whispers at the corner table

[Mino]

I am so glad to see that you younger men are talking about reading. I have a nagging fear that electronic media, including games like our beloved AT, are replacing reading. I attended a meeting a few evenings ago that was held in a high school library. The school had murals in the library with quotations about reading and I was really struck by one from Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 491 and many other science fiction books: You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. (491°F is the ignition temperature of paper.)
So all of you: do not stop reading and let electronic media take over your lives. Never been a reader? Start reading--it opens the entire world to you! Don't help destroy your culture!

Its actually been the other way around for me, after getting my first smart phone (OG Droid), and the free Kindle App, I started reading more. Before that, the last book I read was when I was still in college, over 10 years ago (it was Crime and Punishment for a Russian Lit. class and a good read).

I mostly read comic books, being a fan since my pre-teens, although now I wait for the collected version instead of buying individual issues. But the last book I read just for fun was probably The Stand (Stephen King), also back in college.

But having the Kindle on my phone meant that any book I got was with me at any time so it actually made it easier to read whenever I found the time. And I also found out that all the public domain books were free, and reading just at my own pace instead of for a class made it more enjoyable too.

Miraj, I've also been sticking mostly to the fantasy and sci-fi books. The first free book I read was The Picture of Dorian Grey, , followed by The Time Machine. And I have The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes saved, just haven't started it yet.

tl;dr version: having a device and apps like Kindle have actually got me reading more than I have in years. Admittedly though, I did get very distracted by AT

[mirajp1]

Miraj, I've also been sticking mostly to the fantasy and sci-fi books. The first free book I read was The Picture of Dorian Grey, , followed by The Time Machine. And I have The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes saved, just haven't started it yet.

tl;dr version: having a device and apps like Kindle have actually got me reading more than I have in years. Admittedly though, I did get very distracted by AT

You will just love the sherlock holmes if you like mystery.
In total there are 56 short stories and 4 novels of sherlock holmes.I was so addicted that I completed them in a week lol.
Also, you should search for Sherlock BBC TV series,they have done great work putting sherlock holmes in a modern way on TV.

[lady black]

Yes, isn't Sherlock great? I have loved the stories since I was around 10 and read them for the first time. I read mostly mysteries and science fiction, but will read almost any kind of book if it is well-written and interests me. I just learned how to take library books out on my kindle app on the phone. That depends on your library, though. They have to buy the Kindle ebook in the first place, but it is free to borrow. After two weeks, you can no longer access it, even if it still in your phone's memory. The one book I borrowed was not on my phone, however, but in the Kindle Cloud, so it did not take up phone memory. Apparently some go on the phone and some go to the cloud. Just a way to read current books free, if you have the right library.

[nyktos]

I was really struck by one from Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 491 and many other science fiction books: You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. (491°F is the ignition temperature of paper.)
So all of you: do not stop reading and let electronic media take over your lives. Never been a reader? Start reading--it opens the entire world to you! Don't help destroy your culture!

amazing quote... and an interesting fact to boot.
always posting things worth reading!

also guys checkout wattpad app on market(aka google play).
Awesome stories written by users

Nice!
(and thanks!!!)

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i've recently read & enjoyed Andromeda Strain and Pebble in the Sky...
(M. Crichton & I. Asimov - respectively)

but, i'm usually along the lines of fantasy - so it was a nice change.
another great Sci-Fi is Killobyte - P. Anthony (perfect for gamers!)

all of you obviously have GREAT taste, what with being members here and all...
any random Fantasy recommendations?

[lady black]

I like Mercedes Lackey. She has a lot of stuff, ranging from books about the 400 kingdoms where (fairy) Godmothers try to steer people's lives into the happy-ending paths while The Tradition all too often has them headed for a tragic- ending path, through a modern day witch who is a Guardian, to elves who race cars on some circuit (I don't think it's NASCAR). Her most extensive series is the Valdemar books.
There is also Anne McCaffrey, and now also her son, Todd, with many books about the dragons of Pern. Anne also has a series that starts with The Deed of Paksenarrion, a trilogy of military action with some magic thrown in, in an era of sword-fighting. Gee, why does that sound familiar? I think that original trilogy has since been re-published in an "omnibus" edition. She has recently added a few new titles to the series, but I think they would make more sense to you if you had read the series from the beginning.
If you don't like either of them,or when you finish all their stuff, get back to me--I've got more.

[Sarumar]

Some really good (and dark) fantacy books:
-Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself (first book of the saga)
-George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones (first book of the saga)
-Scott Lynch, The lies of Locke Lamora

have fun

[Pyrizzle]

The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mockingjay

The Looking Glass Wars, Seeing Red, Archenemy

Alice in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass

The Call of Cthulhu

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas


There are more i can't remember off the top of my head, i have been reading alot more lately than i have in the past.

[sdevaney]

I would encourage anyone to read H.S.T. Hopefully before they have watched any of the movies.

[lady black]

Sorry, H.S.T.? Is that the title or the author's initials? I am not familiar with it as either. (Actually, what comes to my mind is Harry S. Truman!) More information, please.

[sdevaney]

Sorry, H.S.T.? Is that the title or the author's initials? I am not familiar with it as either. (Actually, what comes to my mind is Harry S. Truman!) More information, please.

I enjoyed one of Truman's autobiographies, can't remember which one; had to write a paper on him in High School.

The author I was referring to was http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_S._Thompson

In reference to Pyrizzle's comment of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas".

Sorry for being cryptic, was just tired lol.