Piyush's Logs for 2010

Dear All,

This is my logbook for the Year 2010. Though I already know by now that 75 books is a distant dream, I know this group is much more than numbers and so here I am again!

Piyush!!!! Glad to see you with us again.

Hi There! I've been looking for you! How the heck are you?

Hello there, welcome back! Just yesterday I was wondering why I hadn't seen your thread around. Hope you're well!

Welcome back!

Thank you all for the warm welcome :)

I am so glad my old classics friend made it again!!! Hope life is settling down a bit for you now that you've got some time at the new job under your belt.

Hi Piyush
I am glad you are back with us!
Anita

Yay, you're here! Welcome back, Piyush! :)

Mac & Anita, I am glad to be back too.

Catey, nice to see you again after so many months!

1. Benhur - Lew Wallace

4/5

I've always wondered about that one, Piyush. Wallace is a bit of a legend where I'm from, as he was a territorial governor of New Mexico before it became a state. And he had many dealings with Billy the Kid.

Hi Piyush, glad to see you back again...

>11 PiyushC:: How did you like Ben-Hur? I loved the movie but had trouble with the book. I wanted an editor rip out about 25% of it.

Hey Liz, good to see you too :)

Hey Mac, I did like the book and this one is my only Wallace read. I didn't know about his background, neither did I know of his dealing with Billy the Kid, thanks for the information.

But as TadAD mentioned, I would have liked it better too had it been a little shorter, though I don't think I would have gone with an abridged version cause of my general dislike for the same. I haven't seen the movie yet, maybe one of these days...

I did watch Emma though this weekend and while the movie was nothing out of the ordinary, I think it did a reasonable job of portraying the character of Emma.

So glad you found me so I could find you :)

2. A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

3.5/5

I am going to get to another Dickens this year, pushign on in my attempt to overcome my adolescent contempt for him. My wife recommends I go to Bleak House.

I loved A Christmas Carol. There is so much more than the popularized versions of the story.

Hey Mac,

Funny as it may sound, A Christmas Carol was my first Dickens! I have been wanting to read Bleak House and Great Expectations for some time, but now with the time crunch, don't know when my plans are going to get materialised.

I love the story in Great Expectations. Haven't yet read ACC but it's on my list -- huge oversight!!

A Christmas Carol was really the first Dickens I enjoyed. I had a teacher make me read Great Expectations and I hated it. After reading about Scrooge, I tried A Tale of Two Cities and loved it. Given your encouragement to finish The Woman in White, I know you'll like more Dickens.

3. Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

3.5/5

Hey Mac, I would probably read a few more Dickens this year. I will keep you informed as to how I like them.

I got sucked into Crichton with Disclosure and Rising Sun. Both well written, page-turning, and thoughtful thrillers.

Mac, Jurassic Park was my second one by Chrichton after Sphere last year another good read. I may try Disclosure and Rising Sun sometime later this year, The Lost World I believe will be my next Chrichton read.

4. The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

4/5

That's a pretty high rating for you. What did you like best about it?

What I liked best was the way everyone else went on with their lives without the slightest regard or inconvenience and the realisation Nick comes to, about Daisy and Tom after he last meets Tom on the street. The book felt very real and I could visualise almost all those characters, except perhaps Jordan.

Re Crichton. He's always a problem for me. I love his books until the endings...but I am always disappointed with the latter. Jurassic Park maybe not so much, but definitely with Sphere, Congo, et al.

I liked Disclosure and also Airframe but not sure I've read any more by him.

I haven't read A Christmas Carol either. I think my favourite Dickens is The Old Curiosity Shop - though I did enjoy Bleak House. Smallweed is a very funny character. It took me about six months to read on and off, but I got there.

I've also read Great Expectations and Hard Times - both good.

The Great Gatsby I think is worth it's reputation as a classic. I can't remember much about it but I remember that you can almost feel his despair like it's his own.

#30 I do understand about the Sphere, I liked that book, but the ending did fall short of expectations.

#31 I am going to attempt one more Dicken this year, any suggestions?

5. Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency - Douglas Adams

3.5/5

Oh, nice one. Loved the whole couch thing...

I can't resist stopping in -- The Great Gatsby is one of my top ten -- (I wrote my master's thesis on it, and even THAT didn't ruin it!) and I love Douglas Adams, enjoy Crichton when I'm stuck someplace (either for real or just imagined) -- I also concur 100% about Jordan. She is just slightly too idealized -- but of course -- Nick could be doing that because he adores her, the way folks blind themselves to the flaws in the person they're crazy about. The original draft was about 700 pages! Worse than Ben-hur!

#34 The couch was the highlight of the book, so was the monk! His work just never gets old!

#35 You must surely like The Great Gatsby a lot then! We do share very similar interests in authors it seems.

On Dickens, I'm somewhere between Bleak House and Great Expectations for my Dickens this year. I've thought I might just need to get over my Expectations dread from my reading of it as a youth.

#37 In case we end up reading the same Dicken this year, we can later compare notes as always.

6. A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin

3.5/5

I can never get anything done when I'm reading a Martin. Have to be careful when I start one that the coast is clear for a lot of sneaking off to read.

