Reading!

[JimJamBonds]

With all the talk of historical and military books out there, I want to read The Art of War, but my local libraries all have had their copies out for a long time.

Ahh the Art of War... by whom: Sun Tzu? Clausewitz? Napoleon? Frederick the Great? And yes I have each of the above authors version of the 'art of war.'

I finished "The Grapple" by Harry Turtledove his latest in a long string of alt history books where the South won the CW, the South also won a war in the 1880's against the US. The US won WWI and in the current series WW II is being fought.

I'm working on "Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters" which shouldn't be confused with "Biggest Brother" another bio on the life of Maj. Winters.

Next: back to "When the Mississipi Ran Backwards" about the New Madrid earthquakes in 18teens and then "Nelson's Sailor's" about sailors during the Napoleonic War period.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

I do that all the time. Sometimes you have to.

I like to devote the time and focus to just one at a time, but there are times it doesn't work.

Ahh the Art of War... by whom: Sun Tzu? Clausewitz? Napoleon? Frederick the Great? And yes I have each of the above authors version of the 'art of war.'

I go with the original, and I believe Sun Tzu wrote the first of those you listed. I found a copy that was a picture book (actual art in The Art of War? How odd... ) with few words... could it have been the first War for Dummies?

[JimJamBonds]

I go with the original, and I believe Sun Tzu wrote the first of those you listed. I found a copy that was a picture book (actual art in The Art of War? How odd... ) with few words... could it have been the first War for Dummies?

Yes Sun Tzu wrote the first 'Art of War.' Although I already have one copy I'd like to get another version of it one of these days.

[El Chuxter]

While not a "book" in the traditional sense, I'm currently loving every page of the first volume of Cerebus the Aardvark. This is one of those I've heard of for years and never actually read. Long story short, I was trying to grab as many book as fell into that category as I could in the half-price bins at Comic-Con and got two later volumes. As they likely wouldn't make sense (given that this is supposed to be one hugely massive epic tale), I ordered Volume I online and it came a few days ago. Very, very good stuff, and very highly recommended.

It may be a sign of maturity (or immaturity, depending on your point of view) that I only had two comics with this character, and they were crossovers into TMNT and Spawn. And now the TMNT issue is even more precious to me, and I'll take the Spawn issue out of the pile of Image comics that are keeping the table legs from wobbling.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

As a MMILM (Massively Multiple Item List Maker), I have always loved to chronicle and organize various things throughout my life. For example, I am up to 629 books read in my life (that I can document), with 20 of 'em coming this summer (my goal is 30). That number actually seems low when I think of it, but then I consider 1986-1992. I was heavily into comic book collecting, spending about $30 a week (when comics were $.75 to $1.50 each) in new comics, plus the not-so-occasional back issues. So that period probably impacted the "real" books I could've been reading then, but I do not regret that in the least. Comics are learning tools (for me: various world mythologies, some arcane words and references explained, standard patterns of plot and characterizations, etc.). So, Chux, keep on readin' that "non-traditonal" book you've got; and I only have TMNT #8, the one that includes Mr. Cerebus.

And other books finished:

Shadow Star by Chris Claremont and George Lucas. Hoe hum. The book actually had a decent conclusion, but this series was just dull, predictable (or far too unlikely), and non-engaging. Least interesting story I've read in a while.

The Green Mile: The Complete Serial Novel by some hack writer. I really liked this, and I'm starting to catch Stephen King fever lately. I suspect there will be more of his novels that'll make my list now.

[El Chuxter]

You've never read The Green Mile? That is a masterpiece. King is either absolutely horrid or a true god among men, depending upon the novel. And that's one of his best.

Definitely add The Stand (Uncut Version), Eyes of the Dragon, Salem's Lot, and The Dark Tower series (even with the weak conclusion) to the list. (Keep in mind that the other three tie in closely with The Dark Tower.

[Bel-Cam Jos]

You've never read The Green Mile? That is a masterpiece. King is either absolutely horrid or a true god among men, depending upon the novel. And that's one of his best.

Definitely add The Stand (Uncut Version), Eyes of the Dragon, Salem's Lot, and The Dark Tower series (even with the weak conclusion) to the list. (Keep in mind that the other three tie in closely with The Dark Tower.

I don't want to get addicted to King, just a passing virus. I also have read only these:

The Running Man
Eyes of the Dragon
Different Seasons (awful and wretched, IMO)

I am seeking out Four Past Midnight to read "The Langoliers." (sp?) My book-reading choices are based upon how much time I have to read (did you know that he writes long books? ) and trying to get varieties of genres and authors. It will be over a long period of time that I gain more King titles.

[Ji'dai]

Completed The Story of America : Freedom and Crisis from Settlement to Superpower the other day. A survey of American history from discovery through 9/11. Originally only got it to review colonial/revolution period but ended up reading the whole damn thing.

plus some comics:

Joss Whedon's Fray. Future vampire slayer Melaka Fray battles blood-suckers in a blighted urban landscape populated with mutant humans and other scum and riff-raff. Dark Horse, graphic novel, full color.

The dead walk and live to devour human flesh once again in The Walking Dead. Concentrates on the group dynamic of a small band of survivors searching for refuge in a world turned upside down. Image comics, trade paperback volumes 1-3 (collecting issues 1-18), B&W.

An anthology about the undead wreak havoc in Tales Of The Vampires, which often loosely touch upon Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters. Dark Horse, trade paperback, full color.

A young man (and his monkey) are the sole survivors of a plague that kills all other animals on earth with a Y chromosome in Y: The Last Man. The resulting female dominant society is about as ****** up as as the current male one. Interesting story though, but constantly raises the question why this guy isn't getting laid more often?! Vertigo Comics, trade paperback volumes 1-5 (collecting issues 1-31), full color.

[mastermatt24]

Finished Pride and Pejudice (finally got around to reading this one, it was slllllllloooooooowwwwww getting started, but by the 2/3 mark it was pretty good).

UUgh.. Im gonna finish this one today. Im like 40 pages from the end and I still dont like it. I just dont like that romantic/victorean era. (I have to read it and '84 for summer assignments)

[Bel-Cam Jos]

(I have to read it and '84 for summer assignments)

Oh, you will love the chamberpot scene in 1584. Hilarious! Unless you're talking about reading 1854 because that's a sad tale of life in Peru.