Read any good books lately?

[peacepipe]

S.M. Stirlings the change series.

[mhgaffney]

hey how was that Clinton book? I'm not big on auto biographies, or biographis in general but that one got me thinking about checking it out for whatever reason.

Here is the best book on Clinton. It will blow your mind.

[mhgaffney]

Here is the killer interview with author Terry Reed -- who talks about his experience training Contra pilots in western Arkansas in the mid 1980s.

Reed describes the CIA operation -- and the drug connection. Clinton was then governor and was receiving kick backs -- millions in drug profits that were laundered through banks in Little Rock.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3nF8k_8Kgw

[Orange_Beard]

I have been reading "On The Road": The Original Scroll.
Just fished the part about him traveling out to Denver and his experience in LODO and sounds like Capital Hill. Fun to read about old Denver.

[broncosteven]

I have been reading "On The Road": The Original Scroll.
Just fished the part about him traveling out to Denver and his experience in LODO and sounds like Capital Hill. Fun to read about old Denver.

On The Road creeped me out for weeks after reading it but I loved the book.

[st.bernard]

excellent read:

the art of racing in the rain

[HooptyHoops]

Wow, just finished Elantris by Brandon Sanderson....great book! Hard to believe that was his 1st book.....fanominal!!

[No1BroncoFan]

Wow, just finished Elantris by Brandon Sanderson....great book! Hard to believe that was his 1st book.....fanominal!!

"Elantris" is one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years!

Have you read the "Mistborn" books by Sanderson yet? They are also very good.

Ben

[SouthStndJunkie]

I finished up "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

A little bit of a slow start, but an excellent read.

I'll be reading the other 2 books in the series.

[sirhcyennek81]

Benjamin Franklin, by Walter Issacson.

Not a bad read.

:Broncos:

[No1BroncoFan]

I'm just finishing "The Wind Through the Keyhole" by Stephen King (Dark Tower 8, in between 4 and 5 in the timeline). Very good read, but not the best of the Dark Tower books.

Ben

[broncocalijohn]

NO. Going strong over 10 years.Maybe more.

[TheReverend]

NO. Going strong over 10 years.Maybe more.

Color me stunned.

That sure is something to brag about and be proud of too.

[sirhcyennek81]

NO. Going strong over 10 years.Maybe more.


You have not read a book in 10 years?

Uhh...really?

:Broncos:

[broncocalijohn]

You have not read a book in 10 years?

Uhh...really?

:Broncos:

Yes, not a good one. Actually, I reread the John Jakes series North and South. Loved reading it back in High School and will hopefully start to read Jakes' series that predates N & S. Big Series to read.

[sirhcyennek81]

Yes, not a good one. Actually, I reread the John Jakes series North and South. Loved reading it back in High School and will hopefully start to read Jakes' series that predates N & S. Big Series to read.


I pegged you as a Hunt for Red October/Red Cardinal kind of guy. I've never read North and South.

:Broncos:

[broncocalijohn]

I pegged you as a Hunt for Red October/Red Cardinal kind of guy. I've never read North and South.

:Broncos:

If you like history with drama, you might like it. His first books start from early 1700s I believe to Revolution and beyond. North and South starts before the American-Mexican War up to the South's defeat. When the mini series came out, it is when I became a fan of Patrick Swayze (Red Dawn didn't hurt either).

[SouthStndJunkie]

I finished up "The Girl Who Played With Fire" by Stieg Larsson a few nights ago.

Good read....I think I liked "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" more though.

[baja]

ROME the mini series not a book but really good.

[baja]

Oh and if you like history

Check out Scipio Africanus - Rome's Greatest General

by Richard Gabriel

[edog24]

Right now I am between two books, All the Pretty Horses by Mccarthy and Thirteen Days, a memoir of the Cuban missile crisis. Both are really good, highly recommended. I am almost done with the Mccarthy book, it started a bit slow but has been great toward the end. I have read The Road also, his books are awesome, highly recommend both.

[Drunk Monkey]

Just finished book 12 of WOT and moving on to 13. It feels like I have been reading them forever but I am almost finished. Book 12 was great, really looking forward to 13. Then a 6 month wait until the final book comes out.

[SouthStndJunkie]

I started reading: 'Three and Out - Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines - In the Crucible of College Football' by John U. Bacon.

It basically is a behind the scenes look at Michigan football and chronicles the 3 year era of Rich Rodriguez at Michigan.

It shows you the behind the scene politicking, factions, bickering, and everything else that the public doesn't get to see when it comes to big money college football.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Finished up the 3rd and final book ('The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest) of the 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

All three were pretty good books.

[SouthStndJunkie]

American Desperado See this thread:

http://www.orangemane.com/BB/showthread.php?t=104694

I read this a few weeks back after reading a few posters recommendations.

Excellent read....if half of those stories are true, he lived about as wild and crazy of a life as is possible.

[broncosteven]

I finished off Gunther Schulers Early Jazz, more non-fiction music appreciation than anything but a very good read and some nice notation of a couple of Pop's best trumpet solos.

I decided to read Asimov's foundation series, almost through the 1st one.

One of my neighbors sells used books with another retired teacher out of her house, one of them is really into beat stuff so i picked up some more Kerouac, I enjoyed the 1st 2 books of his I got over the last 2 years.

I also bought a Grahm Greene book from the same sale, I have heard a lot of good things about him and am looking forward to it.

I checked out Jazz by Toni Morrison mostly because I must have been on ambien at the time and didn't remember. I thought it was fiction based on non-fiction events but confused, not sure if I am going to read it or not if anyone has read it let me know if it is worth the time.

[sirhcyennek81]

My brother bought a book called "Great Bastards in History" by Jure Fiorillo.

William the Conqueror, Elizabeth I, Alexandre Dumas Fils, Robert Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Billie Holliday, Leonardo Di Vinci, Jack London, and Fidel Castro are some of the world's great bastards.

Interesting book.

:Broncos:

[baja]

The Power of Habit

[Hamrob]

I just finished reading Inheritance by Simon Tolkien (J.R.R. Tolkien's Grandson). It was a very good book...not quite excellent, simply because the main character was never really developed adequately enough. But, good book nevertheless.

[Drunk Monkey]

Finished book 13 of WOT. Now I am reading Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds. He is one of my favorite Sci Fi writers.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H-oeU1tGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

[DeusExManning]

Just finished C.S. Friedman' In Conquest Born, great Sci Fi Opera, I loved it.

[Taco John]

Finished book 13 of WOT. Now I am reading Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds. He is one of my favorite Sci Fi writers.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H-oeU1tGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

Cool. I've been looking for a new sci fi book.

[Taco John]

I started Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep," but I put it down for ASOIAF.

