Right now I'm read, for the third time, "the Earthsea Trilogy" by Ursula K. LeGuin

I needed a break from all the political reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Always_Coming_Home

This has turned into my favorite LeGuin piece over time. Both as a post-post-apocalyptic piece on the Napa Valley, a place I know intimately; and an anthropological study of the civilization she describes. Another favorite of mine from another part of the world is this one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionary_of_the_Khazars

by Serb author Milorad Pavic.

Thanks. Earthsea Thrilogy was the only thing I'd read of hers but I loved it. I saw where one of the educational channels did a movie of the Earthsea Trilogy but I never got a chance to see it.

I'm going to get the one you suggested next.

Whatever you do, DON'T SEE THE MINISERIES EARTHSEA! It may be the worst adaptation of a series of books ever made. They even went so far as to change the name of Ged/Sparrowhawk. Ursula K. Le Guin had to put a disclaimer on her web site disavowing anything to do with the miniseries.

She wrote an essay
A Whitewashed EarthseaHow the Sci Fi Channel wrecked my books.

yes, I alternate between sci-fi and politics...

then, I tend to see the politics in the sci-fi.

example, the "Prexy" in John Brunner's book The Sheep Look Up.

Prexy has "walk-on" lines that are idiotic and inane, and very BushCo-like, despite the book being from the early 70s.

In particular he forecast increasing solipsism and isolationism in American politics and cultural life; he predicted a decline in the quality of political life, to the point where the American presidency would be occupied by a semi-literate figurehead whose job is to recite comforting and irrelevant platitudes into a microphone on his way from one glamorous gig to the next. His "Prexy" character seemed like a good fit for Reagan a while back, but the current Bush (the 2nd of that name) is an even closer match.

http://www.amazon.com/review/RPMC26TOD0UCL

particularly noteworthy is the fashion in which the hero Austin Train's constitutional rights are severely jeopardized... because Prexy declares him GUILTY on TV, prior to the trial.

that reminded me of certain pronouncements emanating from BushCo (remember Ashcroft, in Moscow?), regarding Jose Padilla...

strange but true, life imitates art.

I read +2 hours a day, mostly escapist, sci fi, and fiction like this:

http://www.kylemills.com/

I like this particular author. I have read most of his work

Try this one for a Leguin story, The Lathe Of Heaven:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081036/

I saw this when it was broadcast and it was quite good. Or you can watch this series for a lot of giggles over a plate of vindaloo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZslRQvv5zM

like Ish, I read 2+ hours a day, at least.

my favorite LeGuin novel is The Dispossessed:

http://www.iblist.com/book534.htm

my favorite scifi authors is Sherri Tepper:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheri_S._Tepper

I own ALL of her books, but my favorites are Six Moon Dance, and The Fresco.

another best-loved is Nicola Griffith (favorite novel of Nicola's is definitely Slow River).:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicola_Griffith

other beloved sci-fi writers are William Gibson (especially Virtual Light and the rest of the "Bridge Trilogy"):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gibson

Samuel R. Delaney (especially Dhalgren):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_R._Delany

and of course, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Clive Barker, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Margaret Atwood, John Brunner, David Brin, Steven R. Donaldson, and John Varley.

I'm glad I didn't see it then. I hate it when someone thinks they can do justice to a book and they fall flat on their face.

Reminds me, did anyone read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, those books depressed me so much. I wouldn't recommend them for anyone with a manic disorder

ah, yes, Lord Foul... charming fellow.

you saw Steven R. Donaldson in my favorite authors list above?

yes, I've read all the Unbeliever books...

Lord Foul's Bane – (1977)
The Illearth War – (1978)
The Power that Preserves – (1979)
The Wounded Land – (1980)
The One Tree – (1982)
White Gold Wielder – (1983)
The Runes of the Earth – (2004)
Fatal Revenant – (2007)

and eagerly awaiting the rest:

Against All Things Ending – (expected 2010)
The Last Dark – (expected 2013)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Covenant

NO MORE POLITICAL BOOKS FOR AWHILE!!!! I can't take it anymore....so I am reading
"Fruitful Darkness: Reconnecting With The Body of The Earth" by Joan Halifax...then I think I will read something really trashy.

May I just put in a plug for Terry Pratchett and the Discworld books. 36 of them and counting. Fantasy humour at its finest.

