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[quote name='Liquid 2']Sophie's World.

One of my favorite books. It's not solid philosophy, but a...fictional romp through factual philosophical theories, I suppose.
It's hard to describe, but it's very good.

Let me know what you think.[/QUOTE]

I've started that book a few times but haven't been able to finish it. The parts I did manage to get through were really interesting.

Currenly however I'm about half way done with Freakonomics. Great read so far. I would definitely recommend this if you are interested in Economics and aren't in the mood for your typical Econ read.
 
Finished The Road last week. Very good and pretty short novel. Def. worth a read.

Anyway I figure there's been plenty of Star Wars novel talk here so does anyone know of a site that lists the Star Wars novels in order by publication date? I can find lots of lists of the books in chrono order according to the Star Wars Universe but I can't seem to find one by pub date.
 
[quote name='wubb']Finished The Road last week. Very good and pretty short novel. Def. worth a read.

Anyway I figure there's been plenty of Star Wars novel talk here so does anyone know of a site that lists the Star Wars novels in order by publication date? I can find lots of lists of the books in chrono order according to the Star Wars Universe but I can't seem to find one by pub date.[/quote]

You can try the publisher's site (RandomHouse). They've got a search page which you can sort by author, title or pub. date:

linky
 
[quote name='jaykrue']Invincible was meh which is sad as the Legacy of the Force series is indeed overall pretty good. I reviewed it a while back in this thread if you wanna hear my opinion on it.

I also agree that the Darth Bane series is pretty good. I hope they continue w/ another book as I'm looking forward to seeing how his young woman Sith apprentice stabs him in the back.:lol:[/quote]

Yea, when I finished Invincible I felt "meh." I expected more, at least some interesting dialog in the final battle. Ben got a lot of good development in the book, I liked the new Hapan female characters. As always, parts with Saba are my favorite in every book she's in.
 
[quote name='deszaras']Yea, when I finished Invincible I felt "meh." I expected more, at least some interesting dialog in the final battle. Ben got a lot of good development in the book, I liked the new Hapan female characters. As always, parts with Saba are my favorite in every book she's in.[/quote]

Agreed on the Hapans & Saba. Since reading the Xwing novel series, I've actually become more interested in tangential Star Wars characters (Rogue Squadron, minor Jedi, Boba Fett, etc.) rather than the expected main characters (Skywalkers & Solos). Seeing them fleshed out makes them more interesting characters later on. For example, I wanted to know more about Wedge Antilles' role after the Corellians started talking to the Republic again.
 
I just finished Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

I must say, after finishing two of Chabon's novels, I consider him to be the best living American author.
 
[quote name='Short Round']I just finished Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

I must say, after finishing two of Chabon's novels, I consider him to be the best living American author.[/QUOTE]

He's a great writer, to be sure, but I would have to say Cormac McCarthy is the current greatest living American writer. Chabom's writing doesn't have the lyrical beauty that I find in Cormac's writing. I guess, however, that I shouldn't really compare the two since they write within different genres.

Chabom's The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a little hard for me to get into since it has tons of Yiddish words that I have to keep looking up every page. I find myself stopping too much for it to really get a hold of my attention. I'll keep plugging away at it, in any case.
 
[quote name='doctorfaustus']He's a great writer, to be sure, but I would have to say Cormac McCarthy is the current greatest living American writer. Chabom's writing doesn't have the lyrical beauty that I find in Cormac's writing. I guess, however, that I shouldn't really compare the two since they write within different genres.

Chabom's The Yiddish Policemen's Union is a little hard for me to get into since it has tons of Yiddish words that I have to keep looking up every page. I find myself stopping too much for it to really get a hold of my attention. I'll keep plugging away at it, in any case.[/quote]


The only McCarthy novel I've ever read is The Road, and while it was brilliant, I don't think it's as good as the either The Yiddish Policemen's Union or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay. I won't make a final verdict though until I've read No Country for Old Men, which I'll be reading soon.

