Nicholas's bookshelf: read en-US Sat, 19 Apr 2025 11:02:05 -0700 60 Nicholas's bookshelf: read 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Homosexuality in Islam: Critical Reflection on Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims]]> 7219701 352 Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle 1851687017 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.92 2010 Homosexuality in Islam: Critical Reflection on Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender Muslims
author: Scott Siraj al-Haqq Kugle
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Qur'an 75303
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 456 Anonymous 0140449205 Nicholas 5
Coming from a primarily Christian background. It was very interesting to see the thematic similarities and compare stories from the Hebrew Scriptures to how they are presented in the Quran.

For many in the West, Islam remains unfamiliar, but I encourage readers to explore it with an open mind. Even a basic reading, supplemented with commentary, will spark questions and guide further study.

It is important to note that the Quran is not sorted in chronological order (or in any particular order other than maybe longest to shortest Surah). I highly recommend finding some sort of way to order the Surahs to guide your reading.]]> 3.52 632 The Qur'an
author: Anonymous
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.52
book published: 632
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/04
shelves:
review:
I primarily read the translation by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, but I found it helpful to compare other translations and consult commentaries for deeper understanding.(Especially for more difficult verses.)

Coming from a primarily Christian background. It was very interesting to see the thematic similarities and compare stories from the Hebrew Scriptures to how they are presented in the Quran.

For many in the West, Islam remains unfamiliar, but I encourage readers to explore it with an open mind. Even a basic reading, supplemented with commentary, will spark questions and guide further study.

It is important to note that the Quran is not sorted in chronological order (or in any particular order other than maybe longest to shortest Surah). I highly recommend finding some sort of way to order the Surahs to guide your reading.
]]> <![CDATA[Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations]]> 478900 236 Michael A. Sells 1883991692 Nicholas 5
The beauty of the Quran is not in its translation but Sells helps highlight its poetry without needing a background in Arabic.

A great point from class: only about 15% of Muslims speak Arabic, so we are joining the more common tradition of engaging with the Quran in translation.

It should be noted that in this book Sells' only focuses on the earliest revelations to the prophet Muhammad which only make up the last 30 or so Surahs of the Quran.]]> 4.21 1999 Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations
author: Michael A. Sells
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/04
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:
Sells� commentary is fantastic, providing historical and linguistic context to the Quran.

The beauty of the Quran is not in its translation but Sells helps highlight its poetry without needing a background in Arabic.

A great point from class: only about 15% of Muslims speak Arabic, so we are joining the more common tradition of engaging with the Quran in translation.

It should be noted that in this book Sells' only focuses on the earliest revelations to the prophet Muhammad which only make up the last 30 or so Surahs of the Quran.
]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 Nicholas 0 currently-reading, novels 4.44 1996 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
author: George R.R. Martin
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: currently-reading, novels
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Linear Algebra Done Right (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)]]> 309768 272 Sheldon Axler 0387982582 Nicholas 5 programming-math 4.37 1995 Linear Algebra Done Right (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)
author: Sheldon Axler
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: programming-math
review:

]]> A First Course in Probability 119377 565 Sheldon M. Ross 0131856626 Nicholas 5 programming-math 4.01 1976 A First Course in Probability
author: Sheldon M. Ross
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1976
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/22
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: programming-math
review:
Great book and a must read for anyone beginning their journey in statistics. It has a ton of exercises and examples. Though it is a short book, it provides a thorough introduction to probability without being overwhelming.
]]> <![CDATA[Principles of Mathematical Analysis]]> 292079 342 Walter Rudin 0070856133 Nicholas 0 currently-reading 4.27 1964 Principles of Mathematical Analysis
author: Walter Rudin
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1964
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A First Course in Algebraic Topology]]> 6736518 280 Czes Kosniowski 0521298644 Nicholas 0 currently-reading 4.00 1980 A First Course in Algebraic Topology
author: Czes Kosniowski
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1980
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Enter Ghost 59725231 A bold, evocative new novel from the Sue Kaufman, Betty Trask and Plimpton Prize Award winner Isabella Hammad that follows actress Sonia as she returns to Palestine and takes a role in a West Bank production of Hamlet

After years away from her family’s homeland, and reeling from a disastrous love affair, actress Sonia Nasir returns to Haifa to visit her older sister Haneen. This is her first trip back since the second intifada and the deaths of their grandparents: while Haneen made a life here commuting to Tel Aviv to teach at the university, Sonia stayed in London to focus on her acting career and now dissolute marriage. On her return, she finds her relationship to Palestine is fragile, both bone-deep and new.

At Haneen’s, Sonia meets the charismatic and candid Mariam, a local director, and finds herself roped into a production of Hamlet in the West Bank. Sonia is soon rehearsing Gertude’s lines in classical Arabic and spending more time in Ramallah than in Haifa, along with a dedicated group of men from all over historic Palestine who, in spite of competing egos and priorities, each want to bring Shakespeare to that side of the wall. As opening night draws closer it becomes clear just how many violent obstacles stand before a troupe of Palestinian actors. Amidst it all, the life Sonia once knew starts to give way to the daunting, exhilarating possibility of finding a new self in her ancestral home.

A stunning rendering of present-day Palestine, Enter Ghost is a story of diaspora, displacement, and the connection to be found in family and shared resistance. Timely, thoughtful, and passionate, Isabella Hammad’s highly anticipated second novel is an exquisite feat, an unforgettable story of artistry under occupation.]]> 336 Isabella Hammad 080216238X Nicholas 0 to-read 4.13 2023 Enter Ghost
author: Isabella Hammad
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Nightingale 21853621 Der Weltbestseller � die Nr. 1 aus den USA.
Zwei Schwestern im von den Deutschen besetzten Während Vianne ums Überleben ihrer Familie kämpft, schließt sich die jüngere Isabelle der Résistance an und sucht die Freiheit auf dem Pfad der Nachtigall, einem geheimen Fluchtweg über die Pyrenäen. Doch wie weit darf man gehen, um zu überleben? Und wie kann man die schützen, die man liebt?
In diesem epischen, kraftvollen und zutiefst berührenden Roman erzählt Kristin Hannah die Geschichte zweier Frauen, die ihr Schicksal auf ganz eigene Weise meistern.]]> 564 Kristin Hannah 0312577222 Nicholas 5 4.63 2015 The Nightingale
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)]]> 61215384
The inspiration for the upcoming original series on Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Return of the King is the third part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

The Dark Lord has risen, and as he unleashes hordes of Orcs to conquer all Middle-earth, Frodo and Sam struggle deep into his realm in Mordor.

