Book Thread number ?

[Carter]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I am a little concerned that Amazon has started recommending mysteries about cats and knitting for me.

My sister refuses to shop on the internet, but solves the problem by having me do it for her. Her tastes are a little wierd, as are her friends for whom she buys presents, so I spend months at a time, particularly after Christmas, getting the most bizarre recommendations from Amazon. Very annoying.

 

[goldy_331]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I am a little concerned that Amazon has started recommending mysteries about cats and knitting for me.

They know you're a single female, living alone, of a certain age?

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Has anyone else used Goodreads recommendation feature? I have my 800+ book list on the site but I haven't tried their recommendation feature and wondered how it was.

 

[joecct]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I am a little concerned that Amazon has started recommending mysteries about cats and knitting for me.

Try buying textbooks to a liberal arts Catholic college. My recommendations are full of Philosophers. I want westerns and political thrillers.

 

[duper]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I am a little concerned that Amazon has started recommending mysteries about cats and knitting for me.

You're reading Bossypants and you don't expect to have cats and knitting rec'd? (I listened to the Bossypants audiobook. There's no getting around the fact that Tina Fey is funny.)

Currently reading Swamplandia!, a first novel. Not super-impressed, but it's not bad enough to bring back to the library unfinished.

I am SO not a science fiction or fantasy guy but I have been on a bit of a Terry Pratchett kick.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Recent reads


Foreign Influence by Brad Thor Another Scot Harvath book from Brad Thor. In this one Harvath is attempting to track down terrorists who have been setting off bombs killing Americans around Europe. His frienemy the Dwarf is back in this one as he assists Harvath in trying to track down the terrorists before time runs out.

The Silent Sea by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul This latest installment of the Oregon series find the crew involved in Argentina. A new junta has taken charge and first the team is involved in retrieving a US satellite which has fallen down in their territory. Following this they are then involved in stopping a plot when the Argentinians and their Chinese allies try to take over Antarctica.

The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen The second Rizzoli and Isle book from Gerritsen ,actually the first with Maura Isles. In this book Jane Rizzoli is still haunted by her near death encounter with serial killer Warren Hoyt, the Surgeon when she is thrust intoo the investigation of another serial killer, the Dominator who's mo is similar to Hoyt's. Her life is thrown into further turmoil when Hoyt escapes from prison and teams up with the Dominator. Nice twists and turns and thrilling action.

The Motive by John Lescroart I like the lead up and legal case in this book from Lescroart but not the ending. The book starts when the home of a powerful patron of San Francisco politics home is burned to the ground and the bodies of both he and his fiance are found in the ashes. Further investigation reveals that they were both shot before the fire making it a murder investigation. Dismas hardy becomes involved when his ex-girlfriend the daughter-in-law of the deceased is charged with the crime. Nice investigation and court case back and forth but as I started off the ending comes of kind of unrealistic and flat.

Comrade J by Pete Earley This book is the story of Sergei Tretyakov a KGB and SVR, the successor to the KGB, spy and his subsequent defection to the United States in late 2000. His early life in the KGB and his stories of life in KGB headquarters is very interesting. His stories of spying and recruitment of spies while based in Ottawa is a bit eye opening. The number of non-Americans who were willing to give the Russian information on the US because they hated the US was a bit eye opening. It is also interesting how many of these former Russian spies and sources still have their jobs. The most interesting part is his life as Soviet deputy rezident at the UN mission where he ran most of the Russians spy operations in the US. His revelations that the ambassador from Tajikastan and a high official from Uzebekistan were Russian informers was interesting. Also eye opening was the revelation of how the Russians used the oil for food program to enrich themselves. The big detractor from the book is the limitation Earley was under not to reveal the information the Sergei gave to the US before he defected, he spied for the US for about 3 years before leaving. Even the small bit given at the end of the book leaves you wanting to hear more. Also the details of his defection are not listed the book it ends with him driving out of the Russian Embassy. His views on the Russian Oligarchs, Yeltsin and Putin are also interesting.

 

[jen]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Has anyone else used Goodreads recommendation feature? I have my 800+ book list on the site but I haven't tried their recommendation feature and wondered how it was.

