Read any good books lately?

De Passievrucht by Karel Glastra van Loon.

Both of these are re-reads actually.

Downbelow Station by CJ Cherryh

Einstein Plus Two by Petr Beckmann

The best I read this year:

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (SF)
The Code Book by Simon Singh (NF)
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (Fantasy)
Hidden Cities by Italo Calvino - I never used to have a favourite book as I couldn't possibly compare 'the best of the best'. Now I have a favourite book.

From a crop of about 35 they're the only ones I'd rate as being five out of five.

The Giver, by...I don't know, but it was good.
and
The Outsiders (I don't know that author either)

Lois Lowry is the probable author of the first, the second could be by any number of people, but my money would be on S.E. Hinton.

Midwives by Chris Bohjalian was awesome.

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski was by far the oddest book I've ever read.

The Postman by David Brin is one of my all time favorites.

Yeah, that was it. For both of them. Thanks!

oh yeah.. and my other favorite: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Yes, "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes I think. I've lent it to someone. It's the story of the colonisation of Australia by the British who needed to find a place to dump the poor slum dwellers and Irish dissidents. It was easy to rid the cities of poor people by making stealing offences punishable by transportation. Poor people always stole food or anything else to get by. Many families were separated and some wives committed crime in order to follow their husbands to Botany Bay. It took up to 8 months in the hold of ships, starving and covered in vermin to reach Australia. Many convicts had to be carried off the ships in chains because they were too weak.

It's a great book with a lot of history, a few laughs and some real eye opening chapters.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0394753666/o/qid=974660436/sr=2-1/105-1910616-8127947

sounds really interesting... I'm gonna look for that one at the library.

I am Ramtha
Don't Sweat the Small Stuff...and It's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, PH.D.
Conversations With God ~an uncommon dialogue~ Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch
How To Want What You Have ~Discovering the Magic and Grandeur of Ordinary Existence~ by Timothy Miller, PH.D.
The Mysteries of Isis~Her Worship and Magick~ by deTraci Regula

Books being or that have been read to me by my SO at night recently....
Harry Potter and The Sorcerers Stone by J.K.Rowling
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by J.K.Rowling
Skeleton Canyon by J.A.Jance

Iain M. Banks' new Culture book, "Look to Windward"

Not real recently. I started Philip K. Dick's "Confessions of a Crap Artist" a couple of months ago, I got about half way through it, and then put it down, and haven't managed to get back into it yet. It isn't one of my favourites of his. He is one of my favourite authors though.

The best book I've read this year was Miles Davis's autobiography. I've really been getting into his music for the last few years. I read a lot of non-fiction, and music oriented non-fiction especially. This is probably the best music biography I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them. One of the problems with books like that is they tend to be either written by fans who go overboard on the hero worship crap, or muckrakers like Albert Goldman who want to drag everyone's heroes down into the gutter. Miles Davis looks at himself in a surprisingly objective manner. He doesn't gloss over the bad stuff, and he doesn't pump himself up, yet he speaks with confidence about his achievements, which he is rightfully proud of.

Was "the Outsiders" assigned reading in your English class? I remember reading that book in Junior High. It was about a kid in the early 60s who was a greaseball gang member.

Interesting...the spell checker identified "greaseball", but it was in the dictionary. The dictionary defines it as a racial slur against Hispanics or Mediterraneans...(?) I'm not familiar with that usage. I was using it to describe the fellows in the 50s-70s who used to wear greasy pompadours and black leather jackets.

"Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card
"The Sparrow" and "Children of God" by Mary Doria Russell.
I'm really into science fiction.

I just finished Cordelia's Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold. Although I thought the characters, especially the female characters, were unusually weak for a book by a female author, it was quite a page-turner.

Oh, yes, Harry Potter IV kicked ass too.

i really really liked "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger...it was one of the best books i have read

Brilliant book!

The Great Transdendental Adventure by Kurma Dasa

Are the Harry Potters worth getting? I've been thinking about it..

the Harry Potter books are the only books I can think of that I've ever seen such a large cross-section of people (from serial-killer lovers to SF lovers to Harlequin romance readers) love.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond (anthropology)

Harry will worm his way into your heart and make you feel young and Magikal again. I want to BE Harry!!!!
They are Brilliant books!

