What are you reading now?

[Dung Beetle]

I know we do this a lot, but I need more recommendations! Also, I'm kind of excited about the book I'm reading right now. It is called Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress, by Susan Jane Gilman. I've just started it, but so far it's been very funny. I've laughed out loud a couple of times, which I hardly ever do while reading.
I just finished English Passengers, by Matthew Kneale, and that was really good too. Thanks twickster! I didn't think it was going to be my cup of tea, but it was very well written and drew me into the story.
So, bring on the recommendations! What book is sucking your eyeballs along these days?

[BiblioCat]

My favorite kind of thread!

I'm still working on The Crimson Petal and The White, by Michael Faber. I like it, and it's interesting, but it's just slow going for some reason. I keep reading other books at the same time that are quicker reads.

I just started The Time-Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. It's very good so far.

I just finished The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. A quickie. I'd heard a lot about here and from some friends, and bought it with a Christmas gift card. I liked it a lot.

I want to buy Collapse by Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Germs and Steel. The premise sounds interesting and a good complement to G,G & S.

[twickster]

Glad you liked English Passengers, Dung Beetle. (Which reminds me, I loaned that to a friend getting over surgery, I've got to get that back from him before he starts loaning it to people and my copy disappears! ;) )

I'm currently about 3/4 of the way through [i]Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell[/b], about two English magicians (i.e., men who cast spells, not stage magicians) at the time of the Napoleonic wars. It's wonderful, and I'll search for the thread (or start one if necessary) when I finish it -- probably next weekend sometime. (It's 800 pages.)

[Landshark]

Stephen King's Wolves of the Calla, volume five of his Dark Tower series. I have the trade paperback edition that came out fairly recently. I'm about half way through and enjoying it so far.

Before starting that I completed Pandora's Star, by Peter F. Hamilton. IMO he is the best writer going today for the "space opera" variety of science fiction, and this was another great example.

[Landshark]

Second sentence in the second paragraph should read: "IMO he is one of the best writers..." There are definitely other writers of space opera I also think are great; first such that comes to mind is Iain M. Banks.

[Nightingale]

An Oblique Approach by David Drake and Eric Flint. Hubby bought it for my birthday, but it's been pretty slow reading since I just had a baby and all my free time is spent either sleeping or doing laundry. Good book so far, though.

[Slacker]

My wife and I coincidentally gave each other books for Valentine's Day. :D So now I'm reading God's Politics by Jim Wallis, which is about the role of progressive Christianity in our current political climate. Best point I've read so far? When did we start proclaiming that God is on our side, and stop worrying about whether we're on His?

And my lovely (and 8.5 months pregnant) wife is reading the new Shopaholic book by Sophie Kinsella, Shopaholic and Sister. She enjoyed the other three books in the series, so I'm assuming she'll like this one too.

[plnnr]

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. Traces the development of the Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago and the career of Dr. Henry Holmes, a serial killer who was working his magic in the same city at the same time.

[Finagle]

I'm currently about 3/4 of the way through [i]Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell[/b], about two English magicians (i.e., men who cast spells, not stage magicians) at the time of the Napoleonic wars. It's wonderful, and I'll search for the thread (or start one if necessary) when I finish it -- probably next weekend sometime. (It's 800 pages.)

I'm also reading this and I'm about halfway through. It's beautifully written, but if someone were to ask me what the plot was about, I couldn't tell you anything more than what you said above. I really have very little idea where the story is heading, but I'm enjoying the trip.

[Alias]

I'm re-reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series right now. I'm currently in the middle of Wizard and Glass.
Before that, I read Road to the Dark Tower by Bev Vincent.

I also recently read We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson, and highly recommend it.

[counsel wolf]

So, bring on the recommendations! What book is sucking your eyeballs along these days?

currently reading:
Fooled By Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and the Markets by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

I'm just under halfway through and it's not half as good as the reviews led me to believe. It's allegedy about mathematical strategies for dealing with random events in the marketplace but reads more like "I, the author of this book, am much more clever than mere mortal traders" with a few mathematical not-quite-insights thrown in.

also attempting:

The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe by Roger Penrose

An amazingly ambitious attempt at taking the reader from basic mathematical principles up to an understanding of modern physical theories. Even though I'm a maths/atronomy graduate (although over a decade out of practice) this book races over my head most of the time. I read a chapter when I feel like something mentally challenging.

fictionwise:

I'm being lazy and re-reading Pratchett novels for light entertainment.

[Survey1215]

Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and supposed best single volume on the U.S. Civil War (not as much about the military side of things as I'd like, but I'll address that down the road).

On deck: The Unknown Shore by Patrick O'Brian.

In the hole: The Hornet's Nest by Jimmy Carter (yes, that Jimmy Carter).

[BurnMeUp]

I am reading Good Times by Edward Abbey. It's set in the near future after some sort of war wiped out a lot of civilizatiuon. It's set in the american west where various groups of people are trying to eeke out a living and rebuild societies. Pretty good so far.

[audiobottle]

I'm also reading this and I'm about halfway through. It's beautifully written, but if someone were to ask me what the plot was about, I couldn't tell you anything more than what you said above. I really have very little idea where the story is heading, but I'm enjoying the trip.
I just bought it, but I have yet to start it. Currently I'm reading The Amber Spyglass, after seeing His Dark Materials popping up all over in these boards. It really is a fantastically written story. One of those books that are possibly directed at young adults, but definitely enjoyable by anybody (well, maybe not hard core Christian fundie types, but almost anybody).
I'm also reading The Behavioral Neurology of White Matter, which is hardly "sucking my eyeballs." It is interesting enough for me to do about 10-15 pages a day though.

