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[Peru]

An engrossing biography of the longest-reigning female pharaoh in Ancient Egypt and the story of her audacious rise to power.

Fascinating story of an influential pharao, Hatshepsut, who established international trade relationships and, though mostly peaceful in her long reign, also won wars, but whose story male successors tried to erase from the history books.

Relevant news: Archaeologists identify Temple of Hatshepsut

 

[Ashes]

...The devil take me, now that I know this beautiful girl, this masterpiece of nature, is mine, the adventure has lost its charm."


For all his light words, the youth in Henri had reappeared.

.

My dear friend," said Paul, "your jokes are of a very sombre color this morning."

"What would you have? Pleasure ends in cruelty. Why? I don't know, and am not sufficiently curious to try and find out… . These cigars are excellent. Give your friend some tea. Do you know, Paul, I live a brute's life? It should be time to choose oneself a destiny, to employ one's powers on something which makes life worth living. Life is a singular comedy. I am frightened, I laugh at the inconsequence of our social order.

Edit: Balzac, 1835

 

[Ashes]

As to the story its self, it is kind of a cheap scare. A penny dreadful one reviewer called it. Moving on.

 

[mu cephei]

I finished The Sixth Extinction. I ended up liking it much more than I thought I was about a quarter into it; suddenly it started talking about stuff that I didn't know nearly as well. I started reading Final Jeopardy: Man vs. Machine and the Quest to Know Everything. It's similar to another book I read about an IBM supercomputer, Behind Deep Blue: Building the Computer That Defeated the World Chess Champion, though that book was actually written by someone who worked on the team that created the computer. It's still very interesting to read about all the challenges involved in creating a supercomputer that performs as Watson does, though.

I'm glad The Sixth Extinction turned out decent, I was worried for a bit as I'm interested in reading it.

Haha, I'm reading a Norwegian edition, but I just linked to one of the English ones since very few of you guys are familiar with the GOAT World Culture language that is Norwegian. I'm sure there'll be an explosion of cheap English language reprints pretty soon so no worries

Spoiler

dirt cheap paperback version

lol. Yeah, my Norwegian is limited to tusen takk

Finishing up this 2nd Ferrante neapolitan (which is too good.. crying..) and then finally LTTP starting the ol neogaf favorite A Little Life.

Please post what you make of A Little Life!

 

[Mumei]

I started a new book called Ties That Bind: The Story of an Afro-Cherokee Family in Slavery and Freedom by Tiya Miles. Early on, Miles says:

"While putting bits of evidence into coherent order, I found myself in a quandary. How could I tell the story of a black slave woman and the story of her Cherokee master and husband? How could I articulate the Cherokee enslavement of black people and the colonization of Cherokees by white people? And as an African American woman and descendant of slaves, what biases would I bring to the story? It seemed to capture the multiplicity and contradictory nature of this past, I would have to tell at least two stories - sketch two histories, enter two worlds, enlist two purposes, and sound two calls for justice - at once.

As a result of this conviction, one story line rendered here is the arc of Cherokee history: federal and local challenges to Cherokee nationalism, forced removal, and the rebuilding of the Cherokee Nation in the West. A second story line is the history of black slaves in Native America, a significant location in the African diaspora that many slavery studies overlook. Each of these story lines contains its own pretext and context, its own central themes and events, and its own historiography."​

And so far, this is what I've gotten. It's definitely interesting reading.

I'm glad The Sixth Extinction turned out decent, I was worried for a bit as I'm interested in reading it.

You misspelled "excellent", though that was a good attempt.

 

[Necrovex]

Completed Make It Stick. I cannot reccomend this book enough to students and life long learners. I know I will get a lot of mileage from the information imparted on me when I study the GRE and return to get an epidemiology degree. I was once a student who despised quizzes, but I know their worth in life. I'm going to do a workshop in the near future to transfer this knowledge to my nearby teachers in the village, for both my, their, and the learners' benefits. Thanks Piecake for introducing this lovely novel!

My next big book will be the Man Brooker winner, The Brief History of Seven Killings. This will also be my first novel for my newly created book club!

