THE BURGLAR WHO TRADED TED WILLIAMS by Lawrence Block.

I wouldn't say it's the best book I've ever read but once I started I didn't want to put it down. Clever and the characters feel familiar from Block's other books I've read.

Still waiting for the price to drop on HIT AND RUN, either at Barnes and Nobles or Ebay.

im currently reading.

The Blade Itself

I just finished the First Law Trilogy by first time British writer Joe Abercrombie. It's amazing to me that a debut writer can create something that fully deserves to be mentioned along with giants like George Martin, Simon Green, Moorcock and Tolkien. Best trilogy I've read in years.

The trilogy is in a fantasy setting in a world not dissimilar to our own. But that's where similarities to other writers stop. Abercrombie is one of the most shockingly original writers today. As one reviewer wrote "You could compare him to Dickens but Dickens was never this entertaining". Another reviewer talks about the "Scorsese like characters", which is also completely valid. There are characters who make Joe Pesci's Tommy look like a pussycat.

Abercrombie's interest is in real characters, not washed out worlds or magic systems. The closest comparison I can think to what George Martin has done in his "Song of Fire and Ice" series but frankly Abercrombie's writing flows better and is much better edited. And no one writes better action or battle scenes.

The first book of the Trilogy, "The Blade Itself" introduces most of the main characters. It takes place at a time when the world's oldest empire, the Union, is under attack by enemies from North and South and is rotting from the inside from corruption.

There is Inquisitor Glotka, a loyal servant of the Union who seeks to ferret out dissent or treachery and has few scruples at how he does this. Glotka himself was tortured years ago in a war. Glotka used to be quite the dashing hero and now looks so bad he makes children run and hide.

There is Colonel West, a Union Army officer, who is lowborn and has to deal with the contempt of noble officers who hate taking orders from him.

There is Captain Jezal, another officer who is West's friend but is more interested in West's sister. Jezal is totally lazy and only has his position because of noble birth.

There is Bayaz, a friendly but quick tempered old wizard (or con man) who claims to be the wizard who helped establish the Union centuries ago. Bayaz never seems to tell anyone the full story.

Finally there is Logen Ninefingers, a wild barbarian leader from the north who's famously killed more men than the plague. Having fallen out with his king, Logen and his merry band of killers head south to offer service to the Union. Like William Munny in "Unforgiven" Logen has done horrible things in the past and spends a lot of time denying them, playing them down or saying he's not like that any more. On the other hand you DON'T want to make him angry...

The book is full of sarcastic asides, black humor and irony.
Abercrombie is a master of misdirection. This is NOT a trilogy where things are nicely sewn up, the good guys all win or people behave in ways that don't make sense. People all behave in their own interest, just like real life.

If you are at all interested in fantasy or even just good stories, I strongly recommend starting the first book, "The Blade Itself". Truly incredible writer.

http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Itself-First-Law-Book/dp/159102594X

Game of Shadows Mark Fainaru-Wada & Lance Williams 298 pgs.

If after having read this book you have any doubt whatsoever that Barry Bonds not only used steroids but used them like no other player could, there is something seriously wrong with you. Other players of note to have used steroids according to this extremely well researched and well written book: Jose Canseco, Jason Giambi, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Benito Santiago, Gary Sheffield and Sammy Sosa. Other minor stars and many track athletes including Marion Jones were implicated.

The book makes Victor Conte (the brain behind the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative) out to be a very intelligent and charismatic man who through laziness and poor judgement made the wrong decision.

MLB, the Players Association and the players all knew exactly what time it was but nothing was done until political pressure was applied and the farce became too clearly apparent to even the most casual of fans.

If you're a fan of the game and are intrigued by Barry Bonds and what drove him to the height of irrationality then Game of Shadows is most definitely worth a read.

Shelby Foote's The Civil War: Red River to Appomattox.

The author tends to write run on sentences that have the reader trying to absorb a little too much information at one time. He should use more periods. However, the detail he supplies is welcome.

The War Within by Bob Woodward. This is his newest book about the Iraq War. It gave me a much deeper appreciation in understanding how much trouble this war is to manage, how half-cocked Bush's approach has been, and how misguided our trust was in the Iraqis ability to take things over. For me, the most culpable and misguided figure in the Iraq War (from the perspective of the book) was Don Rumsfeld.

