# Book Recommendations



## Chucktown PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I couldn't find a forum for books not related to engineering so I thought I'd start one. If there is one already I'll delete this one.

I read The Road this weekend. Truly one of the most disturbing things I've ever read. I can't get the images of it out of my head. Has anyone read this or any other Cormac McCarthy books? I think I'm going to read the Border Trilogy next.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 30, 2012)

No Country for Old Men was really good.

You have to wonder why Cormac hates quotation marks so much.


----------



## goodal (Apr 30, 2012)

I've not read either but watched them both. Both good movies. Its been a while since I've read anything worth recommending. My wife got several 1990's era spy/military novels several months back that I've been going through. Its funny how everyone of them are intently focused on defeating the USSR. the ones printed around '93 sound confused like, they dont know who to hate.


----------



## Chucktown PE (Apr 30, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> No Country for Old Men was really good.
> 
> You have to wonder why Cormac hates quotation marks so much.


I agree. It gets confusing and I found myself constantly going back trying to figure out who was saying "okay".


----------



## envirotex (Apr 30, 2012)

All the Pretty Horses is one of my favorite books...John Grady is very compelling.

I am about to start reading The CIder House Rules. I haven't ever read any John Irving.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 30, 2012)

If you like dark, really dark humor, John Irving is da bomb. He also has a thing for bears.

The Hotel New Hampshire is my favorite (and arguably the darkest), but The World According to Garp is a close second.

Be advised i read Garp thirty years ago, and New hampshire over 25 years ago.


----------



## CbusPaul (Apr 30, 2012)

I've been a big fan of Harlan Coben books lately, real easy, fun, mindless reads.


----------



## Chucktown PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm really into the apocalyptic stuff. I don't know why, but I've always found those books very interesting.

Usually I read non-fiction, I'm reading a biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer right now. It's been sort of slow starting out.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm finally getting around to reading Atlas Shrugged. Steven King's latest Dark Tower novel is next in line.


----------



## Chucktown PE (Apr 30, 2012)

Flyer_PE said:


> I'm finally getting around to reading Atlas Shrugged. Steven King's latest Dark Tower novel is next in line.


I liked Atlas Shrugged, but I thought Rand was a bit long winded in some of it. Although I'm not sure what she could have left out and driven the point home like she did.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 30, 2012)

Chucktown PE said:


> I'm really into the apocalyptic stuff. I don't know why, but I've always found those books very interesting.


You might want to have a look at The Rift, Swan Song, One Second After, Lucifer's Hammer, Footfall, A Canticle for Liebowitz, The Roadbuidlers, and Battlefield Earth.



Chucktown PE said:


> I liked Atlas Shrugged, but I thought Rand was a bit long winded in some of it. Although I'm not sure what she could have left out and driven the point home like she did.


A BIT long winded in SOME of it? She's horrible. I've started Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead numerous times, but given up in sheer frustration. It is like a grade schooler trying to meet a word limit.

" Atlanta is the capital of GA, the state in the south that has Atlanta as the capital, and is to GA, what Columbia is to SC, that is, the capital of the state."


----------



## Flyer_PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I'm not a big L. Ron Hubbard fan but I liked Battlefield Earth. I never bothered to watch the movie. There is absolutely no way to put that book into a single movie without it being unintelligible goop. From what I remember of the reviews, that's pretty much what Travolta achieved.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 30, 2012)

The funny thing about Battlefield Earth is that Elron put in a lot of jokes that sailed past me the first time. Like the Selachees, a race of sharks that were all lawyers.

I watched Battlefield Earth, and if you approached it as a comedy, it was pretty amusing. travolta was so far over the top that is was hilarious. of course, Terl was sort of an over the top character.


----------



## blybrook PE (Apr 30, 2012)

Flyer, if you enjoy Stephen King, you'll enjoy the Dark Tower. Was well worth the wait to have all of the books out before starting them. I read that entire series last year February / March. It was very hard to put down and the ending is a typical King ending.

Currently I'm reading Tom Clancy's Op Center series. I just started on #8 - Line of Control.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I wasn't a big fan of the Dark Tower or any of King's Gunslinger books, but I don't generally like fantasy. Blane the mono was pretty cool, though.

Hearts in Atlantis was probably the best book he ever put out.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I really liked the Dark Tower series. I think I read the first one in 1988 and have read most of them twice. My favorite of them is Wizard and Glass. The latest title is The Wind Through the Keyhole. It was just released last week.

Have to agree that Hearts in Atlantis was good. My personal favorite Steven King book is The Stand.


----------



## engineergurl (Apr 30, 2012)

you know the Dark Tower series is actually integrated into several of his other books...