[amandasessions]

I have just read an incredible political thriller ebook. I was browsing around at amazon.com and found this ebook called The Cain Sanction, I read the preview and a few chapters. It really was a page turner can’t put it down kind of book.
I didn’t know how it ends until the last sentence of the last page.. great read!!

[ludo21]

first post in the book thread?

spam???

[bfoflcommish]

first post in the book thread?

spam???

a much better spammer than

buy now nike shoes jordan price very good

[Drunk Monkey]

I started Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon the Deep," but I put it down for ASOIAF.

I want to get into that series also but need a break from the fantasy genera after 13 straight books.

[broncosteven]

first post in the book thread?

spam???

His real username is AmadaHugginkiss

[mosca]

A Game of Thrones, by George R.R. Martin.

This was on the NY Times best-seller list for a long time, but I put off reading it because I sort of burned out on romantic fantasy and swords & sorcery and all that stuff a long time ago.

But I'm about 200 pages into this one and I can't put it down. This is like romantic fantasy where things went wrong. Very wrong. It's like someone took the war of the roses (the York & Lancaster one - - not the Douglas & Turner movie) and stuck it in the middle of a Mercedes Lackey novel about talking cats and psychic princesses.

Brutal I tell you. And facinating.

And several more books to go in the epic.
Bumping this post by Old Dude, and props for him mentioning GoT / ASOIAF back in 2005. Nice to see everyone else on the bandwagon now :D

[nooner]

The Persuader by Lee Child.

The ultimate loner. An elite ex-military cop who left the service years ago, he's moved from place to place ... without family ... without possessions ... without commitments. And without fear. Which is good, because trouble—big, violent, complicated trouble—finds Reacher wherever he goes. And when trouble finds him, Reacher does not quit, not once, not ever. But some unfinished business has now found Reacher. And Reacher is a man who hates unfinished business. Ten years ago, a key investigation went sour and Francis Xavier Quinn got away with murder. Now a chance encounter outside Boston's Symphony Hall brings it all back. Now Reacher sees his one last shot. Some would call it vengeance. Some would call it redemption. Reacher would call it justice.

[Smiling Assassin27]

His real username is AmadaHugginkiss

I thought it was Hugh Jass.

[Broncomutt]

Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie.

Very intimate details of the lives of the last Emperor and Empress of Russia, disastrous wars, and the horrors of hemophilia.

[Smiling Assassin27]

Walker Percy, Love In The Ruins.

2 words: Superb Book.

[MagicHef]

John Dies at the End.

[Pony Boy]

Take Your Eye Off the Ball by Pat Kirwan, is a good read ......... there are plenty of OM posters that could benefit from this book.

[Shananahan]

I have just read an incredible political thriller ebook. I was browsing around at amazon.com and found this ebook called The Cain Sanction, I read the preview and a few chapters. It really was a page turner can’t put it down kind of book.
I didn’t know how it ends until the last sentence of the last page.. great read!!
Is it really a 'page-turner' when there aren't any pages to turn?

[HooptyHoops]

I want to get into that series also but need a break from the fantasy genera after 13 straight books.

Out of the 13, what books(s) where your favorite?

[gyldenlove]

I finished up "The Girl Who Played With Fire" by Stieg Larsson a few nights ago.

Good read....I think I liked "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" more though.

That series goes steadily downhill from the first book.

[HooptyHoops]

"Elantris" is one of the best books I've read in the last 10 years!

Have you read the "Mistborn" books by Sanderson yet? They are also very good.

Ben

Yes, after reading Elantris, I jumped right into Mistborn....it was good, but Elantris was better.

What would you recommend from here?

[SonOfLe-loLang]

Finished up the 3rd and final book ('The Girl who kicked the Hornet's Nest) of the 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' trilogy by Stieg Larsson.

All three were pretty good books.

Dragon tattoo eh? Well, if you're looking for another good book that takes place in Sweden...try ummm My Sweet Saga. No shameless self promotion or anything:) 35k people have dl'd it to their e-readers, though sales have tailed off...but check it out!

Oh look, here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/My-Sweet-Saga-ebook/dp/B005VGO162/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&sr=8-1

[Broncomutt]

Just finished The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Took me 4.5 days to read, like 150 pages per night. Hard to put down.

[steeledude]

recently read 'hyperion' by dan simmons and am currently finishing up 'fall of hyperion', the sequel. very thought-provoking sci-fi.
next up is 'song of susannah', book 6 of stephen king's dark tower. the last book wasn't the best, but the series is wrapping up so i gotta finish it.

no1broncofan - how do you rate larry niven's work? haven't read any of it but heard good things.

Have you read "the Terror" by Dan Simmons? It is way different from Hyperion, it is historical fiction mixed with an abominable snowman, but nonetheless, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's huge too. Like 800 pages. I couldn't put it down. Takes place in the arctic (back when it was still cold and frozen), and I remember feeling cold the entire time I read it. I highly recommend it.

P.S. didn't realize I was responding to you from 8 years in the past! I was wondering why you were just reading Song of Susanah! Wolves of the Calla was pretty bad, and I quit there back in 2004.

[Jay3]

Have you read "the Terror" by Dan Simmons? It is way different from Hyperion, it is historical fiction mixed with an abominable snowman, but nonetheless, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's huge too. Like 800 pages. I couldn't put it down. Takes place in the arctic (back when it was still cold and frozen), and I remember feeling cold the entire time I read it. I highly recommend it.

P.S. didn't realize I was responding to you from 8 years in the past! I was wondering why you were just reading Song of Susanah! Wolves of the Calla was pretty bad, and I quit there back in 2004.

Whoa, not only another Simmons fan, but a fan of The Terror. That's one of my favorites. He's been pretty hit or miss for years, but that one was hard to put down.

[Drunk Monkey]

Out of the 13, what books(s) where your favorite?

Probably Towers of Midnight. After toughing it out through a brutal stretch of bla bla bla for several thousand pages it was nice to see the story start to wrap up. Jordan started some quality story lines that have been treading water up for several books. It's about time they get into the action.

[mosca]

Have you read "the Terror" by Dan Simmons? It is way different from Hyperion, it is historical fiction mixed with an abominable snowman, but nonetheless, it is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's huge too. Like 800 pages. I couldn't put it down. Takes place in the arctic (back when it was still cold and frozen), and I remember feeling cold the entire time I read it. I highly recommend it.

P.S. didn't realize I was responding to you from 8 years in the past! I was wondering why you were just reading Song of Susanah! Wolves of the Calla was pretty bad, and I quit there back in 2004.
Haha, no prob, 8 years ago is nothing when there are so many good books out. Yes, I've read 'The Terror' and it's actually the last new Simmons book I have read. Flashback is on my list to read, but alas my amount of reading has dropped lately. Anyways, 'The Terror' was awesome, I definitely felt that cold feeling you mention. Heck, that book actually put me into a somewhat grey, semi-depressed slothy state for about two weeks near the middle of the book. And I really loved the turn at the end with the Native American spiritual spin. Hope they make a movie sometime.

