What are you currently reading?

[stevejfarms]

I can agree with that. I have read some weaker stories from King (Cell), and some excellent ones (The Stand), the others are somewhere between all that on the spectrum, and I still have dozens to go. Have you read Joe Hill's books? I liked NOS4A2 enough to put Horns and Heart-Shaped Box on my list once I have some room. Plus, Joe Hill's author's note following the end of NOS4A2 specifically mentioned Lonesome Dove as one of the books he considers the "great American novel" and pushed me to finally start it.

No I haven’t I’ll have to check him out

 

[MarvB]

Just reread an older CJ Box novel, Free Fire, and wondered about the Yellowstone “Zone of Death”. Any thoughts on that as to it being “outside the reach of the law, even murder?”

 

[thatsjet]

Currently reading Mark Goodwin's Kingdom of Darkness series. End times apocalyptic novels seem appropriate about now.

 

[golfer]

Just reread an older CJ Box novel, Free Fire, and wondered about the Yellowstone “Zone of Death”. Any thoughts on that as to it being “outside the reach of the law, even murder?”

It’s a real concern to some. I read a news article a while back of some law professor pushing to get the zone of death area fixed. Want to say the professor was from Michigan.

 

[Jbotto]

After picking it up at a wonderful used bookstore in Eastern Washington a few years ago, I have started reading “Robert Ruark, the Lost Classics” by Jim Casada. I think I’ll pick up a few more Ruark books after this one. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get to him.

 

[MarvB]

It’s a real concern to some. I read a news article a while back of some law professor pushing to get the zone of death area fixed. Want to say the professor was from Michigan.

Did a little more looking online, interesting on how it came to be and that such a thing actually exists.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I tried Dune recently and just could not get into it. Too boring... but I'm of the understanding that it's a pretty divisive read, with not many people falling outside of the love/hate camps.

A lot of the sci-fi/fantasy I really enjoy I find you have to commit to the first 100 pages, versus books that are compelling from page 1. With Dune you really have to read until the sacking of House Atreides, if they get to Sietch Tabr and your still like meh, then yeah it's just not a story for you, but if you put it down before then you are doing yourself a disservice IMHO.

I’m not saying one is better than the other, just that some authors build a world then tell their story, others tell the story and give you details about the world on the way, I think the latter is more popular these days.

Lord of the Rings is actually a slow build, but I think 1 in 1000 people have actually read it versus watched the movies. It’s like 1/3 of the way through the first book before you get past the birthday party.

So, if you like Dune you will probably like Asimov’s Foundation series or a lot of the books by Neil Stephenson; Anathem is my favorite. These are slow builders.

If you find Dune plodding, then you probably would like Enders Game/Hunger Games/Red Rising/Silo series. IMHO these books have immediate appeal.

Also I’d maybe avoid Russian authors

 

[golfer]

Did a little more looking online, interesting on how it came to be and that such a thing actually exists.

Right? And I think that that was the thought process of the guy who wrote the article. How do we allow something like this to exist, we know about it and it’s not right but we won’t fix it?

 

[MarvB]

Right? And I think that that was the thought process of the guy who wrote the article. How do we allow something like this to exist, we know about it and it’s not right but we won’t fix it?

...almost sounds like our government at its best...

 

[Irrelevant]

Just wrapped up The Revenant. Much better than the movie, but a little anti climatic.

Moving onto Snow Leopard. Just started but the authors description of 1970's Tibet is raw, almost brutal. Definitely not the Nat Geo flashy money shots type description.

 

[WIbiggame]

Just finished "That Wild Country" by Mark Kenyon. Great read on his adventures traveling to different public places and than the history of how our public lands became what they are today.

 

[44hunter45]

After picking it up at a wonderful used bookstore in Eastern Washington a few years ago, I have started reading “Robert Ruark, the Lost Classics” by Jim Casada. I think I’ll pick up a few more Ruark books after this one. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to get to him.

What store? I'm always looking for used reads.