The rumor of the death of Ego Psychology is greatly exaggerated. As long as George Vaillant writes his engaging books extolling the wisdom of ego psychology it is destined to remain part of our theoretical landscape...The Wisdom of the Ego is written with the author's vivid, sometimes witty and consistently clear style, happily interspersed with numerous examples both from his longitudinal studies, as well as from biographies of well-known people...One need not agree with all of Vaillant's premises to appreciate and enjoy this colorful and many-faceted book. I cannot think of a better, more absorbing book to introduce clinical graduate students and clinicians in general to an up-dated version of the best ideas of ego psychology.
--Sophie Freud (American Journal of Psychotherapy )

have you ever checked out Kevin J Anderson ?
http://www.wordfire.com/seven.html

He wrote a few X-file books, wrote screenplay for episodes, plus he wrote the ' Seven Suns " epic

That epic may not be for everyone, but I got hooked on it.

tx for the tip, Greg.

I'll track that set down.

I'm more of a garage-sale/used bookstore kinda gal, due to finances...

then, I collect until I have a whole set, and read it in a big gulp.

right now, I'm hunting down Marion Zimmer Bradley books, lol!

Does "My Pet Goat" count ? Back when we were taught to "Duck-n-Cover" we read "Dick-n-Jane" books. I still remember those books that taught reading: "See Dick. See Dick run. Run Dick, run !".

hi cat, thank you for your book list


Is your county library decent ? Here in Calllifffforrrniiahhh, our county library is excellent. They are the source of my fiction/Sci fi

Each to his own I always say, of course most of us have progressed since those days. If we'd have only known then what we know now.

What is it with him? I started reading the first in the Covenant series and through all three books I kept waiting for things to turn around but they never did. After book three I couldn't take anymore. It left me so depressed I couldn't read anymore.

Ahhh... Stephen R. Donaldson; from Lord Foul's Bane to White Gold Weilder... I would get head-aches reading about his.

Wow, I see he's added two more volumes, I know what my next two books are gonna be.

I don't think I made it past the 2nd book.

Your a masochist

I found his first book before he'd written the other two and having read the Tolkien trilogy at least three times already I was up for something new. I'd finished the first book when the second came out so I finished it waiting for the happy ending in the third book. I couldn't wait till they released it. Read the third, I'm still waiting.

I'll jump in, I love Ken Follet, Pillars of the Earth, and it's sequal World Without End, also loved A Dangerous Fortune, Hammer of Eden, and A Place Called Freedom. I read all of Steve Ambrose's books, the last book I read was The USMC--A Complete History. I am a freak about books, my local library jokes about the fines I pay because I check out so many and need more time to read them, and I forget to renew them, oh well...

It does my heart good to hear someone goes to the library. The Republicans beat down a referendum here that would have added new and much needed funding to our libraries. I quess they fihuer if your too poor to buy the books you don't need to read anyway.

Pillars of the Earth was exquisite... I'll never look at old church buildings in the same way; the historical perspective was fascinating.

but my fave of Follet's has gotta be On Wings of Eagles about Ross Perot's regular-guy-executives going on a rescue mission to Iran, before the 1978-79 hostage crisis, to rescue some of their co-workers who were designing a Social Security system for the Iranian gov't, and were jailed after the US-supported Shah fell, and essentially were being held ransom for millions, while the US gov't dithered and did diddley-squat.

http://www.amazon.com/Wings-Eagles-Ken-Follett/dp/0451163532

LibLaw? if you can take it, keep reading Donaldson's books... it makes the resolution that much better, that the agony and pain goes on and on and on before any rays of hope are allowed to lighten the load.

the Christian-fundie-types who are used with nefarious purposes by the evil Despiser Lord Foul, when Foul "breaks through" to the "real world" well, I found that part to be especially revealing and instructive regarding the cult-mind.

I waded through the books during an extended bed-rest (for pregnancy) when TV was making me go nuts (didn't have cable) so that sorta FORCED me to keep going.

I am FAR from a masochist, (being a dominant type myself) so, just have a little more patience, lol !!

nope... our library is barely funded, and has very few books.

the sci-fi section is extremely paltry, lol, I have five TIMES that many at home... and fantasy is non-existent.

luckily, there's two used-book stores reachable by bus...

