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bravedave wrote:The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Wow

I really liked that one, and yet never picked up the second.

The library had a book sale a few weeks ago, and so for $15 I picked up a buttload of used books. Just finished "The Dark Half" by Stephen King. I liked it, and I liked the fact that you could see him exploring some of the same themes that show up in other works. Next on the list is "The Plot Against America", Phillip Roth's exploration of what would have happened if Charles Lindbergh, a known isolationist when it came to international politics, had been elected president in 1940.

BLOOD, BONES AND BUTTER.

Bourdain says it's much better than his book and you know how arrogant Bourdain can be.

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Bones-Butte ... 140006872X

Here's my review of A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES. It really is a great deal of fun.

http://www.myssnews.com/mysslife/review ... oh-my.html

bravedave wrote:

Staredge wrote:

bravedave wrote:Currently reading Door Into Summer (classic Heinlein, but dated) while I'm waiting on a copy of Starship Troopers, same author.

I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE both of these. Door might very well have been the first Heinlein I read.....certainly not the last. Troopers is just awesome. I've read it over & over.......even use a few lines out of it on a regular basis. I think it would make a FANTASTIC movie!!!!!!!

So did Paul Verhoeven. I never saw it but I didn't get a good impression of it at the time (1997).

As I said.........I think it WOULD make a fantastic movie.

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson... (book six in his Malazan series.. )
Book has over 1200 pages

Has anyone heard/read THE INFORMATIONIST?

Stunning debut (IMHO) by a Dallas-based author who has quite a backstory herself.

http://www.amazon.com/Informationist-Th ... 513&sr=1-1

MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

OOO! I'll put that on the list. Right now, I'm reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire. Same guy who wrote Wicked. Only about 1/4 way through it. Jury's out re: an opinion so far.

phjrsaunt wrote:

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

OOO! I'll put that on the list. Right now, I'm reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire. Same guy who wrote Wicked. Only about 1/4 way through it. Jury's out re: an opinion so far.

Have you read Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire? It was a nice follow-up to Wicked.

At the moment I'm reading Bossypants. I love Tina Fey with all that I am.

maid memories wrote:

phjrsaunt wrote:

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

OOO! I'll put that on the list. Right now, I'm reading Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire. Same guy who wrote Wicked. Only about 1/4 way through it. Jury's out re: an opinion so far.

Have you read Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire? It was a nice follow-up to Wicked.

At the moment I'm reading Bossypants. I love Tina Fey with all that I am.

I've heard about that (Son of a Witch, that is) so thanks for reminding me. It's on the list now too!

popcornjack wrote:

bravedave wrote:The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Wow

I really liked that one, and yet never picked up the second.

The library had a book sale a few weeks ago, and so for $15 I picked up a buttload of used books. Just finished "The Dark Half" by Stephen King. I liked it, and I liked the fact that you could see him exploring some of the same themes that show up in other works. Next on the list is "The Plot Against America", Phillip Roth's exploration of what would have happened if Charles Lindbergh, a known isolationist when it came to international politics, had been elected president in 1940.

I'm now about half-way through #2, The Girl Who Played With Fire.
I'm not as mesmerized, but the author just introduced a lot of new characters.
I'll keep reading and reserve judgment.

drunkpirate66 wrote:

Tequila Revenge wrote:

Curious to hear your thoughts as you go. I feel that he took a huge risk having a character like Patty setting the plot in motion with her actions detailed in her journal. She is not a strong character (thanks Jack) but without her there is no story. I agree that the plot holds together nicely which must have been a massive challenge considering the subject matter, interpersonal dynamics, and social issues presented

Is Patty not a strong character or not a strong person? Does her personal make up lack because her poor parental relationships during her childhood and Franzen translates that into what some consider, "not a strong character?" Do you think Franzen took out the broad brush and painted Patty as the good girl looking for the bad boy relationship?[/quote]


Some here think that she is not a well - developed character . . . or not as well developed as the male characters in the book. My argument to this is Franzen lets you know just enough about her to develop insight towards why the male characters are so effected by her and her actions. The "bro's before ho's" mentality certainly does not exist in Franzen's Freedom. In that regard, Patty has depth and strength. She might be morally bankrupt . . . but without her actions there is little plot.[/quote]



TR's response: I gotta learn how do do the block/shading thingy

I finished Freedom a couple weeks ago and have been mulling over my thoughts ever since. I keep coming back to, "I dunno..."

"Morally bankrupt," may be a bit strong for Patty, but she is certainly a broken person and maybe the root cause of the reasons break through when she's at her parents house caring for her Dad. (Trying to write without giving anything away) Is she a well developed character or does she find herself lacking character? It's like the old saying about spending 25 years climbing the ladder of life (sometimes the corporate ladder) and find the ladder's leaning against the wrong building when you get to the top. She gets a second chance.

I researched more about the book when I finished to find out about Franzen's frame of mind and I found out about the issues of anger, depression, suicide of a dear friend along with the everyday BS we get to encounter, that he was dealing with when he wrote the book. Here's the link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =129799680

I enjoyed the book and stayed up really late reading. (once I was able to get through the two hundred pages of stuff to get to the end) My first thought was,"Wow." And my second thought was Ed Abbey didn't get the credit he deserves for his novel, "The Fool's Progress."

Battle Ready by Tom Clancy with Tony Zinni and Tony Koltz

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

Makes me laugh just thinking about it. I never read the book, but so much of that was in Julie & Julia, which I have watched about 10 times. Too funny!!! I understand the book is much more risque than the movie...

conched wrote:

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

Makes me laugh just thinking about it. I never read the book, but so much of that was in Julie & Julia, which I have watched about 10 times. Too funny!!! I understand the book is much more risque than the movie...

OOOO!!! RISQUE!!! I'm on it!!!

phjrsaunt wrote:

conched wrote:

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

Makes me laugh just thinking about it. I never read the book, but so much of that was in Julie & Julia, which I have watched about 10 times. Too funny!!! I understand the book is much more risque than the movie...

OOOO!!! RISQUE!!! I'm on it!!!

They were very much in love ... a true partnership in every sense of the word.

East Texas Parrothead wrote:

phjrsaunt wrote:

conched wrote:

East Texas Parrothead wrote:MY LIFE IN FRANCE by Julia Child.

Charming. Utterly charming.

Makes me laugh just thinking about it. I never read the book, but so much of that was in Julie & Julia, which I have watched about 10 times. Too funny!!! I understand the book is much more risque than the movie...

OOOO!!! RISQUE!!! I'm on it!!!

They were very much in love ... a true partnership in every sense of the word.

I'm going to pick it up from the library this week so I'll have something good to read while I'm flying to nephew's wedding in Florida next weekend.

(Boy, will my arms be tired!)

phjrsaunt wrote: They were very much in love ... a true partnership in every sense of the word.
I'm going to pick it up from the library this week so I'll have something good to read while I'm flying to nephew's wedding in Florida next weekend.

(Boy, will my arms be tired!)

Ba-da-BING!

LUCKY YOU-Carl Hiassen