Paperbacks Would Be Easier, Ray
August 5
So Ray passed me the Book Baton. These memes are rabid. Anyway, I’ll do my best to live up to my end of the baton. At least it’s not a real race or anything.
Number of books on the shelves
Elaine and I have two large bookcases in my office filled with books, plus a small one in the bedroom. So I’d say we have a good 100-200 books total, most of which are fiction.
Last book purchased
The last book I bought was Professional Javascript for Web Developers by Nicholas C. Zakas. But just the other day my new copy of Agile Web Development with Rails by Dave Thomas and David Heinemeier Hansson arrived thanks to Manny
Books reading right now
Well, aside from the two listed above, which I’m trying to work through as I can, I’m reading I’ll Always Have Paris by Art Buchwald.
Last 4 books read
Oh man. I hope I can remember them in order. Not that it really matters, I guess.
- The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
- Gandhi by Louis Fisher.
- ‘Tis by Frank McCourt
- Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
Favorite books
I guess I don’t really have any meaningful books, at least none that come to mind, so I’ll just give you some of my favorite books that you should go and read. So, go read ‘em, even if you’re a lazy reader like Ray!
- The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (all 5 books in the trilogy)
- The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings (read the real story, skip the movie crap)
- The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
- Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
- Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis by Frank McCourt (worth a second mention!)
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
OK, I’ll stop listing books now or I’d keep going forever. Yeah, I like to read, if you couldn’t tell. Anyway, go get one of the ones listed above and enjoy yourself. They’re all interesting enough to read at least once, and many of them should be read several times. As for passing it along, here’s my list:
If you guys don’t want to play along, that’s cool. If you do, great.
Movie crap?? Oh come on, The Hobbit and LOTR are great books (The Hobbit especially being a must read if you liked the movies), but you have to admit that they are a lot to trudge through. And the movies are so true to the books that they really are great. I have to give props to Peter Jackson for doing a great job. Sean’s been telling me I should read the Silmarillion, but I’m afraid it’d feel more like wading through quick sand than sitting down to a fun book.
Angela’s Ashes has been sitting on my shelf ever since I picked it up at Half Price really cheap a long time ago. Maybe on your recommendation I’ll finally sit down and read it. Is it much better than the movie?
tessie on August 5, 2005 at 12:00 pm
Uh, no. The movies are so far from the books it’s not even funny. I only suffered through the first one, but there were so many key elements that Peter Jackson messed up or left out…the whole barrowwight section and Tom Bombadil, putting Arwen into the movie so prominently when, in the books, all she did was sit there and marry Aragorn in the end…. I won’t keep going here.
Yes, Angela’s Ashes is worth a read, definitely. He has a third memoir coming out soon (may be out already, actually), called Teacher Man that I hope to read when I can.
Kenneth on August 5, 2005 at 12:20 pm
You only saw one?! Ok, I’m sorry evil Peter Jackson had to come along and trample all over your beloved story. And I’m sorry he didn’t make the first movie 10 hours long by including every beloved character. Anyway… that discussion is OVER…. :)
If you’re in the mood for a really really fucked up read, try Story of the Eye by Bataille. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
tessie on August 8, 2005 at 11:36 am
Alright, I just picked up the baton. Sorry it took me so long, but c’mon! Vacation! No internet!
Max on August 13, 2005 at 1:46 pm