As for the YPMU, keep at it. While the beginning is kind of tough to get into, with the various Yiddish idiosyncrasises it can be hard to wrap your head around it at first. But, I promise you if you stay with it you're in for a hell of a treat.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']Agreed on the Hapans & Saba. Since reading the Xwing novel series, I've actually become more interested in tangential Star Wars characters (Rogue Squadron, minor Jedi, Boba Fett, etc.) rather than the expected main characters (Skywalkers & Solos). Seeing them fleshed out makes them more interesting characters later on. For example, I wanted to know more about Wedge Antilles' role after the Corellians started talking to the Republic again.[/quote]

I'm not sure when I started to have more interest in the tangential characters. If I had to guess, it's because I've read so many of the books. The main characters are great but until the NJO books they never got much depth added than what was already in the movies. Luke had been neglected the most but I thought they did a good job with changing that in the Legacy books. Finally for once, we get a clue how much he's grown in the Force. In the last two books, Luke seemed to display great wisdom which I think was well overdue considering what he's been through. I read your review and I agree with you, a lot of things were just ignored. What happened with Nithal(who was a good character)? Like you said, where did Wedge go? Man, I want a book with Saba as a main character.
 
I'm going to pause on Max Brooks' World War Z (which I'm not enjoying as much as I thought I would) so I can read Lewis Black's new book, Me of Little Faith.
 
[quote name='bmachine']I'm going to pause on Max Brooks' World War Z (which I'm not enjoying as much as I thought I would) so I can read Lewis Black's new book, Me of Little Faith.[/QUOTE]

As a book World War Z isn't that great, but though abridged, the audiobook is superb and it feels like thats the media that it was meant for
 
[quote name='fart_bubble']As a book World War Z isn't that great, but though abridged, the audiobook is superb and it feels like thats the media that it was meant for[/quote]

I don't do many audiobooks but I can see WWZ working really well in that format. I'll have to check it out...thanks for the tip.
 
[quote name='bmachine']I don't do many audiobooks but I can see WWZ working really well in that format. I'll have to check it out...thanks for the tip.[/QUOTE]

Its pretty cool as its not the typical audiobook but rather more along the lines of an radio play with different actors (I won't ruin it but there are some pretty big names doing voices for it) and sound effects.
 
[quote name='deszaras']I'm not sure when I started to have more interest in the tangential characters. If I had to guess, it's because I've read so many of the books. The main characters are great but until the NJO books they never got much depth added than what was already in the movies. Luke had been neglected the most but I thought they did a good job with changing that in the Legacy books. Finally for once, we get a clue how much he's grown in the Force. In the last two books, Luke seemed to display great wisdom which I think was well overdue considering what he's been through. I read your review and I agree with you, a lot of things were just ignored. What happened with Nithal(who was a good character)? Like you said, where did Wedge go? Man, I want a book with Saba as a main character.[/quote]

I dunno about Luke. The way they've portrayed him pre-NJO (more specifically during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion) I've always felt he was this all-powerful Jedi* who was too afraid to use his own power because of his brushes w/ the dark side (especially learning at the foot of the resurrected Emperor in the Dark Empire comic series).

I think the main difference between the pre-NJO and post-NJO Luke is that post-NJO Luke has acknowledged that there is no truely well defined light/dark side and that Force usage runs a wide spectrum. This insight has given him the confidence to use his powers more w/o worrying whether or not he will fall sway to the dark side. That's probably the one good thing about Invincible is that Luke has come to terms w/ his powers and is finally comfortable enough to use them as well as mature enough to use them responsibly. Before he was the whiny hesitant lil emo bitch but now you see he's supremely confident in himself w/o letting his ego fall too far out of check. I think that hallmarks a great sign of growth as a character.

Also, you can see that both Jason & Ben experience this dilemma of inner turmoil as well and see how different people react to the same situations. They're both great parallels to Luke's own growth as, not only a Jedi, but the Jedi Grandmaster.

Anyway, I was hoping for more entries in the Xwing series or perhaps even going into Pash Cracken's life or learning about Kyle Katarn's days as part of a commando group (which eventually became Page's commandos) or a dozen other things. I'm already sick of the Clone War era. Give that shit a rest. :roll:There's whole other galaxies of characters to explore and they've only scratched the surface.

*not in sheer Force potential, that goes to Kyp Durron, but moreso the most experienced of the new Jedi Order
 
I just finished A Thousand Splendid Suns. Phenomenal book. I highly recommend it. It's about two women's struggle over the course of 20 years in Afghanistan.

Warning: Even if you're a tough guy, prepare for your eyes to water.
 
[quote name='fart_bubble']Its pretty cool as its not the typical audiobook but rather more along the lines of an radio play with different actors (I won't ruin it but there are some pretty big names doing voices for it) and sound effects.[/quote]

Bought it today. Dude...
Henry Rollins
FTW!

I've got Lollapalooza coming up in a few weeks so I think I'm going to fight the urge to listen to this until I'm on the plane.