#40 Lol, happens to me with quite a few authors, and Martin's books are voluminous, so all the more difficult to finish it quickly without any useless interruptions like eating and sleeping and working.

7. After Dark - Haruki Murakami

4/5

#42: I really liked that one by Murakami, Piyush. I am glad to see you did too.

Happy to see you around a bit more often this year than last!

Hello Stasia, I am glad to be able to be able to do a little bit of reading done this year compared to the later half of last year.

#44: I bet you are!

8. Jacob's Room - Virginia Woolf

2.5/5

#46: I admit I have never read that one by Woolf. Why did you rate it so low? Was there something in particular that bothered you about the book?

#47 It was my first book by Woolf and while it maybe just be her writing style, I felt the book to be disjointed with insufficient room for character development. It was like I finished the book without feeling any wiser, left me with a kind of a hollow feeling.

OK, I think I will continue to give that one a miss. Thanks for the input, Piyush.

The first time I tried a Woolf book, I had the same reaction. I tried it again and jsut listened to the words, almost like music, and found I enjoyed a great deal more. With her, forget about everything but the words.

Well put blackdogbooks! -- and Jacob's Room is a lesser work, not the best place to start the Virginia adventure -- I hear that Richard is running a group read RIGHT NOW someplace on Mrs Dalloway -- that is her masterpiece. You might want to track that down!

#49 Welcome Stasia, I just didn't like this one, couldn't help it.

#50 & 51 Mac, Lucey: Maybe I will try another Woolf sometime later this year, possibly Mrs Dalloway now that this one has been recommended.

9. The Book of Three - Alexander Lloyd

3/5

> 53
Piyush, are you joining our Prydain group read?
http://www.librarything.com/topic/78957

I wish Martin would finish the series!!!!
I loved the book of three as a kid and tried to read it for the group read -- just couldn't do it. Disappointing. Hoping it was just the timing.

10. The Last Day - Glenn Kleier

2.5/5

11. And Another Thing... - Eoin Colfer

2/5

Hope the next one is at least a 3!

#54 Anita, I read this book inspired by the group read you suggested, but didn't join the group since I wouldn't have been able to follow the schedule you people had chalked out.

Hey Susan! So good to see you! I have been taking the Martin series slowly, don't want to get stranded like the Wheel of Time series. Book of Three to me was like a little refresher, therefore didn't mind it much :)

#57 Yes, the last two weeks weren't so good with the choice of the books, one was a not so well written apocalyptic book, and the other a poor imitation of Douglas Adams!

Hey Piyush! Glad to see you. Sorry the last couple of reads have not been better for you. Maybe the next one will be.

#56: I've not read And Another Thing... and I don't think I am going to now, the reviews I've seen are terrible and I've never even read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy anyway, so maybe I should start with that.

Hope you are well, Piyush. :)

Hey Catey, yes I am well, and hope the same for you :)

As much as I liked The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and other Douglas Adams works, And Another Thing... was simply disappointing. Eoin Colfer, should have stuck to his original instinct and should have never taken this project.

Hey Piyush,

Starting a run of classics for the next month or two. I'll keep you posted.

#63: I am doing very well, thank you. :)

My mom has a copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy somewhere and when I find it, I'll try it out.

Hey Mac!
Post the list somewhere before starting, I might join in for a few of them.

#65 I hope and think you will like it :)

12. Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

4/5

>67 PiyushC: I've never read that one. I missed a few in the classics...

List posted on my profile page, classics friend. And I have started with A Dance to the Music of Time, about 75 pages in or so. Reading slower this year.

#69: That one has been in the BlackHole forever, Mac. I cannot wait to see what you think of it.

Dance to the Music of Time is one of my favorite 'books' -- and when you finish the BBC/Masterpiece (can't remember) production is excellent, brilliant, even. Powell is so dead on capturing the slow and agonizing social shifts in English society pre-during-post WW11 (changes set in motion from WW1). I'll be waiting to hear what you think of Widmerpool as you read along.

#68 It is a wonderful book, I think you will like it...

Frankenstein.....one of the coolest books ever!!!

Thanks, sibyx for the info on the movie version.

13. Wizard's First Rule - Terry Goodkind

3/5

#75: I read that one several years ago and liked it enough to continue with the series. Will you go on with it, do you think?

#75 Yes, I plan to continue the series, liked it well enough.

OK, I will be interested in seeing what you think of it.

Hope all is well there. I am glad to see you around more this year!

Yes, all is well, thank you. I am able to manage my work-life balance better now, hence the increased activity.

Good! I am glad to hear it.

I've not finished Goodkind's series (has he?), but get ready for some wild twists and turns!

He has finished the Sword of Truth series. After my experiences with Robert Jordan and George R. R. Martin, I prefer to not take too many chances with incomplete series :D

I loved the Sword of Truth series. Did any of you see the TV show based off it? Sooooo horrible I couldn't stop watching!

#83 I believe you are talking about Legend of the Seeker. I did watch more than half of first season and it is so very simplistic compared to the book!