I just signed up on Monday and imported my stuff from LibraryThing. I don't like how Amazon mostly recommends on recent activity, so I've been looking for something better. Haven't looked at it in-depth yet, but it has to be better than Amazon. I don't think I've used the "Shelf" feature to its full capability. Seems helpful to be able to get recommendations based on a group of books that you select, though, rather than just genres.

You're reading Bossypants and you don't expect to have cats and knitting rec'd? (I listened to the Bossypants audiobook. There's no getting around the fact that Tina Fey is funny.)

Currently reading Swamplandia!, a first novel. Not super-impressed, but it's not bad enough to bring back to the library unfinished.

They know you're a single female, living alone, of a certain age?

and so what if I like Sue Grafton!

Swamplandia is on my list of things to read, too.

 

[unofan]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Scarlet - my wife just made the switch to the Kindle. She reads a ton (1-2 books a week)
and like many others likes the feel of a book, going to the store and being able to pick up a book and take a look before buying. She is hooked though on the Kindle and takes it everywhere. She says she feels she can read faster and now we won't have boxes of books in the attic, or more boxes. One thing she did say is she is not sure she will like not being able to lend friends copies of a book. I never expected her to make the switch.

The Kindle's even better now that Amazon finally decided to allow ePubs on it - meaning you can read library books and other public domain books on it. That said, I'll still prefer actual printed paper over text whenever possible.

Recent reads for me:

Re-read the Harry Potter series in honor of Banned Book Week.

Read Fledgling and Saltation by Sharron Miller and Steven Lee (or Steven Miller and Sharron Lee, whatever). Fairly cheesy sci-fi, but present an entertaining universe nonetheless. Kind of a series of side novels to their main Liaden Universe series, which I have yet to read.

The Left Hand of God by Paul Hoffman - very dark fantasy, book one of a trilogy (book two just released within the last month). The Amazon reviews are pretty accurate, the first few chapters are extremely interesting, setting up a very intriguing world, but then jumps into a standard "we're going questing" mode far too quickly and makes the book somewhat more generic than first appears. Have heard extremely mixed reviews for book 2, which I will probably read if I can find it at the library.

Which reminds me of a rant, my local library sucks. We moved from a college town with a great library to a former rural town turned-suburb with a pathetic one. The sci-fi fantasy section is all of three shelves in the back corner consisting primarily of star trek, star wars, and video game novelizations, along with a few staples (L. Ron Hubbard, Douglas Adams, Anne McCafferty, etc). Now, granted, they put some things that are normally in sci-fi in the general fiction or mysteries sections (such as Orson Scott Card), but nonetheless, the collection is pitiful. First time I've ever considered running for a government board or volunteering my time and/or money or something, because I can't stand my town having that bad of a library.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I just signed up on Monday and imported my stuff from LibraryThing. I don't like how Amazon mostly recommends on recent activity, so I've been looking for something better. Haven't looked at it in-depth yet, but it has to be better than Amazon. I don't think I've used the "Shelf" feature to its full capability. Seems helpful to be able to get recommendations based on a group of books that you select, though, rather than just genres.






and so what if I like Sue Grafton!

Swamplandia is on my list of things to read, too.

The shelf feature has helped me out quite a bit from getting books I have already read of course I also have about 30 shelfs which sometimes makes it hard to navigate. Also to get the best results of the recommendation you have to rate the books and they didn't carry over my ratings when I moved my list from Living Social so I am still working on rating them.

 

[duper]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I just signed up on Monday and imported my stuff from LibraryThing. I don't like how Amazon mostly recommends on recent activity, so I've been looking for something better. Haven't looked at it in-depth yet, but it has to be better than Amazon. I don't think I've used the "Shelf" feature to its full capability. Seems helpful to be able to get recommendations based on a group of books that you select, though, rather than just genres.






and so what if I like Sue Grafton!

Swamplandia is on my list of things to read, too.

When I read my own post I realized that it could come across as obnoxious, which was not the intent. I hope that was clear. I should have put in more smileys.

Swamplandia was growing on me when I learned that I would be unable to renew a library book because another patron had requested it, so I had to switch mid-book. Back to Swamplandia today.

