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  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The Religion of the Sikhs

    by Dorothy Field

    [1914]
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    The Religion of the Sikhs

    by Dorothy Field

    [1914]

    Are you sporting a turban? You really should be.
  • edited June 2017 Posts: 3,566
    James Comey's Introduction to his Senate Testimony is the best non-fiction espionage writing to see print this year. Love the grandfather clock!
  • Posts: 15,125
    Dead before Dying by Deon Meyer. Always good.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    Pet Sematary by Stephen King - about 34 years since I first (and last) read this. Part of my SK reread marathon, great book, really enjoying it so far (as I knew I would).
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Tao Te Ching

    by Lao-tzu

    J. Legge, Translator

    (Sacred Books of the East, Vol 39) [1891]
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    THE ZEND AVESTA

    An English translation from 1880.
  • Posts: 7,653
    The new Donald E Westlake of course. I did not know that Westlake did do some car-stunt on the FDR in the movie LALD. The man has written some brilliant stuff and now I will gladly read his posthumous would be/could be 007 book. Love the afterword it is sheer love and fun in itself to read.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    SaintMark wrote: »
    The new Donald E Westlake of course. I did not know that Westlake did do some car-stunt on the FDR in the movie LALD. The man has written some brilliant stuff and now I will gladly read his posthumous would be/could be 007 book. Love the afterword it is sheer love and fun in itself to read.

    Really looking forward to getting that one. Quite a unique book I would say.
  • edited June 2017 Posts: 628
    SaintMark wrote: »
    The new Donald E Westlake of course. I did not know that Westlake did do some car-stunt on the FDR in the movie LALD.

    I've replayed that scene several times and can't spot him in the vehicle that gets hit. It's a wild story, one that I'm sure is absolutely true (especially considering the relaxed safety measures for productions during that time), but it would be nice if we could actually see him in the movie.
  • edited June 2017 Posts: 4,622
    SaintMark wrote: »
    looking forward to the next book aren't you, I know I am and the end was pretty surprising but it did end the multi story thread pretty decent for now.

    Yes, the next book should be real Interesting.
    What does intrigue, is what becomes of the Diogenes character?
    He's been the hardcore big bad for so long, and now it seems like maybe he's more along the lines of troubled family member.
    I wonder, will this hold? Have we seen a dramatic shift in the brother relationship here?
    My guess is yes. D is morphing in a better direction. Probably not cured, probably still bent, but no longer enemy
  • Posts: 2,491
    How to Archer :D
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    dragonsky wrote: »
    How to Archer :D
    Terrific Book! :D
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    dragonsky wrote: »
    How to Archer :D

    Oh, what? I had not heard of this, I googled it, and now I need it.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    prometh.jpg
    PAGAN CHRISTS

    STUDIES IN COMPARATIVE HIEROLOGY

    BY

    JOHN M. ROBERTSON

    SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND EXPANDED

    [ISSUED FOR THE RATIONALIST PRESS ASSOCIATION, LIMITED]

    LONDON:

    WATTS & CO.,

    17 JOHNSON'S COURT, FLEET STREET, E.C.

    [1911]
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited June 2017 Posts: 18,281
    You're an esoteric lad, dear Thundy! Just like me!
  • Posts: 15,125
    That looks very interesting. A lot of Pagan mythical heroes received the "Christ" treatment in art. Prometheus was no longer the blasphemer but a Messianic figure, which is very obvious in the image @Thunderfinger put there. Same with the Norse god Balder. And the traditional image of Christ was of course taken from Zeus.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Ludovico wrote: »
    That looks very interesting. A lot of Pagan mythical heroes received the "Christ" treatment in art. Prometheus was no longer the blasphemer but a Messianic figure, which is very obvious in the image @Thunderfinger put there. Same with the Norse god Balder. And the traditional image of Christ was of course taken from Zeus.

    And Cesare Borghia
    hqdefault.jpg
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited June 2017 Posts: 24,184
    STAR WARS THE THRAWN TRILOGY PART 3
    THE LAST COMMAND


    latest?cb=20121006090659

    Timothy Zahn's 1993 follow-up to HEIR TO THE EMPIRE (1991) and DARK FORCE RISING (1992), concludes a Star Wars epic which, at the time, was said to have sparked new interest in a series pretty much dried to a crisp. I certainly agree that the so-called Thrawn trilogy is an outstanding achievement, though I must say that I severely struggled with the first quarter of this third novel. Somehow I felt the tension had left the story and for a Star Wars fan craving intrigue, Force using, lightsabers, X-wings and TIE-fighters, the first couple of chapters came off as barren. It took me nearly a full month to catch my Thrawn breath again and eventually, I re-read the first hundred or so pages, only to find myself suddenly immersed in excitement of the purest kind. It ultimately took me about six very well spent hours this weekend to page through the entire novel.