14. The Devil Wears Prada - Lauren Weisberger

3/5

#85: I have never had any desire to read that one, and seeing your 3-star rating, I still don't.

#86 I wanted to read a chick lit which I probably won't hate and this one was suggested to me by my friends, the 3 rating is actually high for the book, it reflects my lack of faith in the genre to come up with something really good!

#87: I think I am pretty much not a chick lit kind of gal. I just rarely read them.

#88 *Laughs* With the number of books you read, you can't afford to be too choosy I guess

Hey Piyush :)

Susan!!! Nice to see you :)

*blushes*

*blushes back like an overripe tomato*

lol

Piyush, I finished A Dance to the Music of Time but haven't written a review yet. I've gone on to Nostromo.

Ok, I will start with Nostromo too then. Do you have a timeline by when you expect to finish it?

I'm only about 70-80 pages in right now and I am reading much slower this year. I'd say within the next week or so.....by next Sunday or so?

It's very rich. It's been awhile since I've read any Conrad and I've forgotten how much I like his style. Not overly burdensome, with Henry James type sentences multiplying every sentence with innumerable qualifiers; but still very rich in the language and subtext.

I haven't read any Henry James, but Conrad has a very elegant writing style, reminds me a bit of Hawthorne.

Next Sunday sounds good, I will try to finish it by then too. I am reading a lot slowly since last year and it will take me an entire week too to finish this one.

15. The Man Who Was Thursday - G. K. Chesterton

4/5

I haven't read enough Chesterton, and I haven' read anything by him I haven't really liked. Too bad my books by him are in storage :(

#99: One of my favorites by Chesterton! Glad you liked it, Piyush.

#100 - You need to get a mask and break-in into your attic one of these days to get those books back :)

#101 - I sure did, this one was my first Chesterton, don't know when will I get time to read another one, with my TBR pile being as large as it is and my snail like reading speed these days.

After looking at the book a little more closely, I may be reading it over longer than the next week; so, don't feel rushed.

Oh, Piyush, do choose Bleak House! It's oceanic!! (I'm happy to have found your thread and appreciate your reply; now I feel that we know each other well enough for me to tell you what to do!)

#103 Appreciate your slower reading speed :D

#104 Bleak House or Great Expectations, part of the choice would depend on Mac's (blackdogbook) plans regarding the same, though I do have heard better things about Bleak House than Great Expectations. And thats what we all do here, tell each other what to read :)

I prefer Great Expectations as a story :) LOL

16. Endless Night - Agatha Christie

3/5

17. Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie

2.5/5

Hey Piyush,

Glad you caught the Halloween list.

I'm a little over half-way on Nostromo. It was a bit of a slog through the first section. The section on the islands called "The Isabels" was much better for me. And the start of the third section is great so far. It took awhile to hook me, especially with the weaving back and forth in time.

Hi Mac!

There was no way I would have missed the Halloween list, again appreciate the quality of the list.

Nostromo, I am only a fifth into, still a long way to go...

Hey buddy,

How long before you finish Nostromo, you think? I finished a couple of days ago but haven't really started another book. Been mulling over my review. I can move on to one of the one's you didn't have to let you catch up, or I amy move onto The Age of Innocence, depending on where you are in Nostromo.

18. Dance Dance Dance - Haruki Murakami

4/5

I have to confess, I got sucked into The Age of Innocence already. Sorry, but I was reading the introduction to my version, written by Gore Vidal, and I couldn't help myself. Posting a review on Nostromo on my thread now.

Bummer. I may be in Panaji later this month. On the map it looks close LOL

19. May I Hebb Your Attention Pliss! - Arnab Ray

2.5/5

#114: No.

#113 You are coming to Panaji, Goa?

Yeah, while it might look close-by on the map, it still is some 600 Km away, lol.

#115 Stasia, this book is highly culture specific, don't think anyone who hasn't stayed in India for the last 20 years would be able to relate to it. The author is a blogger of some repute, known for writing satirical blogs. This book was meant to be a satirical essay on the changes in India in the last two decades. The contents of the book could have been better covered in a much shorter essay, while the book was entertaining in parts, the parts were fewer and farther apart than I would have liked them to be.

#117: All I had to see was that you rated it 2.5 stars and knew I would not waste my time with it. Thanks for the additional info on it though, Piyush.

20. Spartan Planet - A. Bertram Chandler

2.5/5

21. The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

I hadn't previously read Edith Wharton and had not even heard of this book, until Mac invited me to read it with him and am I glad for the invitation!

Mac has written a wonderful review too, and there is little I can add to his thoughts.

5/5

I definitely need to do a re-read of The Age of Innocence.

#120 How did you like the book when you first read it?

#121: I liked the book, but it has been a long time since I read it, Piyush. I need to re-read it just to refresh my memory of it.

In full disclosure, I went into the book expecting to dislike it, and perhaps not even finish it. I was completely taken by surprise. As my review suggests, I was somewhat disillusioned by the film version, which is a good film on its own, but which misses Wharton's message on a deeper level.

Piyush, I am about 1/3 through The Wapshot Chronicle which is one you didn't sign on for. But I highly recommend you get a copy for future reading, even though I'm only through a short part of the book.

