Last book you read and rating - DPChallenge Forums

Sigma 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical HF for Pentax

05/15/2012 07:14:58 AM · #326

Climbing Anchors 2nd Edition by John Long
10/10
A technical book on, you guessed it, climbing anchors. Very good, but of very little use to those who don't partake.
Climbing Anchors 2nd Edition

Bossypants by Tina Fey
9/10
I do enjoy 30 Rock a good deal, so it's no surprise that I enjoyed this book a great deal, but I did find it very amusing. Quick read, think I destroyed it in a single night.
Bossypants

The Hard Way: Stories of Danger, Survival, and the Soul of Adventure by Mark Jenkins
9/10
A great book if you want to just read a bit at a time, as you can read individual stories. Some of these have been published in the past in Outside, and perhaps elsewhere, since he writes for several places. A fun jaunt into the world of climbing and general adventure, Jenkins is an entertaining writer who flies by the seat of his pants and goes where his wanderlust and climbing itch take him. Might buy this one and keep it in my pack for extended time spent in a tent due to storms, or something of the sort. The book leaves out one of my favorite stories of his, but I still enjoyed this collection.
The Hard Way

Fool: A Novel by Christopher Moore
5/10
A retelling of King Lear from the perspective of the fool, with much much debauchery and lowbrow humor thrown in. First, I'll say that I'm not averse to foul humor, or expletives, or anything of the sort, but it felt as though they were used as an everpresent mechanism to separate this work from the original. As if, hey, Shakespeare didn't use the f word, isn't this novel? And isn't this novel to use the same word and same types of humor repeatedly? Isn't this silly? See? Foolish!
Felt like it was trying too hard.
Fool: A Novel

Pug-H

Pentax K10D

05/15/2012 07:18:46 AM · #327

The Hare with Amber Eyes - A Hidden Inheritance, by Edmund de Waal.

Very interesting family history dealing with a Jewish family that made a huge amount of money and had large houses and art collections in Odessa, Paris and Vienna; it centres around a collection of Japanese netsuke (small carvings in wood or ivory) and how they survived "confiscation" by the Nazis in Vienna and how they came back to Japan and finally being passed on to the author, who's an established British ceramicist.

Devinder

Canon EOS-5D Mark III

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

05/15/2012 09:09:35 AM · #328

alright, this ones a bit Dorky, but after that steve jobs book, i read the whole wheel of time series. minus ofcourse the last book. Its decent, a bit frustrating but cool enough for me to read the whole thing.... rating 8/10

vawendy

Sony Alpha 1

Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS

05/15/2012 03:21:55 PM · #329

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

On The Ridge Between Life And Death: A Climbing Life Reexamined

Traces and explains the life and climbs of a seminal mountaineer that put up some crazy routes in Alaska, what climbing meant and means to him, and what it means for those who care for such a person. I really enjoyed it, as I do mountaineering, but it's readily accessible for the non-climber, as well.

God No!
This one is by Penn Jillette, and is sorta a rambling tale of amusing anecdotes. I laughed a good deal, but I'd recommend listening to some of his interviews if you're not familiar with him before picking it up.

Currently reading Into Thin Air and really enjoying it... will likely pick up Eiger Dreams as a follow up.

and slowly reading Beyond the Hundredth Meridian, which is interesting. It's about Powell's journey down the Colorado and his attempts to protect the west against Gilpin and Greeley. It's slow reading because I only read bits of it every now and then. Not because I don't enjoy it, I'm just purposefully keeping it as a book that I read when I have some dead time to myself.

Didn't know about Eiger Dreams -- I'll have to look into it. I loved into Thin Air. Incredible story.

SaraR

Sony Alpha a7R III

Sony FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM

05/15/2012 03:32:00 PM · #330

A re-read of the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series, A Clash of Kings, by George R R Martin. Not great literature, but a thoroughly enjoyable fantasy read that keeps me page turning, even though I know what comes next! 7/10

05/16/2012 06:08:39 AM · #331

Originally posted by vawendy:

Didn't know about Eiger Dreams -- I'll have to look into it. I loved into Thin Air. Incredible story.

I've yet to read it- it was out at the library and I didn't feel like waiting for it to return, but it's still on my short list.

I also forgot to mention that I had also read

Walking It Off: A Veteran's Chronicle of War and Wilderness by Doug Peacock
7/10
Doug Peacock is best known as being the inspiration for the character George Washington Hayduke in Edward Abbey's Monkeywrench Gang. This book traces the difficulties that Peacock had in his life, of mental languish that he then worked through by entering a cathartic self-evaluation, largely through the exploration of the wilderness. It also talks a good deal about the final days of Edward Abbey leading up to and including his death, and how Peacock reconciled himself with Abbey's passing.
If you enjoyed Abbey's Desert Solitaire or Monkeywrench Gang, this is a good book for you.
Walking It Off: A Veteran's Chronicle of War and Wilderness

05/17/2012 04:38:37 AM · #332

Drop Dead Healthy: One Man's Humble Quest for Bodily Perfection
7/10

I picked his up completely on a whim when I was strolling through the bookstore. For all intents and purposes, it's exactly what it seems to be- an amusing tale of a person struggling with the overwhelming amount of health/fitness info out there today. If you keep up with health/fitness news much, you probably have a good idea where this book is largely going to go, and it is pretty entertaining while still touching upon and briefly explaining various recent studies etc. It's not a reference, it's an entertaining commiseration.

