I've recently been reading some Ray Bradbury. At the moment I'm reading The Illustrated Man.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkasiajames.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F09%2F005-the-illustrated-man.jpg&hash=a68bf336c0acf79a23acc26be4c7f53f003dcc7e)

What are you guys reading presently?

i am reading the chatroom at myfreecams.com

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.fantasticfiction.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fc1%2Fc5601.jpg&hash=684bffc1d714e66b218c19e016e28b043b4af3aa)
And
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fintenseopinions.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F02%2Fthe-millenium-trilogy-cover.jpg&hash=60488017fcc8cc8e5c7f404bf9406914c301fd83)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jyi.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F%2Fimg0160.jpg&hash=fdcd6a45d659e64c5908aad96187bd0bda5c6848)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-kjec2XtrSKc%2FT75SvOndzSI%2FAAAAAAAAA98%2FjxYuFWRUXdY%2Fs1600%2FSlaughterhouse-five%2Bby%2BKurt%2BVonnegut.jpg&hash=e42a35e41c2cd39945605477f719dd87697a4415)

Haven't been able to pick it up in a while though, too busy (even though it's relatively short)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg2.imagesbn.com%2Fp%2F9781590309841_p0_v1_s260x420.JPG&hash=dd969b33cd158a99fb553f2cea8168647b63fd4a)

Quote from: BluPhoenix on May  3, 2013 10:09 PM
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best high school text book ever

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-C2VdkI7aTr4%2FUWEWCkzKtQI%2FAAAAAAAAAi8%2FP9f0TBt2arc%2Fs1600%2FThe%2BArt%2Bof%2BLearning.jpg&hash=d24865407b0f0b584f64d3508725df36763961d8)


also

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theanimatorssurvivalkit.com%2Fimages%2FLogo_Loop_640X480_Title_01_001.gif&hash=c80432084b7fdf1e1e484f4218260acbc2152ea6)

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a0/Crystal_express.jpg)
(https://neuronarrative.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/lucifer.jpg)
good books

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FhIFwZ8p.jpg&hash=2921999df5f323d0d97990f54fcc5ce75d34151c)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F8%2F83%2FThe_Broker_Grisham_Novel.jpg&hash=7fb1be27ac381d31e7dce388c903c206eb1dab88)
It's a good thing it says "A Novel" because that's not already glaringly obvious.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-A9mZeHq6bP0%2FTlciaoJ0J6I%2FAAAAAAAAHBc%2F0rJPbcGv_W8%2Fs1600%2F62a.jpg&hash=a917381f5f1289913092fe429187a113ed248ede)
Every now and then I haven't got a goddamn clue what the characters are saying.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd.gr-assets.com%2Fbooks%2F1328024032l%2F10006054.jpg&hash=024b98c9946e4a118e13300cc9d143519c129e55)
I am definitely not studying, reviewing, or practicing with this. I take it everywhere, and when I'm bored, I turn to a random page and start reading whatever.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2Fthumb%2Fd%2Fd4%2FTheBellCurve.gif%2F210px-TheBellCurve.gif&hash=30b7c09cb4c39138d2c2f403731a1b4907208e48)
Because I like reading about how smart people are good and dumb people are bad.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FdkmcNWhRUU%2FUFlKG_GyPaI%2FAAAAAAAAA6I%2FAXuu9VvhKA8%2Fs1600%2FWhere%2BThings%2BCome%2BBack.jpg&hash=d93f7e0738dd18c54281b9e986503768987e734c)

aaaand re-reading a couple of comics:
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net%2Fn_iv%2F600%2F1111573.jpg&hash=c2c5dc9c5c482736702bd14720c911d9e690b18a) (https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fseanconnors.net%2Fcied5683%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F10%2FGiants.jpeg&hash=46ca91a5295f0f7dcf6e11c77c4a274c78b8baaa)

Quote from: iinnkk on May  5, 2013 04:02 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net%2Fn_iv%2F600%2F1111573.jpg&hash=c2c5dc9c5c482736702bd14720c911d9e690b18a)

yessssss

Quote from: BluPhoenix on May  5, 2013 04:11 AM

Quote from: iinnkk on May  5, 2013 04:02 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fd1466nnw0ex81e.cloudfront.net%2Fn_iv%2F600%2F1111573.jpg&hash=c2c5dc9c5c482736702bd14720c911d9e690b18a)

yessssss

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmmixCpD.png&hash=e731cff5f5ce7e1bbcc496f525bc390e142878be)

b o n e i t i s

Quote from: rtil on May  5, 2013 04:17 AM

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FmmixCpD.png&hash=e731cff5f5ce7e1bbcc496f525bc390e142878be)

b o n e i t i s

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1508%2F299i6Q_how%2520u%2520do.png&hash=787c194add963cfb1680215861ca3ab39492ce2a)

hahahaha

Oh yeah, I've also been re-reading segments of The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts. It's pretty thought-provoking stuff that's good to meditate upon.

(https://images.bookworld.com.au/images/bau/97802856/9780285638532/0/0/plain/the-book-on-the-taboo-against-knowing-who-you-are.jpg)

Just started this at school as well:
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnichole.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F06%2Fthe-catcher-in-the-rye-cover-674x1024.jpg&hash=9a683288067af6ec52ed7dd962c11ea29db8cb7b)

Quote from: ExBerian on May 10, 2013 08:42 PM
Just started this at school as well:
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dude. so did i. today.

i totally cliffnoted that one

i liked that one

Like it so far BD?
Rtil you should try and read it, the people in the story are a little annoying, but it has a pretty good story to it! :D
High five, slack!

ive read it five times. its one of my top 7 books

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F5%2F55%2F%2522I_am_a_Hero_vol.1_cover_page.jpg%2522.png&hash=d91917e48069aaa1b04c6045ff40f9ead94afd99)
http://is.gd/EsD1Dg (http://is.gd/EsD1Dg) [nsfw]

Oh i have also started reading through Wallace Stevens' works. Damn good.

Catcher in the Rye was maybe the only book i ever read in school that i reaaally enjoyed

Quote from: RichChap on May 15, 2013 03:14 PM
Catcher in the Rye was maybe the only book i ever read in school that i reaaally enjoyed

Quote from: slack on May 15, 2013 03:57 PM

Quote from: RichChap on May 15, 2013 03:14 PM
Catcher in the Rye was maybe the only book i ever read in school that i reaaally enjoyed

i really liked uhhh
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_KEXGx7GvYO0%2FTIGhDtOxneI%2FAAAAAAAAA5k%2FBmDFvpIoXTE%2Fs1600%2Fof_mice_and_men.jpeg&hash=1b66c4e5df5c986fb4bf678f2a6bed45c11ef11a)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F24.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_m28uhrOMyz1qd4z6go1_400.jpg&hash=9a6cc2de3ffbf59e80a92e083efd9a2e412a5b49)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F7%2F79%2FTo_Kill_a_Mockingbird.JPG&hash=5de9b736f8db29cb395adb27ed89213f04e3a229)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fpuu.sh%2F2WHwk.jpg&hash=48899740ce9a4a0ee4460b8478de259b12900c1b)

i didn't like of mice and men or to kill a mockingbird really and I never read lord of the flies but from what i heard it sounded pretty cool

well, you do drugs, so fuck you

ok so moving on...
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kurzweilai.net%2Fimages%2Fradical_evolution1.jpg&hash=e05696bf04dc403faa4281e69655d2ed82e32a24)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftechliberation.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F06%2FThe-Shallows.jpg&hash=e43277176487c41a43f7b6c5a75d964dfa737fb6)
books on my favorite subjects

hey im gonna throw in my 20p with

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.fantasticfiction.co.uk%2Fimages%2Fn0%2Fn1535.jpg&hash=d7c883142238688f086c86552a09f14fcc3c13ec)

mad setting, characters and an undefinable genre.

gothic fantasy of manners is a kinda blunt description

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgcmag.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F09%2FKeep-the-Aspidistra-Flying.jpg&hash=76322b521e863c29685c18d1b8cb25987ac375fe)

I very recently finished reading this. I didn't enjoy it as much as some of Orwell's other work, but it was favourable nonetheless.