----------



## blybrook PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I liked the Stand as well. It was tied nicely into the Dark Tower Series.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 30, 2012)

I like Dean Koontz. He writes a very believeable horror/sci-fi. Nothing over-the-top like aliens or zombies, but still scary.

So far I've read: Fear Nothing, False Memory, Funhouse, Icebound, and a few others. I have a few more, but they manged to get boxed up during one of my moves and haven't made their way back out to the bookshelf yet.


----------



## blybrook PE (Apr 30, 2012)

There was an article several years ago about Stephen King and Dean Koontz. IIRC, King will read Koontz to get spooked! I've read a couple of Koontz work's, but it's been several years. May have to get another one after I finish with the Clancy series.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Apr 30, 2012)

False Memory was a freaky one. It was about a hypno-therapy patient and her doctor...


----------



## Flyer_PE (Apr 30, 2012)

I've read a lot of Dean Koontz. He's usually pretty good for an entertaining story. There are a few series that I like:

Fear Nothing &amp; Seize the Night

The Frankenstein Series

The Odd Thomas Series


----------



## engineergurl (Apr 30, 2012)

I was into Koontz right after I got out of my King phase... John Jakes is my most recent fav, in the last three years, I've read the Kent Family set three times and the North and South trilogy probably about 6 times, along with a bunch of his other ones. Very good author if you are into historical fiction that is pretty much based on fact...


----------



## Flyer_PE (Apr 30, 2012)

^W.E.B. Griffin was pretty good at writing historical fiction too. I think his son has taken over writing in the last few years. He ain't the writer his old man was.


----------



## EM_PS (Apr 30, 2012)

A ways off from King, Koontz, Rand et al - the Game of Thrones series by Martin, I found really enjoyable.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 1, 2012)

I still read Koontz out of loyalty (like I do Clive Cussler), but his best stuff was in the late eighties, early nineties. Watchers, Lightning, Strangers, Whispers, and Phantoms, were among my favorites. Intensity was probably the last one that I REALLY liked, althiugh I do enjoy all his later stuff. just not as much.

Robert McCammon wrote some great books, Wolf's Hour, Stinger, Swan Song, Usher's Passing, and They Thirst were really great, but Boy's Life was an out of the park home run.


----------



## Flyer_PE (May 1, 2012)

One of the other authors that I read quite a bit is James Patterson, at least the Alex Cross series. I'll grab one of his other books on occasion but I don't bother trying to read them all.


----------



## engineergurl (May 1, 2012)

Last summer, I wanted some mindless reading, so I read the entire Stephanie Plum series... she eats a lot of tastycakes


----------



## Road Guy (May 1, 2012)

I read Duma Key from Stephen king last year, typical Stephen king book, very good until the last 3 pages..

Basically a former mega contractor who lost his arm in a construction accident moves to Florida, buys a beach house, hooks up with another retired Florida person, then some creepy stuff goes down....

Worth reading if you like stpehen king, I think it's one of his few books that don't originate in the north / Maine area..


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 2, 2012)

Lee Child's Jack Reacher series is pretty good. I'm currently reading The Affair.


----------



## willsee (May 15, 2012)

I'm not a big reader but I made a resolution to try and read a book a month, so far so good.

I finished The Strain by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It's a vampire book about a takeover of New York (actually it's part one of a three part series). I'm going to the library to get the 2nd part today.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 16, 2012)

I also became a fan of Clive Cussler especially when I'm trapped over here in the third world because most of them are series with several books each so I can load up my Kindle and have plenty to read for a while.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 16, 2012)

Clive's last good book was Cyclops until The Chase and The Wrecker came along. With the Spy, he and his ghost writers returned to suckdom.


----------



## snickerd3 (May 16, 2012)

The last few books i've read have been by Orson Scott card. Pathfinder...first book in a new series he is writing. They are mr snicks books but he hasn't gotten around to reading them yet...since they were laying around I read them.

Before those, the kingkiller chronicles, Name of the wind and the wise man's fear by patrick rothfuss. 3 rd book of the series is not out yet.

will likely read hunger games when I can get the books from my sister.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 16, 2012)

I'm just about to wrap up Harry Reid's autobiography. Pretty decent reading, and it is interesting reading his views in 2008 compared to his views now.


----------



## jeb6294 (May 17, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Clive's last good book was Cyclops until The Chase and The Wrecker came along. With the Spy, he and his ghost writers returned to suckdom.


Hey, I'm living in a metal box in the middle of nowhere with limited TV at best...I'm not going to be picky.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 17, 2012)

jeb6294 said:


> Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > Clive's last good book was Cyclops until The Chase and The Wrecker came along. With the Spy, he and his ghost writers returned to suckdom.
> ...


