Recreational Literary Endeavors
- Thread starter Luthorne
- Start date
Reading through James Clavell's Shogun at the moment because I've seen it recommended many times elsewhere and I've some personal interest in the time period that the book is based.
The writing's not bad but going through it is aggravating - it's fictional enough that I don't feel quite justified in tossing it aside based on historical inaccuracies but it's also historical enough that those inaccuracies are like little thorns stuck in my side. It's particularly bad because they're the inaccuracies that I personally can't stand - the stupid idea that the samurai didn't use guns during a brutal, multi-sided civil war and the equally stupid idea of Edo-period or even later period bushido hanging around during the Sengoku period.
I can't quite fault the author because I think he wrote it at a time when the English historical resources on Japan weren't exactly plentiful and accurate, but it's still pretty irritating.
The writing's not bad but going through it is aggravating - it's fictional enough that I don't feel quite justified in tossing it aside based on historical inaccuracies but it's also historical enough that those inaccuracies are like little thorns stuck in my side. It's particularly bad because they're the inaccuracies that I personally can't stand - the stupid idea that the samurai didn't use guns during a brutal, multi-sided civil war and the equally stupid idea of Edo-period or even later period bushido hanging around during the Sengoku period.
I can't quite fault the author because I think he wrote it at a time when the English historical resources on Japan weren't exactly plentiful and accurate, but it's still pretty irritating.
Started reading King's 11/22/63 Friday. Am now 300 pages in, and having trouble putting it down.
I haven't read this far into a Stephen King novel since The Dark Tower. The last book I read was Full Dark, No Stars.
And now I have to wait for the latest DT book, The Wind Through The Keyhole to arrive in my mailbox. Argh.
I haven't read this far into a Stephen King novel since The Dark Tower. The last book I read was Full Dark, No Stars.
And now I have to wait for the latest DT book, The Wind Through The Keyhole to arrive in my mailbox. Argh.
I am listing to <a href='http://www.audible.com/pd?asin=B007SP2LPM' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas</a> Narrated by Wil Wheaton. I am almost finish and so far its really good and funny.
"Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. ItÆs a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the shipÆs Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldnÆt be betteràuntil Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the shipÆs captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleaguesÆ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really isàand offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives."
"Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. ItÆs a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the shipÆs Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldnÆt be betteràuntil Andrew begins to pick up on the facts that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces; (2) the shipÆs captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations; and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed.
Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleaguesÆ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really isàand offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives."
Started reading the "a song of ice and fire" series. First two books were good, but I'm having trouble continuing the third one. It's like everything has come to a stop, I feel like nothing is actually happening. Oh sure, clans and places change banner/ownership a couple of times but it seems like it's got no purpose to it, that it's just to pad the length.
Does it get better or should I put the series down?
Does it get better or should I put the series down?
I am almost finish listening to The Nerdist Way: How to Reach the Next Level (In Real Life) by Chris Hardwick its a self help book for nerds. So far its really good.
I finish Year Zero: A Novel by Rob Reid. Its really funny book. I don't know how much I want to say about the book and not give too much away but here is a quick summery of the plot.
Every aliens in universe owning all of their money to earth because they have a law that says that they have to respect every plants law. The thing is that they had been illegally downloading all of our music for the last 30 years and they didn't know it was illegal in tell 3 days ago. Good news is that earth don't know aliens exist but the bad news is that they still owe all there money to earth and a lot of there don't like it.
Now for a bit of news
Cold Days: November 27th, 2012!
I finish Year Zero: A Novel by Rob Reid. Its really funny book. I don't know how much I want to say about the book and not give too much away but here is a quick summery of the plot.
Every aliens in universe owning all of their money to earth because they have a law that says that they have to respect every plants law. The thing is that they had been illegally downloading all of our music for the last 30 years and they didn't know it was illegal in tell 3 days ago. Good news is that earth don't know aliens exist but the bad news is that they still owe all there money to earth and a lot of there don't like it.
Now for a bit of news
Cold Days: November 27th, 2012!
