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What was the last book you read?

Dr. Schaden Freud said:
I actually saw in a movie (Khuda Ke Liye) that many people in Pakistan can read and write Arabic but don't really understand it. Is that true?
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Yes, it is true. Reading Arabic does not require too many skills if you already can read Urdu.
 
Dr. Schaden Freud said:
I actually saw in a movie (Khuda Ke Liye) that many people in Pakistan can read and write Arabic but don't really understand it. Is that true?
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Arabic and Urdu have the same script which is....... you guessed it... ARABIC!!!

so yeah we can read it easily but understand very little of it apart form the instance when common words in the 2 languages are used
 
nish_mate said:
Shantaram is a brillaint book, sometimes in the middle the author might reflect a bit on the mind-but never theless a very good book.

I found it fascinating reading an outsider's view of India...

Dr SF- i dont think in Shantaram you will have the issue of retracking the events.

AZ where are you now in the book?
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he has just met Abdelkhader Khan and Abdullah.
 
Good thread:

Reading Human Action: A Treatise on Economics by Ludwig von Mises
 
Didn't like Niall Ferguson after watching his documentary on Channel 4 Civilization: Is the West History?. Maybe his reading material may have some intellectual value.
 
AZ said:
a bit too slow-paced, author is a bit busy marveling at the ways of the subcontinent rather than tell his story.

and the chapters are reaaaally long :facepalm:
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Wait till the initial chapters gets over. It really picks up from the middle. Awesome read.

@op, catch 22, find it pretty boring so far.
 
A Moment of War by Laurie Lee, about a young man's experience with the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War.
 
Principles and Modern Applications of Chemistry

:P


course books are more than enough for me at this point of my life.
 
Dr. Schaden Freud said:
I actually saw in a movie (Khuda Ke Liye) that many people in Pakistan can read and write Arabic but don't really understand it. Is that true?
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We are taught how to read and write it because all Muslims are required to read Qur'an in Arabic at least once in their lifetime .
 
Dr. Schaden Freud said:
The Brothers Karamazov is exactly the kind of fiction I personally prefer. Dostoevsky is a genius and has great understanding of human brain. The way he describes the outer behaiviour and the inner thinking of many different characters is amazing. It's the kind of book where the actual incidents and where they lead to unfolds slowly and at times, take a back-seat, whereas the way the things unfold is more enjoyable.
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Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors. I loved Crime and Punishment; quite dark and haunting, and as always, a wonderful psychological exploration. I also liked Notes from Underground, and of course, The Brothers Karamazov.

As far as my current reading, it's mostly Computer Science books. I don't read fiction as much anymore. I recently read The Kite Runner, which was decent; extremely sad, and a great plot. The best one I've read recently was Catch-22; one of the most hilarious books i have ever read, and a true classic.
 
chaiwala said:
The best one I've read recently was Catch-22; one of the most hilarious books i have ever read, and a true classic.
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I do not understand people who find that book funny. I found it horrible.
 
chaiwala said:
Dostoevsky is one of my favorite authors. I loved Crime and Punishment; quite dark and haunting, and as always, a wonderful psychological exploration. I also liked Notes from Underground, and of course, The Brothers Karamazov.

As far as my current reading, it's mostly Computer Science books. I don't read fiction as much anymore. I recently read The Kite Runner, which was decent; extremely sad, and a great plot. The best one I've read recently was Catch-22; one of the most hilarious books i have ever read, and a true classic.
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The humour in Catch-22 is fantastic. I loved the book.

Have you read Orhan Pamuk, Chaiwala? He is my favourite author and if you like Dostoevsky, then, you'd love this guy. I am not much of a memoir reader but even the memoirs of this guy were fantastic.
 
Dr. Schaden Freud said:
The humour in Catch-22 is fantastic. I loved the book.

Have you read Orhan Pamuk, Chaiwala? He is my favourite author and if you like Dostoevsky, then, you'd love this guy. I am not much of a memoir reader but even the memoirs of this guy were fantastic.
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No, I haven't, Freud. I'll have to check him out sometime. My fiction reading has dropped to nil ever since college.
 
Modern Instrumental Analysis

Chromatographic Methods

Dyes & Pigments

The Assassins
 
Siddiq Salik- Wounded Pride. A heartbreaking book about a POW during the East Pakistan debacle. His details are earth-shattering, and his undying patriotism despite being in the most adverse circumstances make for a tear-jerker. Loving the book, but crying at the same time because he lived in such misery
 
One of the classics of all time - The Count of Monte Cristo. Really absorbed by the plot and how it pans out into Dantes quest for revenge.
 
Just completed reading "The Romonov Prophecy" by Steve Berry.