You read and of Lee Child's Jack Reacher series? There's around fifteen of them now. That oughta keep you busy and they are pretty dang good reads.

Micheal Connelly's Harry Bosch series is really good as well.

Jack Du Brul (he writes for Cussler now) has a great Philip Mercer series which is far, far better than the stuff he writes for Clive.

Craig Dirgo's (another Clive writer) had a book called The Einstein Papers that was really good.


----------



## Dleg (May 20, 2012)

Chucktown PE said:


> I couldn't find a forum for books not related to engineering so I thought I'd start one. If there is one already I'll delete this one.
> 
> I read The Road this weekend. Truly one of the most disturbing things I've ever read. I can't get the images of it out of my head. Has anyone read this or any other Cormac McCarthy books? I think I'm going to read the Border Trilogy next.


I read a number of his earlier books. I only saw _The Road_ on DVD - and it affected me badly - I still can't forget it, nor do I ever want to see it again (or even read it). You should read _Blood Meridian_, it's probably the closest thing of his to _The Road_, except set in the old west. Horrifically violent, but at the same time you get a sense of a bigger picture he is trying to paint. Very good book!

I've recently been reading a lot of non-fiction, primarily because my boss hands me books and tells me he wants me to read them, and then discuss them with him later. Tough to say no to that. Most recently he gave me two books - Einstein's Theory of Relativity (the original translation by Einstein himself), and _A Universe From Nothing_ by Lawrence Krauss.

Einstein's book is not nearly as difficult as you might think, and it makes reading anything on modern physics a lot more understandable, as everyone always goes back to relativity and some of the finer points that Einstein makes in his explanation. _A Universe From Nothing_ was just published a couple months ago and is supposedly a summary of where modern physics and cosmology is today, especially with regards to explaining the origin of the universe and how "something can come from nothing". While the science is fascinating, unfortunately the author seems to have a bone to pick with religion, and undermines the inherent strength of his scientific content with really out of place jabs at religion and people who don't agree with his "radical athiest" point of view. It's kind of like reading a blog sometimes. He would have done far better just reporting on the advances in science and leaving out his personal opinions. After I finished the book, I checked out the New York Times review and found out that there is quite a controversy about his book among scientists and philosophers, and I was very happy to see that there were many scientists who feel the same way about his book and his views - as in, physics has absolutely not answered the question of why there is something rather than nothing.


----------



## Chucktown PE (May 23, 2012)

Dleg said:


> Chucktown PE said:
> 
> 
> > I couldn't find a forum for books not related to engineering so I thought I'd start one. If there is one already I'll delete this one.
> ...


Thanks for the recommendation on Blood Meridian. I'll definitely read that one at the beach or on the plane in the next couple of weeks. Not related to books, but related to modern physics, I've really enjoyed "Through the Wormhole" narrated by Morgan Freeman on the Science channel. There are some crazy topics and I just have the show set to record on my DVR so I can watch them when I get time.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (May 24, 2012)

"Physics for Future Presidents" is a fantastic book for explaining nuclear energy, biowarfare, etc to the layman. I recommend it to anyone.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 5, 2012)

Just finished the first book of the series: 50 Shades of Grey.

Not sure if I liked it, but it was definitely entertaining enough for me to sit down and read cover-to-cover in 2 days. Been a while since I've blown through a book that quickly that wasn't authored by Dr Seuss...

I will have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I could turn off the TV and not mindlessly channel surf for a couple days...


----------



## Master slacker (Jun 5, 2012)

I wish I could read that fast.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 5, 2012)

It wasn't a difficult book, plus I was able to sit down and read for 6+ hours each day. I'm not a fast reader either, I just happen to have time to do it with this book.


----------



## snickerd3 (Jun 5, 2012)

Just finished a Stephen coonts book, The disciple. Never read him before, but it was only $1.50 so i figured why not. Yeah I have determined I'm not military spy novel sort of person. It was a decent read, but I don't think I would read another of his books.


----------



## snickerd3 (Jun 5, 2012)

Master slacker said:


> I wish I could read that fast.


If given the opportunity I plow through books. 2-3 days max because I can't put them down...unless it is a book I just can't can't get into...like girl witht he dragon tatoo...took me forever to read. I put it down for several weeks before I started up again.


----------



## willsee (Jun 5, 2012)

I'm almost done with The Strain trilogy. I can't remember the last time I read one book that fast, let alone three books in a month. Really enjoyed it.