Glad you enjoyed the Wharton.

I love those Cheever novels!!

The Wapshot Chronicle isn't the kind of the book I would generally read and I would wait for your review before I do add it to my TBR pile.

>123 blackdogbooks: that's good news BDB -- It's on my shelves too and my attitude toward it has been suspicious LOL I'll approach it with more confidence now. Thx.

Yes, Piyush... it isn't exactly close :) Just on the same side of the country :)

#126 Yup, same side of the country, thats right :)

22. Norwegian Wood - Haruki Murakami

One of the simplistic works of Murakami, yet very refreshing, deduction of half star for being too explicit, won't recommend this to be anyone's first Murakami lest the person get a wrong idea of his writings.

3.5/5

23. The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger

4/5

#128: I liked Norwegian Wood too, but I agree - not the best place to start with Murakami.

Was this your first reading of Salinger? Any thoughts you'd like to share?

I finished The Wapshot Chronicle, which I would recommend to you. I think you'd like it. If you'd like, we can have a go at Zuleika Dobson.

#129 By now, I am not sure if I would ever dislike a Murakami, guess it will have to be really bad for me to give it anything less than a 3.5!

#130 Yeah, this was my first one, I don't even know of any of his other works. For some weird reason, maybe because of the teenager narration, I found myself comparing it with A Clockwork Orange. Both being excellent works, they narrate in first person, the life of a disturbed teenager, but while A Clockwork Orange is a much darker work based in a dystopian world, The Catcher in the Rye was much closer to reality and there was little, if any, repetition of ideas.

Against my primary instincts, I would add The Wapshot Chronicle to my TBR list. We can and should start with Zuleika Dobson I think. By the looks of it, I should be able to finish it by the weekend.

Quotes from Zuleika Dobson:

1. "Grandpapa!" she cried, and kissed the old man on either cheek. (Not a
youth there but would have bartered fifty years of his future for that
salute.)

2. "I did not forget him," answered the Duke, smiling at her casuistry.
"Nor had I any scruple in disappointing him. Death cancels all
engagements."

#132: I like those quotes, especially the second one, Piyush. Thanks for sharing them.

Zuleika Dobson is one of those reading delights.....

24. Zuleika Dobson - Max Beerbohm

A most entertaining read! Another excellent find from Mac.

4/5

25. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick

While this book was in my TBR pile since a long time, it was only after I recently watched The Bladerunner, that I made reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? my top priority. The movie is loosely held on the book and both have their own charms. It might just be possible that I liked the movie slightly better than the book (blasphemous! I know!).

3.5/5

I already put both of those in the BlackHole. I am glad to see that you enjoyed them.

>135 PiyushC:: It might just be possible that I liked the movie slightly better than the book (blasphemous! I know!).

Not at all, imo. I thought the movie was extremely well done. The book...well, I've come to the conclusion that Dick creates great story lines but I don't think he's as good at their execution.

Humbly disagree with TadAD on that last. I quite like most everything I've read from Dick. Can't say I liked the movie more than the book on Electric Sheep, but I probably liked them equally, as seperate versions of the same story.

Piyush, it's dangerous for me to come here because you make me want to reread, and I don't have time to do that as I try to inhale new books. Maybe I'll come to a point that I can be rereading ONE something at a time. I have good but vague memories of *Wapshot*. Hope you enjoy it! And *Zuleika* is one-of-a-kind.

#136 Yeah, it was a good week for reading :)

#137 & #138 Glad to know I am not wrong to like the movie, equal to or greater than, the book.

#139 I deal with the exact same issue, want to re-read a few books, but there are so many unread books to read first!

Finished a review finally of Zuleika Dobson. 'Fraid I didn't care for it as much as you did. Oh well, we can't agree on everything, right?

#141 We sure can't, from the reviews posted on LT, it looks like to be one of those with no middle grounds, you either like it or hate it.

26. Bad Love - Jonathan Kellerman

2/5

27. Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

4/5

28. The Black Tulip - Alexandre Dumas

2.5/5

#143: I liked Of Mice and Men when I read it last year (for the first time, sadly), but I admit to being surprised at the ending.

#144 It was my first reading too, being forced into it by a friend who was horrified to know I hadn't read it till then! It was a short, entertaining book with a real punch at the end!

#145: If your friend was horrified to think that you had not read it, I would hate to think what they would have said about me - I am at least 20 years older than you are, Piyush!

#146 I am sure I can speak for her when I say that she will shut up once she knows of your 500+ books per year! On the other hand, it would sound strange too that this book wasn't one of the first 5000+ books you have read!

#147: What can I say? Steinbeck was never used when I was in school - at least not at the schools I attended - and I just never got to it until last year.

#148 Well, better late than never, is all I can say for both of us :)

Definitely! I am still appalled though at how long it has taken me to get to some of the 'classics' - To Kill a Mockingbird being another case in point. I know there are a ton of others I still need to read too.

#150 To Kill a Mockingbird features amongst my probable reads for the coming week!

#151: I read it for the first time last year and loved it. I hope you do as well, Piyush.

Definitely read more Steinbeck, Piyush. On this we can agree.

