ShawnMerrow wrote:
Ehhh just wait until Cal of Duty Black Ops is released; you can learn about the Cold War then lol
The last thing I read was āI Am Legendā by Richard Matheson. Although, itās more of a short story, since the āI Am Legendā part of the book is only the first 175 pages, give or take a few.
Still though, really interesting story. I knew that the (latest) movie adaptation was different from the book, but I didnāt know exactly how different. Iām surprised they can even get away with calling it a movie adaptation, since the only thing that seems similar isā¦ the main characterās name?
Hornet65 wrote:
[quote]The last thing I read was āI Am Legendā by Richard Matheson. Although, itās more of a short story, since the āI Am Legendā part of the book is only the first 175 pages, give or take a few.
Still though, really interesting story. I knew that the (latest) movie adaptation was different from the book, but I didnāt know exactly how different. Iām surprised they can even get away with calling it a movie adaptation, since the only thing that seems similar isā¦ the main characterās name?[/quote]
Lol I hate when they adapt movies from books and change t completely, then write Based on the novel by ****(whoever the author is). They couldāve just made the movie and not write that since itās completely different.
Finished The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel.
Synopsis:
A young Cro-Magnon girl loses everything and everyone she knows in an earthquake. She wanders aimlessly, naked and unable to feed herself, for several days. Having been attacked and nearly killed by a cave lion and suffering from starvation, exhaustion, and infection of her wounds, she collapses, on the verge of death. A clan of neanderthals traveling to find a new home comes across her near lifeless body. Their pregnant medicine woman Iza begs to keep the child. Throughout the novel Ayla (the girl) must adapt to the ways of the clan in order to stay. She does so for both survival and the love of her adoptive parents, Creb and Iza. But it isnāt easy for the girl who laughs, cries, speaks and is blessed with the power of abstract thought.
Read the first four books in that series and it is very good.
ShawnMerrow wrote:
Yeah, itās pretty amazing. Canāt wait to start on the second book.
In whatever free time I havenāt devoted to something else, Iāve begun re-reading one of my favorite books, āPreyā by Michael Crichton. Iām not sure why itās one of my favorite books, I just like it.
Back Cover:
In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles-micro-robots-has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive.It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour.Every attempt to destroy it has failed.And we are the prey.
Just finished The Valley of the Horses (book two in the Earthās Children series) by Jean M. Auel.
Synopsis:
[quote]
The book starts off from the events at end of The Clan of the Cave Bear detailing the life of a young Cro-Magnon woman named Ayla who has just been exiled from the Clan, the band of Neanderthals who had raised her from early childhood. Ayla now searches for her own people, whom the Clan refer to as āthe Others.ā In a parallel narrative, Jondalar (picture Alexander Skarsgard, I know I did), a young Cro-Magnon man of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonii, accompanies his impetuous younger half-brother Thonolan on a traditional rite of passage called the Great Journey. Throughout the story, the narrative switches back and forth between Aylaās journey to make it on her own and find āthe Othersā, and that of the two brotherās on their adventures. Eventually the two story lines converge in an unexpected way.[/quote]
Itās an amazing story of survival, courage, heartbreak, and eventually, love. I highly recommend this book series!
Itās been a few months since I read this but some of the information came in handy with the latest Hell Girl.
āYokai Attack! The Japanese Monster Survival Guideā by Hiroko Yoda and Matt Alt, Illustrations by Tatsuya Morino
Just finished read Star Island by Carl Hiaasen today. Finally picked it up after Pretear begged and pleaded me to after awhile. Very entertaining book, though I thought the writerās humor seemed forced at times. Hiaasen definitely has a mind for the ridiculous though, from a man being tortured by a one-eyed homeless bald draped in road kill by attaching a sea urchin to his nut sack, to a 7 foot tall body guard with a weed wacker for an arm. And thereās always getting to follow around Cherry Pye, a Brittney/Paris/Amy trainwreck type of superstar whoās parents sacrificed everything making their daughter famous. Itās always funny following these characters around since they lack any form of conventional morals, since everyone cares more about the money Cherry can make and sobering her up is just apart of the plan not a dire need due out love for her. All this while Cherry just wants to party, and OD on drugs. Poor Ann DeLusia though, she has to double as Cherry when sheās too fucked up to appear in front of the Paparazzi herself. Overall itās a good read about some scumbag characters who just want to make money of Cherry ODing on something or another.
