1. dushechka

    dushechka New Member

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    Most Recent Book(s) You've Finished + What You Thought Of It

    Discussion in 'Discussion of Published Works' started by dushechka, Aug 3, 2007.

    Pretty self explanatory.

    Rate it too, if you'd like.





    Most recently finished I Am Legend, and I greatly enjoyed it. One of the best fiction books I've ever read. : ) 5/5 by far, though I didn't particularly like the ending.

    Currently reading The Real Middle Earth by Brian Bates, which is pretty interesting.. Haven't gotten very far yet though.

    Also reading The Catcher in the Rye for the first time.. I'm kind of shocked as to how well known this novel is, considering I haven't really seen any plot lines yet, and I'm half way through.. Still a great angsty book though. Definitely enjoying it.
     
  2. Crazy Ivan

    Crazy Ivan New Member

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    Just finished Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire. Really great- I thought that the way he pulled off revitalizing existing Oz material with Wicked was, well, wicked. As in wicked awesome. But to be able to continue that theme on into totally new material and still keep it an interesting read- that's five levels of mind-blowingness higher altogether.
    Plus, he uses words like paint and philosophy like a canvas; his writing contends with Diane Duane for being the most like a poem in prose form. Beautiful stuff. And the way he brings themes and plots and ideas into a circling, complete, and yet open, circuit- is amazing.
     
  3. DivineLemon

    DivineLemon New Member

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    I finished The Struggle by L.J. Smith.

    I thought this book was phenomenal! The plot was breath taking. I am very interested in stories that revolve around the supernatural and hers captured all the needed feelings and so much more. I was impressed.
     
  4. Novel Novice

    Novel Novice New Member

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    Just finished Deathly Hallows

    Awesome story, good read!
     
  5. PrincessGarnet

    PrincessGarnet New Member

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    Finished Dostoevsky - The Idiot yesterday.

    It wasn't an easy read but it was definitely worth it. The ending was perfect (although i was a bit annoyed that i found out what happened when I was 10 pages from finishing) and there were some very touching moments in it. The characters are unique.

    Some parts did seem quite drawn out, but it was meant to feel like regular life.

    I felt that most of it was putting dotoevsky's views across on various topics such as Europe vs Russia, capital punishment, the papacy amonst some other things. But I did enjoy his arguments on some topics and it does make you think.

    I found it hard to keep up with all the different characters but it's Russian and from all the books i have read that appears to be about right. I would recommend this book, but I imagine quite a few people would find it hard to read if not used to classics. But if you do manage to read it, it's a book that definitely stays with you.
    ----------------
    Now on to Anna Karenina, which at 900 + pages should take sometime, but i should finish it before i go to Russia...
     
  6. Funny Bunny

    Funny Bunny New Member

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    Tough Guys Don't Dance
    Norman Mailer

    review below-- don't know how I did this!
     
  7. Funny Bunny

    Funny Bunny New Member

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    "Tough Guys Don't Dance," its an older book (1984) by Norman Mailer. Not for the squeamish, 18 and above. Lots of crude sex, disgusting murder, hideous corpse removal efforts, crooked cops, drugs and alcoholism.
    Book Report:
    The language is terrific. The description is great. The emotional state of the main character is expert level. If you want to learn to write, go to the pros. I loved the writing and am hooked on Mailer now. People say he is narcissistic, but I don't care. If that is Narcissism, bring it on! He writes with profound detail. His characters are nasty, aloof, have bad habits, you wont like them. They are not "likable," certainly not cute and cuddly, but they are wonderfully vulnerable and sympathetic. This story involves Tim Madden an alcoholic writer who lives in Provincetown RI. (By the way, Mailer gives great writing advice in this book). His beloved but estranged wife has vanished. He finds that two women in town (who look like twins) have disappeared and he is connected to both. He finds that the cop husband of an old lover means to implicate him. Somehow, he figures out a very complected web of coincidences/ spiritualists/ homosexuals/ nasty ex-lovers/ rotten cops. He also gets in tune with the vibes of the universe and his dying father helps him. Worthwhile for those learning prose writing...especially if their path leads them to hard boiled crime or noir-- this is both.
     