Speaking of Dark Tower, anyone notice that there's a new Dark Tower novel out by King? Forgot the name, but I'm tempted to read it... looks to be a flashback type story in the vein of 'Wizard and Glass' which I really loved.

[mosca]

Whoa, not only another Simmons fan, but a fan of The Terror. That's one of my favorites. He's been pretty hit or miss for years, but that one was hard to put down.
I agree... I absolutely love the Hyperion Cantos, and Ilium started off great, but by the time it ended I was pretty sure I had no desire whatsoever to read Olympos. Sad thing is that I bought Olympos... heh.

I've been thinking of picking of Carrion Comfort for a while, is it worth the read? I've never really been into horror but I love sci-fi.

Speaking of sci-fi - a great Hugo award winner I read last year was Robert Charles Wilson's 'SPIN'... Awesome concept for sci-fi and it really felt like something that could actually happen. There's a couple sequels out - 'Axis' and something else, which I haven't read, but the first book was definitely worth it.

[alkemical]

Wow, i read the first hyperion....but it was so long ago!

[Jay3]

I've been thinking of picking of Carrion Comfort for a while, is it worth the read? I've never really been into horror but I love sci-fi.

Yes, it's one of his best books, in my "top three" for him.

However, it was probably 20+ years ago since I read it, so maybe my discriminating taste has changed. But it was extremely well done -- horror that was actually scary.

[mosca]

Wow, i read the first hyperion....but it was so long ago!
I think the first book gets the most acclaim... but IMO the last two are by far the best of the Cantos. The tale of Raul Endymion and Aenea will stay with me forever...

[alkemical]

I think the first book gets the most acclaim... but IMO the last two are by far the best of the Cantos. The tale of Raul Endymion and Aenea will stay with me forever...

I will have to re-read & get up to speed.

[Jay3]

I agree... I absolutely love the Hyperion Cantos, and Ilium started off great, but by the time it ended I was pretty sure I had no desire whatsoever to read Olympos. Sad thing is that I bought Olympos... heh.

You called it right -- I loved Ilium (all of it), but the Olympos was a hot mess and kind of ruined the "series" for me. I know longer have fond memories of Ilium because of what Olympos did to it. (Still a great idea, though).

I call this "The Matrix Syndrome."

[No1BroncoFan]

Yes, after reading Elantris, I jumped right into Mistborn....it was good, but Elantris was better.

Agreed.

What would you recommend from here?

The Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey (fantasy).

Anything by C.J. Cherryh, but especially the "Fortress" series (fantasy), the "Faded Sun" trilogy (sci fi) and the "Foreigner" series (sci fi).

The "Idlewild" series (post-apocalyptic sci-fi) from Nick Sagan, son of eminent cosmologist and author of "Contact," Carl Sagan.

"The Hunger Games" trilogy (distopian future sci-fi) by Suzanne Collins.

"The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse" (think "Hitchikers Guide" but with fairy tale creatures :)) by Robert Rankin.

The "Alcatraz" books (fantasy) by Brandon Sanderson are a lot of fun even if they are aimed at a juvenile crowd.

Also can't forget the "Artemis Fowl" books by Eoin Colfer.

Those are just some of the places you can go.

Ben

[alkemical]

I finished the "Walking Dead" compendium last week. I enjoyed it.

[Drunk Monkey]

Cool. I've been looking for a new sci fi book.

Just finished, not his best work. If you are going to read something by Reynolds I would recomend Chasm City

http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n4/n24739.jpg

[HooptyHoops]

Agreed.



The Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey (fantasy).

Anything by C.J. Cherryh, but especially the "Fortress" series (fantasy), the "Faded Sun" trilogy (sci fi) and the "Foreigner" series (sci fi).

The "Idlewild" series (post-apocalyptic sci-fi) from Nick Sagan, son of eminent cosmologist and author of "Contact," Carl Sagan.

"The Hunger Games" trilogy (distopian future sci-fi) by Suzanne Collins.

"The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse" (think "Hitchikers Guide" but with fairy tale creatures :)) by Robert Rankin.

The "Alcatraz" books (fantasy) by Brandon Sanderson are a lot of fun even if they are aimed at a juvenile crowd.

Also can't forget the "Artemis Fowl" books by Eoin Colfer.

Those are just some of the places you can go.

Ben

Thanks for the recommends, as I had an awesome run on books(The Shack, then Elantris, then the Mistborn series), but then went to Peter Watts and the Starfish series.....yep, I stopped reading midway through the 2nd book!

[BroncoMan4ever]

Agreed.



The Halfblood Chronicles by Andre Norton and Mercedes Lackey (fantasy).

Anything by C.J. Cherryh, but especially the "Fortress" series (fantasy), the "Faded Sun" trilogy (sci fi) and the "Foreigner" series (sci fi).

The "Idlewild" series (post-apocalyptic sci-fi) from Nick Sagan, son of eminent cosmologist and author of "Contact," Carl Sagan.

"The Hunger Games" trilogy (distopian future sci-fi) by Suzanne Collins.

"The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse" (think "Hitchikers Guide" but with fairy tale creatures :)) by Robert Rankin.

The "Alcatraz" books (fantasy) by Brandon Sanderson are a lot of fun even if they are aimed at a juvenile crowd.

Also can't forget the "Artemis Fowl" books by Eoin Colfer.

Those are just some of the places you can go.

Ben

i liked most of those, but found The Hunger Games trilogy to be extremely overrated.

the books are put together in a way that they feel rushed, as if they were missing several chapters, especially the 2nd and 3rd books. also, Katniss is one of if not the least likeable lead characters i have ever followed in any book.

the books were decent, but on a scale of 1-10 i give the series a 5.

[Taco John]

I'm on my second read through the Song of Ice and Fire books and am enjoying it just as much on the second read-through as I did on the first. It's amazing the little details you pick up the second time through.

[Broncomutt]

I'm on my second read through the Song of Ice and Fire books and am enjoying it just as much on the second read-through as I did on the first. It's amazing the little details you pick up the second time through.

5000 pages is alot to read twice.

Have you tried Martin's The Hedge Knight trilogy? Set about 80-90 years before GoT. Not as good as any of the ASOIAF books IMHO, but an interesting look at Westeros under Targaryen rule and just as violent. Combined I think it's about 400-500 pages.

[No1BroncoFan]

Thanks for the recommends, as I had an awesome run on books(The Shack, then Elantris, then the Mistborn series), but then went to Peter Watts and the Starfish series.....yep, I stopped reading midway through the 2nd book!
Really? I've enjoyed everything I've read from Peter Watts (including "Starfish" books). To each his own.