I'm also reading The Wisdom Of Insecurity  by Alan Watts. It's pretty insightful.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F_AZ7OJznlHow%2FS_PwId5KhvI%2FAAAAAAAAANc%2FZx2GgWuPMlg%2Fs1600%2FThe%252BWisdom%252Bof%252Binsecurity.jpg&hash=1bdfa81f03ae437799dbecb9562cc81e1f32c2ff)

I'm finishing up
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It's boring and useless common sense.. probably.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmadameaddams.files.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F08%2Frebecca11.jpg&hash=5770f7e810324ddebe4767f20f215e35c138a4e5)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjillsbooks.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F05%2Fare-you-my-mother-cover-image.jpg&hash=36113fea9600622c5738c96896048579af52a4d7)

im proud of you haru

I'm currently reading Silver Linings Playbook

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ds4MnrEka0c%2FUKAwbW7j3OI%2FAAAAAAAAAik%2FzFQVh7QSHPo%2Fs1600%2FThe_Silver_Linings_Playbook_Cover.jpg&hash=a81fffcb9ee31dea0d9341a5329482999277c546)

so far, it reads more like a coming to age story rather than how the movie adapted it.

I plan on eventually reading the following:

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F4%2F45%2FLife_of_Pi_cover.png&hash=ea462a416fc0710f4abb190dd9e1e0f17fa693cc)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthehiddentranscript.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F12%2Fworld-war-z-cover.jpg&hash=94df77acfd979d5f3f53efb814d88b2ac796242e)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmedia.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lxmhqoWNpU1qgdvpm.jpg&hash=a2cdb072637c016f459645e3f3208f0ac87b55bb)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcovers.booktopia.com.au%2Fbig%2F9780099909606%2Facross-the-river-and-into-the-trees.jpg&hash=d5f621a18ca4bd3f948534261adacf7e2322baa2)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcomicattack.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F12%2Fayako.jpg&hash=45fdf08721eb1852c489ff5b9e859b47ede29244)

I ordered Lost at Sea because of this thread.

Holy shit that was awful. Keep your fucking teenage angst to yourselves.

I disliked Lord of the Flies and most of the books I had to read in high school

the only one i did like was A Seperate Peace

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestlittlebookshelf.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2Fa-separate-peace1.jpg&hash=6e9189df63dd2fd8c25ab95df5ed5816d7958ee6)

Quote from: Lambdanaut on May 31, 2013 12:06 AM
I ordered Lost at Sea because of this thread.

Holy shit that was awful. Keep your fucking teenage angst to yourselves.

usually people would expect me to defend bryan lee o malley because i'm lame like that, but i actually agree with you. lost at sea isn't very good imo. not terrible, just not good. the only reason i bought it and pretty much everyone else did is because of his name, otherwise it would've just disappeared along with the 100's of other graphic novels of its time.

This thread.

Quote from: stusader on May 31, 2013 07:05 PM
usually people would expect me to defend bryan lee o malley because i'm lame like that, but i actually agree with you. lost at sea isn't very good imo. not terrible, just not good. the only reason i bought it and pretty much everyone else did is because of his name, otherwise it would've just disappeared along with the 100's of other graphic novels of its time.

Yeah. I actually really enjoyed Scott Pilgrim, EVEN THE ART STYLE. The art has kinda been ruined for me by the enormous shitty fanbase, but it was really pretty decent and original at the time. It's an easy style that makes for great comics, and the storyline was pretty decent too.

When I got Lost at Sea I was expecting a Scott Pilgrim with less stupid sellout video game references, and more real emotional content that actually meant something. I felt like I just got mushy wishy washy bullshit that was written by an author who was trying a little too hard to be edgy for the teens.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-GAiWWmltowY%2FUBAGp5V-USI%2FAAAAAAAABRo%2FwTuz_-CIj-8%2Fs1600%2FForster.jpg&hash=0c7f44fc253d0af42973a76abd6045a44903ae07)

Just started re-reading this. One of my favourite short stories.

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Read it if you like not wanting to be alive.

If you guys like short mind-blowing science fiction, http://qntm.org/fiction (http://qntm.org/fiction) is pretty badass.
"I don't know, Timmy, being God is a big responsibility" is probably my favorite.

Just read

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fflavorwire.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2Flooking-for-alaska.jpg%3Ffit%3D1000%252C1000&hash=a0811ae55a526f6bc3a5cf2b2bcc38bb757d2979)

It's a pretty philosophical young-adult novel. Makes ya cry. Sobs.

Quote from: Lambdanaut on July  7, 2013 05:29 PM
Just read

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fflavorwire.files.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F03%2Flooking-for-alaska.jpg%3Ffit%3D1000%252C1000&hash=a0811ae55a526f6bc3a5cf2b2bcc38bb757d2979)

It's a pretty philosophical young-adult novel. Makes ya cry. Sobs.

I've had that on my shelf for a while, is it any good?

Quote from: ExBerian on July 11, 2013 01:19 PM
I've had that on my shelf for a while, is it any good?

YEAH. I read it over the weekend and it's really captivating. The characters are all very relatable and interesting. The major theme throughout the book is death and how people deal with it.
Just don't read the copyright/publishing date pages if you decide to pick the book up. There's a stupid spoiler in there that ruined a major plot twist for me. The editor is a jackass.

Also, my copy of Masters of Doom just came in the mail, so I'm tearing through that now.
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So far so good. It's about John Carmack and John Romero, their lives, the founding of id software, and how that changed them.

Also, yes, I read a lot.

That one sounds quite interesting, I may have to check that out.

On topic:

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fforbookssake.net%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2010%2F06%2FGeorge-Orwell-Diaries-by-Penguin-Modern-Classics.jpg&hash=9afec9d71803b50bfb8c6e367b9535ae4249bd69)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6VzBTJb.jpg&hash=cfff64d2ca5121b05ff290f038711a8db1668c2f)


american gods

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgeek-news.mtv.com%2F%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgeek%2F2012%2F04%2Fdanza1.jpg&hash=f459a237262ef88718658c6368a799d76e708000)
a not-really-manga collection of 6 short stories that make you feel warm inside

go read it, you fricks

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.ilounge.com%2Fimages%2Fuploads%2Fsteve-jobs-isaacson.jpg&hash=7fcdc1d3afccb53588eb59c78d80bdb46a21549a)

yeah this is what ive been reading. its definitely entertaining and seems to be a fairly objective view of the guy. he comes across so much differently in this book than the impression i got from him from all his keynotes and stuff.