----------



## envirotex (Jun 5, 2012)

Dexman PE said:


> Just finished the first book of the series: 50 Shades of Grey.
> 
> Not sure if I liked it, but it was definitely entertaining enough for me to sit down and read cover-to-cover in 2 days. Been a while since I've blown through a book that quickly that wasn't authored by Dr Seuss...
> 
> I will have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that I could turn off the TV and not mindlessly channel surf for a couple days...


did your wife read it too?


----------



## envirotex (Jun 5, 2012)

engineergurl said:


> Last summer, I wanted some mindless reading, so I read the entire Stephanie Plum series... she eats a lot of tastycakes


That's what I need. Not the tastycakes, more mindless reading. I've read about 10 books so far this summer and I can't get geared up for anything with some depth, and everytime I turn on the tv lately, if it's not King of the Hill, I have to turn it off. Some really bad programming out there...


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 5, 2012)

envirotex said:


> Dexman PE said:
> 
> 
> > Just finished the first book of the series: 50 Shades of Grey.
> ...


She read it before me. She's about 1/2 way through the 2nd book and from what she's told me so far, I have no interest in reading any further.

The only reason she's reading the series is because the neighborhood is currently passing around the series.


----------



## engineergurl (Jun 5, 2012)

envirotex said:


> engineergurl said:
> 
> 
> > Last summer, I wanted some mindless reading, so I read the entire Stephanie Plum series... she eats a lot of tastycakes
> ...


The first one is called _One for the Money_, by Janet Evanovich


----------



## jeb6294 (Jun 6, 2012)

That's one of the "problems" when I'm over here is that I actually go through books too fast. I had 5 or 6 books loaded on my Kindle when I got here 4 weeks ago and I am probably going to finish the last of those tonight. The biggest thing is that there usually isn't a whole lot to do at night. I've got a few AFN channels in my room this time but several of them are basically unwatchable and the rest of them are pretty hit and miss with the shows that are on so reading it is. Fortunately the IT nazis haven't figured out to block Kindles yet so I can still download new books to my work computer and then transfer them over to my Kindle (no wifi and definitely no 3G coverage for me).


----------



## envirotex (Jun 6, 2012)

jeb6294 said:


> That's one of the "problems" when I'm over here is that I actually go through books too fast. I had 5 or 6 books loaded on my Kindle when I got here 4 weeks ago and I am probably going to finish the last of those tonight. The biggest thing is that there usually isn't a whole lot to do at night. I've got a few AFN channels in my room this time but several of them are basically unwatchable and the rest of them are pretty hit and miss with the shows that are on so reading it is. Fortunately the IT nazis haven't figured out to block Kindles yet so I can still download new books to my work computer and then transfer them over to my Kindle (no wifi and definitely no 3G coverage for me).


Kindle reader on my Mac is my new "book" of choice. Although, sometimes I think the prices they charge for eBooks is pretty outrageous. The eBook should not cost more than the pulp version on the shelf. I shop the specials...


----------



## envirotex (Jun 6, 2012)

Dexman PE said:


> envirotex said:
> 
> 
> > Dexman PE said:
> ...


Heard about it in my bootcamp workout group (so same as your neighborhood ladies)...pron in a book, definitely. Think it may be helping out some of uptight SAHMs around here though.


----------



## engineergurl (Jun 6, 2012)

I have all three books on an e-book file, but have yet to start them...


----------



## RIP - VTEnviro (Jun 6, 2012)

I read the first 250 pages or so of "Watchers" by Dean R. Koontz yesterday. My folks read a lot of him when I was growing up, and my mom pulled a couple off the shelf over the weekend. It's a good, easy read. Interesting and suspenseful.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 6, 2012)

VTEnviro said:


> I read the first 250 pages or so of "Watchers" by Dean R. Koontz yesterday. My folks read a lot of him when I was growing up, and my mom pulled a couple off the shelf over the weekend. It's a good, easy read. Interesting and suspenseful.


Watchers was one of his good ones. Check out Phantoms, Whispers, Strangers, and Lightning. Those are good, too.


----------



## Kephart P.E. (Jun 6, 2012)

I read EMPIRE OF THE SUMMER MOON, recently and if you like history it is really good.

"Although readers may be more familiar with the tribal names Apache and Sioux, it was in fact the legendary fighting ability of the Comanches that determined just how and when the American West opened up. Comanche boys became adept bareback riders by age six; full Comanche braves were considered the best horsemen who ever rode. They were so masterful at war and so skillful with their arrows and lances that they stopped the northern drive of colonial Spain from Mexico and halted the French expansion westward from Louisiana. White settlers arriving in Texas from the eastern United States were surprised to find the frontier being rolled _backward _by Comanches incensed by the invasion of their tribal lands. So effective were the Comanches that they forced the creation of the Texas Rangers and account for the advent of the new weapon specifically designed to fight them: the six-gun."