[Judith Prietht]

I'm finishing up Isabelle Allende's The Stories of Eva Luna, which is turning out to be a very welcome grab bag gift. It's my first exposure to Allende, and it's making me want to read some more of her work.

On deck is Jared Diamond's Collapse, already mentioned by a number of people upthread. I saw him speak here in Chicago several weeks ago and he was incredible. If he comes to your fair city on the book tour, I highly recommend making the effort to see him.

[Little Nemo]

I just finished Homeward Bound by Harry Turtledove. It was a disappointment and I only finished it because I've been reading the series so far and hate to quit at this point. But it was deadingly slow paced. Several hundred pages long and I could summarize the entire story in a paragraph.

I went out Friday night to Borders and picked up some new books. History's Greatest Conspiracies (by H. Paul Jeffers) is different than I expected; it offers a more conservative viewpoint than most books of its genre. And I just started Carnage and Culture (by Victor Davis Hanson) last night; it's a history of why western society has developed the most effective military system.

[AuntiePam]

How cool is this -- for once I'm familiar with most of the books people are reading.

I looked for English Passengers yesterday at the mall, but of course they didn't have it. Off to Amazon, I guess.

I was reading The Knight by Gene Wolfe, got about halfway through, realized that despite the fine writing and intriguing premise, I didn't care about any of the characters. So I dropped it. (Life's too short, and I'm old.)

I picked up the first book from the pile by my bed, The Blue Place by Nicola Griffith -- Norwegian noir -- and I'm enjoying it.

[Stuffy]

I just finished Manifold: Space by Stephen Baxter. I probably read it a little too close to Manifold: Time. Baxter often leaves my had swimming, trying to wrap my mind around some of his larger concepts.

Currently I'm reading Red Mars by Kin Stanley Robinson, I'm a third of the way through and loving it. I'll probably pick up the rest of the series.

I don't have a book in the hole yet but I'll be heading to the book store tommorrow, so I'll be following this thread closely. Speaking of which, Landshark can you give me a synopsis on that Hamilton? Is it a new series? I loved Nightdawn Trilogy.

[Maeglin]

I thought that the only thing more brilliant than The Knight was its sequel. I admit, I am a die-hard Wolfean, but The Wizard damn near knocked my block off.

Since work has been progressively making me stupider and stupider, I needed an ambitious train reading project. I am translating the first six books of The Aeneid. It is cutting into my usual volume, but damn, it is well worth it. I started last month, and I think I will be finished sometime in early April.

[klaus_vonBarrenbeiser]

Almost done with Ghost Rider by Neil Peart. True story of how he put his life back together after his only child and his wife both died within a year.

[Marley23]

As of this morning, I'm reading I, Robot. This is a great case of sloppy seconds: my roommate rented it, and I watched it after he did. He saw me watching it and offered to lend me the book, so now I am. After that it's back to the Studs Terkel book.

[supervenusfreak]

Almost done with Ghost Rider by Neil Peart. True story of how he put his life back together after his only child and his wife both died within a year.

That one sounds like a very good read Klaus. Right now, I am reading "The Kid ", a memoir by Dan Savage. It is about his, and his partner's road through adoption. If anyone is a fan of his sex advice column "Savage Love, I would highly recommend it. It is very un PC, very funny (in a wry sort of way), and offers solid advice to anyone considering adoption.

[DeVena]

Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher and Mary, Queen of Scots and the Murder of Lord Darnley by Alison Weir.

[Podkayne]

I'm going to set aside A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century, by Barbara Tuchman. I like it a lot, and I'm learning gobs, but it's just not the sort of book that I say, "Ooooh, yippee, I have some free time to read! I'll read a couple of chapters!" so I've been slogging through it, reading a couple of pages at a time while waiting in line or otherwise killing time, for months.

In its place, I've picked up A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge. I really loved A Fire Upon the Deep, so I'm looking forward to diving in.

For bedtime reading, I'm about halfway through Many Waters by Madeline L'Engle. I decided to reread the Murray books a while ago, and got up to A Swiftly Tilting Planet but got bored with that one. (I don't know why; it was my favorite when I was a kid.) I finally finished it and launched into Many Waters, then stalled on that and read something else for a while. I restarted it a week or so ago. When it's done, I'll probably put A Distant Mirror on my night stand and see if it isn't too heavy for bedtime reading.

I'm also skipping and jumping back and forth through A Knitter's Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman (much-acclaimed author of Knitting Without Tears.) It's a very fun book, and I'm already mentally planning about four projects, which is the hazard in reading a book like that. :)

[AuntiePam]

I thought that the only thing more brilliant than The Knight was its sequel. I admit, I am a die-hard Wolfean, but The Wizard damn near knocked my block off.


I have The Wizard. Would it make any sense to read it without finishing The Knight?

(I loved The Book of the New Sun.)

[Dung Beetle]

I second supervenusfreak's recommendation.

[vibrotronica]

I'm juggling three books right now.

Perdido Street Station by China Meivile. I read lots of good things about it, but it has yet to really grab me. I'm going to stick with it, though.

Preludes and Nocturnes, book one of Sandman by Neil Gaiman. I've never been too into comics, but this is really good, and I enjoy Gaiman's prose writing.

Extreme DV at Used Car Prices by Rick Schmidt. It's the bible of the ultra-low-budget filmmaker, but so far I'm underwhelmed.

[CandidGamera]

Time Travellers Only Cash, by Spider Robinson.

[Maeglin]

I have The Wizard. Would it make any sense to read it without finishing The Knight?

(I loved The Book of the New Sun.)

My first response would be an absolute NO. However, after finishing The Wizard, I am desperate to go back and reread The Knight. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but it might actually make an interesting reading experience. If you are at least aware of the one or two main plot drivers, you should be able to follow it. Well, at least read the last few pages of The Knight first, as they are key.