    Grand Admiral Thrawn puts the Imperial fleet on the verge of its thus far largest attack against Coruscant, now the capital of the New Republic. Meanwhile, dark Jedi Joruus C'baoth has seen the ends of his patience and never more determined to round up Luke, Mara Jade and Leia and her newly born twins decides to strike fast and hard. Splinter fractions within the Alliance, seeking aid from well-organized smugglers like Talon Karrde, prepare to dismantle C'baoth's cloning facility and deprive him of the "Spaarti Cylinders" which enable the growth of the clones. It's only a matter of time before the universe sees one victor rise from the ashes of this impending war. But who shall it be?

    I'll be honest; reading Zahn's prose while listening to Williams' Star Wars scores is more than an indulgence, it's a feast. Dangerous forests, dark temples, opulent Coruscant palaces and Star Destroyers, they all provide well-known yet endlessly fascinating settings for a Star Wars story. Grand Admiral Thrawn's charisma echoes loud throughout these books; no wonder the clever strategist was brought back by Zahn for future titles. Mara Jade may very well be one of the most interesting female characters ever in the otherwise mostly male-centric Star Wars universe. I had rather wished for a slightly more expansive post-climax closure--Zahn slams the literary doors shut pretty fast--but perhaps that's just my thirst for more geek material; also, the fact that I still have a thirst for more wanting to be quenched, even after some 1300 pages in this trilogy, speaks volumes about exactly how good Zahn's stuff really is.

    And so I can close the door on the Thrawn story too. Or can I? No, sir. Because I have four more Thrawn novels under the 'Star Wars Legends' banner left, all written by Zahn, plus a recently released novel simply called THRAWN in the 'New Canon' series. And after this wonderful trilogy, I'm definitely eager to crack open the next book, part 1 of a BOOK OF THRAWN duology. But before I can do that, let me just say that THE LAST COMMAND is a well-written, exiting Star Wars novel, though suffering from a few, and just a few, lulls in its first act.

    4,5/5

  • Posts: 15,125
    Ludovico wrote: »
    That looks very interesting. A lot of Pagan mythical heroes received the "Christ" treatment in art. Prometheus was no longer the blasphemer but a Messianic figure, which is very obvious in the image @Thunderfinger put there. Same with the Norse god Balder. And the traditional image of Christ was of course taken from Zeus.

    And Cesare Borghia
    hqdefault.jpg

    That is a urban legend: Jesus was depicted like since at least the middle ages. If anything Il Valentino gave himself a Messianic look.
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    edited June 2017 Posts: 1,812
    DarthDimi wrote: »
    STAR WARS THE THRAWN TRILOGY PART 3
    THE LAST COMMAND


    latest?cb=20121006090659

    Timothy Zahn's 1993 follow-up to HEIR TO THE EMPIRE (1991) and DARK FORCE RISING (1992), concludes a Star Wars epic which, at the time, was said to have sparked new interest in a series pretty much dried to a crisp. I certainly agree that the so-called Thrawn trilogy is an outstanding achievement, though I must say that I severely struggled with the first quarter of this third novel. Somehow I felt the tension had left the story and for a Star Wars fan craving intrigue, Force using, lightsabers, X-wings and TIE-fighters, the first couple of chapters came off as barren. It took me nearly a full month to catch my Thrawn breath again and eventually, I re-read the first hundred or so pages, only to find myself suddenly immersed in excitement of the purest kind. It ultimately took me about six very well spent hours this weekend to page through the entire novel.

    Grand Admiral Thrawn puts the Imperial fleet on the verge of its thus far largest attack against Coruscant, now the capital of the New Republic. Meanwhile, dark Jedi Joruus C'baoth has seen the ends of his patience and never more determined to round up Luke, Mara Jade and Leia and her newly born twins decides to strike fast and hard. Splinter fractions within the Alliance, seeking aid from well-organized smugglers like Talon Karrde, prepare to dismantle C'baoth's cloning facility and deprive him of the "Spaarti Cylinders" which enable the growth of the clones. It's only a matter of time before the universe sees one victor rise from the ashes of this impending war. But who shall it be?