It provided and excellent rounding out of my history of the west. Particularly I didn't have extensive knowledge of the SW and how that portion of the country was settled. It really connected a lot of dots for me.


----------



## engineergurl (Jun 6, 2012)

envirotex said:


> Dexman PE said:
> 
> 
> > envirotex said:
> ...


ummm, I just started reading it during lunch today... uhh, oh my... I can officially say no one can make fun of my romance novels in any way shape or form now.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 6, 2012)

Those two get it on endlessly in that book. I ended up reading it out of curiosity towards the fact that my wife got all wound up and wouldn't tell me about what was going on in the book. At one point as I was reading she said she actually felt embarrased that I was reading it because then I knew what she was so worked up over.


----------



## engineergurl (Jun 6, 2012)

I'm just trying to figure out if there is a point in the story... I have yet to see one, other than "them getting it on endlessly"...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jun 7, 2012)

If I want to read pr0n, I'll stick with Anais Nin.


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 7, 2012)

engineergurl said:


> I'm just trying to figure out if there is a point in the story... I have yet to see one, other than "them getting it on endlessly"...


There isn't a point which is why I stopped after the 1st book.



Capt Worley PE said:


> If I want to read pr0n, I'll stick with Anais Nin.


try www.literotica.com (NSFW)


----------



## envirotex (Jun 7, 2012)

engineergurl said:


> I'm just trying to figure out if there is a point in the story... I have yet to see one, other than "them getting it on endlessly"...


I think you're getting the gist of it.


----------



## engineergurl (Jun 7, 2012)

envirotex said:


> engineergurl said:
> 
> 
> > I'm just trying to figure out if there is a point in the story... I have yet to see one, other than "them getting it on endlessly"...
> ...


Considering I only have like 40 pages left, I figure...


----------



## RIP - VTEnviro (Jun 7, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> VTEnviro said:
> 
> 
> > I read the first 250 pages or so of "Watchers" by Dean R. Koontz yesterday. My folks read a lot of him when I was growing up, and my mom pulled a couple off the shelf over the weekend. It's a good, easy read. Interesting and suspenseful.
> ...


My folks read him a lot when I was growing up. Those are all on the book shelf. Sometime I need to do a book swap with my mom. I've got some titles she's interested in as well.


----------



## Badger (Jun 9, 2012)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Lee Child's Jack Reacher series is pretty good. I'm currently reading The Affair.


Got to love a story where the hero only haqs the clothes on his back. Good books.


----------



## Road Guy (Jul 2, 2012)

my wife got the kids the final 2 "Hunger Games" books..

while I stayed indoors during the 105 degree weekend I actually read both books.. I know there meant for teenagers, but the story line in the books keeps you reading.. the second two books are much better than the first, but I really dont see how they will be able to turn them into a decent movie, unless they spend some lord of the rings / star wars type money...


----------



## snickerd3 (Jul 2, 2012)

^its a big enough phenomenea that they could do just that and still make $$$


----------



## blybrook PE (Aug 1, 2012)

finished reading the op center series, took a break and recently started the Net Force series (also by Clancy). Already on book 4.

G/F is reading Cussler and really enjoying the Dirk Pitt series. I may add that to my list of "to read" in the future.

I heard some news on the radio this morning that there is a sequel coming out for either the Stand or Shining (or both) in the next year. I'm looking forward to reading Wind through the Keyhole when I'm done with Clancy.


----------



## envirotex (Jan 23, 2013)

Just read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn...pretty good. I liked the twists. I was fooled almost every time. Thinking about picking up her other books.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Jan 23, 2013)

I've been working my way through a series of books by Brad Thor.  Not sure what I will put on deck after I'm done with these.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jan 23, 2013)

Is Thor any good? Lately, the Cussler-esque adventure writers have gone to he11 in a handbasket. Rollins hasn't written anything good in a loooong time and DuBrul seems to have given up solo writing for writing Cussler's stuff for him.

Craig Dirgo's "The Einstein Papers" was pretty good.

Anyone read the last Repairman Jack before Nighworld is re-released?


----------



## willsee (Jan 23, 2013)

Read "Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson and it was a good science/history book.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Jan 23, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> Is Thor any good? Lately, the Cussler-esque adventure writers have gone to he11 in a handbasket. Rollins hasn't written anything good in a loooong time and DuBrul seems to have given up solo writing for writing Cussler's stuff for him.
> 
> Craig Dirgo's "The Einstein Papers" was pretty good.
> 
> Anyone read the last Repairman Jack before Nighworld is re-released?




I'm no critic but I like the books I've read so far.