New Sun was my first exposure to Wolfe and it remains my favorite. I have read them a bunch of times.

[Meurglys]

I'm really enjoying The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman right now.
It's unfolding too slowly to justify being called a thriller but it has all the elements; a small town reporter writing an obit uncovers more and more oddities about the deceased.
Interleaved with his present day story are chapters describing various alchemical objects, their history and the circumstances behind their disappearance.
The reader is well ahead of the hero in figuring some of what's going on but it's a very well written book - and I still expect surprises!

[CBCD]

I'm reading State-Building: Governance and World Order in the 21st Century (http://www.sais-jhu.edu/Faculty/fukuyama/State-Building) by Francis Fukuyama.

I also say 'Bravo!' for Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, English Pasengers, and Crimson Petal and the White. After finishing Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, I decided to re-read Charles Dickens' wonderful Bleak House. Why? Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell is like Bleak House with wizards.

[Nightwatch Trailer]

I'm most of the way through Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. It's quite good so far.

After that I've got Empire Falls by Richard Russo, and after that I need to hit up Amazon.com.

[AwSnappity]

That one sounds like a very good read Klaus. Right now, I am reading "The Kid ", a memoir by Dan Savage. It is about his, and his partner's road through adoption. If anyone is a fan of his sex advice column "Savage Love, I would highly recommend it. It is very un PC, very funny (in a wry sort of way), and offers solid advice to anyone considering adoption.
Last year I read Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America by him. I highly recommend it. I loved it.

I used to read all the time when I was younger, but I stopped having time for it when school got harder. Now I'm forcing myself to make time. In the past three weeks I have read:
Magical Thinking by Augusten Burroughs (memoirs; very, very funny)
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs (memoirs, specifically about his screwed-up childhood; funny, but also depressing since it really happened)
Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (stories and essays; absolutely hilarious, one of the best things I've ever read)
Epileptic by David B (a graphic novel about his brother's experience with epilepsy and the lengths his family went to to try treating it)

Great books, all of those. The memoirs are good if you don't have time for long, uninterrupted blocks of reading, since you can just read a chapter at a time and not have to worry about remembering a whole lot.

Right now I'm reading Dry by Augusten Burroughs about battling his alcoholism. It's good, but so far I don't like it as much as his other stuff. As soon as I finish this, I have his novel Sellevision, The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things by JT Leroy, and Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides.

[koeeoaddi]

I just finished English Passengers, by Matthew Kneale, and that was really good too. Thanks twickster!
Well, I'm not thanking twickster. I've been a zombie at work for a week, staying up till 2 a.m. every night reading the damn thing.¹ When I finish it, I'll probably not be thanking AuntiePam for suggesting The Good House by Tananarive Due. It's up next.

¹English Passengers is the best book I've read in Og knows how long.

[Tracy Lord]

I've just finished Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, and I was so pleased with it that I didn't pick up another book for a week or so, just sort of floated around in a pleasant haze.

Now, however, I'm working my way through two simultaneously: a reread of The Phantom of the Opera[/a], which I'd forgotten is (a) more Raoul's story than anyone else's and (b) a very effective mood piece, and [b]Vanity Fair, which I am in love with the narrative voice.

[Tracy Lord]

:smack: Please to ignore the inane coding in the post above.

[Ephemera]

I'm alternating between The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico by Miguel Leon-Portilla; The Legends of the Ferengi by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt Wolfe; The Zimmerman Telegram by Barbara W. Tuchman; and a cultural anthropology textbook entitled simply Cultural Anthropology by Fred Plog and Daniel G. Bates.

[Page Fault]

Lord Foul's Bane, the first book of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. A hard read, not because it's written particularly complex... but because of a very difficult scene near the beginning, and the inundiation of names and the way things are described. I'm sure a lot of dopers have read the entire series, but this is my first time through.

[Khadaji]

I haven't decided. I just finished (last night) The Patient's Eyes by David Pirie. It is a novel twist on the Sherlock Holmes pastiche. It wasn't bad. I have the second one in the queue, but I'm not sure I want to jump right into it. I am thinking maybe Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell: A Novel.

Sundays are devoted to "deep" reading which often means books on religion or philosophy, but can be any non-fiction. I just finished one this past Sunday and I am thinking On Intelligence by Jeff Hawkin.

[Necros]

I've been reading "Battle Royale" by Kousun Takumi. In Japanese. I guess I can't reccommend that to you, though. ;)

[FilmGeek]

I'm half way through Jonathan Strange... the audiobook. I like it, but I've got not clue one where it's going. I love the footnotes.

I'm re-reading the first five Harry Potter books. Started Book 5 last night. Good work reading.

Then is Jane Eyre for the first time.

[Ichini Sanshigo]

I'm almost done with The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (for some reason I always want to say "Niffenbauer"). After that, I plan to do terrible things with Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. I keep hearing good things about this Gaiman fellow, and I saw the book in the library like, right in front of my face, so I decided to give it a shot.

The Time Traveler's Wife is shaping up to be really really good, by the way.

[Nightwatch Trailer]

I've been reading "Battle Royale" by Kousun Takumi. In Japanese. I guess I can't reccommend that to you, though. ;)
I've read the English version and I found the writing rather awkward - is that just a result of the translation or is it choppy in the original Japanese?

[Lobsang]

i, robot and Foundation simultaneously.

[ITR champion]

The Sword of the Lictor, volume three in The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe.

[silenus]

I always seem to read three or four books at once. One in the car, one at home, one in the can, etc. Currently, the list includes A Salty Piece of Land - Jimmy Buffett, Ruled, Britannia - Harry Turtledove, and Hot and Sweaty Rex - Eric Garcia.