 

[Nappuccino]

My next big book will be the Man Brooker winner, The Brief History of Seven Killings. This will also be my first novel for my newly created book club!

I've started this, but school and everything else has been keeping me from getting too far. If he can keep up the writing from the beginning, the book is going to be an amazing treat. At least up to where I got, every single line has a level of electricity that I don't even find in most short fiction much less novels.

 

[Jintor]

Completed Make It Stick. I cannot reccomend this book enough to students and life long learners. I know I will get a lot of mileage from the information imparted on me when I study the GRE and return to get an epidemiology degree. I was once a student who despised quizzes, but I know their worth in life. I'm going to do a workshop in the near future to transfer this knowledge to my nearby teachers in the village, for both my, their, and the learners' benefits. Thanks Piecake for introducing this lovely novel!

I'll Add It To The List

 

[Taruranto]

Man, The Three Musketeers is very good. It's also very hard to read, everyone talks so pompously.

I also just discovered it has TWO sequels!

 

[Imp the Dimp]

Okay, Watership Down was a good choice. That book is fucking incredible. Been a while since I read a page-turner this good.

 

[Maklershed]

Really struggling with The Zona. The author uses the protagonists name just about every sentence and just lists things said protagonist does. "Lead wakes up from his slumber. Lead stands up. Lead puts his clothes on." Etc etc. I'm exaggerating somewhat but that's what it feels like I'm reading.

 

[Mumei]

I've started this, but school and everything else has been keeping me from getting too far. If he can keep up the writing from the beginning, the book is going to be an amazing treat. At least up to where I got, every single line has a level of electricity that I don't even find in most short fiction much less novels.

Don't worry; it continues.

 

[Jag]

Anyone read the Young Wizards series? IO9 seems to think it's pretty good. Looking for another book after my 11 year old finished Harry Potter. He had said he doesn't like fantasy, but devoured the series. I want to see if I can really hook him on reading the way I was at his age.

 

[Cade]

Holy shit guys don't sleep on the book of the month. I just finished Ship of Fools and it was incredible. I read seven percent in one sitting, then forty in the next and I think I finished the last half in another single sitting. It's that good. It's that eengrossing. Chills, pathos, unanswered questions and political maneuvering.

Amazing book. Has Richard Paul Russo written anything else either sci-fi or horror of note?

 

[Nappuccino]

Don't worry; it continues.

This is exactly what I wanted to hear

 

[Cyan]

Anyone read the Young Wizards series? IO9 seems to think it's pretty good. Looking for another book after my 11 year old finished Harry Potter. He had said he doesn't like fantasy, but devoured the series. I want to see if I can really hook him on reading the way I was at his age.

I haven't read all of them, but I read I think 3-4 of them when I was a kid. Great series. Not all that similar to Harry Potter.

 

[mu cephei]

You misspelled "excellent", though that was a good attempt.

I saw a sad and lonely four star lost amidst a sea of five star Lucifers. It confused my sense of scale spelling.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Brave New World is alright. Setting's pretty good.

 

[Piecake]

Completed Make It Stick. I cannot reccomend this book enough to students and life long learners. I know I will get a lot of mileage from the information imparted on me when I study the GRE and return to get an epidemiology degree. I was once a student who despised quizzes, but I know their worth in life. I'm going to do a workshop in the near future to transfer this knowledge to my nearby teachers in the village, for both my, their, and the learners' benefits. Thanks Piecake for introducing this lovely novel!

Glad you liked it! If you havent heard of it I would also check out http://ankisrs.net/

It is pretty flexible Spaced-repetition flashcard software. I am using it for Chinese and American history and I think it works quite well.

 

[kswiston]

I finished Ancillary Justice yesterday. It was a good sci fi book, but not really something I would put on my best of all time list.

Audible is having a 3 for 2 credit sale on currently, with some decent choices. A Brief History of Seven Killings is one of the choices, so I might pick it up.

 

[Verdre]

Read Career of Evil by JK Rowling

It's solid and I enjoy the series well enough, but I think so far the first book has been the best. Maybe I'm misremembering, but the first one didn't seem near as pulpy as the ones that followed. I mean, every chapter starts with a Blue Oyster Cult lyric in this one and I'm only willing to go so far down that road!

