice little book thread when all of a sudden someone references being two weeks out from the bar exam. I think my heart rate jumped just reading that sentence, oh, and, uh.... don't let the bar exam stress you out. I am sure you will do just fine. Good luck!

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

"Worldwar" is a little different from "American Empire" in that it's more alternative future history than anything else.

"American Empire" starts with the premise, "What if the Southern secession had succeeded?" and sort of tracks events on the world stage over the next hundred years or so. It's really a plausible read, and it's interesting to see how he weaves in some of the true historical trends of the early 20th century into the re-imagining.
I like his little paragraphs about Football in his books. I really think he could make an alternate universe for sports nuts.
I remember in American Front he had a paragraph regarding how the southern troops loved the smash mouth game while the northern troops loved the run and gun.

[Bo Jackson's Hip]

Has anyone read all of the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, all volumes?

[terpkristin]

Has anyone read all of the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, all volumes?
I read books 1-7 in their entirety.
May have read book 8, don't remember.
Definitely didn't read books 9 or 10. Skimmed them both. I think 7 was the book I really liked, but 8 was such a let down after that. And 9 and 10 were worse, IMO, I tried to read them all but I got so bored with them...

Yeah, it was either 7 or 8 that I really enjoyed, but couldn't finish the rest after that...For that matter, I liked books 1 and 2, didn't care for 3-6ish. They were alright, but definitely starting to go downhill. I recommend GRRM instead. :D

/tk

[Peregrine]

Heh I almost collapsed under the weight of bad writing and disinterest after two or three books, no way I could do all of them.

[Wolfpack]

With respect to Turtledove, he has moved into WWII in his alt-history USA/CSA line. The first book I think is titled "Settling Accounts" or something like that.

Going back to another of his series, once you finish "Worldwar", then there's the "Colonization" series, which is set in the 1960s of that universe as the aliens attempt to colonize a world they didn't conquer outright. Not too long ago, he put out (I would think) a capstone book to the whole storyline, called "Homeward Bound", which is set in the early 21st Century, around 2030 (I think) in which humans have successfully reached the alien home world.

I should note that I haven't read a full Turtledove book in a while (last one was the Colonization books...never did finish the Great War series), so I can't say anything about the books I cited above for good or ill, just pointing out that they exist.

[sachmo71]

The Years of Rice and Salt - I can't say enough good things about this book. Kim Stanley Robinson can write, sure, but this totally blew me away. An alternate-history book on a global scale, he uses the premise that instead of just killing lots of people, the Black Death mutated and basically wiped out European civilization completely. He then tracks the progress of the world's other great empires, primarily the Muslim and Chinese, in exploring, technical development, and war, but does so in an extremely unique manner, by breaking it into several stories, each with interesting character


Agreed.

I don't have a list...usually just one book at a time.

Anyway, right now I'm reading Penguin History of the World.

Oh, and I just read Sten by Chris Bunch from a friends recommendation. I would avoid this series if you are a fan of writing.

[Eaglesfan27]

Has anyone read all of the Wheel of Time Series by Robert Jordan, all volumes?

I've read all of them except for the most recent one. I was also disappointed with a few of them, but I liked 9. I'll eventually get around to reading the most recent one which has been sitting on my desk for months (that is my prime spot for a "to read" book.

[Token Asian Guy]

I've been on a Chuck Palahniuk fix lately, having revisited Fight Club, Choke, and his new book Haunted. I really don't think that there's a better author out there at making me squirm while at the same time amazing me with description. I know this because Tyler knows this...

[SackAttack]

I like his little paragraphs about Football in his books. I really think he could make an alternate universe for sports nuts.
I remember in American Front he had a paragraph regarding how the southern troops loved the smash mouth game while the northern troops loved the run and gun.

Yeah, until the CSA POWs discover the forward pass, then they start using that too (Sorry, SkyDog!).

[SackAttack]

With respect to Turtledove, he has moved into WWII in his alt-history USA/CSA line. The first book I think is titled "Settling Accounts" or something like that.

Yeah. Settling Accounts: Return Engagement. Looking at his official site, there are apparently four books in the "Settling Accounts" part of the story, but I haven't seen any of them, despite seeing an advertisement for Return Engagement at the end of Victorious Opposition.

Know if they're out yet?

[ISiddiqui]

Hey Isiddiqui, you need to put warnings before you post something like this. here i am reading a nice little book thread when all of a sudden someone references being two weeks out from the bar exam. I think my heart rate jumped just reading that sentence, oh, and, uh.... don't let the bar exam stress you out. I am sure you will do just fine. Good luck!
Wait, your heart jumped? I'm the one taking it ;).

Oh, and thanks.

[Wolfpack]

Yeah. Settling Accounts: Return Engagement. Looking at his official site, there are apparently four books in the "Settling Accounts" part of the story, but I haven't seen any of them, despite seeing an advertisement for Return Engagement at the end of Victorious Opposition.

