• RickB
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

I read Castaneda. All of them. Some of that is pretty believable. It sure gets one thinking about alternate realities.
Rick

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  • From: Washington State
  • Registered: 2006-03-30
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

jim m wrote:
Stu Craig wrote:

I'm not a habitual reader by any means, but once I dig into a good book I tend to become a bit compulsive and plow through them. I like an odd mix; Hunter S. Thompson, H.D. Thoreau, Richard Bach, Carlos Castaneda, C.S. Lewis and the Bible.

Told you it was an odd mix!

I remember you were a Castaneda fan too. I did more reading for recreation as a younger man than I do now. I tend to read nonfiction now but Tolkien was my favorite author and like you I seem to like books by the same author. Even though Castaneda was not supposed to be non fiction it seemed like fantasy almost. Have you read them all?

Nah, I only read his 1st four, up through Tales of Power. I think I started 'The Second Ring of Power' but never finished it. For the most part Castaneda has been discredited and is considered a fraud now, but I still think his early work is fascinating. If nothing else he was a master story teller. I may have mentioned it here before, but there are numerous interesting parallels between a lot of Richard Bach's stuff and Castaneda. You can't read Tales of Power and then Jonathan Livingston Seagull and not have them jump off the page at you.

  • jim m
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

Stu Craig wrote:
jim m wrote:
Stu Craig wrote:

I'm not a habitual reader by any means, but once I dig into a good book I tend to become a bit compulsive and plow through them. I like an odd mix; Hunter S. Thompson, H.D. Thoreau, Richard Bach, Carlos Castaneda, C.S. Lewis and the Bible.

Told you it was an odd mix!

I remember you were a Castaneda fan too. I did more reading for recreation as a younger man than I do now. I tend to read nonfiction now but Tolkien was my favorite author and like you I seem to like books by the same author. Even though Castaneda was not supposed to be non fiction it seemed like fantasy almost. Have you read them all?

Nah, I only read his 1st four, up through Tales of Power. I think I started 'The Second Ring of Power' but never finished it. For the most part Castaneda has been discredited and is considered a fraud now, but I still think his early work is fascinating. If nothing else he was a master story teller. I may have mentioned it here before, but there are numerous interesting parallels between a lot of Richard Bach's stuff and Castaneda. You can't read Tales of Power and then Jonathan Livingston Seagull and not have them jump off the page at you.

I read them up to the Eagle's Gift and recently read about the efforts to discredit him. If he made that stuff up he has one hell of imagination. As you say the first few made you feel you were actually walking the Sonora deserts with him. The Eagles's gift did explain why you sought the knowledge as sorcerer. Had something to do with the afterlife.

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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

If you're into just damn good literature then i'd recommend anything by the late Christopher Hitchens. Whether it's his 'controversial' books on religion/mortality etc, or his Vanity Fair articles, the man had a great grasp of the English language, as well as a great mind.

Although i guess the topics & subject matters he deals with will be make or break for some folks, i wouldn't advise the easily offended to seek him out

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  • Curby
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

dknight16 wrote:
Curby wrote:

Just started reading Lee Child's Nothing To Lose.  Pretty good.  What is your favorite of book of his?

Probably 61 Hours

I read 61 Hours and enjoyed it, but how the heck did Jack survive the explosion?  Do I need to get the next book to find out?  Just finished Connelly's Black Box.

  • Reem
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

anyone into Richard Dawkins' books? because i just started reading "the Greatest Show On Earth", anyone read this?

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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

Favourite Book: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Favourie Author: Terry Pratchett

Though these days i tend to read non-fiction, am into my 20th century history.

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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

haveacigar wrote:

Favourite Book: Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
Favourie Author: Terry Pratchett

Though these days i tend to read non-fiction, am into my 20th century history.

Check out Norman Mailer's epic The Executioner's Song.  900 pages and I couldn't put it down.

  • From: Southern New Jersey, USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-23
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

My son recommended this book to me, he thought it was excellent & thinks everyone should read it. I haven't read it yet.

He also reads books by Hawkins, Hitchens and Brian Greene; his main interests are physics and cosmology. To answer Frazerburns question...Hitchens was an extremely unique character, very well spoken, witty...even the way he handled his impending death. He loved his booze & cigs.

