What book are you currently reading?

Just checked this out from the library- From Dawn to Decadence: 500 Years of Western Cultural Life 1500 to the Present by Jaques Barzun

http://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Decadence-Western-Cultural-Present/dp/0060928832/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326944332&sr=1-1

I'm a sucker for history books

http://www.amazon.com/Batman-Animated-Paul-Dini/dp/006107327X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326946109&sr=1-1


Love Batman, especially the Animated Series back in the 90's. Great content here.

Currently reading Herman Rarebell's book

Just finished Stephen King's "11/22/63," moving on to Lemmy's "White Line Fever"

Finished Cat's cradle early this month. Now about done with Galapagos also...I'm having a kurt Vonnegut experience.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Adam Corolla - In 50 Years, We'll All Be Chicks

Funny rants on the "pussification" of guys.

Finished that Friday night and started on another Christmas gift, 'Mustaine'.

Stender wrote:

Finished Cat's cradle early this month. Now about done with Galapagos also...I'm having a kurt Vonnegut experience.

Just started A Man Without a Country by Kurt

I'm about 3/4 of the way thru Lemmy's "White Line Fever," next up will be Ace Frehley's "No Regrets"

Fat Freddy wrote:

Just finished Stephen King's "11/22/63," moving on to Lemmy's "White Line Fever"

Keith what was your consensus regarding the Stephen King book? I've never read ANY Stephen King book, as I've always been more of a non-fiction reader. The history major in me is intrigued by the title alone. Can you shed any light on the book without divulging too much of the book?

Thanks...

metalinmyveins wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Just finished Stephen King's "11/22/63," moving on to Lemmy's "White Line Fever"

Keith what was your consensus regarding the Stephen King book? I've never read ANY Stephen King book, as I've always been more of a non-fiction reader. The history major in me is intrigued by the title alone. Can you shed any light on the book without divulging too much of the book?

Thanks...

I enjoyed that one a lot. King has had more misses than hits over the past 10-15 years IMO but this is a definite "hit." I think it's his best book in a very long time.

My problem with King's last few books that I've read (those being "Cell" and "Under the Dome") is that he sets everything up SO nicely, and seems to be buliding towards something really cool for the finale, but then he fumbles and everything falls apart in the book's last quarter. That didn't happen here.

But anyway, as for "11/22/63," it's evident that he did a ton of research into the JFK assassination and the events surrounding it. The dude obviously did his homework... and of course, King's always had a gift for very rich characterization and attention to period detail...so it all works very well. It's a long book (nearly 900 pages I think) but it didn't feel long at all (whereas Under the Dome really started to drag as I came into the home stretch on it.).

I would recommend it even if you're not a King fan. If you're a history buff then the time travel/alternative history leanings should appeal to you.

Fat Freddy wrote:

metalinmyveins wrote:

Fat Freddy wrote:

Just finished Stephen King's "11/22/63," moving on to Lemmy's "White Line Fever"

Keith what was your consensus regarding the Stephen King book? I've never read ANY Stephen King book, as I've always been more of a non-fiction reader. The history major in me is intrigued by the title alone. Can you shed any light on the book without divulging too much of the book?

Thanks...

I enjoyed that one a lot. King has had more misses than hits over the past 10-15 years IMO but this is a definite "hit."

My problem with his last few books that I've read (those being "Cell" and "Under the Dome") is that he sets everything up SO nicely, and seems to be buliding towards something really cool, but then he fumbles the ending and everything falls apart in the book's last quarter.

But anyway, as for "11/22/63," it's evident that he did a ton of research into the JFK assassination and the events surrounding it, and of course he's always had a gift for very rich characterization and attention to period detail, and it all works very well. It's a long book (nearly 900 pages I think) but it didn't feel long at all (whereas Under the Dome really started to feel long as I came into the home stretch on it.).

I would recommend it to anyone here even if they're not King fans. The time travel/alternative history leanings might appeal to you if you're a science fiction fan, or if you're just interested in the early 1960s in general.

I'm not a Science Fiction reader, but I like the idea of some kind of revisionist history type of stuff. I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist either, but there have always been some interesting things out there that kind of debunk what allegedly occurred (via the Warren Commission's report). I've also liked shows on the history channel that have devoted theories on how things would have been different had Kennedy not been assassinated. 900 some pages though....WOW! I guess I'll have to make sure that I'm in a reading mode, if I check this one out.

Shoot, you replied while I was going back and fixing/tweaking my "review." Haha.

...but yeah, I'd say if you're interested in the JFK assassination at all, it would be up your alley. He does touch on some of the "what would've happened if JFK hadn't been assassinated" but it's only a small part of the story, and doesn't take over the entire proceedings. (Quite frankly, I found that bit of the book quite interesting and wouldn't mind a new story by him based in that "world" at a later date.)