It is pretty funny! But a humor that I know not everyone likes. It's a series of short essays by David Sedaris so if you are not sure you will like it you can probally read one of the stories right there in the book store, or in the sample on Amazon.
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdavidsedarisbooks.com%2Fimages%2Fowlslg.jpg&hash=a027827a2ca879a17ef28948620ffdb0deb071c6)

Is it weird that I'm also reading a book called Changeling?
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F966u2M_Changeling.JPG&hash=3b7d77be6b0ea4b82e6bf1d26f73b35cce1c7476)

Quote from: Lambdanaut on June  6, 2013 01:56 PM
If you guys like short mind-blowing science fiction, http://qntm.org/fiction (http://qntm.org/fiction) is pretty badass.
"I don't know, Timmy, being God is a big responsibility" is probably my favorite.

Thanks so fucking much Josh for sharing this!! @A@



Anywho, At the moment, I am reading "Pathfinder" By Orson Scott Card. It's very good so far (about 100 pages in), and it is worth the read in my opinion. Since it is Card, and you can never go wrong with his works.

Also, Josh, if you see this, read "Saint Amy's Tale" By Orson Scott Card. It's a surreal science fiction novella that you may like.

very short read about a young boy and a deaf girl. very good story
http://www.mangapark.com/manga/koe-no-katachi/c0/all (http://www.mangapark.com/manga/koe-no-katachi/c0/all)

just finished 'naked lunch'. onwards to 'waiting for godot'

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.floatingworldcomics.com%2Fmain%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F02%2Fkingcity_tp_web72.jpg&hash=5d24bd60197e5282eef3fdd7a12667d195fd1f6a)
Mrow~

Quote from: rtil on August 22, 2013 01:04 AM
very short read about a young boy and a deaf girl. very good story
http://www.mangapark.com/manga/koe-no-katachi/c0/all (http://www.mangapark.com/manga/koe-no-katachi/c0/all)

haru showed this to me despite him not liking it. i thought it was really good.

and i've just been going thru some random scientific papers on cybernetics and control systems. interesting stuff.

how could you not like it :(

Quote from: rtil on August 22, 2013 01:04 AM
very short read about a young boy and a deaf girl. very good story
http://www.mangapark.com/manga/koe-no-katachi/c0/all (http://www.mangapark.com/manga/koe-no-katachi/c0/all)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.livescience.com%2Fimages%2Fi%2F000%2F022%2F341%2FiFF%2Fsad-man-computer-111201.jpg%3F1322759829&hash=52f218fb38e7c37ba442c591ead8a81b83965653)

i remember haru sharing that a while ago and also really liking it

I've been reading Kafka's The Trial on and off, and I just finished a book about the Brucke period.

Since TBA seems to really like gaming and anime I think I'll plug this author's stuff that I really enjoyed:

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FSQyzdX9.jpg&hash=57252e29b7961dbd811e5c033220fc4d2dd7cade)

This is The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. It's a high fantasy coming of age story that mixes a lot of my favorite plot elements: magic, assassins, political schemes, lonely immortality. The easiest way to describe it is basically the plot of a Fire Emblem game, but where an Assassin character is the star instead of the usual Lord, and with the writers of an HBO original series instead of Nintendo. That might actually sound terrible and overdone to you depending on your tastes, but I really liked the characterization, and Brent Weeks is pretty talented at writing action scenes. He's also much better at pacing than say, George RR Martin in my opinion. If Martin had written this series it'd have dragged out to six books or more instead of three.

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This is his ongoing series, The Lightbringer; the third book comes out next year. It's also high fantasy, but rather than your typical medieval eurasia setting, it takes place in a unique universe where light and the visible spectrum are the basis of the world's magic and resulting religion/politics. The closest thing I can compare it to is the emotional spectrum of the Green Lantern comics, but the use of color and their associated emotions is the only similarity. I won't delve too deeply into the mechanics, but they're really well developed. Picture someone who uses red magic as being able to shoot liquid fire from their hands, and someone who uses green magic as being able to form things like weapons or armor out of a green glassy substance; if someone is born with the ability to do both, they could form grenades that explode into green shrapnel.

Plot wise, it's an interesting tale driven by the idea that the ruling political and religious authority is built on a lie, and all of the main characters get wrapped up in the conspiracy as it comes crashing down. Well worth reading if you like fantasy novels.

Speaking of gaming and anime...
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I finished this a little while ago and it had Metal Gear Solid, Akira and GitS references, so it must be good (don't ask me because I have no idea)!

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Completely unexpected when I picked this up. A disturbing and difficult read - not due to the vocabulary, but it's truly hard going plot-wise. I love the concept of the book though. Where 'Lord of the Flies' meet a rural Danish setting, the prose is - for the most part - well translated, with the writing deceptively simple and spare. I'm really not one for verbose and dense texts (seriously, when Herman Melville wrote Moby Dick he inked it in fucking treacle it's so thick), but I really enjoyed this. It's not an especially long book either.

I'll just do a quick overview of the plot here:
When Pierre Anton decides that "nothing matters", and climbs up into a tree, his classmates decide to prove him wrong by creating a huge construct of things that matter the most them. Since this makes them search their hearts and question their own conflicted and complex desires, the story quickly turns allegorical - in the most harrowing, yet seductive way. The action takes place in a small town somewhere in the Danish countryside in a low-key world which quickly seems cut out to become nightmarish, as more and more is set at stake.

In terms of teenage disillusionment and existential angst, it's up there with 'The Catcher in the Rye'. That being said, it's definitely not a young teen book. Don't confuse books like this with the hormonal driven pap that dominates the shelves today that share the 'angst' feeling. If you're looking for a book that makes you think, try it.

stumbled upon this
http://tapastic.com/episode/2139 (http://tapastic.com/episode/2139)

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also reading through wangan midnight online i guess

edit:
OH and uh (https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.punkednoodle.com%2Fchamploo%2Fwp-content%2Fthemes%2Fbigfeature%2Flibrary%2Ftimthumb%2Ftimthumb.php%3Fsrc%3D%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F05%2Fakunohana-001.jpg%26amp%3Bw%3D510%26amp%3Bzc%3D1%26amp%3Ba%3Dt&hash=8168b91f20bd69195a1c7c6ab24809f8b8676722) aku no hana (the flowers of evil)

Those are all good manga.

Did anyone read the last volume of Oyasumi Punpun?

Quote from: Bamyasi on April  8, 2014 01:18 AM
Those are all good manga.

Did anyone read the last volume of Oyasumi Punpun?

I was literally just about to make a post about Punpun, but yes I did
I'm re-reading it again so I can remember some aspects of it better.

We should have a discussion when you're done. I might end up rereading it too.

