Right after I finish The Good German, I'm going to start Jeri Taylor's Pathways. Discovered my library had it yesterday. 
So what are you reading? Part VI
- Thread starter DimesDan
- Start date
- Status
I really enjoyed that one. Better than Mosaic in my opinion.
Finished : The Shack (Review below)
Reading: Not sure yet...........TBD
Review 3.5/5 stars
So, I finally got around to reading through the much talked about book, 'The Shack". There's very little story to the book, as it's mostly just an extended conversation between a man who's had some tragedy in his life and different facets of God that are personified as different people here.
The conversations between this man and God ask some pretty standard questions such as "why does God allow bad things to happen" and "why this reality, this way" and "what does God really expect/want out of us as humans' among others. The answers are not particularly earth-shattering for anyone who's given them some real thought, but they are pretty interesting to consider. I think the book would work best for two groups of people ultimately.......those who were raised in a church all their life but never really questioned their faith or beliefs, or, those who have where "religion" has been at the root cause of pain where people did things in the name of God that were not of God at all and it's caused them to equate a relationship with the creator of the universe with whatever twisted version of "religion" was presented to them.
I'd recommend the book to just about anyone, especially if you have problems with the "Church" as it is understood here in present day America or "religion" in general.
Note: The writing in terms of story-telling is not very good, so don't go into this expecting John Irving or even Stephen King.........it's pretty mediocre story-telling at best. It's really the philosophy of God that's of interest in this book and it's one anyone wanting a relationship with God should read and contemplate.
Reading: Not sure yet...........TBD
Review 3.5/5 stars
So, I finally got around to reading through the much talked about book, 'The Shack". There's very little story to the book, as it's mostly just an extended conversation between a man who's had some tragedy in his life and different facets of God that are personified as different people here.
The conversations between this man and God ask some pretty standard questions such as "why does God allow bad things to happen" and "why this reality, this way" and "what does God really expect/want out of us as humans' among others. The answers are not particularly earth-shattering for anyone who's given them some real thought, but they are pretty interesting to consider. I think the book would work best for two groups of people ultimately.......those who were raised in a church all their life but never really questioned their faith or beliefs, or, those who have where "religion" has been at the root cause of pain where people did things in the name of God that were not of God at all and it's caused them to equate a relationship with the creator of the universe with whatever twisted version of "religion" was presented to them.
I'd recommend the book to just about anyone, especially if you have problems with the "Church" as it is understood here in present day America or "religion" in general.
Note: The writing in terms of story-telling is not very good, so don't go into this expecting John Irving or even Stephen King.........it's pretty mediocre story-telling at best. It's really the philosophy of God that's of interest in this book and it's one anyone wanting a relationship with God should read and contemplate.
Precipice was awesome. I especially liked the dates that headed each chapter; otherwise, I might have not realized how much time was passing. And the Pulp Fiction reference was great.
I've just discovered Jeff Smith's comic series Bone. Starting Volume 2 today.
I've just discovered Jeff Smith's comic series Bone. Starting Volume 2 today.
Just finished Night of Thunder by Stephen Hunter.
Next up is The Struggle Within by Christopher L Bennett
Next up is The Struggle Within by Christopher L Bennett
Since my last update, I've read Sword of Damocles (teared up at the end), and Greater Than the Sum. Thinking I might should have read Fearful Symmetry first, but the only indication in GTTS was an offhand comment about something I already knew and wouldn't spoil anything for anyone who didn't know already.
Now reading Fearful Symmetry. My poor brain is going to collapse trying to keep all the characters and their universes straight.
Now reading Fearful Symmetry. My poor brain is going to collapse trying to keep all the characters and their universes straight.
I finished GRRM's A Feast for Crows on Friday, then finished Chris Bennett's Ex Machina on Monday, this was a great book, it was recommended to me by Therin of Andor.
Currently I am reading Bret 'the hitman' Hart's Autobiography, it is really good, after this I will probably read Vanguard: What Judgments come.
Currently I am reading Bret 'the hitman' Hart's Autobiography, it is really good, after this I will probably read Vanguard: What Judgments come.
Finished Paths of Disharmony, picked up DS9 Gamma book 1 by DRG3 but ended up reading the Kira short story in What Lay Beyond instead and then didnt get back to DRG3....
I read, Boba Fett "A Practical Man" by Karen Traviss and Chris Bennett's "Struggle Within" Typhon Pact tie in....
I got a Nook gift card for my bday so I bought New Jedi Order: Dark Journeys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Blackout", Supernatural: "Nevermore" and the collected books 1-5 of Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter, Warlord of Mars.
Right now Im reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Queen of the Slayer"
And my reading stack keeps growing....with that Richard/Kahlen novel glaring at me from the dresser because Ive been ignoring it....
I read, Boba Fett "A Practical Man" by Karen Traviss and Chris Bennett's "Struggle Within" Typhon Pact tie in....