To defeat Sauron, the One Ring must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom. But the way is impossibly hard, and Frodo is weakening. The Ring corrupts all who bear it and Frodo’s time is running out.

Will Sam and Frodo succeed, or will the Dark Lord rule Middle-earth once more?]]> 432 J.R.R. Tolkien Nicholas 0 novels 4.67 1955 The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.67
book published: 1955
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/05/19
shelves: novels
review:

]]> Real Analysis 5186136 416 N.L. Carothers 0521497566 Nicholas 5 programming-math 4.53 Real Analysis
author: N.L. Carothers
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.53
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/05/19
shelves: programming-math
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A First Course in Dynamics: with a Panorama of Recent Developments]]> 906048 436 Boris Hasselblatt 0521587506 Nicholas 4 programming-math Tbh I didn’t do most of the exercise in this book
(perhaps a little above my pay grade as an undergraduate) but there are definitely a lot of them and there were a few here and there I felt comfortable approaching.

I loved the way this book presented new definitions. Instead of just defining a certain property without context, a system was presented and when we came across a new property it was defined rigorously.

The examples in here are fantastic. Lots of info on certain systems and their properties presented in an easy-ish to understand way. Ofc when it comes to dynamical systems it’s good to check what you think will happen numerically for a fuller understanding because some of these properties are pretty hard to grasp just by reading (such as topological mixing, strange attractors, and other things dealing with “almost every point�, denseness, and just generally hard-to-visualize things)

Definitely recommend as a reference for someone dealing with dynamical systems as there are many concise definitions and theorems to cite.
Also recommend to someone who just wants some sort of understanding of dynamical systems without really getting dirty with exercises(this is a rare example of a math book where the reading will actually help you learn without doing every exercise)
Definitely useful for all levels of math students(my professor made a point that this is a book that will stay with you if you study dynamics)]]> 3.67 2003 A First Course in Dynamics: with a Panorama of Recent Developments
author: Boris Hasselblatt
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/05/19
shelves: programming-math
review:
Great overview of various dynamical systems.
Tbh I didn’t do most of the exercise in this book
(perhaps a little above my pay grade as an undergraduate) but there are definitely a lot of them and there were a few here and there I felt comfortable approaching.

I loved the way this book presented new definitions. Instead of just defining a certain property without context, a system was presented and when we came across a new property it was defined rigorously.

The examples in here are fantastic. Lots of info on certain systems and their properties presented in an easy-ish to understand way. Ofc when it comes to dynamical systems it’s good to check what you think will happen numerically for a fuller understanding because some of these properties are pretty hard to grasp just by reading (such as topological mixing, strange attractors, and other things dealing with “almost every point�, denseness, and just generally hard-to-visualize things)

Definitely recommend as a reference for someone dealing with dynamical systems as there are many concise definitions and theorems to cite.
Also recommend to someone who just wants some sort of understanding of dynamical systems without really getting dirty with exercises(this is a rare example of a math book where the reading will actually help you learn without doing every exercise)
Definitely useful for all levels of math students(my professor made a point that this is a book that will stay with you if you study dynamics)
]]> <![CDATA[Real Mathematical Analysis (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)]]> 26497707
New to the second edition of Real Mathematical Analysis is a presentation of Lebesgue integration done almost entirely using the undergraph approach of Burkill. Payoffs concise picture proofs of the Monotone and Dominated Convergence Theorems, a one-line/one-picture proof of Fubini's theorem from Cavalieri’s Principle, and, in many cases, the ability to see an integral result from measure theory. The presentation includes Vitali’s Covering Lemma, density points � which are rarely treated in books at this level � and the almost everywhere differentiability of monotone functions. Several new exercises now join a collection of over 500 exercises that pose interesting challenges and introduce special topics to the student keen on mastering this beautiful subject.]]> 489 Charles Chapman Pugh 3319177702 Nicholas 5 programming-math
Ideas are presented in a way that’s as easy to understand and possible.

At the end of the day Analysis is hard asf and you are going to want to die but this book makes it possible.]]> 4.57 2002 Real Mathematical Analysis (Undergraduate Texts in Mathematics)
author: Charles Chapman Pugh
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2002
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/05/19
shelves: programming-math
review:
This is a great book. Good examples. Good exercises.

Ideas are presented in a way that’s as easy to understand and possible.

At the end of the day Analysis is hard asf and you are going to want to die but this book makes it possible.
]]> <![CDATA[A First Course in Abstract Algebra]]> 264544 544 John B. Fraleigh 0201763907 Nicholas 3 programming-math
I personally used Judson’s book as a primary text for abstract algebra.

3 stars because the exercises in here are great]]> 3.98 1967 A First Course in Abstract Algebra
author: John B. Fraleigh
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1967
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/05/19
shelves: programming-math
review:
Honestly cannot recommend. Good exercises but bad text. I felt like ideas weren’t really presented rigorously but rather as part of examples. This made the book longer than it needed to be imo.

I personally used Judson’s book as a primary text for abstract algebra.

3 stars because the exercises in here are great
]]> <![CDATA[Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications]]> 18500235 Judson, Thomas W. 408 Thomas W. Judson 0989897508 Nicholas 5 programming-math
Better than the required text for my abstract algebra.

Great exercise. Great examples. Concepts are presented in a very concise manner that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This was supposed to be a hard class but this book makes it seem easy.]]> 4.00 1994 Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications
author: Thomas W. Judson
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1994
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/05/19
shelves: programming-math
review:
This book is FREE!

Better than the required text for my abstract algebra.

Great exercise. Great examples. Concepts are presented in a very concise manner that made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. This was supposed to be a hard class but this book makes it seem easy.
]]> The Cow with Ear Tag #1389 38923630 272 Kathryn Gillespie 022658285X Nicholas 0 to-read 4.46 2018 The Cow with Ear Tag #1389
author: Kathryn Gillespie
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/02/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Bee Sting 62039166 From the author of Skippy Dies comes Paul Murray's The Bee Sting, an irresistibly funny, wise, and thought-provoking tour de force about family, fortune, and the struggle to be a good person when the world is falling apart.

