Book Nook

[Ellen Cherry]

I've seen a couple threads discussing a specific author or book, but I always want to leap off into a discussion of another and feel duty-bound not to hijack the stated subject of the thread (though I admit to doing it once )

So I was wondering -- would anyone like to join me in a discussion of whatever book you happen to be reading at the moment? Or discussion of an old favorite? All genres welcome!

I'll start by mentioning one of the best books I've read in probably the last 10 years: Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund. This book imagines the life of, unsurprisingly, the bride of Ahab from Moby Dick. That book was a bore when I read it in college (though I'm not immune to it, completely). However, this book is captivating in its story, gorgeous in its writing and engrossing beyond belief! A friend who read it told me she limited herself to 75 pages a night so as to savor the experience. I'm not that disciplined; I read it in about four days.

Other interesting books I've read in the last few months include Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and a re-read, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Somehow I can't stop myself from picking it up every couple years.

One of the most startling books I've ever read is Expecting Adam by Martha Nibley Beck. Its subtitle is "A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic." If you've never heard of it, I encourage you to check out this link.

So -- what y'all readin' ?

[JimmyNipples]

Ah books.....I love them so much.


I haven't read anything you mentioned. Ahab sounds pretty good....I betcha she was pretty peeved her hubby wasn't home much.


I'm currently reading, JRR Tolkien's (sp?) The Hobbit. For the 1st time!!! Bilbo Baggins is a cut up!

I just finished reading Asimov's "Farmer in the Sky". Before that, Arthur C. Clarke's Childhood's End.

I read everything....Bio's, Sci-fi, Stephen King, Arthur Ford, Ruth Montgomery, Koontz, Woodward,....well, everything.

[Fenris]

I just finished reading Asimov's "Farmer in the Sky".

Hmmm. I've never seen Heinlein's name spelled that way before.

All kidding aside, Farmer in the Sky is one of Heinlein's all-time greats. Probably his third or fourth best juvie. I'd put it behind Tunnel in the Sky, Have Spacesuit and Citizen of the Galaxy

You've got good taste in books!

Fenris

[pepperlandgirl]

This summer I have to read
Anaya's _Bless Me Ultima_
Gaines's_A lesson Before Dying_
Dorris _Yellow Raft in Blue Water_

Has anybody ever read these books before? What did you think of them?

[gobear]

Currently, I'm reading Richard Ellman's definitive biography of Oscar Wilde. It's an absolutely absorbing account of Oscar's life and shows what a gobshite Bosie really was.
I'm also intermittently working my way through Marcel Proust's "A La Recherche Du Temps Perdus", or, "In Search of Lost Time" I'm almost done with the first volume,"Swann's Way", and the connections Proust makes between the past and present, people and birds, the deceptions people practice and the masks they wear are insightful and wise, plus his prose is mesmerizing.
I also just finished reading Gregory Benford's "Eater", about an intelligent black hole that comes to our solar system to absorb the people of Earth and integrate their personalities with its own. Good stuff.

[Catfood Purrito]

I'm currently reading _The Testament_ by John Grisham, I'm not very far into it, but it's okay so far. I just finished _Good Omens_ by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, which was great, I don't think I've ever read a book that made me laugh out loud so often.

Next on my reading list is Snow Falling on Cedars by some guy whose name I can't recall. (I'm horrible at remembering names) I've already read it twice, and I've been in the mood to pick it up again lately. I havn't seen the movie yet, though...I actually rented it last night and plan on watching it this evening. The book is excellent, though, even my father, who basically hates any book that isn't horror, loved it.

The worst book I've read lately is _Quick Shots of False Hope: A Rejection Collection_ by Laura Kightlinger. I enjoy her stand-up, and maybe I expected too much from the book, because I heard it was great. Ha! I must have laughed once, mostly it just depressed me. When I finished it, (I read the whole thing in one night, it's not a long book) I wanted to cry, it was a total drag. Usually I love dark humor, and I don't know if this was just too dark or what, but damn....this coming from someone who laughed like a madwoman at _You Are Worthless: Depressing Nuggets of Wisdom Sure to Ruin Your Day_ by some guy affiliated with The Onion.

The Dark Tower series by Stephen King is one of my all-time favorites...I know people who absolutely loathe Stephen King who love these books.

