Book Rec
Long time no post here.

Anyway, has anyone ever read The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel?  Good book.  And I just started the second one, Valley of the Horses.  If you've seen the movie and not read the book, don't let it turn you off.  I haven't actually seen the movie Clan of the Cave Bear, but I have heard that it wasn't great and didn't follow the book that well.  But I am going to rent it and judge for myself soon.  Anyway, I really got into the book and strongly recommend it to anyone who wants a good fiction read.  I'll let you know how the rest of the series is once I get through it.  There are four or five books in it and one more that has been in the works for a long time now.  My mother is really impatient for it to come out.  

Oh, and I would also like to recommend the entire Diana Gabaldon Outlander series.  I loved every single page of it.  The books are all pretty long, the longest one being almost 1500 pages but every one of them is well worth the time.  I have all of them and I would offer to loan them out, but postage 6 1000+ page books would probably be pretty high.  But if anyone wants them bad enough to pay the postage, you are welcome to borrow them.  I can't express how much I LOVED this series.  

Any one else have any book recommendations or reviews?

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Hahaha a Book to Read...
Without hopes that anyone will read it--much less us all together--but for the sake of old times I am going to reccommend a book: Dancing with Einstein by Kate Wenner. I LOVED LOVED LOVED it. A lot. Hahaha! Enjoy!

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The Fountainhead
After much highly entertaining, brain-rotting, very addictive fiction of the romantic variety, I have decided to read something classic, so I started The Fountainhead a couple days ago. Its good so far. I'm only on page 50, just starting chapter 4. Interesting characters so far. Anyway, more later.

I know we haven't all quit reading entirely, so what is everyone else reading right now?

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We the Living, and other news
Hey folks, I just started We the Living by Ayn Rand, if anyone wants to join me. Just give a shout if you are interested. If no body else wants to read it, I'll just post a critique after I finish the book.

I want to encourage everyone to go ahead and post critiques of books you read. Even if we don't all have the time or inclination to read certain books at the same time, hearing about books other people have read may encourage each of us to pick up a book we might not have otherwise chosen on our own.

Broaden your horizons. Live, learn, and love.

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Vurt by Jeff Noon
I just finished re-reading Vurt last week while I was visiting home. I had read it in high school and remembered it as being a book I couldn't put down but I was fuzzy on any other details. Even re-reading it I couldn't put the book down. It moves really fast and is an easy read because it sucks you into it. I am sure some people would want to over analyze the book and talk about what the Vurt represents (the person I got the book had done some of that in the margins, it was actually interesting), but it can be enjoyed as a straight up fiction book. Anyway, I love it and I just thought I'd throw my reccommendation out there. My only warnings are that it is somewhat sci-fi and there is a lot of drug use and some sex, in case it matters to any of you.

Now I want to get ahold of a copy of Pollen (same author).

Current Mood: bouncy

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BookCrossing
Do you all remember when Julia asked us to join a worldwide effort to "free" books? Did anyone do it? Just curious. Anyhow, my friend Amanda in Florida introduced me to BookCrossing.com, a website devoted to "freeing" and tracking books. Its an effort at worldwide sharing. I especially love idea of being able to track the journey of the book. Anyway, maybe you all have already heard of it, maybe you haven't. If you go to join, my screenname there is the same as here: Moonpixy. You can also go hunting for books by using other peoples release notes to find where books have been left. Anyway, I think its fun and I thought you all might be interested. So go check out http://bookcrossing.com

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I just wanted to say that I think Im going to start Atlas Shrugged again...anyone is free to join me.

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wow, its dead here. anyway, my current plans are to finish Tom Jones this week and start reading On the Road (Jack Kerouac).

Anyone wanna join me?

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My singularly immediate acceptance of the invitation strikes me as much more easily explainable. I prefer to think it was a basically religious impulse. In certain Zen monasteries, it's a cardinal rule, if not the only serious enforced discipline, that when one monk calls out "Hi!" to another monk, the latter must call back "Hi!" without thinking.
-raise high the roof beam, carpenters

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It's that day...
Have you procured your copy of Raymond Chandler's "The Little Sister"?

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Alright Thats It!
Okay so Sarah said it to me and perhaps I have a slow reaction problem or perhaps I just have been pushing most things out of my mind lately. Yea, uh, we mine as well just rephrase that as trying not to think at all. Konbonwa! Alright that's it. Let's pick a book already. I know we all have lives but it's obvious we could all use some playful distractions. Now while I would normally say lets hit Davida's Harp by Chaim Potok I think we need to be a bit more cheery. So how about Farewell, My Love by Raymond Chandler (swoon). I would love to hear some objections, what do YOU want to read. But dammit, we need something to take our minds off life even if just for a moment. Blame it on my theme of escapism lately. Besides, I'm sick of reading The Persian Boy you can only take that sad, windy, angry male, war, sex-is-domination-of-history for so long before it starts to chew away at your views on war, sexuality and humanity in general. Alright guys, quit sitting on your hands! Pick something or we'll have to admit that Sarah was right (GASP!!!) and we really are an inactive group.

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Lets take Action!
I hereby nominate Catcher in the Rye as the next book club book. If accepted, I propose that we aim for two weeks starting monday to complete the book. It is a short book, but I understand everyone is very busy.

