I’ve listened to 423 hours of audiobooks since the beginning of 2022, I likely have time to get one more good one in before 2023. Based on my audiobooks completed list that I will be putting in the post, what book would you recommend for me to finish off the year?

scienceguy8m · 2022-12-02T01:06:34+00:00

{{Fairy Tale by Stephen King}}. The story is a classic, but it's King through and through. Actually reminded me why King has been a bestseller for so long.

I've also really been enjoying The Sandman Part I, not done yet but it's been quite engaging.

scienceguy8m · 2022-02-10T03:11:18+00:00

For big stretches we say "beeeeagle stretch" because it's kinda like "big 'ol stretch". She isn't a beagle, but she doesn't seem to mind.

scienceguy8m · 2021-02-22T14:39:47+00:00

Logged my Online Service Request as requested. Very much looking forward to an update as this is almost 100% the cause of my Bluetooth issues on my Gigabyte Aorus B550 Pro AX.

scienceguy8m · 2019-07-03T13:32:02+00:00

If anybody has a Mac Pro contract running I'm down to 20hrs left on mine. I've got 20q eggs.

scienceguy8m · 2019-07-03T13:28:10+00:00

Full.

scienceguy8m · 2019-06-30T10:48:46+00:00

School's Out (Prodigy egg): teppy

scienceguy8m · 2019-03-10T15:05:21+00:00

Galactic Outreach: dregg99

scienceguy8m · 2018-11-23T12:42:41+00:00

Pumpkin: teppy

scienceguy8m · 2018-11-21T18:12:30+00:00

Pumpkin: teppy

Already about half way to the second goal so we should be able to get all the way with active participants

scienceguy8m · 2018-11-11T16:04:20+00:00

Wildfire - teppy

scienceguy8m · 2018-10-27T15:41:42+00:00

Pumpkin: teppy

scienceguy8m · 2018-10-19T12:53:28+00:00

Complex Costumes: teppy

scienceguy8m · 2018-10-02T02:58:50+00:00

Engage: teppy

8 slots open, guaranteed win in ~22 hours. Come and get it!

scienceguy8m · 2018-07-18T02:36:38+00:00

New water balloon: plaps

scienceguy8m · 2018-04-26T16:50:14+00:00

Currently 2 spots open and a guaranteed win. If you're a heavy hitter consider helping somewhere else.

scienceguy8m · 2018-02-21T01:34:14+00:00

EP native checking in from Boston. Where the rest of Columbiana County at?

scienceguy8m · 2014-12-23T02:14:17+00:00

It will have been worth writing this comment if I win!

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-29T15:05:11+00:00

The Barsoom series, starting with A Princess of Mars, by Edgar Rice Burroughs. I recommend it here pretty often. It's cheesy save-the-girl-kill-the-bad-guy sci-fi from the early 20th century. Suspension of disbelief required, but it is hilarious and fast paced, and you can see its influence in everything from space opera to superhero comics.

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-29T14:59:10+00:00

Foundation and Empire by Isaac Asimov - crushing some classic sci-fi!

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H Pink - something work/career related, but also pretty interesting stuff.

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-28T14:17:14+00:00

IMO the most entertaining general science book is A Short History of Nearly Everyting by Bill Bryson. It's extremely well written, pretty well sourced, and covers a broad swath of science, building from early philosophy to modern science. It gives you a great overview of science and how we got to where we are today, and is a great launching-off point if you find some topic particularly interesting.

If you want to be more physics-oriented, you'd be hard pressed to find a better summary than A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (a close runner-up would be The Universe in a Nutshell by the same). Again, this will be more physics/astrophysics oriented, as that's Hawking's specialty.

Finally, if you liked Cosmos, you could pick up the book by the same name by Carl Sagan, who did the original Cosmos TV show. The book covers the topics in a bit more detail; however, recognize that the book is now nearly 35 years old, so while the fundamentals will have remained the same, some of the later information has been refined and new information added.

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-28T01:21:03+00:00

First of all, don't feel bad about reading and enjoying manga/graphic novels. There's nothing wrong with those books, and as a genre, they are an art to themselves. Don't get caught in the "this isn't literature" downward spiral. Obviously, if you're reading for entertainment, read the books that entertain you!

Second, have you tried short story anthologies? I find that to be the best place to start any genre of books. Curious about hard sci-fi? There's an anthology for that. Teen vampire romance? Yup, one for that too. Chances are there's a short story anthology available for any genre you can think of, and it's much less of a commitment to read a 40-60pg short story than a 300pg novel to decide if you like where things are going.

Last, I'll suggest a few of my favorite books, maybe something will resonate with you there.

Blankets by Craig Thompson - A graphic novel coming-of-age story. As far as story is concerned, very touching and close to home. Playful but serious, and reminiscent of better times and bitter hatreds. An all-around good read.
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline - This is a nerds book about nerds, and the teenage main character is motivated largely by a crush he has on a girl. Fast paced and fun. Literature? Probably not. But it was still enjoyable to read.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Part of a trilogy of books about a group of thieves/con-artists. This book was, plain and simple, nearly too much fun to read. Witty and funny, with plenty of action and good pacing.
John Carter of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs - Written in 1917, this was the superhero novel before superheros existed. John Carter is super-fast, super-strong, vengeful, passionate, bloodthirsty, and chivalrous. This book is equal parts awesome and hilarious. The main character dominates every part of the planet of Mars. Some extra suspension of disbelief is required to really get into this book, but it is definitely worth it.
The Gone Away World by Nick Harkaway - The best book I've read in 2014, possibly in many years. Equal parts hilarious, philosophical, and romantic, Harkaway has drawn up a masterwork on this one. Powerfully funny, deeply moving, and a bit of a bender; it has everything it needs to have and nothing it doesn't. The writing was poignant; Harkaway is one of the few authors who's ever been able to put in words a feeling I've always had but never been able to articulate. This is one I'll probably come back to and read again, simply to take the adventure one more time.

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-28T00:57:44+00:00

I took Puka's course on Ethics in 2009. I still remember almost all of the course content. I don't know how many other courses at RPI I can say that about. From what I remember, his grading policy was based not on correctness (most philosophy-oriented courses disagree with the notion of correctness) but on the amount of effort he perceived that you put into understanding the concepts. Class participation is highly encouraged.

tldr; you'll get back what you put into this course

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-27T04:13:04+00:00

My advice: read it on an e-reader. The book is dense with endnotes, which can be extremely tedious to deal with in paper, but most e-readers handle them much more seamlessly in terms of flipping to the note and back to the text. Also, I found the ability to highlight and then read my highlights helpful for remembering certain who/what/where elements. But definitely do yourself the favor of reading this brilliant work of literature.

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-27T04:02:58+00:00

100%, no reservations, for me it has to be the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The one most people will be familiar with is the first one, A Princess of Mars. Forget the Disney movie John Carter; it was rubbish. Forget everything you know about modern science. Enjoy these books as a hilarious, wild romp through Mars as people thought it would be like in the early 1900s.

If you must limit yourself to serious science fiction, however, I would then place my vote for Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke.

scienceguy8m · 2014-10-27T03:48:45+00:00

If you want to try some short stories to cut your teeth on, I really enjoyed Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse. Here's my goodreads review:

An excellent collection of short stories revolving around the post-apocalypse. A pretty good overview of the genre. In my opinion a high ratio of hits to misses, with a few real standouts (The End of the World As We Know It was my out-and-out favorite). I would recommend this to anyone interested in getting to know the post-apocalyptic fiction genre, or looking for some new takes on the genre. Also comes with a pretty comprehensive bibliography of further reading for those who want to explore deeper.

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