I hope to do so too, Mac.

29. To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

5/5

30. Stone of Tears - Terry Goodkind

3/5

Ah! Another To Kill a Mockingbird fan!

#156 Oh yes, awesome book!

It is one of those books that I regret waiting so long to get to!

#158 Precisely the reason I am trying this year to mop-up the heavily regarded classics (not to be confused with tomes), the probability of them being disappointing has to be low and they have managed to live up to the expectations till now.

Sounds like a great plan, Piyush!

31. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Spotted first on Stasia's thread last year and then recommended on several other threads, I finally got around to reading the first of the Millenium series. Apart from the obvious, too violent and a little bit of 24ish heroics, I did like the book and look forward to read the rest of the series.

3.5/5

32. Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut

Read a Kurt Vonnegut after nearly two years. I have liked his writing in the past, but despite this being one of his more celebrated books, it failed to leave a favourable impression. Not denying the fact that the book does have its occasional flair of brilliance, but they seem like a torch in a long dark tunnel.

2.5/5

#161: I still need to get to some Vonnegut. I own his Slaughterhouse Five. Maybe I will read it someday :)

"...because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to keep her under it is necessary to beat and ill-use her; and it is seen that she allows herself to be mastered by the adventurous rather than by those who go to work more coldly. She is, therefore, always, woman-like, a lover of young men, because they are less cautious, more violent, and with more audacity command her."

*ducks under the table anticipating projectiles and points at Niccolò Machiavelli*

33. Ice Station - Matthew Reilly

2.5/5

34. The Prince - Nicolo Machiavelli

3.5/5

I have never read The Prince. One of these days I actually might!

Sorry you did not enjoy Ice Station more. I enjoyed it just for the sheer implausibility and fun of the whole thing, but it is definitely not a book for everyone.

# 165 The Prince had its fair share of obvious and mundane writings, but they are more than compensated by entire chapters which do full justice to the fame of Signor Machiavelli.

Ice Station was a fun ride, I specially liked the pace at which the book moves, however the implausibilties were a little too many for me. By the end of the book, I was like, ok, what next?

I know The Prince is a small book and one of those that everybody should read, I am just not interested in politics.

#167 Oh it runs much deeper than politics, if you are interested in destroying people and stuff *evil grin*

Piyush, are you disappointed that the fems didn't rally against your #163? Was Mach old and disappointed when he wrote that? Serves him right.

The Prince is one of those books you read so you understand all the references to it in other works of art. For instance, if memory serves me right, one of his more famous observations was to keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

#168: *evil grin*, huh? Who are you interested in destroying, Piyush :)

#169 Hey Liz, he was trying to get some position of responsibility from the Italian Prince to whom this book is addressed to. Ironically, the Prince supposedly, didn't even acknowledge the receipt of the book!

#170 He might have something to this effect, but not in those exact words. In most parts of the book, he talks about total annihilation of enemies and friends who can be potential enemies :)

#171 Some boss, maybe ;)

35. The Lost World - Arthur Conan Doyle

My first encounter with Sir Doyle and I was disappointed. I couldn't help comparing this work of his with another writer of his time, Mr. Wells and needless to say, in this genre, Sir Doyle was a distant second. The characters were superfluous at best, the research on the matter seemed highly inadequate and it read like a story written in a haste to exploit the famous Piltdown Man hoax. All in all, a very poor effort, I certainly expect to be pleasantly surprised, if and when, I decide to read his other works.

2/5

36. Short Stories - Nathaniel Hawthorne

The book consisted of the following short stories
1. The Artist of the Beautiful
2. Roger Malvin's Burial
3. Young Goodman Brown
4. Etham Brand
5. The Ambitious Guest
6. Rapaccini's Daughter
7. Wakefield

A most excellent collection of short stories, highly recommended!

4.5/5

#173: I just finished reading all of the Professor Challenger stories too, but unlike you, was not disappointed. Perhaps because I read them all and not just the one, the characters are more fleshed out. Sorry you did not care for the book more, Piyush.

I am a big Hawthorne fan, so I am glad you enjoyed that collection, especially Rapaccini's Daughter, which has been one of my favorites for 30+ years now.

#174 The Scarlet Letter was the first Hawthorne book I had read, and I very much liked it, I would say I am on my way to become a fan too :)

#174: The Scarlet Letter is one of my all-time favorites, but I actually discovered Rapaccini's Daughter before it. I really need to read Hawthorne's short stories again. It has been far too long. I also need to re-read The House of the Seven Gables again.

Hi There Piyush! I hope all is well with you!

I lost your thread, but found it! I very much like the books of Nathaniel Hawthorne. I've visited Salem, Mass. and seen the House of the Seven Gables a number of times. I recommend his short story The Artist of the Beautiful.

I had a wonderful American Lit. professor in college who made Hawthorne's works come to life.

#176 I have added The House of the Seven Gables to my list too. I tried to compare the different short stories, but they are all so different, yet so wonderful, that I refrained from picking favourites.