[HooptyHoops]

Really? I've enjoyed everything I've read from Peter Watts (including "Starfish" books). To each his own.

It just didn't grab me...moved too slow....kinda like a game of baseball to me.

I agree, we all like and have different tastes, but I would much rather read something somebody really liked as a starting point.

[SouthStndJunkie]

I read "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemmingway the other day.

It was a book I'd been meaning to read for a while.

I enjoyed it.

[Turd_Ferguson]

I read the Name of the Wind, and the Wise Mans Fear.. They are the first 2 books of a trilogy and the third book hasn't released yet, I thought they were awesome.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Has anyone read the Pendergast Series of books by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child?

I think there are 11 of them out right now, with a 12th on the way.

I've enjoyed them all, for the most part.

Agent Pendergast is one cool and interesting character.

Both authors have also written some pretty good solo novels.

I really liked Douglas Preston's books 'Tyrannosaur Canyon', 'The Codex', and 'Blasphemy'.

[Baba Booey]

http://img2-2.timeinc.net/ew/i/2012/05/16/art-of-intelligence-review_320.jpg

Talk about awesome

[gyldenlove]

I read "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemmingway the other day.

It was a book I'd been meaning to read for a while.

I enjoyed it.

I liked that book as well.

War and Peace is a must read, so well written.

[No1BroncoFan]

It just didn't grab me...moved too slow....kinda like a game of baseball to me.

I agree, we all like and have different tastes, but I would much rather read something somebody really liked as a starting point.

Try the "Idlewild" books by Nick Sagan. I've read them four times in the last three years (just finished the fourth time today). This series is at or near the top of all sci-fi written in the last 30 years.

[steeledude]

I'm on my second read through the Song of Ice and Fire books and am enjoying it just as much on the second read-through as I did on the first. It's amazing the little details you pick up the second time through.

Some of my favorite books of all time, except for Dance. I just hated Dance so much, I can't say why. Too much hype in my brain? I must've had a Martin-Hype-Overload or something.

It's friggin' nuts seeing guys like Conan O'brien say words like "Winterfell" and the "Iron Throne."

[steeledude]

I read "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemmingway the other day.

It was a book I'd been meaning to read for a while.

I enjoyed it.

I have For Whom the Bell Tolls on my bookshelf ready to read, and I just finished the short story the short happy life of francis macomber. Jeez, I think he had periods of his life where he hated women! Great story.

[Rother8]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/Denialofdeathcover.jpg
Kind of intriguing- tough to take in but a good kick in the ass for me.

[Lycan]

During my 8 days or so of no power I read quite a lot of books, mostly in a bathtub filled with cold water.

I read the first 3 books of the Drizzt saga by R.A. Salvatore. Very enjoyable classic fantasy books.

I also read all 6 of the Dexter books by Jeff Lindsay. Simply awesome. The same characters you know from the show (mostly) but after the 1st book the storyline forks off in very different directions.

Then I read the first 2 books of the Jack Nightingale series by Stephen Leather, wasn't expecting all that much but I ended up really liking them. Very predictable though.

I also read a big old Calvin & Hobbes compilation book I have had forever. Easily the best comic strip ever. Plus the complete Trigun collection, one of my favorite Manga.

That's pretty much it, besides maybe 3 or 4 other books that weren't worth mentioning in this fine thread.

You would be amazed how fast books fly by when you have absolutely nothing else to do.

[HooptyHoops]

Try the "Idlewild" books by Nick Sagan. I've read them four times in the last three years (just finished the fourth time today). This series is at or near the top of all sci-fi written in the last 30 years.

Bold statement No1! I will stop by the library tomorrow and pick them up! I just got done with the Elvenblood series that you recommended and I enjoyed them...thank you!!

[Jay3]

Some of my favorite books of all time, except for Dance. I just hated Dance so much, I can't say why. Too much hype in my brain? I must've had a Martin-Hype-Overload or something.

That's because the project is beginning to fail as a novel. Martin is great at an episodic television approach, but he's beginning to demonstrate an inability to focus on the core narrative, and to bring it to conclusion. Dance is the first one where the flop sweat really began to show -- we can see behind the curtain, so to speak.

I say that as a fan and one who will be reading the next installment.

[No1BroncoFan]

Bold statement No1! I will stop by the library tomorrow and pick them up! I just got done with the Elvenblood series that you recommended and I enjoyed them...thank you!!

Noting wrong with bold. ;D I liked the second one the best, but it's only by the thinnest of margins.

Found a new (to me) author on my last library trip, Joe Haldeman. So far this first book of his that I'm reading, "Marsbound," has been a great ride.

Ben

[mosca]

That's because the project is beginning to fail as a novel. Martin is great at an episodic television approach, but he's beginning to demonstrate an inability to focus on the core narrative, and to bring it to conclusion. Dance is the first one where the flop sweat really began to show -- we can see behind the curtain, so to speak.

I say that as a fan and one who will be reading the next installment.
Agh... say it ain't so! I would say the same thing about Feast for Crows, which I have never gotten around to finishing. Read the first three books about 10 years ago, waited forever for Feast to come out, and was kinda disappointed. My autographed copy of it has been sitting, collecting dust, half-finished since I bought it.

I've been re-energized to re-read it and start on Dance with the release of the TV show...was hoping that Dance got the series back on track.

[Jay3]

Agh... say it ain't so! I would say the same thing about Feast for Crows, which I have never gotten around to finishing. Read the first three books about 10 years ago, waited forever for Feast to come out, and was kinda disappointed. My autographed copy of it has been sitting, collecting dust, half-finished since I bought it.

I've been re-energized to re-read it and start on Dance with the release of the TV show...was hoping that Dance got the series back on track.

If anything, that feeling first crept in on Feast for Crows. But you think, "well, after the third one maybe he was entitled to a set up book or something." But then Dance with Dragons makes you realize Feast for Crows was not a set up for Dance with Dragons. He's introducing elaborate elements that go nowhere. Having characters wander about to no purpose. Introducing more wandering bands of warriors that have a name for their wandering band.

Dance with Dragons confirms the sick feeling that first started to creep in with Feast for Crows. There's still hope that the core plot ends up being satisfying. But hope is lost that Martin is a genius who crafted a story that could only be told in 10,000 pages. He just can't stop himself and reel it in and focus.

[Dedhed]

Currently reading "Folks, This Ain't Normal" by Joel Salatin. Talks about how insane our food production system has become and how to change it.

[backup qb]

Just read 'Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter.' Quick entertaining read. Not great but good.

[SouthStndJunkie]

Just read 'Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter.' Quick entertaining read. Not great but good.

Yep....I enjoyed it as well and thought it was a pretty cool adventure.

I was disappointed in the movie, as it really didn't follow the book at all.

[broncosteven]

I started Soccer Coaching for kids. lots of great drills I have had my daughter doing the last couple weeks.