----------



## goodal (Jan 31, 2013)

I'm about halfway through Killing Lincoln. It's a pretty good read, but I don't buy for a second that O'Reilly wrote it. Theres no way someone like him has time to write books at the pace he claims to. I hope the poor sap in small print under O'Reilly's name gets compensated well.


----------



## Judowolf PE (Jan 31, 2013)

VTEnviro said:


> 'Capt Worley PE said:
> 
> 
> > 'VTEnviro said:
> ...


I was always a big Kootz fan, has anyone read his Frankinstein series? I have all of the books to it except the first one, so I plan on starting these once I track down #1...


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jan 31, 2013)

^^I refuse to read serial novels. Didn't read Green Mile until it was published all at one shot.

Koontz seems to have gone through three periods, and his middle period books (Strangers, Watchers, Lightning, Whispers, Twilight Eyes, The Bad Place) are my favorites.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Jan 31, 2013)

^^I read the Frankenstein series and liked the books quite a bit. I did wait until the last book was coming out before I started reading them though.


----------



## OSUguy98 (Jan 31, 2013)

I just started reading _The Silmarillion_ on my tablet... never tried an ebook before.. It's interesting to see the "history" and lore of Middle Earth, even if it is the typical Tolkien style... I've read _The Hobbit_ and the LOTR trilogy before, so it's nice to see the before...


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 31, 2013)

Capt Worley PE said:


> ^^I refuse to read serial novels. Didn't read Green Mile until it was published all at one shot.
> 
> Koontz seems to have gone through three periods, and his middle period books (Strangers, Watchers, Lightning, Whispers, Twilight Eyes, The Bad Place) are my favorites.


Between me and my parents, we have most of his books. None of his serial novels though.


----------



## Judowolf PE (Jan 31, 2013)

His middle period is where I started reading his work and loved it...he seemed to shift slowly from a technological thrill writer to a more middle of the road thrill writer(appeals to a broader public maybe)...I really enjoy his writing style and his character development


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jan 31, 2013)

Most of what I've read of his are very believeable sci-fi thrillers. There's something about the way he writes that gets you thinking, "that might actually happen," which makes it that much more of a thriller.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Jan 31, 2013)

Since the arly nineties, he went into a 'man on the run with a gun, an Explorer, and a golden retriever teams up with a beautiful, witty woman to solve the mystery behind why he is being chased and deal with it.'

Then he went into the Odd Thomas thing and the guy who was an albino that could only go out at night. Like Clive Cussler, I keep reading his stuff because he used to be good, and I hope he returns to it one day.


----------



## Judowolf PE (Jan 31, 2013)

I haven't taken time to read any of his later works, I own several and have the hopes of taking time to read them, but I get way too involved with the kids sports and school activities to take time to read many novels...I can't pass by a rummage sale or used book event with a John Saul, Koontz or King book without snatching it up, thus how I have all the Frankenstein books without the first one...too many hobbies, not enough time!


----------



## mudpuppy (Jan 31, 2013)

OSUguy98 said:


> I just started reading _The Silmarillion_ on my tablet... never tried an ebook before.. It's interesting to see the "history" and lore of Middle Earth, even if it is the typical Tolkien style... I've read _The Hobbit_ and the LOTR trilogy before, so it's nice to see the before...




I never made it through the Silmarilion. . . it's just way toooooooooo sssslllllllloooooooooooooooowww for me. Much more so than LOTR and Hobbit. I kind of equate it to sitting down and reading the bible, what with all the Bob, son of Joe, son of Tom son of . . . . etc.


----------



## Judowolf PE (Jan 31, 2013)

^I have to agree with Mp on this...my books have like a week test, if I can't read it cover to cover in a week, it probably isn't gonna get finished


----------



## OSUguy98 (Feb 5, 2013)

mudpuppy said:


> OSUguy98 said:
> 
> 
> > I just started reading _The Silmarillion_ on my tablet... never tried an ebook before.. It's interesting to see the "history" and lore of Middle Earth, even if it is the typical Tolkien style... I've read _The Hobbit_ and the LOTR trilogy before, so it's nice to see the before...
> ...


I'm only 80 pages into it (of 315ish).... I can't read more than 3 or 4 pages without falling asleep.... how much of that is the book vs how much is the 2 yr old effect, I'm not sure... but yes, very slow... having trouble dealing with the 3 or 4 names for each person/god/etc... I'm hoping that the history of how things came to be soon becomes the recollection of something slightly more interesting than "this is why the mountains are here"


----------



## Judowolf PE (Feb 6, 2013)

I believe that's the reason I never got thru that book...too slow to keep my interest


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Feb 22, 2013)

Just got finished with Columbine.

http://www.amazon.com/Columbine-Dave-Cullen/dp/B003UHUBW2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1361547570&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=columbine

The book was OK, jumped back in forth in time with seemingly no logic until the last section. The amazing thing was how completely wrong the media got things (shouldn't be a surprise, though). No trench coat mafia, no bullying, just a psychopath who had been planning and documenting his attack for over a year. He actually wanted to exterminate the human race, but figured all he could do at this point would be some big bombs and destroy a school, picking off the survivors as they came out the school.

