Board 8 > B8 Books & Lit Topic 42 - A Squeeze of the Hand

(+) Yeah! (+)

All in good time
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https://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/75195714

b8's top 100 books project if anybody's interested. just list some books. no ranking or extraneous thought necessary.

Monstrous Regiment, the 31st Discworld Book, finished. Polly Perkins was just a normal girl living in Borogravia when war hit the country, but then again that's nothing new. Borogravia is a nation under one god, Nuggan, who issues new Abominations practically every week that must be shunned and avoided, and also keeps picking fights with every neighboring nation. What's different however, is that her brother fought during the war and went missing, so Polly disguised herself as a man and joined the army under the legendary hero Sergeant Jackrum. However, she quickly learns that her platoon is hiding secrets of their own, and that not only is Borogravia facing an alliance of all nations they fought against previously, a faraway supercity named Ankh-Morpork sent an army of their own to back the alliance... under the command of Vimes the butcher.

Best part:
- Sergeant Jackrum is just a great, great character man. "Upon my oath" and "you're all my little lads and I'll take care of you" are great catchphrases, ESPECIALLY once you know the truth.
- Woo De Worde and Otto are back!
- XD the caricature in the papers
- LMAO the Vietnam War flashsides Maladict had
- Oh man I can't stop laughing when Blouse make a better woman than, well, actual women.
- Nuggan suffering the exact same fate that happened to Om in Small Gods. Hope he doesn't find a Brutha and Lu-Tze equivalent, his Abominations are nasty rules that even after his death, still continued to pour through.
- My jaw ****ing dropped when EVERYBODY is a ****ing woman. Except Blouse. Maybe.
- Hell yeah Sam Vimes the ****ing man! Ending war and what not. Also giving Paul colored chalk (and made Polly so grateful she forgave anything and everything Ankh Morpork did)
- Polly and Jackrum's final conversation. The student has finally surpassed the master
- I ****ing love the ending with the cycle repeating... but this time, a happy ending is in sight. Armed with De Worde's list of contacts and bolstered by Jackrum's word as well as Maladicta (and possibly Blouse's) company, and Paul and Shufti safe at the inn, Polly is off to keep her little lads (or lasses) safe through the war

A mostly standalone book with cameos from William and Otto from The Truth and Vimes and a few officers from the Watch series, I felt it's a lower half in the tier. I felt that it had an ending I liked more than Jingo, but on the whole, I preferred Jingo. Sergeant Jackrum is still a capital character though, and Polly was pretty neat. I wasn't feeling the rest of the squad though

Also the book has lesbians in it

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times> The Last Hero > Small Gods > Hogfather > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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so one of my book clubs is doing camus's 'the rebel'

good lord this is brutal
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one of? how many book clubs are you in? local? school?

i've always wanted to do one but ultimately i'll end up not going through because of selfishness. i already have like the next couple books i want to read in my mind and because my reading habits are so mood-driven, i tend to not want to deviate from that.

brutal in what way? as in difficulty with the reading level? or with the subject matter?

i'll ask that to everyone though. what was the hardest book you've read? either because you had a hard time understanding or because of the subject matter (because it was uncomfortable, etc.)?

i think the hardest one for me would Faulkner's Sound and the Fury because I read it blind without knowing anything about it and could not figure out what the fuck was going on in that first chapter. maybe The Crying of Lot 49 also. I read that when I was around 18 because Pynchon was a name i was seeing a lot and it was his shortest. well i couldn't make any sense of it but it was still kind of cool i guess.

subject matter-wise, probably McCarthy's Blood Meridian. some of the descriptions in that book. ...shit

also i haven't attempted Ulysses or Gravity's Rainbow or whatever else is frequently cited as most difficult yet. someday.

here's a childrens/YA novel that i think still holds up although i'm not sure how typically well-received it is among children in the first place: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

I certainly remember liking it back then. It stood out by dealing with themes that weren't as common or at least not as pronounced in the things I was reading back then.

