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Jazzfanz Bookclub

JazzGal

JazzGal

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What's the Last Book You've Read?

Little by little, we'll bring the best of the old Jazzfanz back to life:

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The Undaunted is a historical novel of the pioneers that endured a six-month journey across Southern Utah to settle the San Juan area, including taking wagons through the Hole-in-the-Rock. Amazing story of hardship and ingenuity (with a rather silly love story thrown in). A very informative read about a little-known expedition.

My favorite part is a footnote at the end. Two months after they reach their destination after this long and dangerous journey, U.S. census takers arrive in town. Even then you couldn't escape the government. :D
 
Manifold: Time by Steven Baxter

This is a speculative science fiction novel that explores the eventual heat death of the universe. If you enjoy a drama mixed in with Quantum Mechanics and Astrophysics you might enjoy this. I gave it about 3 stars out of 5.
 
Well, all 20 or so of the last books I've read were nonfictional about theology for my studies, but the last fictional one I read was:

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Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi. It's a very witty sci-fi novel about a movie star agent who ends up beings asked to do PR for an alien species to earth. I bought the book in hard copy, but it was originally published online completely for free, and remains online completely for free.

Scalzi has since become a big deal, getting rave reviews for his Old Man's War series, comprised of four books (I've read them all, they're excellent), and was just recently elected as the new president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). But he's perhaps most famous for his blog "Whatever," which he's been keeping since 1998. He's also a creative consultant for the TV show Stargate: Universe.
 
I recently finished "Glamorama," "House of Leaves," "Lullaby," and "Invisible Monsters."

Now I'm getting into "Glue," by Irvine Welsh. He's Scottish and writes with that dialect. ex: Dinnae tell me tae toss oaf! No in front of the wee bairns!
 
The last book that I finished was The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene, and I'm currently working on A Brave New World by Huxley... So far I enjoyed the Power and the Glory quite a bit more... A brave New World is a bit dated
 
I'm about half-way through an interesting but sort of creepy book:
The Survivor's Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life" by Ben Sherwood. It's about people who have survived all sorts of gruesome accidents and/or attacks and what makes some people better able to survive than others.

It's the only book I can think of off-hand that's given me nightmares. Oh, and there's bad news for us non-religious types.
 
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This is basically required reading where I work due to the profiled attorney being a longtime firm nemesis.
 
Sirkickyass said:
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This is basically required reading where I work due to the profiled attorney being a longtime firm nemesis.
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Recently read FALL OF THE HOUSE OF ZEUS. The story of Dickie Scruggs who was depicted in THE INSIDER as the fairly brilliant lawyer who innovated the class action lawsuit in various ways. Ultimately got snagged in a needless bribery scandal (40 grand when he made half a billion dollars fighting Big Tobacco alone). A good lawyer read, a brilliant guy, but non lawyers might get a little bored. I liked it for the insiders look at law in the laboratory of politics.
 
For those not afraid of literature: ROOM, Emma Donoghue. Very simple to read. As told from a 5 year old boy, the fictional account of being held captive with his mother in a toolshed by a maniac. He's a 'feral child' and the author captures that very well.

Literature Part II: THEN WE CAME TO THE END, Joshua Ferris. Hilarious novel, totally accessible, but so brilliant that it isn't pop fiction. Try to read 20 pages on Amazon and not buy the book.

For the Financial Crisis: TOO BIG TO FAIL, Andrew Ross Sorkin. Very readable account of all the dominoes that fell during 2008. You don't have to have a background in finance to enjoy it.
 
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For the second time.
This is easily a top 5 book in the history of philosophy. Very well worth the effort.
 
I'm in the middle (again -- I know, I know, it's serious) of The Dark Tower series. This is probably the fifth time I've read the series in the last three years. I seriously finish the seventh book, wait a few months, and then start book one again. I can't put into words how much I love this series.
 
I'm currently reading "Forest Mage" by Robin Hobb. So far this series has fallen short of my expectations for this writer. However I'm only half way through book 2 of the trilogy so hopefully it gets better. Still a good book and series just not up to this particular writer's standards so far.
 
TroutBum said:
I'm in the middle (again -- I know, I know, it's serious) of The Dark Tower series. This is probably the fifth time I've read the series in the last three years. I seriously finish the seventh book, wait a few months, and then start book one again. I can't put into words how much I love this series.
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Reading book II of this series right now. I think that it's pretty cool the way King ties in Black House and Insomnia to The Dark Tower. I also enjoy, in regards to King, when you read a book like Salem's Lot, and then find a short story of his pertaining to the same town kind of like a prequel (i.e. Jerusalem's Lot in Night Shift)
 
Boondocksaint27 said:
Reading book II of this series right now. I think that it's pretty cool the way King ties in Black House and Insomnia to The Dark Tower. I also enjoy, in regards to King, when you read a book like Salem's Lot, and then find a short story of his pertaining to the same town kind of like a prequel (i.e. Jerusalem's Lot in Night Shift)
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Oh, just you wait. If you like those tie-ins, just wait -- they get better and more awesome. I don't want to give anything away, but if you've read, "Hearts In Atlantis", "The Stand", or "Salem's Lot", you're going to get a bunch more. Gods, I love this series.
 
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