Reading it made me realize how lucky they were that Eric Harris was a crappy bomb maker. If his bombs in the caf had gone off, the death toll would have been around 500.

Also, the police cover-up and the exposure thereof is a good lesson in how you ALWAYS loook bad when covered up material comes to light.


----------



## snickerd3 (Jul 16, 2013)

totally bummed

now that we pay library fees as part of our property tax we got a library card. Their fiction section for adults sucks. They had a grand total of 5 steven king books, not even the complete dark towers series, only books 6 and 7. They only had 4 michael crichton books. They have a huge romance novel (Blah) selection.


----------



## Master slacker (Jul 16, 2013)

Anything digital? Through our library, I get a free subscription to Road &amp; Track, Car &amp; Driver, Consumer Reports, Maxim, Hot Rodder, etc... I don't know about the digital book selection because books don't have enough pretty pictures to keep my attention.


----------



## snickerd3 (Jul 16, 2013)

^HA! Now that's funny. Nope. Although the have a decent movie selection...but they don't pay attention to the movie ratings. Mickey mouse dvd movies were on the shelf right next to the Magic Mike dvd.


----------



## Ble_PE (Jul 16, 2013)

Can you request books from other libraries? Our library is a part of a state-wide network and I can place a hold on a book online and they'll email me when it's ready to pick up. I've had books from libraries all over the state.


----------



## blybrook PE (Jul 16, 2013)

That sucks Snick. Our local library has a large online presence with digital books in all formats. We can also get books from other libraries if they don't have it on hand.

As for current reading materials, I restarted the Dark Tower series just over 2 weeks ago, currently in book 4. Wanted to reread them with the new book "Wind in the Keyhole" in the proper place.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Dec 19, 2013)

Just finished this history of A&amp;P: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Struggle-Small-Business-America-ebook/dp/B004WJN7HI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1387473529&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=the+great+a+%26+p+and+the+struggle+for+small+business+in+america

VERY interesting book. Apparently, A&amp;P was the Walmart of its day, and, like Walmart, faced claims that it was ruining local merchants, selling subpar goods with brand names, and was guilty of unfair business practices.

A&amp;P was even sued by the government under the anti-trust act (despite owning only 10% of the market) because its profit margin was too low.

Meanwhile, because of A&amp;P's efficient business practices, food prices came down, and nutrition went up.

A&amp;P was also the first retailer to hit $1 billion in sales (Sears was less than a half billion at the time) in 1930.


----------



## RIP - VTEnviro (Dec 19, 2013)

We used to shop there when I was a kid. Must be a Northeast thing since we don't have them here.

I've been reading murder mysteries lately. One is the Harry Bosch series by Michael Connelly which is a graphic, by the book police procedural. The other is the lighthearted Chet and Bernie series by Spencer Quinn which is about a PI and his canine assistant, from the perspective of the pooch.


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Dec 19, 2013)

VT, I've never read it, but this might be right up your alley: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Racing-Rain-Novel/dp/0061537969/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1387484292&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=art+of+racing+in+the+rain


----------



## RIP - VTEnviro (Dec 19, 2013)

Thanks. The funny thing is that I have less time to read books about dogs right now owning a puppy!


----------



## Chucktown PE (Mar 7, 2014)

Well my wife has been into the mommy porn books. That's been working out great.

Any of you ladies of EB.com read that garbage?


----------



## Dleg (Mar 7, 2014)

^Mommy porn???

Chucktown, did you ever get to "Blood Meridian" by Cormack McCarthy?


----------



## Master slacker (Mar 7, 2014)

Dleg said:


> ^Mommy porn???
> 
> Chucktown, did you ever get to "Blood Meridian" by Cormack McCarthy?




I'm assuming 50 Shades of Gray.


----------



## Road Guy (Mar 7, 2014)

My wife read half of one of the fifty shades books.....

I read lone survivor, great story, but also pretty sad as well.....

I have the last Tom Clancy book but jut can't bring myself to start it just yet!


----------



## Chucktown PE (Mar 7, 2014)

Dleg said:


> ^Mommy porn???
> 
> Chucktown, did you ever get to "Blood Meridian" by Cormack McCarthy?




50 shades of grey is correct. It's absolute shit writing. But it has fringe benefits for me.

