Before I started the Hunger Games, I had finished reading The Bridge at Andau, by James Michener, a book about the revolution against communism that occured in Hungary in the 1950s. The people were greatly oppressed by the Soviets, and the brutality and oppression were shocking.
There is a book that I intend to check out from the local library. It is called The Girl Who Was on Fire, and is a collection of essays from other authors' perspectives on the social and political aspects of the Hunger Games series. Not sure when I'll get to it, I recently put together a list of books that would likely be much more educational.
I found out that the National Academies Press has many reads available for free download. http://www.nap.edu/While most of the free download books aren't the most interesting, the site did help me piece together this list of books that I hope to get too eventually (the first one on the list is available to view for free online). Have any of you read any of these books?
- A Beautiful Math: John Nash, Game Theory, and the Modern Quest for a Code of Nature
- Here's Looking at Euclid: A Surprising Excursion through the Astonishing World of Math
- Struck by Lightning: The Curious World of Probabilities
- Unknown Quantity: A Real and Imaginary History of Algebra
- The Secret Life of Numbers: 50 East Pieces on How Mathematicians Work and Think
- The Matchbox that Ate a Forty-ton Truck: What Everyday Things Tell Us about the Universe
- Degrees Kelvin: A Tale of Genius, Invention, and Tragedy
- The Man Who Stopped Time: The Illuminating Story of Edward Muybridge - Pioneer Photographer, Father of the Motion Picture, Murderer
- Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics
- Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science
7 comments:
Thanks, Glenn, for getting the book discussion started again. Remember how at the beginning of 2011 there was talk of a book schedule and themes? Remember 2010 when we actually read a book?
I'm as guilty as anyone. I've been meaning to post for ages on Paul's link to the fun activity of balancing the budget. (I found that the only way to balance the budget was to cut everything AND raise taxes. I tried to pick and choose, but it wasn't enough.)
Anyway, lets start off 2012 right and get at least 4 more books read than in 2011.
None of the books on Glenn's list were on audio at my library, but for the sake of the book club, I'm willing to actually read. There were two books that were in both in print at my library and got over 4 stars on Amazon. So my vote is for either Here's Looking at Euclid or The Unknown Quantity.
I didn't think the Hunger Games series had that much to discuss, just a fun, fast-paced series. However, I'm curious to read The Girl Who Was On Fire. I've put it on hold. It'd be fun to discuss around the time the movie comes out.
I like your suggestions, Alvin. In addition to Euclid or Unknown Quantity, and Girl on Fire, I would like to suggest another set of book choices.
For various reasons, I recently went to the library looking for a particular book on science and God. I ended up checking out 4 audiobooks. I have started on Fingerprints of God, by Barbara Bradley Hagerty, and will eventually get to The Language of God, by Francis Collins, Knocking of Heaven's Door, by Lisa Randall, and Man Seeks God, by Eric Weiner.
Thoughts?
Well, Glenn, it looks like its just you and me. I just finished Chapter Zero of 'Here's Looking at Euclid', and I thought it was fantastic. If you're in, I say we discuss it at the end of February.
I've checked out Fingerprints of God, so it can be next if you want. I'm also interested in adding Neil Gaiman's American Gods to the queue. It won't add anything to the science/God discussion, but after (or between) two nonfiction, I figure we'll be ready for some fiction.
I'll have to get to the library this week so that I can start on Euclid. Your positive reaction to the first chapter is encouraging.
I finished Fingerprints of God last week and started Man Seeks God this week. There were parts of the book I enjoyed and other parts that were a bit monotonous, but I will wait until later to elaborate.
I will definitely be up for some fiction after this marathon of theological scrutiny.
Do you know when Hunger Games comes out in theaters? Let me know when you start The Girl Who Was on Fire.
I missed this post and comments until earlier this month, but I'm trying to speed through Euclid, so I can try to sound in too. I started to read American Gods, but it was too vulgar for my tastes.
Glad you could join us. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. My progress is pretty slow in the book (been whittling away on my thesis).
Sorry Paul about not warning you about American Gods. I warned Glenn, as he seemed to be the only other one paying attention, but never got around to posting it here. I've got about 30 pages left in Euclid. Hope to write my thoughts this weekend.
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