#177 So good to see you Linda!
All is well with me and I sincerely wish and hope the same for you. I really envy you for being able to visit all those places. I did read The Artist of the Beautiful, it being the first story in the collection I picked and I must say, I was hooked :)

While this book was in my TBR pile since a long time, it was only after I recently watched The Bladerunner, that I made reading Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? my top priority. The movie is loosely held on the book and both have their own charms. It might just be possible that I liked the movie slightly better than the book (blasphemous! I know!).

Sorry, what's not to like love about Bladerunner? It's good!!

Well I have The Lost World and The Prince on my shelves. I didn't expect Dyole to be of the same caliber as the Sherlock stories for some reason, so it sounds to me like what you found matches my expectations. I'm encouraged about the latter however :)

#179 It wasn't about not loving the movie, but liking it more than the book, well, you can appreciate why I was on thin ice there!

Knowing your fixation with History and Regent Fiction, I am sure you would enjoy The Prince. I do expect a lot more from Sherlock Holmes than what I got from The Lost World.

You should really like The House of Seven Gables. We read that one last year for the Halloween thread.

#181 I hope and wish so too.

37. Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

3.5/5

38. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

3.5/5

39. Dune - Frank Herbert

Arthur C. Clarke says Dune is to Sci-Fi, what LOTR is to fantasy and I couldn't agree more! Undoubtedly, my favourite Sci-Fi book till date!

5/5

40. The Old Man and the Sea - Ernest Hemingway

3.5/5

#184: Undoubtedly, my favourite Sci-Fi book till date!

Cool!

>184 PiyushC:: You're not alone in that opinion. It usually ranks #1 on polls. Not always, but enough times to make it the winner, imo.

However, I would strongly advise you to think carefully about continuing the series. In my opinion (I cannot stress that enough), Dune was great, Dune Messiah (#2) was fair, all forty-eleven others were train wrecks that utterly ruined things for me. There will be arguments over this but I stand by my opinion. :-)

Amen to that. I still can't figure out how such a good book went so wrong in the sequels.

#185 Have you read Dune?

#186 & 187 In that case, I will end my Dune Chronicles with Dune Messiah. I was told something to this effect even by the friend who had first recommended me this book a couple of years back.

#188: Yes, I have. I did not like it as much as you did, but still enjoyed it for the most part. Carolyn and I read it together last year.

# Okies, Cool didn't give me much to work on, if you have read the book or what you thought about it, thats why the explicit question :)

I thought it was cool that it was your best sci-fi to date :)

#191 That explains it :)

Going to visit parent's for the weekend (flight leaves in 2 hours), see you all when I come back.

Have a great trip, Piyush. Safe travels!

#193 Thank you Stasia, I am back now :)

41. Blood of the Fold - Terry Goodkind

Too many concepts borrowed from the Wheel of Time series.

2.5/5

42. Legend of the Sleeping Hollow - Washington Irving

3.5/5

Glad to hear you are back safe and sound, Piyush, especially after the news of the horrific train accident there in India.

#195 Yes, it was a horrible accident. Indian rails are very prone to accidents, one of the many reasons I don't take trains, flights are much safer!

#196: I am glad to hear that you flew then!

Hi, Piyush!
I just stopped by to see your conversation on Dune which I also just recently read. What a great read!

You have read lots of good books this year!
--BJ

#198
Hi BJ, it was a great read indeed! Not so many books make me feel the way this one did and while I am disappointed to know that the sequels do the reputation of the series much harm, I sure am glad to read this one!

43. Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Games of State - Tom Clancy

2.5/5

#200: Two and a half stars? I will be skipping that one for sure.

Better luck with your next read, Piyush!

Hey Piyush,

Finally around to reading the Woman in White. Very cool book. I have about 150 pages or so left and may finish this weekend. Glad I got to it this year. We have another Wilkie Collins picked for the Halloween list this year.

Hey Mac!

I believe you must have finished The Woman in White by now. I will look for your thread to see how you liked the book.

44. The Meaning of it all - Richard Feynman

3.5/5

#203: He did finish it and did a great review, Piyush.

#204: How did you find that one? I have read and enjoyed one of Feynman's books, Six Easy Pieces, but I do not know how accessible any of his other books are for non-physicists.

#205 You don't need any background in physics to read The Meaning of it all. The thing I liked best was that he kept it very short and there were no mindless repetitions which is often the case in such books. I would have rated the book better, but I didn't really like Chapter II (the book only has 3 chapters) that much, where he unnecessarily took hard stands without giving adequate rationale for the same.

#206: OK, thanks for the input, Piyush. I will see if I can locate a copy.

Husband's off to Delhi later this month. Airfare was a bit steep for me to come too darnit.

re: Dune -- while the sequels didn't thrill me (loved Dune). I really, seriously enjoyed the prequels by his son.

The Halloween thread is up, Piyush. I'll be starting in about a week or so.

http://www.librarything.com/topic/98082&newpost=1#lastmsg

#208 Susan! Well, I don't like Delhi and its anyways far far away from where I live (Mumbai), don't think you are missing much :D

#209 Thread noted and starred! I will start hunting for the books I still haven't acquired.

