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Post by pacejunkie on Oct 2, 2008 7:18:39 GMT -5
 Where's that mind meld power when you need it? ;D And only 8-9 nappers out of 200? You wowed 'em. That's a decent ratio of wide awake listeners.
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Post by beatrixkiddoe on Oct 9, 2008 18:12:06 GMT -5
Yay! A book thread. ;D
I'm currently reading two books that couldn't be more different: Brideshead Revisited and the Supernatural tie-in novel Bone Key. I'm quite enjoying both of them.
I also just bought Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris, but I'm not going to read it until True Blood finishes it's first season.
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Post by pending on Oct 10, 2008 11:08:32 GMT -5
I've been meaning to read Brideshead forever! Well, all summer. I even ordered it from Powell's but it didn't arrive before I had to leave. So, winter break reading, I guess.
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Post by beatrixkiddoe on Oct 11, 2008 18:03:47 GMT -5
It took me ages to find a copy of Brideshead. It wasn't until the new movie came out that I managed to track it down.
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Post by pending on Oct 26, 2008 21:28:49 GMT -5
Just finished up an Agatha Christie mystery-- "The Pale Horse". Not half as cool as I thought it would be, but still pretty cool, and even when a Christie mystery sucks, you get to imagine it's because she was just cranking a few out before going on a world tour.
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Post by cko on Oct 29, 2008 23:26:03 GMT -5
I love any Agatha Christie except maybe the later years. Pending, for you I recommend Dorothy Sayers's Lord Peter Wimsey. In the earlier ones, he's a bit annoying, but the Harriet Vane arc is great (Strong Poison, Have His Carcase, and the absolute best, set at Oxford, Gaudy Night). I just finished a fantastic book, quick read, very fun and a bit chilling. Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff.  |
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Post by pacejunkie on Oct 30, 2008 7:02:29 GMT -5
That sounds good ck, I'm going to try and get it from my library. The amazon reviews said the ending was disappointing. How'd you like the ending (without giving it away of course)?
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Post by cko on Oct 31, 2008 0:50:27 GMT -5
I...may be the wrong person to ask. I'm one of those that reads a book faster and faster until by the end I'm practically skimming. It's a habit. Regardless, I didn't find the ending disappointing--or at least that spoiled the reading. It's possibly one of those storylines that would be hard to resolve in a way that doesn't somewhat disappoint. If you do read it, let me know what you think!
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Post by pacejunkie on Oct 31, 2008 7:12:41 GMT -5
I have it on request at the library, so it's up after I read the next two Dresden Files books.
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Post by pending on Nov 1, 2008 11:16:32 GMT -5
I'll check it out; and that bad monkeys thing in your signature looks pretty interesting too.
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Post by pacejunkie on Nov 20, 2008 13:15:01 GMT -5
cko!!!! I LOVE you right now for reccing Bad Monkeys!!! I just finished it (read it in two days) and OMG I was so sad that it was so short. FUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUNFUN!!!! What an amazing mind frakking twist of a sci-fi/fantasy story! Were you thinking the whole time you were reading which actors could play these parts in a movie and what an awesome movie this would make? (I think Katee Sackhoff would be an amazing Jane) Perfect movie plot with twists upon twists upon twists that I kept trying to guess.
Any other recs for me along these lines and I'd be happy to have them. You've got great taste in books.
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Post by cko on Nov 20, 2008 13:29:05 GMT -5
Pace, hooray! This made my day. So glad you enjoyed it. I was more picturing the movie scenes rather than characters, but now you mention it I'm thinking Christina Ricci. Though of course I'd watch Katee in anything. By the way, the town where she went to stay with her aunt/uncle? Was very near the town I grew up in. I've actually never read anything else quite like it, but I'm still pushing Zodiac by Neal Stephenson (see way above) and I've just re-read his Snow Crash, which is about a hacker/sword fighter/pizza delivery dude named Hiro Protagonist who gets embroiled in a conspiracy with his partner, a skateboarding courier chick named Y. T. "But wait. 'Snow Crash'? Is it a virus, a drug, or a religion?" Juanita shrugged. "What's the difference?" Oh, and Matt Ruff is at Livejournal. Today he wrote on a NY Times article about whether scientists would go all Jurassic Park to bring back the woolly mammoth.
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Post by pacejunkie on Nov 20, 2008 14:14:39 GMT -5
Oh Christina Ricci would definitely be good! Her younger, more artsy self though not the glamour Trixie girl she's become.
So is the town like the book describes it (without the serial killer of course)?
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Post by pending on Nov 20, 2008 18:29:47 GMT -5
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Post by cko on Nov 20, 2008 22:01:56 GMT -5
Yeah, Neal Stephenson. Short article but I just spent the last hour reading through the comments. I know, I know what you've said about AV Club posters but I couldn't resist. It was hilarious.
I stopped cold at Cryptonomicon. That book was as big as a house, and even though I had it on an ebook I just couldn't get through it.
And pace, yes. Hot, dusty, fruit trees and beat up pickup trucks. But it was becoming a suburb and now is a major bedroom community...or at least was before the foreclosure crisis. Serial killers? I'm sure there have been. But also Scott Petersen, Gary Condit? And James Marsters came from my town, too.
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Post by pacejunkie on Nov 21, 2008 7:27:33 GMT -5
Now that's prestige. Cool! I was freaked when I found out he wasn't really a Brit.
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Post by bec on Nov 22, 2008 14:19:34 GMT -5
I didn't even know the Dresden Files was a book until reading this thread. I caught a bit of the TV show once. Maybe I'll try the books if I can find them, the TV show couldn't reel me in because the actors kind of bug me, but the story seems interesting.