For anyone who hasn't read/finished it: BakaBT (http://bakabt.me/175333-oyasumi-punpun-goodnight-punpun.html), MangaHere (http://www.mangahere.com/manga/oyasumi_punpun/).

i'm actually on ch 66 on oyasumi pun pun right now but i've been reading it on and off for about 3 weeks. i kind of want to savour it because i knew pretty early into it that there's something about it that i'm never going to forget.

also reading snow crash & love and sex with robots.

Yeah, Punpun is one of the most immersive manga I've ever read.

Also one of the top MAL recommendations for it is Koe no Katachi so obviously all you cats at the top of the page should check it out.

Quote from: stusader on April  8, 2014 03:35 AM
love and sex with robots.

Thanks for telling me about this.

the koe no katachi one shot is really sweet. it's being made into volumes now, not sure how that will go.

I'm just going to dump the first chapter so you guys are forced to read it.
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Quote from: Bamyasi on April  8, 2014 06:13 AM

Quote from: stusader on April  8, 2014 03:35 AM
love and sex with robots.

Thanks for telling me about this.

no problem. i'm aware of how ridiculous it sounds but it's a pretty interesting read regardless.

also thanks for making the read the first chapter of pun pun twice.

americas great depression by murray rothbard

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Picked this up after finishing wild at heart (which was the most bible thumpingest book I've read in awhile) because I heard it was as definitive as it could get when it comes to describing masculinity.
It was good, the entire book was a deconstruction of the Grimm's brothers tale of Iron john and talked about the role of men and masculinity and how it has changed over time and what things must happen to a boy before he can truly be a man.
7/10 Would read again if I was a 35 year old with more life experience.

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i thought it was pretty good but i couldn't shake the whole tumblr feeling the entire time

haven't seen the movie tho

Quote from: stusader on June  9, 2014 05:47 AM
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i thought it was pretty good but i couldn't shake the whole tumblr feeling the entire time

haven't seen the movie tho

I heard it was pretty overrated, anything specific that stood out about it?

tarot cards

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I am about to start reading this, something I have been working towards for a long time.

Also, I am currently reading (and almost done with) Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. Interesting book, short book. Also recently finished The Stranger by Albert Camus, recommended to everyone.

Quote from: SrsSam77 on June 10, 2014 06:20 AM
I heard it was pretty overrated, anything specific that stood out about it?

definitely overrated, because i mean pretty much anything tumblr gets its hands on will be. it was better than i thought it would be because the worst i was expecting was another perks of being a wallflower, which it wasn't, thankfully. there are moments that feel a little pretentious like that though but overall it played out much differently than i thought it would and i don't regret reading it.

Quote from: lionsef on June 11, 2014 03:51 AM
Also, I am currently reading (and almost done with) Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. Interesting book, short book.

i read this just over a week ago too. i liked it a lot but i think it's the kind of book that someone could read and become like the most pretentious person on earth afterwords. either way, i think it's very well paced in almost every aspect.

Quote from: Bamyasi on April  8, 2014 06:13 AM
Yeah, Punpun is one of the most immersive manga I've ever read.

Also one of the top MAL recommendations for it is Koe no Katachi so obviously all you cats at the top of the page should check it out.

Quote from: stusader on April  8, 2014 03:35 AM
love and sex with robots.

Thanks for telling me about this.

gotta check that out.

actually i forgot i had read that. good stuff.

also oyasumi punpun! i did a character study on punpun for class a few months ago. It's def one of my favorite books in general. I had no idea anybody else had read it. Also, Manhole and anything by tsutsui testsuya are great reads. Just finished re-reading that. Also boys on the run is a great read. I'd suggest it if you liked punpun.

oh yeah i also forgot to say that i finished oyasumi punpun a bit ago as well and was kind of obsessed with it for a few weeks afterwords. i've never related so much to characters that i didn't want to relate to at all, and i think that's pretty powerful.

it puts you in a really weird mood sometimes, but i would agree that it's also one of my favourite books in general.

Quote from: stusader on June 12, 2014 05:18 PM
oh yeah i also forgot to say that i finished oyasumi punpun a bit ago as well and was kind of obsessed with it for a few weeks afterwords. i've never related so much to characters that i didn't want to relate to at all, and i think that's pretty powerful.

it puts you in a really weird mood sometimes, but i would agree that it's also one of my favourite books in general.

was intrigued by this and went to give it a read. I really like it so far, the art style is really interesting, and the story behind his uncle is so sad):

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-C5HKQy0g1fU%2FUYLkwTQNerI%2FAAAAAAAAAZQ%2F1olePuF8XXA%2Fs1600%2Flolita.jpg&hash=736f5432c4afe351d6fbd346082445ac9d626a9c)

Has anyone here read Lolita? Is it any good? I really want an opinion on it, but I don't know anyone who HAS read it.

i haven't read much of oyasumi punpun yet but i don't really like how the main character is a ghost bird thing. seems kinda lazy. i'm guessing there's more to it down the road or something.

if only you knew how funny that comment is. oyasumi punpun is very self aware.

i gathered that much based on what i've read. i can tell the author has some obvious disdain and cynicism towards society.

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the author has a strange writing style, sentence structure is confusing at times, but i'm gonna finish it

Quote from: slack on June 13, 2014 05:39 AM
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the author has a strange writing style, sentence structure is confusing at times, but i'm gonna finish it

No Country for Old Men is a great book by the same author. Cormac Mccarthy is just overall great.

Quote from: slack on June 13, 2014 05:39 AM
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the author has a strange writing style, sentence structure is confusing at times, but i'm gonna finish it

Oh no
whelp, have 'fun' man, just know that that book will change you.

Not the biggest McCarthy fan but maybe I should try getting back into him with a more open mind.

Quote from: stusader on June 11, 2014 05:46 PM
the worst i was expecting was another perks of being a wallflower, which it wasn't, thankfully.

I thought that book was cute when I was 14. I definitely liked it better than anything I've read by John Green, but I guess Paper Towns and TFIOS were both pretty okay.

Quote from: lionsef on June 13, 2014 02:27 AM
Has anyone here read Lolita? Is it any good? I really want an opinion on it, but I don't know anyone who HAS read it.

It's one of my favorite books. It probably hasn't affected me as much as my favorites from any given visual medium, but it's really not supposed to. Everyone owes it to themselves to at least read the first chapter if they haven't:

Quote from: I'm 12 and what is this: A Novel
Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. Lo-lee-ta: the tip of the tongue taking a trip of three steps down the palate to tap, at three, on the teeth. Lo. Lee. Ta.
She was Lo, plain Lo, in the morning, standing four feet ten in one sock. She was Lola in slacks. She was Dolly at school. She was Dolores on the dotted line. But in my arms she was always Lolita.
Did she have a precursor? She did, indeed she did. In point of fact, there might have been no Lolita at all had I not loved, one summer, a certain initial girl-child. In a princedom by the sea. Oh when? About as many years before Lolita was born as my age was that summer. You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns.

Here's the whole book in pdf (http://www.vahidnab.com/lolita.pdf). The writing is definitely overcooked, but, like Punpun being a poorly drawn bird, it's that way for a reason. Also props for the Heller and Hesse and Camus and avatar.