It's a bit of a behemoth at 900 pages, but I read it pretty quickly. I borrowed it from the library and got it back to them within the 21-day limit without having to renew. When I borrowed "Under the Dome," on the other hand, I had to renew it twice before I finished that damn thing. That was like 1100 pages!!!

Since my last post I've blown thru Ace Frehley's "NO REGRETS" -- great read. Didn't learn anything particularly earth shattering about Ace's life but it does shine a light on what an epic f*ck up the guy was for much of the late 70s and '80s. The dude is lucky to be alive.

...currently I'm in the midst of "Killsport," a book from the seemingly never ending "Mack Bolan, the Executioner" series of action paperbacks.

I have not read a Stephen King book in over a decade if not longer, and I think I may check this book out since I am a history buff, and read lots of books on JFK, and btw I am one of the few people on the planet that does not believe there is a major conspiracy to assassinate JFK, but that is discussion for another day.


Based on your recommendation I am going to make it a point to read King's book, thanks for the info FF.

manny wrote:

I have not read a Stephen King book in over a decade if not longer, and I think I may check this book out since I am a history buff, and read lots of books on JFK, and btw I am one of the few people on the planet that does not believe there is a major conspiracy to assassinate JFK, but that is discussion for another day.


Based on your recommendation I am going to make it a point to read King's book, thanks for the info FF.

I am thinking about reading it based on FF's recommendation too. The last King book I read was Dreamcatcher. I was a Political Science major in college, so I love that stuff!!!!

thejokeriv wrote:

manny wrote:

I have not read a Stephen King book in over a decade if not longer, and I think I may check this book out since I am a history buff, and read lots of books on JFK, and btw I am one of the few people on the planet that does not believe there is a major conspiracy to assassinate JFK, but that is discussion for another day.


Based on your recommendation I am going to make it a point to read King's book, thanks for the info FF.

I am thinking about reading it based on FF's recommendation too. The last King book I read was Dreamcatcher. I was a Political Science major in college, so I love that stuff!!!!

is the the same "Dream Cather" with "no bounce....no play" ?

thejokeriv wrote:

manny wrote:

I have not read a Stephen King book in over a decade if not longer, and I think I may check this book out since I am a history buff, and read lots of books on JFK, and btw I am one of the few people on the planet that does not believe there is a major conspiracy to assassinate JFK, but that is discussion for another day.


Based on your recommendation I am going to make it a point to read King's book, thanks for the info FF.

I am thinking about reading it based on FF's recommendation too. The last King book I read was Dreamcatcher. I was a Political Science major in college, so I love that stuff!!!!

Dreamcatcher was a pretty decent book. The movie they made out of it, though...ugh, what a clusterf*ck. Haha.

Fat Freddy wrote:

thejokeriv wrote:

manny wrote:

I have not read a Stephen King book in over a decade if not longer, and I think I may check this book out since I am a history buff, and read lots of books on JFK, and btw I am one of the few people on the planet that does not believe there is a major conspiracy to assassinate JFK, but that is discussion for another day.


Based on your recommendation I am going to make it a point to read King's book, thanks for the info FF.

I am thinking about reading it based on FF's recommendation too. The last King book I read was Dreamcatcher. I was a Political Science major in college, so I love that stuff!!!!

Dreamcatcher was a pretty decent book. The movie they made out of it, though...ugh, what a clusterf*ck. Haha.

Yeah, it was!!!!

No bonuce - no play, don;t remember that line!

GrandNational wrote:

Stender wrote:

Finished Cat's cradle early this month. Now about done with Galapagos also...I'm having a kurt Vonnegut experience.

Just started A Man Without a Country by Kurt

Nice!

Im debating on whether to start Slaughterhouse 5 or take a break from him. I love him though, I love how everything is dialogue in Cats cradle almost, no settings are given for the most part..everything is inferenced in dialogue. I also have Illusions by Richard Bach I need to read.

Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives - Elder Thaddeus

manny wrote:

I have not read a Stephen King book in over a decade if not longer.

I haven't read one in quite some time too. The last one I remember reading was Cell and that was in paperback. My favorite King book remains Bag Of Bones. One of the best books I've read, ever.

Devilment zine
Necroscope zine
Untombed zine

Not a book but the latest issue of Decibel magazine.

Picked up a book at the library yesterday called "Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music" by Greg Kot - pretty interesting stuff, detailing how the internet has utterly disembowelled the "traditional" music industry in a very short period of time.

Started Stephen King's "Duma Key" yesterday. I gave this one a try a couple of years ago and lost interest in it after a short while, but so far this time I'm enjoying it.