Summer Reading

[Jayelle]

Ed's right, the Mod had is pointy and wizardy.

My librarian hat, however, is a Mary Poppins Hat.

[locke]

psh, what is Mary Poppins without her all powerful bag of holding?

[megxers]

Darn you CeZen et al, I now have The Name of the Wind. I didn't know I wanted said book, but it seems to have jumped into my basket on its own accord.

[CezeN]

Darn you CeZen et al, I now have The Name of the Wind. I didn't know I wanted said book, but it seems to have jumped into my basket on its own accord.

I hope you enjoy it like I did.

Some other books I'd like to add of books I'm going to get:
Duma Key
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep
American Gods
The Stranger
The Road

ETA: Possibly Things Fall Apart

[Mich]

Thinks Fall Apart was a very interesting read, especially if read just after Heart of Darkness. It's good and, I suppose, pretty true, but the fact that it was written because the author misinterpreted what Heart of Darkness was about makes it even more interesting, in my book.

Also, K. Dick? Baby cyberpunk. Stephenson, now there's cyberpunk.

Finally, American Gods is probably my favorite Gaiman book. Well played.

[CezeN]

Is there any Stephenson book that you'd recommend?

Though, keep in mind, I chose Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep simply because I read that it ponders what it means to be human - which makes for a stimulating read.

[Mich]

Is there any Stephenson book that you'd recommend?

Though, keep in mind, I chose Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep simply because I read that it ponders what it means to be human - which makes for a stimulating read.

Snow Crash is his most famous, but The Diamond Age is my favorite. Then again, if you're only reading Androids for that, which is a pretty good interpretation, then that makes my point of suggesting Stephenson moot--but he's really good.

[CezeN]

I'll check out your favorite anyways.

[Haven]

I dont remember if you said you follow Patrick Rothfuss's blog... but i was reading on there the other day and he recommended The Warded Man by Peter Brett... and i just finished it... in about 3 days. It was really really good

[CezeN]

Okay, thanks for the suggestion. I'll check it out.

[Petrie]

Life As We Knew It, Dead and the Gone, and This World We Live In by Susan Beth Pfeffer might be of interest; I don't think those have been mentioned yet.

*mentions because I finally got my hands on the last in the series*


Also, The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway was one I enjoyed but I do remember it being a bit weird (in a way I liked) in a way that may not be to your tastes. I'd tell you what it reminded me of but that alone would spoil it.

Don't think there was any Garth Nix on your list but I mostly enjoyed Shade's Children, even if I felt the ending was a bit weak.

(Okay, I'm no longer sure at all of what was on your list so you may have read these or they may have been suggested already)

1984 - Orwell was a very good read. It made me wonder about reality show people but to each his own.

I think I saw The Road -McCarthy up there but if not, I loved this book once I got past the style (which, once used to, made it a better read).

Jumper - Gould was much better than I expected but that was also a rare case of me being able to make it through a book after having seen the movie. Probably because the movie was a let-down and a half and the book was actually worth paying attention to.

I'll second Armor - Steakley.

Running With the Demon/A Knight of the Word/Angel Fire East - Brooks had an end of world type theme and were responsible for much anxiety I had a few years ago (mark of a good book, methinks).

The Gatekeepers series by Horowitz might be of interest; book two was weak but the others are okay.



Have you read any L'Engle? The Wrinkle series was amazing, though it freaks some people out.

[megxers]

Is there any Stephenson book that you'd recommend?

Though, keep in mind, I chose Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep simply because I read that it ponders what it means to be human - which makes for a stimulating read.

Ahaha, I wrote my first "college class" essay on that exact topic. It was a complete train wreck (hence my eruption into fits of laughter upon reading that), but I still love the book. There is also a comic adaption that I own the first book of, but I haven't read it yet.

I'm currently reading To Your Scattered Bodies Go & Natural History and liking both, though I have been itching for Natural History for ages, and now that I have tracked down a copy... I'm reading the other. Though I must read Stross' Atrocity Archives before it is due back to the library.