[Stranger On A Train]

I'm currently reading (or rather, re-reading) Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. I cracked open The Big Sleep the other day, and have The Cry of The Owl (Highsmith) sitting on the bedstand, though I've read it at least half a dozen times before.

Lessee, I have a copy of The Effects of Nuclear Weapons out on loan (a reference), I've been thumbing through Vol. 2 of The Feynman Lectures along with my college E&M text. I started The Spanish Civil War by Hugh Thomas a few weeks ago but haven't really gotten into it, and I have A Homage To Catalonia, which I'll reread following so as to get (hopefully) a better understanding of what Orwell was complaining about.

I've got a Shakespeare play ("Othello") always running in case I'm in that mood, and I just finished Stephenson's Cryptonomicon, which as I reported in a different thread, I found very disappointing. I gave up on The Sportswriter by Richard Ford--I just couldn't maintain interest in it, and the character and the style of Ford's writing both irritated me--and up next is a collection of Graham Greene, some out of print Arthur Conan Doyle, and some James M. Cain, as well as a text on neurobiology. Oh, and I keep meaning to read A Canticle for Leibowitz, but I never get around to ordering it.

'Nuff for you? :)

Stranger

[YellowTail]

I'm finishing up Isabelle Allende's The Stories of Eva Luna, which is turning out to be a very welcome grab bag gift. It's my first exposure to Allende, and it's making me want to read some more of her work.

On deck is Jared Diamond's Collapse, already mentioned by a number of people upthread. I saw him speak here in Chicago several weeks ago and he was incredible. If he comes to your fair city on the book tour, I highly recommend making the effort to see him.
I'm finishing up Allende's Daughter of Fortune. Even though it's kind of a "chick book" it moves along at a good pace. She's a wonderful writer.

[Cunctator]

I picked up a whole lot of classic titles quite cheaply in the post-Christmas sales. At the moment I'm reading The Good Earth by Pearl Buck.

I'm also reading The Sacrifice of praise: an Introduction to the Meaning and use of the Divine Office by Vilma Little. I've wanted to read it for a long time and I've finally managed to procure a copy.

But university starts again soon, so I'll be back to reading law textbooks and case judgements.

[look@hergo!]

I'm also reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I read it aloud to my husband every night, and we're about 26 chapters in. We both agree it's pleasant reading, but doesn't seem to be getting to any particular point yet. He is getting restless, I am still hoping for glory, and so we read on.

I just finished The Dante Club on audiocassette the other day. That was terrific, and I had to run out right away and pick up The Divine Comedy so I could re-read it -- I find I enjoy masterpieces of literature much more when I read them freelance, rather than for university credit.

[Kaspar Hauser]

The Zero Game by Brad Meltzer. It's OK. I'm looking forward to reading Caesar's Women next. I've been reading the Master of Rome series but I take a breather between books and read some shorter fare.

[lizardling]

Reading Dragon Blood by Patricia Briggs. We shall see if it's good. I haven't had the yen to sit down and read more than a chapter together yet, though.

[Landshark]

I don't have a book in the hole yet but I'll be heading to the book store tommorrow, so I'll be following this thread closely. Speaking of which, Landshark can you give me a synopsis on that Hamilton? Is it a new series? I loved Nightdawn Trilogy.
Sure. Pandora's Star is part one of what I think is going to be a 2 part series. The setting is a human Commonwealth of worlds that has had very limited contact with aliens. The economy is driven by a network of artificial wormholes that allows for instantaneous travel between worlds (which is mostly done by trains!)

The story gets rolling when an astronomer who is observing a very distant star sees the light from it being completely cut off. The Commonwealth decides this has to be investigated and builds it's first faster-than-light ship to do so. (The ship's FTL drive is based on the artificial wormhole technology.) Things start getting wild after the ship arrives at it's destination.

Getting any further into what happens will just ruin the surprises for you.

[Stuffy]

Sure. Pandora's Star is part one of what I think is going to be a 2 part series. The setting is a human Commonwealth of worlds that has had very limited contact with aliens. The economy is driven by a network of artificial wormholes that allows for instantaneous travel between worlds (which is mostly done by trains!)

The story gets rolling when an astronomer who is observing a very distant star sees the light from it being completely cut off. The Commonwealth decides this has to be investigated and builds it's first faster-than-light ship to do so. (The ship's FTL drive is based on the artificial wormhole technology.) Things start getting wild after the ship arrives at it's destination.

Getting any further into what happens will just ruin the surprises for you.


Sounds great, it's on the list.

[Jet Jaguar]

I'm working the 4th (and last) volume of an unabridged translation of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 2400-page Chinese epic. Part history and part legend, the book tells the story of the fall of the Han dynasty and the turbulent Three Kingdoms era of civil war that followed. The book spans more than 100 years of Chinese history and is a staple of classic Chinese literature, and I find it fascinating. If you've ever played the Dynasty Warriors video games then you know some of the characters, they were taken from Three Kingdoms.

[Walker in Eternity]

Currently reading "The Algebraist" by Iain M. Banks, only a few chapters in, but enjoying it immensely. :)

[Hakuna Matata]

Reading "A Prayer for Owen Meany" by John Irving. Good book so far. But I like John Irving quite a bit. Also just finished "Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini--excellent book as well.

[Dung Beetle]

Well, I sat up last night and finished Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress, and I was very happy with it. It was very funny and interesting. I liked the first half of the book (tales of her school life, the time she met Mick Jagger, etc.) more than the second half (visiting Auschwitz, working on Capital Hill) but it was all really interesting and enjoyable. I'm getting it from the library as an audiobook for my mom. I want you to read it too....that's Susan Jane Gilman.....go get it now, go, go.....

