Serious /book-club/

LowArtDecay said:

I'm just about finishing up The House of the Dead but it's really good so I'd recommend that and nearly any Dostoevsky novel.

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I'm reading Crime and Punishment right now! I haven't had a lot of time, but I finished a collection of works from A Writer's Diary and thought that was the logical next step. If you're looking for an interesting read from Russian intelligentsia, I might recommend "Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow", by Alexander Radischev, his ideas, albeit silenced by Catherine, served to be the foundation for radical democratic societies and the Decembrist movement, less of a read for content and more of a read for an interesting look into the birth of radicalism in Russia and the prospect of a democratic Russian state.

took a break from my third reich history book went to something a bit more simple to get me back into reading


when this books finished im going to head off towards Blood Meridian my copy is coming in Monday and I'll need shit to read while the coronavirus destabilizes life and makes going outside dangerous


then from there i dont know what i'll do probably will pick the third reich rise and fall book back up i only got 200 pages into it im a slow reader

and mods @Kafe gave me his blessing to necropost this plz dont delete

Snowl said:

and mods @Kafe gave me his blessing to necropost this plz dont delete

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can confirm, you lads need to read more.

dramatis personæ - robert browning

rare find that i managed to catch at the book store some days prior

it's just a collection of his poetry and verse but if you're into classic victorian prose and literature, then i highly recommend you seek out a copy yourself

Had to buy a E-Reader to be able to read certain books. In my country we do not have 1. the translation 2. the book itself. Currently reading a theological book written by Saint Alphonsus Liguori about death and the preparations for it. Besides I am currently reading the Lord of the Rings from J.J.R Tolkien. When you know all videogames, movies and such it becomes time to delve in the literature. Books are much better than the movies and videogames.

meditations
took the dive in quarantine and am finally reading a book ive heard good things about for a long time, the og version is difficult and hard to read but i believe there's a lot of wisdom hidden in it. the different interpretations are interesting because they can take the same idea and go separate ways with it, both often being a valuable lesson. marcus aurelius is one of the great stoics imo, so if ur interested in their philosophy it's a worthwhile read

The Tao te Ching. I've been reading it for a while now, and it certainly helps you uncover a different way of looking at things. Has been helping me a lot when it comes to dealing with my obsessive thoughts. I think that there is a lot of wisdom in taoist philosophy in general :=)

Currently reading through some old books still on my shelf, decided to reread All Quiet on the Western Front from when I was in high school

isaac asimov is widely considered to be the best science fiction writer of all time

the foundation series definitely proves that, it's brilliant and provides a stark and interesting contrast to modern day life and the advancement of technology and how it intertwines with societal breakup and divergence

highly suggest a read

Currently on the first edition. Super irreverent throughout the book, but its fucking hilarious.

I haven't read anything in a while, I just can't be arsed frankly.
One of these days I'll finish the Hannibal, series, Southern Victory and like the 2 generic political books I have.

i’ve just started this thinking it was some btec man in the high castle but it’s actually a really good detective story set in an alternate reality 1960s nazi germany

pretty cool so far tbh

shogun by james clavell is long af but it fucking slaps

Like fr if you haven't read it no excuse read it its about some colonial dude stuck in Japan and it's actually fucking crazy I couldn't stop reading it.

To be honest the movie is like ten times better

maxi said:

isaac asimov is widely considered to be the best science fiction writer of all time

the foundation series definitely proves that, it's brilliant and provides a stark and interesting contrast to modern day life and the advancement of technology and how it intertwines with societal breakup and divergence

highly suggest a read

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I've read Foundation, Foundation and Empire but stopped halfway through Second Foundation
My dumbass kid self felt bored - big mistake

I agree, the interesting thing is the connection between the protagonists' stories and the larger History
I'm tempted to go back to it, but starting with the Robot series, then the Foundation series
Do you think I should read both series, in one go?

I don't read as much as I'd like to. However, I've recently read two interesting books.



1. "Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work" by Matthew Crawford

A friend directed me to this essay.

Matthew Crawford details how he obtained a doctor's degree in the University of Virginia, while working as a mechanic.
He promotes craftsmanship and "know-how", viewing it as a core component of intelligence. The author also explains how professions, when too far removed from this "material intelligence", removes both responsability and expertise.
He then broadens this explanation and criticizes contemporary capitalism, where even motorcycling, once a subculture for the tech-savvy, is now a commodified market.

Next up :



2. "Malevil" by Robert Merle (1972)

A classic in post-apocalyptic litterature. Plus, the guy's French.

A group of friends unexpectedly survive a nuclear holocaust, protected by the walls of Malevil, a medieval fortress. After the initial shock, they set out to reestablish civilization, in a neo-feudal French countryside.
The novel isn't overly dramatic. Rebuilding civilization isn't about fighting other surviving communities, but keeping a safe power balance, negociating ressources, avoiding and mending ideological or religious differences...
Post-apo is a tired topic today. It wasn't so in 1972, and this novel gives an honest and nuanced take.

el malman said:

I agree, the interesting thing is the connection between the protagonists' stories and the larger History
I'm tempted to go back to it, but starting with the Robot series, then the Foundation series
Do you think I should read both series, in one go?

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reading robot and foundation at the same time!?

no
no
no

thing i like about asimov's works is that they all share the same universe
you've got robot, which is modern day-100 or so years in the future
empire which i believe is around 2000 years down the line
then foundation which starts at 20000 years

it's great reading about it because you can see how the span of such a large society has affected humanity,
robot kinda bored me tbf, it started to feel repetitive, i doubt i'll ever get around to reading empire but i defo will finish foundation

Just finished reading this, I liked it

gonna read brave new world now

Almost done with salems lot, moving onto the shining then the entire game of thrones series

new book smell

No country for old men time followed by american psycho