So, as you all have seen... production and participation around here has ground to a damn-near halt. The reason: primarily school and the holidays. Most members on here are either in school or work in a shcool. So, with the increase in work and workload... a decrease in recreational reading time. So, here's my idea: traditional round robin book club format May through October; and November through April, it'll be a forum for reading. You read something good? Post on here, tell everyone about it, let them know if it's any good. We can still discuss the books in the comments, it'll just be more freeform so people can participate as they're able.
To post on here, it's simple. Just write your post (including any html to have pictures etc... for a quick primer: click here ) in an email, and send it to this address: Webb.brandon.twofold@blogger.com . Whatever you write will be posted as a new post, with the subject line being the post title. Thoughts on the new set up?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Procede with caution...
For those of you who don't know, they are currently in pre-production of a 'Hunger Games' movie. No one has been cast yet (that I'm aware of), and the set release is sometime in 2013. Stumbled across this fan movie though.. and wow, this book could make an awesome movie.. if done right. Fair warning on the vid: it is violent.. and is the scene of Rue's death.. so if you're the crying type (it got a little dusty for me watching it...), don't watch at work.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Productivity is at an all time low.
Emily's picking the next book. It'll be up soon. Watch for structural changes to our little corner of the interwebs, coming soon. I'm gonna make it more interactive, with more updates.
Friday, September 24, 2010
New book. better late than never.
Sorry for the delay.. my screen is broken, and I've been slightly busy.
New book:
World War Z by Max Brooks
Synopsis:
Brooks, the author of the determinedly straight-faced parody The Zombie Survival Guide (2003), returns in all seriousness to the zombie theme for his second outing, a future history in the style of Theodore Judson's Fitzpatrick's War. Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world. A Chinese doctor encounters one of the earliest zombie cases at a time when the Chinese government is ruthlessly suppressing any information about the outbreak that will soon spread across the globe. The tale then follows the outbreak via testimony of smugglers, intelligence officials, military personnel and many others who struggle to defeat the zombie menace. Despite its implausible premise and choppy delivery, the novel is surprisingly hard to put down. The subtle, and not so subtle, jabs at various contemporary politicians and policies are an added bonus.
I'll give some of you a second to get the eye-rolling out of your system.
Done? Feel better? This book is really good. I promise. It's about the emotion, and survival instinct that this kind of event would have, not just the horror, and scare factor of traditional zombie fare.
Plus, Halloween is coming up. Zombies are fitting.
New book:
World War Z by Max Brooks
Synopsis:
Brooks, the author of the determinedly straight-faced parody The Zombie Survival Guide (2003), returns in all seriousness to the zombie theme for his second outing, a future history in the style of Theodore Judson's Fitzpatrick's War. Brooks tells the story of the world's desperate battle against the zombie threat with a series of first-person accounts "as told to the author" by various characters around the world. A Chinese doctor encounters one of the earliest zombie cases at a time when the Chinese government is ruthlessly suppressing any information about the outbreak that will soon spread across the globe. The tale then follows the outbreak via testimony of smugglers, intelligence officials, military personnel and many others who struggle to defeat the zombie menace. Despite its implausible premise and choppy delivery, the novel is surprisingly hard to put down. The subtle, and not so subtle, jabs at various contemporary politicians and policies are an added bonus.
I'll give some of you a second to get the eye-rolling out of your system.
Done? Feel better? This book is really good. I promise. It's about the emotion, and survival instinct that this kind of event would have, not just the horror, and scare factor of traditional zombie fare.
Plus, Halloween is coming up. Zombies are fitting.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
This book wants to fight you.
Laurie (Drama Mama) picks the new book:
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly.t
Synopsis:
The raucously funny story of one young American’s quest to become the baddest dude on the planet (and possibly find inner peace along the way) Growing up a ninety-eight-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series Kung Fu. American Shaolin is the story of the two years Matthew spent in China living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks. The Chinese term for tough training is chi ku (“eating bitter”), and Matthew quickly learned to appreciate the phrase. This is both the gripping story of Matthew’s journey and an intimate portrait of the real lives of the Shaolin monks, who struggle to overcome rampant corruption and the restrictions of an authoritarian government. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of- age story of one man’s journey into the ancient art of kungfu—and a poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.