Quote from: rtil on June 13, 2014 02:42 AM
i haven't read much of oyasumi punpun yet but i don't really like how the main character is a ghost bird thing. seems kinda lazy. i'm guessing there's more to it down the road or something.

Oh, you don't like it. That was one of the most immediate things that made the novelty stand out to me when I was first getting into it. I want to hear your opinion first but I mean don't you think it contrasts well with the (literally) photo-realistic backgrounds? Doesn't it make the story more immersive when you're not making judgements about the character based on appearance? Maybe you're just totally out to lunch?

Also Asano Inio is definitely an optimist (wink). Does anyone know the latest on his (rumored) sex-reassignment surgery? I've been kind of out of the loop.

I've been reading a lot of poetry but I won't post any because poetry is gay.

Quote from: Bamyasi on June 13, 2014 12:02 PM

Quote from: rtil on June 13, 2014 02:42 AM
i haven't read much of oyasumi punpun yet but i don't really like how the main character is a ghost bird thing. seems kinda lazy. i'm guessing there's more to it down the road or something.

Oh, you don't like it. That was one of the most immediate things that made the novelty stand out to me when I was first getting into it. I want to hear your opinion first but I mean don't you think it contrasts well with the (literally) photo-realistic backgrounds? Doesn't it make the story more immersive when you're not making judgements about the character based on appearance? Maybe you're just totally out to lunch?

no, no and no

i don't like it because it's jarring (in a bad way) and because of its simplicity it has an extremely limited range of expression. i'm sure there's a deliberate reason the author had for doing it but i'm not aware of it yet, unless the reasons you stated are why he did it. in which case i am not any more or less interested in punpun's plight because he's a ghost bird thing and almost no one else is.

Quote from: SrsSam77 on June 13, 2014 06:30 AM

Quote from: slack on June 13, 2014 05:39 AM
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the author has a strange writing style, sentence structure is confusing at times, but i'm gonna finish it

Oh no
whelp, have 'fun' man, just know that that book will change you.

yeah i've been meaning to read this book ever since i saw the movie, my father gave it to me on my last birthday and i've finally decided to actually read it

Quote from: rtil on June 13, 2014 12:17 PM
i don't like it because it's jarring (in a bad way) and because of its simplicity it has an extremely limited range of expression. i'm sure there's a deliberate reason the author had for doing it but i'm not aware of it yet, unless the reasons you stated are why he did it. in which case i am not any more or less interested in punpun's plight because he's a ghost bird thing and almost no one else is.

Well I'm sorry you feel that way. I can see how you might think it's gimmicky but personally I thought Punpun's (apparent) design was very well integrated right from page one (when the artist is teaching you how to read the comic), is just as subtly expressive (if a bit more context-dependent) than any illustration by Mori Koaru or whoever, and makes for an interesting counterpoint with the comic's "dark" subject matter. The design also allows the reader to take a more active role in the story than he or she would otherwise, being forced (through the author's guidance) to infer Punpun's feelings by substituting them with his or her own, tipping the piece very far to the "cool" side of the McLuhan scale, which I like. If you're looking for a narrative justification for Punpun's appearence, you might be being too literal. Adding an extra layer of artificiality to a piece makes it feel more visceral and immediate to me because the act exposes just that, the inherent artificiality. Also don't you think Aiko is cute?

Everyone's childhood/adolescence sucked in a different way, but maybe it helps reading Punpun if one's youth sucked in a specific way. Maybe. I can't speak for everyone. I did read Punpun just as much with my guts as my eyes, though. Life experiences shouldn't have any bearing on objective critique, and I still think Punpun's top shelf stuff. It did immediately appeal to me though, so I can't say if your opinion will change with further reading. Plus, there was a (serious, if you ask me) dip in narrative quality from around the end of volume six to the beginning of volume ten. Asano more than makes up for it, though.

Quote from: rtil on June 13, 2014 02:42 AM
i don't like it because it's jarring (in a bad way) and because of its simplicity it has an extremely limited range of expression. i'm sure there's a deliberate reason the author had for doing it but i'm not aware of it yet, unless the reasons you stated are why he did it. in which case i am not any more or less interested in punpun's plight because he's a ghost bird thing and almost no one else is.

i originally was going to point out that it's his whole family and not just punpun but then i figured that's what you meant by 'almost no one'. i'll go right ahead then and say that he's drawn in many different ways throughout the comic depending on his state of mind or age. everyone sees him as human despite this. there's even a sketch someone draws of his face that you only see scribbled out.

maybe i was a bit vague in my post, so at least let me say this in the author's defense: if inio asano were a lazy artist i very much doubt there would be as many empty scenery panels as there is throughout, as bamyasi said, because even if you had never read any manga before i think it's very noticeable.

i feel it's really important for me to say that i would never genuinely recommend oyasumi punpun to anyone. i won't argue with you for not liking it because i know very well it's not for everyone. i actually don't really like the whole trend that's going around recently with people talking about it so much, as hipster as that may sound, because i feel like it detracts from it in a weird but strong way. that may be how i heard about it in the first place, but i think recommending it is a very bad idea. to be blunt though, i think not liking oyasumi punpun for the way he's drawn alone is the most one dimensional reason i've heard for disliking it.

it took me awhile to get through the entire thing and for most of the beginning i wasn't truly enjoying it. i could tell there was a point, but it wasn't apparent for awhile. i'm personally glad i stuck around and heard him out, but i think that's a decision someone has to make for themselves. oyasumi punpun can be very nihilistic at times, and never seems to be able to decide whether it thinks people are inherently good or bad in nature, but the ending left me with a bittersweet feeling that i'll never be able to forget.

i'm not sure where you got "i don't like oyasumi punpun" from "i don't like how the main character in oyasumi punpun is drawn". overall it's ok so far (i just got to volume 3). i "get it". i like the rest of the art. i don't really know where it's going, but i'm curious enough to keep reading.

fair enough. my bad, i guess i got the wrong impression.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg1.imagesbn.com%2Fp%2F9781402205170_p0_v1_s260x420.jpg&hash=a90cce4d8fa7c2bfc1c3e614a029c8d8cb30f783)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F445%2F330k2T_Confederacy.jpg&hash=3889c4a5d3f7f005ffadafa4627d945a5eb24179)

just started reading this book today, 3 chapters in and it's hilarious

hahahaha








no

Quote from: systech on June 18, 2014 06:34 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F445%2F330k2T_Confederacy.jpg&hash=3889c4a5d3f7f005ffadafa4627d945a5eb24179)

just started reading this book today, 3 chapters in and it's hilarious

i know we have that book lying around somewhere

i ought to give it a go

what am I reading? Blu's shitey posts when he first joined tba and managed to offend everything in sight

wop's obituary.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F4%2F47%2FAmericanPsychoBook.jpg&hash=3b2d25cd7568b8cb444bdb5cac509383f59c4c21)
I think this is my fourth reading of it.

Quote from: valiums on June 28, 2014 02:42 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F4%2F47%2FAmericanPsychoBook.jpg&hash=3b2d25cd7568b8cb444bdb5cac509383f59c4c21)
I think this is my fourth reading of it.

