"Apocalypse Now" was like a whole other movie when I watched it shortly after re-reading Heart of Darkness. Amaaaazing.

I just finished the modern classic "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, and really liked it.

The writing stuck me as being like a dark and ominous poem, packed with descriptiveness and multiple layers of meaning.

All that, in only 146 pages.

The other day I read a book (within 24 hours - 94 pages) called Pobby and Dingan by Ben Rice. I heard about it through a previous book The Faith Club. It is the story of a young girl and her imaginary friends (the title characters) who are missing. Much spiritual basis.

Now I'm into Lean Mean Thirteen. Despite having 4 signed copies in the house, I waited for the libraries copy. Typical Stephanie Plum/ Janet Evanovich. Good quick read.

Linda

Everyone should read this one...

"The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

"The Glass Castle" is a remarkable memoir of resilience and redemption, and a revelatory look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant and charismatic father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who abhorred the idea of domesticitiy and didn't want the responsibility of raising a family.

The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents folled them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

I couldn't put it down!

cate, you might also like Deep Economy by Bill McKibben, which is about trying to "relocalize" the economy, especially the food economy. It's a fascinating read so far.

I'm now reading Jim's book, alternating with Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. That is an amazing book, and I've already decided that next year I am going to try to eat local for an entire year.

quote:

Originally posted by Tayhudson:
Last night I started "Confessions of a Pagan Nun" by Kate Horsley. I only read the first few pages before I fell asleep last night, and it seems like it might be a really good book. (Well written).

Dawn

I really liked this book. It was beautifully written.

It is kind of sad, but not in a break down and cry sort of a way. It makes you think.

Dawn

No wonder Middlesex is out/on hold everywhere!

I'm reading An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, by Elizabeth David.

Also have the most recent book in The Dresden Files, by Jim Butcher, haven't opened it yet..
His Dresden Files books are somewhat "stand alone" in that you don't have to know the back story to enjoy them.

I just finished The machine's child, by Kage Baker, which I loved. You have to read the entire series for this one to make sense, though.

A must read!!

"Flight"
Sherman Alexie

(from Barnes & Noble)
Product Details
ISBN: 0802170374
ISBN-13: 9780802170378
Format: Paperback, 181pp
Publisher: Grove Press, Black Cat

From the Publisher
The best-selling author of multiple award-winning books returns with his first novel in ten years,
a powerful, fast and timely story of a troubled foster teenager — a boy who is not a “legal” Indian because he was never claimed by his father — who learns the true meaning of terror. About to commit a devastating act, the young man finds himself shot back through time on a shocking sojourn through moments of violence in American history. He resurfaces in the form of an FBI agent during the civil rights era, inhabits the body of an Indian child during the battle at Little Big Horn, and then rides with an Indian tracker in the 19th Century before materializing as an airline pilot jetting through the skies today. When finally, blessedly, our young warrior comes to rest again in his own contemporary body, he is mightily transformed by all he’s seen.
This is Sherman Alexie at his most brilliant — making us laugh while breaking our hearts. Simultaneously wrenching and deeply humorous, wholly contemporary yet steeped in American history, Flight is irrepressible, fearless, and again, groundbreaking Alexie.

From The Critics
S. Kirk Walsh - The New York Times
Mr. Alexie is no stranger to this brand of gutsy writing. With 17 volumes of fiction and poetry to his name, he has established an impressive literary reputation as a bold writer who goes straight for the aorta. He is in the business of making his readers laugh and cry. And his most recent novel is no exception … Right up to the novel’s final sentence, Mr. Alexie succeeds yet again with his ability to pierce to the heart of matters, leaving this reader with tears in her eyes.

ME TOO!!

Not my usual style of book (recommended by a new on-line friend ) but I couldn't put it down. It was a quick read.

3 books I just finshed reading (all were excellent- if you like Legal,Detective type books)

1. THE INNOCENT MAN.. BY JOHN GRISHAM

2. RETRIBTIONN........BY JILLIANE HOFFMAN

3. LAST WITNESS.......BY JILLIANE HOFFMAN

On #1 this was J.G's first non-fiction
On #2-3 (read #2 first and the story more or less continues to #3)

Back cover of the book states she was an" Assistant State Attorney and a Regionl Legal Advisor for the Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement, advising special agents on criminal and civil matters ranging from narctotice to organized crimes."

There are some grusome parts, but I couldn't put these to books down........