Also, to answer a question Amanda posed to Vic in a comment session in her own journal, I picked up a copy of Davita's Harp as well and when I spoke to Julia on the phone she was going to do the same, so consider it a book club possibility. Perhaps we could read it after Catcher in the Rye.

I know you don't like Catcher in the Rye, Nick, but maybe that will just give added depth or a different dimension to the discussion. Perhaps some opposing view points will lead to a more involved, mulit-faceted discussion than we have had as a book club yet.

So, what do ya'll say? Wanna give this one a go?

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Electric Koolaid Acid Test-Finished!
So I know I claimed it was an easy, fast read. And it was, really, but I liked it so much I kept stretching it out so that I wouldn't finish it quite so soon. It's a fun world and I like that Wolfe likes words. He picks words that have rhythm and color, which makes what could be a bland work of journalism vibrant.

I think this book should definately be followed by watching Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The book celebrates the culture, while Fear and Loathing does... something else. I hadn't watched this movie before this weekend, and now Johnny Depp isn't just the object of my affection, he's my hero actor too. His Hunter S. Thompson is priceless!

My box of books arrived from home. I now also own Hesse's Steppenwolf (sp?), Lady Chatterly's Lover, Sense and Sensibility, The Bonfire of the Vanities, Guliver's Travels, and probably one or two other things I'm forgetting. How are we doing on picking the next book?

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A New Tradition--Free a Book
This was emailed to me:



A "Poetical Happening"

On Sept. 11th, join a "poetical happening" and free a book!

Because a book is a symbol of freedom, sharing and tolerance.

On Sept. 11th, 2003, take a book which is important for you, a book that
has changed your vision on the world, write in it a dedication, a few
words, an address, or a drawing, and free it!

Leave it on a roadside bench, a bus stop or in a cafe making it available
for any unknown reader!

In this way Sept. 11th will be not only an anniversary of tragedy.
Together let us affect this global sorrow with creative and generous
action!

A general mobilization from Bruxelles, Paris, Florence, San Francisco,
Denver, Chicago, New York, Seattle, Whidbey Island and more! Almost all
over the world readers, artists, writers, poets, and publishers of vision
and heart will free books that are important for them on Thursday Sept.
11th 2003.

Get involved and tell your friends!
Readers, authors, publishers - free a book!

Because a book is a symbol of freedom, sharing and tolerance!

This poetical happening originated with:

Éditions Maelström - Bruxelles, Éditions Le Veilleur - Paris,
Edizioni CityLights - Firenze, City Lights Publishers - San Francisco,
A.C. Biofficina - Roma - Leslie Aguillard, Denver

Belgium: info@maelstromeditions.com
<http://it.f420.mail.yahoo.com/ym/compose?to=info@maelstromeditions.com>
France: e.lequeux@tiscali.fr
<http://it.f420.mail.yahoo.com/ym/compose?to=e.lequeux@tiscali.fr>
Italy: citylights@firenze.net
U.S.A. : stacey@citylights.com
<http://it.f420.mail.yahoo.com/ym/compose?to=stacey@citylights.com>

Because a book is a symbol of freedom, sharing and tolerance!

Victory Lee Schouten < victory@greatpath.com >
Great Path Publishing < http://www.greatpath.com/ >
Phone/Fax: 1-360-331-7099 Ordering: 1-800-858-5063
P.O. Box 882, Freeland, WA 98249, USA

Current Mood: indescribable

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book choosing solution!
hey manda pants, i discovered that there is an amazon.co.jp, you can shop in english! ordering however is a completely different matter, but it would be a fun learning experience, no? bwhahahahaha

Current Mood: evil ( not a menu option!!!?)

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Book Vote
OK, a lot of people have put up nominations, but we haven't really moved forward from that. This is a list of most of the books nominated. I suggest we vote by replying to this post and each listing, in order, our top three choices. Based on a point system of 3 points for your first choice, two for your second, etc, I will post the top ranking book and we'll see if everyone is cool with that. sound like a plan? Here's the list:

1. Vanity Fair - William Thackeray
2. The Celestine Prophecy
3. One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest - Ken Kesey
4. The American - Henry James
5. Jayne Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
6. Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
7. The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
8. The Wings of the Dove - Henry James

Some seriously tough choices!

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Another Nomination
A book that I have been wanting to read for a while is The Celestine Prophecy. Just a thought. And I know we have probably all read it, but I want to re-read Catcher in the Rye.

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One Flew Over THe Cookoo's Nest- Ken Kesey

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Ok
now that there's a break in your book reading so i figured now's as good a time as any to join you. since you are looking for a new book, here's a list of what i bought yesterday at the used book store:

Vanity Fair--William Thackeray
Jayne Eyre--Charlotte Bronte
The Wings of the Dove--Henry James
Tess of the d'Ubervilles--Thomas Hardy
Les Liasons Dangereuses--Choderlos de Laclos

I'm sort of on a classics kick right now. anyway, since all i have to do until i start school is read i'm down for anything i can find cheaply.

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I would like to nominate The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. Has anyone read any Henry James? I don't know how interesting/boring a read he could be, but I happen to have a copy of The American (of his), if anyone would be interested. I always forget to check literaturecalls.

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