Books Saturnfan Read 2012, Plus The Rest Of Us

[CFFJR]

1. City of Dreams and Nightmare - Ian Whates
2. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King
3. Dracula - Bram Stoker
4. I Hate Everyone - Matthew Dibenedetti
5. 11/22/63 - Stephen King
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

I figured I'd update since I'm here, even if its only one book for the time being.

Anyway, the language in Dorian Gray is beautiful. The story itself, enjoyable, though I feel that as short as it is, it could have been shorter without losing much.

It certainly was fun to see what a bastard Gray became though once he decided to let loose. Shame about Basil though.

I'm still working on a couple of other titles right now, I just haven't been reading as much lately (books, at least).

CCFJR: Did you finish 11/22/63 already? Because that book is a ten-pounder.

I only add them to the list once they're done, so yes, I've finished it.

It took me about a week from start to finish. Though by the end I was so absorbed by the story that I knocked out the last 350-400 pages in a single sitting. Granted, that took a few hours, but I did it.

It is a beefy book, but it goes by fast.

[Key-Glyph]

3. Dracula - Bram Stoker... 6. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde...

Are you purposely reading the origins of so many horror tales? I became obsessed with doing that in high school after reading Frankenstein and seeing how different the source material was from the pop-culture perception. I read Dracula for that reason and loved it like you did.

In that vein I am going to plug H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds to you, because it is absolutely awesome, IMHO.

[CFFJR]

1. City of Dreams and Nightmare - Ian Whates
2. 'Salem's Lot - Stephen King
3. Dracula - Bram Stoker
4. I Hate Everyone - Matthew Dibenedetti
5. 11/22/63 - Stephen King
6. The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
7. Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

I have to say, as much as I love the movie, the book is better (business as usual though, you ask me). So much more detail. It really sucks you in.

One thing that struck me though, is that I now see where a lot of the influence for the original Genesis game came from. From using tranquilizer darts as a primary weapon, to the river rafting levels, and the constant harassment from the T-Rex hunting Grant like it has a vendetta.

I enjoyed having more characters around. Hammond is certainly a very different guy though, and frankly he's annoying. The kids too, are more obnoxious in the book than the movie, which is impressive.

Still, it was really good. I just started on The Lost World as well.

Are you purposely reading the origins of so many horror tales? I became obsessed with doing that in high school after reading Frankenstein and seeing how different the source material was from the pop-culture perception. I read Dracula for that reason and loved it like you did.

In that vein I am going to plug H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds to you, because it is absolutely awesome, IMHO.

Honestly, no, it just kind of worked out that way, as both were books I've been meaning to read for some number of years. I also loved Frankenstein after I read it years ago. Its fantastic, and I've been meaning to get back to it again for the pleasure of it. There's another case where the source material is far, far better than the modern interpretation.

Which reminds me, after I finished Dracula I started poking around for the best movie version to watch, because I wanted more. Apparently Bram Stroker's Dracula from the early 90s is the best and most accurate option, and yet they still jacked it up by making Mina Harker a love interest to Dracula. Which is nonsense. Dracula is not supposed to be a sympathetic character. I still want to see it, but that bugs me.

Anyway, the reading list does mostly fit together nicely doesn't it? So, I'll definitely take your advice and check out War of the Worlds. Right now I'm in the midst of both The Lost World and The Three Musketeers, so after I finish one of those (it'll certainly be the former), War of the Worlds is up next.

[BoringSupreez]

7. Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

I have to say, as much as I love the movie, the book is better (business as usual though, you ask me). So much more detail. It really sucks you in.

One thing that struck me though, is that I now see where a lot of the influence for the original Genesis game came from. From using tranquilizer darts as a primary weapon, to the river rafting levels, and the constant harassment from the T-Rex hunting Grant like it has a vendetta.

I enjoyed having more characters around. Hammond is certainly a very different guy though, and frankly he's annoying. The kids too, are more obnoxious in the book than the movie, which is impressive.

Woah, really? That's quite a feat. It's hard to find kids more annoying that child actors, and that they would exist in a book is strange.

[o.pwuaioc]

Ew! Ew! No! No! Why!? That book is, to quote Dawkins out of context, "complete rubbish."

Because I like all books about the brain regardless of whether or not I agree with their theses, and because I try to read books myself before I pass final judgment on their content. Even when the book in question is Twilight. *shudder*

Ok, read away then. I couldn't finish it, but more so because it doesn't need to be read in its entirety to see where he makes major scientific errors.

And Twilight? Really?

Btw, are you interested in neuropsychology or just the brain in general?