Picked up Robert Wexler's Fire Breathing Liberal today, too.
 
[quote name='bmachine']Bought it today. Dude...
Henry Rollins
FTW! [/quote]

Oh FOR fuckS SAKE, I am fucking getting this audio book ASAP.

Also, picked up another Dune book (my eighth, when I've only read the first), and the first two books in the Songs of Fire and Ice series. Need to exchange the first one though, as it was a crappy copy.

I have a big problem with buying books when I still haven't even finished the massive amount I still have.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']I dunno about Luke. The way they've portrayed him pre-NJO (more specifically during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion) I've always felt he was this all-powerful Jedi* who was too afraid to use his own power because of his brushes w/ the dark side (especially learning at the foot of the resurrected Emperor in the Dark Empire comic series).

I think the main difference between the pre-NJO and post-NJO Luke is that post-NJO Luke has acknowledged that there is no truely well defined light/dark side and that Force usage runs a wide spectrum. This insight has given him the confidence to use his powers more w/o worrying whether or not he will fall sway to the dark side. That's probably the one good thing about Invincible is that Luke has come to terms w/ his powers and is finally comfortable enough to use them as well as mature enough to use them responsibly. Before he was the whiny hesitant lil emo bitch but now you see he's supremely confident in himself w/o letting his ego fall too far out of check. I think that hallmarks a great sign of growth as a character.

Also, you can see that both Jason & Ben experience this dilemma of inner turmoil as well and see how different people react to the same situations. They're both great parallels to Luke's own growth as, not only a Jedi, but the Jedi Grandmaster.

Anyway, I was hoping for more entries in the Xwing series or perhaps even going into Pash Cracken's life or learning about Kyle Katarn's days as part of a commando group (which eventually became Page's commandos) or a dozen other things. I'm already sick of the Clone War era. Give that shit a rest. :roll:There's whole other galaxies of characters to explore and they've only scratched the surface.

*not in sheer Force potential, that goes to Kyp Durron, but moreso the most experienced of the new Jedi Order[/quote]

I agree. For far too long Luke was uncertain and hesitant with any big decisions, which they dealt with quite well in the Legacy books. Instead of being overly confident, he's aware of how much he can push before being pulled to the dark side(ex:why he couldn't directly fight Jacen).
Books about Katarn would be good, perhaps they don't think it's worth their exploration considering his role in some of the best SW games ever.
I'm not sick of Clone Wars stuff, I'm just tired of it. That has a lot to due with the books not being great.
 
[quote name='deszaras']Books about Katarn would be good, perhaps they don't think it's worth their exploration considering his role in some of the best SW games ever.[/QUOTE]

If that's true, then Lucasarts is smoking some bad shit. Kyle, at best, has always been a marginal character in the novels. Sure he's front & center stage in the Jedi Knight games but I want more character depth than what they've shown in them. In the books, he's only mentioned in passing or has a few lines. Apparently he's already a Master during the later stages of the Yuuzhan invasion. When did he attain that rank? How did he earn it? Ditto for pretty much all the pre-NJO Jedi Knights that have become post-NJO Masters. And what's keeping Leia from being a Master. From Invincible, my impression was that she's still a Jedi Knight. So what's stopping her from furthering her studies? She can't say age as Streen, the Bespin Hermit, was far older than her when he became a Jedi Knight. Also, what about the latest generation of up-and-coming Jedi Knights such Valin Horn? He's already a Jedi Knight by Invincible so how did he grow up into his current position?

I'm not sick of Clone Wars stuff, I'm just tired of it. That has a lot to due with the books not being great.
Click to expand...

Except for the Republic Commando series, I agree. The Clone Wars books have been pretty subpar compared to the NJO/Legacy stuff. Even the new Legacy series set 200 yrs after the NJO period is light years away from the stuff put out for the Clone Wars.
 
Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary Wolf

I've been wanting to read this one for quite awhile but I always ended up picking something else up. Time to finally unfuck that situation
 
[quote name='jaykrue']If that's true, then Lucasarts is smoking some bad shit. Kyle, at best, has always been a marginal character in the novels. Sure he's front & center stage in the Jedi Knight games but I want more character depth than what they've shown in them. In the books, he's only mentioned in passing or has a few lines. Apparently he's already a Master during the later stages of the Yuuzhan invasion. When did he attain that rank? How did he earn it? Ditto for pretty much all the pre-NJO Jedi Knights that have become post-NJO Masters. And what's keeping Leia from being a Master. From Invincible, my impression was that she's still a Jedi Knight. So what's stopping her from furthering her studies? She can't say age as Streen, the Bespin Hermit, was far older than her when he became a Jedi Knight. Also, what about the latest generation of up-and-coming Jedi Knights such Valin Horn? He's already a Jedi Knight by Invincible so how did he grow up into his current position?