I think reading now, the parts about traditional masculinity stand out more than they did back then. it's not a major focal point of the novel but it plays a part in the initial foundation of Jesse's friendship with the "boyish" Leslie. and hey look at their names.

but the best part still remains Terabithia. not the sections of the novel that directly deals with their excursions there since those descriptions are relatively sparse. but the ideas about creating a haven founded by intimate connection and the potential of imagination. reductively, it's about children playing pretend but it resonated with me a bit.

Hey, just bothered checking out this topic for the first time today. Did somebody say bookshelf pics?



Man, my shelf kinda lacks variety, huh. Don't miss out on that copy of "Clean Code" in the bottom right though.
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kateee posted...

here's a childrens/YA novel that i think still holds up although i'm not sure how typically well-received it is among children in the first place: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

I certainly remember liking it back then. It stood out by dealing with themes that weren't as common or at least not as pronounced in the things I was reading back then.

I think reading now, the parts about traditional masculinity stand out more than they did back then. it's not a major focal point of the novel but it plays a part in the initial foundation of Jesse's friendship with the "boyish" Leslie. and hey look at their names.

but the best part still remains Terabithia. not the sections of the novel that directly deals with their excursions there since those descriptions are relatively sparse. but the ideas about creating a haven founded by intimate connection and the potential of imagination. reductively, it's about children playing pretend but it resonated with me a bit.

Read that in middle school. Fun book I guess, but it is pretty much the poster child for "Death by Newbery Medal"
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you might as well read the poster child and ignore the rest imoo
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I remember reading Bridge to Terabithia in 4th grade. "Terabithia" was close enough to "Tabitha" that I got kind of excited about it back then. I did a book report on it. I enjoyed it a lot then (also i cried). I think it's more relevant for kids than anything else.
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A Hat Full of Sky, the 32 Discworld Book, finished. A few years after The Wee Free Men, Tiffany Aching is well on her way to learn Witchcraft from Miss Level, and is accompanied by Miss Tick along the way. The Nac Mac Feegle have finally gotten their new Kelder, who took an Instant dislike of their previous Kelder, Tiffany. The Witch Trials are also coming up, where young witches can show off their stuff in front of Senior Witches. No Judges and no Prizes no, oh no, and it's totally not a competition. And if you believe that then you're not a Witch

However, the Witches quickly notice that something has been following them since they left the Chalk... something very ancient and cannot be killed, and what the Feegle call: The Hiver

Best Part:
- Miss Level is such a great idea, one person but two bodies. And then she gets her upgrade later on and becomes one person with a phantom body and becomes recognized as a proper witch. Good on her.
- The Hiver is such a frightening entity. Thoughts and jumbled up memories that take over you... eesh. Thankfully it ate a Wizard first then tried to eat a Witch. With the Wizard's Knowledge and a Witch's knowhow, they were finally able to grant peace to Arthur
- XD The gathering. I ain't even mad with Annagramma, she's just so... Anna. LMAO Lucy Darling. I like these bunch more than the one Agnes was originally part of.
- Evil Tiffany :(. Stealing from a poor old man... so disappointed.
- I love Zakzak, He knew Brian was full of it, but he was kind of enough to give him a job and begged for his life from Evil Tiffany.
- HOLY **** TIFFANY KILLED MISS LEVEL! Well, A Miss Level. She got better though.
- Oh man oh man oh man The Hiver getting kicked out by Tiffany who is one with the land within her.
- HELL YES GRANNY WEATHERWAX IS IN THE HOUSE! Slowly reasserting Tiffany that she is still herself, and suprressing the leftover memories
- Gotta love Sensibility Bustle. Oh sure he went nuts thanks to the Hiver, but at least he supplied Granny with enough know how to heal Tiffany and what a Hiver actually is
- That final confrontation with the Hiver at the Witch Trials man, and Tiffany finally making a proper Shamble using Rob and Ronald's git.
- I love what they did with Arthur here and the dessert
- ... and then Tiffany was stuck in the desert lol. Thankfully Death is here- wait, that's a weird sentence. Oh, and Granny came along to help (And also made sure the Door stayed OPEN this time)
- The conversation at Granny's Hut and Tiffany dancing with the bees clinches it: These two are my favorite Witches.
- You know, at first I didn't like Jeanny much... but then she ordered Rob to go after Tiffany and all her conflicting roles when he finally returns endeared her to me.
- Gotta love Tiffany throwing off her hat to the sky. I love it so much.

