Books
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Yeah I enjoyed ‘Ministry…’ @SKT but it is long. Goes quickly though. Pretty amazing beginning and a solid set of ensemble characters over a long period of time. It’s a big book for a big subject, but there’s also a fun mountaineering passage…
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@sabergirl Just coming towards the end of Deadhouse Gates now...
I forgot how damn quotable this series was, and so philosophically poignant...
“Children are dying." Lull nodded. "That's a succinct summary of humankind, I'd say. Who needs tomes and volumes of history? Children are dying. The injustices of the world hide in those three words.”
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and my favourite from Gardens of the Moon;
“Tell me, Tool, what dominates your thoughts?'
The Imass shrugged before replying.
'I think of futility, Adjunct.'
'Do all Imass think about futility?'
'No. Few think at all.'
'Why is that?'
The Imass leaned his head to one side and regarded her.
'Because Adjunct, it is futile.” -
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I know this is an old thread but if anyone stumbles upon it read Amerota. A great book detailing the constant influence between America and Japan fashion. Talks alot about denim too!
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That's a fun one @endo you going to do the whole trilogy?
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Currently reading the "Wheel of Time" series. Book 2 of 14 I think. Hopefully ill still be alive at to see them out! After that it will be Nick Kent, The Darker Stuff.
If you like Fantast then the Wheel of Time books are unreal. Highly recommended
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I loved those books back in the day but lost patience at least 8 books in. Jordan, god rest his soul, spent so much time on minutiae like the brocade of a character’s dress when he could have completed the WoT and then done series about the age of legends or whatever else he referenced in the world he built. When there are already so many intricate threads that I had to check WoT FAQ to get re oriented each time a new book dropped, it was just too exhausting and lengthy for someone with my impatience. Which sucks because he was a brilliant world builder. I am glad they figured out a way to wrap it up, even if posthumously. Very sad that he was not able to see his opus through.
That series, great as it was, ended epic fantasy for me as a genre.
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Currently reading:
I’d wholeheartedly recommend to anyone that likes modern fiction and is interested in art. The (unnamed) narrator is an art/tour guide in Buenos Aires. The whole book is basically descriptions of different artworks, and follows the narrators trains of thought from the works to her own life. Slowly a picture emerges of her life, all recounted through the way she experiences the artworks. I liked this part about Rothko:
“ Perhaps there is something spiritual in the experience of looking at a Rothko, but it’s the kind of spiritual that resists description: like seeing a glacier, or crossing a desert. Rarely do the inadequacies of language become so patently obvious. Standing before a Rothko, you might reach for something meaningful to say, only to end up talking nonsense. All you really want to say is ‘fuck me’.”
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I value the opinion of the people here so I’ll go ahead and ask. What’s everyone’s opinion on audio books? Comparable to reading at all? I’ve heard from people that it’s a different experience than reading but still worth your time. I have a new born and don’t have as much time to read or do anything I used to do. Couple that with an hour commute to work each way, and getting bored of podcasts, I was considering buying some audio books.
Also, anyone have any opinion on iBooks vs audible if I was to buy some audio books?
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I like both @Johnnyutah247 but it’s hard to beat the Audible unlimited plans if you read a lot. Apple’s biggest advantage IMO is that ebooks and audiobooks are integrated into the same app (and yet they haven’t figured out how to integrate Podcasts into Apple Music).
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@Johnnyutah247 yeah I’m a big fan of Audible. Weirdly though, I enjoy very different books when listening to an audiobook compared with reading print. I took up audiobooks for the same reason you have - kids/time/driving commute. Before that I read upwards of 50 books a year. It took me a long time to find a groove with audiobooks. I found that the stuff I liked to read in written format did not work well with the audiobook format. Books like “One Hundred Years of Solitude” or “Ada, or Ardor”, where the text is too dense and non-verbal, stream-of-conscious or non-linear. I found that straight ahead ahead fiction (particularly written in the 1st person), and non-fiction audiobooks are the best.
Also, the narrator of the audiobook adds a whole new dimension. First there’s the book itself, but no matter how good the books is, if the narrator is shite or annoying, you won’t be able to persevere. I find, generally, bigger authors (Stephen King, Donna Tartt, etc) have better narrators than more obscure titles do.
Why not try free trial with audible and see how you get on?
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Interesting question! I love print and the feel of books which is the only reason I haven’t tried audiobooks. I always have at least one (up to three) books on the nightstand at any one time. Sometimes I only read for 10-15 minutes and sometimes an hour before bed.
Most of my reading is done during travel when there really isn’t anything else to do. I also found by not having TV in the house (other than the occasional DVD) it’s easier to find time to read. Between the forum, online news, and books I easily read for a few hours every day. One thing I do miss is a good old fashioned newspaper and the journalistic effort that used to go into them.