Other books currently out from the library or recently purchased but not yet read:

Don Quixote
The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana by Umberto Eco
The Wild Things by Dave Eggers
yet another Terry Pratchett
Taft by Ann Patchett

For those not familiar, I recommend Ann Patchett based on what I have seen. I read Bel Canto which I loved and Run which I enjoyed, but perhaps somewhat less than Bel Canto.

 

[MattS]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Which reminds me of a rant, my local library sucks. We moved from a college town with a great library to a former rural town turned-suburb with a pathetic one. The sci-fi fantasy section is all of three shelves in the back corner consisting primarily of star trek, star wars, and video game novelizations, along with a few staples (L. Ron Hubbard, Douglas Adams, Anne McCafferty, etc). Now, granted, they put some things that are normally in sci-fi in the general fiction or mysteries sections (such as Orson Scott Card), but nonetheless, the collection is pitiful. First time I've ever considered running for a government board or volunteering my time and/or money or something, because I can't stand my town having that bad of a library.

You should do it! I am just starting my second term on my local library board and it has been awesome, exasperating, and learning experience. The inner workings of a public library, at least here in NY, is fascinating. Patrons simply have no clue what it takes to have a well run library.

If you (and everyone reading this) don't want to run for office, then certainly consider volunteering or donating. Both of those goes a long ways to making it easier for the libraries to expand their collections and provide programming.

As for your specific problem of few Sci-fi books, does your library have an inter-library loan program available? In NY public libraries are set up into large geographic "systems" in which individual member libraries use their collectivism to provide greater services. For example, at my library we have an extensive collection of mysteries and christian based novels, but we are we on Sci-fi and non-fiction. However, the next town to the south has a very extensive collection of Sci-fi. Both libraries have made the decision to keep it that way. If I need a Sci-fi book then through the inter-library loan system I will have my requested book in a day or so. Not a bad wait and this way, save for the very popular authors, there is less purchasing of duplicate books and thus more a variety in the total system.

 

[jen]

Re: Book Thread number ?

The shelf feature has helped me out quite a bit from getting books I have already read of course I also have about 30 shelfs which sometimes makes it hard to navigate. Also to get the best results of the recommendation you have to rate the books and they didn't carry over my ratings when I moved my list from Living Social so I am still working on rating them.

I think I missed my window to import from Visual Bookshelf/Living Social, since I can't seem to access it now. Importing from LibraryThing DID bring my ratings, which was nice.

 

[MattS]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman today at lunch. I am not sure why it was ranked so high on the fantasy list I working through. While I found the basic story to be OK, I also found the book to be too long, parts of it were simply irrelevant, and other parts were confusing. Maybe I didn't enjoy it too much because I don't have an in depth knowledge of mythology, so I found parts of it confusing.

I think I will take a break from Sci-fi and Fantasy and read a mystery or two. So, next up.. Bad Blood by Linda Fairstein.

 

[St. Clown]

Re: Book Thread number ?

My sister refuses to shop on the internet, but solves the problem by having me do it for her. Her tastes are a little wierd, as are her friends for whom she buys presents, so I spend months at a time, particularly after Christmas, getting the most bizarre recommendations from Amazon. Very annoying.

Mark that stuff as Gifts when buying or when rating, and that problem's solved.

 

[The Rube]

Re: Book Thread number ?

I finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman today at lunch. I am not sure why it was ranked so high on the fantasy list I working through. While I found the basic story to be OK, I also found the book to be too long, parts of it were simply irrelevant, and other parts were confusing. Maybe I didn't enjoy it too much because I don't have an in depth knowledge of mythology, so I found parts of it confusing.

I think I will take a break from Sci-fi and Fantasy and read a mystery or two. So, next up.. Bad Blood by Linda Fairstein.

Your admitted lack of knowledge in mythology definitely tainted your enjoyment. In school, I learned many a mythology, and picked up on quite a few things. You are correct that it was a mess for the first half of the book, it was very rambling. IMO, though, all the ends tied up nicely. I will also admit the House On The Rock part(s) helped me get into it, as I have visited it, and his description of the place was dead on. I knew his material and what he got from that place.