[Michi]

1. Too Many Cooks-Rex Stout
2. The Doorbell Rang-Rex Stout
3. Fer-de-Lance-Rex Stout
4. The League of Frightened Men-Rex Stout

The second Nero Wolfe mystery down, now on to the third, The Rubber Band. I wasn't planning on reading them in any sort of order, but since I've already finished the first two, I might as well move on to the third since I have it. Not sure what I'll read after that. Maybe another Wolfe mystery or maybe something else. All this talk of literature and origin stories is making me look more closely at my collection. Perhaps a reading of The Jungle Book is in order.

And Twilight? Really?

I remember when ITunes had an audio book excerpt up for free a few years ago. The first movie was getting ready to come out, so I was deluged by a lot of talk of this unknown phenomena called Twilight. I downloaded the excerpt thinking that it'd give me a good idea of what all the hoopla was about, because all I'd known up to that point was that it involved a girl, vampires and werewolves. I thought, supernatural stuff, cool, can't be too bad. Lets give this a quick listen...

I don't know how long the excerpt was, but I don't think I got through half of it. I tried to. I really did. But I just couldn't do it. It was just...just.....no.





Sparkle....Sparkle....Why the hell do they sparkle....

[Key-Glyph]

Ok, read away then. I couldn't finish it, but more so because it doesn't need to be read in its entirety to see where he makes major scientific errors.

Yeah, I'm interested from a philosophical standpoint. I knew, going into it, that he didn't have scientific evidence for support. I just like chewing on theories.

And Twilight? Really?

No joke -- and I deserve a medal for it. I felt guilty that I had been making fun of it without having actually read it myself, so I did what I felt was the honorable thing: I gave the book a chance, in its entirety. (And yes, it's as terrible as you've heard.)

CCFJR: I hope you enjoy War of the Worlds! I apologize ahead of time if you don't. Also, I think we're supposed to be friends, because I'd been planning on reading a Michael Crichton next, and here you've just finished one.

[o.pwuaioc]

CCFJR: I hope you enjoy War of the Worlds! I apologize ahead of time if you don't. Also, I think we're supposed to be friends, because I'd been planning on reading a Michael Crichton next, and here you've just finished one.

There's no reason not to enjoy War of the Worlds. Great book, although I haven't read it in about 15 years.

[CFFJR]

Woah, really? That's quite a feat. It's hard to find kids more annoying that child actors, and that they would exist in a book is strange.

It really is.

The movie changed the kids ages, as in the book, Lex (the girl) is the younger one at 8 years old, and Tim is older at 11. This isn't a problem on its own. Unfortunately, in the book the two have an annoying habit of fighting constantly, and they do it at the most inopportune times. So much so that its ridiculous. They should be terrified of the big dinosaur, instead they're fighting over who gets to use the walkie talkie.

Lex also frequently ignores Grant's instructions or argues with him, sometimes even when they're in mortal danger.

Really, they're annoying in both versions for different reasons, but they got under my skin a lot more in the book.

Don't let that stop you from reading it though if you ever considered it. The book is definitely better than the movie.

CCFJR: I hope you enjoy War of the Worlds! I apologize ahead of time if you don't. Also, I think we're supposed to be friends, because I'd been planning on reading a Michael Crichton next, and here you've just finished one.

No worries, I'm sure I'll love it. Besides, as you just pointed out (and we've noticed on a couple of occasions before), we seem to have similar tastes.

As for being friends, yeah, I think you're right.

So which Crichton were you planning to read? Of course I can confirm that Jurassic Park is a winner!

I remember enjoying Sphere as well, but its been years since I read that one.

[BoringSupreez]

Woah, really? That's quite a feat. It's hard to find kids more annoying that child actors, and that they would exist in a book is strange.

It really is.

The movie changed the kids ages, as in the book, Lex (the girl) is the younger one at 8 years old, and Tim is older at 11. This isn't a problem on its own. Unfortunately, in the book the two have an annoying habit of fighting constantly, and they do it at the most inopportune times. So much so that its ridiculous. They should be terrified of the big dinosaur, instead they're fighting over who gets to use the walkie talkie.

Lex also frequently ignores Grant's instructions or argues with him, sometimes even when they're in mortal danger.

Really, they're annoying in both versions for different reasons, but they got under my skin a lot more in the book.

Don't let that stop you from reading it though if you ever considered it. The book is definitely better than the movie.

I never really liked the movie all that much. I didn't see it until a few years ago, and I got the feeling that A: it hasn't aged all that well, and B: it would have been a lot more entertaining when I was 8 than 16.