  8. dushechka

    dushechka New Member

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    I finally finished The Catcher in the Rye last month. While I enjoyed it, I thought it could have been so much better. (Or maybe my expectations were too high; for so long I heard how good it was.. when really.. there was no plot, and it was angsty and poorly written). That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, because I really did. My preconceptions just got in the way. - 3/5

    I'm currently reading "The Swastika - A Sign Beyond Redemption?" I can't remember who wrote it, but the history of the sign is amazing to think about. Well written book.
     
  9. Lirael

    Lirael New Member

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    The last one I FINISHED... That would have been "A Certain Slant of Light". I bought it because it was cross referenced with "Twilight" on Amazon. Many of the people on there who had enjoyed "A Certain Slant of Light" had read it because they had heard it was similar. So I tried it out, and here's what I thought...

    The story, based on a ghost like character called Helen, had some great ideas. There were some interesting theories and several moments in the book had me thinking Philosophically. It was certainly a beautiful book, full of beautiful characters. There were some twists in it, although I can't say any were deeply surprising (apart from one event near the end of the book).

    The main characters, Helen and James, were certainly interesting and held a lot of secrets - that not even they knew- but out of the secrets divulged, only the nature of Helen's death was a true surprise.

    I also felt that the flow of the story could have been much better. The relationship between Helen and James developed too rapidly, and that ruined the rest too much.

    There were also moments where the characters appeared just a little bit too desperate in their situations. There were a lot of extremes in it, from deeply religious and smothering parents to a verbally and physically abusive brother of a drug addict. I guess it helped to show the different types of corruption in the world. It showed that anything is bad if it's too extreme for comfort.

    Despite its flaws, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "Twilight". Okay, don't search for the same pure love there is in "Twilight", but do pick it up and read it. It's certainly worth it.
     
  10. Kaathy

    Kaathy New Member

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    Hi :)

    The last book I finished was Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. Its the third one in her Twillight Series. When I first started reading them I wasn't to sure as it's about vampires and books like that tend to be quite stereotypical however I was pleasantly surprised. They are all beautifully written and though I prefered the first, I like them all :D

    Currently reading What I Was by Meg Rosof. Again, loved her first book "How I Live Now", really touched me, but not got into this one quite as much. I'll see how I feel at the end I guess.

    PS. Just realised the post above talked about Twilight also. What did you think?
     
  11. TWErvin2

    TWErvin2 Contributor Contributor

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    Gust Front by John Ringo. Pretty good if you like Military SF. Maybe about 50 pages too long, but for a 700 page novel, not bad.

    It's the second in the Posleen War series (Finished A Hymn Before Battle about two weeks before that, and started the third in the series, When the Devil Dances this weekend). So far the first is the best but the others are not far off.

    It's the best Military SF book(s) I've come across since Armor by John Steakley.

    Terry
     
  12. Daniel

    Daniel I'm sure you've heard the rumors Founder Staff

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    Recently finished Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud. I started reading the trilogy several years ago and loved it, even though it's for younger/mid teens. It's fantasy dealing with magicians and demons. Loved it.
     
  13. mypensmysoul

    mypensmysoul New Member

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    I just finished both Crank and Burned by Ellen Hopkins. Both are told in fabulous poetry.

    Burned talks about religion and how one girl's religion (Mormonism, although the book is not anti-Morman at all..) almost killed her.

    Crank is the transformation of a character, at first straight-edge -had never done drugs, had sex, cursed, etc.- into a drug addict after trying the 'Monster' -Crank.


    Both fabulous pieces of work. We all know the character in a friend or a part of us personally. :) I am looking foreward to reading the sequel to Crank, Glass soon.
     
  14. lessa

    lessa New Member

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    I just finished Golden Compass waiting to find the 2nd before I read the 3rd.
    I am now reading Owl Flight and plan on reading Owl Night. by mercedes lackey/

    books I never felt like reading and they are turning out to be really interesting to me.
     
  15. swordfish

    swordfish New Member

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    I've just finished "The Tenderness of Wolves", by Stef Penney.

    I thought it was pretty good. :)
     
  16. Crazy Ivan

    Crazy Ivan New Member

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    Alex and the Ironic Gentleman by Adrienne Kress.
    It's the best book I've read in a long, looong time. Like humorous magical realism for all ages- except ten times more impossible to describe, and one hundred percent awesome. Read it. Read it noooooow.
    (NOTE: In the UK it's called "Alex and the Wigpowder Treasure," I think.)
     