I really like this one! A great villain, love the resolution, and Tiffany continues to be a great protagonist.

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times> The Last Hero > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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books that have made me cry:

Uncle Tom's Cabin
Little Women (?)

both when i was around 16

i keep a list of every work that has made me cry and that list is not long lol

JDPizza posted...

Hey, just bothered checking out this topic for the first time today. Did somebody say bookshelf pics?



Man, my shelf kinda lacks variety, huh. Don't miss out on that copy of "Clean Code" in the bottom right though.

el oh el

http://www.businessinsider.com/famous-book-set-in-every-state-2016-4/#alaska-into-the-wild-by-jon-krakauer-2

"The most famous book that takes place in every state" (USA)

it doesn't say how they reached the conclusion of "most famous" so some choices might be disagreeable but you'll know that at least one famous book was written and set in your backwater state :p

i ain't gotta worry bout dat shit cuz i'm in cali


i've read 13 on that list with like 2 on my to-read list.

staring into the eyes of nothingness
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NEITHER RAIN NOR SNOW NOR GLO M OF NI T CAN STAY THESE MES ENGERS ABO T THEIR DUTY
Don't arsk us about rocks, troll's with sticks, All sorts of dragons, Mrs Cake, Huje green things with teeth, Any kinds of black dogs with orange eyebrows, Rains of spaniel's, fog, and Mrs Cake

Going Postal, the 33rd Discworld Book, finished. The conman Albert Spengler died in the gallows today. Fortunately, the man using that alias, Moist von Lipwig, was given a chance by Lord Vetinari to atone for his crimes and is given the position of Postmaster of the postal service in Ankh Morpork. He's got his work cut out for him however, as only two employees remain, including a junior postman who is of senior age, and all undelivered mail has stockpiled for years and blocked off several rooms and passages and in danger of causing an avalanche. Meanwhile, the Grand Trunk company that controls the clacks system has been monopolizing the message business in a very rough way, adding to the pile of problems. To top it off, the previous Postmasters all met an untimely end. But Moist thrives under pressure, so he'll do it, and do it with style. He still can't get rid of what someone said though...

His head was all over the wall

Best Part:
- Moist von Lipwig is one of the best Discworld protagonist man. His penchant to dig his own grave by infinitely raising the stakes is such a joy to watch.
- Reacher Gilt is a great villain. He managed to tie Vetinari's hands (officially in any case), and is such a damn menace.
- Damn Moist got trolled hard by Vetinari. First the rock wall hiding another spoon and a much, much more solid rock wall behind it, then when he saw Drumknott coming his way and stalled the execution only for him to say that Vetinari wants them to get on with the execution.
- Dat motto
- Moist delivering his first mail, and the happy ending it resulted in
- Reacher VS Vetinari. Holy crap that was tense... broken by the idiot board members
- Moist rocking the trial. XD when the dogs aren't pure breds. Also later on the golems passing with flying collors
- You got to love Bloody Stupid Johnson. Dat sorting machine man
- Mr. Gryle is a frightening Banshee. Not sure how Angua failed to smell him though
- Moist and Reacher meeting for the very first time, each recognizing the fake handshake and eyes. Brilliant
- Stanley having one of his moments and actually BEAT Mr. Gryle with a sack of pins right to the face. Of course he just ate an Ankh-Morpork pigeon, which has so many plagues it's a bio hazard. Then Moist forced Gryle into the Sorting machine and leaves Mr. Ixiolite the last known Banshee on the Discworld.
- Anghammarrad's fate. Why did he have to die... but at least he's free.
- Oh my god Moist's trick. Only a bastard would have thought of faking a message from all of Reacher's victims and accuse the board members. The whole scene with the wizards, Vetinari, and the board moments is one of my favorite moments in the Discworld series man. LMAO that one board member that faked amnesia.
- Moist refusing Adora's affection and ran away and returned to his life as a conman and failing and couldn't stand it anymore- And an angel appeared, and returned Moist to the moment before he shook off Adora's hand. Even Adora felt it. Also feathers on top of the roof, though that's because of a pigeon being attacked by another bird. I don't know man, this just hits me in the heart.
- Reacher Gilt refusing the angel's offer and ****ing died. I think. He went down the damn hole though, good riddance.