Before that I was reading the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. Iāve read the first five books, which is saying a lot since I havenāt been able to read too much high fantasy type of books since I got tired of them all being based off of Dungeons and Dragons. Even Tolkien bores me. I love the world that Goodkind has created with this series, it just keeps growing and growing, and remains complex without being too unbelievable (as long as you except magic as being real of course) or bland. The characters are engaging, though sometimes they can get a little too loveydovey. I also love the system of magic that Goodkind has created, it being very basic in itās mechanics but complex in itās implementation. The system existing solely of additive and subtractive magic. additive magic bringing something into existence, and subtractive taking it. Borrowing an example from one of the books, you need additive magic to grow out your beard, but the subtractive to make it disappear. Very good series, but after reading about five of the books in a row, I had to take a break.
Next book is Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut.
Glad you liked it then, I guess. >.>
Finished The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel. It is book three in the Earthās Children series.
It takes place where Valley of the Horses left off. Ayla and Jondalar meet The Lion Camp of The Mamutoi, a camp of people who specialize in hunting mammoth and have a special reverence for the animal. They stay with these welcoming people who have even taken in Rydag, a sickly orphaned āchild of mixed spiritsā (half Neanderthal, half Cromagnon). It takes a while for Ayla to get used to her own kind, having been raised by the Clan (Neanderthals who "The Others (Cromagnons) typically hate and call āflatheadsā) and they her. She has a way with animals no one has ever known before and is skilled in many ways. A healer, a hunter and much much more. She even teaches the camp that Rydag can communicate, but in a different way using a language of signs and gestures, much to the delight of his adoptive mother. Jondalar was the first person of āThe Othersā that sheās previously ever met and now sheās meeting so many of them at once. Eventually she finds a home with these people and even becomes adopted by them. Seeing potential in her, their spiritual leader takes her under his wing and trains her. A man named Ranec takes a shine to Ayla and drives a wedge between the lovers. Unspoken feelings, jealousy and confusion cause the rift to widen and Ayla finds herself engaged to Ranec. Her past, including the half son she bore, which sheās proud of, but otherās wouldnāt understand, becomes very public when the camp attends the summer meeting. She jumps to the defense of Rydag when heās brutally bullied by some children who call him an animal. The members of The Lion Camp stand by her side. Even other camps come around and show support for them and the mysterious and powerful woman theyāve taken in. In the end she must chose between her life now and Jondalar, whoās leaving because he canāt bare to witness her joining with Ranec. Eventually, after Ayla is almost killed in the mammoth hunt and Rydag dies, feelings are revealed and lovers are reunited. Ayla elects to leave her new family to join Jondalar on his trek back to his home, his people and an uncertain future.
I recommend The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Very good book, although itās not long. Only took me a couple hours to read the whole book.
Iām not sure if this is dead or notā¦Forgive me if it is 
Iāve just finished reading Fable: The Balverine Order By Peter David.
Iāll admit that I bought the book for the exclusive weapon code it gave you for Fable 3 and I wasnāt entirely bothered about reading it. However, my curiosity got the better of me and soon I was flicking through page after page. It turned out to be quite an interesting book and the ending was quite satisfying. A recommended read for any Fable fans
Letās seeā¦
Iāve read The Plains of Passage, and after that, The Shelters of Stone. Both by Jean M. Auel.