Class novel.

It's on the Russian Tsar, facts mixed within a fictitious story. Good read.

Now, I have started reading, "Playing for keeps: Micheal Jordan and the World he made" by David Halberstam.
 
suhaib said:
the disciplined trader by mark Douglas.
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i was gonna read that, wt u think of it, any good?

i just finished pitbull by marty schwartz, really good book, its not a a technical guide, but great over the shoulder look into a great traders attitude and life.

his writing style is also very impressive, esp for someone who is not an author by profession.
 
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violet_may said:
Harry Potter 1-7 yo! :murali

Actually been reading To Kill a Mockingbird.
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Harry Potter is the shiznits. I'm not even going to lie, I love those books.

To Kill a Mockingbird was slightly overrated ;-) but still miles above the other American classic Catcher in the Rye, which was unbelievably annoying to read.
 
chaiwala said:
Harry Potter is the shiznits. I'm not even going to lie, I love those books.

To Kill a Mockingbird was slightly overrated ;-) but still miles above the other American classic Catcher in the Rye, which was unbelievably annoying to read.
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Arite arite. As a HP nerd, I have to ask, which House would you want to be in? And wasn't the ending of the final book stupid? Like with Harry marrying Ginny? Ew!
 
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violet_may said:
Arite arite. As a HP nerd, I have to ask, which House would you want to be in? And wasn't the ending of the final book stupid? Like with Harry marrying Ginny? Ew!
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Well, I would definitely want to be in Slytherin, because I'm kind of an evil dude. And, Gryffindor is too boring, and the other houses don't even matter.

And the ending was just stupid. Especially the naming of their children. :facepalm:

Harry should have totally gotten with Cho Chang. Marrying your best friend's sister is just a little weird.
 
chaiwala said:
Well, I would definitely want to be in Slytherin, because I'm kind of an evil dude. And, Gryffindor is too boring, and the other houses don't even matter.

And the ending was just stupid. Especially the naming of their children. :facepalm:

Harry should have totally gotten with Cho Chang. Marrying your best friend's sister is just a little weird.
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O.M.G chai. I always wanted to be in Slytherin too! I had a crush on Snape :heart: :))

Thank you for saying the names were beyond stupid. Albus Severus? What the heck!? Aww, I feel so happy knowing a HP nerd exists on this forum :)
 
violet_may said:
O.M.G chai. I always wanted to be in Slytherin too! I had a crush on Snape :heart: :))

Thank you for saying the names were beyond stupid. Albus Severus? What the heck!? Aww, I feel so happy knowing a HP nerd exists on this forum :)
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Interesting. Is Snape generally considered attractive by women?
 
The Myth of Independence by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. I will write a review once I am done reading it.
 
Just read 'Disgrace' and 'Dusklands' by J.M. Coetzee. The latter is original and powerful but the former is really something special, and the ideal starting point - it won the Booker and was a significant factor in Coetzee winning the Nobel Prize for Literature several years later. Anyone interested in the male condition or 'itch' (as anyone male and intelligent should be), the psychological roots of sex and violence and South Africa through the ages should read both.
 
chaiwala said:
Alright, Clevinger ;-)

What did you find horrible about it?
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The hopelessness. The sense that reason had gone out of the window and that they were stuck in a lethal farce. The feeling that the fliers were all about to die. The fates of Snowdon and Doc Daneeka. Milo's war profiteering.


chaiwala said:
I don't know. I didn't really like that one part where he whined about something.
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In other words, the whole book..... couldn't stand Catcher. It's supposed to be about awakening and Buddhism and such but I just wanted to slap Caulfield throughout the book.
 
Yeah, I was wondering if that line was from CITR. I don't really remember much from the book now, apart from the fact that that Holden used to digress a lot and thought that everyone else was phony.

But, I really enjoyed reading the book.

Another question - would you read a book when you've seen a movie based on it? I can never pull myself to do it because a part of me tells me that I already know the story, better read something else.
 
Dr. Schaden Freud said:
Another question - would you read a book when you've seen a movie based on it? I can never pull myself to do it because a part of me tells me that I already know the story, better read something else.
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I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy after watching the movies first. I thought it was fine, especially since I loved the movies. The extra details that the book provided just made it more enjoyable for me.
 