I don't know what it is about Moist, but by god I love him. He's just so damn cheeky, but that's not all. All in all, an excellent start to the Moist series, the last series of the Discworld.

... oh I made myself sad.
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Oh man how could I forget Mr Pump tearing to pieces the gentleman thief/thrill seeker's argument that they didn't really hurt anybody?

Also William and Sacharisa (probably) got married yay my ship lives! Also Vetinari's secondary motivation to get rid of Reacher's control over the Clacks: so he can continue playing Thud with Margolotta

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times> The Last Hero > Going Postal > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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kateee posted...

http://www.businessinsider.com/famous-book-set-in-every-state-2016-4/#alaska-into-the-wild-by-jon-krakauer-2

"The most famous book that takes place in every state" (USA)

it doesn't say how they reached the conclusion of "most famous" so some choices might be disagreeable but you'll know that at least one famous book was written and set in your backwater state :p

Huh. I really expected The Bridges of Madison County to be the choice for Iowa. Instead its a book I've never heard of. So yeah, I'm going to disagree with that one.
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kateee posted...

here's a childrens/YA novel that i think still holds up although i'm not sure how typically well-received it is among children in the first place: Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson.

I certainly remember liking it back then. It stood out by dealing with themes that weren't as common or at least not as pronounced in the things I was reading back then.

I think reading now, the parts about traditional masculinity stand out more than they did back then. it's not a major focal point of the novel but it plays a part in the initial foundation of Jesse's friendship with the "boyish" Leslie. and hey look at their names.

but the best part still remains Terabithia. not the sections of the novel that directly deals with their excursions there since those descriptions are relatively sparse. but the ideas about creating a haven founded by intimate connection and the potential of imagination. reductively, it's about children playing pretend but it resonated with me a bit.

I fucking hate that book with a flaming passion. And the movie too.
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bump
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why?

The first thing Tak did, he wrote himself

Thud!, the 34th Discworld Book, finished. As the anniversary of the battle of Koom Valley, where the Dwarves ambushed the Trolls (or the other way around depending on who you're asking), is fast approaching, and things are getting tense in Ankh Morpork. Things get into a head when there's rumors that a Dwarf was killed by a troll. Vimes leads an investigation into the matter, and gets more than he bargained for as he learns of more secrets of both sides and of Koom Valley, a bloody Vampire joined the force, and something terrible deep blow the Dwarven Mines...

Best part
- Damn, Nobby Nobbs got a girlfriend. And apparently Tawnee's got a bod a goddess would kill for. Shame she can't cook, but keep a stiff upper lip Nobby, you'll find your one true love soon.
- I love what Sally did to trick those bastards that filled her locker with Garlic. LMAO Turnip. She's super friendly too.
- Shine. Him Diamond.
- A.E. Pessimal is probably one of my favorite background/secondary watch characters. An auditor that finally found his true calling as a Watchman, good on ya mate. Him attacking Brick who attacked Vimes was just great.
- It's neat that Vimes finally found a use for the Disorganizer... as a, well, organizer of important documents along with his new Adjutant, A.E. Pessimal
- D'aww, Detritus and Ruby are still going strong after all these years. Shame they're childless, but Brick apparently is taken under Detritus's wings, so things are looking up. In fact, I love Brick's turn around from junkie to loyal Troll.
- XD Angua and Sally had a tiff when Sally pointed out that they're both naked and covered in mud, and they should get paid for it.
- And then the mood got ruined when they saw the SD's marked by the dead dwarf. So damn creepy especially with the bit with the Vurms not caring that they're going to die.
- HOLY **** THE DWARVES ACTUALLY INVADED THE RAMKIN MANOR! I admit, Sybil getting blasted by the flamethrower made me went HOLY **** but then I remembered that she's wearing her dragon suit, and all the dragons rising to the challenge was just great.
- The Thud game with Helmcleaver scene was great!
- LMAO the coach ride that got tricked out by the Wizards. Best part was Vimes calmly raising everyone else's spirits while resting after the trial run... then clutching the milestone until he felt a whole lot better.
- Holy **** Vimes/SD's rampage. and then the goddamn Guarding Dark appeared and showed the SD what for. LOVED that scene!
- I love the truth of Koom Valley and the aftermath. From the true translation of the things Tak wrote to it becoming a tourist attraction to Vimes ditching the Dinner to read to Sam
- Oh god Vetinari found out about the Dwarves' perpetual motion engine