45. The Wind Chill Factor - Thomas Gifford

I generally don't like the "sensational" thrillers with a predominant Nazi underplot (yeah, I am calling it an underplot), but I found myself liking this book, for one thing, the characters were quite real and the drama not too far fetched.

3.5/5

#211: I do like thrillers so I will have to look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation, Piyush!

Hope you are doing OK!

#212 I am doing fine, my reduced activity on the group is a function of busy schedule and the fact that I have lost my laptop again in a cab (the second time this year!).

#213: We may have to tie your laptop to you, Piyush! Maybe a leash for the laptop?

Sorry to hear you are so busy! I hope work slows down for you soon.

#214 You don't know how many colleagues have asked me to travel with them in cabs!

Awaiting the Macbook Pro I have ordered. Work, I know, will not slow down for the next month or so, commercial launch coming up, maybe after that will be relatively free.

losing your laptop - again? what a bummer. I do that with purses...

Yeah, I am going through laptops faster than most people go through their toothbrushes :D

So glad you enjoyed Wilkie Collins!

Good luck with your laptop woes.

46. The Lost World - Michael Crichton

A mixed bag really. It was a decent read, but I missed the thrill of Jurassic Park, not to mention a proper closure. Ian Malcom never seemed to know anything more than any first timer, for all his insights, they could have come up with an entirely new character without losing anything other than a loose connection to the prequel.

Having said this, this one is much better than its namesake I read earlier this year by a certain Sir Doyle.

3/5

On an unrelated note, I got my Macbook Pro, but my stupid data card won't work with it, so still net less at home.

#219: Having said this, this one is much better than its namesake I read earlier this year by a certain Sir Doyle.

I liked the Doyle book, so I suspect we would be opposite on this one (if I ever read it, that is!)

#220: Sorry to hear about your continued laptop problems, Piyush. I hope you get them resolved quickly.

Stasia, even if you don't read this one, do read Jurassic Park, the thrill is extreme!

OK, I will give it a shot. It does not get gory, does it? I do not do gore.

I just read in a previous post that you live in Mumbai. I was working on a ship that visited (then Bombay) in 1979. I wish I knew then what I know now. I would have gained so much more from the visit. My big souvenir was a sari, blue silk with gold embroidery, with the skirt and top that go under it. They don't fit any more but the beautiful silk material is still as vibrant!

Hope cyber problems resolve soon! (Written from my mb pro to yours!)

#224 Can't imagine myself how Mumbai would have been in 1979, but I am guessing crowded as hell?
Maybe you can plan another visit :)

#225 I hope so too, cheers from my mb pro!

47. The Collector - John Fowles

4/5

You should post a couple thoughts over on the Halloween thread about what you thought of the book.

Yes, Piyush, I'm curious to learn of your comments regarding The Collector. I found it to be a down right creepy book.

Hey Linda! Long time since I last saw you!
The Collector was definitely one of the better books I have read this year and it was a wonderful start to the Halloween season. The self-rationalising, seeming innocent psychopath was downright creepy! And one would never be able to use the term "Collector" in the same context after reading this book!

48. Galilee - Clive Barker

A book that promised a lot, but failed to deliver!
After building grounds for earth shattering suspense about things which mere mortals can't even begin to comprehend, Clive Barker insults the intelligence of the reader by finishing the book without a proper ending!

The book was a lot of effort and drama for nothing! Reading even another Anne Rice book would have been a better utilisation of time!

2/5

Well, I'm glad you read it and I don't have to. :-)

I never intended on reading Galilee anyway, but it is nice to know I am not missing anything :)

#232 TadAD, Stasia: Wish someone had forewarned me as well!

49. Cat Among The Pigeons - Agatha Christie

3/5

50. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson

Finally, I got around to reading this one. A decent read, but not as good as I would have expected. The book was well written, but I found it a little lacking logically and to me, the character of Mr. Hyde was more funny and absurd than disgusting and revolting. Something wrong with me? Probably :)

3/5

Congrats on hitting 50 books for the year, Piyush!

I still need to get around to Jekyll.

Thank you Stasia. Hopefully, you will get around to reading it soon too.

I have been wanting to read that book, too!
--BJ

#238 With this, I have finished the 3 I had been wanting to read for some time, the other 2 being Dracula and Frankenstein

51. The Postman - David Brin

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, where most human beings fall back to their more basic instincts, this book portrays the importance of hope, even if it is based on falsities and pretenses.

4/5

#240: I liked that one as well. Glad you did too, Piyush.

I thought that The Postman was a terrific read. I read Dracula and Frankenstein last year, and I enjoyed them both. Both of them were different than I expected. Too many movies, I guess. :) I am hoping to read some H. G. Wells later this month, if I can get to them.
--BJ

The Postman looks like a good read! I'll have to search for it the next time I hit the library. :)

#241 Surely was a very good read.

#242 I followed up Dracula with a re-watch of the movie and while not true to the book, it still was better this time around :)

I have read three Wells books till date, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds and I enjoyed all three of them, hopefully you will like them too.

#243 That definitely sounds like a good plan :)

Glad you liked The Postman, especially after not enjoying the Barker book.

Yeah Mac, I liked it very much and this was a book I wouldn't have read had it not been listed in your Halloween list, so thank you for the recommendation!