The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under―but rather than face the music, he’s spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife Imelda is selling off her jewelry on eBay, while their teenage daughter Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge-drink her way through her final exams. And twelve-year-old PJ is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away from home.

Where did it all go wrong? A patch of ice on the tarmac, a casual favor to a charming stranger, a bee caught beneath a bridal veil―can a single moment of bad luck change the direction of a life? And if the story has already been written―is there still time to find a happy ending?]]> 645 Paul Murray 0374600309 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.92 2023 The Bee Sting
author: Paul Murray
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Elementary Analysis: The Theory of Calculus]]> 236944 272 Kenneth A. Ross 038790459X Nicholas 4 programming-math
I really appreciated the back of the book giving hints to exercises rather than full solutions.]]> 3.86 1980 Elementary Analysis: The Theory of Calculus
author: Kenneth A. Ross
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/04
date added: 2023/12/30
shelves: programming-math
review:
It’s definitely a math book, but it’s easier to read than other analysis books I’ve seen

I really appreciated the back of the book giving hints to exercises rather than full solutions.
]]> Algorithms 138563 336 Sanjoy Dasgupta 0073523402 Nicholas 0 4.23 2006 Algorithms
author: Sanjoy Dasgupta
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/04
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets]]> 198207 353 Peter van der Linden 0131774298 Nicholas 3 programming-math 4.31 1994 Expert C Programming: Deep C Secrets
author: Peter van der Linden
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1994
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/12/04
shelves: programming-math
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mathematics of Deep Learning: An Introduction (De Gruyter Textbook)]]> 63944373 132 Leonid Berlyand 3111024318 Nicholas 4 programming-math 4.00 Mathematics of Deep Learning: An Introduction (De Gruyter Textbook)
author: Leonid Berlyand
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/12/04
shelves: programming-math
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Basic Analysis I: Introduction to Real Analysis, Volume I]]> 40108933 282 Jiří Lebl 1718862407 Nicholas 4 programming-math
Great exercises]]> 3.90 2014 Basic Analysis I: Introduction to Real Analysis, Volume I
author: Jiří Lebl
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/04
date added: 2023/12/04
shelves: programming-math
review:
It’s free.

Great exercises
]]> Dune (Dune, #1) 44767458
When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.]]> 658 Frank Herbert 059309932X Nicholas 0 novels, to-read 4.33 1965 Dune (Dune, #1)
author: Frank Herbert
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1965
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/12
shelves: novels, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)]]> 61215372
The inspiration for the upcoming original series on Prime Video, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Two Towers is the second part of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic adventure The Lord of the Rings.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.]]> 448 J.R.R. Tolkien Nicholas 5 novels 4.60 1954 The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.60
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at: 2023/11/12
date added: 2023/11/12
shelves: novels
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Curvy Girls Can't Date Cowboys (The Curvy Girls Club, #3)]]> 55337177 The one thing my parents can’t shelter me from is my heart.

I nearly died the summer of my eighth grade year, and ever since then, my parents have done everything they could to keep me healthy. Now I’m a senior, and instead of feeling safe, I’m suffocating.

When my parents take my twin sisters out of town for an audition, I have my chance to show them that I’m responsible. That I can go to college on my own and start a life outside of their organic food store and Emerson Academy.

All I have to do is turn in all my assignments and have a few quiet nights at home. No problem.

That is, until my video project partner decides to be a total flake. Ray may be hot and fill out a pair of Wrangler jeans like nobody’s business, but he is not ruining my chance at freedom.

I go to his family’s ranch to get his help, but instead discover something else. Could everything my parents taught me be wrong?

Unless I act fast, my quiet weekend will ruin my chance at freedom and wreck my heart faster than the flash of my camera.]]> 337 Kelsie Stelting Nicholas 0 to-read 4.18 2020 Curvy Girls Can't Date Cowboys (The Curvy Girls Club, #3)
author: Kelsie Stelting
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/10/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[LPIC-1: Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide (Lpic-1 Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide)]]> 25460891 1182 Christine Bresnahan Nicholas 2 programming-math
The practice tests are a fantastic study tool but the information in the study guide is terribly presented.

]]> 4.17 2015 LPIC-1: Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide (Lpic-1 Linux Professional Institute Certification Study Guide)
author: Christine Bresnahan
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 2
read at: 2023/07/07
date added: 2023/07/07
shelves: programming-math
review:
I’ve found that the books are not that useful when studying for these certs.

The practice tests are a fantastic study tool but the information in the study guide is terribly presented.


]]> The Grapes of Wrath 18114322
First published in 1939, Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning epic of the Great Depression chronicles the Dust Bowl migration of the 1930s and tells the story of one Oklahoma farm family, the Joads—driven from their homestead and forced to travel west to the promised land of California. Out of their trials and their repeated collisions against the hard realities of an America divided into Haves and Have-Nots evolves a drama that is intensely human yet majestic in its scale and moral vision, elemental yet plainspoken, tragic but ultimately stirring in its human dignity. A portrait of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless, of one man’s fierce reaction to injustice, and of one woman’s stoical strength, the novel captures the horrors of the Great Depression and probes into the very nature of equality and justice in America. At once a naturalistic epic, captivity narrative, road novel, and transcendental gospel, Steinbeck’s powerful landmark novel is perhaps the most American of American Classics.]]> 496 John Steinbeck 067001690X Nicholas 0 to-read 4.06 1939 The Grapes of Wrath
author: John Steinbeck
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.06
book published: 1939
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)]]> 61215351 One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit.

In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.]]> 432 J.R.R. Tolkien Nicholas 5 novels 4.52 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.52
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/22
date added: 2023/06/23
shelves: novels
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)]]> 8127 Anne of Green Gables is also a wonderful portrait of a time, a place, a family� and, most of all, love.

