Mr White0161 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I'm a big fan of Hunter S. Thompson, I just cracked open Great Shark hunt (once again). Great read, I always enjoy it every time around. As fas as the Gonzo Papers are concerned, my favourite is Songs of the Doomed. I really liked Rum Diary, that was really good. I have also read the HST biography Gonzo. If you haven't read it then may I recommend it to you. The introduction was done by Johnny Depp and pretty much the whole book is family and friends telling stories about there off the wall adventures with Hunter. It's very well done. But for Gonzo Papers I think I may have to agree with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FullMetal Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Interesting, things to add to my list apparently (considering I really dig Hunter S. aswell). Still need to start Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail of '72 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr White0161 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 Haha, I have a first edition of both those. Really entertaining the two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell No.. Posted August 5, 2011 Author Share Posted August 5, 2011 Finished... And... Now reading... Love the guy, haha! I'm on Twitch! Are you? Come say Hi. https://www.twitch.tv/priceyryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xboxless Posted August 7, 2011 Share Posted August 7, 2011 (edited) I don't recommend reading this book if you don't want to have your brain destroyed. I like to describe it as a book that tries to explain how the mind works through the english language. Like, you wouldn't hear a native speaker say "poured the glass with water" but rather "I poured the water into the glass" and that's because you don't add any force to the glass or water. The water is pushed by gravity. Now you can say "painted the chair with paint" or "the chair was painted" because you are adding force to the paint and chair. It's weird and I may not have explained it right, but that's kind of the gist of it. It's hard to read though, and I read really well, so I have to read slowly. So yeah, it's a hard book but I like it. I also really love the cover because it looks like some stupid children book with easy words, but when you open you realize it is not an easy read. Edited August 7, 2011 by Xboxless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilnerLUFC Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 Got given this book by my dad recently, and after a couple of pages in, was hooked straight away. I've never heard of this guy before, so it makes for a great read, to see how someone can give up their education, yet make a life from drugs. Am only 100 pages in at the moment, but am definitely hooked on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchuck Posted August 12, 2011 Share Posted August 12, 2011 Finally finished reading Atlas Shrugged: -It's an interesting book. The philosophy exposed in it it's fairly interesting and seems to work. The book could have been a lot shorter though, but Rand decided to put a lot of romance in the book, as well as overexplain a lot of things. It's worth a read if you'd like to understand some Objectivism, but if you're just curious about the book and want to know what it's about without having to go through all 1170 pages of it, I suggest just googling John Galt's speech, which is a big part in the book and pretty much sums it up nicely. I do enjoy having read it, it opened my eyes to possibilities. Foundation and Empire: -Awesome sequel to the first of the Foundation trilogy. Asimov continues with the fall of the galactic empire, adding a very curious character. The hunt for the Second Foundation is pretty damn exciting as well. Easy to read, breezed through it in a day. Second Foundation: -Grand finale of the original Foundation trilogy. We learn more about the Second Foundation and it's goals. It's a pretty interesting story, and there's a couple of twists and turns here and there. Easy to read as well, also read in a day. Now I've just started reading Time Enough for Love, by Robert Heinlein. Tells the story of Lazarus Long and his many personas. Just started, but getting interesting already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilnerLUFC Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 As mentioned above, I'm still halfway through the Mr. Nice book, but as the story turns to him getting involved with the Mafia, Yakuza and whatnot, it made me want some good True Crime stories, and wondered if anyone here has some good recommendations? Anything from the gangs themselves to infamous incidents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark-2007 Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 I recall reading both The Valachi Papers and Underboss about Joe Valachi and Sammy Gravano respectively. Both are written by Peter Maas but with input by the men themselves and both were really intneresting. From what I recall, the latter was mre in-depth as Gravan climbed far higher than Valachi in Mafia circles. Gravano helped bring down John Gotti too and his story covers a lot of interesting