When I finish reread the EST I'll try it again Cat. The resolution was what I was waiting for.

well, it's a DAMN long wait, LibLaw, I agree.

but worth it, if you've the intestinal fortitude.

it makes my small ailments seem even more minuscule against the background of an entire WORLD suffering and groaning under the AGONY and evil weight of Lord Foul, (whom I mentally equated to George Bush while "enjoying" the story.)

Ya know we live in a very small town, our library is about the size of a two car garage, and I'm not kidding, but the library in the next town over is 2 stories and packed with books. I thought for sure I was gonna see nothing but RW political books, but no, a lot of LW books. Also a lot of books about our local history, which is fascinating, some were written by dead residents and their memories, awesome. I always wanted to have a private library room in my house and I finally have it, but it's filling up fast, and I'm going broke, so I use the library instead. I was never a good student, but I always read, so I guess I've made my peace with my former teachers, and I probably have more books than they do.

Speaking of which, Peace to All

It's funny how some of these books reflect or seem to reflect real life. I just couldn't imagine what was going through the authors mind while he was writing. I envisioned him slitting his wrists afterward.

actually, in "real life" he seems like a levelheaded and nice guy:



http://www.bookreporter.com/authors/au-donaldson-stephen.asp

OMG it's Thomas Covenant... I often wonder where he got the idea of using leprosy for his illness.

I've always got one or two books going at the same time. Currently reading:

When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris
I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The Sedaris book is the only one on my nighttable at the moment, however, and I've kind of put the others on hiatus until I finish it. I got a chance to meet David Sedaris and he signed my book a couple of weeks ago. It was pretty nifty.

I'm rereading Tom Sawyer. A recent spurt of Twain comments over at Nova M got me going on his books again.

Gotcha!

Yeah, its pretty cool. I bought the oldest copy I could find on ABE books. I love old books. I love books but old ones are awesome.

We have a used book store close by and I love to go in and just browse. I also have a friend who keeps me in books, when ever he's done with them he gives them to me.

There are very few books I would give away, but when I lend out a book I only lend out those that I don't care if I get back or those that I don't care what condition I get them back in.

I've lost too many good books and albums by "lending" them to someone.

Of course I need more book cases. I have books laying around everywhere.

I am fortunate to have such a good friend of course he only gives me paper backs.

I agree.Cried through chapter 2 of shock doctrine.Anything by tom robbins!he's a real vacation for the mind.I recommend Jitterbug perfume.R.I.P.Kurt Vonnegut Jr.If tou can find them,Sinai Tapestry and the sequal Jerusalem Poker.Can't recall the author at the moment.

Unfortunately, I can't seem to tear myself away from politics.

I just finished reading Paul Krugman's "The Conscience of a Liberal" and am now in the middle of reading Scott McClellan's book "What Happened". I've already got another 30 or so political books with varying viewpoints queued up on my bookshelf for my next read.

Its always tough for me between books trying to figure out what I'm in the mood to tackle next. Sometimes my decision is influenced by what is being discussed on RRMB. Scott McClellan's book is a case in point.

So far...how do you feel about McClellans book?

I haven't gotten to the controversial parts yet. I'm in chapter 5, where he talks about the politics of the permanent campaign.

Unfortunately, as much as I like to read, I don't spend enough time doing it and my progress in any given book is spotty.

I adore David Sedaris. I haven't picked up a copy of "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" yet but it's next on my list. He never fails to make me howl with laughter. Reading "The Santaland Diaries" for the first time will always be remembered...I laughed so hard I scared my cat. His sister Amy makes me laugh too.

I read constantly. I always have my current read with me because you never know when a reading opportunity will come up. In line at the post office, grocery store, in restaurants when I eat alone, etc.

I love biographies and historical accounts but I also read fiction and sprinkle in some political tomes as well.

I recently re-read "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb and liked it even more than I did the first time. And I'm a total sucker for "Time And Again" by Jack Finney...a really good time travel tale - especially if you live, or have ever lived in Manhattan.

John Grisham's only true story, The Innocent Man, is really good. Although it'll piss you off to see how easily people can be jailed, and even put on death row, if a cop and/or prosecutor is determined for it to happen.

It pisses me off but I wasn't surprised.

Right now I'm reading Cesar's biography (that's Millan, not the emperor) and Clapton's autobiography. Also ignoring political books because the election has taken away any desire to deal with that particular subject.