I think either this or Reaper Man was my first foray into the Discworld series. It's definitely my first Night Watch series. Despite it being responsible hooking me into the series... it's definitely slow. And Sam and Carrot abusing his power to get to little Sam was... ehh. But goddamn the atmosphere is ****ing creepy, and it'll always have a special place in my heart for it.

Also it has two naked chicks fighting in mud.

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times> The Last Hero > Going Postal > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > Thud! > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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"WHERE'S MY COW?!"

Thud is a favorite of mine. Best part is the Guarding Dark bit.
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I'm still not sure if the Summoning Dark remained in Vimes or it's the Guarding Dark that's giving him his superpowers
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"Is this about sex?"
~ Tiffany Aching

Wintersmith, the 35th Discworld Book, finished. Tiffany Aching was continuing her Witch studies under another Witch, Mrs. Treason, who is wise in the way of Boffo and has an appointment with our favorite skeleton in a black robe, when she became witness to the Dark Morris dance. Then things took a turn for the worse when she couldn't stop her feet and joined the dance. Unfortunately, this interrupted the dance of the Summer Lady, and worse, the Wintersmith. Now Tiffany is slowly gaining the powers of the former while being stalked by the latter, and in the middle of this, there's the whole dispute about who's going to inherit Mrs. Treason's cottage. Worst of all... her friend who is just a friend just wrote that he went to a ball with a girl who showed him her watercolor paintings

Watercolor. The nerve! Who does he think he is?

Best Part:
- I love Mrs. Treason. Her and her Boffo. I laughed so much when she revealed her secret Boffo Catalogue. And her final words with Tiffany in the night, and how she died... the stuff of legends in deed.
- OH NO TIFFANY DID NOT JUST GIVE GRANNY A KITTEN! You is the best
- I like Annagramma even more here. We learned her origins and watch her strugglingto be Mrs. Treason's successor.
- Oh god the Cornucopia segment. I busted a gut there man
- lol when Tiffany read the romance book that the Nac Mac Feegles obtained for her. Complain all you want girl, you still finished off that book.
- LMAO Annagramma the hero when she burst out of her cottage in full Boffo gear and threw a goddamn fireball straight at the Wintersmith. She won the respect of the villagers in one fell swoop alright.
- XD Death the ferry man. I love that he can't stand the Feegles
- HOLY **** Roland man'd up! Great idea using the memory of a sword to kill the Bogles
- Tiffany killed the Wintersmith by pushing the ****ing Sun into him. Holy **** you do NOT mess with Tiffany! Well okay transferred the heat of the sun into him, but still
- Dat scene with Rob Anybody being ultra psyched after reading Where's My Cow?. Truly the hero the Nac Mac Feegles deserve. I liked that he did it because he wanted his kids to not fear long books.

