Books you read in 2017

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by CBH, Jan 4, 2017.

  1. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    I've read 20+ Stephen King books, mostly back in high school. I enjoyed 11/22/63 but it wasn't quite in my top tier. What's next on the King list Oshie?
     
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  2. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
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    Leaning towards Carrie but open to any suggestions. I don't want to start The Dark Tower series yet
     
  3. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Carrie was ok. It's definitely among the shortest King books. It was the very first one I read, way back in 7th grade. Before that I fucked with Christopher Pike haha.

    IMO these are some of the top tier King books:
    The Stand
    It
    Tommyknockers
    Misery
    Dark Tower 1-4

    I remember Insomnia and The Talisman as also being quite good.
     
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  4. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
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    I'll switch it to The Stand next, looks like that's at the top of a lot of online King lists as well. I saw the Misery movie so that one's lower on the list.

    Also I'm an absolute baby at horror movies but trying to work up the courage to see the new It when it comes out
     
  5. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Switching from the shortest King book to the longest, haha
     
  6. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    I'd recommend IT or The Stand. Really loved both but I have IT slightly higher on my list. Just incredible.
     
  7. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    IT and The Stand are both great. Long af but great.
     
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  8. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
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    I really liked It but the length took away from the read a bit for me. Even with his great pacing and building the characters. I think one issue with the length was it built the end up too much. Still 8/10 for me.

    Just ordered The Stand
     
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  9. Iron Mickey

    Iron Mickey a guy who posted here like five years ago hates me
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    The Stand has the Kingiest ending ever.
     
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  10. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
    4. The Templar Legacy (Cotton Malone #1) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    5. Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (6/10)
    6. Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer (7/10)
    7. Empires of the Sea, by Roger Crowley (9/10)
    8. 1984 by George Orwell (8.5/10)
    9. The North Water, by Ian McGuire (7/10)
    10. The English Assassin (Gabriel Allon #2) by Daniel Siva (8/10)
    11. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance (9/10)
    12. The Alexandria Link (Cotton Malone #2) by Steve Berry (7.5/10)
    13. Star Wars: Empire's End (Aftermath #3) by Chuck Wendig (7.5/10)
    14. Animal Farm by George Orwell (8/10)
    15. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (7/10)
    16. Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (8.5/10)
    17. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (8.5/10)
    18. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (10/10)
    19. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling (9/10)
    20. Nutshell, by Ian McEwan (7/10)
    21. Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (7/10)
    22. Thrawn by Timothy Zahn (8/10)
    23. Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (10/10)
    24. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (10/10)
    25. American War by Omar El Akkad (7.5/10)
    26. Salem's Lot, by Steven King (6.5/10)
    27. Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann (9/10)
    28. Star Wars: Guardian of the Whills, by Gregg Rucka (6/10)
    29. Star Wars: Rebel Rising, by Beth Revis (6.5/10)
    30. Fight and Flight (Magic 2.0 #4), by Scott Meyer (4.5/10)
    31. The Confessor (Gabriel Allon #3) by Daniel Silva (7.5/10)
    32. The Venetian Betrayal (Cotton Malone #3) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    33. The Collapsing Empire (Interdependency #1) by John Scalzi (9.10)
    34. Borne by Jeff Vandermeer (8/10)
    35. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (6.5/10)
    36. All Your Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai (9/10)
    37. Red Sparrow (Red Sparrow #1), by Jason Matthews (10/10)
    38. No Middle Name (Jack Reacher novella) by Lee Child (7/10)
    39. Palace of Treason (Red Sparrow #2) by Jason Matthews (10/10)
    40. Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton (7.5/10)
    41. A Death in Venice (Gabriel Allon #4) by Daniel Silva (8/10)
    42. Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (6/10)
    43. Prince of Fire (Gabriel Allon #5) by Daniel Silva (8/10)


    Gabriel Allon is such a badass. Love these books and have been kicking myself I haven't read them sooner
     
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  11. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)
    4. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    5. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    6. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
    7. Nutshell - Ian McEwan (4.5/10)
    8. The 50 Best College Football Teams of All Time - Bill Connelly (7/10)
    9. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit - Michael Finkel (6.5/10)
    10. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough (7/10)
    11. The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware (5.5/10)
    12. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Timothy Snyder (8/10)
    13. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King (6/10)
    14. X - Chuck Klosterman (8.5/10)
    15. The Jaunt - Stephen King (9/10)
    16. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Attwood (6/10)
    17. City of Thieves - David Benioff (8.5/10)
    18. All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai (9/10)
    19. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - JK Rowling (8/10)

    So I read this book almost 20 years ago but for some reason never read another book in the series again. Even though I really liked it. Well, finally figured I should give the series again. Happy I did.

