What are you reading?

[Ymir's blood]

I gave up just into Purgatory. The Inferno was all I really wanted anyway.

Have read The Plague and the Sandman trade.

[ShottleBop]

I've been reading a collection of sci-fi short stories from the 40s and 50s (something like "The Golden Age of Science Fiction"--picked it up cheap, for my Kindle). Also Theodore Sturgeon's "Beware the Fury" and "The Perfect Host." Reminded me of how much I enjoy his work.

[SharonDee]

Rereading King's Dark Tower V:Wolves of the Calla, after a reread of Dark Tower IV: Wizard and Glass. It wasn't until I was in the middle of reading V that I found out King's latest book, due out this month, tells the story of the ka-tet between IV and V. Of course I pre-ordered it. I can't stop being a King addict this late in life!

Why am I rereading? Because all I have left on my shelves is non-fiction. My "dealer" coworker has been dragging his feet on bringing me more books from his extensive sci-fi collection. I may have to hie myself to the local library. (Two week checkout limits? HORRORS!)

I finished reading the Riverworld books written by [sumtin-sumtin] Farmer and they were okay but not nearly as good as the premise made it sound. I think it's one of those ideas that another writer should have had a go at.

[chunksmediocrites]

Originally Posted by SharonDee

I finished reading the Riverworld books written by [sumtin-sumtin] Farmer and they were okay but not nearly as good as the premise made it sound. I think it's one of those ideas that another writer should have had a go at.

The name you were trying to remember is Philip José Farmer.

Still working through Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles. Some of the vignettes are a little dated, though I do enjoy the whole idea of several first contacts failing because the inhabitants of Mars are busy, stand-offish, self-involved, or believe the Earthlings to simply be delusional Martians in some masquerade.

Read Neal Asher's Line War. The sixth Ian Cormac novel in his series about the Polity, a far-flung, AI-run human civilization connected by portals called Runcibles. Interesting look at xenotechnology, AI motives, and the intersection with humanity.

Finished Bard V: Homecoming by Keith Taylor. A nicely done completion of the saga of Felimid Mac Fal, with well-done dialogue, setting, pacing, and sorcery.

Reading Hide Me Among the Graves, Tim Powers' latest. I like everything he's written, and so far I'm okay for this ride as well.

[Ari]

Originally Posted by ShottleBop

I've been reading a collection of sci-fi short stories from the 40s and 50s (something like "The Golden Age of Science Fiction"--picked it up cheap, for my Kindle).

Interesting, I'm a sucker for sci-fi short stories and have loved books like the Illustrated Man by Bradbury and have been going through a large "Years best short sci-fi stories" and have found it pretty good, enough that I plan on picking up a few previous years.

[freemonkey]

I'll be starting Lindsey Davis' "Saturnalia", one of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, tonight. I think it's a later one and I've only read a couple of the early ones. I'm hoping I on't have tpo have read them all before this one.

[Gonzo]

Originally Posted by Ymir's blood

I gave up just into Purgatory. The Inferno was all I really wanted anyway.

Have read The Plague and the Sandman trade.

Man, Purgatory is great so far... INFERNO is mostly gut wrenching, but this is uplifting.
Really beautiful, soul moving poetry.

And The Sandman blows my mind... between the writing and outstanding artwork and color, I'm just very impressed. Carl Jung would be proud, I think. I forgot how brilliant Gaimen is.

Art is not futile, afterall.

[wildernesse]

I'm reading Wuthering Heights.

[Waluigi]

I'm reading an excellent book about George Washington now, by the same author who wrote an excellent book about Alexander Hamilton.

Reading about the 1790s has me curious to read a book dedicated to the French Revolution. Has anyone read a book about this that they recommend? The only requirement is that it be in English, or a good English translation.

Any other history nerds in this thread?

[specious_reasons]

The Tragic Sense of Life
I've been reading about this chap named Ernst Haeckel, a contemporary of Darwin who was as fierce a defender of evolution as Thomas Huxley, only he wound up being more famous for his beautiful nature studies. (Do an image search on his name and "Die Radiolarians" - yes those drawings are accurate!)