Robert said:
The hopelessness. The sense that reason had gone out of the window and that they were stuck in a lethal farce. The feeling that the fliers were all about to die. The fates of Snowdon and Doc Daneeka. Milo's war profiteering.
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I think that was intentional. Just look at the meaning of "Catch-22;" it's a binding, hopeless situation from which you cannot escape. I think that's what I really loved about the book. Beneath all the humor was a very serious message about bureaucracy.
 
chaiwala said:
I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy after watching the movies first. I thought it was fine, especially since I loved the movies. The extra details that the book provided just made it more enjoyable for me.
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Sure, and the way that Aragorn took over in the last movie (if you watch the long version) made more sense than in the books. Also some nonsense like Tom Bombadil got left out. The Scouring of the Shire got left out of the films, which was a shame because it showed how much the hobbits had developed.
 
Radiance Of Australis said:
Guys, any fiction books set in subcontinent or Middle East? I quite like those. I find them easier to relate to.
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Apart from the ones already recommended, I rate -

1. God of Small Things - Subcontinent based - Very serious story on discrimination in sub-continental societies.

2. Swami and Friends - Might be difficult to relate to as it is based in South India, but a simple story with earthy humour. Easy to read and the simplicity moves your heart.

3. Orhan Pamuk books (based in Turkey) - Snow, Black Book, My Name is Red, Museum of Innocence etc - Melancholic stories with intense insight on the conflict between modernity and tradition in Turkish society. The society depicted is kind of similar to India and Pakistan of today where people in the upper middle class and rich class try to embrace western traditions but find it hard to get out of the influence of their roots.


4. Sea of Poppies - Great depiction of a Indian society in 19th century. The story is based on a voyage of a ship filled with bonded labourers from India who were being taken out to work in foreign countries. There are separate stories of the labourers and how they came to the situation they are in, their trials and tribulations, their fears about travelling towards a future they know nothing about except for the fact that it is not going to be easy.
 
I'm currently reading Don't Breathe A Word by Jennifer Mcmahon. I love it so far...it's kind of a mix between mystery and fantasy.
 
violet_may said:
Arite arite. As a HP nerd, I have to ask, which House would you want to be in? And wasn't the ending of the final book stupid? Like with Harry marrying Ginny? Ew!
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I really hated the way the book ended at first too. Originally, the last book was my least favorite. But my opinion changed after I read the book the second time. Now it's actually one of my favorite books from the series and I like it more and more each time I read it. (I've reread the series several times!) I wouldn't change a single thing about the ending!
 
hokie said:
I really hated the way the book ended at first too. Originally, the last book was my least favorite. But my opinion changed after I read the book the second time. Now it's actually one of my favorite books from the series and I like it more and more each time I read it. (I've reread the series several times!) I wouldn't change a single thing about the ending!
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I think I would just remove the entire epilogue. I've read it a few times too, and my opinion really hasn't changed.

Also, do you go to Virginia Tech? Just wondering.
 
I liked the all HP books.

The ending was a typical feel good ending which typifies the kind of series HP is. Too bad the next generation won't get to wait for the release date to get an HP copy the way we did. I don't remember there being as much excitement about the release of any book (even superior books) or the there being a desperation to get it in the first day itself.

I wonder if a book will ever create movie-like enthusiasm again among the masses.
 
Started reading Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, but then I joined an IIM, and since then, have never had enough time and motivation to read it further. To think of it, I do manage to get time to post on PP, so it might have to do with the lack of motivation part.

In fact I have left other books I started reading incomplete as well. Ps I Love You (some girl recommended me and left reading it for good after reaching half way), 2 States (left the end part), one or two more.
 
chaiwala said:
I think I would just remove the entire epilogue. I've read it a few times too, and my opinion really hasn't changed.

Also, do you go to Virginia Tech? Just wondering.
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A lot of people don't like the epilogue, but I think it is kind of important because that is where we are introduced to Teddy Lupin. Rowling has said that she would consider writing more books and I have a feeling that if she ever wrote another series related to Harry Potter, it would revolve around Teddy!

Yeah, I went to Virginia Tech...graduated a couple years ago.
 
Dr. Schaden Freud said:
I liked the all HP books.

The ending was a typical feel good ending which typifies the kind of series HP is. Too bad the next generation won't get to wait for the release date to get an HP copy the way we did. I don't remember there being as much excitement about the release of any book (even superior books) or the there being a desperation to get it in the first day itself.

I wonder if a book will ever create movie-like enthusiasm again among the masses.
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I LOVED waiting for the release dates. I used to go to all of the midnight release parties at the bookstores and everything. (I'm just a little obsessed with HP!) I don't think there will ever be a series of books that creates as much hype as HP did. Twilight tried, but couldn't even compare.
 
Submarine, Joe Dunthorne. Catcher in the Rye transported to Wales but ruder, funnier and much more accessible.
 
Hey Whippy, are you a literature student/graduate? If you are, what is your opinion on post-modern fiction and which book are the ones you'd recommend?
 
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