Anathem is actually my favorite Stephenson but I might be in the minority opinion on that. Haven't read Diamond Age yet though it sounds much more my cup of tea than Snow Crash was.

[CezeN]

Petrie = Gravity Defier?

Thanks for your suggestions.
I've read 1984 for school. I've read some of Garth Nix, but haven't read Shade's Children, though I've heard about it.
I've read Jumper.
I read a couple of the Wrinkle in Time series.
And I've read 3 of the Gatekeeper's. But, I forgot about it, so thanks!

The rest goes onto my list, which I need to rewrite in a clear organized way.

Megxers-
lol wow
Do you still have the essay?

[CezeN]

New and Improved Reading List:

Duma Key ----- H , L
The Zombie Survival Guide --------- Not H, Not L
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep ------- (not H) Not L
American Gods ------- (Not currently H) Not currently L
The Stranger --------- (Not currently H) L
The Road by Cormac McCarthy --------- (Not currently H) L
Things Fall Apart ---------- (Not H) L
City of Bones series by Cassandra Clare --------- (Not currently H) Not currently L
The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson --------- H, L
The Warded Man by Peter Brett ------------ Not H, Not currently L
Gatekeeper's Series/Necropolis ----------- Not currently H, L
Crocodile Tears --------------- Not currently H, Not currently L
Steakley's Armor ----------------- Not H, Not L
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ----------- H, L
The Chrysalids --------------- Not H, Not L
This World We Live In/series by Susan Beth ---------------- H, L
Word and Void series by Terry Brooks ------------ ???, L
The Book Thief -------------- H, Not currently L
Necroplis by Tim Waggoner -------------- Not H, Not L
Shade's Children ---------------- H, L
Evil Genius(Genius Squad and Genius Wars) by Catherine Jinks ----- H, Not currently L
Hunger Games second book by Suzanne Collins -------- Not currently H, Not currently L

[Mich]

What does H mean? Have?

[Petrie]

Petrie = Gravity Defier?

Technically, Petrie = Petrie and G D = G D, but you are correct in that both are me. Sorry about the confusion but I am on a strict 1 post a day diet on G D for the next few days.


You're welcome, for the suggestions. I'm a YA Lit junkie (Juv, too), and your list had some stuff I really enjoyed (also, did I miss it in one of the posts or was there really no Suzanne Collins anywhere in this thread? Hunger Games series = top notch YA). I hope you enjoy them when you get around to them; if not, feel free to say so as I'm convinced I have unique taste in entertainment.

[CezeN]

H means it's at the one of the two libraries I go to, the one that starts with H.
Not H means they don't have the book at all, in stock.
Not currently at H means that they have the book, but it's currently checked out or unavailable.

Petrie- So, according to the way you explained it, does Petrie have a different personality than GD?

Also, I think I did leave it out. But, I have read the first book of Hunger Games. And, thanks again! See, you keep reminding me of the books I've forgotten about. I need to finish the series.

I did read the Underland Chronicles, which was also by Suzanne Collins.

[Petrie]

God, if I had a different username for every major personality quirk of mine, I'd be half the board.

But no, not a different personality between the two (though one is a throwaway/backup and the other will haunt this place until the end of time); I was teasing ya.




Syphon, I started the Alaska book. I only got a few pages in before the Mexico game started but I love the tone of it thus far; it feels like it'll be a great fit.

[Syphon the Sun]

Syphon, I started the Alaska book. I only got a few pages in before the Mexico game started but I love the tone of it thus far; it feels like it'll be a great fit.

If you like it, you should check out Paper Towns or An Abundance of Katherines. Neither are as good as Looking for Alaska, in my opinion, but still good reads.

[Young Val]

Syphon, I started the Alaska book. I only got a few pages in before the Mexico game started but I love the tone of it thus far; it feels like it'll be a great fit.

If you like it, you should check out Paper Towns or An Abundance of Katherines. Neither are as good as Looking for Alaska, in my opinion, but still good reads.