Isn't that just 400 pages of suit descriptions

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fa.mtcdn.com%2Fmanga%2Fp%2F9277%2F209542%2F1.jpg&hash=68f9c610befcb653d2f2f2542f27ed07df02dfa4)
prison school (manga)
it took me too long to find a sfw pic to represent this
It's pretty good, one of the better mangas I've read in awhile. it centers around the sole 5 male students in a formerly all-girls school that get sentenced to the school's prison for peeking, the manga has an extremely strong plot with a few tense moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and when it's not super serious, it's extremely lewd/ecchi.
[spoiler]this manga has also made me reconsider my stance on big breasts[/spoiler]

Quote from: SrsSam77 on June 28, 2014 03:53 AM

Quote from: valiums on June 28, 2014 02:42 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F4%2F47%2FAmericanPsychoBook.jpg&hash=3b2d25cd7568b8cb444bdb5cac509383f59c4c21)
I think this is my fourth reading of it.

Isn't that just 400 pages of suit descriptions

"Yes," someone who looked like valiums said. She was wearing dark brown No-Nonsense tights bought during a sale at Wal-Mart and striped blue and white shorts from the thrift store on Main. Her shirt was white with a picture of the Joker (the Dark Knight version) on it, from another nobody brand. The clothes were cheaply made and, worse, cheap. I swallowed the rest of my drink and ignored her while I tried to amuse myself by thinking about the shootings in Aurora. "I don't know why I keep reading it."

Quote from: SrsSam77 on June 28, 2014 04:24 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fa.mtcdn.com%2Fmanga%2Fp%2F9277%2F209542%2F1.jpg&hash=68f9c610befcb653d2f2f2542f27ed07df02dfa4)
prison school (manga)

Blu when did you start being a patrician?

Once done with catch-22 I think I'm gonna move onto
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F25.media.tumblr.com%2Ftumblr_lme3brFsQ51qcef0eo1_500.jpg&hash=0ec4ec255b13ca340c568113facf32ef9e7a7250)
and
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.amazon.com%2Fimages%2FP%2F1593080751.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1098441650_.jpg&hash=d25c8c3c83431bd8a3e3a948200dbad71c415e95)
The latter will be a new experience since I've never read a play on my own time

Quote from: lionsef on June 30, 2014 03:40 AM
Once done with catch-22 I think I'm gonna move onto two books that aren't Lolita.

Oh you're not going to read Lolita okay.

Quote from: SrsSam77 on June 30, 2014 03:26 AM
Blu when did you start being a patrician?

Prison School is good but if you don't stop saying that word I'm going to start a petition to change your name to Patricia.

Quote from: Bamyasi on June 30, 2014 09:23 PM
Prison School is good but if you don't stop saying that word I'm going to start a petition to change your name to Patricia.

Your conduct is unbecoming of a viscount, ege bamyasi?

Please don't tell me you're browsing /mu/.

Quote from: SrsSam77 on June 30, 2014 10:37 PM
ege bamyasi?

good album

Quote from: Bamyasi on June 30, 2014 09:23 PM

Quote from: lionsef on June 30, 2014 03:40 AM
Once done with catch-22 I think I'm gonna move onto two books that aren't Lolita.

Oh you're not going to read Lolita okay.

I completely forgot about Lolita. Yeah I still plan on reading it.

Great, now everyone knows where my name comes from. How embarrassing.

Quote from: lionsef on July  1, 2014 12:19 AM
I completely forgot about Lolita. Yeah I still plan on reading it.

Okay good.

Finished Lolita. Good book, albeit (and this might just be me being impatient) I feel the recounting of details of the last 5 or so years of one's life wouldn't be as vivid as how Humbert portrayed them. Otherwise a recommended, pedophile-ey read. Onto Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre.

I don't want this thread to fade away

Just finished Catch-22 and I am really glad I put the time in to read it. It was funnier and crazier than I ever could have expected, and was pretty gripping at that. The happy, concise ending really made me smile.

Next I'm gonna work on some smaller novels, like Old Man and the Sea and Notes from the Underground.

Abandoned American Psycho; currently reading A Scanner Darkly for the fifth or sixth time and Das Kapital because fuck it.

I finished Siddhartha, I feel at peace.

Quote from: basketweaver on August  5, 2014 08:07 AM
Reading an abridged version of Summa Theologica

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.brandonvogt.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FSumma-of-the-Summa.jpg&hash=8014ca7bcafc3a0e145ef1d6bc281ca6ef420052)

Hopefully this will be revelatory

Are you looking for reasoning as to why Christianity is right or something

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc06.deviantart.net%2Ffs38%2Ff%2F2008%2F330%2F0%2F7%2FTrainspotting_by_SixSillySisters.jpg&hash=f35b1d4b5d2db060fa4914800a42888a18f60960)
I feel about 90% more inclined to do heroin now
also I've been talking to myself in Scottish.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-ec.buzzfed.com%2Fstatic%2F2014-06%2F11%2F5%2Fenhanced%2Fwebdr06%2Fanigif_enhanced-7039-1402478712-1.gif&hash=2a27631141f55177a8c719b60f35b292a095b82b)

Quote from: Bamyasi on August  6, 2014 05:09 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3-ec.buzzfed.com%2Fstatic%2F2014-06%2F11%2F5%2Fenhanced%2Fwebdr06%2Fanigif_enhanced-7039-1402478712-1.gif&hash=2a27631141f55177a8c719b60f35b292a095b82b)

wot

my sig is from the film trainspotting, you goon

Oh I was under the impression it was a shot from an interview of some Serbian undesirable or somesuch.

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/FandlinLV.jpg)
Fucking great read, smooth as a bottle of 12 year old scotch and kept me interested till the end.
This combined with trainspotting has made me 230% more likely to go do a shit ton of illegal things, anyone wanna go to Vegas?

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fnew.readingmatters.co.uk%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2F081.jpg&hash=a98094aea74d3035f6f18da5d99f83d8199f6586)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51GZZAyxPTL.jpg&hash=51a6c29a4637bc5a8d9ec03df4a5cde88de8e2f6)

I have been internally screaming "holy fuuuuuuuuuck" at the end of every chapter. I love this series.

On a dostoyevsky run right now
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Ft5aGWhs.jpg%3F1&hash=e38c8264a0cd568ef38b2e32c02a2b97b475267d)
+ Demons and The Idiot in ebook format

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F3388%2F919Oh2_pow.jpg&hash=e78d554936023b5c34e01a1d7d73682083a1a7e0)
*crosses legs*

this (yes in my browser)

http://chanon.ro/112chan/www.112chan.ro/lit/src/METRO_2033_%28EN%29__SH4DOVVV-WBBONLY.pdf (http://chanon.ro/112chan/www.112chan.ro/lit/src/METRO_2033_%28EN%29__SH4DOVVV-WBBONLY.pdf)

http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/thinking-about-android-epistemology (http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/thinking-about-android-epistemology)

cause robots. plus i like stuff like this.

