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Hey I love to read (at my own pace...screw you school). I like everything but we all know that too much of something is bad. So can I get some ideas on what books to read? No I have never read The Da Vinci Code. Is it good? Should I read it? Throw some ideas at me.
~Josh~
I heard the Da Vinci Code is all fake.
Aren't you the religious Christian guy? If so, you might find the DaVinci Codes offensive, since it pretty much questions the origins of the Christian Church. I read it, and found it readable, but not nearly so fantastic or shocking as people who are true believers did.
When I can't decide what to read, I either pick out an old classic or a book that has won some sort of award for outstanding literature.
what kind of books are you looking for? fiction/non fiction? contemporary/classic? a book that makes you laugh/cry or both?
Any type of book I will read. Yes I am christian, well...christian beliefs I do agree with. Some I don't. I try to keep an open mind on religeous stuff but if I can take that way too far and have fun with it I do. Ex. My do you think god etc thread lol. But yea. Any books please of any type.
ok, if you want a good laugh combined with science fiction, you should check out douglas adams: the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. he calls it a "trilogy", but it comes in five volumes. at the moment i am reading "dirk gently's holistic detective agency" by the same author. to give you an idea about what to expect, here's a short extract:
high on a rocky promontory sat an electric monk on a bored horse.(…)
the electric monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. dishwashers washed tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the bother of washing them yourself, video recorders watched tedious television for you, thus saving you the bother of looking at it yourself; electric monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.
unforunately this electric monk had developed a fault, and had started to believe all kinds of things, more or less at random. it was even beginning to believe things they'd have difficulty believing in Salt Lake City.(…)
he believed in a door. he must find that door. the door was the way to … to …
The Door was The Way.
good.
capital letters were always the best way of dealing with things you didn't have a good answer to. (…)
wanna test your faith?Quote:
Originally Posted by TheOneAndOnlyX
[url]http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0609807986/qid=1138899505/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-2619348-0545603?s=books&v=glance&n=283155[/url]
Simply put. No comment. This will not turn into another religeous argument.Quote:
Originally Posted by toohot4pants
I didn't like The DaVinci Code all that much. Interesting idea, but not all that well written, IMO.
What kind of books do you like? There are sooo many good ones its hard to know where to start. You are interested in religion? How about The Name of the Rose, by U. Eco. Thats a good story.
Well it all depends man. If you really like to read, then why? Is it that you like well written dialog (classics of literature)? Or is it that fanciful events intrigue your wondering visual mind? Do you like to think about life, truth, and the greater implications of our existence? Or is it that you like action and drama and you want great stories of life itself in all its insanity.
Read the following encrypts and tell me which one suits you better.
OrQuote:
His manner was not effusive. It seldom was; but he was glad, I
think, to see me. With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly
eye, he waved me to an armchair, threw across his case of cigars,
and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner. Then he
stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular
introspective fashion.
OrQuote:
yet the temperance of a man and
a woman are not the same, nor their courage, nor their justice, though
Socrates thought otherwise; for the courage of the man consists in
commanding, the woman's in obeying; and the same is true in other
particulars: and this will be evident to those who will examine
different virtues separately; for those who use general terms deceive
themselves when they say, that virtue consists in a good disposition
of mind, or doing what is right, or something of this sort.
.Quote:
I frankly don't give a **** how it all turns out in this country - or anywhere else, for that matter. I think the human game was up a long time ago (when the high priests and traders took over), and now we're just playing out the string. And that is, of course, precisely what I find so amusing: the slow circling of the drain by a once promising species, and the sappy, ever-more-desperate belief in this country that there is actually some sort of "American Dream," which has merely been misplaced
The first author is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes novels. His writing is very eloquent and thought provoking and distinctly British in rigid class. The vocabulary and tone is awesome and hard to beat.
The second author is Aristotle. If classic philosophy and long establish ideas of right and wrong inspire you then check him and many other classical philosophy writers.
The 3rd author is George Carlin. It is almost impossible to beat his dry, in your face, witty commentary. If this kind of frankness and bold humor suits you then try him out.