    Was a fun, easy read, and I thought it did a great job at setting everything up. I didn't remember as much as I thought I did, so it was fun to be surprised by what was going to happen within the story, to the characters, etc.

    Only thing I guess I disliked was that the ending felt a tad rushed/ant-climactic, but I imagine that's because there's still six books left and the big bad of the story still has a lot of time to be fleshed out. So it really didn't bug me, especially since I can get right into book #2 ASAP. Good start to the series though.
     
  12. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    1. The Metamorphosis -- Franz Kafka (8/10)
    2. Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain -- Antonio Damasio (8/10)
    3. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things -- Jenny Lawson (6/10)
    4. The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail But Some Don't -- Nate Silver (9/10)
    5. Thinking, Fast and Slow -- Daniel Kahneman (10/10)
    6. Travels With Charley: In Search of America -- John Steinbeck (8/10)
    7. The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality -- Angus Deaton (5/10)
    8. The Crying of Lot 49 -- Thomas Pynchon (8.5/10)
    9. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked -- Adam Alter (8.75/10)
    10. In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed -- Carl Honoré (7/10)
    11. Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other -- Sherry Turkle (8/10)
    12. Kim: A Novel of the Great Game -- Rudyard Kipling (5/10)
    13. You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice -- Tom Vanderbilt (8.5/10)
    14. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood -- James Gleick (9/10)
    15. A Natural History of the Senses -- Diane Ackerman (7/10)
    16. The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease -- Marc Lewis (9/10)
    17. Solitude: A Return to the Self -- Anthony Storr (7/10)
    18. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- Mark Twain (10/10) *reread*

    19. Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age -- Sherry Turkle (9.5/10)
    Same author as "Alone Together". Along the same lines but overall a better book. Don't become a zombie on your computer and phone all the time guys; talk to people irl or this world is going to be all kinds of fucked up
     
  13. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Side note: bumping this thread has become one of my favorite parts of finishing a book now :cheesy:
     
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  14. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
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    1. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #1) 7/10
    2. Days of Rage by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan Series #6) 7.5/10
    3. The First World War: A Brief History with Documents by Susan R. Grayzel 7/10
    4. Persuader by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #7) 7/10
    5. The Brusilov Offensive by Timothy C. Dowling 6/10
    6. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger 7/10
    7. Forty Years in the Big House: Michigan Tales from My Four Decades as a Wolverine by Jon Falk with Dan Ewald 6/10
    8. Hallowed Ground by James McPherson 8.5/10
    9. The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice by Alex Kershaw 9/10
    10. On Target by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #2) 8/10
    11. No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #7) 9/10
    12. If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II - One American Officer's Riveting True Story by George Wilson 9/10
    13. Ballistic by Mark Greaney (Gray Man #3) 9/10
    14. Foreign Agent by Brad Thor (Scot Harvath #15) 8/10
    15. The Insider Threat by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #8) 8/10
    16. Overlord: D-Day and The Battle for Normandy by Max Hastings 9/10
    17. I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales from a Happy Life Without Kids by Jen Kirkman 6/10 There was nothing wrong with this book but it wasn't as funny or as interesting as I was hoping.
     
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  15. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
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    This is absolutely one of my favorite things about finishing books now, combined with adding the book and the read dates on Goodreads
     
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  16. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
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    I think I'm just a collector at heart because I love that feeling, love adding a cigar to the humidor, checking into a beer on untapped, adding a wine to vivino

    Or maybe I just love vices and the occasional good read?
     
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  17. DeToxRox

    DeToxRox Uncle T
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    Just finished "Da Force" by Don Winslow.

    I really enjoyed it. Reminded me quite a bit of the Shield.
     