The Harry Potter Books.

I just read an awesome book, which is the first and only book to eva make me cry!! It was 'The Atonement Child' by Francine Rivers.

and Romkey: Cool, I'll have to get myself on the waiting list (which I'm sure exists) at the Library.

The last good book I read was Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

How Few Remain and American Front by Harry Turtledove.

That's what it was in the book. Yeah, it was sort of assigned. We have to do four book reports beore Christmas, and we can choose from about 8 books.

by far, the greatest book i've ever read was Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. i don't know how to make links, but go to www.ishmael.org or by it. it's about the meaning of life

I already linked to amazon about it.

THE CHAMBER, BY JOHN GRISHEM

excellent. prepare to know the truch

excellent. prepare to know the truth

what truth?

I love the Harry Potter books!

stephen king. IT

The Story of It!

I've already read it.. twice.

I'm reading the Lord of the Rings right now. I'm about halfway through The Two Towers.

"Underworld" by Don Delillo was really good.

Lots of good books lately!

healing the soul of america by marianne williamson.

have you read any of the sequels?

Tried.. couldn't get into them... Daniel Quinn has some awesome ideas, but he doesn't write very well...

Ben Elton's 'popcorn' is brilliant!!!!

Unfortunately, no.... I'm looking forward to doing so in the holidays.

in My Ishmael (the book) he writes great, I thought

Ubik by Philip K Dick

mother of pearl-melinda hayes; pillars of the earth-ken follet

That is one of my very favourite books!

I like the kama sutra

The mars Trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson
The first three books in The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
The Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn
Why Do Clocks Run Clockwise by Dave Feldman

Re-read again, all 8 of the Anita Blake series written by Laurell K. Hamilton (if you like Vampires, Urban Fantasy, &/or Mysteries you'll LOVE them)

Finished Deed of Paksenarrion (all 3 books in the Trilogy) by Elizabeth Moon (Great Fantasy Epic)

Just started the first book in the Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett, almost done, so far I like it. (Kinda loopy humorous Fantasy books)

The Harry Potter Books rock! I've read all 4 that are out now 4 times each already & am looking for the 1st book in Chinese for my step-brother because he's having a bit of a problem fully comprehending the story in English. *Anyone who knows where I can get this copy, PLEASE reply & let me know!* Thanks

I'll be starting the 25th Discworld book as soon as I can spare the money If you persist with them you'll find they change a lot as the series progresses.

Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

The Wheel of Time series, Robert Jordan (the 9th one's out!) =)
Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
Border Music and Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, Robert James Waller

I've tried reading that, but i keep getting distracted

Some people think it's a terrible thing, some people think it's a great thing, and other people think any of the many ranges in between They got a bit less silly after the first few, some more serious ideas (but still humourous) and less reliance on puns. Lately they've also been getting a lot darker in tone (but again, still funny). Personally I thought the middle books were the best, but they've all been fairly good and opinions vary wildly on what is better.

Timeline by Michael Crichton.

"A Walk in the Woods" Bill Bryson. Nonfiction about the Appalacian Trail. "Music for Torching" A.M. Holmes about the insanity of suburbia. "Hope" Glen Duncan. Now I'm reading "Immortality" by Milan Kundera. INTOLERABLE. I have never read a "novel" that is so pretentious. I HATE this book. The only reason I'm sticking with it is because I can't WAIT to see how much more perposterous it can get.

I really liked "Enders Game"! I'm trying to read "Speaker for the Dead" now, but it just doesn't compare. I find myself getting really confused and missing Ender and his sister.

The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver is good too... THE MOVIE SUCKED.

How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World - Harry Browne (Completely unrelated to his run for president, in fact, after reading the book, I'm surprised he did run.)

Still Here: Embracing Changing, Aging and Dying
by Ram Dass, the guy who wrote, Be Here Now and other meditation/spiritual books.

I also liked Midwives because I love medical thrillers and I used to be one. I couldn't read it until after I retired though. It is about a bad birth, and that is every midwife's nightmare-to have a bad outcome including death. Ishmael is one that politically active friends I respect suggest reading along with the simplicity movement types.