52. Carrie - Stephen King

Not the best King novel I have read, scores very low on predictability and building up the story to almost nothing. There were a few positives including the theme and the characters, but I wasn't too impressed.

3/5

I do not care for King's books, so I am giving that one a pass. I read it years ago when it first came out and was not that impressed with it either.

If you didn't like it then, there is no reason for you to like it now either. I had also procured the movie on the book in the meantime, now it has also taken a backspace in the "To Be Watched" stack.

I pretty much stay away from Stephen King. I tried another of his books a couple of years ago, got halfway through (at 300 pages!) and finally just chucked it as I was not enjoying the book at all.

This one was my 4th Stephen King read, I enjoyed a couple of them, The Shining was very good and The Green Mile was decent too, didn't think much of The Girl who loved Tom Gordon. Mac, I believe is a Stephen King fan, and generally I go with his recommendations on King books.

I know there are a ton of King fans around. I am just not one of them.

53. The Frozen Deep - Wilkie Collins

3/5

#253: I am reading Collins' The Woman in White right now, but The Frozen Deep is the next one up after that.

#254 The Woman in White is an excellent read, unfortunately, I didn't enjoy The Frozen Deep as much as I hoped to.

#255: Well, I hope you like your next book better, Piyush!

54. Tales of Men and Ghosts - Edith Wharton

4/5

55. Dead Souls - Nikolai Gogol

4/5

#258: I need to re-read that one!

#259 I assume you liked it too!

Yeah, I did. I read it so long ago though that I cannot remember when I read it.

56. Why didn't they ask Evans? - Agatha Christie

3.5/5

57. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson

As a rule, I don't read much non-fiction, but owing to Mac's Halloween List, I read this one and was much delighted with the result! An excellent written book with a more than optimum collaboration of different story lines without losing the plot or the effect!

4/5

I enjoy Larson's books. I hope you give more of his a try, Piyush.

Any recommendations?

Thunderstruck and Isaac's Storm are both very good.

Howdy -- glad to see you're enjoying your books :)

#266 Added them both to the TBR, hopefully I will like them too.

#267 Susan!!! Long time, no see! How are you?

#268: I hope you will like them too, Piyush.

Pretty good today -- thx :) Hope you're doing well!!!

Glad you liked this one so much, Piyush!

#270 I am doing fine too :)

#271 Oh yes, I did! Thank you for the recommendation.

58. Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

3.5/5

Can't remember how you rated Nostromo.....did you like Heart of Darkness more or less?

That is actually my sentiment for the book, "liked it more or less".
Nostromo I didn't finish back then, I have started reading it again and it is going much better this time around.

Nostromo dragged a bit for me in the middle but really punched out in the end.

With my first try, I just couldn't get any kind of fluency in reading, but as I mentioned earlier, it is going much better this time around and the only reason, I might take another 10 days or so to finish this one is the time commitment!

59. Sparkling Cyanide - Agatha Christie

3/5

60. Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk

3.5/5

61. Towers of Midnight - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

3.5/5

62. Nostromo - Joseph Conrad

4/5

Hello! How are you?

#279: I have not read Nostromo yet. Glad to see you enjoyed it, Piyush!

Linda! I am good, so good to hear from you after so long!

#281 Nostromo is very good once you pass the half way mark, till when it simply drags on! If I hadn't had Mac's testimony, I might not have give it this second try.

Glad you found my 'testimony' to be true on Nostromo.

#282: I will have to give Nostromo a shot then :)

#283 When it comes to yours, I generally do!

#284 I hope you will like it too :)

Piyush, the 2011 group is up and running. I hope you are planning on joining us again if you have not already done so.

Hi Stasia,

I have already found and joined the group if nothing else :)

Yes, I saw (after I had posted my request) that you had joined. Good! I am glad you will be back with us again.

Don't think I can do without joining the group, even if my reads dwindle down to single digits, I think I will still join the group year after year :)

Good! I am glad to hear it!

63. Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold

Susan's long pending recommendation.

3/5

64. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

4/5

#291: I think Carolyn and I are scheduled to read the Bujold book together in 2011. I will have to check when I am home.

I know I will be reading Pride and Prejudice in 2011 for the Austenathon.

#292 Which one?

Austenathon? Sounds interesting! Is this a group read or something, if yes, I might join in for maybe a couple of them, this one was only my 3rd after Emma and Northanger Abbey

#293: I think we are going to read The Curse of Chalion and something about a Paladin, lol.

Yes, we are doing a group read throughout 2011 of Austen's major works, in publication order, so check out the thread!

Yep, Piyush, I think I am going to join them for Sense and Sensibility!

#295 Paladin of Souls I think would be the Paladin you were looking for, the second book in the Chalion series, I too intend to read it the coming year.

#296 Sounds like a plan!

#296: Yes, that is the one!

65. Towards Zero - Agatha Christie

3/5

Hmm, I'm not sure I've read that Agatha Christie... there's no Poirot in that one, right? In which case, I suspect I haven't read it. Looks decent though!

Hey Faith! You guessed it right, no Poirot in that one, this one features Battle.