  17. MarcG

    MarcG New Member

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    I keep seeing this post and forgetting it just as soon, so I'll just post what I've read in the last few weeks. :p

    Candide - hilarious. Knowledge of the time will only add to the humor, as it was a satire of everything Voltaire saw wrong in the world in the late 1750s.

    Temple of the Golden Pavilion - not sure if it was the translation but I couldn't really get into the book. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that great. Definitely an interesting read, but I didn't think Mishima dealt with psychology all that well.

    Nausea - Loved it! I was surprised at how coherent the thoughts were despite the language hop. It was definitely... interesting.

    The Idiot - It rivaled Brothers K in length, but it was even better. The ending destroyed me. :(
     
  18. andycerrone

    andycerrone New Member

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    Recently?

    Herman Hesse- Siddhartha. Great book, full of great info and a relatively simple plot.

    Just reread Gulliver's Travels. Fantastic collection.

    Hemingway- The Sun Also Rises. Arguably one of his best works. I feel he's given a bad rap for his misogynist beliefs (which I don't agree with) but this does not replace the fact he is an incredible writer. This might be my favorite piece by him (def novel, Hills Like White Elephants is possibly his best work IMO), his ability to develop the entire piece is completely incredible.

    Currently reading All Souls again, a memoir about a family in South Boston during the integration of blacks into Irish Southie. Seeing as it's down the street, it touches home a bit. Also reading Go Down Moses from Faulkner and Welcome to the Monkey House from Vonnegut.
     
  19. Shreyass

    Shreyass New Member

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    Ken Follett's Triple. Good spy thriller.
     
  20. PrincessGarnet

    PrincessGarnet New Member

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    Think yourself lucky i was close to finishing it, when someone told me the ending. I was raging as i had spent weeks reading it and was only about 20 pages from finishing it. Good book though, although a bit tireing in parts.


    I recently finished Other voices, other rooms - Truman Capote. Not bad, full of homosexuals and ghosts what more can you want :p
     
  21. MarcG

    MarcG New Member

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    That's unfortunate. I've been meaning to pick up some Capote - probably In Cold Blood, but for some reason I just don't. *shrugs*

    Sophie's World - a general history of philosophy from the Greeks to Sartre (early 20th existentialist) tied into a delightful story. (I hate the word, but it is the only good description.)
     
  22. PrincessGarnet

    PrincessGarnet New Member

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    Yeah In Cold Blood is probably his best work. Its very good I read it last year.
     
  23. Lemex

    Lemex That's Lord Lemex to you. Contributor

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    Tetrarch - Ian Irvine

    It was a good book, and a good follow up to Geomancer with is one of my favourte novels ever written. Just a bit drawn out in places.
     
  24. Milady

    Milady Active Member

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    A couple of the books I've recently finished have been mentioned, but here goes.

    Burned and Impulse, by Ellen Hopkins. Both are written in free verse, and are aimed more for mature teens. I enjoyed them, but though I should have been expecting this since I read Crank, I was still disappointed with the endings. I'm more of a happy-ending kind of person, really.

    I had to read Siddhartha (Herman Hesse) for English. I liked it for its simplicity and ease of reading, though it's mainly an introspective novel and takes a bit of patience to get through.

    I also finished Good Omens, a collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. It's hilarious--sort of like what would happen if Douglas Adams had written the book of Revelations. It's a sort of apocalyptic story that follows the events right up to the end of the world... and beyond?
     
  25. Running Up That Hill

    Running Up That Hill New Member

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    Dom Juan (Molière)
    A French classic, published around the century of absolutism.

    I really liked the fact that this piece of work was so controversial at that time that it had to be censored in some places. The 'hero' truly becames an 'anti-idol' and turns out to be a blasphemic, hypocritical and contemptuous character - ending up in hell with no regrets. Must have been very spectacular at that period of time.

    Ignoring the fact that plays as such really ain't my cup of tea, I partly enjoyed it. The language was rough. Although I've been studying French for a long time now, I'm still not familiar with most of the vocabulary.
     

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