Woodward gave great insight to many strategy sessions. I was surprised at how much Condi Rice opposed the surge and how vocal she was about it. My previous public perception of her was just another Bush "yes" puppet, who would tell the president what he wanted to hear. Another intersting point made by Woodward was the distance between Bush & Cheney. The VP was only told by Bush that Rumsfeld was being fired a few days before it happened.

THE INTERPRETATION OF MURDER by Jed Rubenfield!!

A clever psychological thriller set in early 19th century New York,all about fiendish murders and Clement Freud.

It is good and very clever, but it almost seems to be trying to hard to be clever which i find a little off-putting.

Still,it is worth a perusal!

CS, my good friend's birthday just passed, and since she's so into baseball now, I gave her a copy of this! And so I wouldn't have to borrow her gift, I bought a copy for myself that I'll hopefully read soon, when schoolwork lightens up. I told her that my statistic-loving fantasy-baseball friend recommended it.

Awesome Gina! I hope you both like it!

HAVANA by Stephen Hunter.

A pretty good action thriller set in the hot pot of Cuba in the '50s. The latest book in the series featuring the splendidly named Earl Swagger!

Life of Pi

This book was pretty good and is filled with a lot of discussion on different religions and science.

The Mutt: How To Skateboard And Not Kill Yourself

This is the true story about pro skateboarder Rodney Mullens early life and skateboarding career. I would reccomend it especially if you're a fan of skating.

FOUR KINGS by George Kimball.

A very good account of the heady days of the 80's when Hagler,Hearns,Leonard and Duran vied for supremacy and ruled the sporting world!

Highly recommended!

Rodney Mullen has always been my favorite skater. I might have to check this one out.

Currently reading Manchester United The Biography by Jim White

We just finished up reading "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole in my English class, and I was wondering if anyone else here has read it or heard of it? It's a really funny book, while also very weird. The main character, Ignatius Reilly, does nothing at all to appeal to anyone, yet I see him as one of the most loveable characters I've read. He's a disgusting and rude hypocrite, yet also hysterical.

Ignatius:

Going by the picture it looks like a childrens book. College teachings these days...

What is the book about Gina?

EDIT: Are you sure that isn't one of the Super Mario Bros. in the picture?

Haha, the picture is what's on the cover of the book, and since I thought he looked like an Italian, I kept expecting someone to tease me about being related to him.

Ignatius is in his thirties, but he still lives at home with his mom, doing writings about why the society he lives in is so horrible. He feels he should've been born in the medieval times, and he has this ongoing war with this girl he met in college, who is just as extreme as him, but has completely opposite views. Anyway, it's just about his adventures in trying to get (and hold) a job, living in New Orleans - and it's so funny because everything he complains about and insults other people on, is often what he himself is guilty of.

It's very odd, but I really liked it. I think it was more of a personal favorite for my professor, because it didn't really connect with anything else we've studied in the course. haha

You've sold me on it. I'm going to try and stop by the book store while I'm working sometime next week. It's been a while since I've read a good book and humorous ones are always rare!

In all seriousness, I just finished reading

Great!

As my teacher says, I think certain characters in it are funnier than others, depending on your view - but they all have quirky personalities. A few in my class hated it and just didn't find it humorous, while my friends and I were quoting parts of it like the nerds we are.

The story has an interesting background, too. The writer committed suicide, and it was only published because his mother made the effort to have it done.

Anyway, I hope you like it!

It sounds good Gina, I'll pick it up too

Deuce, are you a fan of Stephen King? I would recommend The Stand if you haven't read it already. Read the unabridged edition. It's long, but one of the best Good vs. Evil books I've ever read.

[Insert review stolen from Amazon.]

The Shining is the first Steven King book I have read, and it was GREAT... I will defiantly get The Stand, Blibble

Gina and I love King's IT, right, Gi? We all float down here!! I swear, that book scared the crap out of me.

King doesn't get enough credit as a good storyteller. I like him. I liked the older books better, and haven't read many of his newer ones. He has a "no BS" sort of way about him that appeals to me.

The reason I never read any Steven king books was because I watched the movie IT and is scared the Bejeebus outta me, I watched it when I was like... 8, because my mom was watching it

Glad you're getting into Stephen King, Santino! I have a bunch of books by him, many that I still need to read "someday," but that's only because I'm a slow reader and keep getting distracted by that silly schoolwork ( ).

SB, I don't think I told you, I finally read through The Green Mile! And of course, cried my eyes out. I watched the movie afterwards and cried some more.

Oh, I can well imagine, Gina. I did the exact same thing when I read it. Poor John Coffey.

I watched IT not to long ago and it scared the crap out of me.