[Necros]

I've read the English version and I found the writing rather awkward - is that just a result of the translation or is it choppy in the original Japanese?

I think the way the English version turned out is partly because of the translation, but mostly because of the extremely casual way that the book is written. It stars middle-school students, as you know, and it's written that way. So, I'd say the style is an issue with the Japanese, but the final result in English is due to the difficulty the translator had in getting that style across.

[jsgoddess]

I'm finishing Clinton McKinzie's Crossing the Line.

Jonathan Strange is awfully popular right now. I'm reading it, too.

Also Rhapsody by Elizabeth Haydon, and America.

[Figaro]

The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. Great discussion of theoretical physics and cosmology for the everyman. No math, but not dumbed down conceptually.

I'm also reading a very nice biography of Amelia Earhart, I think the title is The Sound of Wings . Not sure about that, though.

[AuntiePam]

Also ]Rhapsody[/i] by Elizabeth Haydon.

Haven't read that one but I enjoyed another book of hers, The Champion.

Last night I ditched The Blue Place. The main character is way too fond of her body, and that got old fast.

Started The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. This book got some attention when Stephen King raved about it in an EW column. Actually, it didn't get published until King praised it.

It's good. People who liked I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb would like it. McLarty is one of those authors who observe the little details that make characters come to life.

[AuntiePam]

Last night I ditched The Blue Place. The main character is way too fond of her body, and that got old fast.

Started The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. This book got some attention when Stephen King raved about it in an EW column. Actually, it didn't get published until King praised it.

It's good. People who liked I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb would like it. McLarty is one of those authors who observe the little details that make characters come to life.

(I hope this doesn't load twice. While I was waiting, I noticed that I quoted a poster and got an author's name wrong.)

[Dung Beetle]

*writes down "Ron McLarty"*

Just started on The Know-It-All : one man's humble quest to become the smartest person in the world, by A.J. Jacobs. So far, enjoying the hell out of it. It's about a man who decides to read the entire set of the Encylopedia Brittanica. But you probably already know that, because I get most of my recommendations off the SDMB and I'm sure someone else has posted about this one.

[Marley23]

That's it for I, Robot. Good stuff, especially "Liar." I did start to figure out the endings before they came, but I agree with the roomie- it's not because the stories were predictable, just well-reasoned-out. What do you think, Lobsang?

Not sure what to read next. Probably Studs Terkel book. Another thread convinced me to read The Da Vinci Code for laughs, but I haven't got it from the library yet.

[EmeraldGrue]

Just finished Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club (haven't seen the movie); now I'm working my way through two immense tomes, Mark Z. Danielewski's House of Leaves and Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver, vol. I of the Baroque Cycle. Also rereading Leibniz's Monadology for school.

[Harborwolf]

I'm embarassed to say this, but I'm just now reading the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. Never read it before now. I saw the trailer for the movie and thought that it was about time. Hopefully soon I can get my geek standing back once I've finished.

After this, I'll go through some Hellboy and, if I can find it, Collapse by Jared Diamond.

And EmeraldGrue, you should get the album Haunted by Poe. She's Mark Z. Danielewski's sister and the album is kind of a companion piece. It's also a good album in it's own right.

[Ooner]

I finally finished Choke after putting it off for a couple weeks. It's taken me 4 Palahniuk books to realize I really really really don't like him.

And now, on the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which I'd like to re-read before the movie, and Jonathan Franzen's The Twenty-Seventh City because I really liked The Corrections

[Sgt.Pepper]

Well, I just finished Lord of the Flies, which I haven't read since school. Excellent book.

Also, I'm reading Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, one of the editions with a bunch of that series in it. I've read it before, but I'd like to brush up for the movie. That's more or less my light reading for now.

For smoke breaks I'm working through The Da Vinci Code. It must be taken in tiny bits, so that's why it's smoke break material. I've read it before, but I've come across a person who recenty read it and loved it, so I got to stock up on some ammo. Also, on my last reading I though I found some material ripped off from Holy Blood, Holy Grail, so I got to find out what that is, and if it's not just something I blew out of proportion*.

For my main reading, I'll next go to Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver. I know it's got mixed reviews here, but I really loved how Cryptonomicon went all over the place, and I'm hoping this one will be like that too. How are you liking it so far, EmeraldGrue?

*I know that's misspelt, but even consulting a dictionary I can't find how it's properly spelt. Brain fart.

[wheelie]

Almost done with Ghost Rider by Neil Peart. True story of how he put his life back together after his only child and his wife both died within a year.

Great book, the 55,000 miles in 14 months seems like the shortest aspect of his journey.

I just bought Wolves Of The Calla but can't decide if I should start over from the beginning or not.

[Landshark]

I just bought Wolves Of The Calla but can't decide if I should start over from the beginning or not.Having just completed it, I'll suggest that if your memories of events in the first four volumes are at all hazy, it will likely help to re-read them before starting this one.

[AuntiePam]

Or if you don't want to re-read before tackling the last two Dark Tower books, you might consider picking up a copy of Bev Vincent's book, The Road to the Dark Tower. It has pretty detailed summaries of all the books, including the tie-ins. Big time-saver.

[Johnny L.A.]

I'm re-reading Robert Rodriguez's Rebel Without A Crew.

A guy I know wants to shoot a feature film. First we're going to shoot my short film Somebody. Rodriguez's book is very inspiring.

[Khampelf]

I'm Re-Reading Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger Series at work.

At Home, I've been going through Gardner Dozious's (sp?) Best of Science Fiction Short Story Anthologies. I got the idea to go through all of them in order, and I'm up to the 15th (best of 1998) I think.