 

[Wowfunhappy]

Read Career of Evil by JK Rowling

It's solid and I enjoy the series well enough, but I think so far the first book has been the best. Maybe I'm misremembering, but the first one didn't seem near as pulpy as the ones that followed. I mean, every chapter starts with a Blue Oyster Cult lyric in this one and I'm only willing to go so far down that road!

You liked the first more than the second?

I thought the second was when the series really came into its own. Much more interesting mystery. The first felt kind of "by the numbers" in terms of exactly what you'd expect from a detective novel. Nothing wrong with it, just not quite as interesting.

I'm not sure where to place this new one, despite being almost done with it. The murder mystery definitely seems like it's taken a back seat to Strike, Robin, and Matthew's personal lives/relationships... and I like that a lot, except that it can all come across as somewhat melodramatic at times.

 

[Verdre]

You liked the first more than the second?

I thought the second was when the series really came into its own. Much more interesting mystery. The first felt kind of "by the numbers" in terms of exactly what you'd expect from a detective novel. Nothing wrong with it, just not quite as interesting.

I'm not sure where to place this new one, despite being almost done with it. The murder mystery definitely seems like it's taken a back seat to Strike, Robin, and Matthew's personal lives/relationships... and I like that a lot, except that it can all come across as somewhat melodramatic at points.

I'm not well versed at all in detective fiction, so that could very well be part of why I preferred the first one. Aside from the fact that I don't care for what I can only articulate as the "pulp" feel I've gotten from the second and third books.

I would definitely place this one as my least favorite of the series because, as you said, it's pretty evenly cut between murder mystery and relationship drama and I'm not terribly interested in the will they/won't they between Stark and Robin.

 

[Ashes]

Libellus vere aureus, nec minus salutaris quam festivus, de optimo rei publicae statu deque nova insula Utopia.

You know... that Thomas Moore book.

 

[Necrovex]

Glad you liked it! If you havent heard of it I would also check out http://ankisrs.net/

It is pretty flexible Spaced-repetition flashcard software. I am using it for Chinese and American history and I think it works quite well.

I would kiss you, Piecake. I decided to improve my Siswati for a particular scholarship for BU (full ride for a graduate program) and to have an easier time living near Swaziland. I have been curious on how to utilize flash cards for it. Now I'll have to download Anki when I have wifi access again.

I decided to start reading Narnia alongside my book club choice of Seven Killings. I thought it was time to give Lewis's fairytale a chance.

This may be outside of this thread's spectrum, but I'll ask anyway. I want to establish better English literacy at my local preschool, however English is not a first language for anyone there. Would it be worth using an audiobook to narrate a simple children tale (like Narnia or The Hobbit) to help improve English literacy? Would it even work?

 

[Jintor]

I would kiss you, Piecake. I decided to improve my Siswati for a particular scholarship for BU (full ride for a graduate program) and to have an easier time living near Swaziland. I have been curious on how to utilize flash cards for it. Now I'll have to download Anki when I have wifi access again.

I decided to start reading Narnia alongside my book club choice of Seven Killings. I thought it was time to give Lewis's fairytale a chance.

This may be outside of this thread's spectrum, but I'll ask anyway. I want to establish better English literacy at my local preschool, however English is not a first language for anyone there. Would it be worth using an audiobook to narrate a simple children tale (like Narnia or The Hobbit) to help improve English literacy? Would it even work?

The Hobbit

dawg, nah. not at preschool level.

 

[Necrovex]

dawg, nah. not at preschool level.

Would you have anything in particular to reccomend?

 

[linkboy]

 

[Kyleripman]

Okay, Watership Down was a good choice. That book is fucking incredible. Been a while since I read a page-turner this good.

It's so fucking good that I felt cheated by my entire education for not exposing me to it. Although actually I think I probably got more out of it as an adult.

Read Career of Evil by JK Rowling

It's solid and I enjoy the series well enough, but I think so far the first book has been the best. Maybe I'm misremembering, but the first one didn't seem near as pulpy as the ones that followed. I mean, every chapter starts with a Blue Oyster Cult lyric in this one and I'm only willing to go so far down that road!