WITH AN AFTERWORD BY JENNIFER LEE CARELL]]> 320 L.M. Montgomery 0451528824 Nicholas 5 novels - Matthew (probably)

]]> 4.31 1908 Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)
author: L.M. Montgomery
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1908
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/13
date added: 2023/06/13
shelves: novels
review:
“Well now, I suppose I would’ve given it 4 stars if I had it in me to not give an extra star to Anne�
- Matthew (probably)


]]> <![CDATA[Notes on Diffy Qs: Differential Equations for Engineers]]> 48857974 466 Jiří Lebl 1706230230 Nicholas 5 programming-math Great textbook and it’s available for free online.]]> 4.00 2014 Notes on Diffy Qs: Differential Equations for Engineers
author: Jiří Lebl
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2023/06/13
date added: 2023/06/13
shelves: programming-math
review:
Seriously, if you’re taking a class on Differential Equations, use this textbook as a resource.
Great textbook and it’s available for free online.
]]> <![CDATA[The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century]]> 44153387

Two years later, Kirk Wallace Johnson was waist high in a river in northern New Mexico when his fly-fishing guide told him about the heist. He was soon consumed by the strange case of the feather thief. What would possess a person to steal dead birds? Had Edwin paid the price for his crime? What became of the missing skins? In his search for answers, Johnson was catapulted into a years-long, worldwide investigation. The gripping story of a bizarre and shocking crime, and one man's relentless pursuit of justice, The Feather Thief is also a fascinating exploration of obsession, and man's destructive instinct to harvest the beauty of nature.]]> 336 Kirk Wallace Johnson 1101981636 Nicholas 5 4.01 2018 The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century
author: Kirk Wallace Johnson
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2023/05/13
date added: 2023/05/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (And Why You Should Care)]]> 168325
For nearly a century, equal temperament―the practice of dividing an octave into twelve equally proportioned half-steps―has held a virtual monopoly on the way in which instruments are tuned and played. In his new book, Duffin explains how we came to rely exclusively on equal temperament by charting the fascinating evolution of tuning through the ages. Along the way, he challenges the widely held belief that equal temperament is a perfect, “naturally selected� musical system, and proposes a radical reevaluation of how we play and hear music.]]> 208 Ross W. Duffin 0393062279 Nicholas 4 music 3.88 2006 How Equal Temperament Ruined Harmony (And Why You Should Care)
author: Ross W. Duffin
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2006
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/24
date added: 2023/04/24
shelves: music
review:

]]> Get In My Swamp 75717940
Get In My Swamp was previously released on Kindle Vella and the last chapter was posted on December 25th.
Content Warning:

Get In My Swamp is a dark fantasy romance between a snarky young woman and a brute green ogre. While fun, the story includes elements that might not be suitable for some readers. Abduction (non-consensual bondage), consensual bondage, incest, mention/description of past trauma (child abuse, neglect, suicide), cheating, and violence are present in the novel. Readers who may be sensitive to this content, please take note.]]> 117 G.M. Fairy Nicholas 3 Saw this on Instagram and just had to read because�
Honestly idk.

It’s 25 chapters of ogre smut. I really don’t know what else I expected. I just really hoped that Fairy would build on the story a little bit more.

I’m not giving it one star because I’m grossed out by shrek sex scenes; I’m giving one star because the story was rushed and boring. The book was only a hundred or so pages and I felt like I was forcing myself through it not even halfway through.

Also, Donkey would never


EDIT: Deserves 3 stars. Even though it is published, it is just a steamy shrek fanfic at the end of the day�

It serves it’s purpose. Everything about this book is impossibly horny and it’s not like anyone is actually reading this for the plot.]]> 3.12 Get In My Swamp
author: G.M. Fairy
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.12
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/04/23
date added: 2023/04/23
shelves:
review:
Not fun.
Saw this on Instagram and just had to read because�
Honestly idk.

It’s 25 chapters of ogre smut. I really don’t know what else I expected. I just really hoped that Fairy would build on the story a little bit more.

I’m not giving it one star because I’m grossed out by shrek sex scenes; I’m giving one star because the story was rushed and boring. The book was only a hundred or so pages and I felt like I was forcing myself through it not even halfway through.

Also, Donkey would never


EDIT: Deserves 3 stars. Even though it is published, it is just a steamy shrek fanfic at the end of the day�

It serves it’s purpose. Everything about this book is impossibly horny and it’s not like anyone is actually reading this for the plot.
]]> The Secret Life of Bees 37435 The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily Owens, whose life has been shaped around the blurred memory of the afternoon her mother was killed. When Lily's fierce-hearted black "stand-in mother," Rosaleen, insults three of the deepest racists in town, Lily decides to spring them both free. They escape to Tiburon, South Carolina--a town that holds the secret to her mother's past. Taken in by an eccentric trio of black beekeeping sisters, Lily is introduced to their mesmerizing world of bees and honey, and the Black Madonna. This is a remarkable novel about divine female power, a story women will share and pass on to their daughters for years to come.]]> 302 Sue Monk Kidd 0142001740 Nicholas 5 novels 4.10 2001 The Secret Life of Bees
author: Sue Monk Kidd
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/23
date added: 2023/04/23
shelves: novels
review:

]]> Lyrical Ballads 112110
For Wordsworth, as he so clearly stated in his celebrated preface to the 1800 edition (also reproduced here), the important thing was the emotion aroused by the poem, and not the poem itself. This acclaimed Routledge Classics edition offers the reader the opportunity to study the poems in their original contexts as they appeared to Coleridge's and Wordsworth's contemporaries, and includes some of their most famous poems, including Coleridge's Rime of the Ancyent Marinere.]]> 118 William Wordsworth 0140424628 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.96 1798 Lyrical Ballads
author: William Wordsworth
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1798
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The World's Greatest Short Stories]]> 11237027 The collection covers an extraordinary range of themes, styles and settings, allowing the reader to get a glimpse of another world gone by. Yet, these stories seem timeless, and the characters in them show the same foibles, fears and hopes as people in the brave new world of the 21st century.]]> 640 Maxim Gorky 8172240589 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.79 2009 The World's Greatest Short Stories
author: Maxim Gorky
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Ethan Frome 5246
Ethan Frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious and hypochondriac wife, Zeena. But when Zeena's vivacious cousin enters their household as a hired girl, Ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness she comes to represent.