I neglected to say any of this beforehand, since I didn't want to spoil anything. Given the nature of the plot, etc, you never know what is a giveaway and what isn't.

Right now I'm reading "The Battle Of Alberta," a book on the Edmonton/Calgary rivalry over the years. It's meh. Interesting, but unless I was Canadian (or more specifically from one of those areas), I would appreciate it more.

 

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

This weeks reads

A Certain Justice by John Lescroart A good effort from Lescroart, missing Dismas Hardy for most of the book this is primarily a Abe Glitsky book. The novel starts with a young career criminal getting let off after being charged with the killing of a man. At a wake for the man who was killed his friends and acquaintances go out of the bar and string up a black man who happened by, the person being let go being black the man he killed white. One man trying to help the man being lynched is listed as the prime suspect due to a news photographers photo and he goes into hiding after being threatened by other members of the lynch mob. Not a whole lot of courtroom drama but a lot of political interplay between the various factions trying to reap the situation for their own benefit and Glitsky attempting to arrest the perpetrators.

Betrayal by John Lescroart This courtroom thriller follows the case of a soldier accused of killing a private contractor who helped get most of his company killed in Iraq and him seriously wounded. The book tells the story of what happened in Iraq the first trial and then the appeal which is being handled by Dismas Hardy. Nice courtroom action and intrigue.

Julius Caesar by Philip Freeman An excellent biography of Caesar. Always known as a great warrior this book shows Caesar's great talents as a politician. Reading Caesar's political battle with his Senate foes shows you how little has changed in the last 2,000 years. A great overview of Caesar;s early life his rise to power when he was governor of Gaul and his battle with Pompey and others to come to power in Rome.

 

[erin]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Haven't been on the board much at all, & even longer since in one of these threads. Not sure what I was last talking about reading, but the last few things I've read: Books 2 & 3 of the "Wicked" series ("Son of a Witch" & "A Lion Among Men") "The Help" & right in the thick of "A Game of Thrones" right now as my sister & some friends have been all over me to read the series. So far so good!

Just got a friend to read "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris, & intentionally suggested that before "Naked"... which he's angling to pick up next. Thinking of re-reading one or both of those (one can always use a laugh)

 

[The Rube]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Just started Theo Fleury's book. I wasn't even a chapter in before I was muttering "what the f*?!" to myself. That guy had one messed up childhood. Should be interesting the rest of the way.

Yes, he has been in the NHL for much of my sportsfan life, but never was a fan of his (I wasn't NOT a fan either), so I just know basically he was abused, and into drugs/alcohol; you know, the basics.

 

[jen]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Just read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Best-League-Summer-Season/dp/0738209015">The Last Best League by Jim Collins</a> about the 2002 Chatham A's in the Cape Cod League. It was pretty good, but I wouldn't call it a must read. I thought the most interesting parts were the players' negotiations with their MLB teams, and the chapter at the end about the draft.

On a side note, this book also mentions Tony Gwynn, Jr. (we called him Anthony then) a few times, thereby making it awesome (unfortunately, he wasn't with Chatham, though, so it's not about him). Tim Stauffer is really the only main guy in the book that plays regularly in MLB now (not that the other stories aren't interesting).

Next up is The Catcher Was a Spy about Moe Berg.

 

[WeAreNDHockey]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Just finished re-reading Guilty Until Proven Innocent by Donald Connery, a rather horrifying tale of police tactics gone wrong. They arrested and eventually convicted an innocent teenager in 1973 for the brutal slaying of his mother, and nearly 40 years later the actual guilty party or parties have never been prosecuted. Fortunately Peter Reilly was supported by many in his Connecticut town who knew he was not capable of this crime and went to extraordinary lengths to see that he was soon released from jail on appeal, and eventually were able to convince the state to dismiss the charges against him. I marvel at the sheer number of people who think the government can do nothing right, except when it comes to cops, who they miraculously believe can do no wrong.

Now I am reading The Quest, by Daniel Yergin. Some say he's one of the more influential experts on energy matters and a previous book, The Prize was a Pulitzer winner in the early 1990s and one of my favorites.