Going to start this soon, too. I preferred the second one by far, with the weird literary cult cast of characters.

 

[ShaneB]

Finished up A Robot in the Garden. Meh. It was ok, sped through it pretty fast so there was a bit of a hook, but fairly ho-hum. Could be an interesting movie eventually.

Moving onto this next, know someone posted it before, and just sounded pretty dang interesting.

Boo by Neil Smith

 

[ScatheZombie]

Book 8 in the series.

A really great series, if you can get past two things. The first is his naming conventions that substitute 'y' for 'i' and 'ah' for 'o'. For example, Clinton is Clyntahn. It ranges from clever to annoying as fuck - especially since there are about 500 different characters in the story. Seriously, the last like 50 pages of the book are appendices. And second, is that each novel never really resolves more than it introduces. A major plot arc introduced in Book 4 is still ongoing and unresolved.

Still, a really good read (not just this book, but the whole series in general).

 

[Funyarinpa]

Read Career of Evil by JK Rowling

It's solid and I enjoy the series well enough, but I think so far the first book has been the best. Maybe I'm misremembering, but the first one didn't seem near as pulpy as the ones that followed. I mean,

Spoiler

every chapter starts with a Blue Oyster Cult lyric

in this one and I'm only willing to go so far down that road!

I'm fucking sold (wasn't Career of Evil a BÖC song as well?)

 

[PassiveObserver]

Looks like a vagina. Book's dreck though, save for a few good lines.

From NYT's review:

By the time I reached the last 50 pages, each time the characters said they wanted to kill themselves, I knew exactly how they felt.

 

[Fireblend]

Anything similar to the esoteric horror of House of Leaves? I'm kind of in the mood for that.

 

[Woorloog]

These arrived today:

I think i'll start with Sanderson.

 

[TimeEffect]

Anyone have any short stories I should ought to read, maybe one every night?

I also love books set in India: Fine Balance and Shantaram were great reads, but there doesn't seem to much else out there

 

[Piecake]

I would kiss you, Piecake. I decided to improve my Siswati for a particular scholarship for BU (full ride for a graduate program) and to have an easier time living near Swaziland. I have been curious on how to utilize flash cards for it. Now I'll have to download Anki when I have wifi access again.

I decided to start reading Narnia alongside my book club choice of Seven Killings. I thought it was time to give Lewis's fairytale a chance.

This may be outside of this thread's spectrum, but I'll ask anyway. I want to establish better English literacy at my local preschool, however English is not a first language for anyone there. Would it be worth using an audiobook to narrate a simple children tale (like Narnia or The Hobbit) to help improve English literacy? Would it even work?

If you are interesting in language and the ideas of Making it Stick, I would read Fluent Forever. Actually, since you read Making it Stick, you could probably just get away with checking out the website. I am pretty sure it tells you how to create an effective flashcard for free (Hint: no English, Pictures to figure meaning, and a personal connection with the word you are trying to learn).

It takes the ideas in Making it Stick and creates a plan to learn and remember languages as quickly and as effectively as possible using software such as Anki, and then other free online resources later on.

And listening to someone read improves literacy. It would be even better if they were able to follow along with a copy of their own book while the story is being narrated . Oh, pre-school. Kinda doubt following along would be beneficial if the book chosen is so far above them.

 

[Cade]

The Black Count is on sale for $1.99 right now : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OLYPA4/?tag=neogaf0e-20


Went ahead and picked it up. Looks good

 

[Lynx_7]

Currently reading The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers. Yes, because of True Detective. And I want to immerse myself in this kind of literature since my novel will also deal with cosmic horror and that kind of stuff.

Besides the obvious Lovecraft material, what else can I read?

 

[TheWorthyEdge]

Reading Kite Runner right now. Damn. A masterpiece of a book so far.

 

[TTG]

Anyone have any short stories I should ought to read, maybe one every night?

I also love books set in India: Fine Balance and Shantaram were great reads, but there doesn't seem to much else out there

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1130829

Had to do it. If you want to be serious: CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, I, Robot, I feel like Trainspotting qualifies, The Things They Carried etc.