In one of American fiction's finest and most intense narratives, Edith Wharton moves this ill-starred trio toward their tragic destinies. Different in both tone and theme from Wharton's other works, Ethan Frome has become perhaps her most enduring and most widely read book.]]> 99 Edith Wharton Nicholas 0 to-read 3.42 1911 Ethan Frome
author: Edith Wharton
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.42
book published: 1911
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front]]> 835344 358 Joel Salatin 0963810952 Nicholas 5 4.18 2007 Everything I Want To Do Is Illegal: War Stories from the Local Food Front
author: Joel Salatin
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2007
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/15
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Nicholas 5 novels 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/05
date added: 2023/04/05
shelves: novels
review:

]]> Uzumaki 17837762
Kurouzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral � the hypnotic secret shape of the world. This bizarre masterpiece of horror manga is now available in a single volume. Fall into a whirlpool of terror!]]> 653 Junji Ito 1421561328 Nicholas 5
The illustrations are so beautifully grotesque and the story itself was surprisingly captivating given the simple concept (the town is cursed by the spiral pattern.) Uzumaki unfolds in a very straightforward manner that doesn’t leave any room for deeper thought. I really appreciated this; not every story has to have a deeper meaning. It felt very refreshing to read through this and just enjoy the story and art for what they are.

This is my first time reading manga since a very young age so I had forgotten how easy these books are to read, especially when the illustrations and plot are so great. ]]> 4.45 2000 Uzumaki
author: Junji Ito
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2000
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/18
date added: 2023/03/18
shelves:
review:
If you enjoy horror manga/anime or just like gross things, definitely read Uzumaki.

The illustrations are so beautifully grotesque and the story itself was surprisingly captivating given the simple concept (the town is cursed by the spiral pattern.) Uzumaki unfolds in a very straightforward manner that doesn’t leave any room for deeper thought. I really appreciated this; not every story has to have a deeper meaning. It felt very refreshing to read through this and just enjoy the story and art for what they are.

This is my first time reading manga since a very young age so I had forgotten how easy these books are to read, especially when the illustrations and plot are so great.
]]> <![CDATA[Hal Leonard Bass Method Book 1 - 2nd Edition Book/Online Audio (Hal Leonard Electric Bass Method)]]> 7718159 48 Ed Friedland 0793563771 Nicholas 3 music
Honestly learned more from YouTube�
I think this is a great book for someone picking up bass with no background in music. It teaches you how to read music and definitely helped me with getting around the low end of the fretboard.

As far as technical stuff� I thought this book lacked in ways that other resources excel. For example, while there are bass lines that you learn, there aren’t any technical exercises or etudes that you are really forced to woodshed.

If you have a background in music, get your hands on a real book in bass clef and start learning tunes.

I’m giving up on Ed Friedland’s method; however, I do like the way he presents concepts so I will definitely be back working through his more advanced material when I feel ready. For now, though, I might try Simandl’s method. I’m a trombone player and I’ve heard someone say it’s like “Arban’s for double bass.”]]> 4.57 1996 Hal Leonard Bass Method Book 1 - 2nd Edition Book/Online Audio (Hal Leonard Electric Bass Method)
author: Ed Friedland
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.57
book published: 1996
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/16
date added: 2023/03/17
shelves: music
review:
Realistically I rate this book 3.5/5

Honestly learned more from YouTube�
I think this is a great book for someone picking up bass with no background in music. It teaches you how to read music and definitely helped me with getting around the low end of the fretboard.

As far as technical stuff� I thought this book lacked in ways that other resources excel. For example, while there are bass lines that you learn, there aren’t any technical exercises or etudes that you are really forced to woodshed.

If you have a background in music, get your hands on a real book in bass clef and start learning tunes.

I’m giving up on Ed Friedland’s method; however, I do like the way he presents concepts so I will definitely be back working through his more advanced material when I feel ready. For now, though, I might try Simandl’s method. I’m a trombone player and I’ve heard someone say it’s like “Arban’s for double bass.�
]]> Introduction to Algorithms 108986 A comprehensive update of the leading algorithms text, with new material on matchings in bipartite graphs, online algorithms, machine learning, and other topics.

Some books on algorithms are rigorous but incomplete; others cover masses of material but lack rigor. Introduction to Algorithms uniquely combines rigor and comprehensiveness. It covers a broad range of algorithms in depth, yet makes their design and analysis accessible to all levels of readers, with self-contained chapters and algorithms in pseudocode. Since the publication of the first edition, Introduction to Algorithms has become the leading algorithms text in universities worldwide as well as the standard reference for professionals. This fourth edition has been updated throughout.

New for the fourth edition
New chapters on matchings in bipartite graphs, online algorithms, and machine learningNew material on topics including solving recurrence equations, hash tables, potential functions, and suffix arrays140 new exercises and 22 new problemsReader feedback-informed improvements to old problemsClearer, more personal, and gender-neutral writing styleColor added to improve visual presentationNotes, bibliography, and index updated to reflect developments in the fieldWebsite with new supplementary material
Warning: Avoid counterfeit copies of Introduction to Algorithms by buying only from reputable retailers. Counterfeit and pirated copies are incomplete and contain errors.]]> 1184 Thomas H. Cormen 0262032937 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.35 1989 Introduction to Algorithms
author: Thomas H. Cormen
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1989
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Practice of Programming (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)]]> 1032758 The Unix programming Environment a classic, Brian Kernighan and Rob Pike have written The Practice of Programming to help make individual programmers more effective and productive.]]> 288 Brian W. Kernighan 020161586X Nicholas 5 programming-math
The book mostly uses C and C++ in it’s code examples, which is no surprise given the author. The lessons taught can be applied to any language; however, being able to read C syntax is definitely a prerequisite to this book.]]> 4.12 1999 The Practice of Programming (Addison-Wesley Professional Computing Series)
author: Brian W. Kernighan
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1999
rating: 5
read at: 2023/03/14
date added: 2023/03/14
shelves: programming-math
review:
This is one of those books that WILL be recommended to you by your computer science professor. I’d recommend chapters 1 and 5 (style and debugging) even to the absolute beginner.

The book mostly uses C and C++ in it’s code examples, which is no surprise given the author. The lessons taught can be applied to any language; however, being able to read C syntax is definitely a prerequisite to this book.
]]> 1Q84 (1Q84, #1-3) 10357575 The year is 1984 and the city is Tokyo.