Sigma 30mm f/1.4 EX DC HSM for Canon

06/12/2012 06:33:49 AM · #333

The Sentinel by Arthur C. Clarke

8/10

A good assemblage of classic Clarke short fiction, this one has typical stories of exploring space and the new frontier, discovering and facing the unknown. Each one starts off with an explanation by the author, which I rather enjoyed, and (my copy, at least) is illustrated. A good intro to Clarke if you're not familiar with his work, but also good for longtime fans, as it has the beginnings of what later became books, as well.

james_so

Canon EOS 77D

06/12/2012 06:51:33 AM · #334

Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear

6/10

Bought this one as I had enjoyed other books of his, (Eon, Eternity, The forge of God, Anvil of Stars) found this one somewhat disappointing however, perhaps my tastes have changed in the 10-15 years since I read his other books...

Pentax DA 18-135mm F3.5-5.6ED AL [IF] WR DC

07/27/2012 01:14:01 PM · #335

A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick

8/10

This tells the story of a narcotics agent that is performing surveillance on himself. This happens because the drug cartels have infiltrated all levels of government, so the agents wear "scramble suits" which make the person impossible to see, so their superiors literally have no clue who they are, just that they are a part of a group of people. Dick loves multiple realities and blurring the lines of identity, and this work does just that. Great writing and mannerisms for the junkies. Haven't seen the movie with our pal Keanu, but definitely plan to. Downey seems like a hell of a great choice to cast for it.

Lies, Inc. by Philip K Dick.

6/10

A dystopian future finds the heir of a crumbled interstellar travel company attempting to make the solo journey to a new colony 18 light years away after their principle competitor has invented teleportation and destroyed their fortune. The only problem is that the teleportation to the new colony is only in one direction. What foulness awaits at this new and highly hyped utopia?
This book has an AWESOME premise, and could have gone very far, but it falls short for me. Admittedly, part of this may be due to the fact that this story was rewritten and chopped up into two portions for publishing originally, and this complete version was somewhat assembled after Dick's death (though he did write it previously). I wish there was more to it, that things were just fleshed out more.

Adventure Sports Photography: Creating Dramatic Images in Wild Places by Tom Bol.

6/10

I picked this up because the writer lives in my relatively small city and is a decently successful photographer. He's also a contributor over at Kelby Training and various other places. It was kinda cool to see these images in the book that I could instantly recognize the location, so I knew what challenges he faced in getting the shot. Unfortunately, beyond this, there wasn't much more. Lots of the book is way too focused on gear and name plugging. I'd love to get a count for how many times he says Elinchrom or Quadra. This isn't to say that a book about lighting adventure sports should be devoid of technical info, but that you don't need to say Elinchrom Quadra or Ranger every paragraph. Give us a diagram or something, or call it an 1100 w/s light. He's got some good suggestions, and even if I found some of his lighting setups a bit harsh and lacking finesse, it was a worthwhile read. Just wish it wasn't so filled with plugs.

tnun

Ricoh GR III

07/27/2012 03:09:17 PM · #336

Originally posted by Pug-H:

there is a lovely review of this book by Frances Wilson in the Sunday Times. I intend to get/read the book. thank you.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

09/12/2012 09:41:42 AM · #337

ok so i just finished the Hunger Games. What a relentlessly depressing story. I didn't find it to be anything special, however the emotion, strife and torment was well captured. the way this girl was torn between feelings, manipulated, used was unforgiving and i caution anyone that hasn't read it, it isn't a very uplifting story. I do like that the ending isn't entirely happy and that through all she went through, she was so torn apart that she inst easily able to pull herself back together. The overall story is just an emotional assault on a once strong young girl and how her experiences just broke her.

I haven't seen the movie yet and i'm curious to see how they handle it becuase it doesn't seem it would translate well to a movie. the plot was, eh, nothing special, typical post apocalyptic story of an oppressive society and its rebellion. The meat of the story was that it was an account of this young girl and the torment she goes through, told entirely through her eye and thoughts.

Message edited by author 2012-09-12 09:45:28.

Venser

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

09/12/2012 10:24:38 AM · #338

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius - 7/10
Bought this book mainly for title alone. It's about David Eggers raising his brother after the death of both his parents in a relatively short time span. Was entertaining enough to keep the pages turning, but not enough that I'd recommend it to most people.