The Plains of Passage details the year long journey of Ayla and Jondalar (as well as their animal companions, a wolf and two horses) as they make the trek back to Jondalarās home and people. They encounter friends new and old, see breathtaking views and grow as a couple. They experience many adventures, heartbreak and come face to face with dangers theyāve never before known. But at the end of it all, will Jondalarās people except Ayla for all that she is?
The Shelters of Stone begins where The Plains of Passage leaves off. They have just ended their Journey and are at Jondalarās home, The Ninth Cave of the Zeladonii. Ayla is pregnant and eagerly awaiting the upcoming mating ceremony at The Summer Meeting that will join her and Jondalar. As accepting and in awe as most people are of her, there are others who disapprove and make their displeasure known. In addition, their highest spiritual leader Zeladoni (The First Among Those Who Serve The Great Earth Mother, formerly Zolena and Jondalarās first love) wants to bring Ayla and all her exceptional gifts into the fold of the zeladonia. But Ayla wants nothing to do with it and is afraid. Will she give in to a fate that destiny seems to have been pulling her towards since the beginning?
Recently finished Top Secret Tourism by Harry Helms. It has a list of top secret programs and sites across the country. It was a rather interesting read. I found out the NSA has a listing station around a 100 miles from my house and I have driven by it many times.
Finished Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King the other night. Itās a collection of 4 tales about the dark side which resides in us all. The first, 1922, chronicles the fateful choice one man makes and how it haunts his life and the lives of those around him. The second, Big Driver, is about a novelist who takes a shortcut home from a speaking engagement. Raped and left for dead, she goes on a quest for vengeance, not just for herself but for the other less lucky victims. The third and shortest, Fair Extension, is about a man dying from cancer who quite literally makes a deal with the devil or to be more specific, Elvid, for more time. But such things require balance. Give and take. The fourth story, A Good Marriage, is about just that, until Darcey quite literally stumbles upon the truth that her husband is more sinister than she could have ever imagined.
I recently finished reading Capitol Offence, by William Bernhardt. Itās a mystery book. The mystery in this book is that a manās wife was missing for three days without prior notification. When the man, named Professor Dennis Thomas, asked the police department to search for her, they refused. Eventually, Dennis convinced one of the officers to search for her. Eventually, she was found dead. Dennis Thomas blamed the police department, specifically Detective Sentz, the one who refused to search for his wife, for her death. Throughout the course of the book, the mystery becomes about much more than just the death of Joslyn Thomas. Much, much more.
Anyway, if youāre into mystery books, I would definitely recommend this book.
Wanted to know what the TAN army is currently reading. Right now Iām in the middle of reading a collection of Conan the Barbarian stories. Robert E. Howard = win IMO. What are you reading? ^>^
Iāve since finished reading A Game of Thrones. Very well written, but the style itās written in made it hard read a lot of it consecutively. Basically each chapter is written in the perspective of a different character somewhere in this vast vast world that the author has created, some of them only interacting with other main characters only once, maybe twice, in the entire book. So it was hard to get really into a character, and then not hear anything about him for another 3 or 4 chapters sometimes. Even with that though, if you like a fantasy setting where you can tell a vasts of time went into the creation of this world, itās amazing and youāll love every page of it just like I did. Itās just a slower read by nature, in my opinion.
On the other hand, Iām reading two books right now. Iām reading the 7th book in Terry Goodkindās Sword of Truth series. Another book with strong instantly likable characters, where youāll even love the bad guys just for how complex and life like they are, even when they at their worst and you want to pause just from how sickening they can be. Plus he and the previous book I just described have really strong women that will take the main stage just as much as the male characters.
The other book Iām reading as well is Christopher Mooreās Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove. Itās in the vein of all his other books, just absolutely crazy and absolutely hilarious situations and events. I mean no other person thinks quite like this man does, if youāve never laughed out loud from reading a book, try anything that heās written, itāll guarantee you a laugh from page one.
Yay book boners.