This is audiobook is different in that it included some sound effects to signify long time passing. Anyway, I did NOT like the first chapter. At all. I hate in media res. Which is weird because I love spoilers. I'm a complicated manchild. But the rest of the book is very much golden. Annagramma and Mrs. Treason, and of course Tiffany herself, are very entertaining

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times> The Last Hero > Going Postal > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Wintersmith > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > Thud! > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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Making Money, the 36th Discworld Book, finished. Things are going swimmingly at the Post Office. Moist is engaged to Adora Belle Dearheart (who is away on Golem Trust Fund business), the Post Office pretty much runs itself by now, and the stamps are very popular with the citizens of Ankh Morpork and the rest of the Discworld. It's also dull, dull, dull. That's when the Patrician, Lord Vetinari, approached Moist with an offer: the position of Chairman of the Royal mint of Ankh Morpork. Through various mishaps and events, Moist did end up running the bank and mint, though under the chairman of the bank: a dog named Mr. Fusspot. Now Moist once again has to balance his duties with threats from his past, within, and without the bank. And even threats from outside.

But at least he's got a new hat with his current position.

Best Part
- Cosmo Lavish is like a parallel Lord Hong. He's brilliant, but unfortunately we only see him at his worst. Which makes him all the more entertaining as he sloooooowwwwwly descents into madness and thinks he's Lord Vetinari.
- Topsy Lavish nee Turvy was neat. Shame she only had a bit part in the story.
- lol how Moist came into power. 51% to the dog, and the dog to Moist
- Gladys's massage.
- LMAO Pucchi's attempt to call out Moist didn't go according to plans. AT ALL
- Moist's insane rambling when being interviewed by Sacharissa. Like, wow.
- How does someone become alergic to the world Garlic and have THAT reaction?
- XD The Department of Necro- I mean Post Mortem Communications
- Man that scene where Moist and Adora thought that Gladys cooked Mr. Fusspot could have been darked. But lol dat Sheep's head with the sunglasses.
- That scene where Mr. Bent's accounting mistake was discovered holy crap.
- Oh dear god when Moist and Adora saw all the sex toys the previous manager had... and then Mr. Fusspot took one and kept playing with it until the end of the book providing much hilarity
- The golems arrived. But not 4 gold golems... 4 THOUSAND golems. And then the comittee to discuss what to do with them.. and then Moist getting rid of them. Just great.
- The trial sequence is amazing. Moist playing the court, Mr. Bent crashing the scene, and Vetinari being in complete control of everything. And then Pucci's breakdown at the end holy crap
- Anoia saved the ****ing day when in answer to Moist's prayers she caused Cribbins's false teeth to EXPLODE. Or at least, that's what Moist thinks
- Vetinari revealing he knew how Moist pulled it off the whole time and already made sure that the Golems are not seen as a threat by the other powers of the Disc. And d'aaaawwww Mr. Fusspot has a new home. Poor Wuffles, but he's old.
- Mr. Bent's past. Man that explains soooooo many things. Battle Clown > Street Assasin
- d'aaaaawwww Mr. Bent and Ms. Drapes.
- lol what happened to Cosmo in the end. Sad.
- The Phantom of the stripclub lol

Another of my earliest Discworld books, I read this one before I read Going Postal. Was a bit lost at a few points, but still an entertaining book. The second to last chapter was amazing. Lord Vetinari is also at his best here. And as ever, Moist entertains like no other.

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times> The Last Hero > Making Money > Going Postal > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Wintersmith > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > Thud! > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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i'm not ducking the question about camus, i've just been super-lazy
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kateee posted...

books that have made me cry:

Uncle Tom's Cabin
Little Women (?)

both when i was around 16

i keep a list of every work that has made me cry and that list is not long lol

books CONSTANTLY make me cry it's ridiculous
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SeabassDebeste posted...

i'm not ducking the question about camus, i've just been super-lazy

whenever/if you want to!

tabiicat42 posted...

kateee posted...

books that have made me cry:

Uncle Tom's Cabin
Little Women (?)

both when i was around 16

i keep a list of every work that has made me cry and that list is not long lol

books CONSTANTLY make me cry it's ridiculous

I'll at least tear up at the ending of almost any book that I really like if only for the fact that it's over.