[No1BroncoFan]

Recently re-read "Jumper" by Steven Gould. Yes, this is the book that the really bad Hayden Christensen film is based on but don't hold that against it. It's about a teenager who discovers he can teleport, how he deals with that and what he does with his talent. It is NOT some lame good guy vs. evil secret society story. In fact there is no group of villians hunting down jumpers (Davy Rice is the only one).

Easily in the top fifty sci-fi- books in the last 20 years it's an incredibly fun read.

"Reflex" (the sequel to "Jumper" and also a recent re-read) is also very good. Not as good as the first but still way better than average. Davy Rice returns as the world's only known jumper, until someone else learns how to do it.

I'm really looking forward to the release of "Impulese," the third book in the "Jumper" series, due out next year.

Other recent reads:
"Amped" by Daniel H. Wilson. Based in the near future it's a story about bigotry and hatred with meaning in today's world.

"H.I.V.E." (the Higher Institute of Villainous Education) bv Mark Walden. If you've read and liked "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer (an incredible series that is alas, finished with the latest installment) you'll probably like this first book in the series. H.I.V.E. is kinda like Hogwarts for criminal mastermind children. A lot of fun so far and I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

[HooptyHoops]

I've read a lot this year and I would say Mark Lawrence's Prince of Thorns and King of Thorns was completely the best in the past couple of months. Looking forward to the last book in 2013.

Right behind the Lawrence I would say Patrick Rothfuss King Killer series....get it and read it!!

[Lycan]

I've read just about all the Dresden Files books. They're interesting, modern fantasy isn't something done well very often IMO, but these are pretty good.

I'd certainly recommend them if you are interested in swords and sorcery style fantasy done in modern Chicago.

[broncosteven]

I read Rev's book, Would have liked a synopsis of what he went on to do after boot camp, the ending made it seem like he became a Marine then went home and was all done. Would have liked to know what he did with all that training.

I started Tom's book with Floyd. It covers a lot of the same ground as the 1st book but it is still fun to relive and reinforce those memories.

[HooptyHoops]

I've read just about all the Dresden Files books. They're interesting, modern fantasy isn't something done well very often IMO, but these are pretty good.

I'd certainly recommend them if you are interested in swords and sorcery style fantasy done in modern Chicago.

I keep coming across the Dresden Files....I often wonder if I would like them.....your right, modern fantasy seems to go wrong a lot of the time.

[TheReverend]

I read Rev's book, Would have liked a synopsis of what he went on to do after boot camp, the ending made it seem like he became a Marine then went home and was all done. Would have liked to know what he did with all that training.

Your mom Ha!

[extralife]

I read Rev's book, Would have liked a synopsis of what he went on to do after boot camp

become an annoying, ubiquitous presence on the mane, duh

[No1BroncoFan]

If you're looking for something Broncos related that won't leave you with a sick, twisted feeling in your stomach, you might want to give this a try:
Game of My Life Denver Broncos: Memorable Stories of Broncos Football by Jim Saccomano.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513hI0vcWnL._AA160_.jpg

I got this from my daughter for X-mas and loved every page. A great trip down memory lane and some reminders of some interesting things like the fact that since 1973 the Broncos have had more SB appearances than losing seasons. Something I don't think any other team can claim.

Great book.

[WABronco]

"The Forgotten Soldier" is a good one...now I'm reading "The Battle of the Tanks" (catchy name). Tanks is damn good and a new author to me.

[No1BroncoFan]

Bold statement No1! I will stop by the library tomorrow and pick them up! I just got done with the Elvenblood series that you recommended and I enjoyed them...thank you!!

Did you ever get around to the Idlewild books and if so, how'd you like 'em?

Got a Nook for Christmas and have been ransacking the local libraries for ebooks like mad:

"Aftertime" by Sophie Littlefield - Post-apocalyptic zombie story that is a great ride, and I don't much like zombie stories. Part one of a series and I've got the others on deck.

An oldie that's new to me, "Another Fine Myth" by Robert Asprin. Very good, humorous approach to the fantasy genre.

The Mitch Rapp books by Vince Flynn. CIA/political thrillers, the worst of them is still pretty good. The best are can't-put-downers.

The "Ember" series by Jeanne DuPrau. I've heard the three of the books were combined and made into a muddled, hard to follow movie. Don't know about that, but the books were solid reads. Nothing earth shaking, but solid.

On deck:

The rest of the "Aftertime" books (of course).

Seth Grahame-Smith's "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" and "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies." Both of these come highly recommended to me.

Anything I can get from Robert Rankin. His "Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse" was one of the most entertaining books I've ever read. Laugh out loud funny in many, many places.

And of course, most anything else I can find barring bad westerns and romances. :D

[BroncsCheer]

11/22/63 by King - great butterfly effect novel

Recently introduced to John Ringo. Reading There will Be Dragons now - good dystopian future stuff.

Re-read A Dance w/Dragons for the 3rd time after finishing season 2 of the Game of Thrones TV series. Can't wait for Winds of Winter.

Got hooked on Harry Bosch (Michael Connelley) over the summer and read all of those (B&N.com FTW)

The Secret Race is a well written bio of Tyler Hamilton exposing th seedy underbelly of pro cycling for interested readers.

[sirhcyennek81]

She-Wolves. History of English Queens before Elizabeth I.

Unholy Night. Written by the guy who wrote Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Not bad to this point.

Hitler & Stalin. History of the 20th century's most brutal dictators.


:Broncos:

[No1BroncoFan]

I forgot to mention the "Maze Runner" series by James Dashner. Dystopian future fiction that reads a bit like "The Hunger Games," without the whiny protagonist but with zombie-like "cranks" (disease victims). Fantastic reads.

[broncosteven]

I am wading through The Violin: A Social History of the World's Most Versatile Instrument.

It is interesting but there is a lot of info over the course of about 400 years and you have to at least have a passing knowledge of the history of the violin and it's great makers or heard the names at some point to string it all together.

That said the writer keeps it moving and interesting. Funny that as few as 50 years ago you could buy a Strad, Guarneri, or Amati for about $50k. The collectors are the ones who drove up the prices.

http://www.amazon.com/Violin-Social-History-Versatile-Instrument/dp/039308440X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362277673&sr=1-2&keywords=violin

[Kid A]

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain
A hilarious and heartbreaking satire about war, sports and American culture. I know that sounds like a book blurb, but it really is all those things and, for me, lived up to the substantial hype it has gotten. Highly recommend.

CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders
One of the best short story writers in America, he has a new book out that I haven't had a chance to read yet, but this one is a great place to start. Like Halftime Walk this is mostly satire about America, but framed in various strange dystopian future settings. A lot of dark humor and a lot of fun.