I did read Blood Meridian. It was crazy. Those people were awful.

I'm reading the Border Trilogy now.


----------



## envirotex (Mar 7, 2014)

I've read all 150 shades...

I really liked the border trilogy. Now that you've reminded me of them, I may go read them again. I have them all as "actual" books.


----------



## matt267 PE (Mar 7, 2014)

I'm reading "Not a Good Day to Die" by Sean Naylor


----------



## Flyer_PE (Mar 7, 2014)

Road Guy said:


> I have the last Tom Clancy book but jut can't bring myself to start it just yet!


I read that one recently. I doubt it's his last book though. I think the publishers limit the books to 1/year and some writers are a lot more prolific than that. He may have had two or three more ready to go before he passed.


----------



## Road Guy (Mar 7, 2014)

I hope so.. Thats kind if why I have put off on reading it...


----------



## engineergurl (Mar 7, 2014)

I have nearly 500 books on kindle now... some of them probably are considered mommy porn, but since I'm not a mommy does that make them just porn?


----------



## Dleg (Mar 7, 2014)

I may have to re-read the Border Trilogy, too, once I finish my MS and can open a book again without feeling that sick pit in the stomach thing.


----------



## Flyer_PE (Mar 7, 2014)

I watched The Hunt for Red October the other night. I'm thinking it may be time for me to read Without Remorse again.


----------



## knight1fox3 (Mar 7, 2014)

^ good movie!


----------



## Capt Worley PE (Mar 10, 2014)

Without Remorse was Clancy's best book, IMO.

He also fell into those realm of writers who hasn't actually written anything in a while (I'm looking at you, James Patterson and Clive Cussler), just provides a plot outline for other writers to follow and slaps their name above the guy who really did the bulk of the work.

In Cussler's case, two of the author's have great works under their own name (Craig Dirgo and Jack duBrul), but are just hacks when churning out NUMA books.


----------



## Supe (Mar 10, 2014)

I read HG Well's "The Time Machine" again on the plane the other day. Forgot how much I liked that book, and scary some of the parallels I can draw between the evolution of man in his books, and how I perceive the "Millennial" generation.


----------



## YMZ PE (Jun 24, 2014)

Very tired this morning. I've been staying up till the wee hours of the morning reading the Vorkosigan Saga (currently reading Cordelia's Honor). Lois McMaster Bujold is a damn good writer.


----------



## Ramnares P.E. (Jun 24, 2014)

Brandon Sanderson's Way of Kings is a very good series. The biggest problem I've run into is that, like A Song of Ice and Fire, the series hasn't been completed so once you catch up it's miserable waiting for the next book.


----------



## engineergurl (Jun 24, 2014)

right now I'm reading

-The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

-Healing a Highlander's Heart

I highly recommend both, however if your going to go the cheesy romance way then you must read the first book in that series...


----------



## akwooly (Jun 24, 2014)

Summer reading, John Paul Jones: Sailor, Hero, Father of the American Navy


----------



## Road Guy (Jun 24, 2014)

if your into the outdoors and also into quitting your corporate job and opening up your own REI type store than I recommend this little book:

http://www.amazon.com/Just-Passin-Thru-Appalachian-Unforgettable/dp/0897328493

Just Passing through..

This guy owns the shop at around the 70 mile mark on the Appalachian Trail- He offers "shakdowns" to thru hikers to help them shed some weight of stuff they dont need.. Ive been to this store and its really cool. Lots of interesting stories about the people that have come through his store, (the AT goes through the middle of this store)


----------



## matt267 PE (Jun 24, 2014)

My summer reading consists of the CERM, MetCalf &amp; Eddy, Lin's Wastewater book, etc.

Fun times!!!


----------



## knight1fox3 (Jun 24, 2014)

^ similar to me. I'll be reading distribution engineering and advanced power electronics this year. :thumbs:


----------



## Dexman PE PMP (Jun 24, 2014)

Books Im reading now:

The Looking Glass Wars

Dorothy Must Die

Game of Thrones (again)


----------



## JayKay PE (May 6, 2020)

Reviving this thread from the dead!!!  Zombie!!!!

But on the subject of books.

I'm slowly using my Libby account more and getting through books on my wishlist.  Current book is 'Unorthodox', which is what the Netflix series is based.  It's in first person, which I usually don't like, but it's first person where they're telling more of a story than describing everything (idk?).  

These are the books I've currently got checked out that I'm hoping to hit next: Exodus (I think the continuation of Unorthodox?), Ask Again, Yes, The Jungle, Me Before You, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, and Slaughterhouse.

Excited to finally be reading more again!


----------



## akwooly (May 6, 2020)

Acid for the Children


----------

