313 replies to this topic

[Sasun]

Folks, now that we shared where we shop for clothes, what rabiz singers we listen to, what scary movies we like, etc. we might also share what books we like to read? What ganres, what authors, etc? I am curious...

[Stormig]

Mostly historical stuff, even if fiction. I mean, you did ask about books, not specifically novels.

[Sip]

I'm not into books at all. I think I've read one novel back in 96 when I was bored and had nothing to do at work (and no internet). I can comfortably say that I hate reading books although I used to read a lot when I was young (pre teen) and bored.

[Stormig]

Pressed the "add reply" button there by mistake.
Anyway, last novel I remember reading was Greg Bear's Slant.
And the BIG question - have I read James Joyce' Ulysses?
Tried hard the first two hundred pages, then threw away the book. What kind of crepe is that (excuse my French)...?

[angel4hope]

iv read so many books i cant even remember them all-heres a short list....The Member of the Wedding-Carson McCullers
Great Expectations- Charles Dicken’s
Antigone- Sophiocles
The Oddyssey- Homer
Romeo and Juliet- Shakespeare
Angel of Mercey- Laurlene McDaniel

Frankenstein- Marry Shelly
Les Miserables- Victor Hugo
Julius Caesar- Shakespeare
The Once and Future King- T.H. White
Things Fall Apart- Chenua Achebe
Tale of Two cities- Charles Dickens
A Brave New World- Aldous Huxley
Black Like Me- Howard Griffin

Angela’s Ashes- Frank McCourt---BEST BOOK EVER

The Human Comedy- William Saroyan
The Scarlet Letter- Nathaniel Hawthorne
Huckleberry Finn- Mark Twain- Samuel Clemens
How To Rise Emotionally Healthy Children- Gerald Newmark Ph.D.

Pride and Prejudice- Jane Austen
Emma- Jane Austen
The Tempest- Shakespeare
Dante’s Inferno
Mac Beth- Shakespeare
Beowulf
Gulliver’s Travel- Swift
Modest Proposal- Swift

[nairi]

What kind of crepe is that (excuse my French)...?

I like mine with syrup

I mostly read literary novels and poetry, both fiction and non-fiction. I don't have a choice. It's part of my course, but I really enjoy it. So for me, it's mainly classics. I hardly find the time to read anything else.

My favorite book this year so far has been Melville's Moby Dick. An absolute must, IMO.

[ExtraHye]

I really enjoy reading historical, biographies and books written by Nicholas Sparks.

[Sasun]

Ever since internet came to my life, books have been mostly out of my life. That's terrible I used to read a lot before the internet, I read mostly novels and short stories, more fiction than non-fiction. Last 1 or 2 years I have been much into spiritual books and poetry. One good thing about poetry is that I can read it on the internet, novels would be hard to read from the monitor because they are too long.
For non-spiritual part, my all time favorite writer is Marquez (in some way he has influenced me more than others), but I like many others as well - Boris Vian, Arthur Rimbaud, Rilke, Bodler, etc. etc. I don't even remember all the names. I must confess, at this point for me nothing compares to spiritual literature.

[Sasun]

My favorite book this year so far has been Melville's Moby Dick. An absolute must, IMO.

I started to read it 6-7 years ago but didn't finish. Then I saw the movie - its a good one.

[Sasun]

I'm not into books at all. I think I've read one novel back in 96 when I was bored and had nothing to do at work (and no internet). I can comfortably say that I hate reading books although I used to read a lot when I was young (pre teen) and bored.

That's too bad Sip... books are man's best friends

[nairi]

I guess it depends on how you define spiritual literature. I have a feeling you mean literature that explictly discusses spiritual ideas and lifestyles (to put it simply). But I also consider a good literary novel to be spiritual: even just Moby Dick and the main character's quest for the meaning of life -- you should definitely finish it!!

And then there are the so-called spiritual autobiographies: people writing about a specific period in their lives when they made great spiritual (or mental, if you will) changes. Think Thoreau, Douglass, Franklin, to name just a few.

Anyway, clearly, a good literary novel, play or poem isn't just a story, it's a whole philosophy as well. And not only just a philosophy, but also a spiritual quest, opening new vistas and allowing the reader to learn and question these in their own lives.

[gamavor]

What you re-read sounds better. Jerom K. Jerom, Vonegut, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Joseph Heller, O'Henry, Jack London and many more...when I have time.

And I always have time for Three men in a Boat

Edited by gamavor, 19 November 2003 - 09:16 PM.