Finally read all of Good Omens. I'm not really sure I completely like it. I mean, it's amusing in parts and made me chuckle a few times, but it seemed awfully easy to put down, and a lot of it dragged. The only characters I cared about were the Angel, the Demon, and maybe the Witch, but there are a lot of long parts without any of them in it. I found all the little kids really annoying.
Loved the ideas about how interchangeable good and evil can be, like the bit about how they both take credit for a bunch of stuff. But there are also a lot in there that kind of made me want to roll my eyes at the blatant wink-wink-nudge-nudge-aren't-we-clever-ness of it. Like most of the "four horsepersons of the apocalypse" stuff.
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Post by pacejunkie on Nov 22, 2008 20:56:35 GMT -5
Oh, please don't judge the series on the TV show. The show is a weak shadow of the book series, which has a much richer world, many more characters and an ongoing mythology. The first book, Storm Front, is a good introduction but not the strongest story. Try that and the next one, Fool Moon to see if you're hooked. There are ten books out right now and a graphic novel. The next book comes out in the spring. It's very addictive.
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Post by cko on Nov 22, 2008 21:44:11 GMT -5
Ah, bec, so far I agree on Good Omens! I love parts of it but I keep putting it down and forgetting to go back to it. Love how you describe the wink-nudge element. I find a lot of English fantasy/genre stuff is like that. I enjoy a lot of it (Douglas Adams, Neil Gaiman) but there's an element of silliness that can get a tad tiresome.
Pace, you're coming up on 666 yourself!
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Post by pacejunkie on Nov 22, 2008 22:12:46 GMT -5
Aaaaand here I am! Evil, they name is pacejunkie!! ;D
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Post by cko on Nov 23, 2008 4:57:56 GMT -5
Pace, congratulations!  It's a meat cake janinedog at LJ made for her dogs. They look a bit like hellhounds while they're waiting for her to finish it. 
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Post by pacejunkie on Nov 23, 2008 11:28:11 GMT -5
Nice! And a bit scary. Perfect. ;D
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Post by bec on Nov 23, 2008 14:50:02 GMT -5
Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to find the books a lot better than the TV show. Ooh, and I see the local library's online catalog has Storm Front listed. Think I'll give that a try next. I was going to go for Stardust next, but after Good Omens maybe I need a break from Neil Gaiman. Mix it up a bit.
Aww... doggies always get that glowing eye look on from camera flashes. Oh... who's an adorable hellhound? Who's a cutesie wusie widdle hellhound? Okay, I'll stop.
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Post by cko on Dec 2, 2008 14:44:48 GMT -5
Pace! I just got your cousin's book (yeah it was one of those normal-people sellers and I didn't carefully read the part about "will arrive by"). I can't read it thoroughly because I'm giving it to one of my sisters as a Christmas gift.
It's perfect for next year's trivia. And, we had such a success with this year's fundraiser, thanks in part to Stinger's excellent questions; we had around 250 players and raised about $8,000. The Reaper question got vetoed by our Questions Team, though. Sigh. Maybe next year, when the show is a huge hit.
Currently reading: a stack of books about marijuana, prepping in advance (for once) for a series of lectures for my drug class. Physiological, social, historical, political. I'll report back if anything really unusual.
It's putting me in a weird mood. Plus, now my "Recommendations for You!" page at Amazon is gonna be very suspect.
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Post by pacejunkie on Dec 2, 2008 17:48:34 GMT -5
Oh that's cool. I'm sure he appreciates the sale. Hope she likes it. I forgot, but he lives in San Rafael, he might be near you. He hosts Trivia parties in the SF area.
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Post by cko on Dec 2, 2008 20:14:45 GMT -5
It is near me! And I'd love to go to Trivia Parties! I'll crack open the book and see if he mentions that. What a coincidence!
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Post by pacejunkie on Dec 2, 2008 22:29:18 GMT -5
It is near me! And I'd love to go to Trivia Parties! I'll crack open the book and see if he mentions that. What a coincidence! Oh Duh! I forgot to tell you he has a web site You can find all the info you need there. If you speak to him mention my name and tell him you're a friend of mine. Upcoming events page |
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Post by cko on Dec 5, 2008 1:55:36 GMT -5
Hey, pace, Howard says "Hi!" I emailed him about his events and he sent me back the info. I'm going to check it out sometime! It might become my new "thing." He seems very nice and friendly. San Rafael is a bit of a drive, but maybe 45 minutes away, so very do-able. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Post by pacejunkie on Dec 5, 2008 7:28:14 GMT -5
Hey, pace, Howard says "Hi!" I emailed him about his events and he sent me back the info. I'm going to check it out sometime! It might become my new "thing." He seems very nice and friendly. San Rafael is a bit of a drive, but maybe 45 minutes away, so very do-able. Thanks for the recommendation! Oh that's so cool, you and my cuz are going to become mates. ;D He is a great guy, His father was my grandmother's brother. I loved their whole family, very nice and funny. Was he surprised to hear you knew me? (I guess it's hard to tell surprise from an e-mail). We don't keep in touch that regularly but he was always a favourite relative. |
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Post by cko on Dec 5, 2008 19:58:14 GMT -5
He did "sound" a touch surprised. "What a small world! Tell [pace] hi for me!" then a lot of enthusiastic detail about his events, which actually sound quite a bit like the one we do! He asked about that, and HEY this gives me an idea. This other trivia charity event we know of has been ailing due to lack of planners. I wonder if he would contract out to help? I shall have to inquire further.
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