The Passage by Justin Cronin
The first in a planned trilogy (book 2 just came out late 2012), it owes a lot to Stephen King: government experiments gone awry, paranormal child, post-apocalyptic society, super human monsters...Cronin mashes a lot together, and some of it works better than other parts. But on the whole, for a 700+ pg book, it's a solid pageturner. And it's written better than your average thriller, though still falls back on some of the genre cliches (e.g. every chapter has to end on a cliffhanger sentence).

I think it would definitely be up the alley of a lot of people here who enjoy post-apocalyptic, sci-fi, fantasy etc. Plus Ridley Scott bought the movie rights, so this is your chance to be the asshole who complains about its accuracy when it comes out!

[DarkHorse30]

Alice Cooper, Golf Monster - funny bio

[BroncoInferno]

CivilWarLand in Bad Decline by George Saunders
One of the best short story writers in America, he has a new book out that I haven't had a chance to read yet, but this one is a great place to start. Like Halftime Walk this is mostly satire about America, but framed in various strange dystopian future settings. A lot of dark humor and a lot of fun.

It doesn't get much better than "The 400 Pound CEO."

Maybe the God we see, the God who calls the daily shots, is merely a subGod. Maybe there's a God above this subGod who's busy for a few Godminutes with something else, and will be right back; and when he gets back will take the subGod by the ear and say: Now look. Look at that fat man. What did he ever do to you? Wasn't he humble enough? Didn't he endure enough abuse for a thousand men? Weren't the simplest tasks hard? Didn't you sense him craving affection? Were you unaware that his days unraveled as one long bad dream? And maybe as the sub- God slinks away, the true God will sweep me up in his arms, saying: My sincere apologies, a mistake has been made. Accept a new birth, as token of my esteem.

And I will emerge again from between the legs of my mother, a slighter and more beautiful baby, destined for a different life, in which I am masterful, sleek as a deer, a winner.

Good to see another Saunders fan out there. Is this the first book Saunders' book you've read? All are highly recommended. The new collection includes some of his best work, though there are one or two clunkers.

[WolfpackGuy]

I'm currently about halfway through Mein Kampf which I found for a few bucks recently.

Very hard read because Hitler jumps from thought to thought in a disorganized manner, and the book seems like a giant run on sentence especially when he talks about himself.

Oddly, in what I've read so far, he made some rather accurate predictions about today's dysfunctional democratic process (at least in this country) and said EXACTLY WHAT HE WOULD DO if he ever got in a position of power.

[IHaveALight]

http://ts3.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4775051075126330&pid=15.1&H=160&W=111

[Rohirrim]

I'm just finishing up with this:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51K6T-QXPbL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_SX240_SY320_CR,0,0,240,320_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Lot's of info, but pretty dry. More concerned with the politics than the man.

[Broncomutt]

At the age of 10, I got a copy of the novelization of the movie Alien. Ironically, my parents wouldn't let me watch the movie, but had no problems with me reading it, so I read the movie years before I ever watched it.

The novelization is pretty much a prose version of the screenplay written by Alan Dean Foster (Alien (1979) ISBN 0-446-82977-3). The screenwriter for the movie was Dan O'Bannon. It is just shy of 200 pages long. There are only 2 differences I can remember. The first is a conversation between the female crew members. In the book, Ripley asks Lambert if she's ever slept with Ash, hinting at a fair degree of promiscuity among the crew members.

The second I include because it's possibly the most chilling part of the book, but was never featured in Ridley Scott's epic movie.





Ripley still hadn't moved. Faint shrieks reached her over the 'com. The screams were Lambert's and they faded with merciful speed. Then it was quiet again.

She spoke toward the pickup. "Parker...Lambert?"

She waited for a response, expecting none. Her expectations were fulfilled. The import of the continuing silence took only a moment to settle in.
She was alone. There were probably three living things left on the ship: the alien, Jones, and herself. But she had to be sure.

It meant leaving Jones behind. She didn't want to, but the cat had heard the screams and was meowing frantically. He was making too much noise!

She reached B deck unopposed, her flamethrower held tightly in both hands. The food locker lay just ahead. There was an outside chance the alien had left someone behind, being unable to manuever itself and two bodies through the narrow ducts. A chance that someone might still be alive.

She peered around the jamb of the locker entrance. What remained showed her how the alien had succeeded in squeezing both victims into the airshaft. Then she was running, running. Blindly, a little madly, neither thinking or caring. Walls reached out to stun her and slow her down, but nothing halted her crazed flight. She ran until her lungs hurt. They reminded her of Kane and the creature that had matured inside him, next to his lungs. That in turn reminded her of the alien.

All that thinking brought her back to her senses. Gulping for breath, she slowed and took stock of her surroundings. She'd run the length of the ship. Now she found herself standing alone in the middle of the engine room.

She heard something and stopped breathing. It was repeated, and she let out a cautious sigh. The sound was familiar, the sound was human. It was the sound of weeping.

Still cradling the flamethrower, she walked slowly around the room until the source of the noise lay directly below her. She found she was standing on a companionway cover, a round metal disc. Keeping half her attention on the well-lit chamber surrounding her, she knelt and removed the disc. A ladder descended into the near darkness.

She felt her way down the ladder until she reached solid footing. Then she activated her light bar. She was in a small maintenance chamber. The light picked out plastic crates, rarely used tools. It also fell on bones with shreds of flesh still attached. Her skin crawled as the light moved over fragments of clothing, dried blood, a ruined boot. Bizarre extrusions lined the wall.

A huge cocoon hung from the ceiling, off to her right. It looked like an enclosed, translucent hammock, woven from fine white silky material. It twitched.

Her finger tense on the trigger of the flamethrower, she walked nearer. The beam from her lightbar made the cocoon slightly transparent. There was a body inside...Dallas!

Quite unexpectadly the eyes opened and focused on Ripley. Lips parted, moved to form words. She moved closer, simultaneously fascinated and repelled.

"Kill me," the whisperer pleaded with her.

"What...what did it do to you?"

Dallas tried to speak again, failed. His head turned a little to the right. Ripley swung her light, turned it upward slightly. A second cocoon hung there, different in texture and color from the first. It was smaller and darker, the silk having formed a hard, shining shell. It looked, although Ripley couldn't know it, like the broken, empty urn on the derelict ship.

"That was Brett." Her light turned back to focus on the speaker again.

"I'll get you out of here." She was crying. "We'll crank up the autodoc, get you..."

She broke off, unable to talk. She was remembering Ash's analogy of the spider, the wasp. The live young feeding on the paralyzed body of the spider, growing, the spider aware of what was happening but...

Somehow she managed to shut off that horrid line of thought. Madness lay that way. "What can I do?" she sobbed.

The same agonized whisper. "Kill me."

She stared at him. Mercifully, his eyes had closed. But his lips were trembling, as if he were readying a scream. She didn't think she could stand to hear that scream.