 

[TimeEffect]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1130829

Had to do it. If you want to be serious: CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, I, Robot, I feel like Trainspotting qualifies, The Things They Carried etc.

Actually I was well into Trainspotting before I stopped... I should pick it back up.

Things They Carried was on my list.

Haha, I havent read the Stripper story, but may as well now

Reading Kite Runner right now. Damn. A masterpiece of a book so far.

I got up to *the* scene in that book early on, but couldn't go on for some reason. I guess I just didn't like the writing, but I should finish this book too.

I will say though, a Thousand Splendid Suns was written beautifully, and hooked me from the start. It is the only book, besides probably Of Mice and Men, that made me teary eyed in the end.

 

[Funyarinpa]

Anyone have any short stories I should ought to read, maybe one every night?

I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream (Harlan Ellison)
The Last Question (Isaac Asimov)

 

[vityaz]

Began reading The Insurgency in Chechnya and the North Caucasus: From Gazavat to Jihad and Behind the Pink Curtain: The Complete History of Japanese Sex Cinema. Decided I could double it up this time, wouldn't if I was reading a novel.

 

[Verdre]

Just an FYI for anyone that cares: Tomorrow most of Peter S Beagle's books come out via ebook for the first time on Amazon (not sure about any other platform)

 

[JGLS]

Just finished reading my Halloween book for this year, Coraline by Neil Gaiman. First book of his that I've read and really, really liked it. Hoping to read the Graveyard Book early next year. Now, onto either V or Lord of the Flies.

 

[Necrovex]

If you are interesting in language and the ideas of Making it Stick, I would read Fluent Forever. Actually, since you read Making it Stick, you could probably just get away with checking out the website. I am pretty sure it tells you how to create an effective flashcard for free (Hint: no English, Pictures to figure meaning, and a personal connection with the word you are trying to learn).

It takes the ideas in Making it Stick and creates a plan to learn and remember languages as quickly and as effectively as possible using software such as Anki, and then other free online resources later on.

And listening to someone read improves literacy. It would be even better if they were able to follow along with a copy of their own book while the story is being narrated . Oh, pre-school. Kinda doubt following along would be beneficial if the book chosen is so far above them.

I decided to place a hold at the library for Fluent Forever. I have a ton of resources to learn a second language, possibly on a fluent level if I try hard enough. Anki will be useful since I have to travel two hours to even have a chance to buy physical flash cards.

I normally wouldn't do much with my local preschool, but I feel bad excluding them from most of my current and future work. I figured literacy would be feasible approach for them. Would something of a Dr. Seuss level be fine?

I also picked up Animal Farm. Hearing how beloved it is, I decided I had time to power through a small novel. I am really liking it so far. Orwell has such a nice simple writing style.

 

[mu cephei]

In case there are any Samuel R. Delany fans who don't know and are interested, the latest issue of African American Review is a special issue dedicated to him.

You have to be at a subscribing institution/ subscribe/ buy the issue to see more than the first page tho.

I thought Stars in my Pocket Like Grains of Sand was totes amazeballs. Babel 17 was very good, Nova unmemorable. I'm working my way up to Through the Valley of the Nest of Spiders, I don't think I'm there just yet.

 

[mAcOdIn]

Vinge's Snow Queen just got released as an ebook, should that be my November read?

 

[Piecake]

I decided to place a hold at the library for Fluent Forever. I have a ton of resources to learn a second language, possibly on a fluent level if I try hard enough. Anki will be useful since I have to travel two hours to even have a chance to buy physical flash cards.

I normally wouldn't do much with my local preschool, but I feel bad excluding them from most of my current and future work. I figured literacy would be feasible approach for them. Would something of a Dr. Seuss level be fine?

I also picked up Animal Farm. Hearing how beloved it is, I decided I had time to power through a small novel. I am really liking it so far. Orwell has such a nice simple writing style.

Just think about how parents read to their kids and go with that. Parents don't read The Hobbit to their 4 year old. They read short, simple picture books, just like Dr Seuss, though Dr Seuss might be too hard for a person learning English, and not just learning how to read English.