Her reason for the choice:
I have always been fascinated by what others can do with their bodies, what they can do TO their bodies, and so as a result I have always enjoyed anything kung-fu related. I found this book and when I realized it was the story of an American self-professed weakling who went to China in search of the infamous Shaolin Temple to request training, I was intrigued. Matthew Polly's writing is witty, engaging, and easygoing. The story could have been very dry and technical, but it feels like you are sitting around a corner table at a college bar and listening to your buddy tell a story. Not only did I learn a lot about Chinese culture, but I have a new found respect for all things Shaolin. This book had me snickering unattractively to myself, reading parts aloud to ambushed family members, and inspired me to do some self-inventory of my own. I hope you all like it!
American Shaolin by Matthew Polly.t
Synopsis:
The raucously funny story of one young American’s quest to become the baddest dude on the planet (and possibly find inner peace along the way) Growing up a ninety-eight-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series Kung Fu. American Shaolin is the story of the two years Matthew spent in China living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks. The Chinese term for tough training is chi ku (“eating bitter”), and Matthew quickly learned to appreciate the phrase. This is both the gripping story of Matthew’s journey and an intimate portrait of the real lives of the Shaolin monks, who struggle to overcome rampant corruption and the restrictions of an authoritarian government. Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of- age story of one man’s journey into the ancient art of kungfu—and a poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.
Her reason for the choice:
I have always been fascinated by what others can do with their bodies, what they can do TO their bodies, and so as a result I have always enjoyed anything kung-fu related. I found this book and when I realized it was the story of an American self-professed weakling who went to China in search of the infamous Shaolin Temple to request training, I was intrigued. Matthew Polly's writing is witty, engaging, and easygoing. The story could have been very dry and technical, but it feels like you are sitting around a corner table at a college bar and listening to your buddy tell a story. Not only did I learn a lot about Chinese culture, but I have a new found respect for all things Shaolin. This book had me snickering unattractively to myself, reading parts aloud to ambushed family members, and inspired me to do some self-inventory of my own. I hope you all like it!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
A new book has been chosen.
I sat out my pick... and gave it to Natalie. She picked:
Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory.
Description:
A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor’s examining table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she’s tall, skinny, and weak. It’s four o’clock, and she hasn’t been allowed to eat anything all day. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to "get to the bottom of this." She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I found it fascinating. It is the true story of an Ohio girl, raised by mother who suffers from Münchhausen by Proxy Syndrome. I have always been interested in abnormal psychology and the completely whacked out things people do. The story is kind of like watching a train-wreck. I thought it was an easy book to read while still covering a very interesting and bizarre topic.
Sickened: The True Story of a Lost Childhood by Julie Gregory.
Description:
A young girl is perched on the cold chrome of yet another doctor’s examining table, missing yet another day of school. Just twelve, she’s tall, skinny, and weak. It’s four o’clock, and she hasn’t been allowed to eat anything all day. Her mother, on the other hand, seems curiously excited. She's about to suggest open-heart surgery on her child to "get to the bottom of this." She checks her teeth for lipstick and, as the doctor enters, shoots the girl a warning glance. This child will not ruin her plans.
Why I chose this book:
I chose this book because I found it fascinating. It is the true story of an Ohio girl, raised by mother who suffers from Münchhausen by Proxy Syndrome. I have always been interested in abnormal psychology and the completely whacked out things people do. The story is kind of like watching a train-wreck. I thought it was an easy book to read while still covering a very interesting and bizarre topic.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
New book. This one from Abbie
So, it's Abbie's turn to pick and her choice is:
A Fisherman of the Inland Sea by Ursula LeGuin
B&N has this to say about it:
The winner of the Pushcart Prize, the Kafka Award, and the National Book Award, Ursula K. Le Guin has created a profound and transformational literature. The award-winning stories in A Fisherman of the Inland Sea range from the everyday to the outer limits of experience, where the quantum uncertainties of space and time are resolved only in the depths of the human heart. Astonishing in their diversity and power, they exhibit both the artistry of a major writer at the height of her powers and the humanity of a mature artist confronting the world with her gift of wonder still intact.
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