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  18. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
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    9. The Perfect Pass -- S.C. Gwynne 9/10
     
  19. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)
    4. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    5. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    6. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
    7. Nutshell - Ian McEwan (4.5/10)
    8. The 50 Best College Football Teams of All Time - Bill Connelly (7/10)
    9. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit - Michael Finkel (6.5/10)
    10. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough (7/10)
    11. The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware (5.5/10)
    12. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Timothy Snyder (8/10)
    13. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King (6/10)
    14. X - Chuck Klosterman (8.5/10)
    15. The Jaunt - Stephen King (9/10)
    16. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Attwood (6/10)
    17. City of Thieves - David Benioff (8.5/10)
    18. All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai (9/10)
    19. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter #1) - JK Rowling (8/10)
    20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) - JK Rowling (7.5/10)

    Overall, I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first one. But the last 1/3rd was really good to the point where it went up a couple spots.

    I think the problem I had was it was very similar to the first in that they got into trouble before getting out of trouble in not too unexpected ways. Just a different form this time around.

    But more of a backstory surrounding Voldemort + the twists and turns of the end (I guessed who was behind the bad stuff like three different times - and was wrong every time) made the end of this one much better than the first book of the series. Good stuff, looking forward to the next one up.
     
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  20. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    I noticed I got a few likes from you in my HP thread. Kind of cool youre following along as you read.
     
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  21. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
    Staff Donor TMB OG

    My goal is to stay out of that thread until I finish a book then read the posts about it. Don't wanna finish a chapter and read your post about it with a potential spoiler for the next halter on the same post. Did that for ASOS when going through ASOIAF and was spoiled on someone's post about it. Learned my lesson!
     
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  22. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    People were good about not spoiling shit.

    If you just go post by post, you should be able to read without spoiling for yourself. But I get wanting to play it safe.
     
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  23. Teflon Queen

    Teflon Queen The mentally ill sit perfectly still
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    Another 1st time HP reader?

    :blessed:
     
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  24. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    :feelsgoodman:
     
  25. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    1. The Metamorphosis -- Franz Kafka (8/10)
    2. Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain -- Antonio Damasio (8/10)
    3. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things -- Jenny Lawson (6/10)
    4. The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail But Some Don't -- Nate Silver (9/10)
    5. Thinking, Fast and Slow -- Daniel Kahneman (10/10)
    6. Travels With Charley: In Search of America -- John Steinbeck (8/10)
    7. The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality -- Angus Deaton (5/10)
    8. The Crying of Lot 49 -- Thomas Pynchon (8.5/10)
    9. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked -- Adam Alter (8.75/10)
    10. In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed -- Carl Honoré (7/10)
    11. Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other -- Sherry Turkle (8/10)
    12. Kim: A Novel of the Great Game -- Rudyard Kipling (5/10)
    13. You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice -- Tom Vanderbilt (8.5/10)
    14. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood -- James Gleick (9/10)
    15. A Natural History of the Senses -- Diane Ackerman (7/10)
    16. The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease -- Marc Lewis (9/10)
    17. Solitude: A Return to the Self -- Anthony Storr (7/10)
    18. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- Mark Twain (10/10) *reread*
    19. Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age -- Sherry Turkle (9.5/10)

    20. Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs -- Hunter S. Thompson (7/10)

    First Hunter S. Thompson book I've ever read. I want to give it a higher rating because I really love his style of writing; however, the book is kinda drawn out and rambling at times. He spends close to 300 pages really only describing two major incidents. The most interesting part is the parallels you can draw between what led some people to become outlaws and motorcycle gang rapists and alt-right types that we are seeing today. When you feel like you got a raw deal from society, you want indiscriminate revenge.
     
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  26. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
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    The third one is my personal favorite. Enjoy
     
  27. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
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    I've read most of his work and honestly fear and loathing in Las Vegas is the best of it. The derby write up is good too. His alleged daily routine is attached. Legend.
     

    Attached Files:

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  28. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    "Midnight: Hunter ready to write" lol

    Holy shit I wonder how close to accurate that is
     
  29. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
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    It's been disputed and some people dissent that he used this to build more PR around him. Even if it's a "typical day in the life" than his set routine that's amazing.