Know if they're out yet?


Return Engagement has been out for a while now. I see it every so often at the bookstores I frequent. I've resisted looking at them too closely simply because I haven't moved in the timeline beyond "GW:AF", which still leaves "Walk in Hell" and "Breakthroughs" from WWI to read, then the "American Empire" series before I get to WWII.

[Raiders Army]

Just bought the Traveler by John Twelve Hawks, and it's a good one so far. Synopsis by Amazon:

Twelve Hawks's much anticipated novel is powerful, mainstream fiction built on a foundation of cutting-edge technology laced with fantasy and the chilling specter of an all-too-possible social and political reality. The time is roughly the present, and the U.S. is part of the Vast Machine, a society overseen by the Tabula, a secret organization bent on establishing a perfectly controlled populace. Allied against the Tabula are the Travelers and their sword-carrying protectors, the Harlequins. The Travelers, now almost extinct, can project their spirit into other worlds where they receive wisdom to bring back to earth—wisdom that threatens the Tabula's power. Maya, a reluctant Harlequin, finds herself compelled to protect two naïve Travelers, Michael and Gabriel Corrigan. Michael dabbles in shady real estate deals, while Gabriel prefers to live "off the Grid," eschewing any documentation—credit cards, bank accounts—that the Vast Machine could use to track him. Because the Tabula has engineered a way to use the Travelers for its own purposes, Maya must not only keep the brothers alive, but out of the hands of these evil puppet-masters. She succeeds, but she also fails, and therein lies the tale. By the end of this exciting volume, the first in a trilogy, the stage is set for a world-rending clash between good and evil.

On a side note, Hawks (the author) is supposed to live "off the Grid" as well, using Satellite Phones and untraceable email.

[Chas in Cinti]

I've been reading the American Empire saga from Harry Turtledove. From the looks of things, he's just getting up to World War II, although I'm uncertain if the first book in that cycle is out yet. I hope it comes out soon if it isn't out already.

While Turtledove's stuff is sort of historical "what-if" fiction, if anybody out there is into traditional historical fiction, I read Herman Wouk's "Winds of War" and "War and Remembrance" over the spring, and found them to be most excellent.

On sort of a different track, I got a kick out of Dean Koontz's "Odd Thomas," which is unusual because I don't usually care for his stuff.

And on the audiobook side of things, I'm currently listening to "The Green Mile," with George R.R. Martin's stuff to follow. I've not read the hard copies, but the series has come so highly recommended that I used some Audible credits on them. Hopefully they're as good as advertised, because they weigh in at around 45 hours each. (eep!)

I just met Harry Turtledove a couple of weeks ago. He confirmed there would be 2 more (for a total of 11) books in the world that started with "How Few Remain" and is currently in the American Empire series. I'd also recommend "The Two Georges" and "Ruled Brittania" by Turtledove.

Regards,
Chas

[Raiders Army]

The Traveler is supposed to be the next Di Vinci Code, FWIW.

[timmae]

Just finished...

Devil in the White City, Erik Larsen. Great non-fiction book. Helps that I am an architect in Chicago. Working for a firm with a similar structure to Burnham and Root, although on a much smaller scale. Hard to believe the words describe real life drama.

Just started...

Guns, germs and Steel, Jared Diamond. I've had the book for a few years and studying always took precedence to this "factual" book. Can't wait to read it and compare to a series premiering tonight on chicago public television, a 3 parter with Diamond narrating his travels. Should be good...

[Buccaneer]

Been active reading this summer. Finishing up "Unexplained Mysteries about WW2" just for fun. Next up is David McCullough's "1776" and then probably my most intense book I ever got for my Civil War library, "Bleeding Blue and Gray", about surgery, medicine and disease during that period. This fall, I'll finally get to Grant's "Memoirs" and then "After the Thunder" about post-Civil War America.

[sabotai]

I have been reading:

Dragons of Winter Night By Weis and Hickman. 2nd Book in the Dragonlance Chronicles series. So far I'd say it's better than the first one. I didn't like the first one all too much.

Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore. So far, it's decent. It's just nice to read a Star Wars book that is't the Empire trying to regain control (although Zahn's trilogy was quite awesome).

For the summer...

Finish those and continue on the series. Once I finish the first Chronicles trilogy, I'll probably read the Belgariad series or maybe How Few Remain and start that series. How Few Remain has been sitting on my bookshelf for awhile now. And I'd like to finally get started on writing my own fantasy novel.

And of course, plenty of programming reading.

[SackAttack]

I just met Harry Turtledove a couple of weeks ago. He confirmed there would be 2 more (for a total of 11) books in the world that started with "How Few Remain" and is currently in the American Empire series. I'd also recommend "The Two Georges" and "Ruled Brittania" by Turtledove.