A young woman named Aomame follows a taxi driver’s enigmatic suggestion and begins to notice puzzling discrepancies in the world around her. She has entered, she realizes, a parallel existence, which she calls 1Q84 —“Q is for ‘question mark.� A world that bears a question.� Meanwhile, an aspiring writer named Tengo takes on a suspect ghostwriting project. He becomes so wrapped up with the work and its unusual author that, soon, his previously placid life begins to come unraveled.

As Aomame’s and Tengo’s narratives converge over the course of this single year, we learn of the profound and tangled connections that bind them ever closer: a beautiful, dyslexic teenage girl with a unique vision; a mysterious religious cult that instigated a shoot-out with the metropolitan police; a reclusive, wealthy dowager who runs a shelter for abused women; a hideously ugly private investigator; a mild-mannered yet ruthlessly efficient bodyguard; and a peculiarly insistent television-fee collector.

A love story, a mystery, a fantasy, a novel of self-discovery, a dystopia to rival George Orwell’s � 1Q84 is Haruki Murakami’s most ambitious undertaking yet: an instant best seller in his native Japan, and a tremendous feat of imagination from one of our most revered contemporary writers.]]> 944 Haruki Murakami 0307593312 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.94 2009 1Q84 (1Q84, #1-3)
author: Haruki Murakami
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest]]> 332613 9780451163967

Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electric shock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy � the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned. Ken Kesey's extraordinary first novel is an exuberant, ribald and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness.]]> 325 Ken Kesey Nicholas 0 to-read 4.20 1962 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
author: Ken Kesey
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1962
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Alias Grace 72579
An up-and-coming expert in the burgeoning field of mental illness is engaged by a group of reformers and spiritualists who seek a pardon for Grace. He listens to her story while bringing her closer and closer to the day she cannot remember. What will he find in attempting to unlock her memories?

Captivating and disturbing, Alias Grace showcases best-selling, Booker Prize-winning author Margaret Atwood at the peak of her powers.]]> 468 Margaret Atwood 0385475713 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.08 1996 Alias Grace
author: Margaret Atwood
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Anecdote of the Jar 36631535 5 Wallace Stevens Nicholas 3
Definitely a good “poetry club� read for pretentious group analysis.]]> 3.05 Anecdote of the Jar
author: Wallace Stevens
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.05
book published:
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves:
review:
Recited this poem for a poetry out loud competition in high school. Was rudely reminded how much thought I’d put into this Tennessee jar after seeing one of Wallace Stevens� poetry books on a bookstore shelf. I think the real poetry (at least as it relates to my life) lies less so in the poem itself but in all the recitations and analyses done by people desperately pulling meaning to share with their peers.

Definitely a good “poetry club� read for pretentious group analysis.
]]> Go Set a Watchman 24817626 To Kill a Mockingbird. Maycomb, Alabama. Twenty-six-year-old Jean Louise Finch�"Scout"—returns home from New York City to visit her aging father, Atticus. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights tensions and political turmoil that were transforming the South, Jean Louise's homecoming turns bittersweet when she learns disturbing truths about her close-knit family, the town and the people dearest to her. Memories from her childhood flood back, and her values and assumptions are thrown into doubt. Featuring many of the iconic characters from To Kill a Mockingbird, Go Set a Watchman perfectly captures a young woman, and a world, in a painful yet necessary transition out of the illusions of the past—a journey that can be guided only by one's conscience. Written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman imparts a fuller, richer understanding and appreciation of Harper Lee. Here is an unforgettable novel of wisdom, humanity, passion, humor and effortless precision—a profoundly affecting work of art that is both wonderfully evocative of another era and relevant to our own times. It not only confirms the enduring brilliance of To Kill a Mockingbird, but also serves as its essential companion, adding depth, context and new meaning to an American classic.]]> 278 Harper Lee 0062409859 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.28 2015 Go Set a Watchman
author: Harper Lee
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.28
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)]]> 44421460 What would you change if you could go back in time?

In a small back alley in Tokyo, there is a café which has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But this coffee shop offers its customers a unique experience: the chance to travel back in time.

In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, we meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the café’s time-travelling offer, in order to: confront the man who left them, receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by early onset Alzheimer's, to see their sister one last time, and to meet the daughter they never got the chance to know.

But the journey into the past does not come without risks: customers must sit in a particular seat, they cannot leave the café, and finally, they must return to the present before the coffee gets cold . . .

Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s beautiful, moving story explores the age-old question: what would you change if you could travel back in time? More importantly, who would you want to meet, maybe for one last time?]]> 213 Toshikazu Kawaguchi 1529029589 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.66 2015 Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold, #1)
author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Death of a Salesman 12898 'For a salesman, there is no rock bottom to life. He don't put a bolt to a nut, he don't tell you the law or give you medicine. He's a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine.'

Willy Loman has been a salesman for 34 years. At 60, he is cast aside, his usefulness now exhausted. With no future to dream about he must face the crushing disappointments of his past. He takes one final brave action, but is he heroic at last?, or a self-deluding fool?]]> 144 Arthur Miller 0435233076 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.57 1949 Death of a Salesman
author: Arthur Miller
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.57
book published: 1949
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Gulliver’s Travels 7733 A wickedly clever satire uses comic inversions to offer telling insights into the nature of man and society. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Gulliver's Travels describes the four voyages of Lemuel Gulliver, a ship's surgeon. In Lilliput he discovers a world in miniature; towering over the people and their city, he is able to view their society from the viewpoint of a god. However, in Brobdingnag, a land of giants, tiny Gulliver himself comes under observation, exhibited as a curiosity at markets and fairs. In Laputa, a flying island, he encounters a society of speculators and projectors who have lost all grip on everyday reality; while they plan and calculate, their country lies in ruins. Gulliver's final voyage takes him to the land of the Houyhnhnms, gentle horses whom he quickly comes to admire - in contrast to the Yahoos, filthy bestial creatures who bear a disturbing resemblance to humans. This text, based on the first edition of 1726, reproduces all the original illustrations and includes an introduction by Robert Demaria, Jr, which discusses the ways Gulliver's Travels has been interpreted since its first publication. Jonathan Swift (1667-1745) was born in Dublin.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 306 Jonathan Swift 0141439491 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.59 1726 Gulliver’s Travels
author: Jonathan Swift
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.59
book published: 1726
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Clockwork Orange 41817486 A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil and the meaning of human freedom. This edition includes the controversial last chapter not published in the first edition, and Burgess’s introduction, “A Clockwork Orange Resucked.”]]> 240 Anthony Burgess 0393341763 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.04 1962 A Clockwork Orange
author: Anthony Burgess
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1962
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Little Prince 157993
Few stories are as widely read and as universally cherished by children and adults alike as The Little Prince, presented here in a stunning new translation with carefully restored artwork. The definitive edition of a worldwide classic, it will capture the hearts of readers of all ages.]]> 96 Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 0152023984 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.32 1943 The Little Prince
author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1943
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fahrenheit 451 13079982 Sixty years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.� But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.]]> 194 Ray Bradbury Nicholas 0 to-read 3.97 1953 Fahrenheit 451
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1953
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Old Man and the Sea 2165 Librarian's note: An alternate cover edition can be found here

