OT: Best Book You Have Ever Read

This shpuld be interesting

Fiction: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by JK Rowling: Great series overall, but this was my favorite book

Nonfiction: Football by Peter King: Alot of NFL history that I never knew of

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Aug 23, 2008 7:13 PM CDT 0 recs

Hmmm

Sci-Fi: Ender’s Game – Orson Scott Card
Fiction: Beach Music – Pat Conroy
Non-Fiction: Band of Brothers – Stephen Ambrose

I'd love for part of the "new look" to be a return to the red uniforms of the 1990s. - Ian Kinsler

by ortonius on Aug 23, 2008 7:13 PM CDT 0 recs

The Book of Love

by…I wonder who?

Smile when you call me Beat Weed!

by Clueless on Aug 23, 2008 7:14 PM CDT 0 recs

LOL

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW_SKWjrE2U

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 7:15 PM CDT up 0 recs

Do magazines count?

by AirJordan on Aug 23, 2008 7:16 PM CDT 0 recs

Sure

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 7:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

Then

I’d go with “The Source” mag. It’s the hip hop bible.

by AirJordan on Aug 23, 2008 7:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

I get a lifetime subscription to the Source

through the name Rob Van Winkle because I have a relationship with him.

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 7:45 PM CDT up 0 recs

Good man.

Vanilla Ice got connections.

by AirJordan on Aug 23, 2008 8:06 PM CDT up 0 recs

When I was a senior in high school...

…I went, along with some other guys, to Padre Island for spring break.

UT and A&M were also on spring break, and virtually every high school in Texas had had their spring break the week before, so we were the youngest people on the beach.

Except for a few people we met at our hotel, who went to high school in, I think, Lewisville.

They kept telling us we needed to go to this club called Park Place Monopoly’s, and see this white guy they were friends with who could rap and dance, and who went by the handle “Vanilla Ice,” because they said he was going to end up being famous.

We were like, uh huh, whatever.

Then, that summer, on Video Jukebox, I saw him. It was trippy.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 8:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

My brother kicked his ass in high school

Not that kicking Robbie’s ass was all that difficult.

"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states" - Barack Obama

by DaheelzCM on Aug 23, 2008 8:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

Well

he was a nice guy to me when I knew him. But I was just a kid. Still he was at the peak of his career so he had a huge ego I bet.

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 8:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

Details please

Last week I took a pleasure trip. I drove my wife to the airport.

by Brian Thomas on Aug 25, 2008 6:20 PM CDT up 0 recs

Park Place Monopoly's

If that’s in Dallas I think that’s where my friends took me for my 16th birthday.

O yes.

Go Strangers.

by hightowersmith on Aug 25, 2008 8:14 AM CDT up 0 recs

The Count of Monte Cristo is an excellent book

by Telegraph on Aug 23, 2008 7:18 PM CDT 0 recs

Moneyball and Fantasyland

Also forget all the shit surrounding it, fiction, nonfiction, autobiography, true, not true, whatever the case I thought that A Million Little Pieces was an amazing read and it definatly got my emotions going.

by SaltyGoesYard on Aug 23, 2008 7:19 PM CDT 0 recs

hmm

fiction -

a case of need by michael crichton (as jeffrey hudson)

nonfiction -

american prometheus by kai bird and martin j. sherwin

http://www.buchanan4pres2008.org/
NIXON: NOW MORE THAN EVER

by gossamer on Aug 23, 2008 7:27 PM CDT 0 recs

Hemingway

I’ll go with The Sun Also Rises.

"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner

by trza on Aug 23, 2008 7:29 PM CDT 0 recs

Hmm

Sun Also Rises over A Farewell to Arms? That’s tough.

To me, though, his best work is undoubtedly The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

by brettgardner on Aug 23, 2008 7:34 PM CDT up 0 recs

Agreed.

Joey Butler Interview

by jparks77 on Aug 23, 2008 7:39 PM CDT up 0 recs

You do realize that many consider

Hemingway to be racist, anti-semetic and a homophobe, correct?

Starting to see a pattern here.