The nozzle of the flamethrower rose and she convulsively depressed the trigger. A molten blast enveloped the cocoon and the thing that had been Dallas. It and he burned without a sound. Then she swung the fire around the lair. The entire compartment burst into flames. She was already scrambling back up the ladder, heat licking at her legs.

[Requiem]

A book on the Aztecs by some anthropologist.

[TerrElway]

In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson - the rise of hitler as seen through the eyes of the american ambassador to Germany. Very good.

Empire of the Summer Moon - about Quanah Parker and the rise and fall of the Comanche nation.

BroncoMutt - Alan Dean Foster was my fave author growing up. His books are a fun read.

[mhgaffney]

The Big Bamboozle

by Phillip Marshall, former CIA pilot and Eastern & United pilot of Boeing 727s, 737s, 747s, 757s and 767s

who received a bullet in the head two days before the SuperBowl along with his two kids.

Not to be missed!

[broncosteven]

I just read "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" about the life and times of Warren Zevon written by his ex-wife Crystal on his request, with the provision she put in all the bad stuff.

I knew he was an Alkie but didn't realize how bad he was and how once he quit using he was able to stay on the wagon until he got the death sentence from his Dr's.

I totally love Zevon's music, glad I read this because he was a total **** person for reals.

[broncolife]

My left nut hangs lower than my right.

This book was amazing. This is just another classic book that holds your attention and makes you want to not put it down! Such a good book!!! There are certainly many fabulous characters in this series.There are those to hate (The angry mole), to love (the curly pube), to admire (the right nut), and to despise (the saggy sack and Joff the Dick).Also the army of crabs kicked arse. The list of characters that populate this series is enormous, and it is quite daunting as you begin. As the stories continue to weave together though, it becomes easy to keep track of the characters and become absorbed in their tales. I cried, laughed and vomitted. It was a great book. I cant wait for the movie, I heard it was in 3d.

[McDman]

"The Last Kingdom" by Bernard Cornwell. It's a n historical fiction about the Danish invasion of England. Very good.

[broncosteven]

She-Wolves. History of English Queens before Elizabeth I.



:Broncos:

Is this about Oscar Wilde?

[sirhcyennek81]

Is this about Oscar Wilde?


Might be. Only read about a 1/4 of it. Covered Eleanor and Matilda.


:Broncos:

[R8R H8R]

My left nut hangs lower than my right.

This book was amazing. This is just another classic book that holds your attention and makes you want to not put it down! Such a good book!!! There are certainly many fabulous characters in this series.There are those to hate (The angry mole), to love (the curly pube), to admire (the right nut), and to despise (the saggy sack and Joff the Dick).Also the army of crabs kicked arse. The list of characters that populate this series is enormous, and it is quite daunting as you begin. As the stories continue to weave together though, it becomes easy to keep track of the characters and become absorbed in their tales. I cried, laughed and vomitted. It was a great book. I cant wait for the movie, I heard it was in 3d.

Interesting, but I'm really holding out for the sequel "Why does it hurt when I pee?" I hear it's loosely adapted from an old Frank Zappa song by the same name.

[broncosteven]

Interesting, but I'm really holding out for the sequel "Why does it hurt when I pee?" I hear it's loosely adapted from an old Frank Zappa song by the same name.

Willie the Pimp?

[BroncsCheer]

The People's History of the United States - 1492 to Present - Howard Zinn

Should be required reading in order to get registered to vote, IMO

I knew a lot of things were farked up but had no idea really how bad the class separation has been in this country since Day Zero.

[sirhcyennek81]

The People's History of the United States - 1492 to Present - Howard Zinn

Should be required reading in order to get registered to vote, IMO

I knew a lot of things were farked up but had no idea really how bad the class separation has been in this country since Day Zero.


I would suggest reading more than one history of the US for proper perspective. Whatever is the same, is what you need to know and not the author's opinion.


:Broncos:

[Swedish Extrovert]

Les Miserables x100

[R8R H8R]

Willie the Pimp?

No, "Why does it hurt when I pee?" It's from the Joe's Garage album.

[BroncoInferno]

I would suggest reading more than one history of the US for proper perspective. Whatever is the same, is what you need to know and not the author's opinion.


"History is the lie commonly agreed upon." ~ Voltaire

I don't know if you've actually read Zinn's book, but the purpose was to shed light on the forgotten players in U.S. history (hence "A People's History"). The triumphs of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, et al have been told from nearly every conceivable angle. This is more of a supplementary text about how common people lived.

[Drunk Monkey]

Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Trawn Trillogy)

It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousand of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale--in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars


Well...... It would have been a lot better if I read it in 1991 when it was written. Episodes 1-3 contradict some of the events in the book. Dark Jedi instead of the Sith ect. It was also pretty cheesy but I guess that was to be expected. I will probably read the other 2 now that I am invested but really this is not a great book.

[Broncomutt]

The Path Between the Seas by David McCullough

First and only book I've read by Mr. McCullough. When finished, I immediately bought the rest of his books.

That canal was a b****!

[Tombstone RJ]

At the age of 10, I got a copy of the novelization of the movie Alien. Ironically, my parents wouldn't let me watch the movie, but had no problems with me reading it, so I read the movie years before I ever watched it.

The novelization is pretty much a prose version of the screenplay written by Alan Dean Foster (Alien (1979) ISBN 0-446-82977-3). The screenwriter for the movie was Dan O'Bannon. It is just shy of 200 pages long. There are only 2 differences I can remember. The first is a conversation between the female crew members. In the book, Ripley asks Lambert if she's ever slept with Ash, hinting at a fair degree of promiscuity among the crew members.

The second I include because it's possibly the most chilling part of the book, but was never featured in Ridley Scott's epic movie.





Ripley still hadn't moved. Faint shrieks reached her over the 'com. The screams were Lambert's and they faded with merciful speed. Then it was quiet again.

She spoke toward the pickup. "Parker...Lambert?"

She waited for a response, expecting none. Her expectations were fulfilled. The import of the continuing silence took only a moment to settle in.
She was alone. There were probably three living things left on the ship: the alien, Jones, and herself. But she had to be sure.

It meant leaving Jones behind. She didn't want to, but the cat had heard the screams and was meowing frantically. He was making too much noise!

She reached B deck unopposed, her flamethrower held tightly in both hands. The food locker lay just ahead. There was an outside chance the alien had left someone behind, being unable to manuever itself and two bodies through the narrow ducts. A chance that someone might still be alive.

She peered around the jamb of the locker entrance. What remained showed her how the alien had succeeded in squeezing both victims into the airshaft. Then she was running, running. Blindly, a little madly, neither thinking or caring. Walls reached out to stun her and slow her down, but nothing halted her crazed flight. She ran until her lungs hurt. They reminded her of Kane and the creature that had matured inside him, next to his lungs. That in turn reminded her of the alien.