[Maeglin]

For my main reading, I'll next go to Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver. I know it's got mixed reviews here, but I really loved how Cryptonomicon went all over the place, and I'm hoping this one will be like that too. How are you liking it so far, EmeraldGrue?

For what it's worth, I detested Cryptonomicon so much that I put it down after barely more than a hundred pages. Yet I burned through the entire Baroque Cycle in no time at all. I enjoyed Quicksilver immensely more.

[adaggio1]

I'm reading GPS user's guide.

[BurnMeUp]

Cook Off by Amy Sutherland. It's about national cookoffs and the people who religiously compete in them.

[Dung Beetle]

Thanks, BurnMeUp....I'm putting it on my list.

[susan_foster]

I'm getting back into Rex Stout - I first read them from my mother's book collection, but now I am picking some up for my own collection.I just re-read Fer de Lance , Some Buried Caesar , In the Best Families , and A Right to Die . Good to get back to him - I love his style.

Also getting into the Shopaholic series, and have a stack of books out from the library (my best friend!), including The Devil Wears Prada, Rendezvous with Rama, Cryptonomicon, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Nightingales - the Extraordinary Upbringing and Curious Life of Florence Nightingale, Practical Magic,and Thinner than Thou. Plus 1 more on hold at the library, and 14 requests not yet available.

Yes - I like to read. And yes - I am single, so I have the time to do so.

Susan

[twickster]

Yeah, that does sound intriguing! What's the author's tone -- detached? sympathetic? snarky?

[zev_steinhardt]

I'm currently in the middle of about four or five different books.

In my bag which I carry on the train to/from work with me every day are the following books:

Sabriel, by Garth Nix
The Ten Commandments of Character, by Joseph Telushkun
The Demon Haunted World, by Carl Sagan
and (probably of no interest to 99.9% of you) the Shulchan Aruch (written by Rabbi Jospeh Cairo ~ 1580) with the commentary of the Mishneh Brurah (written by Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan ~ 80 years ago).

The actual book I read on any particular trip depends on my mood and whatever stikes my fancy, although I try to get at least a few minutes of the last work in each trip - regardless of what else I choose to read.

The last two books I finished (not too long ago) were:

Dying of the Light, by Geroge R.R. Martin (a very interesting book)
Give Me A Break: How I Exposed... by John Stossel.

Zev Steinhardt

[Sublight]

Al Franken's Lies, and the Lying Liars who Tell Them

Odd Gods: Alternative Religions and the Cult Controversy, by a number of different writers and edited by someone whose name I can't find at the moment.

[BurnMeUp]

Was that question referring to Cook Off?

[twickster]

Was that question referring to Cook Off?

My question? Yes -- what's the author's tone? (sorry -- my boss walked by and I clicked out of the thread without realizing there was an intervening post.)

[Lao Tsu]

I just finished up [b]A Certain Chemistry[\b] by Mil Milington. Laugh out loud funny at times, has some great points. Seemed like it could have been edited a little better, but worth the effort.

Halfway through [b]Conan of Venarium[\b] by Harry Turtledove. It's a blast, but only if you're inclined that way. ;)

[BurnMeUp]

My question? Yes -- what's the author's tone? (sorry -- my boss walked by and I clicked out of the thread without realizing there was an intervening post.)

She's very professional, she approaches it in an informative and investigative way. Almost more of a documentarian than anything else. She does mention how a lot of the larger media people refer to the participants as "white trash" and make fun of them but so far (1/3 of the way through) the author doesn't seem judgemental at all.

[twickster]

She's very professional, she approaches it in an informative and investigative way. Almost more of a documentarian than anything else. She does mention how a lot of the larger media people refer to the participants as "white trash" and make fun of them but so far (1/3 of the way through) the author doesn't seem judgemental at all.

**adds title to "books to keep an eye out for at the library" list**

[Genghis Bob]

. . . It's taken me 4 Palahniuk books to realize I really really really don't like him. . .

I'm with you, Ooner. He presents a world that is unremittingly depressing, brutal and ugly. Even if his description is accurate, I don't wanna know about it!

That said, I'm currently reading Lord Foul's Bane; I read The Power That Preserves many many years ago, and I thought I'd start at the beginning this time. It's a little bit of a rough go - the milieu is so Tolkien-ish, it's hard to lose myself in the story; I'm too aware that Donaldson is Writing.

Prior to this one, I read Coldheart Canyon by Clive Barker, and ended up liking it more than I thought I would; before that, The Time Traveler's Wife, which I loved and recommend wholeheartedly.

Next up: Brave New World; believe it or not, I've never read it. And then Mary Doria Russel's latest - I loved The Sparrow and Children of God; anything she writes, I'll buy.

[AuntiePam]

Just finished Assassin's Apprentice and a novella in Legends II by Robin Hobb. Absolutely fell in love with this writer.

While I'm waiting for more Hobb books to get here, I started a short story collection by William Gay called I Hate to See That Evening Sun Go Down. Excellent writer, described as "Southern", but his characters are universal. I guess most Southern characters are.

[JeffyDMan]

I'm currently reading the SDMB. :wally

As far as what I'm reading on paperback.. the Tom Clancy "Power Plays" series. Rather underwhelming, but it's something to do at work. Maybe I should go back to reading the dictionary.

[js_africanus]

Cities in Civilization by Sir Peter Hall

[Hypno-Toad]

Right now it's "1215: The Year of the Magna Carta" by Danziger and Gillingham. Before that it was "Tea: Addiction, Exploitation, and Empire" by Roy Moxham.

In my "IN" box: "America: Democracy Inaction" by John Stewart, "Making A Living In The Middle Ages" by Chris Dyer, "The Complete Roman Army," and others.