"Dying ain't hard. It's living that's hard."

by Josey Wales on Aug 26, 2008 2:31 PM CDT up 0 recs

Snooze.

by brettgardner on Aug 26, 2008 2:56 PM CDT up 0 recs

I'm partial to "For Whom The Bell Tolls"

But really, I enjoy his writing style, so they’re all good.

by chief on Aug 23, 2008 7:51 PM CDT up 0 recs

yeah

It’s a tough call. He was a master. I’m reading All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy right now and really enjoying it.

"You’re the only here who contributes schtick only." - brettgardner

by trza on Aug 23, 2008 8:49 PM CDT up 0 recs

"For Whom The Bell Tolls"

one of my favorites without a doubt

by Houston27 on Aug 24, 2008 9:06 AM CDT up 0 recs

To Have and Have Not

Not his best book, but it is my favorite of his.

I love the line about going broke in TSAR:

How did you become a bankrupt?

Gradually, and then suddenly…

Last week I took a pleasure trip. I drove my wife to the airport.

by Brian Thomas on Aug 25, 2008 10:28 AM CDT up 0 recs

Lets see...

Fiction: The Holy Bible
Non-Fiction: The Brass Wall

"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states" - Barack Obama

by DaheelzCM on Aug 23, 2008 7:29 PM CDT 1 recs

Way to start up the controversy.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Aug 23, 2008 7:32 PM CDT up 0 recs

Dude come on....

this is supposed to be a fun thread.

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 7:45 PM CDT up 0 recs

The Brass Wall is a good book

"Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states" - Barack Obama

by DaheelzCM on Aug 23, 2008 8:22 PM CDT up 0 recs

Cute...

As someone with eight years in undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate studies in the Bible I can agree that many sections of the Bible are fictional (and often intentionally so). Others are clearly historical, many times in some of the most critical parts. But, as I’ve often said, and you and I have discussed before, baseball boards aren’t the best place to get into these discussions, so I’ll refrain from saying much more on my opinions about it!

Rangeressary

"the poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." - G.K. Chesterton

by rangeressary on Aug 24, 2008 8:17 AM CDT up 0 recs

x

Fiction: Cryptonomicon
Non-fiction: Asimov’s Guide to the Bible

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 7:33 PM CDT 0 recs

NERD ALERT

by brettgardner on Aug 23, 2008 7:35 PM CDT up 0 recs

Cryptonomicon?

Is that a real thing?

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 23, 2008 7:36 PM CDT up 0 recs

sounds like either a book about cryptography or some strange occult book

"I'm against picketing, but I don't know how to show it." - Mitch Hedberg

by rentz on Aug 23, 2008 7:38 PM CDT up 0 recs

It is a novel...

…by the Great Neal Stephenson, about cryptography in WWII and ubergeeks in the early 21st century involved in a tech startup in the Philippines.

Something like 1100 pages in the paperback version. Incredible book.

Check out this post at the Volokh Conspiracy blog.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 7:45 PM CDT up 0 recs

Is it one of those books you have to work at and labor through?

I don’t mind dense fiction, but some of the stuff I’ve been recommended and checked out lately (like, say, Gravity’s Rainbow) has just seemed like it was dense for density’s sake. Those kinds of literary shenanigans make me go a big rubbery one.

Like, would I have to buy a guide to get through it is what I’m asking?

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 23, 2008 7:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

Dense for density's sake.

Perfect way to describe it.

by brettgardner on Aug 23, 2008 7:55 PM CDT up 0 recs

Did you read it?

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 8:17 PM CDT up 0 recs

You've misunderstood my pronoun.

“It” refers to the phenomenon he was describing, not the book.

But no, I haven’t.

by brettgardner on Aug 23, 2008 8:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

No

It requires a certain amount of focus, but I, personally, didn’t find it to be laborious…I wouldn’t put it in nearly the same category as Gravity’s Rainbow, or, say, even Infinite Jest.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 8:03 PM CDT up 0 recs

Cryptonomicon

It’s long but I didn’t have to labor through it. When you step back and look at all of the ground that book covered it’s ridiculous though.

