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.

Book Recommendations

Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:

Well-known member

Run silent, run deep

Well-known member

Well-known member

Well-known member

Run silent, run deep

CbusPaul

Well-known member

Jr. PE / Sr. Company Pilot

Well-known member

Run silent, run deep

Jr. PE / Sr. Company Pilot

Run silent, run deep

Veteran 10k Spammer

Run silent, run deep

Jr. PE / Sr. Company Pilot

Resident Sweet Cheeks

Veteran 10k Spammer

Internationally PMP'n his PE-ness

Veteran 10k Spammer

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!