What was the last book you read and how was it?

[Noala]

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Seems to be hated by people but I quite enjoyed it, it actually changed my life.

How? I mean I get that books certainly can change people's lives (hell a comic managed to change mine) but Atlas Shrugged of all books? I mean it's entertaining but I can't what in it would be life-changing.

Personally I'm just finishing Dawkin's The God Delusion, which is interesting but somewhat dissapointing overall.

The ideas presented and put forth are life-changing, the philosophy inside the book is life-changing. Plus after I read it I looked up more about Objectivism, thereby learning a new way of life.

By that definition any philosophy book would qualify as life changing since they teach a new way of life. Unless you actually mean Atlas Shrugged converted you to Objectivism, which I'd find surprising to be honest.

Well it did. And yes, any philosophy book IS life-changing as they do teach you a new way of life as you said, however it is up to you to take that way of life. I'm saying that Atlas Shrugged made me take the Objectivist path of life.

 

[Blackmagic1515]

The last book I read was Ghost Story by Jim Butcher. The most recent book of The Dresden Files. It was awesome, as they all are.

I find it really crazy how I accidentally clicked on your name instead of the thread and got the exact same book.

Yep. Ghost Story. Good, but not great in my opinion. I think the author has kind of maxed out Harry Dresden at this point. I'm kinda glad the series is coming to an end.

Love the series to death, but

Spoiler

Half the thing that made those books for me was the already developed characters. Knowing that now they're pretty much all on the back burner is very disappointing. Sure, the fairy worlds are interesting and all that, but nowhere near as cool as what takes place in Chicago.

I remember reading somewhere that there's still going to be quite a few more books. At least five, probably more.

And now that

Spoiler

He's alive again

I think we'll be seeing more of Chicago again.

Indeed. I've read that Butcher's stated there will be about 20 books, with a trilogy to finish it off. They're going to be called 'Hells Bells' 'Stars and Stones' and 'Empty Night' because according to Jim 'There's a reason that they are curses'.

 

[ProZack]

It was The Count of Monte Cristo. I have to say, at first I thought it was going to be really boring to read this, but then I couldn't put the thing down. No wonder why it's so famous.

 

[Harveypot]

Doctor Who: The Writer's Tale: The Final Chapter. I've read it before but it's amazing. 704 pages of how Russell T Davies made the show. My favourite Doctor Who book ever.

 

[mysecondlife]

I read the first novel of Dexter. I thought it was alright. I think the TV show was much better.

 

[RipRoaringWaterfowl]

We, by Yevgeny Zamyatin. It was a good read, and I got into reading it being that I enjoyed Animal Farm and 1984 so much (dystopian literature), and that classic literature is more appealling to me than new books.

But mind you, my definition of classic extends to the choice few must reads that were written before the '70's, so To Kill A Mockingbird and Catcher In The Rye are there too.

 

[Aeriath]

Just finished devouring Ghost Story by Jim Butcher yesterday. I actually only started reading the Dresden Files a few weeks ago. First time in a long time that I have been that focused on something. My university was not running on Wednesday due to public sector strikes, so I spent the whole day reading and I actually ended up taking Thursday off just to read too. I got through Turn Coat, Changes and Ghost Story during those 2 days.

Baring in mind the above, my opinion may be little skewed but I'd highly recommend the series. It's contemporary fantasy in the same vein as the TV series Supernatural, but with a wizard private investigator as the protagonist. A badass wizard, I might add.

Spoiler: Story spoilers in my opinions of Changes and Ghost Story:

After the thrill ride that was Changes, Ghost Story was pretty subdued pace-wise. The supporting characters changed, mostly for the worse but hopefully Harry will be back in Chicago for at least part of Cold Days to start sorting that mess out. Jim kinda blew up all the familiar landmarks of the series and changed the characters over the course of 2 books, so the next few books are going to have to work hard to re-establish the comfortable setting we had before.

Mostly I'm ripping my hair out about Cold Days release date because of Molly. Damn Harry, you did her a serious wrong.

 

[newwiseman]

The Lusty Argonian, and not bad...

