Books

[Insult to Rocks]

Since we so often are criticizing a multitude of badly written holy books, I thought it might be nice to give some attention to some-non holy ones, regardless of their quality. So, post your book related stuff here.

I'm currently reading Hitchens' "Arguably", but I've got to thinking about Orson Scott Card. What do you guys think of him? I'm conflicted. On one hand, Enders Game was good, with Enders Shadow being even better, but "Pastwatch" was quite possibly one of the worst books I've ever read, and his short stories are filled with ridiculous Mormon nonsense. Anyone want to chime in?

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Sounds duller'n shit.. Nothing personal,  but I'm to drunk to really care at this point in time.  =D>

[GrinningYMIR]

The books I have hated the most in my reading career

Catcher in the Rye
Scarlet Letter

and lastly, the one chapter I read of fifty shades of grey.

I have enjoyed plenty of books, Wot, the incarnations of immortality, and a few of the wow books.

I'm pretty diverse

[aitm]

I don't have any books that I think are stupid because after a couple pages I realize THEY ARE FUCKING STUPID AND I DON'T READ THEM ANYMORE!

But otherwise some of my favs are , "The Great Thoughts" "Little, Brown Book of Anecdoes" "Timetables of History", The Handmaides Tale", any of Jack Londons stuff (sorry as a young boy I loved his work and it stuck.....sue me) Boorstein any of it. The early works of Katchatorian and Lunde, and Margaret Meade.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Jack London was great.. nothing to be ashamed of there.  8-)

[mykcob4]

The books I have hated the most in my reading career

Catcher in the Rye
Scarlet Letter

and lastly, the one chapter I read of fifty shades of grey.

I have enjoyed plenty of books, Wot, the incarnations of immortality, and a few of the wow books.

I'm pretty diverse

'The Catcher In The Rye' is the single best book I have ever read.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Myk..did ya hear rubes got all butthurt over the super bowl cheerios commercial?  

[Shiranu]

Hesse's Siddhartha is my all time favourite book I think.

[GrinningYMIR]

The books I have hated the most in my reading career

Catcher in the Rye
Scarlet Letter

and lastly, the one chapter I read of fifty shades of grey.

I have enjoyed plenty of books, Wot, the incarnations of immortality, and a few of the wow books.

I'm pretty diverse

'The Catcher In The Rye' is the single best book I have ever read.

We don't agree on jack shit do we?

[Jmpty]

I don't have any books that I think are stupid because after a couple pages I realize THEY ARE FUCKING STUPID AND I DON'T READ THEM ANYMORE!

But otherwise some of my favs are , "The Great Thoughts" "Little, Brown Book of Anecdoes" "Timetables of History", The Handmaides Tale", any of Jack Londons stuff (sorry as a young boy I loved his work and it stuck.....sue me) Boorstein any of it. The early works of Katchatorian and Lunde, and Margaret Meade.

Don't apologize for Jack London. "Martin Eden" is one of the best books ever written.

[GalacticBusDriver]

Since we so often are criticizing a multitude of badly written holy books, I thought it might be nice to give some attention to some-non holy ones, regardless of their quality. So, post your book related stuff here.

I'm currently reading Hitchens' "Arguably", but I've got to thinking about Orson Scott Card. What do you guys think of him? I'm conflicted. On one hand, Enders Game was good, with Enders Shadow being even better, but "Pastwatch" was quite possibly one of the worst books I've ever read, and his short stories are filled with ridiculous Mormon nonsense. Anyone want to chime in?

Orson Scott Card is very hit and miss. Ender's game is one of the best sci-fi stories ever written. The Ender sequels, "Speaker for the Dead," "Xenocide" and "Children of the Mind" get progressively stranger ending in downright fucking weird. The "Ender's Shadow" sequels are pretty good though. Haven't read "Pastwatch" yet, but the "Empire" series (near future political thrillers) are pretty good. He has written some serious atrocities though.

I can't recommend "Brandon Sanderson" enough, even though he's another Mormon. His world building, especially in "Elantris" and the "Mistborn" trilogy, is amazing and while his character building can be a little weak he's such a great story teller that you get captured by the tale anyway. He's just started a new series about "Epics" (think superheros, without the hero part), "Steelheart" being the first, that looks like it may surpass everything he's written so far. I've forgiven him for getting involved in the atrocity that is the "Wheel of Time" though I'll never read those titles by him. I can't muscle through the gag reflex long enough to get through the other tripe in that series. I'm sure Sanderson did the best he could with that worn out, horribly derivative premise but... Ugh!

I don't have any books that I think are stupid because after a couple pages I realize THEY ARE FUCKING STUPID AND I DON'T READ THEM ANYMORE!

But otherwise some of my favs are , "The Great Thoughts" "Little, Brown Book of Anecdoes" "Timetables of History", The Handmaides Tale", any of Jack Londons stuff (sorry as a young boy I loved his work and it stuck.....sue me) Boorstein any of it. The early works of Katchatorian and Lunde, and Margaret Meade.

Don't apologize for Jack London. "Martin Eden" is one of the best books ever written.

No shit! I never read any of Jack London's books until post 40. He was a great writer who told great stories. Rare combination there.

[Insult to Rocks]

I know this technically doesn't count as books, but I have to say it somewhere, as it's driving me insane.
I. HATE. Shakespeare. I don't like his stories, for a number of reasons, but I realize that they were written over 500 years ago, so normally I wouldn't be so angry. The problem is that he is still held up as one of the best writers of all time, and snobs everywhere like to dismiss far more promising stories in favor of trash like Romeo and Juliet. It absolutely infuriates me to no end, and what's even worse is that far better writers of that period, such as Oscar Wilde, are nowhere near as well known or liked.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

I love reading Charles Dickens. I've been sorta reading Great Expectations again.  It's been quite a few years since the last time. If it weren't for the Internet and fucking tv I'd be done with it by now.  #-o

You folks complaining about reading...STOP! Be glad being able to read is still legal.  [-X

[GrinningYMIR]

I know this technically doesn't count as books, but I have to say it somewhere, as it's driving me insane.
I. HATE. Shakespeare. I don't like his stories, for a number of reasons, but I realize that they were written over 500 years ago, so normally I wouldn't be so angry. The problem is that he is still held up as one of the best writers of all time, and snobs everywhere like to dismiss far more promising stories in favor of trash like Romeo and Juliet. It absolutely infuriates me to no end, and what's even worse is that far better writers of that period, such as Oscar Wilde, are nowhere near as well known or liked.

I like some Shakespeare, and wildes satire made me legitimately laugh, but traditionalists don't like to see new things, and the man was a great writer

I feel your pain

[_Xenu_]

...any of Jack Londons stuff (sorry as a young boy I loved his work and it stuck.....sue me) ...

*Heartbroken.

Jack London is one of the greatest writer of all times and he is also a philosopher as I see it.

Does that mean people generally think he is not worthy to read in US? Go figure. Do they know what The Iron Heel is telling about?

I have fond memories of The Call of the Wild.