My friends and family think I'm nuts because I thoroughly enjoyed _Hannibal_ by Thomas Harris, even the ending. It gave me some interesting dreams, though.

[Ellen Cherry]

Whew, what a list, goboy! I see your college alma mater is near where I grew up. Did you know one of its more famous alumni??

Pepperlandgirl, I haven't read any of those, but I've heard good things about Yellow Raft in Blue Water. Not much help, I know.

Graeme, Ahab's wife missed him, but she didn't sit around doin' nuttin. That's what makes this story so compelling. She is a unique, intelligent person in her own right.

The last science fiction book I read was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. It suggested the movie "Blade Runner" but the two are quite different. I used to read a lot of sci-fi short stories, but not in several years. My favorite is a book (that I've lost in my house somewhere) of stories from the 1930s. Many of them are scaaaaary, including one the movie "The Thing" was based on ... you know, researchers isolated at the South Pole uncover [insert doom music here] alien thing frozen in the ice. (I'm so annoyed I can't remember authors.) Another is a story called "Time Out of Mind" I believe and has the premise that beings other than human have been the top dog on Earth over its eons of history. One guy gets to see what beings through a kind of time-travel student-exchange program. I'm sure it's a pretty famous story; maybe I'll go questing for who wrote it. (I may even have the wrong title; gasp.)

General question -- What books did you like to read in your 'formative' years? Did you read books directed at teens? I'm reviewing a book for young adults (12-14) but I cannot relate to my own adolescence. I went straight from Charlotte's Web to Gone with the Wind. And some racier titles.

[JavaMaven1]

I went straight from Charlotte's Web to Gone with the Wind. And some racier titles.

Wish I could have helped you, but I was of the same ilk as you.

Right now, I'm reading M.F.K. Fisher's The Art of Eating which is a compilation of her most famous works. The most wonderful part of this is The Gastronomical Me which is a bit like "love, loss and what I ate". She describes many of the important moments of her life, marked by memories of food. She is an amazing writer, but largely ignored because she wrote of food.

[Lissa]

Right now, I'm reading The Private Life of Chairman Mao by Dr. Li Zhisui. I'm really enjoying it.

Death, a History of Man's Fears and Obsessions is a book I've just finished. The author's name escapes me, but it's a very entertaining read.

[Gazoo]

I'm currently reading "Justice" by Larry Watson. It is a prequel to his earlier novel (which I just finished) called "Montana 1948."

Both are very quick reads. If you enjoyed "To Kill a Mockingbird," you should check them out, as I've heard several comparisons of them.

[pepperlandgirl]

I went straight from Charlotte's Web to Gone with the Wind. And some racier titles.

So did I, literally. THe last book we read as a class in 3rd grade was Charlotte's Web. The first book I picked up when summer began that year was Gone With The Wind. I'm also reading it now. After Gone With the Wind, I began reading all my Grandma's romance novels.

[Gazelle]

Ellen I loved Cold Mountain and Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil too!

Have you read any Pat Conroy? His books and Midnight all make me want to visit South Carolina and Savannah so bad!

I'm reading My Antonia by Willa Cather right now. Only on page 15, so no opinion as of yet.

[RealityChuck]

I just finished Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. Good book, though it reminded me of a watered-down version of Gravity's Rainbow.

Before that, it was Octavia Butler's The Parable of the Talents. Excellent, as should be expected.

I've got two Terry Pratchett novels to catch up on, but first I have a memoir of Julius Schwartz (Superman's boss, among other things) that I have to devour.

[gobear]

Ellen, would you believe Woody and I were roommates sophomore year in Crowe Hall? Mind you, we haven't spoken since graduation 17 years ago, but still, I can say I knew him before he was famous.

[Ellen Cherry]

I've read Pat Conroy, Canthearya, and have to say he's just too much for me. Beach Music was the worst. All that fuming and hatred of one's family members, seemingly just because they are family members is so over-the-top and frankly unsubstantiated. In Beach Music, I think, the father makes a statement of some sort, on the order of "one of my greatest pleasures is finding ways to torture my sons" with complete seriousness. Oh come on. Even if people don't get along with family members, do they actually confess to actively liking to mistreat them? Maybe he's just more honest than most (???), but generally, Conroy gets the "oh brother" treatment from me. I have a brother-in-law who compulsively reads The Great Santini and HIS family seems fairly normal. Hm, "seems" ...?