    "6 am - in the hot tub - champagne, Dove Bars, fettuccine Alfredo"
    :smugdog:
     
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  30. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    I had to google several things in that list. Chartreuse is a liquer, halcion is a tranquilizer. Also, this is sad I didn't already know this but just learned about how his funeral cost $3 million (which Johnny Depp paid for) and his last wish was to be shot out of a cannon. The cannon was mounted on a 100 foot platform shaped like his gonzo fist logo. The amount of badass is blowing my mind rn
     
  31. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
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    1. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #1) 7/10
    2. Days of Rage by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan Series #6) 7.5/10
    3. The First World War: A Brief History with Documents by Susan R. Grayzel 7/10
    4. Persuader by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #7) 7/10
    5. The Brusilov Offensive by Timothy C. Dowling 6/10
    6. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger 7/10
    7. Forty Years in the Big House: Michigan Tales from My Four Decades as a Wolverine by Jon Falk with Dan Ewald 6/10
    8. Hallowed Ground by James McPherson 8.5/10
    9. The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice by Alex Kershaw 9/10
    10. On Target by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #2) 8/10
    11. No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #7) 9/10
    12. If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II - One American Officer's Riveting True Story by George Wilson 9/10
    13. Ballistic by Mark Greaney (Gray Man #3) 9/10
    14. Foreign Agent by Brad Thor (Scot Harvath #15) 8/10
    15. The Insider Threat by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #8) 8/10
    16. Overlord: D-Day and The Battle for Normandy by Max Hastings 9/10
    17. I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales from a Happy Life Without Kids by Jen Kirkman 6/10
    18. Cultures of Commemoration: The Politics of War, Memory, and History in the Mariana Islands by Keith Camacho 6/10 There were interesting parts of this modern history of the commemoration of World War II in the Mariana Islands, but overall it was not that inspiring of a read. The most interesting parts were the differences between the memory of the war in Guam versus the Northern Mariana Islands.
     
  32. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)
    4. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    5. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    6. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
    7. Nutshell - Ian McEwan (4.5/10)
    8. The 50 Best College Football Teams of All Time - Bill Connelly (7/10)
    9. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit - Michael Finkel (6.5/10)
    10. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough (7/10)
    11. The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware (5.5/10)
    12. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Timothy Snyder (8/10)
    13. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King (6/10)
    14. X - Chuck Klosterman (8.5/10)
    15. The Jaunt - Stephen King (9/10)
    16. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Attwood (6/10)
    17. City of Thieves - David Benioff (8.5/10)
    18. All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai (9/10)
    19. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter #1) - JK Rowling (8/10)
    20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) - JK Rowling (7.5/10)
    21. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote (8/10)

    As to not spoil anything, I'll say that the middle part of the book was the best but I was let down by the last chapter. Incredible writing though. Chapter three was riveting.
     
  33. Iron Mickey

    Iron Mickey a guy who posted here like five years ago hates me
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    You hated Idiot America? I thought it was hilarious. Not particularly rigorous, but hilarious.
     
  34. wes tegg

    wes tegg I'm a Guy's guy, guys.
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    I was underwhelmed. I expected so much more from it. I'm reading Better Off Without 'Em now, and I find it much funnier.
     
  35. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
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    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)
    4. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    5. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    6. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
    7. Nutshell - Ian McEwan (4.5/10)
    8. The 50 Best College Football Teams of All Time - Bill Connelly (7/10)
    9. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit - Michael Finkel (6.5/10)
    10. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough (7/10)
    11. The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware (5.5/10)
    12. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Timothy Snyder (8/10)
    13. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King (6/10)
    14. X - Chuck Klosterman (8.5/10)
    15. The Jaunt - Stephen King (9/10)
    16. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Attwood (6/10)
    17. City of Thieves - David Benioff (8.5/10)
    18. All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai (9/10)
    19. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter #1) - JK Rowling (8/10)
    20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) - JK Rowling (7.5/10)
    21. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote (8/10)
    22. Final Girls - Riley Sager (6/10)

    Kinda disappointed by this. Part of it is Stephen King (who I've really grown to love as a writer the last 5 years) hyped this up at the start of 2017. So I went into this with six month's worth of excitement. And for the most part, it read as a poorer version of these usual types of stories:

    - Events happen in the past, but we don't know the full story.
    - Present day, whoa, things might be happening!
    - Tied up in the end in one way or another.

    There were a good 50-60 pages in the second half of the book where I genuinely started getting excited because I didn't know where things were going. But the ending wasn't what I expected (in a bad way) and it just left me disappointed. Book was fine. Nothing special. But not terrible either.

    Excited to get back into Harry Potter.
     
