Guest Raven526 Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 I see from time to time adcoms ask what is the latest book you've read. Any suggestions? Raven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Xine15 Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Ooooh! Great question. I read The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone last year. Truly a brilliant novel! It's a biography of Michelangelo's life and it's told beautifully. For a science nerd, I found that it gave me such a wonderful appreciation for the fine arts - it especially hit home for me since I read it right before visiting Italy! That's my suggestion. Although it's long and emotionally heavy it's a great read. Xine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 I was asked that question in an interview. I was hesitating a bit because I really read a medical ethics book a week before, but I wanted to avoid "more hazardous" follow up questions... So I said my second to last, "The Alchemist", by Paulo Coelho. To me this was a fantastic book, the female doctor probably read it since she smiled and nodded after my answer...but who hasn't read it though? hehe. noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coastal79 Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 I was actually reading the Alchemist when I had one of my interviews. I read it a few years ago as well, just wanted something postive and dream-affirming during the interview process, which is what I said to my interviewers (2 of whom had read it). Honestly though, if you don't read, you don't read. Talk about movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Raven526 Posted April 7, 2004 Report Share Posted April 7, 2004 Thanks for the ideas gang. Raven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dafunk Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 The DaVinci Code is what I read. Its awsome and very entertaining. I recommend everybody to read it, although its controversial. The other book Ive recently read is Love in the time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Great book, and a great author. Dafunk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kirsteen Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Hi there, I just picked up "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" today for some background reading. Cheers, Kirsteen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noncestvrai Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Honestly though, if you don't read, you don't read. Talk about movies. That's right, especially don't make up stuff, like reading this and that since the odd question may come such as... Who is Tom Bombadil? noncestvrai Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aidan Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" by Mark Haddon. It's a truly amazing book, written in the voice of a 15-year old autistic boy (although the author isn't autistic). I have an autistic cousin, and I can tell you from experience that the illusion that the author is actually autistic is very convincing. Apart from the entertaining quirkiness inherent in the writing of an autistic boy, it's an emotionally wrenching story too. I recommend it highly. It's a quick read too -- 300 pgs, but I finished it in one day, and I am NOT a fast reader. Cheers, - Aidan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bananacreampie Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 I am currently completing a science fiction english course for my U of A english requirement and have ended up reading 7 novels in the last month and a half. It is not a genre that I usually pick-up, so all the books were very new to me. The biggest surprise was how much science fiction books are really social commentaries. I've read: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (pretty basic) Brave New World by Aldous Huxley Island by Aldous Huxley The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clark The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin Golden Fleece by Robert Sawyer So if your looking for something different, I'm sure the local library carries all of these. When I was preparing for my interview I came across the question "what is your FAVORITE book?" This is a hard one for my because there are just so many books and I am not really a favorites person. In the end I decided it was The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare (because my name is one of the characters ) I wasn't asked this question at my interview, however, after thinking about it so much, when they asked if there was anything else I would like to tell them; I told them my favorite book. One of my friends did get the question "What is the FUNNIEST movie you've ever seen?" Answer that on the spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aidan Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Weird...I just read Frankenstein too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve U of T Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 I read Frankenstein back in grade 10 English class. Great book. The essay I wrote about it was one of very few English essays that earned me a perfect grade, and the teacher asked for an extra copy to use as an example for future students. I guess that book holds a special place in my heart because of that. I recommend The Cunning Man by Robertson Davies. It's been a long time since I've read it, but I remember enjoying it a lot. Lately I haven't been reading any novels, although I've been a bit interested in political philosophy. I recently finished Plato's Republic, and am currently reading some Rousseau. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 I just read "The Vinyl Cafe Diaries" by Stuart MacLean. It was absolutely hilarious - I laughed the whole way through. I highly recommend it. In general though, I'm a sucker for paperback mystery novels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest byjude Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Looking forward to finishing exams to bite into Hesse's Steppenwolf. And like.. about a million other books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest arjuna83 Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 One of my favourite books ever read was "the third twin" by Ken Follet. It's all about genetic engineering and the issue of human cloning. One of those books I was just unable to put down until the final page was turned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest daryn Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 The lastest book I've read was Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. I loved that ambiguously choppy, teeter tottering mood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest klukyboy Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 I was actually asked this in my Calgary interview: "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right" by Al Franken. Freakin' hilarious if you're politically inclined at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marbledust Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Hey bananacreampie, Speaking of science fiction and social commentary. I went to a conference in February addressing that very issue - science ficiton and social change. I was absolutely blown away by the connection between the two, its something I never realized or even thought about. I was never into science-fiction prior to the conference, and went intending only to attend a single presentation given by a friend. I ended up staying for the entire two days, absolutely fascinated by the presentations. I had always dismissed science fiction as not worth reading. I didn't realize what I have been missing out on! Robert Sawyer was there and I got to hear him talk and meet him - he's very cool. Made me wish I had taken a science ficition course in undergrad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest All Good Names are Used Posted April 8, 2004 Report Share Posted April 8, 2004 Hey Dafunk, I also recently read the DaVinci Code and I thought it was an amazing book although could be considered controversial! Although it didn't feel like he wrote it for that reason. It spurred me on to read Holy Blood, Holy Grail which is also a very good book although quite a bit harder/slower read! I previously had never heard anything about that theory of the holy grail and find it very interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bananacreampie Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 Hey Marbledust, My teacher told us all about that conference, in fact, she was actually presenting at it. She raved about Robert Sawyer, and until this semester I never realized the huge following that Scifi has. That's neat that you actually got to go to the conference, I was bogged down with classes. Did you go to the History of Medicine conference? I was reading some of the abstracts the other day and they looked quite interesting. cheers, bcp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chowchilla Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 "the namesake" by jhumpa lahiri. i thought it would be amazing as her "interpreter of maladies" short stories collection, but i was sorely disappointed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Whitbourne Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 I just started this yesterday - "Doctor Bloom's Story" by Don Coles. First novel by a long time poet, and it's astonishing. Relevant, too - about a cardiologist who's decided to give up medicine and take up writing. I'm impressed and humbled by it so far, especially since the subject matter rings so true to my situation (even though I'm just a first year student). My interview focused a lot on books. We talked about the last novel I'd read (The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies) and about why I enjoyed it so much, and we talked about the last non-fiction book I'd read (Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser) and what I thought of that. We talked about writing and reading, moreso than any ethics questions, and I ended my interview by saying that whether I got into medicine or not, I hoped that someday my interviewers would find my name on the bestseller lists of the Globe and Mail. They thought that was funny...and a few weeks later, I got in. Reading pays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted April 9, 2004 Report Share Posted April 9, 2004 ooh I love Haruki Murakami! I just wish he had more books because I've read everything that's been translated so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest marbledust Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 Hey bananacreampie, Apparently MRC is planning to make the Sci-Fi conference an annual event due to the success of this year's conference. So maybe you can go next year What surprised me was the many of the presenters and attendees weren't connected to English departments. Many were, but there were also people from Biology, Education, Philosophy, and Computer Science to name a few. It was a very diverse and interesting group. The most interesting conference I have ever been to as a matter of fact. I have been to the History of Medicine conference twice in the past, but this year bad timing prevented my attendence. Another event I highly recommend attending if you get the chance. Cheers, Marbledust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RXK Posted April 10, 2004 Report Share Posted April 10, 2004 "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy... beautiful....poetic...... RXK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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