What book are you reading, and what do you think of it?

[elsmere241]

Right now I'm in the middle of What cartooning really is: The major interviews with Charles M. Schulz.

[ZLoth]

I finished Once upon Atari: How I Made History by Killing an Industry this afternoon. This book is written and narrated by Howard Scott Warshaw (HSW) who created three Atari games: Yar's Revenge, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and the infamous ET. The book switches from the New Mexico excavation on April 26, 2014 and the HSW's history with Atari. We also get insights on the HSW's first two games which had several months of development time verses ET's five week development cycle. I liked how HSW changed his voice when he gives notes and explanations to the non-nerd.

One of the challenges is that the Atari 2600 was a now-aging platform having been released in September, 1977 with known technical limitations.

[ZLoth]

Currently listening to How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps. It's LitRPG... enough said.

[ZLoth]

Audible release dates for the Harry Potter Full Cast Edition books:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - November 4th
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - December 16th
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - January 13th
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - February 10th
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - March 10th
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - April 14th
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - May 12th

Runtime is "Not Yet Known"

[ZLoth]

I'm now listening to Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal.

[kurumi]

Absolution, by Jeff VanderMeer. It's the 4th book in the Southern Reach trilogy (and the "Annihilation" film). Science and spycraft around an anomaly, possibly extraterrestrial, invading Florida's Forgotten Coast.

It's a bit of a slog at times, but I enjoy weird fiction and his work in general, and it seems to be picking up at about 75% through.

[ZLoth]

I finished Agent Zigzag: A True Story of Nazi Espionage, Love, and Betrayal. It's one of those books that falls under the category of "the truth is stranger than fiction" of a English crook who ended up trained as a German spy, only to become a double agent for the British MI-5 service feeding the Germans false information, and ending up being awarded the Iron Cross for his work including the "sabotage" of the British Lancaster manufacturing plant. Very extraordinary. This book has been sitting in my unlistened library for far too long.

Next stop: How to Make a Horror Movie and Survive. Helpful hint: It's fiction, not documentary.

[english si]

Audible release dates for the Harry Potter Full Cast Edition books:

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - November 4th
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - December 16th
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - January 13th
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - February 10th
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - March 10th
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - April 14th
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - May 12th

Runtime is "Not Yet Known"

Audiobook times (Fry / Dale)

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone: 8 hours 44 minutes / 8 hours 17 minutes
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: 9 hours 24 minutes / 9 hours
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: 12 hours 15 minutes / 12 hours
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: 21 hours 15 minutes / 20 hours 30 minutes
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix: 27 hours 2 minutes / 27 hours
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: 18 hours 55 minutes / 19 hours
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: 21 hours 36 minutes / 21 hours

But full cast recordings tend to be a lot shorter as there's no "ejaculated Slughorn", "said Dumbledore calmly", etc filling time. The BBC radio plays of the His Dark Materials trilogy are about the same length (8 hours) as the audiobooks for each of the three books. They are slightly abridged in terms of plot points, but the main speed gain is due to 'show not tell' and less-lengthy scene-setting descriptions.

[ZLoth]

We'll see. I wonder how many times we will see advertising for those "Full Cast Recordings" during Thursday Night Football. They are also on my pre-order pile despite the fact that I still haven't listened to the Fry or Dale audiobooks or haven't watched the movies.

[Scott5114]

Joanne must be getting desperate to wring the last little £££ out of her tired franchise before the majority of the populace realizes she's turned herself into a human Chick-Fil-A.

[vdeane]

ejaculated Slughorn

Slughorn ejaculated!?  And to think I thought the books were for kids...

Joanne must be getting desperate to wring the last little £££ out of her tired franchise before the majority of the populace realizes she's turned herself into a human Chick-Fil-A.

If that whole affair during the Olympics wasn't enough to make the masses notice, I don't know what would be.

[ZLoth]

[Scott5114]

So read the books that don't have a multimillion dollar marketing campaign pushing every derivative version (movie, TV show, audio book, video game) they can think of... Got it...

[kphoger]

So read the books that don't have a multimillion dollar marketing campaign pushing every derivative version (movie, TV show, audio book, video game) they can think of... Got it...

No, I think they meant:

"Read the books they don't want you to.  That's where the LGBT stuff is."

I mean, nobody's talking anymore about how books like The Catcher in the Rye were banned in decades past because of profanity and sex, To Kill a Mockingbird because of its theme of rape and racism, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because of its use of the n-word, etc.

(Of course, that's because 'the LGBT stuff' is the only reason anyone wants to ban books these days.)