Time magazine said: “Stephenson has a once-in-a-generation gift: he makes complex ideas clear,” which is pretty spot on.

"Then you an idiot you dont expect lefties to with as much power against lefties" -blueballlefty to me

by BAC on Aug 24, 2008 11:25 AM CDT up 0 recs

Cryptonomicon

Wasn’t that the book Bruce Campbell was supposed to secure in Army of Darkness?

He forgot some of the words to the magic spell and tried to just mumblecough the last part?

Venne Victu Veratu…coughblahblahcough…

Last week I took a pleasure trip. I drove my wife to the airport.

by Brian Thomas on Aug 25, 2008 10:25 AM CDT up 0 recs

No

that’s the Necronomicon, I here they’re very similar though.

he’s still hitting better than Saltalasuckia—while playing vastly superior defense...Athos

by Escher on Aug 25, 2008 10:40 AM CDT up 0 recs

Asimov’s Guide to the Bible

What exactly is it?

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 7:46 PM CDT up 0 recs

It is basically...

…Isaac Asimov taking the Bible, and going through and explaining the historical and geographical contexts of each of the books, attempting to put the events that are described in each in its proper historical setting and clarify or correct what he perceives to be any errors in terms of chronology, geography, etc.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 7:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

It might have been you...

I actually read this book because someone mentioned it on the ESPN message boards back whenever I was a senior in high school. My dad, who wasn’t a Christian at the time, loved it so I thought I would check it out. I was also both a fan of science fiction and the Bible so it seemed the perfect fit. The good thing about it was that it forced me to begin looking at the Bible with critical reading and not simply the old mindset of “the bible says it therefore I believe it.”

In retrospect though, this isn’t the best book in terms of historical analysis. I know more about the New Testament and Christian origins, so I could especially critique his work in that regard. It pales in comparison to the much better work that’s been done by JP Meier, FF Bruce, M. Hengel, L. Hurtado, R. Stark, etc. Still, it’s an interesting read nonetheless and probably good for the layperson who’s interested in learning something (although not always correct) about the historical setting of the Bible.

Rangeressary

"the poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." - G.K. Chesterton

by rangeressary on Aug 24, 2008 8:07 AM CDT up 0 recs

Oh yeah...

My books are:

Fiction: “The Prodigal Son” as told by Jesus in Luke 15 and various other fictional stories in the Bible, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, The Chronicles of Narnia (Lewis) and the Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), “The Source” by James Michener…and of course, that great classic “Old Man and the Sea” by Hemingway.

Non-Fiction: The other parts of the Bible which wouldn’t be classified as fiction, “Jesus: A Marginal Jew” by JP Meier, “Jesus and the Victory of God” by NT Wright, Rodney Stark’s histories of Christianity, “Lord Jesus Christ” by Larry Hurtado…books by Bauckham, Hengel, Jungel, Barth…too many different books to count. I prefer non-fiction personally.

Rangeressary

"the poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." - G.K. Chesterton

by rangeressary on Aug 24, 2008 8:13 AM CDT up 0 recs

Cryptonomicon

I really couldnt get into that book

by laxtonto on Aug 25, 2008 8:28 AM CDT up 0 recs

Best book I've ever read

Fiction:

“Gettysburg” by Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen.

It’s an alternate “what if” fantasy scenario of how the battle of Gettysburg could have gone much differently. Very well researched and very well written, it’s only the first of a series of such books.

A Lonestar in California

We need to hire Chuck Norris to kick the ass of any Ranger fan caught booing one of our young pitchers at the RBiA.

by lonestarJon on Aug 23, 2008 7:34 PM CDT 0 recs

I met Gingrich

at the Borders and Preston and Royal when he was there doing a book signing for that book. Was pretty nice to me.

"Sooner or later, prospects kill you, because you hang onto them." - Greggo, 11/22/2005

by Agreen07 on Aug 23, 2008 7:47 PM CDT up 0 recs

have you ever read "The Killer Angels"?

that was a terrific showing of Gettysburg as well

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Aug 23, 2008 7:56 PM CDT up 0 recs

Yep

I also have the 1993 movie that was based off of that book. There’s some excellent reenactments in that film.