parts including one of the most famous mob killings that I've heard - Paul Castellano's shooting outside Spark's Steakhouse in peak-Christmas shopping Manhattan. Valachi's story recounts the earlier years of the mob, through the '30s. If I remember right he worked under Salvatore Maranzano, who was one of the antagonists of the Castellamarese War. As for me, I've been making my way through A Moveable Feast by Hemingway. I tried getting into Hemingway first with A Farewell To Arms but, be it through work or other commitments, I didn't really get into it. Started A Moveable Feast and, so far I'm really enjoying it. It documents Hemingway's time in Paris in the 1920s. I'm not sure to what extent it's autobiographical, but it's a good read nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shayan Shaffey Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 My favorite book so far was iCon. It was well writen and it was filled with information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanjeem Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 As mentioned above, I'm still halfway through the Mr. Nice book, but as the story turns to him getting involved with the Mafia, Yakuza and whatnot, it made me want some good True Crime stories, and wondered if anyone here has some good recommendations? Anything from the gangs themselves to infamous incidents. I have read loads of Organized crime books, I now know far more about OC than I ever did before from documentaries and reading books, It's amazing. All these books I'm about to give you are all non-fiction aswell, they really happened. This one is about an undercover FBI agent called Joaquin Garcia from Cuba who emigrated to America when he was young and started working for the FBI. His undercover name was Jack Falcone and is the second FBI agent to infiltrate the Mafia and be offered a place as a made member. He works on different cases whilst on this one. The family he infiltrates are the Gambino's in I think 2003, and gets close to Greg Depalma an old school mobster who keeps the sacred Omerta (Vow of silence) and eventually gains his trust. In the end he takes down more than 30 members and associates of the mob family. Truly good book Written now by Roberto Saviano who is now a marked man as he is on the hitlist of some of Naple's powerfull Camorra clans after he exposed them to their illicit activities and their connections to the world. This book shows you how the Camorra has corrupted the highest level of politicians locally, regionally and even nationally and how they make their money through a number of methods including Drug trafficking, Extortion, Contraband, waste management, All forms of labor racketeering and money laundering. One of the best factual books I have ever read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sivispacem Posted October 9, 2011 Share Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Those into the Mafia-relate stuff should take a look at Gerald Seymour's "The Collaborator"- Seymour is a fantastic writer, and it's an interesting exploration of the gradual fragmentation and destabilisation of the Naples Camorra. Interesting stuff about the Triangle of Death and Mafia involvement in disposal of volatile and radioactive waste in there too. Edited October 9, 2011 by sivispacem AMD Ryzen 5900X (4.65GHz All-Core PBO2) | Gigabye X570S Pro | 32GB G-Skill Trident Z RGB 3600MHz CL16 EK-Quantum Reflection D5 | XSPC D5 PWM | TechN/Heatkiller Blocks | HardwareLabs GTS & GTX 360 Radiators Corsair AX750 | Lian Li PC-O11 Dynamic XL | EVGA GeForce RTX2080 XC @2055MHz | Sabrant Rocket Plus 1TB Sabrant Rocket 2TB | Samsung 970 Evo 1TB | 2x ASUS ROG Swift PG279Q | Q Acoustics 2010i | Sabaj A4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilnerLUFC Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 Those into the Mafia-relate stuff should take a look at Gerald Seymour's "The Collaborator"-[/img]http://images.word-power.co.uk/images/product_images/9781407454986.jpg[/img] Seymour is a fantastic writer, and it's an interesting exploration of the gradual fragmentation and destabilisation of the Naples Camorra. Interesting stuff about the Triangle of Death and Mafia involvement in disposal of volatile and radioactive waste in there too. Wasn't aware that I actually owned this book, and that it was about the Mafia in some way. Cheers for the other suggestions though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shayan Shaffey Posted October 11, 2011 Share Posted October 11, 2011 The collection of works by "Iraj Mirza" are also interesting to read, funny thing is: Although it was written around 200 years ago, it's critisism is still true today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark-2007 Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 Just finished A Moveable Feast by Hemingway that I mentioned earlier in here. It's a collection of his memoirs about his life in Paris in the early 1920s. All very interesting, he knew a lot of the big names of literature associated with that time. Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and, most notably (to me at least) F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald only comes into the book in the latter quarter, and it's my favourite bit of the book. It's very insightful into Fitzgerald's life and Hemingway's too, as well as how writers worked - back then at least, dunno if it's changed. Great read. I'll be looking further into Hemingway's stuff. I've got Fiesta to read, initially titled The Sun Also Rises, which I think was his first novel and his writing of it is documented in A Moveable Feast. It's set in Spain, and I'm off to Madrid on Monday for a couple of days so it'll be a good bit of topical reading for the plane journey. Although I suppose I'm probably expected to socialise with my friends on the plane too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrpain Posted October 14, 2011 Share Posted October 14, 2011 Spent two weeks reading this. Some chapters were a bit draggy like the parts where Dexter goes off stalking. Glad to see the brother is back and playing a huge part in the story. Bring on Double Dexter now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell No.. Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Been reading some Bear Grylls. I think what he does is great. I need to shift some of my books though now, anyone want to buy any? I have some Resident Evil ones and Gears of War, as well as some Movie books. I'm on Twitch! Are you? Come say Hi. https://www.twitch.tv/priceyryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIKKS66 Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Started reading A Game of Thrones, about 40 pages in. Having seen the TV show it makes deciphering all the characters a bit easier, like when Eddard starts talking about "Ben" I know he's on about his brother in the Night's Watch without thinking "uh, who?". The book's a bit of a monster but it's so well written, I'm just flying through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fnorg Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Just finished A Moveable Feast by Hemingway that I mentioned earlier in here. It's a collection of his memoirs about his life in Paris in the early 1920s. All very interesting, he knew a lot of the big names of literature associated with that time. Ezra Pound, Gertrude Stein and, most notably (to me at least) F. Scott Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald only comes into the book in the latter quarter, and it's my favourite bit of the book. It's very insightful into Fitzgerald's life and Hemingway's too, as well as how writers worked - back then at least, dunno if it's changed. Great read. I'll be looking further into Hemingway's stuff. I've got Fiesta to read, initially titled The Sun Also Rises, which I think was his first novel and his writing of it is documented in A Moveable Feast. It's set in Spain, and I'm off to Madrid on Monday for a couple of days so it'll be a good bit of topical reading for the plane journey. Although I suppose I'm probably expected to socialise with my friends on the plane too. TSAR is an amazing read. I cannot recommend it enough. I was planning on reading For Whom the Bell Tolls but I loved TSAR so damn much I just to read about Hemingway's time in Spain and France more now that I know such a book exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 I'm about halfway through Brave New World and I can't get enough of it. Even though it was written some 80 years ago the ideas proposed in it are strikingly similar to contemporary debates on sleep-teach and non viviparous birth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tchuck Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 About midway reading Brave New World too, and I can only agree with the similarity between the 60 odd year old novel and current debates. And am also halfway through Titan: The Life oh John D. Rockefeller, Sr. It's regarded as one of the best biographies on the oil tycoon, covering his life from birth to death, and going in extreme detail about everything surrounding him and his powerhouse, Standard Oil. To me, it's been very inspirational. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyler Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Definitely need to read more into Aldus Huxley, Brave New World was fantastic, and the unexpected Shakespearean references were quite boss. Onto other matters, I'm marking that off my list and starting The Great Gatsby now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 Don't bother reading Brave New World just watch Demolition Man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Bruce- Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I just read Honore de Balzac's "Father Goriot". IMO very boring book... Had to read it, school thing. But i have to say, there are two books i would read right now. Both are from Jules Verne and they are "20 000 leagues under the sea" and "Mysterious island". My all time favourite books. One i haven't read but do want to is called "Raise the Titanic" by Clive Cussler. I believe it was a best seller in 1976. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilnerLUFC Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 So, finally got round to finishing that Mr. Nice book the other day, and have to say it's one of the best drug/crime related book I've ever read, especially since it's an autobiography. Then proceeded to watch the film, and just couldn't get into it at all. Since it was an autobiography, the book relies heavily on using the thoughts to set the atmosphere and mood, so the film seems to rush along confusingly. This got me thinking though, what's better, films or books? For me, rarely have I preferred a film over the book version. Started noticing this in regards to Stephen King, especially in The Shining. What the book does perfectly is give you the story through every view, including Jack's, and I actually found myself feeling sorry for Jack in the book version. In the film though, it tends to portray Jack as just an evil, alcoholic who has no remorse or regrets for his actions. IT was also much better in book version, with events added in that would never be possible on screen. Yet to read Shawshank Redemption, love the film so need to read it now. So, what about you guys? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SIKKS66 Posted November 11, 2011 Share Posted November 11, 2011 I've only seen the Mr Nice movie so fark knows what I'd think of the book. Howard Marks is a crazy sonofabitch, he was at Sonisphere doing a talk about his experiences but I went to see another band. A shame, I bet it would have been interesting. Highly subjective issue, the books/movies debate. They cite The Godfather as one of the few examples of the movie being better than the book. I'd take issue with that. Okay, yeah, the story about Lucy Mancini and her doctor (not to mention the graphic details of how Sonny's giant cock pretty much destroyed her lady parts) was a bit too much. But the story of Al Neri was worthy of a movie on it's own. I also liked all the extra details we got about Johnny Fontane and his broken marriage. Can't deny the cast, the drama and the direction of the movie quite rightly make it one of the best in history but damnit I really liked that book Same applies to the Goodfellas book. Superb, terrific movie but all the extra details we get in the book make it just as good in my eyes. Donnie Brasco too. Seeing something of a pattern here. Maybe I'm just a true crime nerd? I try and read the book before I see the big budget movie adaptation. Build your own images and faces in your mind before the film puts them there for you. Avoided watching both The Road and Atonement until I read the books that have been on my shelf for ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4 Bagger Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 I'm not much of a reading person to be honest. I start, then have something on my mind and then it bores the sh*t out of me. One book I did read not too long ago however, was Of Mice & Men, by John Steinbeck. Not too bad. I had to analyse it too which I found p*ss easy. There's a lot in that book such as morals and messages that many don't notice and I didn't notice myself until I read the think 4 times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Triple Penetration Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 So far I have read 12 books of my Stephen King challenge, I just adore his way of telling. To the guy with 1 month old subject on True Crime books, I suggest 1970's thriller by Norman Lewis called "Sicilian Specialist", it's very fast-paced and straight-forward (not my type, but I liked it), you'll know more about Sicily and even America and a bit of Cuba. The book is claimed to be based on facts of JFK assasination, but I think it's about gangs in JFK's time. On movies-films subject, I don't even know why they do that, I saw today Hunger Games ad for a trailer of movie based on it and thought - another Twilight case? Has anybody seen In Cold Blood (1969 movie) or the slightly older Crime-drama-based on real events book by Truman Capote? Both are amazing, first real book I've read, but I don't know anybody else who has read/seen it, yet able to comment it at all.. And man, if Shawshank Redemption is so greatly praised, I really must read it first, before someone convinces me to watch it. P.S. Harry Potter is a good example why they make movies from books - revenue. Good thing that I remembered myself and could answer my own question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KilnerLUFC Posted November 15, 2011 Share Posted November 15, 2011 So far I have read 12 books of my Stephen King challenge, I just adore his way of telling. And man, if Shawshank Redemption is so greatly praised, I really must read it first, before someone convinces me to watch it. Also a big fan of Stephen King novels, and so far one of the best I've read by him is 'The Black House'. I have a thing about massive books, as you seem to get more into the story itself. Same can be said with It, which was another brilliant book, and by far much better than the film version. Shawshank Redemption is a great film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hell No.. Posted November 15, 2011 Author Share Posted November 15, 2011 Really stuck into The Lost Symbol at the moment. Amazing. I'm on Twitch! Are you? Come say Hi. https://www.twitch.tv/priceyryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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