The Honest Truth About Dishonesty - 9/10
Decent book with lots of experimental evidence. It's a quick read so I upped it's score. If you've already read Predictably Irrational, you'll know exactly what to expect here.

Citizen Coors - 8/10
At least I know the history of how Coors Light come about. It was purposely designed to have no flavor or alcohol, go figure. They wanted people to buy as much as their shitty beer as possible and it's working.

Heaven Is For Real - 0/10
This book is terrible. Apparently is the factual tale of some boy going to heaven and back. I have complete disdain for all religions, but I just had to read this once I saw it on the best seller list. Everything is anecdotal evidence, not an ounce of validity, and the father apparently has no motive or anything to gain, you know being a pastor and all.

Mike

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Tamron SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD Canon Mount

09/12/2012 10:31:05 AM · #339

Originally posted by Venser:

Citizen Coors - 8/10
At least I know the history of how Coors Light come about. It was purposely designed to have no flavor or alcohol, go figure. They wanted people to buy as much as their shitty beer as possible and it's working.

interesting tidbit, the mountains on the coors light can turns blue at the temperature that beer loses its flavor.

Message edited by author 2012-09-12 10:31:40.

09/12/2012 10:53:21 AM · #340

Edge of Dark Water Joe R. Lansdale 8/10

A dark coming of age story set in East Texas.

Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G

09/12/2012 10:55:05 AM · #341

Originally posted by mike_311:

Originally posted by Venser:

Citizen Coors - 8/10
At least I know the history of how Coors Light come about. It was purposely designed to have no flavor or alcohol, go figure. They wanted people to buy as much as their shitty beer as possible and it's working.

interesting tidbit, the mountains on the coors light can turns blue at the temperature that beer loses its flavor.

Losing flavor would mean it actually had some to begin with.

bmartuch

Nikon D7200

09/12/2012 11:04:59 AM · #342

What's the matter with Kansas

9/10

Apple iPhone 5

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/12/2012 11:44:26 AM · #343

My Summer reading list;

Shadow's Edge (A Night Prowler Novel #1)
8/10 Loved it. Like Twilight, but more exciting and with human-panthers instead of vampires.

Nerves of Steel (Hart and Drake #1)
2/10 Romance-detective type story. God, when will this book end? Please, no more!

Blues Highway Blues
9/10 Great fun. A romp through the history of blues.

Invasion: Alaska
7/10 One of these 'what if' stories set in the near future. Works quite well, the politics gets boring, but the battle scenes are really well written.

The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted: A Psychological Thriller
4/10 Disappointingly predictable, with an irritating back-story.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

09/12/2012 01:25:04 PM · #344

Our Kind of Traitor,John LeCarre

8/10 If you like this breed of book, well, the man just keeps evolving. Wildly devilish twists and turns, classic LeCarre understated presentation.

9 Dragons, Michael Connely

9/10 This is the latest (I think) of his Harry Bosch novels, and it's a runaway freight train of a book, if you favor the police-detective-against-all-odds type of book.

ambaker

Google Glass Google Glass

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM

09/12/2012 10:41:24 PM · #345

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Rebecca Skloot

9/10 thought provoking story of a forgotten woman who unknowingly has become one do the most important tools in medicine.

mpeters

Canon EOS-5D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

09/12/2012 11:06:58 PM · #346

Originally posted by spiritualspatula:

A plug for the an older book by the same author... The Know it All.

Also, if you like Krakauer Into Thin Air and Eiger Dreams, you'd probably enjoy David Roberts' Mountain of My Fear and The Last of His Kind.

Dead Man Provenance. Simon Worrall
7/10 Interesting insight into a master of forgery.

CNovack

Canon EOS-600D/T3i Rebel

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

09/12/2012 11:11:42 PM · #347

Trapeze by Simon Mawer

6.8/10 Fictional tale centering around the woman who served in the French Section of the SOE in 1941 - 1944. I picked it up because I did not know anything about 39 woman who were trained as spies. The story is told from the viewpoint of one young woman her training and time spying. A good read - not great. I would have given it a 7 or possibly an 8 because it starts off a bit slow and then was disappointed that the author did not have a special section at the end of the book talking about the historical background (which a good chunk of authors I have read in the past do)

09/14/2012 06:48:03 PM · #348

No Easy Day by Mark Owen and Kevin Maurer.

8.5/10 - I wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. It was a good story about the author's experience as a Seal, specifically his time with DEVGRU aka Seal Team 6. Of course all the hubbub was about the story of the assault on UBL's compound in Pakistan... It was great to read it in the words of someone who was there, but it wasn't packed full of secret Seal strategies or classified details about their equipment, missions etc.

09/16/2012 10:46:42 PM · #349

Gone Girl Gillian Flynn

6/10 - I wanted to like this book and the first two thirds of it were great...the ending is just plain stupid though.

Dr.Confuser

Nikon D800