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  36. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Missouri TigersSt. Louis CardinalsChicago BullsSt. Louis BluesEvertonBook Club

    Dang that's a disappointing rating for Final Girls. It was high on to-read list. Sounded great and got good reviews.

    Also Riley Sager is a pseudonym of another author. Wondering who it is
     
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  37. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
    Staff Donor TMB OG

    The copyright has the name of an actual author. It's a guy who's from Pennsylvania. Had never heard of him.
     
  38. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    Present day, whoa, things might be happening!
     
  39. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesDetroit Red WingsEastern Michigan EaglesUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamBook Club

    1. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #1) 7/10
    2. Days of Rage by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan Series #6) 7.5/10
    3. The First World War: A Brief History with Documents by Susan R. Grayzel 7/10
    4. Persuader by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #7) 7/10
    5. The Brusilov Offensive by Timothy C. Dowling 6/10
    6. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger 7/10
    7. Forty Years in the Big House: Michigan Tales from My Four Decades as a Wolverine by Jon Falk with Dan Ewald 6/10
    8. Hallowed Ground by James McPherson 8.5/10
    9. The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice by Alex Kershaw 9/10
    10. On Target by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #2) 8/10
    11. No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #7) 9/10
    12. If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II - One American Officer's Riveting True Story by George Wilson 9/10
    13. Ballistic by Mark Greaney (Gray Man #3) 9/10
    14. Foreign Agent by Brad Thor (Scot Harvath #15) 8/10
    15. The Insider Threat by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #8) 8/10
    16. Overlord: D-Day and The Battle for Normandy by Max Hastings 9/10
    17. I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales from a Happy Life Without Kids by Jen Kirkman 6/10
    18. Cultures of Commemoration: The Politics of War, Memory, and History in the Mariana Islands by Keith Camacho 6/10
    19. The Fall and Recapture of Detroit in the War of 1812: In Defense of William Hull by Anthony J. Yanik 7/10 This book was very interesting in that I haven't read a lot about the War of 1812 before but was very biased towards the decision made by Hull during the siege of Detroit. Overall it was interesting and not a very complex read for a relatively well researched historical work, and definitely makes me want to read more about the War of 1812
     
    TC and Truman like this.
  40. Irush

    Irush Well-Known Member
    Donor TMB OG

    So far

    The Kingkiller Chronicles series by Patrick Rothfuss
    A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
    SPQR by Mary Beard
    Underworld by Don Delillo
    Half way through 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

    Been a slow year for me but I've been reading some long ones
     
  41. Oshie

    Oshie single dad no kids
    South Carolina GamecocksWashington Capitals

    I enjoy SRQR when I pick it up but it's such a slow, dense read.
     
  42. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Missouri TigersSt. Louis CardinalsChicago BullsSt. Louis BluesEvertonBook Club

    1. Dune, by Frank Herbert (6.5/10)
    2. The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry (7/10)
    3. The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon #1) by Daniel Silva (8.5/10)
    4. The Templar Legacy (Cotton Malone #1) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    5. Carve The Mark by Veronica Roth (6/10)
    6. Master of Formalities by Scott Meyer (7/10)
    7. Empires of the Sea, by Roger Crowley (9/10)
    8. 1984 by George Orwell (8.5/10)
    9. The North Water, by Ian McGuire (7/10)
    10. The English Assassin (Gabriel Allon #2) by Daniel Siva (8/10)
    11. Hillbilly Elegy by JD Vance (9/10)
    12. The Alexandria Link (Cotton Malone #2) by Steve Berry (7.5/10)
    13. Star Wars: Empire's End (Aftermath #3) by Chuck Wendig (7.5/10)
    14. Animal Farm by George Orwell (8/10)
    15. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman (7/10)
    16. Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling (8.5/10)
    17. Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (8.5/10)
    18. Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling (10/10)
    19. Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling (9/10)
    20. Nutshell, by Ian McEwan (7/10)
    21. Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (7/10)
    22. Thrawn by Timothy Zahn (8/10)
    23. Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (10/10)
    24. Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (10/10)
    25. American War by Omar El Akkad (7.5/10)
    26. Salem's Lot, by Steven King (6.5/10)
    27. Killers of the Flower Moon, by David Grann (9/10)
    28. Star Wars: Guardian of the Whills, by Gregg Rucka (6/10)
    29. Star Wars: Rebel Rising, by Beth Revis (6.5/10)
    30. Fight and Flight (Magic 2.0 #4), by Scott Meyer (4.5/10)
    31. The Confessor (Gabriel Allon #3) by Daniel Silva (7.5/10)
    32. The Venetian Betrayal (Cotton Malone #3) by Steve Berry (6.5/10)
    33. The Collapsing Empire (Interdependency #1) by John Scalzi (9.10)
    34. Borne by Jeff Vandermeer (8/10)
    35. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (6.5/10)
    36. All Your Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai (9/10)
    37. Red Sparrow (Red Sparrow #1), by Jason Matthews (10/10)
    38. No Middle Name (Jack Reacher novella) by Lee Child (7/10)
    39. Palace of Treason (Red Sparrow #2) by Jason Matthews (10/10)
    40. Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton (7.5/10)
    41. A Death in Venice (Gabriel Allon #4) by Daniel Silva (8/10)
    42. Harry Potter & The Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (6/10)
    43. Prince of Fire (Gabriel Allon #5) by Daniel Silva (8/10
    44. In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote (8/10)
    45. Annihilation (Southern Reach Trilogy #1) by Jeff Vandermeer (6/10)
    46. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor (7.5/10)

