I am in the middle of reading Constantine the Emperor by David Potter.
As well as the odd P.G. Wodehouse book or two.
![wink ;)](./images/smilies/winking-face.png)
I'd like to hear how much you enjoy the audiobooks. I've never tried them either, but I might.
Yeah, although I love Southern Utah, I don't know if I'd like Abbey. He was a good writer, but we can never truly judge a writer or actor merely by his art. He might have been ok to hang with.Wandering_About wrote: ↑Mon Mar 06, 2023 8:43 amEvery spring in preparation for a trip to Utah, I read Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey. Don't agree with all his views, but his descriptions and storytelling of the tortured canyon country of the Colorado Plateau is excellent.
The only two Crichton books I think are worth reading is the dated Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 5:31 pm
The Andromeda Galaxy and State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I've read maybe 6 or 7 of Crichton's books and been disappointed by all of them except for Jurassic Park, which is my favorite science fiction novel hands down. These two were better than I expected and I enjoyed reading them.
Have to agree with you on Crichton. The one of keys to a good science fiction story is, you have to make it sound at least plausible - in the real world - to the reader. Jurassic Park does a fantastic job, you can absolutely imagine it happening in real life, but strangely all his other books fall far short in this regard.Doc Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:03 amThe only two Crichton books I think are worth reading is the dated Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 5:31 pm
The Andromeda Galaxy and State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I've read maybe 6 or 7 of Crichton's books and been disappointed by all of them except for Jurassic Park, which is my favorite science fiction novel hands down. These two were better than I expected and I enjoyed reading them.
You should read Plutarch's Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Probably more educated people have read it than any other book than the Bible, at one time.
I left most of my library back in the States because there was no room for them, here. I do have Plutarch's Lives, Twelve Caesars by Suetonius; De Montaigne's Essays, Xenophon's Anabasis, Augustine's City of God, and some others with me.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 7:22 amHave to agree with you on Crichton. The one of keys to a good science fiction story is, you have to make it sound at least plausible - in the real world - to the reader. Jurassic Park does a fantastic job, you can absolutely imagine it happening in real life, but strangely all his other books fall far short in this regard.Doc Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:03 amThe only two Crichton books I think are worth reading is the dated Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 5:31 pm
The Andromeda Galaxy and State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I've read maybe 6 or 7 of Crichton's books and been disappointed by all of them except for Jurassic Park, which is my favorite science fiction novel hands down. These two were better than I expected and I enjoyed reading them.
You should read Plutarch's Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Probably more educated people have read it than any other book than the Bible, at one time.
Thanks for the Plutarch recommendation. I'll have to pick up a copy. As you might have noticed I like ancient history.![]()
I'd like to read Suetonius - though I've heard he was a little bit of a sensationalist and wasn't averse to including juicy gossip in his writings. I've read Cassius Dio's 6-volume history of Rome, which was written during the Severan era, and I did recently acquire a volume of the complete works of Tacitus (who wrote during the Flavians I believe) which I think will be very interesting.Doc Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 8:25 amI left most of my library back in the States because there was no room for them, here. I do have Plutarch's Lives, Twelve Caesars by Suetonius; De Montaigne's Essays, Xenophon's Anabasis, Augustine's City of God, and some others with me.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 7:22 amHave to agree with you on Crichton. The one of keys to a good science fiction story is, you have to make it sound at least plausible - in the real world - to the reader. Jurassic Park does a fantastic job, you can absolutely imagine it happening in real life, but strangely all his other books fall far short in this regard.Doc Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:03 amThe only two Crichton books I think are worth reading is the dated Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sat Jul 01, 2023 5:31 pm
The Andromeda Galaxy and State of Fear by Michael Crichton. I've read maybe 6 or 7 of Crichton's books and been disappointed by all of them except for Jurassic Park, which is my favorite science fiction novel hands down. These two were better than I expected and I enjoyed reading them.
You should read Plutarch's Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Probably more educated people have read it than any other book than the Bible, at one time.
Thanks for the Plutarch recommendation. I'll have to pick up a copy. As you might have noticed I like ancient history.![]()
I always have my lead characters having read some of these favorite works of mine by these authors. Sometimes I quote them.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 11:15 amI'd like to read Suetonius - though I've heard he was a little bit of a sensationalist and wasn't averse to including juicy gossip in his writings. I've read Cassius Dio's 6-volume history of Rome, which was written during the Severan era, and I did recently acquire a volume of the complete works of Tacitus (who wrote during the Flavians I believe) which I think will be very interesting.Doc Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 8:25 amI left most of my library back in the States because there was no room for them, here. I do have Plutarch's Lives, Twelve Caesars by Suetonius; De Montaigne's Essays, Xenophon's Anabasis, Augustine's City of God, and some others with me.The Meat man wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 7:22 amHave to agree with you on Crichton. The one of keys to a good science fiction story is, you have to make it sound at least plausible - in the real world - to the reader. Jurassic Park does a fantastic job, you can absolutely imagine it happening in real life, but strangely all his other books fall far short in this regard.Doc Dan wrote: ↑Sun Jul 02, 2023 12:03 am
The only two Crichton books I think are worth reading is the dated Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park.
You should read Plutarch's Parallel Lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans. Probably more educated people have read it than any other book than the Bible, at one time.
Thanks for the Plutarch recommendation. I'll have to pick up a copy. As you might have noticed I like ancient history.![]()
I like to intersperse some lighter reading in between the heavier historical stuff though, too.
Doc, have you ever read any of Andrew Klavan's books? If not I have a feeling you'd enjoy them. I especially like his more recent Another Kingdom trilogy, and the new and on-going Cameron Winter series. They're the kind of books that are hard to put down - fast paced and action packed, but with a lot of depth and insight to them; they make you think after you read them.
Thanks! Truth and Beauty sounds like a great book.The Meat man wrote: ↑Mon Jul 03, 2023 7:21 pmDoc, have you ever read any of Andrew Klavan's books? If not I have a feeling you'd enjoy them. I especially like his more recent Another Kingdom trilogy, and the new and on-going Cameron Winter series. They're the kind of books that are hard to put down - fast paced and action packed, but with a lot of depth and insight to them; they make you think after you read them.
One thing that made me think of Andrew Klavan is that he's also a lover of the English Romantic poets. He recently wrote a book called The Truth and Beauty: How the Lives and Works of England's Greatest Poets Point the Way to a Deeper Understanding of the Words of Jesus. Never read it but I've heard good things about it.