In all seriousness Mogworld and it was epic; it's the only 'science' fantasy fiction story I know will happen at some point in my lifetime. I'm not a big fan of reading 'books' but considering my interior voice was that of Yahtzee it became a bit like reading an episode of ZP.

 

[^=ash=^]

The Liar by Stephen Fry.
I absolutely loved it.

 

[rdiggs]

The Honorable Schoolboy by John Le Carre.

Sequel to "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" which is a movie coming out this month. I've already started on the third book and I'm already dreading being done with the trilogy. Great characterization and the intrigue is more interesting as a spy story than some explosion filled Jason Bourne rip off.

 

[stealthy_roadkill]

I recently read George Orwell's 1984. its hard to put into words how exactly it made me feel but the word morose certain springs to mind. It's definitely a book that makes you evaluate whats important in your life. On a brighter note I'm currently working through the "hitchhikers guide to the galaxy" series which I read once every couple of years, there's some interesting philosophy in there and a good amount of British humour.

 

[Mr.Squishy]

School: One of my five psych. books or my three philosophy books - I can't remember.

Leisure: Eh, read the dark elf trilogy. It's good, can see why it's considered quite classic.

 

[agent_orange420]

Just finished reading the burning land by Bernard Cornwell, all about the viking invasions of Britain around 900AD. awesome stuff.

Now onto Prey by Michael Crichton. Bit of a change, nanotechnology gone bonkers, when will these scientists ever learn eh? tusk.

If you like Prey, have you tried the book "The Cobra Event"? Forgot who it's by but it's also about scientists and warfare etc

yep, i read the cobra event ages back, guys cutting their own faces off and such. good book, ending was a bit meh.

 

[GeneWard]

I last read Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Needless to say, it was awesome. This was my first time reading it and I really welled up at the end. (No spoilers)

 

[trollogic]

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. It got steampunk and a flying whale. Freaking awesome.

 

[LordMithril]

Just finished Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn Trilogy.
2nd time I read it. And I love how little things suddenly fall into place when you know a bit more. Very well done.

Just started in the 4th installment (he's doing an other trilogy in the same universe) but I think I'm gonna start with Eragon again first. Just got the new one

Sea of Swords by R.A. Salvatore. It's book 13 or so in the Legend of Drizzt series. It's... okay. It finally reunited all the heroes, which was nice. It felt somehow rushed, but it still dealt with all the conflict and contention within the group as well as it possibly could.
It could've been a lot worse, but I still get the feeling that parts of it were written simply to please the fanbase. Things turned out just a little too well for Morrik the rogue, for one, and the way everyone just accepts that Wulgar returns without even saying hello, AND Drizzt and Catti-brie are now a "thing" really strains the suspension of disbelief.
Still, really good stuff, overall. I think there's one more trilogy in the whole damn series, but I haven't gotten those, yet.

the Huntersblade's Trilogy:
The Thousand Orcs
The Two Swords
The lone Drow

Got the whole series here (except for the 2 spinnoffs, still need those)

 

[Hookman]

I've been reading 'The Fear'. The third book in Charlie Higsons 'The Enemy' series. As always it was entertaining but I'm starting to get annoyed with the lack of forward movement in the series. Its been 3 books and chronologically the series has only moved forward about a week as the second book was set a year previously and the third book starts about a week earlier than the first book! The series is set in London after a disease has turned everyone over 14 into zombies and follows seperate groups of kids as they attempt to survive. Its interesting to see children attempt to become fighters and, as the series goes on, politicians.

 

[Foxpack1]

A Game Of Thrones. An utterly brilliant series with a very vast plot. Just a piece of advice if you choose to read it: i hope you like the books always ending with everyone either unsatisfied, dead, utterly unlikeable or a Bolton. This series can get pretty damn depressing at times. Of course, Tyrion's still awesome.

Best series ever.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Chapterhouse Dune by Frank Herbert. Not as good as Dune, but surely better than Dune Messiah.

 

[steeple]

the hobbit.
it was so good I read it all in 2 days, nuff said...