 

[44hunter45]

Just finished "That Wild Country" by Mark Kenyon. Great read on his adventures traveling to different public places and than the history of how our public lands became what they are today.

Me too. As bi-polar as I am, I start a lot of books but don't finish them. I was in a hotel for work this last week and decided I want to read instead of watching in-room HBO.

 

[44hunter45]

A lot of the sci-fi/fantasy I really enjoy I find you have to commit to the first 100 pages, versus books that are compelling from page 1. With Dune you really have to read until the sacking of House Atreides, if they get to Sietch Tabr and your still like meh, then yeah it's just not a story for you, but if you put it down before then you are doing yourself a disservice IMHO.

I’m not saying one is better than the other, just that some authors build a world then tell their story, others tell the story and give you details about the world on the way, I think the latter is more popular these days.

Lord of the Rings is actually a slow build, but I think 1 in 1000 people have actually read it versus watched the movies. It’s like 1/3 of the way through the first book before you get past the birthday party.

So, if you like Dune you will probably like Asimov’s Foundation series or a lot of the books by Neil Stephenson; Anathem is my favorite. These are slow builders.

If you find Dune plodding, then you probably would like Enders Game/Hunger Games/Red Rising/Silo series. IMHO these books have immediate appeal.

Also I’d maybe avoid Russian authors

For long intros there is nothing like Tolkien's, "The Silmarillion".

IMHO - Herbert and Orson Scott Card end up being L.Ron Hubbard. They all feel to me like they've started believing the religion they created for their Universe. For a real yawner, try Asimov's bible commentary.

I am a big Brandon Sanderson fan. While he has created religions for his Cosmere universe, he seems to have found a good balance and not drunk his own kool-aid.

I gave up on GOT after the second book. Martin builds a character until the reader is invested, and then sadistically kills them. It seems to me like he does it just to screw with readers.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

For long intros there is nothing like Tolkien's, "The Silmarillion".

IMHO - Herbert and Orson Scott Card end up being L.Ron Hubbard. They all feel to me like they've started believing the religion they created for their Universe. For a real yawner, try Asimov's bible commentary.

I am a big Brandon Sanderson fan. While he has created religions for his Cosmere universe, he seems to have found a good balance and not drunk his own kool-aid.

I grok that...

Though I think those that drink their own koolaid have the most authentic worlds... Sanderson always comes off as a bit detached , probably why he can actually finish a series... very good but not great...

 

[44hunter45]

I grok that...

Though I think those that drink their own koolaid have the most authentic worlds... Sanderson always comes off as a bit detached for me, probably why he can actually finish a series... very good but not great...

I never did finish WoT. Were Sanderson's parts as good as Jordan's?

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I never did finish WoT. Were Sanderson's parts as good as Jordan's?

Not as good as books 3-5 which I thought were the best but on par with the last couple, and he finished the series off well IMHO... though he ruthlessly merc’d half the cast.

 

[cedahm]

So, if you like Dune you will probably like Asimov’s Foundation series or a lot of the books by Neil Stephenson; Anathem is my favorite. These are slow builders.

I wouldn’t have tied Herbert to Stephenson, but that’s a good comparison, IMO. Love Stephenson’s stuff.

I have somehow managed to get into back to back ‘chasing the record fish’ books from the same guy (Monte Burke) the last couple weeks.

Sowbelly - about the quest for the record Largemouth. Well written and very interesting ‘characters’ (real life people)

Lords of the Fly - same but about world record tarpon. Starts in Key West c. 1960’s with Buffet, Harrison, et al partying as hard as they fished and follows the big name fly fishing guys (Huff, Pallot, Apte, etc) to Homosassa and presumably beyond (still not done with this one)

I have no interest in records but the level of detail and attention these guys put in to their life’s quest is fascinating. ntm, I’ll read any book that has Jim Harrison in it.

 

[BearFoot]

Healing is/has been practiced for thousands of years. Thousands of years! With great success using natural remedy's, diet and habit change creating miracle results. Yet it is called alternative medicine in the west.

 

[crouchgc]

Hunt Talk