Regards,
Chas

Did you tell him to stop repeating character motivations every 50 pages? That's the one thing about his books that bothers me, is that we'll see a reminder of a character's pet peeves every so often, like Sam Carsten: "He sighed, knowing he would burn to a crisp in that Amazon sun" followed 50 or so pages later with "he sighed ruefully, knowing that even in San Francisco, he'd soon be pink as a lobster" or something similarly stupid. I love the story and the setup, but I don't need to be reminded that Carsten is sunburn-prone or that Custer's adjutant is horrendously fat, or any such thing, within the same book.

[SackAttack]

Star Wars: New Jedi Order - Vector Prime by R.A. Salvatore.

I'm not sure if that's the one that came out my freshman year at Missouri, but I remember there was a SW novel by Salvatore that set SW fans into a serious tizzy.

[sabotai]

I'm not sure if that's the one that came out my freshman year at Missouri, but I remember there was a SW novel by Salvatore that set SW fans into a serious tizzy.
Yup, that's the one. I'll save the spoiler for anyone who hasn't read it...not much of a spoiler though since half of the reviewers mention it. What the Star Wars fanboys didn't/don't realize is that it wasn't Salvatore's decision to have it done.

[Loren]

Finished reading "The Bhagavad Gita" and now im onto something more challenging that includes lines like..."He realized she wore only a t-shirt she slept in" and "He went from aroused to as hard as granite in the space of seconds when she raised herself up and straddled him, pressing her hips against his"...etc, etc, ETC....

[SackAttack]

Yup, that's the one. I'll save the spoiler for anyone who hasn't read it...not much of a spoiler though since half of the reviewers mention it. What the Star Wars fanboys didn't/don't realize is that it wasn't Salvatore's decision to have it done.

You think that's bad? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch not only spoiled it in their review, but the spoiler was in the headline, on the front page of their "Calendar" section or whatever the hell their entertainment section was called.

[sabotai]

You think that's bad? The St. Louis Post-Dispatch not only spoiled it in their review, but the spoiler was in the headline, on the front page of their "Calendar" section or whatever the hell their entertainment section was called.
Wow...I wonder what the headline was for when they reviewed The Sixth Sense or Momento.

[moriarty]

Finished reading "The Bhagavad Gita" and now im onto something more challenging that includes lines like..."He realized she wore only a t-shirt she slept in" and "He went from aroused to as hard as granite in the space of seconds when she raised herself up and straddled him, pressing her hips against his"...etc, etc, ETC....

Could you read to me a little more .... please.

:p

[sachmo71]

Finished reading "The Bhagavad Gita" and now im onto something more challenging that includes lines like..."He realized she wore only a t-shirt she slept in" and "He went from aroused to as hard as granite in the space of seconds when she raised herself up and straddled him, pressing her hips against his"...etc, etc, ETC....


Best of Penthouse Forum?

[terpkristin]

In case any of y'all read ebooks, eReader.com (www.ereader.com) is doing a summer promotion where they're offering a free book every day during July. To be honest, some of these books look downright awful. But, if you're interested in them, or even remotely curious, what is better than free?!!

http://www.ereader.com/promo

/tk

[I. J. Reilly]

Guns, germs and Steel, Jared Diamond. I've had the book for a few years and studying always took precedence to this "factual" book. Can't wait to read it and compare to a series premiering tonight on chicago public television, a 3 parter with Diamond narrating his travels. Should be good...
Haven’t read this one, but Collapse was very good, as was the first episode of the series on PBS. Diamond refutes at least a few assertions he made in the TV show in Collapse, and this is somewhat true of the book as a whole. It’s refreshing to read someone who doesn’t write in reverse, drawing a conclusion and then searching for evidence to defend it.
When I was reading Collapse, I almost felt like Diamond was saying “this is what I think right now, but stay tuned, I might change my mind.”

[timmae]

very interesting thought when it comes to 'scholars'... willing to change their views as they journey. Similar to a musician growing as they proceed from one disk to another. Nice to see actually.. I'll have to check out that read next!

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Bump: has anyone read Charlie Wilson's War? Just wondering because I've heard rave reviews about it.

[moriarty]

Bump: has anyone read Charlie Wilson's War? Just wondering because I've heard rave reviews about it.

JPhillips liked it: Read HERE (http://dynamic.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?t=39266&highlight=Charlie+Wilson+War)

[kiwiLB57]

Just finished the latest R.A. Salvatore Drizzt book "The Two Swords". I just love Salvatore for his old school, down and dirty, "Classic" D&D approach to novels. Not what I would call "high-brow" like some of the books above, but just what I like to read over December / January when the sun is too crispy to go outside and it is too hot inside. I sit under a tree in the soft breeze on my parents lawn and read mindless fantasy.

But my dilemma is that I have nothing to read over summer as RAS probably wont be releasing the paperback version of "Promise of the Witch King" for another year or so.

Can anybody recommend an author that dabbles in classic D&D type stuff? I love Mystara / Forgotten Realms / Birthright type game settings as opposed to "newer" fantasy settings.

I have never read any Jordan / Eddings etc.