This short novel, already a modern classic, is the superbly told, tragic story of a Cuban fisherman in the Gulf Stream and the giant Marlin he kills and loses—specifically referred to in the citation accompanying the author's Nobel Prize for literature in 1954.]]> 96 Ernest Hemingway 0684830493 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.81 1952 The Old Man and the Sea
author: Ernest Hemingway
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.81
book published: 1952
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Night Watchman 43721059
Thomas Wazhashk is the night watchman at the jewel bearing plant, the first factory located near the Turtle Mountain Reservation in rural North Dakota. He is also a Chippewa Council member who is trying to understand the consequences of a new “emancipation� bill on its way to the floor of the United States Congress. It is 1953 and he and the other council members know the bill isn’t about freedom; Congress is fed up with Indians. The bill is a “termination� that threatens the rights of Native Americans to their land and their very identity. How can the government abandon treaties made in good faith with Native Americans “for as long as the grasses shall grow, and the rivers run�?

Since graduating high school, Pixie Paranteau has insisted that everyone call her Patrice. Unlike most of the girls on the reservation, Patrice, the class valedictorian, has no desire to wear herself down with a husband and kids. She makes jewel bearings at the plant, a job that barely pays her enough to support her mother and brother. Patrice’s shameful alcoholic father returns home sporadically to terrorize his wife and children and bully her for money. But Patrice needs every penny to follow her beloved older sister, Vera, who moved to the big city of Minneapolis. Vera may have disappeared; she hasn’t been in touch in months, and is rumored to have had a baby. Determined to find Vera and her child, Patrice makes a fateful trip to Minnesota that introduces her to unexpected forms of exploitation and violence, and endangers her life.

Thomas and Patrice live in this impoverished reservation community along with young Chippewa boxer Wood Mountain and his mother Juggie Blue, her niece and Patrice’s best friend Valentine, and Stack Barnes, the white high school math teacher and boxing coach who is hopelessly in love with Patrice.

In the Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.]]> 464 Louise Erdrich 0062671200 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.05 2020 The Night Watchman
author: Louise Erdrich
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> MongoDB: The Definitive Guide 9418297 216 Kristina Chodorow 1449381561 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.86 2010 MongoDB: The Definitive Guide
author: Kristina Chodorow
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept]]> 1428 The Alchemist, comes a poignant, richly poetic story that reflects the depth of love and life.

Rarely does adolescent love reach its full potential, but what happens when two young lovers reunite after eleven years? Time has transformed Pilar into a strong and independent woman, while her devoted childhood friend has grown into a handsome and charismatic spiritual leader. She has learned well how to bury her feelings... and he has turned to religion as a refuge from his raging inner conflicts.

Now they are together once again, embarking on a journey fraught with difficulties, as long-buried demons of blame and resentment resurface after more than a decade. But in a small village in the French Pyrenees, by the waters of the River Piedra, a most special relationship will be reexamined in the dazzling light of some of life’s biggest questions.]]> 180 Paulo Coelho 0061122092 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.63 1994 By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept
author: Paulo Coelho
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.63
book published: 1994
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The C Programming Language 515601
From the Preface:
We have tried to retain the brevity of the first edition. C is not a big language, and it is not well served by a big book. We have improved the exposition of critical features, such as pointers, that are central to C programming. We have refined the original examples, and have added new examples in several chapters. For instance, the treatment of complicated declarations is augmented by programs that convert declarations into words and vice versa. As before, all examples have been tested directly from the text, which is in machine-readable form.

As we said in the first preface to the first edition, C "wears well as one's experience with it grows." With a decade more experience, we still feel that way. We hope that this book will help you to learn C and use it well.

]]> 272 Brian W. Kernighan 0131103628 Nicholas 4 programming-math Also, understanding the contents of this book is more than enough information to pass cppinstitute's CLA certification exam.

4 stars because the book is slightly outdated as far as legal and best practices.]]> 4.44 1978 The C Programming Language
author: Brian W. Kernighan
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1978
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/24
date added: 2023/02/24
shelves: programming-math
review:
This is THE book for learning ANSI C. Kernighan's book does an excellent job holding your hand through the process of learning the basics of memory allocation and low level programming. Definitely an essential read for the entry level developer.
Also, understanding the contents of this book is more than enough information to pass cppinstitute's CLA certification exam.

4 stars because the book is slightly outdated as far as legal and best practices.
]]> No Longer Human 194746 No Longer Human, this leading postwar Japanese writer's second novel, tells the poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself "disqualified from being human" (a literal translation of the Japanese title).

Donald Keene, who translated this and Dazai's first novel, The Setting Sun, has said of the author's work: "His world � suggests Chekhov or possibly postwar France, � but there is a Japanese sensibility in the choice and presentation of the material. A Dazai novel is at once immediately intelligible in Western terms and quite unlike any Western book." His writing is in some ways reminiscent of Rimbaud, while he himself has often been called a forerunner of Yukio Mishima.