    I'll be honest; reading Zahn's prose while listening to Williams' Star Wars scores is more than an indulgence, it's a feast. Dangerous forests, dark temples, opulent Coruscant palaces and Star Destroyers, they all provide well-known yet endlessly fascinating settings for a Star Wars story. Grand Admiral Thrawn's charisma echoes loud throughout these books; no wonder the clever strategist was brought back by Zahn for future titles. Mara Jade may very well be one of the most interesting female characters ever in the otherwise mostly male-centric Star Wars universe. I had rather wished for a slightly more expansive post-climax closure--Zahn slams the literary doors shut pretty fast--but perhaps that's just my thirst for more geek material; also, the fact that I still have a thirst for more wanting to be quenched, even after some 1300 pages in this trilogy, speaks volumes about exactly how good Zahn's stuff really is.

    And so I can close the door on the Thrawn story too. Or can I? No, sir. Because I have four more Thrawn novels under the 'Star Wars Legends' banner left, all written by Zahn, plus a recently released novel simply called THRAWN in the 'New Canon' series. And after this wonderful trilogy, I'm definitely eager to crack open the next book, part 1 of a BOOK OF THRAWN duology. But before I can do that, let me just say that THE LAST COMMAND is a well-written, exiting Star Wars novel, though suffering from a few, and just a few, lulls in its first act.

    4,5/5

    An absolutely great trilogy. Although it didn't really mesh well with the Star Wars universe once the prequel trilogy released. My favorite of the Thrawn trilogy was Heir to the Empire but they were all great. Zahn made a book called Outbound Flight, set during the clone wars. It's about those battleships that Thrawn gets his hands on in the trilogy. I owned it at one point but never got around to reading it, so I can't say if it's worth a read or not.
    I know you've been reading quiet a bit of Star Wars books lately. Have you checked out the Darth Bane trilogy? If not, I highly recommend them. Path of Destruction, Rule of Two, and Dynasty of Evil are all written by Drew Karpyshyn. It tells the story of the Sith who wiped out all the Sith and started the rule of two.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    @QsAssistant
    I haven't read those you mention though I have heard of the Darth Bane books. You've got me intrigued, sir.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    I have a terrible attention deficit when it comes to reading, so I'm always circling through several things. I'm currently halfway through John Barry - The Man with the Midas Touch, a very rich and detailed book on Barry's career. I'm also reading It Would Be So Nice If You Weren't Here, by Charles Grodin. As well as Life of Galileo, by Bertolt Brecht.
  • Posts: 15,125
    In Dead before Dying by Deon Meyer one of the character is named... Oberholzer. Thought that was funny.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub - my SK reread is going great guns, and I was really looking forward to reading this again after 30-odd years, but at the moment I'm having trouble getting into a groove reading this one - maybe I've read too much too quickly recently, who knows? Hope to get more into it soon as I remember it being quite a good story.
  • edited June 2017 Posts: 6,844
    I'm working on It at the moment in between the Bond-a-thon and a couple other things (I always seem to have 3-4 books going at the same time). I find the overall story and characters pretty fascinating, but to be honest it's a bit of a slog on account of King way overwriting it. He spends 20 pages saying what he could probably say in 12 (or 5). I'm hoping I make it by the new film's release, but it's slow going.
    SaintMark wrote: »
    The new Stephen King!

    How was it, @SaintMark?
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    Posts: 1,812
    @DarthDimi
    My favorites from the Legends timeline are the Darth Bane trilogy, Shadows of the Empire, and the Thrawn trilogy. Those are the ones I always recommend to fans.
    Now I have stopped reading from the Legends timeline and have moved on to the new canon books.

    A few weeks ago I started Dark Disciple by Christie Golden but got so busy that I wasn't able to finish it until last night. So far it's the only canon book set during the Clone Wars. It was really good and one that I would recommend but only to ones who have watched The Clone Wars cartoon. It wraps up Asajj Ventress' story well. I only wish it could've been a story arc in the actual cartoon before the show was cancelled. It's a book that I will probably read again.

    Star Wars: Lords of the Sith by Paul S. Kemp
    499?cb=20140425200446

    I start reading this one today and I'm a bit excited to start it. So far it's the second book in the new canon timeline, set eight years after Revenge of the Sith. It's about Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine getting marooned on the planet Ryloth during an anti-Imperial uprising. Vader and Palpatine must fight their way off the planet.
  • Posts: 7,653
    Th new Stephen King was a quick but satisfactory read and does well the pass the time until the next king collaboration in September with Beautiful creatures.

    Gwendy's button box was well worth the time
  • Cool. I just started 11/22/63 on audio cd in the car, so might line up Gwendy's Button Box next. I notice it's one of King's Castle Rock stories. Do you need knowledge of his previous books to fully enjoy this one?
  • Posts: 7,653
    Nope as with most books of King outside of the Dark tower series, they are pretty much stand alone.
    I've had 11/22/63 on my bookshelves since it was released and have yet to read perhaps its size kept me away because a good King novel makes it hard to put the book down. And this one has gotten pretty good reviews.
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