I love the South, too. I have an internet friend in Savannah (she's a native!) and she's been given warning to expect me to show up on her front porch one day (she'd better hand me a martini, too!). I honeymooned and take regular family vacations to Charleston, S.C.

On the subject of adolescent reading, I'm glad I was in no way censored in what I was reading by my parents. I got through my Sidney Sheldon period a long, long time ago ... as well as got other schlock read early so I could learn to detect it.

[Ellen Cherry]

Whoops, goboy, you snuck in whilst I was formulating my Great Thoughts ..... You roomed with Woody? Wow! I thought you'd at least know him since you seemed (to me) to be there at the same time. You're a year older than I, judging by your college graduation date. I grew up 'cross t' river.

[/old home week]

RealityChuck, you say, a watered-down version of Gravity's Rainbow. Please tell me precisely how I'm a mental deficient because I haven't read this book. All the pseudointellectuals and puffed-up stuffed shirts I've ever known (OK: two) have told me I MUST read this book. When I sat down to try ... well, I don't remember what happened. Either it was so dense I couldn't comprehend it, or so boring I couldn't retain it. Is it something worth trying again by the Older and Wiser Me? Or leave it to the aforementioned puffed and stuffed?

[Edwardina]

[/qoute]General question[/b] -- What books did you like to read in your 'formative' years? Did you read books directed at teens? I'm reviewing a book for young adults (12-14) but I cannot relate to my own adolescence. I went straight from Charlotte's Web to Gone with the Wind. And some racier titles.

[/b]

This could be it's own thread. Hmmmmm. I can think of several books that might be considered "teen" titles that I just love:

The Hero and The Crown by Robin McKinley
The Dark is Rising series by Susan Cooper
The Owlstone Crown by X.J. Kennedy
etc.

They all star pre-teens.

By my teen years I was already reading Heinlein, Tom Robbins, and anything else I could get my hands on, so I have a hard time coming up with strictly "young adult" books as well. I think if the person is reasonably bright, you can hand them anything, and even if the person is a teenager, it will be fine. *grin*

[Gazelle]

Ellen I had the same kind of parents, thank goodness.

I went straight from juvenile literature into schlock. I was so uncomfortable reading explicit sex scenes that I asked my mother what books she liked to read. I was so happy to find out that not all adult novels are like Harold Robbins' and Sidney Sheldon's.

[Spoke]

Many of them are scaaaaary, including one the movie "The Thing" was based on ... you know, researchers isolated at the South Pole uncover [insert doom music here] alien thing frozen in the ice. (I'm so annoyed I can't remember authors.)

The name of the story is "Who Goes There?", and that is by far my favorite science fiction short story of all time. It is scary as hell. I can never remember the author's name though.

For those who like southern-themed books, have you read Run with the Horsemen by Ferroll Sams? It is outstanding. (It's a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novel set in the Depression and written by a physician from Fayetteville, GA.)

[Ellen Cherry]

Ah, "The Betsy." What a waste of time, yet perfectly suited to the intellect of a 14-year-old. I however suffered no shame at reading the naughty bits. I was a bit surprised at the brief sex fantasy spelled out in "Jaws." To this day I can recall, word for word, a couple of specific sentences. Not long ago, I was discussing this with my husband, and he confessed the same thing! Never underestimate the power of literature.

Edwardina, so what can you say about these works that might help me review this book? I'm in a real quandry. The subject is treated as an adult novel might (unwed teen pregnancy in 1950s small-town North Carolina) but it's written in such a sketchy, surface way ... I presume written "down" for the younger set. As an adult, I feel gypped by what seems to be left out. I'm also troubled by the relevence of today's teens to a 50s teen's dilemma. No one gets sent away anymore to live with relatives. On the other hand, are the ideals of the 50s to be emulated today? Bear with me folks: I might be working this out on my own!

[ren]

hey, how 'bout some good non-fiction?

lessee...in the past few months I've read

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, which was not only so well written that I actually didn't want to put it down (a rare achievement for a non-fiction book about sociological issues) but it completely changed the way I look at many issues, from the eco stuff like vegetarian vs. non and enviromental preservation, to stuff like evolution and the like. An amazing book which seems like it would be de rigeur for anyone who enjoys SDMB.