The last book I read was "Proof of Heaven" by Eben Alexander, MD. Dr. Alexander is a neurosurgeon who did not believe in God until he gets deathly ill and spends a week in a coma. The book is about his NDE (near death experience) and why he was wrong about the afterlife. There are lots of scientists who refute Dr. Alexander's book, including neuroscientist Sam Harris.

Reem wrote:

anyone into Richard Dawkins' books? because i just started reading "the Greatest Show On Earth", anyone read this?

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  • LynB
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

Crime and thrillers - anything by Ian Rankin, Peter James, Lee Child, Nicky French, Ruth Rendell, Peter Robinson, Mark Billingham. 

Love everything by Richard Yates (but hated the film of Revolutionary Road).

John Irving, Sebastian Foulkes, Ken Follett (currently reading the second book in his epic Trilogy. Absolute masterpiece).

Favourite book of all time is The Magus by John Fowles (he of French Lieutenant's Woman's fame).  Or is it Lord of the Rings?  Oh dear, I can never decide.

  • Reem
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

Angela wrote:

My son recommended this book to me, he thought it was excellent & thinks everyone should read it. I haven't read it yet.

He also reads books by Hawkins, Hitchens and Brian Greene; his main interests are physics and cosmology. To answer Frazerburns question...Hitchens was an extremely unique character, very well spoken, witty...even the way he handled his impending death. He loved his booze & cigs.

The last book I read was "Proof of Heaven" by Eben Alexander, MD. Dr. Alexander is a neurosurgeon who did not believe in God until he gets deathly ill and spends a week in a coma. The book is about his NDE (near death experience) and why he was wrong about the afterlife. There are lots of scientists who refute Dr. Alexander's book, including neuroscientist Sam Harris.

Reem wrote:

anyone into Richard Dawkins' books? because i just started reading "the Greatest Show On Earth", anyone read this?

i haven't read anything of Eben Alexander, maybe i'll try. but this " Greatest Show On Earth" book is interesting, it's about evidence of Evolution... are you like your son into Science and Physics ?

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  • From: Southern New Jersey, USA
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

Hi Reem.

I have to work hard to understand Physics, my hubby is way more science oriented than me, he was a Biology/Pre-Med major in college. I remember when my daughter was in high school, Chemistry came really easy to her, so her teacher recommended her for Honors Physics the next year, which she found quite difficult. Physics forces you to think a different way, whereby Chemistry you can do well by memorizing.

Back to the Greatest Show On Earth, I am definitely putting it in my 'to read' pile! My son's point is, every human being should understand evolution.

Reem wrote:
Angela wrote:

My son recommended this book to me, he thought it was excellent & thinks everyone should read it. I haven't read it yet.

He also reads books by Hawkins, Hitchens and Brian Greene; his main interests are physics and cosmology. To answer Frazerburns question...Hitchens was an extremely unique character, very well spoken, witty...even the way he handled his impending death. He loved his booze & cigs.

The last book I read was "Proof of Heaven" by Eben Alexander, MD. Dr. Alexander is a neurosurgeon who did not believe in God until he gets deathly ill and spends a week in a coma. The book is about his NDE (near death experience) and why he was wrong about the afterlife. There are lots of scientists who refute Dr. Alexander's book, including neuroscientist Sam Harris.

Reem wrote:

anyone into Richard Dawkins' books? because i just started reading "the Greatest Show On Earth", anyone read this?

i haven't read anything of Eben Alexander, maybe i'll try. but this " Greatest Show On Earth" book is interesting, it's about evidence of Evolution... are you like your son into Science and Physics ?

StringsforaCURE~Helping cancer patients one STRING at a time.
http://stringsforacure.com/

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  • From: Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England
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Re: Favourite Books and Authors.

Pleased to see at least one other Terry Pratchett / Discworld reader on the forum. Usually enjoy Fantasy, David Eddings and especially  Raymond E Feist epic Midkemia Cycles. Also enjoy crime thrillers - recently burned through a lot of Michael Connolly but if you enjoy action adventure, you could do a lot worse than Matthew Rielly.

Also enjoy biographies; seem to focus on British Comedians and stars of Gothis Horrors - highly recommend the Vincent Price biography by his daughter Victoria.

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