[elsmere241]

Right now I'm in the middle of A Little History of the United States by James West Davidson.

[ZLoth]

Right now I'm in the middle of A Little History of the United States by James West Davidson.

I have it in my library, but haven't listened to it.

So read the books that don't have a multimillion dollar marketing campaign pushing every derivative version (movie, TV show, audio book, video game) they can think of... Got it...

As they say, life's too short and you only live once. So, make it a good one! There are plenty of good books and audiobooks out there that are just waiting to be discovered and a thread like this helps in that discovery process.

Also, there is a slight problem with book bans. It makes the so-called "forbidden fruit" so attractive to find out why they don't want you to see it.

Did I read the Ian Flemming Jamess Bond 007 novels because of the popular film franchise? Yes, but I also went in there expecting some major differences between the books and the movies. As it turns out, the books and movies might as well exist in two universes.

[Scott5114]

Also, there is a slight problem with book bans. It makes the so-called "forbidden fruit" so attractive to find out why they don't want you to see it.

Oh, I don't think Harry Potter should be banned. I just think J.K. Rowling sucks and doesn't deserve to have money (especially because of what she chooses to spend it on when she does have it).

[kphoger]

I just think J.K. Rowling sucks and doesn't deserve to have money (especially because of what she chooses to spend it on when she does have it).

So much for live and let live.  I mean, I probably have a moral issue with what you spend your money on, but I still believe you should have the right to have money.

[Scott5114]

I just think J.K. Rowling sucks and doesn't deserve to have money (especially because of what she chooses to spend it on when she does have it).

So much for live and let live.  I mean, I probably have a moral issue with what you spend your money on, but I still believe you should have the right to have money.

Eh, she can have $40,000 a year or whatever to live on. The problem is that she spends the excess on things that intentionally make life worse for other people—so if anyone's refusing to live and let live, it's Joanne.

[kphoger]

things that intentionally make life worse for other people

Thing is, that's a very subjective thing.  I bet you and I have different ideas of what makes life worse for people.

[Scott5114]

things that intentionally make life worse for other people

Thing is, that's a very subjective thing.  I bet you and I have different ideas of what makes life worse for people.

Which is why I'm not suggesting her books to be banned, or anyone to seize her bank account. But if I were to hear that she lost it all through, say, bad investments, I would read that article with great satisfaction.

[GaryV]

I mean, nobody's talking anymore about how books like The Catcher in the Rye were banned in decades past because of profanity and sex, To Kill a Mockingbird because of its theme of rape and racism, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because of its use of the n-word, etc.

I've seen those titles on recent lists that some people want banned. Same old, same old.

Edit: I read Huck Finn before anyone told me it was "bad".

[kphoger]

Which is why I'm not suggesting her books to be banned, or anyone to seize her bank account. But if I were to hear that she lost it all through, say, bad investments, I would read that article with great satisfaction.

Wait, are we talking about her position in favor of abortion rights, or her position against Scottish independence?  I assumed the former, but now I suspect you might have the latter in mind.

[Scott5114]

Which is why I'm not suggesting her books to be banned, or anyone to seize her bank account. But if I were to hear that she lost it all through, say, bad investments, I would read that article with great satisfaction.

Wait, are we talking about her position in favor of abortion rights, or her position against Scottish independence?  I assumed the former, but now I suspect you might have the latter in mind.

I was reluctant to be specific because I don't want to get into a protracted debate on the subject, but I object to her funding groups which seek to eliminate civil rights for transgender individuals in the UK. (Which is why I compared her to Chick-Fil-A.)

[kphoger]

But if I were to hear that she lost it all through, say, bad investments, I would read that article with great satisfaction.

I object to her funding groups which seek to eliminate civil rights for transgender individuals in the UK.

Please bear in mind the implications of such statements.

Considering that the largest Protestant denomination in the USA does so as well, in this country, it seems to me that a consistent outlook would oblige you to likewise feel great satisfaction if you were to learn that millions of Americans (myself included) lost all their money.  After all, every time they put a dollar in the offering plate on Sunday morning, they financially fund a group that seeks to eliminate civil rights for transgender individuals in the US.

Personally, even if I had a serious moral issue with a cause that you supported, I'd still be sad to learn that you lost everything you had.  In point of fact, I felt bad to hear about your failed business venture in Oklahoma a couple of years ago, and I'm sincerely happy to know that you're enjoying your new home in Nevada.  The two of us may have fundamentally different worldviews, but I nevertheless wish nothing but the best for you and Renee.