A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius by Dave Eggers, which you will like if you favor the sort of self-consciously-neurotic-and-yet-funny-and-poignant writing of author like David Foster Wallace (these two seem so similar to me). OK, the book's a bit uneven but it does have it's brilliant parts, and for a memoir has a fascinating story to tell (boy loses both parents and is saddled with raising kid brother).

[Ellen Cherry]

I like both your suggestions, Ren, but this one

Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond, which was not only so well written that I actually didn't want to put it down (a rare achievement for a non-fiction book about sociological issues) but it completely changed the way I look at many issues, from the eco stuff like vegetarian vs. non and enviromental preservation, to stuff like evolution and the like. An amazing book which seems like it would be de rigeur for anyone who enjoys SDMB.

puts me in mind of one of Cecil's columns (or was it a mailbag? No, I think it was Cecil) about names for, er, poo-poo. One book he referred to was called something like "Origins of Obscure Words" and he noted that it's a work any self-respecting know-it-all ought to have a copy of. What appropriate advice for the SDMB's teeming millions!?

spoke- -- Thanks for "Who Goes There?" I'm really going to be grouchy until I find the book I've got somewhere floating around my house. I might be old and gray before that happens, though! I'm finding myself counting the stories from this collection that I can recall. I want to go back and re-read them! And Run with the Horsemen sounds just up my alley! Thanks!

[Edwardina]

Edwardina, so what can you say about these works that might help me review this book? I'm in a real quandry. The subject is treated as an adult novel might (unwed teen pregnancy in 1950s small-town North Carolina) but it's written in such a sketchy, surface way ... I presume written "down" for the younger set. As an adult, I feel gypped by what seems to be left out. I'm also troubled by the relevence of today's teens to a 50s teen's dilemma. No one gets sent away anymore to live with relatives. On the other hand, are the ideals of the 50s to be emulated today? Bear with me folks: I might be working this out on my own!

Hmmmm. Are you trying to review this book, or market it? I don't know what parallels you could draw between a book like that and the ones I'm talking about, (the ones I mentioned are adventure/fantasy).

I think when it comes to teens, they really appreciate you talking to them the way you would talk to anyone else, *not* dumbing things down. Tell them that the story is a bit dated but the emotions can be the same: an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy changes your life forever. In some ways we can be grateful society is more permissive, (young women who go through this are rarely shunned), on the other hand, maybe a little more discouragement of this sort of behavior would help prevent it. Encourage them to read it and form their own opinion, see if the book alters their point of view.

The two biggest issues for young people, when it comes to enjoying a book, are usually the same as with anyone: is it fun to read? If not "fun," is it engrossing?. Are the emotions and responses of the characters genuine? Surely you can tell if it's boring or not . . . Just tell them what you thought. Most young people want something they can relate to, which is why the ages of the characters are so important. I think the fact that the heroine(?) is young is likely to be a selling point. Other teens will want to see how she handles it, even though the setting is not modern. When I was a teenager, I was annoyed by adult authors heavy-handed attempts to set a "modern" tone that the kids would be hip to. Argh! I'd rather read a sincere story set in a less familiar time, even now.

[AuntiePam]

Gazoo - I love Larry Watson's stuff -- he's right up there with Cormac McCarthy. Bet you'd like Joe Lansdale too.

spoke- -- Thanks for "Who Goes There?" I'm really going to be grouchy until I find the book I've got somewhere floating around my house. I might be old and gray before that happens, though!

John W. Campbell wrote it. It's in a collection of his short stories, and it must have been anthologized elsewhere but I'm too lazy to look.

[RealityChuck]

Who Goes There? [as by Don A. Stuart], (na) Astounding Aug ’38
Baker’s Dozen: 13 Short Science Fiction Novels, ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg & Charles G. Waugh, Bonanza, 1985
Cinemonsters, ed. Martin H. Greenberg, TSR, 1987
Science Fiction, ed. Patricia S. Warrick, Charles G. Waugh & Martin H. Greenberg, Harper & Row, 1988
The Mammoth Book of Classic Science Fiction, ed. Isaac Asimov, Martin H. Greenberg & Charles G. Waugh, Robinson, 1988
Great Tales of Classic Science Fiction, ed. Isaac Asimov, Charles G. Waugh & Martin H. Greenberg, Galahad, 1990
Foundations of Fear, ed. David G. Hartwell, Tor, 1992
Reel Future, ed. Forrest J Ackerman & Jean Stine, SFBC, 1994
Worlds of Fear, ed. David G. Hartwell, Tor, 1994
Between Time and Terror, ed. Robert Weinberg, Stefan Dziemianowicz & Martin H. Greenberg, Penguin/Roc, 1995

[jubei2k]

I recently dug up an old copy of Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and started that. Saw the mini-series but never really felt like sitting down and chewing on the book.