A Lonestar in California

We need to hire Chuck Norris to kick the ass of any Ranger fan caught booing one of our young pitchers at the RBiA.

by lonestarJon on Aug 23, 2008 8:10 PM CDT up 0 recs

Ya

I had to read the book in US Hist last year and watched the movie in there as well. Martin Sheen is great as Robert E Lee

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Aug 23, 2008 8:13 PM CDT up 0 recs

Actually, I thought Sheen was kind of weak myself

But I’m not really a big Martin Sheen fan period, so I could be a little biased.

Jeff Daniels as Joshua Chamberlain made the movie for me.

A Lonestar in California

We need to hire Chuck Norris to kick the ass of any Ranger fan caught booing one of our young pitchers at the RBiA.

by lonestarJon on Aug 23, 2008 8:19 PM CDT up 0 recs

For me

the reason that I liked him was because imo he pulled off the look and voice (with that Southern accent) of Lee perfectly. But yes, Daniels was very good as well….

"Well, the Dallas Mavericks got beat by the New Orleans Hornets last night ending their season. Word is that someone on the team is dating Jessica Simpson." - Jay Leno

LSB facebook group ---->>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33345329288

by hinduplaya on Aug 23, 2008 10:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

Alternate history

Ever ready any Harry Turtledove? He does a lot of that.

Time you enjoy wasting was not wasted.

by t ball on Aug 23, 2008 9:12 PM CDT up 0 recs

No I haven't actually

I’ll have to pick up some of his stuff from the library or something.

A Lonestar in California

We need to hire Chuck Norris to kick the ass of any Ranger fan caught booing one of our young pitchers at the RBiA.

by lonestarJon on Aug 24, 2008 12:08 AM CDT up 0 recs

Boring history...

Non-Fiction : Edward Gibbon’s “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”
Fiction : Homer’s(?) “Iliad”

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Aug 23, 2008 7:34 PM CDT 0 recs

oh yeah

case of need by michael crichton (as jeffrey hudson)
and
american prometheus by kai bird and martin j. sherwin

i’ll add a nonfiction book i read for a class in college called the cult of the nation in france by david bell

http://www.buchanan4pres2008.org/
NIXON: NOW MORE THAN EVER

by gossamer on Aug 23, 2008 7:36 PM CDT 0 recs

I'll say

Fiction: The Master and Margarita (Mikhail Bulgakov)
Non-Fiction (neutral tone): The Body and Society (Peter Brown)
Non-Fiction (polemical tone): The City of God Against the Pagans (St. Augustine)

by rodinuk on Aug 23, 2008 7:45 PM CDT 0 recs

Hmmm...

Off the top of my head…

Fiction: 1984
Recent Fiction: Life of Pi, by Yann Martel
Airport Fiction: Jurrasic Park
Short Story: The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber
Modern Short Story: The First Thing the Baby Did Wrong… by Donald Barthelme (It’s very short if you’re bored and lazy.)
Fantasy: Lord of the Rings
Play: Pillowman, by Martin McDonagh

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 23, 2008 7:46 PM CDT 0 recs

Life of Pi

Started it. Got bored and kind of annoyed with it, and gave up.

by Adam J. Morris on Aug 23, 2008 7:52 PM CDT up 0 recs

Starts off really, really slow

But it’s good. I was definitely happy I powered through the slow beginning.

I’ve read other good fiction lately, but that’s the one that popped to mind first, so I rolled with it.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 23, 2008 7:55 PM CDT up 0 recs

Pillowman

I saw it on BWay. Very disturbing.

Joey Butler Interview

by jparks77 on Aug 23, 2008 7:59 PM CDT up 0 recs

God Damn You, Jason Kirkpatrick Parks!

I’ve never seen it performed, only read the manuscript my Lil’ Sister brought me back from her trip to London where she saw it at the national theater or wherever it is they stage plays over there. I fell in love with it. Didn’t even know it was performed on Broadway until I googled it after your comment.

I’m insanely jealous.

The 40 Trumps All!!!

by thedirkatron on Aug 23, 2008 8:04 PM CDT up 0 recs