I went back and reread this for the first time since high school. Remains my favorite dystopian-future novella, but fair warning: the end is like taking a knife to the chest.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqINRT0F.jpg&hash=a550835910b5f8d27390fee097e2b7eb45071e1e)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg2.wikia.nocookie.net%2F__cb20131219142754%2Fmetro2033%2Fimages%2F2%2F28%2FMetro_2034.jpg&hash=78462b48875a62e28ab406313f517624b8255232)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Flh3.ggpht.com%2F_BsePKX0h59Q%2FSlh5Q6PftMI%2FAAAAAAAAC1U%2FlmRhkm5mov4%2Fsilverberg_nightwings_thumb%255B2%255D.jpg%3Fimgmax%3D800&hash=a6721c2cf54de6382c47972472eb7f85a137da6c)

my favourite book ever. Never met anyone else who's read it.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F41T-P6bk6GL.jpg&hash=044290af9bec9c342f00b648a6242a5b106689c7)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcache1.bdcdn.net%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Fbook%2Fmedium%2F9789%2F5179%2F9789517921466.jpg&hash=1c638d68f7b60c2f443dfca4ccd5970e6df1cfee)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs.ecrater.com%2Fstores%2F67604%2F53bd5fc162f5a_67604n.jpg&hash=5f26d119161e6415d272b2dc5e086b295fb09529)
Whether or not I'll finish any of these is debatable.

Man I've been burning through books lately

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftobagostars.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F03%2Fnausea.jpg&hash=cbef9b895e8e372bd3ac0d7d85627fbba68c69ad)
2 good, really enjoyed reading this one, sartre's notes on perception and one's existence reinforced my own experiences.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.qbbooks.com%2Fpictures%2F48172.jpg&hash=7a3f5e06809bc7eac78ce381616dc659209a9276)
I found it easy to read, but I didn't look deep enough reading through, so I might read through again



(https://warosu.org/data/lit/img/0037/07/1367250565816.png)
It felt okay, I felt a few vibes about a few subjects but I do not currently now enough to look into them, might need to reread

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2f/Timemachinebook.JPG)
Great, great read, HG wells knows how to write a captivating novel

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ffc00.deviantart.net%2Ffs70%2Ff%2F2012%2F355%2Fd%2F0%2Ffight_club_book_cover_by_samkimish-d5oqz6q.png&hash=2a6282350cc9463986eeec8a050556e85616b643)
This book, was something else, it spoke to me, or at least my inner nihilist, and godamn did I burn through it, read it in about 3 hour-long sessions
would recommend for the man that feels content with life, cuz you got some shit to burn down mah nigga

Quote from: SrsSam77 on September 29, 2014 05:39 AM
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftobagostars.files.wordpress.com%2F2012%2F03%2Fnausea.jpg&hash=cbef9b895e8e372bd3ac0d7d85627fbba68c69ad)
2 good, really enjoyed reading this one, sartre's notes on perception and one's existence reinforced my own experiences.

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Ftopyaps.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F02%2FBeing-and-Nothingness-Jean-Paul-Sartre.jpg&hash=9762ea3422c872979ee38830691db998dff1b46e)

got this brick from the library today

Quote from: lionsef on September 30, 2014 12:10 AM

got this brick from the library today

wha? it wasn't too long, basket said the physical copy is like 3mm thick, but that doesn't matter because it is a goldmine of thought

Quote from: SrsSam77 on September 30, 2014 03:14 AM
wha? it wasn't too long, basket said the physical copy is like 3mm thick, but that doesn't matter because it is a goldmine of thought

sorry the image fucked up. What was supposed to appear was
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FzGNLl9b.jpg&hash=61902c4bb5b7addccb034c49716cd83c514a1508)

I know Nausea is actually quite short.

just finished reading confederacy of dunces last week, really damn funny and also gives a good insight into the mind of the fedora

and i just picked this one up

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Finthelandofinventedlanguages.com%2Fhome%2Fimages%2Fbook-cover.jpg&hash=2d44344cd67ee63e4b86ebc1b3d372b477c89377)

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F212pI6_Soumission.jpg&hash=3b30973a87d0efe522063caab0742704845b3228)

It's great.

(https://www.penguin.com.au/jpg-large/9780140437645.jpg)

ok

my brother

Quote from: basketweaver on July 16, 2013 09:32 PM
i finished reading this book and got a bit #motivated
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51G957Lf-1L.jpg&hash=b00db54b382355f5d34e8af5bf74030188044998)

This man now allegedly works for Google.

Take note, young TBAlings.

[spoiler]
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmerchandise.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fdeep-time.jpg&hash=8c74012995f897fbdd1d9c58a075267ea1a86763)
[/spoiler]

My kid brother bought me this for Christmas. I'm 73 pages in, I think. It's about what I expected going in — the writing is unspectacular and unchallenging, though not notably non-engaging; the pre-existing characters seem a little bit wooden, as though somebody were trying too hard to emulate somebody else's characters and source material (which is probably because this is somebody trying to emulate somebody else's characters and source material (though considering the TV series has many different writers anyway, it could just be I'm noticing it more specifically because I'm not used to reading this series and the change is jarring)); the sci-fi ideas are sort of interesting and sort of fun.


-----

Quote from: Bamyasi on November  5, 2015 03:24 AM

Quote from: basketweaver on July 16, 2013 09:32 PM
i finished reading this book and got a bit #motivated
[spoiler]
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51G957Lf-1L.jpg&hash=b00db54b382355f5d34e8af5bf74030188044998)
[/spoiler]

This man now allegedly works for Google.

Take note, young TBAlings.

Likely the author had always dreamt of writing works which impact their readers strongly, stirring deep emotional feelings at which most novels can only hope to achieve with today's ever-unappreciative society zombie drones. This is why he gave up writing books and took up a job writing error messages.

Working on The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

good shit thas some good shit

What's it about?

It's a story about everyday existence and the subtle differences between male and female sexuality

it's kind of like Sartre's Nausea crossed with Murakami's Norwegian Wood

the writing style is also really clever and interesting. at one multiple points the author goes into etymological differences between Czech, French, and German (which is exactly the kind of dumb useless shit that i love reading about) and at another point he embeds musical notation into a paragraph.

the book is basically an mix-and-match combination of different modern european novel traditions and it's awesome

Quote from: basketweaver on January 11, 2016 01:18 AM
Working on The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera ...

It's a story about everyday existence and the subtle differences between male and female sexuality ...

the writing style is also really clever and interesting ... and at another point he embeds musical notation into a paragraph.

the book is basically an mix-and-match combination of different modern european novel traditions and it's awesome

Oh marvellous — that sounds right up my alley. Thank you kindly.

Seconding the Kundera recommendation.

Also dumping these because they're some of the best western books I've read and maybe everybody hasn't heard of them:
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F336rS0_The_Book_of_Disquiet.jpg&hash=39cd6f84053f36392b3dd067dba898f52bbb735e)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F525sF7_Ficciones.jpg&hash=65f8b146ea5f26808bb34bb2aa93368009e47285)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F509Se8_Collected_Tales_of_Nicolai_Gogol.jpg&hash=0628166ed6d983d4590a21c7c512a984040b3c7c)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F2504eQ_Against_Nature.jpg&hash=25d0f944d2476922ce5daf280f1597761be9be0d)
(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebackalleys.com%2Fdump%2Ffiles%2F1530%2F9581vT_Pale_Fire.jpg&hash=43038a735279fb4619522ee8c32fdaa9ad36bbae)
Plus they have the snazzy covers to really grab your attention like grrrr.