He came like a wind, like a wind touched everything, and like a wind was gone
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i was going to post about this a while back after NFUN's comment but was saving it for a future bumping.

well i just came across an article that's kind of related so i'll post about it now.

is there a book you unequivocally hate and if so, why? just like a 10/10 is something that can have a great personal effect on you, so can a 1/10 but for the opposite reasons. i don't think it's easy to hate something, at least for me. there are a lot of popular, well-known works from all mediums that i dislike or am indifferent to. but i can count on one hand the amount of works that i can say i really "hate." to really hate something actually takes work. undeveloped or more commonplace reasons like "it's boring" or "i don't like the main character" are not enough for me to hate something. it has to personally offend me on some level for me to say i hate it. if i look at my 10 point scale, the general guidelines for the scoring goes something like:

10 - not necessarily perfect. flaws negligible enough to overlook or willing to ignore because it appealed either in concepts, style/aesthetics or ideals on a deeper, personal level. Enough to think about subsequently multiple times.

9 - can recognize/acknowledge as “well-made/good” but not a lot of personal appeal or has personal appeal but had small missteps or not perfect in execution or scope. "something missing"

so on and then

2 - fucking terrible

1 - fucking terrible and offensive

if a work is simply inept, i don't think that's a qualification to hate it for a lot of people. which is why when people usually talk about works they "hate" the names that come up are popular or even well-received works. there is a general consensus about works that are just bad because of execution or whatnot but hateable works have a personal significance of some kind almost just as much as favorites.

anyway this is the article entitled "Why You Should Read Books You Hate" which touches on the subject.

http://nyti.ms/2prWAbn

anyway i haven't read a book yet that i really hate. the one that comes closest is Conrad's Heart of Darkness but even then, i could chalk that up to inexperience or just not fully comprehending the book. i don't know if that was the reason but i'm not completely willing to dismiss it because of possible misunderstanding or stupidity on my part. i won't be able to say i hate the book until i read it again to reaffirm but obviously i'm not in a rush to read it again when i have such a massive backlog. what i do remember is the prose style being difficult to get through. almost ugly and not what i wanted or imagined art of any kind to be.

but yeah i don't hate any book. yet.

I read all but the last book in the twilight series and I can safely say that I hate them.
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excerpt from article that made me smile because of imagining this situation:

My taste for hate reading began with “The Fountainhead,” which I opened in a state of complete ignorance as bonus material for a college class on 20th-century architecture. I knew nothing of Ayn Rand or of objectivism. I thought it was a book about building things. I even showed it off to a French friend, an architect and a die-hard socialist, thinking he’d be impressed.

“How could you bring that into our house?” he asked in disgust. “But it’s about architecture,” I replied weakly. Or was it?

i read Twilight also. i certainly didn't think it was good. but it didn't meet my criteria of personally offensive to be something i hate. i thought it was just standard garbage.

I've read boring books, but hate?

Nah, not even the first (and only) Twilight book I read
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Lich_Sandro posted...

I've read boring books, but hate?

Nah, not even the first (and only) Twilight book I read

yeah that's what i mean. for me, simply being boring isn't reason enough to hate something. just mark it as bad and move on. real hatred stays with you and often the energy expended isn't worth it which is why when you do come across something that you truly hate it's special.

I think the book's glamorization of shitty, abusive relationships as something for teens (target audience) to aspire to is kind of offensive to my own sensibilities, so it would fit into that standard for me personally. I understand if people don't feel as strongly and don't look down on them or anything though.
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yeah that's a perfectly valid and understandable reason. i've heard as much from other people as well. same goes for 50 Shades which isn't shocking at all considering the background of that book.

I hate Inheritance (the last Eragon book).

That book was awful and the endings (and lack of endings) to the various storylines were so stupid and offensively bad to me that reading it made me like the entire series less.

I actually wrote a big write-up on it and how much I hated it that I posted somewhere on GFAQs but I doubt I could find it again. That's how much I hated it.
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I only read the first two books of the Eragon series.

I really like the first one, not so much the second one, never bothered with the series afterwards
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i read Eragon when i was 14 i think. which is coincidentally around the age that Paolini wrote it!

Man does that show in places. It was like he thought every scene needed to be a new chapter so you got chapters that were like half a page long.
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"Do I have Worth?"

