Reading anything?

[indianasmith]

I'm about halfway through FORTUNE'S FAVORITES, the third in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series.  I love the way she takes what we know of the history of the late Roman Republic and fills in the gaps in ways that are so plausible that it is often hard to tell where history ends and historical fiction begins.

If you are fascinated by Rome, this series is an absolute must!

[Trevor]

My calendar.

Only 16 working days left until I go on long leave.

Long leave at the beach? 

Away from here? 

[RCMerchant]

Also re-reading through this for the 3rd or 4th time:

I have read this and THE PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM over and over again.  I look up movies in them just about every day.  In fact, I read my original copy of THE PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM so may times, the spine split in half and I had to buy a new copy. 

Mine split too. My copy of the VIDEO GUIDE fell completly apart. I did replace that one!

Just reread Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin.

[bob]

Also re-reading through this for the 3rd or 4th time:

I have read this and THE PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM over and over again.  I look up movies in them just about every day.  In fact, I read my original copy of THE PSYCHOTRONIC ENCYCLOPEDIA OF FILM so may times, the spine split in half and I had to buy a new copy. 

Mine split too. My copy of the VIDEO GUIDE fell completly apart. I did replace that one!

Just reread Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin.

is that what the movie of that same name is based upon?

[BoyScoutKevin]

Ye-es!

Douglas Ward's "Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships." 2001 edition.

That may be an odd thing to read. Why? I'll get to that in the weeks and months ahead, but of all such guides out there, both on and off the worldwide web, it is the only one I'd recommend, if one can find a later edition. The 2001 edition, unfortunateley, is the second newest one I can find in the local library. But "hats off to the real nicky picky." That is one of the reasons I like it. He and the Maritime Evaluation Groups or MEG, which hed heads, are real nicky picky as to what they take points off for. Such as . . .

points off . . . accomodations
intrusive announcements
polyster sheets
uninteresting ceilings
worn carpeting
poor room service menus
no cabin TV
no bell push outside suite
exposed plumbing in bath
illogical numbering system (I hate decks that are assigned a name instead of a number.)

points off . . . dinner
baked alaska (Which I quite like.)
paper cups and plastic glasses at any time
no fish knives (What is it about Europeans and their fish knives?)
poor selections of cheeses and fruits
tap water instead of mineral water

points off . . . ship
no forward observations lounge
no fresh flowers in public areas
no library
no balconies (I only get a cabin now if it has a balcony.)
no wraparound promenade deck
no spa at all
ligthing is too bright or too dark
too much artifical grass (There are ships that now have real grass and trees.)
artwork is of poor quality
dull passageways
restrooms need better decor
dated decor
plastic deck lounge chairs (They must be teak.)
no cushioned pads for deck lounge chairs

points offf . . . other
smokers (A big no no.)

Next time: something from TV

And the time after that: the above, but the 2004 edition

[AndyC]

Doomsday Men: The Real Dr. Strangelove and the Dream of the Superweapon, by P.D. Smith. Very interesting book. The Doctor Strangelove character and Leo Szilard's hypothetical cobalt doomsday bomb are recurring themes in the book, but it's about much more.

I'm not very far into the book, but it's already covered a lot of history. Going back to the discovery of X-rays, radium, radioactivity and breakthroughs in physics, it not only discusses these things in scientific terms, but also explores them from a cultural perspective - the media coverage, the fads, the effect on fiction, and speculation about the possibility of atomic weapons all the way back in the late 1800s. It goes further in showing the effect of those cultural influences on people who would make great discoveries decades down the road.

And throughout, there is this dream of science creating a weapon so unbeatable it would put an end to war, which the book follows through the discovery of radioactivity, the development of chemical and then nuclear weapons. And alongside this, it explores the popular image of the scientist, and how that image went from the noble "savior scientist" of the 1800s to the familiar mad scientist of the 20th Century, again using the example of Doctor Strangelove.

Very interesting book all around. I especially liked the descriptions of what people used to do with radioactive materials before they knew about the dangers involved. X-ray tubes being used as a parlor trick, people drinking health tonics with radium in them, and the shocking amount of harm the Curies were doing to themselves in the course of their research.

I'd recommend this book to anybody who likes a mix of science, history and popular culture.

[InformationGeek]

The Punisher by Greg Rucka



Brand new series this year and I picked up the first two issues.  I never read the Punisher before (I heard Garth Ennis' run on it was incredible, but since I'm not a fan of him, I ignored it), but hearing that Rucka was on it and the praise it has been getting made this an instant buy.  It is awesome and I will be picking up the first story arc at least.  Any Punisher fans who haven't checked this out yet must do so now.

Currently waiting on my copies of Swamp Thing & Animal Man to show up and waiting for Batgirl to actually appear on the shelf in my book store.  I'll be back later once I read them.

[Doggett]

Loving it!

[Psycho Circus]

[tracy]

I just finished this and I liked it a lot...

[The Gravekeeper]

"The Invention of Murder." You know how the typical view of Victorian England is that everyone (aside from street urchins) was polite, that social standards were expected of everyone, and society was just better all around? Yeah, no. These were the same people who not only went to public executions, but sold souvenirs, sometimes kept the rotting corpse in a cage (sometimes on tours!), were known to attempt lynchings when they felt the justice system let them down, romanticized at least a couple of murderers, were heavily influenced by the period's equivalent of tabloids, etc. Higher society than us? Not really. But they did have a generally killer sense of style.

[ChaosTheory]

Just finished JUST MISSING by Chevy Stevens.  It was terrible - like if Jodi Picoult wrote a torture porn.  I should've known better when I saw the kind of hype it was getting.  I think maybe it's time to break into one of the Lovecraft books I nabbed at Borders' going out of business sale......

[Couchtr26]

The forum here.     What it doesn't count?   Alright, I'll comeback and post again when I'm reading something better. 

[alandhopewell]

     I've read just about everything Sandford's written, particularly the Prey series, of which this is a spin-off.

     Supposedly, there's a film in the works, based on one of the Prey novels....

http://www.deadline.com/2011/03/usa-to-do-movie-starring-mark-harmon/

[Psycho Circus]

300 pages in. Not his best work, but pretty good so far...