I got a Nook gift card for my bday so I bought New Jedi Order: Dark Journeys, Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Blackout", Supernatural: "Nevermore" and the collected books 1-5 of Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter, Warlord of Mars.
Right now Im reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer: "Queen of the Slayer"
And my reading stack keeps growing....with that Richard/Kahlen novel glaring at me from the dresser because Ive been ignoring it....
I have the entire warlord of mars series on my nook awesome series can't wait till the movie comes out.
is Queen of the slayer on the nook?
all so big fan of supernatural and all I have all the books now on my NOOK.
A friend actuallly loaned me Queen of the Slayer because I couldnt find it on the nook, I did get Blackout there though
Cant wait to read Nevermore, I didnt realize there were Supernatural novels, so I have a bunch I can track down and read.
The movie looks awesome, I remember reading alot of these n high school but its been so many years that Im sure it will be like new going back and re-reading them. I also have a stack of John Carter comics that Marvel put out in the late 70s and 80s.
Pertaining to the thread, I just bought a copy of DS9 Gamma 2 off ebay, so I probably will get back to that DRG3 novel at some here lol
Cant wait to read Nevermore, I didnt realize there were Supernatural novels, so I have a bunch I can track down and read.
The movie looks awesome, I remember reading alot of these n high school but its been so many years that Im sure it will be like new going back and re-reading them. I also have a stack of John Carter comics that Marvel put out in the late 70s and 80s.
Pertaining to the thread, I just bought a copy of DS9 Gamma 2 off ebay, so I probably will get back to that DRG3 novel at some here lol
"1491" by Charles Mann. I have "1493" waiting on deck.
I'm about to start Star Wars: Choices of One by Tim Zahn
Just Finished : Slaughter House 5 - Review below
Reading : The Black Echo
Slaughter House 5
Slaughterhouse Five turned out to be a very different book than I had anticipated going into it based on some descriptions I had read of it. At times the book was tragic, other times poignant and other times a bit comical......sometimes all 3 at the same time. Wherever Billy's story took us on this story that centered around his time in World War 2, there was always a sense existential fatalism to the tale that was driven home frequently by his key phrase in this book, "so it goes...". At times that phrase was an interesting device, at times it was annoying, at times I thought it was overused but by the end it was clear that his use of that phrase was really a cliff notes version of his fatalistic view of war, tragedy and inevitably of loss presented here.
Overall I liked the book quite a bit, though initially the stream of consciousness style narrative made it a bit challenging to become engaged in the events that were unfolding. But, once I settled into the groove I was able to join Billy's "pitiful" time in the war and his unthinking acceptance of the events that unfolded in his life regardless of their impact on him. It was also a book that challenges one to make sense of this life and question where meaning can be found so in that regard, this book was a success and better than most because it entertained while making you think and reflect.
So all in all, I enjoyed this tale quite a bit. While this was my first Vonnegut novel, having now acquired a taste for him, I'm sure it won't be my last.
Reading : The Black Echo
Slaughter House 5
Slaughterhouse Five turned out to be a very different book than I had anticipated going into it based on some descriptions I had read of it. At times the book was tragic, other times poignant and other times a bit comical......sometimes all 3 at the same time. Wherever Billy's story took us on this story that centered around his time in World War 2, there was always a sense existential fatalism to the tale that was driven home frequently by his key phrase in this book, "so it goes...". At times that phrase was an interesting device, at times it was annoying, at times I thought it was overused but by the end it was clear that his use of that phrase was really a cliff notes version of his fatalistic view of war, tragedy and inevitably of loss presented here.
Overall I liked the book quite a bit, though initially the stream of consciousness style narrative made it a bit challenging to become engaged in the events that were unfolding. But, once I settled into the groove I was able to join Billy's "pitiful" time in the war and his unthinking acceptance of the events that unfolded in his life regardless of their impact on him. It was also a book that challenges one to make sense of this life and question where meaning can be found so in that regard, this book was a success and better than most because it entertained while making you think and reflect.
So all in all, I enjoyed this tale quite a bit. While this was my first Vonnegut novel, having now acquired a taste for him, I'm sure it won't be my last.
Fearful Symmetry has come and gone. I liked it. I found the format a little distracting - glad most books aren't laid out that way. By the time I finished the second half, I couldn't really remember the first half. I think that might have been more a result of how compelling Iliana's story was than anything else.
Next up - The Soul Key.
Next up - The Soul Key.
A while back I watched the SH5 movie, and I think I liked it, but I can't remember for sure. I haven't read the book so I can't compare them, but there is a quote from Vonnegut on wikipedia where he says the movie was "flawless translation of my novel".
I finished Cast No Shadow by James Swallow earlier tonight. I really enjoyed it.
I'm about to start Stargate: Atlantis - Nightfall also by James Swallow.
I'm about to start Stargate: Atlantis - Nightfall also by James Swallow.
- Status
Similar threads
