Member: atheist_goat

>>cemanual said:
>>LOVED your Da Vinci Code review. Outstanding! Truly horrible books should receive special recognition. I'm reasonably certain Dante would find a new circle for authors of really poorly written and researched conspiracy theories.

Wholeheartedly agree. Perhaps I'll ask Alenthony to write a special canto just for this new circle, or maybe it's already in there, I've only reached the second level of hell in the story so far...

posted by psybre at 5:26 pm (EST) on Jul 14, 2009

Aww, yay cataptromancer! What a sweetie. (And if this were elljay, I would be using my "route 666" icon.) And HELL YEAH, what did they DO to my LibraryThing? The site now takes forever to load, is really inefficient AND looks like a beast. I use it for cataloguing and do more of the 'social networking' (ugh) thing at GoodReads. Which I didn't like at first, but GoodReads is better than LibraryThing apparently trying to turn itself _into_ GoodReads. sigh.

posted by the_red_shoes at 2:12 pm (EST) on Feb 19, 2009

'At one point the hero shatters (direct quote) several bones in his thumb, and is like, "Yeah, whatever, I'll put a splint on it in a couple days, it'll be fine," and then it IS fine. While I'm over here saying, "It's the year 1199 and you live in the woods: that sh*t is not going to be fine." It's not a good sign when you find yourself actively hoping for the appearance of gangrene in your romance novel.'

Hi there! You are a-friended back!

posted by the_red_shoes at 6:23 pm (EST) on Feb 18, 2009

Actually, it is funny that the book about bad books screwing things up has a bias! I think the direction we are taking is just using it as a spring board to have a conversation with the books that he has mentioned and see how they became popular enough to change culture. Most of the books are listed on listuniverse----->http://listverse.com/literature/10-books...

posted by frdiamond at 10:19 pm (EST) on Feb 3, 2009

lol lol it is one book this is the title -->Ten Books That Screwed Up the World and the secondary title is : and five books that didn't help. At this point, we have decided to start reading the one book and not the books referenced. Maybe you could make it 80+1 and not 80+10?

posted by frdiamond at 5:54 pm (EST) on Feb 2, 2009

I am starting a book club to read [Ten Books That Screwed Up the World]. Interested?

posted by frdiamond at 7:40 pm (EST) on Jan 31, 2009

Strangely, I am becoming partial to [The Eight] which was published before Dan Browns "masterpiece". It is more erudite and more complex (takes place asynchronously) and the female protagonists are more than wood or comic pulp. Maybe give it a look?

posted by frdiamond at 3:50 am (EST) on Jan 14, 2009

I loved your review of Persuasion! I'm 46 and only just read it for the first time. However, I have a daughter about to turn 16 who loved P&P and wants to read more Austen. But she's drawn to S&S, and Emma ... reading your review made me think about why that's the case. I'm sure she'll appreciate Persuasion later on.

Also, your review of Obama's book made me laugh out loud. How true.
Thanks!
Laura

posted by lindsacl at 8:51 am (EST) on Dec 24, 2008

I loved your review of Persuasion. I'm turning 27 this year, and despite a love for all things Austen, have never read Persuasion. This is my year.

posted by BookishRuth at 12:35 am (EST) on Dec 23, 2008

LOVED your Da Vinci Code review. Outstanding! Truly horrible books should receive special recognition. I'm reasonably certain Dante would find a new circle for authors of really poorly written and researched conspiracy theories.

posted by cemanuel at 7:04 am (EST) on Dec 22, 2008

I read your recent review of the Da Vinci Code. All I can say is THANK YOU! I was treated like a total idiot with little taste in literature because I never could make it past the first chapter. It was soooooooo boring! Thank you for having the courage to make it through and stand up for the rest of us who know hype when we read it!

posted by craftyfox at 8:53 pm (EST) on Dec 21, 2008

I love your reviews!!! You are my new favorite person EVER.

posted by MissConstantReader at 7:44 am (EST) on Dec 18, 2008

Had I been drinking milk at the time, I'm fairly certain your Ironweed review would have caused one of those hilarious milk-thru-the-nose-laughing takes. I have the feeling I made this comment here already, but I didn't see it, so feel free to disregard if I'm repeating myself.

posted by eswnr at 8:30 pm (EST) on Dec 1, 2008

I happened across your bookshelf after seeing your review of "Kafka on the Shore" (which I've added but not yet read). Then I was giggling while browsing your other reviews. I don't know that I agree with them all, but they are certainly entertaining to read! :')

posted by indygo88 at 11:11 pm (EST) on Nov 3, 2008

I just read your review of The Da Vinci Code and I almost pulled a muscle from laughing so hard. All I can say is "so true, so true".

posted by TrishNYC at 4:42 pm (EST) on Oct 13, 2008

Just read your review of The Da Vinci Code. I am still laughing! You captured my views perfectly. Because everyone else seemed to be raving about it, I thought there must be something in it so I forced myself to read to the end. And there was nothing but more appallingly awful drivel.
It was some time before I realised others felt the same way - and I could once again trust my reactions.
Some friends dragged me to see the movie and - if it is at all possible - it was worse than the book. Life is way too short.

posted by Jawin at 8:14 am (EST) on Oct 12, 2008

I didn't think you owned a Harry Potter book. Blech. Just as you said that you didn't own a Da Vinci Code. Why would you? I'm new here but surprised that here among the "bookish" that these two books are the two highest ranked books by members. The Da Vinci Code seems to be an impoverished "Foucault's Pendulum" and Harry Potter seems to be an impoverished Narnia. I greatly liked your review because I didn't feel like so much in the minority here. Am I being a bit overly snobbish? Cheers and thanks for the review.

posted by frdiamond at 6:16 am (EST) on Oct 11, 2008

Best review of Da Vinci Code ever.

posted by veracity at 9:24 pm (EST) on Oct 9, 2008

Hi there,

Loved your review of the Da Vinci Code. Have you read Angels and Demons? Would love to see what you thought of that.