Except for the Republic Commando series, I agree. The Clone Wars books have been pretty subpar compared to the NJO/Legacy stuff. Even the new Legacy series set 200 yrs after the NJO period is light years away from the stuff put out for the Clone Wars.[/quote]

I think the problem is with whoever decides what series to write. Sure, they've taken chances with killing certain characters but as a whole they want to stick with characters that a more casual SW would recognize. I'd be all over a Saba book or a book focused on the marginally mentioned jedi knights(as you mentioned) but I doubt that'd happen. I'd really be stoked if they did another Young Jedi Knights series with the newer crop of kids or the ones like Valin and Ben(I can't remember what the age disparity is at this point). They've created so many characters worth reading about, it's frustrating that they haven't been explored more.
 
Just finished Freakonomics by Steven Levitt, very interesting stuff. I do now know what to start next, The Marketing Imagination by Theodore Levitt, The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell, or Purple Cow by Seth Godin...
 
I just got "The Gunslinger" by Stephen King from my local library. All I have read so far is the forward. I will post my impressions later.
 
I'm re-reading some of the short stories in George R.R. Martin's second compilation tome (Dreamsongs, Volume 2) while eagerly waiting for A Dance with Dragons (which is now scheduled for release in April 2009).
 
[quote name='chasemurata']I'm re-reading some of the short stories in George R.R. Martin's second compilation tome (Dreamsongs, Volume 2) while eagerly waiting for A Dance with Dragons (which is now scheduled for release in April 2009).[/quote]
How are his short stories? I too am waiting for A Dance with Dragons, and I'm interested in checking out Dreamsongs.
 
Damn, I started reading shit and never posted in the thread...

I recently read Carlin's Napalm and Silly Putty, then Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. Now I just started Catch-22 (Joseph Heller). I always wanted to read it, but now I finally have the time. It's pretty good so far, as it should be I guess, since it's supposed to be one of the best novels of the 20th century and all.
 
[quote name='moiety']How are his short stories? I too am waiting for A Dance with Dragons, and I'm interested in checking out Dreamsongs.[/quote]

They range from good to fantastic. In Volume 2, I related to Portraits of His Children, which was a nice, reflective tale. I also dig what I read of his Wild Card series (also in Volume 2), but those books are nigh impossible to find.
 
[quote name='darthbudge']I just got "The Gunslinger" by Stephen King from my local library. All I have read so far is the forward. I will post my impressions later.[/QUOTE]

Make sure you're in it for the long haul. I don't think you could start with the Gunslinger and not want to finish all 7 ASAP.
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Make sure you're in it for the long haul. I don't think you could start with the Gunslinger and not want to finish all 7 ASAP.[/quote]

Oh yeah, if I like the book I will read all of them in a row. I just read like the first 40 pages and I have loved it so far.
 
I'm reading Book 7 right now. The series really kept me interested which I was surprised at.

[quote name='darthbudge']Oh yeah, if I like the book I will read all of them in a row. I just read like the first 40 pages and I have loved it so far.[/QUOTE]
 
[quote name='Mr Unoriginal']Make sure you're in it for the long haul. I don't think you could start with the Gunslinger and not want to finish all 7 ASAP.[/quote]

I feel the same way! I'm working on the fifth book right now and read the previous four in a row.
 
It has been a while since I read a novel...

and it will still be a while. :p

Picked up The Adventures of Johnny Bunko though.
 
I just got back from vacation and I got a lot of reading in. I read God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian (Kurt Vonnegut), Armageddon in Retrospect (Vonnegut), and started Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain) on the drive there. I finished Kitchen Confidential and started up The Road (Cormac McCarthy) while I was there. On the drive back I finished up The Road and read through A Man Without a Country (Vonnegut).

I really enjoyed Kitchen Confidential because I love Bourdain's show on the Travel channel and I love eating food. The Road is just a really good book as many people here seem to have found out. All of the Vonnegut I read wasn't anything outstanding like Slaughterhouse Five but I enjoy reading his writing and seeing what he has to say about various topics.
 
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