Reading List (2 Viewers)

[sugared plum]

Yeah, her name's Nikki Gemmell. my mum told me that she's all happily married and never had an affair, so it's not based on a true story.

I thought it was going to be like 'how to have great sex; what women want in bed' sort of, but it was a lot about marriage, 'liberation' through good sex. I don't want to spoil the story, but some of it is quite awful - eg the random taxi driver orgy - and for me the end was an anti-climax. But the lover is sooo good, it sort of made up for it.

 

[eveajac]

having finished extension history, YAY i am finally taking up my favourite pastime again! reading!
last night i started 'Mao's Last Dancer', its a biography of Li Cunxin. So far it is fantastic...add that one everyone!

 

[lazybum]

i recommend Lord of the Flies to anyone who is interested in the evils of human nature.
whoever said Lord of the Rings - what the? my sister asked me to get it out of the library for her, she didn't read it so i took a look at it. how can you read somethin so fantastical and surreal?!

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Based on what I've read so far these 'holidays', I'd add to the various texts suggested in this thread;

James Joyce-Dubliners. (A great collection of short stories in the realist style, especially 'The Dead'. Gotta like Joyce.)

 

[ameh]

wild swans by adeline mah is great! *three daughters of china

fantasy: narnia the collection is amazing

 

[lengstar]

who's the guy who wrote dirt music? i forget. he's an australian writer. anyways if you find out read 'Jessica'.
'Falling Leaves' by... i forget that too.

 

[spin spin sugar]

Originally posted by lengstar
who's the guy who wrote dirt music? i forget. he's an australian writer.

tim winton?

 

[lengstar]

wait wrong guy i think.
bryce courtney wrote 'jessica'

 

[babydoll_]

Originally posted by amoz_lilo
wild swans by adeline mah is great! *three daughters of china

err correction

Wild Swans - Three Daughters of China is by Jung Chang
Falling Leaves is by Adeline Yen Mah

 

[timmii]

Originally posted by arls
Is Utopia good? wait, if its such a small book I may as well just read it! Shouldnt take long anyway...

Yes it is...I read a new translation which aimed to keep the spirit of the texts - i.e its humour and satire rather than *strict* old english translation, so it was *very* enjoyable - i even laughed out loud a few times. Very clever

I am currently reading a fairly tawdry book "a thousand days in venice" by Marlena de Blasi, its a tad self indulgent, but since i'll be *in* venice in 6 weeks i'm enjoying the place references

Also just read 2 grishams "king of torts" and "the summons" - both really below par. I'm not a massive grisham fan but i have liked some of his earlier work, and these lacked the originality, intelligence and vitality of "the runaway jury" (for example). If you really feel compelled for a legal drama, king of torts is better, but the summons is actually rather bad *sigh* what a shame.

 

[Courtenay]

i'm reading the da vinci code!!! its a very cool book, although i wouldn't read it if you are opus day, or catholic and masogonistic....
go the sacred feminine
but i would recommend it to anyone who doesnt fit into the previously stated categories

 

[lengstar]

Sun Tzu's The Art Of War?

 

[PacifistWarrior]

Originally posted by lengstar
Sun Tzu's The Art Of War?

I have read it. It's pretty good.

 

[lengstar]

I have read it, it was crap, i didn't get it. Most was based on history and the actually art of war was sooo obvious a 3 year old who plays chess could come up with better tactics.

 

[Newbie]

surely you jest

Originally posted by lengstar
it was crap, i didn't get it.

....
oh

 

[lengstar]

i didn't get the point of the text, the reason for it's existence

 

[Newbie]

WHY DO WE EXIST?

jeez man

 

[Abe]

Originally posted by lengstar
I have read it, it was crap, i didn't get it. Most was based on history and the actually art of war was sooo obvious a 3 year old who plays chess could come up with better tactics.

heh.

 

[Alexander]

lol. I know what you mean. Art of War is like 'The Little Red Book' (Mao's vision of communist china etc) I was very dissapointed with that eg "Chairman Mao on military tactics: 'to defeat the enemy, we must overwhelm them with superior numbers and make sure they are in no position to defeat us'"...chyeah...thanks Mao...maybe it's something to do with language translation etc.

Anyway, books that i'd include to this big list would be:
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
All Quiet on the Western front
Catch-22
Brave New World
War Diaries of Weary Dunlop
...thats all i can think of right now...

 

[ae]

pretty funny how some of you kids found Art of War by Sun Tzu "crap" and shallow in strategy.

you know, Sun Tzu was worship as one of China great war stategist, for his profound knowledge of battle, in the era.

but, maybe lengstar and Alexander are a better strategist than Sun Tzu. therefore, can come up with ideas that excel Sun Tzu's?

edit:
I recommend "Three Kingdoms" by Lou Guanzhong, for anyone interested in Art of War, as many of its strategies were implimented in the story. involve characters such as Cao Cao, Zhuge Liang.

Free at www.threekingdoms.com
If you want to buy the book, get Moss Robert' translation, i found this one better.

PS: maybe you should re-read art of war it to understand it more.