House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski

One of most the bizarre books i have ever read. I like the claustrophobic atmosphere it gives, and the feeling of slowly loosing your mind.

A Canticle For Leibowitz, overrated.

Geoffrey Cruchier - The Canterbury Tales
John Milton - Paradise Lost

Roger Zelazny - A Damnation Alley - I want to read something like this, if you like Mad Max you should read it.
some books from Metro 2033 Universe.

actually Stephen King - The Stand

Sex sin and zen by Brad Warner

His worst book I have read. Basically just his opinions on sex. And though the porn star interview was interesting, he pays way too much attention to it...like 3 or 4 chapters

Author has terrible style, now I read 14$ and for now it is overrated book.

McCarthy is a master of style. The story is somewhat unsatisfying and I think could have exhibited more originality, but his English is what carried the book.

I'm finishing Ken Follett's Jackdaws and it's so good.

Not usually the type of books I read but it was a gift and a good one.

Stephen King -IT

The Romanov's - Simon Sebag Montefiore

Thanks for the excellent recommendations of the books. In turn, I want to recommend Bernard Werber's brilliant novel "The Last Secret".
An ingenious scientist plays a crucial chess game with a computer brain. At stake - the title of world champion. If you are close to the genre of the detective, then be sure to read this book and you will be delighted.

Just read the The Bible for Dummies .

And now for contrast I am reading The Path of Paganism by John Beckett.

I have been reading through The Home Blacksmith by Ryan Ridgeway. I'm having an absolute blast hand forging small tools like mishapen chisels, dull knives, and of course, lumpy hammers that leave uneven imprints. It can be a bit frustrating at times, as I'm learning almost entirely from books and online sources, but it's pretty fun.

It was easier than I imagined too. I got started with a hole in the ground style forge. My design was even simpler than the one in the video, I just stuck a straight black pipe into a hole, I didn't bother with the bricks or the pipe bend. Once my forge was taking care of, I got a hold of a cast steel anvil and a 20 year old carpenters hammer and I was off to the races.

I've been rambling, but this stuff is still new and fun lol. If this at all seems interesting to you, you should check out Black Bear Forge or Torbjörn Åhman.

But back to reading, I also recently finished the book The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood as I have been interested in the flood of data and information that surrounds us these days. The book was ...a bit of a let down honestly. It was far too vague in spots where it really needed to get specific.

I'm also starting a book called Connectography by parag khanna. It's too early to pass judgment on it just yet but the first 30 pages or so feel like a sales pitch on why you should read the book...it's not off to a great start.

I really just need to give up on non-fiction and move back to fiction I think.

I also have a knee high stack of books next to my night stand that I will get around to reading ...one day...eventually..

The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.

I've read it twice now. Some of it is pretty obvious stuff when you think about it, but it's a well-written and interesting work, I can see why it is highly regarded. Also, I mostly read it to get some ideas for characters in my Dungeons and Dragons campaigns and not necessarily to educate myself.

My favorite lines from the book:

"There are three kinds of intelligence: one kind understands things for itself, the other appreciates what others can understand, the third understands neither for itself nor through others. This first kind is excellent, the second good, and the third kind useless."

"Returning to the question of being feared or loved, I come to the conclusion that men loving according to their own will and fearing according to that of the prince, a wise prince should establish himself on that which is in his own control and not in that of others, he must endeavor only to avoid hatred."

"Nothing can be so uncertain or unstable as fame or power not founded on its own strength."

"He who neglects what is done for what ought to be done, sooner effects his ruin than his preservation."

"He who is the cause of another becoming powerful, is ruined. Because that predominance has been brought about either by astuteness or else by force and both are distrusted by him who has been raised to power."

Straight Edge A Clear-Headed Hardcore Punk History

Comments from pivotal people in the straightedge scene from minor threat to now.

I have a lot of respect for straightedge being affected by drugs an alcohol in my youth. It was very popular when I was young too but I always hated and mocked them, though in my defense it was the metalcore/fashioncore era.

I think egotism and fashion actually took a big toll on what should have been, or tried to be, a very positive movement.