[Marley23]

America, by Studs Terkel. It might only be train reading, I'm not sure. Last night I finished The Da Vinci Code for laughs, and a few days earlier I read Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth.

[Lobsang]

I am nearly at the end of 'i, robot' and I begun 'Robots and Empire' this morning.

I am also about two thirds into 'Foundation'. and have read the first few pages of 'Rest of the Robots'.

Yes I'm binging on Asimov.

[Ephemera]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for no real reason.

[Torgo ate my hamster]

Dung Beetle thank you for mentioning The Know-It-All. I've checked the sample pages at Amazon and decided to try to find it.

I've just read two nice satires. The first was Ben Elton's This Other Eden. I got acquainted with Elton's writing through Dead Famous and out of the four of his books I've read so far this one is my favourite. The story is set in an ecologically destroyed world where everybody is waiting for the inevitable moment when they would have to seal themselves in domes called claustrospheres in order to survive. We follow intermingling stories of a superstar actor, an aspiring script writer, and a leader of an ecological terrorist group. Elton is not afraid to ridicule anything from celebrity sex to the non-unified leadership of the EU. One of the best satires I've ever read.
The other is Christopher Buckley's Thank You For Smoking, about a tobbacco lobbyist in the middle 1990's. I wouldn't place it anywhere near the list of my favourite books but IMO it's worth a read.
Now I've started reading Toby Litt's Finding Myself which I bought on the grounds of being familliar with his Adventures in Capitalism and an interesting take on the book which is written in the form of a manuscript with editor's notes spreaded all over the book.

[Lissla Lissar]

Oooh! Oooh! Sabriel is great. I'm reading [b]Alphabet of Thorns[/i], by Patricia McKillip. I started it yesterday, and I'm about half-finished. I just re-read For The Time Being, by Annie Dillard, which I love. I just lent Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to the friend who lent me Alphabet. We're mutually reading each other's favorite books.

He lent me a couple of McKillip books, and The Years Of Rice And Salt, so I'm ploughing through them. My father-in-law lent me The Way Of A Pilgrim, about Eastern Orthodox prayer, and Confederacy of Dunces. I also have a Flannery O'Connor complete short story collection and Connie Willis's To Say Nothing Of The Dog out from the library.

Okay, the books I have actually started reading are the aformentioned Alphabet, the Flannery O'Connor, and The Way Of The Pilgrim. I'm really enjoying all of them- McKillip's writing reminds me of Robin McKinley, and Way is just beautiful. It's like reading about the Desert Fathers. The O'Connor is fascinating.

Yes, I am a book addict. Just don't get between me and the library, and nobody will get hurt. :D

[YellowTail]

Possession by Ann Rule. True crime is my guilty pleasure. It's only between more legitimate works, believe me!!!

[easy e]

I just finished American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It took me mayb e 60 pages to get into it, but I loved it.

I'm currently re-reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and [b]The Silence of the Lambs[/i] by Thomas Harris. I hope to check out Red Dragon soon (I haven't read it yet).

[jabiru]

I've just finished Sue Grafton's latest, R is for Richochet, somewhat disappointing. Have just started God Under Howard: The Rise of the Religious Right in Australia[i]. Next on the pile is [i]Time Out of Joint by Philip K. Dick.

I just know I'm going to regret opening this thread. I've already noted down several titles to add to the pile.

[dearissues]

I'm re-reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series right now.

Yay! I'm not the only one who felt the urge to start over again.

[Marley23]

I screwed up the title of the book I'm on now. It's American Dreams: Lost and Found.

[twickster]

Just realized I never said -- er, admitted -- what I'm reading at the moment (well, I finished it yesterday): Jeffery Deaver's Vanished Man. This is one in his series on paraplegic evidence genius Lincoln Rhyme and model-turned-CSI cop Amelia Sachs. I love a good plausible set of characters, don't you? The first one, The Bone Collector, was absolutely one of the best thrillers I've read in years, and I've been a bit disappointed by the following books, so I didn't rush right out to get this one (which came out in '03) -- but it was pretty entertaining. A serial killer with some serious magic (as in stage magic) chops is running around NYC killing people -- at random? It's not clear.

Lots of nice plot twists -- definitely enjoyable, if not the best freakin' thriller ever. Pick it up in the library if you like the genre.

[Scribble]

Last night I finished reading Love in a Dead Language, by Lee Siegel. I loved it. It's very funny, with many layers of satire and a lot of playing with language. It's kind of about sex, and kind of about love, and kind of about cultural misconceptions and academic pretentiousness. Check it out.

I finished Maximum City, by Sukhetu Mehta, last week. Maximum City is about the contemporary city of Bombay--its vitality, corruption, inequality and opportunity (which often appears in very strange forms.) I enjoyed the book and would definitely recommend it to other people, though it's a little uneven. Some of the author's analysis strikes me as a bit facile. But the subject matter is really fascinating, as are the people Mehta interviews. The sensory descriptions of Bombay are great, too. The first chapter, an account of what it's like to move to Bombay from New York and try to set up an apartment, is, IMHO, the best part of the book.

Last week I also got done with Rumpole on Trial, which was a fun light read. Rumpole of the Bailey's a fun character to follow.

I just finished Lost Papers, by Andre Aciman. That's a book of essays about memory and what it's like to always feel like you're living in exile. I recommend this book, too, though Aciman's neuroticism (neuroticness?) alternately interested and annoyed me.

[Detritus]

Just finished Assassin's Apprentice and a novella in Legends II by Robin Hobb. Absolutely fell in love with this writer.