Happy reading

posted by danielmcook at 1:20 pm (EST) on Oct 8, 2008

Just wanted to let you know your review of DVC had me in stitches! I love your bite ^^ And I haven't had the courage to read it yet! I think I might now, just to see if I agree :) Thank you for brightening up my morning!

posted by Vonini at 5:05 am (EST) on Oct 8, 2008

Good job...Have you done or would you consider doing a Harry Potter review as well since it's listed at the top of zeitgeist like DVC is. People who hate DVC usually like Foucault's Pendulum it's an adult DVC :).

posted by frdiamond at 4:32 am (EST) on Oct 6, 2008

Thank you for your review of The Davinci Code. I couldn't agree more. I only gave it one line of my time. LOL

posted by WisteriaLeigh at 7:42 pm (EST) on Sep 29, 2008

You force me to revise my aversion to negative critics; your devastations are lively and wonderful! Keep up the keening. I much appreciate your note that your reviews are not "serious"; you share impressions, walk-aways, glee. You have found one of the great uses of LT and the internet --the writing in light / this is not a clay tablet --that we do.

posted by keylawk at 10:02 am (EST) on Sep 28, 2008

Your review of the "Da Vinci Code" was hysterical. And I admire your steely nerve. I bought my copy years ago at the airport...for a, um, airport read. I stared for two hours at the back of the seat in front me rather than proceed beyond the first half page. It WAS THAT BAD! And I think you captured that essence perfectly.

Kudos,
pam~

posted by ThePam at 8:48 am (EST) on Sep 28, 2008

Just wanted to stop by and say how much I enjoyed your Da Vinci Code review - excellent!!!

posted by JaneDickerson at 7:10 am (EST) on Sep 28, 2008

Your review of Da Vinci Code is great--really hits the target. Reading it almost makes me glad I read the book so I could enjoy the review! I didn't buy the book because I was pretty sure it would be bad (I under estimated how bad!)and was only reading it because a friend had asked me to because she wanted someone to talk with about it. In your case, if you can't give it away or lend it someone who never returns books then I would consider an exception to my "universal ban on the burning of books" stand in this case. Offensiveness is no reason to burn a book--but perhaps stupidity is? (Oh-oh! I bet I stepped on some toes there! It's okay--for all those who loved the book, it is only this one copy that will be burned! And in a good cause--to make room for a better book the shelf.)

posted by MusicMom41 at 3:44 pm (EST) on Sep 27, 2008

Loved your DaVinci Code review - I couldn't even bring myself to review it so it's so-oo-oo heartening to read someone else voicing my thoughts exactly! Off to look at your Secret History one next (with trepidation as I enjoyed that book!)

posted by klarusu at 7:01 am (EST) on Sep 23, 2008

Hello,

I really enjoyed your reviews. Although I have to admit that I was thrilled by The Da Vinci Code in the beginning, I couldn't tell you why anymore....
Hopefully Kavalier & Clay is as good as you write.....

I'm looking forward to more of your great reviews.

posted by Kaysbooks at 2:50 am (EST) on Sep 23, 2008

Your review of The Secret History is right on. I thought I had missed something, having studied biochemistry in a large state school, so I was pleased to see that you recognized the suckiness of this book, too.

posted by librarianarpita at 7:19 pm (EST) on Sep 22, 2008

Oh my gosh, if you want to read about the Mormons and gain material for your own snarks, try these:

Secret Ceremonies, by Deborah Laake
The Mormon Experience, by Jolene Coe
The Godmakers, by Ed Decker (it's a bit over the top, but he doesn't have to do any exaggerating when he describes the beliefs)

Remember the bombings in Utah and the scandal about the forged documents? There are two books about that: "A Gathering of Saints" by Robert Lindsey and "Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders" by Linda Sillitoe. See if you can count the number of times you want to grab one of those church officials and say, "You are kidding me here, RIGHT?" Hint: you'll need something larger than a 3"x3" post-it note.

I recently read a book that is awful in the extreme and it deserves a good snarky review. "Dali and I" by Stan Lauryssens. Let me know if you ever read and review it. My review is nowhere near snarky enough.

posted by Bookshop_Lady at 11:28 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2008

Hi! I just read your review of "Da Vinci Code" and was pleased to see that there are indeed other intelligent people who thought this book was as stupid as I did! Good job. =)

posted by paigepersad at 3:22 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2008

Best DVC review I've read yet. I'm impressed, I could only make it a third of the way through!

posted by cabri at 2:46 pm (EST) on Sep 21, 2008

Snarky is good. Have you seen Tanstaafl's review of the "Book of Mormon"? Snarky in the extreme, and so funny I spewed Coke Zero on my monitor. That stuff burns like crazy when it comes back out your nose!

Bad lit deserves to be roasted. I look forward to enjoying more of your delightfully wicked and insightfully snarky reviews.

posted by Bookshop_Lady at 12:13 pm (EST) on Sep 20, 2008

I *LOVE* your review of "The da Vinci Code"! From now on, anyone who asks me about the book will get referred to your review. Spot on and perfect.

Donna B. in Raleigh, NC

posted by Bookshop_Lady at 12:55 am (EST) on Sep 20, 2008