In the early youth crew days people were bitching about each other a lot, even in there songs like rappers do, dispite all the "positive" talk. I also didn't realise how messed up the krishna thing was, doing shows in temples with long chanting sections between songs to a crowd of kids ain't as innocent as I once thought.
Then there was the hard-line tough guy era that was in retaliation to the youth crew shit. New rules like veganism and pro life, getting mistaken as gangs because of all the fighting was when things got really out of hand.

Then there was the new youth crew era then the fashioncore shit of the 90s, then finally now I think straightedge has finally become a personal thing instead of holier than thou, brotherhood concept.

Reading the book I go from thinking its the most positive thing ever that I'd love to get my daughter into, to thinking the most ridiculous sub sub genre ever.

My employee handbook.

No character development, trivial plot points, predictable ending.

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.06.2020 at 08:40

My employee handbook.

No character development, trivial plot points, predictable ending.

Maybe the sequel will be better. Don't lose hope.

Written by Metren on 07.06.2020 at 18:57

Written by Troy Killjoy on 07.06.2020 at 08:40

My employee handbook.

No character development, trivial plot points, predictable ending.

Maybe the sequel will be better. Don't lose hope.

Maybe it went beyond your imagination. It certainly has what it takes to be a classic work.

You two need to sit and read together.

By the way, does anyone catalogue their reading and/or home library on Goodreads or LibraryThing? I use Goodreads for rating and keeping track of read books, and we have a shared LibraryThing account for cataloguing owned books. Feel free to follow/befriend my GR account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/31777615-olli-lampinen-enqvist

Black Metal: Into the Abyss by Dayal Patterson

interviews with

? FURIA
? MASSEMORD
? 1349
? FORGOTTEN WOODS
? TSJUDER
? NOCTURNAL DEPRESSION
? VEMOD
? ONE TAIL, ONE HEAD
? MYSTIFIER
? BLACK ALTAR
? BESATT
? MORD 'A' STIGMATA
? TRIST
? HELHEIM
? HYPOTHERMIA
? LOITS
? DEINONYCHUS
? PSYCHONAUT 4
? KOLDBRANN
? URGEHAL
? SACRILEGIUM
? BLAZE OF PERDITION

So the first half of this book seems to be interviews with the revival second wave bands like 1349 and so on, apart from Vemod. It reminds me of the book i read just before this about the straightedge scene where their was a retaliation against where the music was going (militant hardline), in this case the big names becoming more goth with synths and appealing to the more mainstream (kind of funny when you think about it in retrospect).

I listened to all the bands as I hadn't heard of some while reading this book and just like old hardcore, they're good but get old real fast. Its almost disturbing that some of these guys are like 40 with kids now still praising Satan and claiming their shows are "rituals". It baffles me that there is clearly a hidden nazi thing going on with a lot of these second/second wave bands aswell. Its never openly said but lyrics images show this and though its never admitted its never denied either. Its only a few bands in this book, but they talk about other bands and so on, I just think its bizarre that its even in a thing in bm , especially for a genre that's suppose to be non political.

The real reason I brought this book though is for the interviews with Nocturnal Depression Trist Hypothermia, Forgotten Woods and Psychonaut 4. Funny thing is I think these were the most honest, interesting and real interviews out of them all.....well apart from the Hypothermia one, that was a bit of a let down.

I've read a lot of books on post-modernism recently, especially related to Jean Baudrillard. "Simulacra and Simulation" & "The Gulf War Did Not Take Place" and "Baudrillard Reframed: Interpreting Key Thinkers for the Art".

Although I'm not a post-modernist and I don't agree with people like Lyotard and Derrida on a lot of topics (and would sometimes even argue that post-modernism is not a philosophy per say), but this approach of analyzing some things in the "society" is very interesting, specially by Baudrillard. I think he uses a lot of hyperbole and sometimes completely misses the point, but still it's kinda fascinating to read and I've learned a lot and put somethings to test I think. What a great topic.

It's not super original or obscure, but I have been reading dune. I'm about half way through and it's pretty good so far, I wonder if the new movie will hold up.

Rotting Ways To Misery - The History Of Finnish Death Metal

A great book full of interviews and anecdotes from many bands that marked the era of Old School Finnish Death Metal during the early 90's. I managed to hear a few unknown demos thanks to the book.

Compilation Of Death IV

Practically an encyclopedia for all things Death Metal.