    In Cold Blood was great. I read Borne by Vandermeer and loved it so I thought Id try to give the Southern Reach Trilogy a shot. First book was very meh. There's enough there where Im intrigued to read the rest, but not super excited.

    Heard about Who Fears Death because HBO optioned it and GRRM is producing it. The premise sounded pretty good, and the book was good. However the ended was very open ended. Find out it was the first book in a series, but she hasn't written anymore since 2010. Another bummer.

    Been on such a nice streak of good books. These last two were let downs.
     
    CBH likes this.
  43. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
    Staff Donor TMB OG

    1. Poisonfeather (Gibson Vaughn #2) - Matthew FitzSimmons (7.5/10)
    2. The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture - Glen Weldon (8.5/10)
    3. Waking Gods (Themis Files #2) - Sylvain Neuvel (7.5/10)
    4. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    5. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (8.5/10)
    6. Morning Star (Red Rising #3) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
    7. Nutshell - Ian McEwan (4.5/10)
    8. The 50 Best College Football Teams of All Time - Bill Connelly (7/10)
    9. The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit - Michael Finkel (6.5/10)
    10. Behind Her Eyes - Sarah Pinborough (7/10)
    11. The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware (5.5/10)
    12. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century - Timothy Snyder (8/10)
    13. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King (6/10)
    14. X - Chuck Klosterman (8.5/10)
    15. The Jaunt - Stephen King (9/10)
    16. The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Attwood (6/10)
    17. City of Thieves - David Benioff (8.5/10)
    18. All Our Wrong Todays - Elan Mastai (9/10)
    19. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter #1) - JK Rowling (8/10)
    20. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2) - JK Rowling (7.5/10)
    21. In Cold Blood - Truman Capote (8/10)
    22. Final Girls - Riley Sager (6/10)
    23. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3) - JK Rowling (9/10)

    Definitely my favorite book of the series to date. I thought most of the characters were at their best in this one:

    - Harry was willing to take even more risks
    - Ron seemed to be maturing
    - Hermione, even while being her usual self of trying to stop them from causing trouble, was more willing to do things she shouldn't for the greater good

    I also thought this was the book that made Dumbledore what I had heard he was coming into the series - a great teacher and someone to rely on.

    Without spoiling too much, I really thought the pacing of this was great. Multiple people had told me this was among their favorite book(s) of the whole series, but ~60% in, I didn't think it was *that* different. Even at about 70%, they had just finished taking their exams for the end of the school year. Last 30% was really good though, easily making it the best of the bunch so far. Excited to see where things go next.
     
    Oshie, Truman and RegimentML like this.
  44. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    LKRFN88jp

    Are you watching the movies as you go through the books?
     
  45. Lorne Malvo

    Lorne Malvo Aces!
    Staff Donor TMB OG

    Waiting until I finish the series before I do so.
     
    BayouMafia likes this.
  46. Gonff

    Gonff Prince of Mousethieves
    Donor
    Oklahoma SoonersMetal

    Fair enough. While the best book is up for debate I think it's fair to say most would consider PoA the best movie.
     