The book "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad is in the mail to me from Amazon.com.

It must be a good book, because "Great Books of the 20th Century" is printed right on the front cover. -lol

From Amazon.com:

"A masterpiece of twentieth-century writing, Heart of Darkness (1902) exposes the tenuous fabric that holds "civilization" together and the brutal horror at the center of European colonialism. Conrad's crowning achievement recounts Marlow's physical and psychological journey deep into the heart of the Belgian Congo in search of the mysterious trader Kurtz."

Smart Women Finish Rich!!! I let you know if it is true!!

Last night I started "Confessions of a Pagan Nun" by Kate Horsley. I only read the first few pages before I fell asleep last night, and it seems like it might be a really good book. (Well written).

Dawn

I'm not sure if I posted that I finished Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods." I had a hard time getting into it (found it boring, in fact, before the point where they actually start the Appalachian Trail hike), but ended up liking most of the rest of the book. Wouldn't say "WOW, That's the BEST book I EVER read!" but I did enjoy it.

I'm about a third or so through Hosseini's "Thousand Suns" (that's not the full title) and am really enjoying it.

I came home yesterday to find that my best friend in Delaware sent me a book called "An Authentic Woman - Soulwork for the Wisdom Years" to prepare me for the next phase of my life--retirement and finding my fulfillment in different ways. I started it last night. The first chapter is a little too "New Agey" for me, but I'm hoping I will enjoy it on the whole and find food for thought.

I just finished the modern classic "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger:

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them. They’re quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father. They’re nice and all -- I’m not saying that -- but they’re also touchy as hell. Besides, I’m not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I’ll just tell you about…"

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Sheltieguy,

quote:

Originally posted by SpaceCityPaula:
Reading and re-reading New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove...

BTW, "Men's Health Ultimate Dumbbell Guide: More Than 21,000 Moves Designed to Build Muscle, Increase Strength, and Burn Fat"
by Myatt Murphy is scheduled to be released in July. It's 288 pages, so at least it's thicker than most dumbbell books.

MH magazine gives me the creeps, but their Home Workout Bible is pretty decent.

Reading and re-reading New Rules of Lifting by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. One of the best put together books on resistance training that I have seen (I will say this book is geared towards guys and the language is less than politically correct). Schuler has written for Men's Health and Muscle and fitness and Cosgrove is a very respected trainer in the LA Area and is known for putting together workouts that "Make fat cells surrender."

There are 10 different programs that are geared towards different goals
Break-in - which is recommended for everyone regardless of what program they are interesting. I did this program for 2 weeks and had great results.

Fat-Loss 1,2,3 - Geared specifically towards fat loss. I start Fat Loss 1 tomorrow and will do this routine for the next 7 weeks.

Strength 1,2,3 - Geared towards increasing strength in lifts.

Hypertrophy 1,2,3 - Geared towards increasing muscle mass.

The book includes information about how to do particular exercises along with information for figuring out your calorie intake. It also gives very good information about how resistance training acts on the muscles and what sorts of exercises you can do for cardio beyond running, stairmasters, and treadmills.

Has anyone read Robin Robert's, of GMA fame, book,
Seven Steps to Living? I think that's the title. Just wondering if it's as good as I've heard, before I sink big bucks in another "happy" book that isn't that good.

OH!
MY!
GOSH!

Every single one of you need to read A Thousand Splendid Suns. I wished I could have read it in one sitting rather than the 4 very busy days it took to read the 370 pages.

I think this book is even better than his first book The Kite Runner.

It is not chick-lit, yet I think that every one will feel for the women in this story - 2 Afghan women who have a common abusive husband. The book takes place over more than 25 years - just prior to the Soviet invasion of the country until almost present day (even 9/11).

A powerful read which stirs my social consciousness.

Now…what to move on to from there and what to take to NYC!!!

Linda

quote:

Originally posted by johnbol:
Did you see that Oprah's new book for over the summer is Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides?

I know you've already read it, Sheri.

Yes! I laughed out loud when I was watching my tape of yesterday's Oprah and she said that her summer book club choice was Middlesex! Not only was it my favorite book the year I read it (2005, I think?) but I had JUST mentioned it to the coworker who loaned me Suns yesterday as one she should read!

I really hope she does an author dinner and discussion of that book in the fall! I'd love to see that. It was a very unusual but really compelling and enjoyable story.