Antisocieties by Michael Cisco.

Nice little book of short stories for fans of Thomas Liggotti and dsbm people.

Mists of Avalon

I think this book was 1000 pages or something but until about the last 200 pages I was pretty entertained. I found it nice to be told one of these king Arthur, pagan/christian storys from a females point of view instead of just the usual heroic battles of the men.

I only found out halfway through that the author's daughter announced after her mum died that she had molested her, it really made the sexual parts feel vile and creepy, especially with a bit of incest in the book.

USBM: A Revolution of Identity in American Black Metal

Awesome book with loads of I interviews with all the key bands from start to now, a few opinions...

Grand Belial's Key interview was hilarious, what Nazi douchebags.

A bit disappointed there wasn't actually an interview with weakling, the guy obviously declined and there was just a write up about the band.

Jeff whitehead doesn't seem to be the hermit that OMM documentary suggested, he seems to be involved in a tone of bands and be a massive part of the scene over there.

Scott Conner seems to be exactly as the OMM documentary suggested.


It seemed like Blake Judd was just a jerk because of drugs, but then was still a jerk when he was sober which officially makes him a jerk. But I discovered that I really like some of his albums.

A lot of American black metal bands from mid 2000s onward were very influenced by punk and a lot of the bands went a different way forward than the euro bands. Instead of going all goth and synth they went super experimental and pushed the limits with stuff that wasn't very acceptable by the trve kvlt.

Do what you want the story of bad religion

Even though I don't really like there later stuff these guys have had an impressive career. Brett and Greg are both very intelligent talented people, Brett starting a massive indie label Epitaph and Gregs lyrics make these guys a stand out among the skate/hardcore punk scene from the 80ß through to now. There's no apologies for signing to big labels either, the wanted to get there message spread to everyone. Pretty underrated book imo.

The Holy Bible

I only got to half way through exodus, I'm just way too critical and my penis was starting to feel sore from all the circumcisions

Written by furry777 on 13.09.2022 at 22:15

Hello, I learned a lot of books. My favorite is Jerome Salinger over the chasm in the rye

The Catcher in the Rye is a fun read. I liked his writing style. It conveys a teenager's train of thought really well

Lately I've been reading the works of Nikos Kazantzakis, I don't even know why I began this marathon but I've been enjoying it a lot. I used to be a huge fan of Dostoevsky and Kazantzakis was like a Greek cousin of his, both tended to write about deep moral and religious themes, some of his best novels have a heavy dose of Greek mysticism which just makes them feel more special. "Saint Francis" I think is so far my favourite. As the name suggests it's a story about a saint whose extreme love of life reaches borderline madness, his body is mangled by horrible disease and even his own followers abandon him. What a great spiritual novel, some people may not enjoy the religious aspect of it, but I love it. It's both tragic and beatiful work of art and feels anything but soulless. The story reminds me of a Japanese film called "Oharu" which also is about suffering and salvation. Good stuff.

So I actually ended up reading all of the old testament.

This was a fuckin slog and out of 927 pages I didn't feel like I got any wisdom out of it, I just realized how dangerous it was and how it promoted colonization, sexism and a whole lot of other terrible things. Amazing that this book inspired so many people.
I haven't read the new testament yet but I know most of the stories basically just by being in western civilization, and even if it is really inspiring the fact that it was based off this book cuts off any credibility for me.

On the other hand I did like the lord of the rings feel to some of the stories and enjoyed the fantasy's of angels coming down and slaying all the bad people to make things better.

The last book I finished is The Lord of the Rings (yet again!). Some of you may have heard of it; it's supposedly a big deal or something. (Nah, just kidding; it is my favorite novel of all time and I've lost count of how many times I read it.)

Currently reading "Under the Skin" by Michel Faber. About 50 pages in at the moment. I already saw the movie with Scarlett Johansson and I liked it, but I didn't buy the book based on that. My sister had it and didn't care for it, so she handed it to me.

Afterwards I'm planning to read Tolkien's "Unfinished Tales".

That said, as soon as that bearded glacier known as GRRM releases "The Winds of Winter", I'm gonna stop reading whatever I'm reading then (unless I'm close to the end) and power through that. It's been 12 years, George! That's how long it took Tolkien to write LotR. Just sayin'...