I loved PAPER TOWNS. I was kinda bored by AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES, though. I have yet to read LOOKING FOR ALASKA.

[megxers]

Megxers-
lol wow
Do you still have the essay?

I do believe it has ... disappeared. Haha. Though I did recently find an essay written 2 years later that I wanted to burn and I doubt it was as bad as the other.

Looking for Alaska is one of my favorite YA books. Abundance of Katherines is forgettable but an entertaining read, and Paper Towns was better. Looking for Alaska definitely spoke to my inner angsty 15 year old. Also, don't read them all back to back or they will all blend together because he has a very set formula for his books, though Looking is the biggest deviation from the pattern.

This thread has inspired me to thing of my own summer reading list. Though, my first and foremost goal is to finish the books I am like 200 pages into and like enough to finish but just haven't.

[CezeN]

Went to one of my libraries today, and found:
Dumas Key
The Stranger
The Road
The Book Thief

I sampled the first few pages of three of them while my mom was coming to pick me up.

The Book Thiefs brilliant so far. Looking at the world though Death's point of view has given it a unique spin, that makes the first couple pages outdue the first couple pages of all the others.

[CezeN]

Reviving this, as Christmas Break Reading, so it'd be easy to find.

[CezeN]

Revive.

Books I got from the library today and plan on reading:
The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Barron's LSAT Prep Book 13th Edition
(Syphon, I remember you said these books weren't statistically shown to increase people's scores, or something like that, a while ago - but at least it'll keep my mind from going stupid. Assuming I remember what you said correctly.)

School Books I plan on reading this summer:
Down To Earth Sociology
Aint No Makin' It
Nonsense: Red Herrings, Straw Men and Sacred Cows: How We Abuse Logic in Our Everyday Language
Schaum's Outlines Logic: Second Edition
Linked

Rereading: The Wise Man's Fear

Plan Initiated.

[Syphon the Sun]

When it gets closer to the time you're to take the LSAT, I'd suggest just taking a lot of practice tests. There are a few study aids out there that are nothing but old LSAT tests and explanatory information for why each answer is correct.

And, honestly, your best bet is to spend most of your time on practicing the Analytical Reasoning sections. Most people cluster on the other sections, and do substantially worse on Analytical Reasoning, so that's where your money-points are.

[CezeN]

When it gets closer to the time you're to take the LSAT, I'd suggest just taking a lot of practice tests. There are a few study aids out there that are nothing but old LSAT tests and explanatory information for why each answer is correct.

And, honestly, your best bet is to spend most of your time on practicing the Analytical Reasoning sections. Most people cluster on the other sections, and do substantially worse on Analytical Reasoning, so that's where your money-points are.

Okay. Yeah, I did that for the SAT. I briefly skimmed through the sections, learned the rules, but then I took as many practice tests as possible - there were 7 in the book - to famaliarize myself with the test. The pacing. Ect. At least, I did that the time before I got my best score.

Is the Analytical Reasoning section worth more than the others? Or are you simply saying I should focus just as much on it as well as the other sections?(since others generally neglect it)

[Syphon the Sun]

Is the Analytical Reasoning section worth more than the others? Or are you simply saying I should focus just as much on it as well as the other sections?(since others generally neglect it)

All four (graded) sections are worth the same. That said, you're not going to see much difference between the Reading Comprehension scores from one student to the next. The Logical Reasoning scores will be a little more varied, given that there are two (graded) sections of it, but people are still pretty clustered. The real bulk of score differentials come from the Analytical Reasoning section, because that's where test takers generally do the poorest. If you can rock that section, then perform moderately okay in the others, your score will be pretty high. (It's all relative to other testers, remember.)

It's like doing a triathlon where everyone runs and cycles at about the same pace, then pulling ahead because you're an olympic swimmer. I'd suggest spending at least half your prep time on that section. Once you start getting around 23+/25, you can ease off and devote more time to other sections.

[CezeN]

Okay. Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it.

[Rei]

Perhaps this summer I shall brush up on Winnie Ille Pu. Kid's gotta start somewhere!