I reread Green Darkness by Anya Seton. I am still looking for my copy of A Prologue To Love by Taylor Caldwell that a friend borrowed AND NEVER BROUGHT BACK!! It's my favourite book, too!!!!! (Doesn't that just frost you?)

Yes. I like Desperation by Stephen King

Yes. Breakthrough to Creativity, by Shafika Karagulla. It's her HSP experiment documentation.

The 'conversations' books have effected me a lot. They were excellent. I read the first three, and need to buy 'Friendships'. Have you read it?

No, I just finished Conversations with God, Book 1 and am about to move on to Book 2. What is Friendships?

Well as you probably already know, there are three 'Conversations' books. 'Friendship with God' is kind of like the fourth book, but not necessarily considered part of the 'series'. I've heard that it's a good one. I've been really distracted with a series with about 10 books so as you can imagine, I've been busy with other things. I'll get back to it though. I want to read the three 'Conversations' again soon. They rock my world, baby!

Well, this is going to be long... And not in any particular order...
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) by George R. R. Martin
Orson Scott Card's Ender's novel, I hope the movie does it justice...
Heinlein's Series of novels, almost EVERYTHING he has written in Sci-Fi, although not the "Cat who walks through walls" Movie based on Starship Troopers stank up the house.
Donaldson's 2 series based on Thomas Covenant "White Gold Wielder"
Early Xanth novels by Piers Anthony...
The Destroyer Series by Murphy and Sapir, Earlier the better...
And many others I won't bore you with now...

Book 1 has transformed me.

'De gezonde roker' by Theo van Gogh. (yes, family of...)

Ya, it does that, doesn't it? Those books gave me a lot of clarity.

I just finished "Macbeth" by Shakespeare, and I enjoyed it a lot. Right now, I'm reading "The Guns of the South" by Harry Turtledove. I haven't finished it yet, but so far, it's an EXCELLENT book...

I've just finished reading Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson. He is sooo good. I've got all his books now except for Down Under. The autobiography for Mick Foley was also surprisingly good. I also just finished Tess of the D'Urbyvilles by Thomas Hardy and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. I've now got all of her books, I would have loved to have lived in that period, but only if I was rich!! I tend to read about 6 books at once!!

way too many to list!!!

I recently read The Great Gatzby and The Catcher in the Rye, and I love them! I'm reading Catch 22 now... it's really good, too... I haven't read any of these lately, but I have to mention Stephen King books... he's my favorite writer, my favorite books being: 1. IT!!! 2. The Stand 3. Needful Things 4. The Tommyknockers (in other words, his big long ones :) )... I've read IT 9 times and several others twice... he's the best... :) Also, The Giver is a really good book! Yes, it is by Lois Lowry... I loved that book so much... haven't read it in years... must buy it... :)

I love Desperation by stehen King. I am looking forward to reading The house on hope street y Danielle Steel. The long road home by danielle steel is the first book in years to really make me cry I was listening to it on audiotape at work. About six other people in my office listened to it, too, and we all cried. I was really touched by timepiees by richard evans. i want to buy open house by elizabeth berg. I have read several of her books and loved them all. I also want to read or listen to this book called drowning ruth. i forget the answer. if you have any opinions about any of these books or authors, please let me know.

i bought neverwhere a couple of years ago, wanting to read something that was different from the kind of books i usually read, it started out pretty good, but i kind of got tired of it, and never finished it

i loved the first two harry potter books, but just couldn't get into the third one. i was listening to it on audiotape, and was really tired and had a cold at the time. that is probably i just could not concentrate on the tape enough. the books are brilliant, and the covers are very well done, too.

the whole "Sword of Truth" series by Terry Goodkind

When I'm Dead, All This Will Be Yours by Teller (of Penn & Teller)

lots of Lurlene McDaniel's book that she wrotes.. and Harry Potter and "Kissed By An Angel" and some more book i forgot

Oliver Postgate's autobiography

read a few pages of bad ones

Christmas Chaos by Mick Foley

The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger

Abduction by Robin Cook

i'm reading 'tell me your dreams' by sidney sheldon right now. i like his books very much.

Nelson Demille. The Gold Coast & The Lion's Game. Highly recommended if you like witty, sarcastic protagonists.

Weird Wide Web By Charlotte Harper

The Red Tent
My Happy Life
Icy Sparks

Yes, thank you.