Cover painting by Noe Nojechowiz, from the collection of John and Barbara Duncan; design by Gertrude Huston]]> 176 Osamu Dazai Nicholas 5 novels Osamu Dazai takes on the theme of depression in a way that feels real and relatable; I feel like many other authors depict mental illness in a way that feels “whiny.�

My favorite thing about this book was seeing Horiki and Yozo, both seemingly throwing away their lives during college, develop in very different directions. It was hard not to feel an underlying sense of jealousy that Yozo must have felt of Horiki, especially given Yozo’s pride for his “ghost pictures.�

A quote from the book that I think perfectly encapsulates this theme is:
“He dared to act the part of the master to me! felt my usual empty tremor of anguish at the thought, “I can imagine the expression on his face if I showed him my ‘ghost pictures�.� But I protested instead, “Don’t say such things. You’ll make me cry.”�
]]> 3.99 1948 No Longer Human
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1948
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/29
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: novels
review:
Yozo’s life sucks. This book does an excellent job of making this clear while also describing the underlying mental illness that makes this so.
Osamu Dazai takes on the theme of depression in a way that feels real and relatable; I feel like many other authors depict mental illness in a way that feels “whiny.�

My favorite thing about this book was seeing Horiki and Yozo, both seemingly throwing away their lives during college, develop in very different directions. It was hard not to feel an underlying sense of jealousy that Yozo must have felt of Horiki, especially given Yozo’s pride for his “ghost pictures.�

A quote from the book that I think perfectly encapsulates this theme is:
“He dared to act the part of the master to me! felt my usual empty tremor of anguish at the thought, “I can imagine the expression on his face if I showed him my ‘ghost pictures�.� But I protested instead, “Don’t say such things. You’ll make me cry.”�

]]> Book of Proof 18060393 303 Richard Hammack 0989472108 Nicholas 5 programming-math 4.49 2009 Book of Proof
author: Richard Hammack
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2009
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: programming-math
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Twentieth-Century Harmony: Creative Aspects and Practice]]> 890009 287 Vincent Persichetti 0393095398 Nicholas 0 music 4.36 1961 Twentieth-Century Harmony: Creative Aspects and Practice
author: Vincent Persichetti
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.36
book published: 1961
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: music
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Arban's Famous Method for Trombone]]> 663446 261 Jean-Baptiste Arban 0825802547 Nicholas 5 music 4.54 1963 Arban's Famous Method for Trombone
author: Jean-Baptiste Arban
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.54
book published: 1963
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: music
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam]]> 50826977 Be Equipped to Interact More Fruitfully and Thoughtfully with Muslims

The Quran with Christian Commentary offers a unique introduction to the primary religious text of Islam. Alongside a precise modern English translation of the Quran, author Gordon D. Nickel provides in-text notes to explain the meaning of various surahs (chapters) and ayat (verses), their interpretive history and significance in Muslim thought, and similarities and differences when compared to biblical passages. Additional articles on important topics are written by an international team of today's leading experts including:



Abraham in the Quran by George Bristow

Early Christian Exegesis of the Quran by J. Scott Bridger

Tampering with the Pre-Islamic Scriptures by Gordon Nickel

Salvation in the Quran by Peter Riddell

Fighting and Killing in the Quran by Ayman S. Ibrahim

Creation in the Quran by Jon Hoover

Calling to Islam (da‘wa) by Matthew Kuiper

Apocryphal Details in Quranic Stories by Mateen Elass

The Death of Jesus in the Quran by Gordon Nickel

Son of God in the Quran by Gordon Nickel

Jihad in the Quran by David Cook

Moses in the Quran by Gordon Nickel

Manuscripts of the Quran by Daniel A. Brubaker

Women in the Quran by Linda Darwish

The Place of the Scale(s) in the Reckoning by Daniel A. Brubaker

Divine Punishment of Unbelievers in This World by David Marshall

Shi‘ite Interpretation of the Quran by Linda Darwish

The Language of Love in the Quran by Gordon Nickel

Allah in the Quran by Mark Anderson

Eschatology in the Quran by David Cook
Factual, respectful of Muslims, and insightful on issues about which Muslims and Christians disagree, The Quran with Christian Commentary equips Christians to interact more fruitfully with Muslim believers. Professors and students in courses on Islam and the Quran will find this to be an invaluable resource, as will pastors and missionaries who minister among Muslims. Written at a readable level, any Christian who wants to learn more about Islam and the Quran will find it to be a rich and informative introduction.]]> 672 Gordon D. Nickel 0310534720 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.00 The Quran with Christian Commentary: A Guide to Understanding the Scripture of Islam
author: Gordon D. Nickel
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody]]> 5416021 999 Dave Liebman 3892210306 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.20 1991 A Chromatic Approach to Jazz Harmony and Melody
author: Dave Liebman
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.20
book published: 1991
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Building Walking Bass Lines Jazz and Blues Bass Instruction Book | Online Audio Included | Hal Leonard Bass Builders Series]]> 628241 64 Ed Friedland 0793542049 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.31 1993 Building Walking Bass Lines Jazz and Blues Bass Instruction Book | Online Audio Included | Hal Leonard Bass Builders Series
author: Ed Friedland
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.31
book published: 1993
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Art of Readable Code: Simple and Practical Techniques for Writing Better Code]]> 8677004 204 Dustin Boswell 0596802293 Nicholas 0 to-read 3.98 2010 The Art of Readable Code: Simple and Practical Techniques for Writing Better Code
author: Dustin Boswell
name: Nicholas
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Setting Sun 194740
The story is told through the eyes of Kazuko, the unmarried daughter of a widowed aristocrat. Her search for self meaning in a society devoid of use for her forms the crux of Dazai’s novel. It is a sad story, and structurally is a novel very much within the confines of the Japanese take on the novel in a way reminiscent of authors such as Nobel Prize winner Yasunari Kawabata � the social interactions are peripheral and understated, nuances must be drawn, and for readers more used to Western novelistic forms this comes across as being rather wishy-washy.

Kazuko’s mother falls ill, and due to their financial circumstances they are forced to take a cottage in the countryside. Her brother, who became addicted to opium during the war is missing. When he returns, Kazuko attempts to form a liaison with the novelist Uehara. This romantic displacement only furthers to deepen her alienation from society.]]> 175 Osamu Dazai 0811200329 Nicholas 0 to-read 4.00 1947 The Setting Sun
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Nicholas
average rating: 4.00
book published: 1947
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>