I'm impressed that the author takes seriously the discussions between 1860s biologists during the evolution debate. Seriously, even Darwin believed some weird, stupid shit.

If I were writing this book, I'd be taking some serious asides saying, "Seriously, ain't it funny what these guys thought? This 'gemmules' crap gets thrown out in favor of genetics." But the author resists and keeps the discussion at the level of the time.

[Waluigi]

Finished Washington: A Life by Ron Chernow. Excellent. Even better than his Hamilton book, and that was a great book.

Read Maphead by Ken Jennings. An enjoyable read, though I prefer the less socially acceptable humor of his tweets / AMA on Reddit.

Read The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson yesterday. As in, I read the entire 325 pages in a single day (I had some time). It was very enjoyable.

I have Falling to Earth by Apollo 15 CMP Al Worden which I will start reading tonight.

[Watser?]

Originally Posted by Waluigi

I'm reading an excellent book about George Washington now, by the same author who wrote an excellent book about Alexander Hamilton.

Reading about the 1790s has me curious to read a book dedicated to the French Revolution. Has anyone read a book about this that they recommend? The only requirement is that it be in English, or a good English translation.

Any other history nerds in this thread?

I read Citizens: A Chronicle of the French Revolution by Simon Schama, which was pretty good but it sorta expects you to know the basic story already.

[Gonzo]

My brother got me this and a bottle of rum for my birthday.

[specious_reasons]

The Red Thumb Mark by Richard Austin Freeman

An early procedural detective novel. Recommended to me for descriptions of microscopy and microphotography of the times....

So far, so good. It's probably better that the Sherlock Holmes stories for scientific accuracy.

[livius drusus]

Originally Posted by freemonkey

I'll be starting Lindsey Davis' "Saturnalia", one of the Marcus Didius Falco mysteries, tonight. I think it's a later one and I've only read a couple of the early ones. I'm hoping I on't have tpo have read them all before this one.

I would. Well, I did, but I got started when there were only four or so books so it was easy. The problem is that each book is at least as much about Falco's personal life as about any given case, and that progresses and evolves a lot from the early books to the later ones.

[Gonzo]

Read a Motherfuckin' Book! [Mirror for Great...

[Qingdai]

I'm reading Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, seriously it's not only the art world that's full of intrigue and scandal.
Liv, I do believe you'd like it.

[Crumb]

I'm reading Drift on my Nook.


And this in dead tree form:

[Ymir's blood]

Originally Posted by Qingdai

I'm reading Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, seriously it's not only the art world that's full of intrigue and scandal.

olive-oyl-pictures-61.jpg


Last night I picked up a used copy of Vampire A Go-Go by Victor Gischler. I hope it's good. I hate buying books with the word vampire on them.

[Ymir's blood]

It was pretty good, actually.

[Janet]

I'm reading Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle which is turning out to be a surprisingly quick read. I also checked out 5 volumes of the Nexus Archive from work so I can spend some of my time off reading comic books without getting finger prints on my precious collection.

[Waluigi]

I read Poor Economics by Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. It was an interesting look at poverty, and people living on less than 99 cents (USD) a day. tl;dr -- fighting poverty requires knowing, empathizing with, and understanding the people being helped.

I just finished Roger Ebert's memoir Life Itself. What an amazing, fantastic book. Best memoir I've read in a long time, if not the best ever.

Not sure what I'll read next. I promised a co-worker I'd read The Stand, and I'm biding my time until the Harry Potter books come to the Kindle lending library so I can read those.

[Waluigi]

Well, I ended up reading Jewball by Neal Pollack. Quick read, decent story. Now reading The Submission by Amy Waldman. So far, so good.

Oh, and I also finished reading The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary, which I had started some weeks ago. I powered through it, but it wasn't a great story.

Three holds at the library: Asylum by Patrick McGrath; Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick; and White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why it Matters to You by Simon Johnson.

Lots of reading to do!!

[Gonzo]

good excuse to day drink, no?

[Ymir's blood]

A shot of Gonzo with a rum chaser?