All that thinking brought her back to her senses. Gulping for breath, she slowed and took stock of her surroundings. She'd run the length of the ship. Now she found herself standing alone in the middle of the engine room.

She heard something and stopped breathing. It was repeated, and she let out a cautious sigh. The sound was familiar, the sound was human. It was the sound of weeping.

Still cradling the flamethrower, she walked slowly around the room until the source of the noise lay directly below her. She found she was standing on a companionway cover, a round metal disc. Keeping half her attention on the well-lit chamber surrounding her, she knelt and removed the disc. A ladder descended into the near darkness.

She felt her way down the ladder until she reached solid footing. Then she activated her light bar. She was in a small maintenance chamber. The light picked out plastic crates, rarely used tools. It also fell on bones with shreds of flesh still attached. Her skin crawled as the light moved over fragments of clothing, dried blood, a ruined boot. Bizarre extrusions lined the wall.

A huge cocoon hung from the ceiling, off to her right. It looked like an enclosed, translucent hammock, woven from fine white silky material. It twitched.

Her finger tense on the trigger of the flamethrower, she walked nearer. The beam from her lightbar made the cocoon slightly transparent. There was a body inside...Dallas!

Quite unexpectadly the eyes opened and focused on Ripley. Lips parted, moved to form words. She moved closer, simultaneously fascinated and repelled.

"Kill me," the whisperer pleaded with her.

"What...what did it do to you?"

Dallas tried to speak again, failed. His head turned a little to the right. Ripley swung her light, turned it upward slightly. A second cocoon hung there, different in texture and color from the first. It was smaller and darker, the silk having formed a hard, shining shell. It looked, although Ripley couldn't know it, like the broken, empty urn on the derelict ship.

"That was Brett." Her light turned back to focus on the speaker again.

"I'll get you out of here." She was crying. "We'll crank up the autodoc, get you..."

She broke off, unable to talk. She was remembering Ash's analogy of the spider, the wasp. The live young feeding on the paralyzed body of the spider, growing, the spider aware of what was happening but...

Somehow she managed to shut off that horrid line of thought. Madness lay that way. "What can I do?" she sobbed.

The same agonized whisper. "Kill me."

She stared at him. Mercifully, his eyes had closed. But his lips were trembling, as if he were readying a scream. She didn't think she could stand to hear that scream.

The nozzle of the flamethrower rose and she convulsively depressed the trigger. A molten blast enveloped the cocoon and the thing that had been Dallas. It and he burned without a sound. Then she swung the fire around the lair. The entire compartment burst into flames. She was already scrambling back up the ladder, heat licking at her legs.

I too read the book Alien and yes, this scene is in the movie, they just edited out of the final movie release. However, you can get the DVD with the expanded version and this scene is in it.

The reason Ridley Scott deleted the scene was because of the tension of Ripley being completely alone, running through the big ship. Scott didn't want that tension broken with this scene so he cut it out of the final release. Makes sense to me because the tension of Ripley being completely alone, trying to make her way to the shuttle and being restricted by the time she has before the ship explodes is all very intense.

[Tombstone RJ]

Also, a little bit of trivia: The original title of the movie was not Alien, but Space Truckers. The crew of the ship were not exactly the best of the best, but more like your average freight hauler. You can see this in the movie as some of the characters are sorta redneck types. However, I think it was after they settled on HR Geiger's creepy monster and put the entire set together, along with the actors and script that they realized this title would never work and they changed it to Alien

[TonyR]

I recently read Gillian Flynn's first two novels, Sharp Objects and Dark Places. I am currently reading her third novel, Gone Girl, which is currently #3 on the NYT Best Sellers list and has been on the list for 42 weeks. I recommend all three.

[broncosteven]

I too read the book Alien and yes, this scene is in the movie, they just edited out of the final movie release. However, you can get the DVD with the expanded version and this scene is in it.

The reason Ridley Scott deleted the scene was because of the tension of Ripley being completely alone, running through the big ship. Scott didn't want that tension broken with this scene so he cut it out of the final release. Makes sense to me because the tension of Ripley being completely alone, trying to make her way to the shuttle and being restricted by the time she has before the ship explodes is all very intense.

I was into Alan Dean Foster at the time too, he did a bunch of Star Trek books and a ton of other movie books like Outland, Black Hole, clash of the Titans etc... I still have all my paperbacks of the big blockbuster Sci-fi movies of the 70's and early 80's. I can't part with them for some reason.

[Tombstone RJ]

I was into Alan Dean Foster at the time too, he did a bunch of Star Trek books and a ton of other movie books like Outland, Black Hole, clash of the Titans etc... I still have all my paperbacks of the big blockbuster Sci-fi movies of the 70's and early 80's. I can't part with them for some reason.

I'd like to read the Black Hole book, I like that movie as a kid.

[Crushaholic]

Heir to the Empire (Star Wars The Trawn Trillogy)

It's five years after Return of the Jedi: the Rebel Alliance has destroyed the Death Star, defeated Darth Vader and the Emperor, and driven out the remnants of the old Imperial Starfleet to a distant corner of the galaxy. Princess Leia and Han Solo are married and expecting Jedi Twins. And Luke Skywalker has become the first in a long-awaited line of Jedi Knights. But thousand of light-years away, the last of the emperor's warlords has taken command of the shattered Imperial Fleet, readied it for war, and pointed it at the fragile heart of the new Republic. For this dark warrior has made two vital discoveries that could destroy everything the courageous men and women of the Rebel Alliance fought so hard to build. The explosive confrontation that results is a towering epic of action, invention, mystery, and spectacle on a galactic scale--in short, a story worthy of the name Star Wars


Well...... It would have been a lot better if I read it in 1991 when it was written. Episodes 1-3 contradict some of the events in the book. Dark Jedi instead of the Sith ect. It was also pretty cheesy but I guess that was to be expected. I will probably read the other 2 now that I am invested but really this is not a great book.

Lucas would allow authors to make money, based on his vision. It didn't matter, when it came to the movies. The Expanded Universe was generally ignored, and Disney has hinted that the next Star Wars movie will ALSO ignore the Star Wars "expanded universe". Many of the books are nice reads, though...

[broncosteven]

I'd like to read the Black Hole book, I like that movie as a kid.

I still love that movie, even if the end is lame. We had just moved to Florida when it came out and I was about 12 or 13 and since there were no kids in our neighborhood my mom would let me and my 10 year old sister ride our bikes a couple miles to a small mall that had a theater. My sister and I watched that movie a bunch of times.

I don't remember the book being as memorable as 2001, Blade Runner (though that is classic Sci-Fi at it's best), Alien, or even Outland, it is pretty thin. Maybe I will crack it open again and give it a read, soccer practice has started up and I have time to read.