    LKRFN88jp likes this.
  47. Teflon Queen

    Teflon Queen The mentally ill sit perfectly still
    Donor
    Auburn Tigers

    My folks just told me that their next door neighbor is a close childhood friend of Gwynne. They still talk regularly and apparently he is called 'Bucky' or something by his friends.
     
    wes tegg likes this.
  48. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
    Donor
    South Carolina GamecocksCarolina PanthersCarolina Hurricanes

    1. The Metamorphosis -- Franz Kafka (8/10)
    2. Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain -- Antonio Damasio (8/10)
    3. Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things -- Jenny Lawson (6/10)
    4. The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail But Some Don't -- Nate Silver (9/10)
    5. Thinking, Fast and Slow -- Daniel Kahneman (10/10)
    6. Travels With Charley: In Search of America -- John Steinbeck (8/10)
    7. The Great Escape: Health, Wealth and the Origins of Inequality -- Angus Deaton (5/10)
    8. The Crying of Lot 49 -- Thomas Pynchon (8.5/10)
    9. Irresistible: The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked -- Adam Alter (8.75/10)
    10. In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed -- Carl Honoré (7/10)
    11. Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other -- Sherry Turkle (8/10)
    12. Kim: A Novel of the Great Game -- Rudyard Kipling (5/10)
    13. You May Also Like: Taste in an Age of Endless Choice -- Tom Vanderbilt (8.5/10)
    14. The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood -- James Gleick (9/10)
    15. A Natural History of the Senses -- Diane Ackerman (7/10)
    16. The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction is Not a Disease -- Marc Lewis (9/10)
    17. Solitude: A Return to the Self -- Anthony Storr (7/10)
    18. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- Mark Twain (10/10) *reread*
    19. Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age -- Sherry Turkle (9.5/10)
    20. Hell's Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs -- Hunter S. Thompson (7/10)

    21. The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat and Other Clinical Tales -- Oliver Sacks (8/10)
    Great writing style, super interesting content. Only reason it's not ranked higher is bc some of the stories are so short/insubstantial. It really opens up your compassion for people with mental defects though and astonishes you at what the human mind can accomplish
     
  49. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
    Donor
    Michigan WolverinesDetroit Red WingsEastern Michigan EaglesUnited States Men's National Soccer TeamBook Club

    1. The Gray Man by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #1) 7/10
    2. Days of Rage by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan Series #6) 7.5/10
    3. The First World War: A Brief History with Documents by Susan R. Grayzel 7/10
    4. Persuader by Lee Child (Jack Reacher #7) 7/10
    5. The Brusilov Offensive by Timothy C. Dowling 6/10
    6. Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger 7/10
    7. Forty Years in the Big House: Michigan Tales from My Four Decades as a Wolverine by Jon Falk with Dan Ewald 6/10
    8. Hallowed Ground by James McPherson 8.5/10
    9. The Bedford Boys: One American Town's Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice by Alex Kershaw 9/10
    10. On Target by Mark Greaney (Gray Man Series #2) 8/10
    11. No Fortunate Son by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #7) 9/10
    12. If You Survive: From Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge to the End of World War II - One American Officer's Riveting True Story by George Wilson 9/10
    13. Ballistic by Mark Greaney (Gray Man #3) 9/10
    14. Foreign Agent by Brad Thor (Scot Harvath #15) 8/10
    15. The Insider Threat by Brad Taylor (Pike Logan #8) 8/10
    16. Overlord: D-Day and The Battle for Normandy by Max Hastings 9/10
    17. I Can Barely Take Care of Myself: Tales from a Happy Life Without Kids by Jen Kirkman 6/10
    18. Cultures of Commemoration: The Politics of War, Memory, and History in the Mariana Islands by Keith Camacho 6/10
    19. The Fall and Recapture of Detroit in the War of 1812: In Defense of William Hull by Anthony J. Yanik 7/10
    20. Order to Kill by Kyle Mills (Mitch Rapp #15) 8/10 This was well done, certainly not as entertaining as earlier entries in the series but a good quick read that was enjoyable for me still.
     
    TC likes this.
  50. Teflon Queen

    Teflon Queen The mentally ill sit perfectly still
    Donor
    Auburn Tigers

    Absolutely slays me that there are at least 8 books featuring a guy named Pike Logan and at least 15 featuring a Mitch Rapp.

    No wonder terrorists hate us.