Quote from: Unless on January 11, 2016 12:32 AM
Likely the author had always dreamt of writing works which impact their readers strongly, stirring deep emotional feelings at which most novels can only hope to achieve with today's ever-unappreciative society zombie drones. This is why he gave up writing books and took up a job writing error messages.

Isn't a 4-hour work week the default in Europe *snort* what would you know about our suffering.

I've been wanting to read some Pessoa since I thought his background was interesting, so I'll check out Book of Disquiet.

@Unless lives in Europistan? Where u from bruh?

(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F31ZtEDLycDL._SX309_BO1%2C204%2C203%2C200_.jpg&hash=f81f36b06a5653fea450a555cac22ad7207ede24)
Started reading this on a two-hour train journey, now reading in bits before bed.
I never thought I'd be snickering at a book about Hitler, but here we are...

Quote from: basketweaver on January 11, 2016 08:08 PM
I've been wanting to read some Pessoa since I thought his background was interesting, so I'll check out Book of Disquiet.

@Unless lives in Europistan? Where u from bruh?

Let me know if you need an .epub.

Unless is from Ireland.

Do comics count or should I make a separate thread for that? I recently got back into western print comics and I picked up Deadly Class, Rat Queens, Southern Bastard, and Paper Girls. All are pretty excellent, except for maybe Southern Bastard which is more of a ymmv kind of thing.

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Cruise by GoodReads, and the readers agree that this book pertains to a slightly different demographic, sampling careers on the higher end of salaries, yet the reading so far is great. I've photocopied the pages and highlighted things of importance to me - lots and lots of Post-It notes. Skimmed through the text and instead of expecting fillers, I go, "Shit, shit, shit! She knows! Gah!".

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Thick and kind read. Would recommend. Take breaks in between and extract the many names onto paper and jot notes of their significance to the text.

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The trailer for the film was what hooked me. I chose this book from a library raffle draw. Placed it on my shelf and as above, note taking of dates and different timelines.

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Great. Read.

Quote from: Yvonne on June 22, 2016 01:08 AM
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I loved the chapter about Pontius Pilate and Jesus but the rest was such a snorefest until the second half imo.

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Guess I'm a pleb.

(https://d3by36x8sj6cra.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/large/9780/2311/9780231145237.jpg)
Modern society and culture, especially in first world nations, have developed a bubble of seperation from the events and happenings of the real world found out on the street that enables them to live lives of pathological altrusim, narcissism, and weakness. Sloterdijk in his book attempts to outline the role the bare metal world and how the high emotions of rage and anger play into the development of western society and mankind since the very first works of western tradition such as the illiad and how the loss of rage, anger, millenia of christian values, and altruistic culture has rotted out the sole of the west and made us ripe for the picking by outside forces. (there are also good bits to be found about wounds in the soul of average people and how modern society and it's condemnation of anger has made it harder to cope)

also: tfw your last name isn't pronounced as "slaughterdick"

(https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347699813l/13047445.jpg)

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sGV2pdbzL.jpg)

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I'm reading Norwegian wood right now actually. Just finished reading the girl with seven names

Quote from: bd648 on June 24, 2016 06:45 PM
Norwegian wood

One of his worst books imo but it's still pretty good I guess. I read them all in high school so my opinion might be different now.

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a pretty interesting read about the decline of quality of food in the usa (hint: it's the money) and other things, including how to navigate an asian grocery store, and why the best BBQ places open early in the morning

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I've read up to Billennium (http://www.johnjosephadams.com/brave-new-worlds/table-of-contents/billennium-j-g-ballard/) by J. G. Ballard. So far, I favour the writing in this text. I've browsed for a copy of the expanded edition but it doesn't seem like they have it in the library.

Just picked this up for 90c, I think, in a second hand bookshop.

(https://paulaacton.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/6978770.jpg)

Cue some Soul Eater jokes.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51sqVXNWHhL._SX324_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg)
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basket can sit and laugh from his desk at facebook for now but I'm catching up

you fukken kno it m8

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I'm nearly finished with this one.

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tfw slowly turning into a wizard
tfw understanding humans
tfw understanding yourself
tfw understanding dreams and the ability to make it real

Fiction does that too but if you want to stick with your Silicon Valley-approved self-help books I won't stop you.

*sips latte with one eye quirked, pensively tiwddles handlebar moustache, orders the kale panini*

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/Trump_the_art_of_the_deal.jpg)
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After reading this I don't see how tony schwaartz can keep throwing chimpouts about being the ghost writer of the book when the writing has trump's voice, cadence, and non-accidental mesmerizing qualities to it

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Riveting stuff  - compelling read. Best pick of the month.

Did you know that I was asked to write the forward? It was a pleasure. It goes on for, like, ⅞ of the entire book (1000 pages+).

@Bamyasi (http://www.thebackalleys.com/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=1530), would you like a copy? I mean, it's your book.

What is this salt you two are throwing
you do know he's taken by his figma 1/8th waifu super sonico right?

(https://www.straightlinepersuasionsystem.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cialdini-influence.jpg)
This one is more about making one aware of social biases and innate human faults that are commonly exploited with no one being the wiser, takes a lot of digestion to be able to eek out clearly persuasive tactics.

(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51LurH71kuL.jpg)
Got on the times best seller list a week after it was released, the other people who have read it so far say that it's not only amazing and gives one the ability to resist modern marketing tactics, but also gives breadcrumbs of tactics one can employ in their own life, I've only just started it though

Quote from: SrsSam77 on September 26, 2016 05:46 AM
figma 1/8th waifu

Figma aren't scale you pleb.

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(https://thebackalleys.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_7mGFJ7t-eaU%2FTTQ1EyHSjQI%2FAAAAAAAAB8o%2Ftq16XF2pxh0%2Fs1600%2Fdeparture%2BHBR%2BAsher%2B5.jpg&hash=f0bfc0aa6d9d875349123dfd3c0479aa912ba17b) (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7mGFJ7t-eaU/TTQ1EyHSjQI/AAAAAAAAB8o/tq16XF2pxh0/s1600/departure+HBR+Asher+5.jpg)

Quote from: The Dumb Dumb on March 22, 2017 07:45 PM
He was a Chinese photographer whom Yvonne likes.

Decided to go on an Ayn Rand journey since I have the fountianhead and my boss likes her.
I bought Anthem and no matter how you feel about her philosophy, this book gets you so pumped up.
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Next is fountianhead which seems to be starting off well, but who knows. I am only a portion into it.
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It's All Absolutely Fine (Life is Complicated so I've Drawn It Instead by Ruby Elliot/rubyetc.

Fun illustrations and bad English that Bamyasi does not appreciate how I get away with.

I've been to my first counselling appointment today. It was shit. 4/10. At least I made 'em laugh a bit.

why would you go to counseling when you can just meditate and read mind hacking by sir john hargrave

Quote from: Yvonne on April 10, 2017 08:45 PM
bad English that Bamyasi does not appreciate how I get away with.

You don't.