Robin Hobb rules! I had never heard of her before I read Homecoming in Ledgends II, but after reading that I totally binged and read the Farseer trilogy, the Liveship Traders trilogy, and then the Tawny Man trilogy one after the other. It was delicious!
Ms. Hobbs has also written a good deal under the pen name Megan Lindholm, but most if not all are currently out of print in the US and I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet. In an interview with Ms. Hobbs (http://collection.nlc-bnc.ca/100/202/300/january/2001/01-01-22/hobb.html) I read recently she stated that R. Hobbs and M. Lindholm have quite different writing styles, so I am not terribly heartbroken about not having sampled any Lindholm.
After Hobbes I was still in a bit of an epic mood (Liveship Traders much more epic than Farseer--make sure you read that series!) so I am re-reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I keep telling myself that another volume has to come out someday. Perhaps by the time I finish I will be mired in an epic-that-will-never-freaking-end mood and I'll re-read GRR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire. Another really great fantasy epic series. I don't think GRRM has taken as long between releases as Jordan has (yet), but it sure feels like it.

[JohnT]

Sure. Pandora's Star is part one of what I think is going to be a 2 part series. The setting is a human Commonwealth of worlds that has had very limited contact with aliens. The economy is driven by a network of artificial wormholes that allows for instantaneous travel between worlds (which is mostly done by trains!)

The story gets rolling when an astronomer who is observing a very distant star sees the light from it being completely cut off. The Commonwealth decides this has to be investigated and builds it's first faster-than-light ship to do so. (The ship's FTL drive is based on the artificial wormhole technology.) Things start getting wild after the ship arrives at it's destination.

Getting any further into what happens will just ruin the surprises for you.

To me, Pandora's Star epitomizes what's best about space opera. The section about the Alamo Avengers was one of the most exciting things I've read in years.

However, I worry that Hamilton has written himself into the same problem as he had with the Night's Dawn series, that of

having an opponent that is just too powerful to beat, necessitating a need to have a deus ex machina come down and right things,

but hopefully not.

Bad news for us Americans: The sequel, Judas Unleashed, is not being released until January 2006. In Britain it is being released in August, iirc.

[JohnT]

"necessitating a need"?

You know, I actually previewed that last post!

:smack:

[Landshark]

To me, Pandora's Star epitomizes what's best about space opera. The section about the Alamo Avengers was one of the most exciting things I've read in years. I felt the same way about the extended battle sequences closer to the end of the novel. It was thrilling and was a prime example for me of literally not being able to put the book down.

[Dung Beetle]

Cook Off by Amy Sutherland. It's about national cookoffs and the people who religiously compete in them.
This is what I'm reading now, and finding it fascinating, although I don't much like any of the people I've read about so far.

[AuntiePam]

Robin Hobb rules! I had never heard of her before I read Homecoming in Legends II, but after reading that I totally binged and read the Farseer trilogy, the Liveship Traders trilogy, and then the Tawny Man trilogy one after the other. It was delicious!


Definitely delicious. There's a Hobb forum at SFF World.

The best part for me about discovering Hobb now is that I don't have to wait for the next book in these series. :) I hate waiting. I'm like the old lady who asked Stephen King back in 1990 if he was going to finish The Dark Tower before she died.

[Detritus]

...best part for me about discovering Hobb now is that I don't have to wait for the next book in these series. :) I hate waiting. I'm like the old lady who asked Stephen King back in 1990 if he was going to finish The Dark Tower before she died.

[minor hijack]
I picked up Assassin's Apprentice first to make sure I liked the style as much as I had the novella and about halfway through ordered the other 8 books all in one go. It's such a warm fuzzy feeling to have a whole series waiting there on your bookshelf!

You know, I wonder about that lady. Could waiting for Roland to find the Tower be enough to keep a person alive past her time? I hope so, for her sake.
{/minor hijack]

[Ephemera]

I'm reading Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond right now. Pretty good so far.

[NE Texan]

I recently finished Return to the Whorl, the last of Wolfe's volumes in his New Sun/Long Sun/Short Sun series. Makes me want to reread all 12 to get all the connections - I may do that soon.

Currently reading Scout's Honor: A Father's Unlikely Foray into the Woods, by Peter Applebome, and Runes of the Earth, by Donaldson. (I just reread the previous two Covenant series in prep for this one, since it had been a while).

On my "to read" pile, I have the PUllman novels someone mentioned upthread (Golden Compass and it's two sequels), which I found cheap but new at a thrift store. And now that someone's mentioned The Wizard, I'm going to have to add re-reading The Knight to the list, and run down and get the sequel.

The Banks book - The Algebraist - I haven't seen that one. Is there a US edition yet, or is it just UK?

AAARgghh... so many books, so little time...

[Harborwolf]

Just finished The Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy. Next up is The Game by Ken Dryden. Brilliant book. If you even kind of like hockey or sports, the book is a must read.

After that I'll read Collapse by Jared Diamond.

[Primaflora]

Ms. Hobbs has also written a good deal under the pen name Megan Lindholm, but most if not all are currently out of print in the US and I haven't been able to get my hands on any yet.

I've come across a few in libraries and I have to say I am not enchanted at all. I *love* the Farseer and Liveship books but none of her Lindholm books have worked for me.

I hope she does more Farseer books. There's got to be more in store for Nettle.

[dangermom]

Last night I finished A book for Eleanor Farjeon, a collection of stories printed in tribute to her. (Not about her, just neat stories.) Anyone who likes her would get pleasure from it.

I'm going through David Lodge's Art of fiction, a collection of newspaper columns he wrote about different elements and effects in the novel. Fun.

And I'm reading 1215: the year of Magna Carta, a little popular history book detailing life in England in that time period. Lots of fun everyday detail.