:)
Also, have you tried reading the Bible? It is really impossible to beat the Bible as a book about life. You just have to read a version that is more readable than ones like the King James Version. Here is an excerpt about Joseph taken from the New American Bible. After this is the same story as written in the King James Version. Striking difference in its readability huh? Same story it’s just that one is much more readable and thusly greatly more touching and understandable.
Here is the same story as written in the King James Version. The New American Bible is so much easier to read if you ask me. The story in the other version just takes on more life to me than the King James Version.Quote:
“When Joseph was taken down to Egypt, a certain Egyptian (Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and his chief steward) bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him there. But since the LORD was with him, Joseph got on very well and was assigned to the household of his Egyptian master.
When his master saw that the LORD was with him and brought him success in whatever he did, he took a liking to Joseph and made him his personal attendant; he put him in charge of his household and entrusted to him all his possessions. From the moment that he put him in charge of his household and all his possessions, the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; in fact, the LORD'S blessing was on everything he owned, both inside the house and out. Having left everything he owned in Joseph's charge, he gave no thought, with Joseph there, to anything but the food he ate. Now Joseph was strikingly handsome in countenance and body.
After a time, his master's wife began to look fondly at him and said, "Lie with me." But he refused. "As long as I am here," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house, but has entrusted to me all he owns. He wields no more authority in this house than I do, and he has withheld from me nothing but yourself, since you are his wife. How, then, could I commit so great a wrong and thus stand condemned before God?" Although she tried to entice him day after day, he would not agree to lie beside her, or even stay near her. One such day, when Joseph came into the house to do his work, and none of the household servants were then in the house, she laid hold of him by his cloak, saying, "Lie with me!" But leaving the cloak in her hand, he got away from her and ran outside.
When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand as he fled outside, she screamed for her household servants and told them, "Look! my husband has brought in a Hebrew slave to make sport of us! He came in here to lie with me, but I cried out as loud as I could. When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran away outside."
She kept the cloak with her until his master came home. Then she told him the same story: "The Hebrew slave whom you brought here broke in on me, to make sport of me. But when I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and fled outside." As soon as the master heard his wife's story about how his slave had treated her, he became enraged. He seized Joseph and threw him into the jail where the royal prisoners were confined. But even while he was in prison, the LORD remained with Joseph; he showed him kindness by making the chief jailer well-disposed toward him.
Have a good one. ;)Quote:
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
2: And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3: And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
4: And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5: And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
6: And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
7: And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.
8: But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;
9: There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?
10: And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her.
11: And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.
12: And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.
13: And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth,
14: That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:
15: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out.
16: And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home.
17: And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me:
18: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out.
19: And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled.
20: And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison.
21: But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
LoL wow. Thanks. Let's see. It might sound retarded but I like reading because It kills time and it gets me from one day to the next. I like learning new words I don't know as well (p.s. I'm not gonna ****ing read the dictionary) The bible...was good...lol. I want the remix of it. It's pretty good. I tried to read. Got to numbers...and out I was.
LOL!
Why is it that ppl can't simply recommend the Bible as an interesting read about human interaction? And leave it at that. Its amusing to me that many feel compelled to leave quotes or excerpts.... I guess I should've posted a chapter from Eco's book.... ;)
The bible is much more interesting in its original Hebrew because depending on the vowels you insert, the meanings of the words change. Translations of translations of translations tend to lose the nuances of the language and limit possible interpretations.
Why don't you read "The Old Man and the Sea"?
....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..... and that book is great for insomnia too! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by vashti
Ha Thanks guys you rock
Oh noooooooo!! I love that book! Bah - you science people scare me! ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by indigosoul
The trouble I had w/that book is that once I had figured the allegory (ies, I guess, but the main one about life), it lost its interest. Hard to escape the analytical mindset, I guess.Quote:
Originally Posted by vashti
Not that I dislike all Hemingway. I very much like A Farewell to Arms....
I really loved For Whom the Bell Tolls. Classic Literature is classic for a reason.
But I still loved The Old Man and the Sea. :D
Brian Lumley, Start at Necroscope and finish the series, you will not be disappointed I promise you. I am amazed how much I got swept up in these books....