[Sasun]

I guess it depends on how you define spiritual literature. I have a feeling you mean literature that explictly discusses spiritual ideas and lifestyles (to put it simply). But I also consider a good literary novel to be spiritual: even just Moby Dick and the main character's quest for the meaning of life -- you should definitely finish it!!

And then there are the so-called spiritual autobiographies: people writing about a specific period in their lives when they made great spiritual (or mental, if you will) changes. Think Thoreau, Douglass, Franklin, to name just a few.

Oh I see... yes, I mean spiritual-spiritual, like what I quote from Sri Chinmoy, or religious scriptures and commentaries/writings about them written by spiritual people, I also very much like mysticism... this type of things. Of course, there is spiritual dimension in other literature like you are desribing. I think any noteworthy poetry has at least some degree of spirituality. In fact that is what I value in poetry mostly.

Anyway, clearly, a good literary novel, play or poem isn't just a story, it's a whole philosophy as well. And not only just a philosophy, but also a spiritual quest, opening new vistas and allowing the reader to learn and question these in their own lives.

Very well said, and I very much agree

[Armat]

I love reading! My next one on the list

Godel, Escher, Bach
An Eternal Golden Braid
Douglas Hofstadter

This book is a modern classic, an intellectual tour de force. Combines mathematics, music, and logic philosophy.
Domino, Sasun I think you will love this book and I suspect Domino you perhaps already read it.

Synopsis
This groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize-winning book sets the standard for interdisciplinary writing, exploring the patterns and symbols in the thinking of mathematician Kurt Godel, artist M.C. Escher, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach.

Topics Covered
J.S. Bach, M.C. Escher, Kurt Gödel: biographical information and work, artificial intelligence (AI) history and theories, strange loops and tangled hierarchies, formal and informal systems, number theory, form in mathematics, figure and ground, consistency, completeness, Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometry, recursive structures, theories of meaning, propositional calculus, typographical number theory, Zen and mathematics, levels of description and computers; theory of mind: neurons, minds and thoughts; undecidability; self-reference and self-representation; Turing test for machine intelligence

Edited by Armat, 19 November 2003 - 06:19 PM.

[Anoushik]

For non-spiritual part, my all time favorite writer is Marquez (in some way he has influenced me more than others)

Sasun, I read Marquez' "One Hundred Years of Solitude" two years ago. I totally fell in love with that book! I can honestly say that every single paragraph of that novel felt like it was written for me. I love Marquez... Unfortunately ever since I started college I haven't had much time to start and finish another literary classic. For now the only thing that I read besides college books is the Time magazine every week.
I also enjoy philosophy, especially Greek philosophy and because of lack of time I just read some chapters that I find interesting from "Classics of Western Philosophy", a book from my philosophy class.

[KavorKin99]

i read time magazine

[Azat]

I read TV Guide


I actually do not.

I am on and off about reading. The last 2-3 months have been reading alot. Mostly self improvement books(Business), but I also enjoy reading memoirs. Currently am reading Angels and Demons by Dan Brown and I just finished his latest book Da Vinci Code in 2 days. it was SUPER fun read.

[DominO]

Armat, you will eat this book, YUM! YUM! YUM! One of the best on the subject, there is some points which I disagree with, but it is writting in a so easy to understand English, ordered, the way the chapters are cut... I give it 5/5.

There is some of the same types of works which I can refer to you.

After you read it, start a thread if you'de like about the subject.



Oh, I forgot to say, I live with books... if I were not the kind of dyslexic type of guy, my language skills would be perfect considering the numbers of books I have read.

[THOTH]

I read alot of Sci-Fi...but other things as well...historical & military mostly....

I like the Harry Turtledove alternate histories, and the 3 Bs (Bear, Brin & benesford) (Sci-Fi...some of the best being writtren now I think)..and lots of other stuff...

[Sasun]

Sasun, I read Marquez' "One Hundred Years of Solitude" two years ago. I totally fell in love with that book! I can honestly say that every single paragraph of that novel felt like it was written for me. I love Marquez... Unfortunately ever since I started college I haven't had much time to start and finish another literary classic. For now the only thing that I read besides college books is the Time magazine every week.
I also enjoy philosophy, especially Greek philosophy and because of lack of time I just read some chapters that I find interesting from "Classics of Western Philosophy", a book from my philosophy class.

When I finished reading that book (maybe 10 years ago) I lost my sleep for one night, I was very impressed - that was weird.