Unseen Academicals, the 37th Discworld Book, finished. A recent check into the Unseen University's tradition revealed that due to a stipulation of a Trust Fund, they will have to take part in a football game. As luck would have it, the city recently found an Urn that reveals the ancient rules of the game, and so Lord Vetinari combined the ancient rules with the modern one to facilitate the game. However, not everyone is in support of this, as unrest grows among the modern football fans, and so Mr. Nutt, the mysterious grey little candle staff of the university, along with his superior Trev Likely, son of Dave Likely hero of Football, the head of the Night Cook of the University Glenda, and her subordinate and friend Juliet are caught in the turmoil

And the thing about Football, is it's never about Football.

Best Part:
- Nutt > Glenda > Juliet > Trev. These four characters were great! Hell yeah educated orc and Glenda's reaction to everything. I also like how these four bonded together ya know.
- HO THE MEGAPODE!
- Rincewind! Glad he got a spot as the staff of UU, still has the Luggage, and when the world is in danger of another Wizard Battle, he took off his sock to fill with a brick. Reluctant hero, but a true hero nevertheless
- The Wizards may have a shift in their staff, but dropping Dean to include John Hix was acceptable. They still have funny antics, and then the Dean dropped by for a visit. Everything they do in this book made me chuckle basically, but particularly when they were training
- Woo the Librarian! Finally he gets to do more Orangutan antics I've missed so much
- Nutt realizing he's an Orc, his reaction and everyone's reaction to the news
- Oh god Glenda talking smack about Margolotta to her face. She didn't know it was her, but still
- Glenda crying when Nutt said the poem was for her. Spare me your clean cries, give me snot filled sorrow anyday
- YEEEESSSSSS VETINARI X MARGOLOTTA DOT DOT DOT RELATIONSHIP
- The climax, the beautiful game, is amazing. From De Worde trying to pen down what he sees to Macarona's chant to the sabotage to Nutt stepping up and Trev failing to live up, to the Librarian's return to Trev saving the day to Andy getting showned up by Trev and Nutt
- The ending with Juliet and Trev discussing their future plans, then Nutt and Glenda confronting Vetinari and Margolotta and riding off into the sunset towards Quirm on a golem horse before they're off to Uberwald with Pastor Oats to find other Orcs, leaving Vetinari amused and Margolotta annoyed.

In the final Wizards book, the status quo has changed, but they're still as hilarious as ever. I also loved the relationship between the four main characters, they just really clicked to me. The cameos were great as well, and hell yes Vetinari and Margolotta dot dot dot goodness! Plus the Beautiful Game climax. I hate soccer and I loved that bit. This gets a high spot!

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times > The Last Hero > Making Money > Going Postal > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Wintersmith > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > Thud! > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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Sooo, where is it in the list?
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... fudge

Reaper Man > Thief of Time > Night Watch > Interesting Times > The Last Hero > Unseen Academicals > Making Money > Going Postal > Small Gods > A Hat Full Of Sky > Hogfather > Wintersmith > Jingo > The Fifth Elephant > Feet of Clay > Men At Arms > Thud! > The Truth > Guards! Guards! > The Wee Free men > The Last Continent > Soul Music > Wyrd Sisters > Moving Pictures > Monstrous Regiment > Mort > Witches Abroad > Lords and Ladies > Sourcery > Pyramids > The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents > Carpe Jugulum > The Light Fantastic > Maskerade > Equal Rites > The Colour of Magic > Eric
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i saw a copy of Anna Karenina for children today.

all it talked about were her clothes though there was one picture of her with Vronsky. he wasn't mentioned at all.

i read Diary of a Wimpy Kid to see what the deal was.

this kid is a little shit

So I started re-reading Worm today because I found out about a first time reader podcast of it which seemed interesting. Re-reading each arc then listening to the episode for it.

...

I have a feeling that once I catch up to what they have currently done that will fall apart and I will sprint past them but whatever.

If you haven't read Worm you definitely should.

Parahumans.wordpress.com

Such a good Cape story.

And fuck off web serials count as literature
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invisible