What are you reading?

A place for members to talk about things outside of Virgin Islands travel.
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augie
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Post by augie »

I think the next one I plan to read is "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.
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flip-flop
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Post by flip-flop »

augie wrote:I think the next one I plan to read is "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch.
I saw his lecture on youtube a while ago and it is simply amazing. Very powerful stuff. There was also a special on last night (dateline or one of those shows) about him that I tivo'd. Can't wait to watch it.
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augie
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Post by augie »

I saw the lecture on video as well - I've ordered a DVD of the original uncut speech he gave at Carnegie Mellon.

Watched the primetime show last night as well - you won't be sorry you tivo'ed it!

I recorded it on our DVR so Leslie can see it - she fell asleep before it came on.
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liamsaunt
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Post by liamsaunt »

I finished reading the Appeal this morning. Boo. I hated the ending. I am depressed now. :(
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PA Girl
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Post by PA Girl »

I finished The Outlaw Sea last night. It is a non-fiction book about the global shipping industry. (yes, I am a geek)

Full of pirates, rogue operators, and the like. Interesting and well written.
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flip-flop
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Post by flip-flop »

We should start a book exchange. Liamsaunt have you read Fieldwork? I think you would like it based on your reading list thus far. I'd be happy to send it to you.

I am still struggling with Case Histories but have the Appeal, Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven on my nightstand waiting patiently for their turn!
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Chet
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Post by Chet »

Into Thin Air and Under the Banner of Heaven on my nightstand waiting patiently for their turn!
Krakauer should have stayed with the outdoors genre. Into Thin Air is gripping, as is Into the Wild. UTBH is timely, with the FLDS polyg's in the news (Warren Jeffs went down and Eldorado is a mess). But the book is a narrative, historical description of the LDS/FLDS and events leading up to a horrible crime. Not his best work.
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

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liamsaunt
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Post by liamsaunt »

flip-flop wrote:We should start a book exchange. Liamsaunt have you read Fieldwork? I think you would like it based on your reading list thus far. I'd be happy to send it to you.
I have not read that one, actually. A book exchange could be fun! I give away a lot of my books anyway, so I'd be happy to share with fellow forumites instead of boxing them up for Got Books or the library book sale.
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
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patr
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Post by patr »

I never think to look at the "off topic" forum! I've been missing out.

I am currently reading Jodi Picoult's Mercy, just finished her Nineteen Minutes and Harvesting the Heart. All great reads, I recently discovered her and am now trying to catch up.


I love the Caribbean reads, An Embarrassment of Mangos, A Trip to the Beach, etc. Has anyone read Keep Left, what'd you think of it?
Patr

~~Longing to be back on St. John~~
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sherban
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Post by sherban »

I just read "Wide Sargasso Sea" and sorry to say I really did not like it. It was just too dark for me...too much insanity, hatred and racism...it really wasn't fun for me. I think I just wanted something more upbeat and modern...well, at least upbeat.

This one felt like Poe's "Tell Tale Heart", or something...understood that's what it was supposed to feel like..I just didn't like that feel. If I had done my research before reading it, I would have known better...
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liamsaunt
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Post by liamsaunt »

Bumping up this old thread because I am looking for more suggestions on stuff to read. We went through a ton of books on our vacation--I'll post the whole list with thoughts later.

I just finished reading two books--the new David Sedaris, which was only OK, mainly because I had already read about 1/3 of it as the stories had been previously published in the New Yorker. My other recent read was AMAZING book by Andre Dubus III--The Garden of Last Days. I highly recommend it. Do note that the main character is a stripper and there is some sexual stuff in it if that bothers you.

Sherban, I recently reread Wide Sargasso Sea, and man, you are right. I forgot how dark it was.
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waterguy
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Post by waterguy »

Just started wicked Not far enough into yet to let you know how I like it.
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LysaC
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Post by LysaC »

I did some local theatre with Andre Dubus III when I was in highschool. Really nice guy. As a side note, he's really hot (or at least he was :D ).

I liked Wicked but the end kinda fizzled for me. The Elphaba character has stuck with me though and I think that's the sign of a good writer.

Janet Evanovich's 14th (Fearless Fourteen I think) Stephanie Plum book is due out in a week or so! Very excited!!

I just read The Lobster Chronicles by Linda Greenlaw. Quick read about life as a lobster fisher(wo)man on a small island off the Maine coast. Linda is pretty funny and very down-to-earth and I could relate to a lot of the small town (small island) quirkiness.

I also just finished The Glass Castle. Did one of you reccomend it? Really good- I read it all the way through on a lazy Sunday.

Right now I'm reading the latest National Geographic- does anyone else read NG? I used to read them as a kid for the awesome pictures and now I've rediscovered them as an adult for the content AND the pictures!
mia
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Post by mia »

The Monster of Florence

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel
It takes both the sun and the rain to make a beautiful rainbow. --Unknown
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flip-flop
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Post by flip-flop »

I just read "Beach Road" by James Patterson and someone else last weekend at the beach. It was a quick easy read. Nothing earth shattering but perfect for the beach.

I am now about mid-way through "Under the Banner of Heaven" - definitely not a light read but fascinating esp. considering what's been going on w/ the Fundamentalist group in Texas.

Would love more suggestions!
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