But, I must say that it's one of the most instantly readable books I've ever come across...

[pepperlandgirl]

jubei2k, I've been looking everywhere for my copy of that book. I KNOW I used to have one before we moved...I really want to read it. I saw the mini-series so many times I almost have it memorized.

[Smeghead]

OK, on my nightstand right now are:
Chaos by Gleick
At Home in the Universe by Stuart Kaufmann
Goedel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter (sp?)
The latest issues of Scientific American and Discovery magazines.

So I'm a geek.

On my list for the future are:
Guns, Germs and Steel - I've been wanting to get to that for over a year now.
Lord of the Rings. Again. I've definitely got to reread it before the movies start coming out.
The next Robert Jordan book, if it ever comes out.
Ditto with George R.R. Martin and Orson Scott Card.

To start a little side-thread, is it just me or is Card not much of an idea man? Look at his hits:
The Alvin Maker series - loosely based on the life of Mormon prophet Joseph Smith.
The Memory of Earth series - loosely based on the Book of Mormon.
Ender's Game - OK, that one's his. But his sequels got progressively worse. And his current project is the retelling of the same story from different peoples' perspectives.
Don't get me wrong, I like his work. It just seems that he's a lot better at telling other peoples' stories than writing his own.
Anyone else care?

[Little Nemo]

This seems to have turned into a "what are you reading now" thread, so:

Ramage & the Freebooters by Dudley Pope - A small press rereleased the first three volumes of the Ramage series (Napoleonic era sailing adventures). I'm glad they did so but I'm hoping they continue the series as I've never found a copy of the fourth book of the series and that's where I've hit a dead end in the past.

Resurrection Day by Brendan DuBois - An alternate history novel about a world where the Cuban missile crisis caused a limited nuclear war and the United States is now a second rate power. Very reminiscent of Robert Harris' Fatherland.

Conspiracies, Lies, and Hidden Agendas by Mick Farren - An interesting reference work to various conspiracy theories. Tongue-in-cheek yet informative which matches my own attitude towards most of this material.

Night of the Dragon's Blood by William Pridgen - A small press vampire novel. Written in an intentionally slightly over the top style it has Adolf Hitler becoming a vampire in 1944 and fleeing to Argentina so he can pursue Eva Peron.

What Einstein Told His Barber by Robert L. Wolke - A Straight Dope-esque book of answers to questions. The humor is lighter and the questions are more science oriented.

and last but not least;

Anna Held and the Birth of Ziegfield's Broadway - The author's name escapes me but still I have to say this is the definitive Anna Held biography of this century.

[Brunetter]

Larry McMurtry is very readable! Even some of his poorer books where the plot doesn't hold up, are still enjoyable for their lively dialogue alone. Lonesome Dove is great, and I assume you've read Terms of Endearment as well, one of McMurtry's other greats. Also The Last Picture Show. There are tons of others too!

I enjoyed White Oleander more than I thought possible, especially the ending. Also loved Snow Falling On Cedars (I think there's a LOT missing from the movie, though I haven't seen it yet), The Liar's Club (Mary Karr), She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb), Contact (Carl Sagan), True Crime (Andrew Klavan), Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt), The Regulators (Richard Bachman)

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm currently reading "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell, re: the failed Apollo 13 mission.

[Brunetter]

Larry McMurtry is very readable! Even some of his poorer books where the plot doesn't hold up, are still enjoyable for their lively dialogue alone. Lonesome Dove is great, and I assume you've read Terms of Endearment as well, one of McMurtry's other greats. Also The Last Picture Show. There are tons of others too!

I enjoyed White Oleander more than I thought possible, especially the ending. Also loved Snow Falling On Cedars (I think there's a LOT missing from the movie, though I haven't seen it yet), The Liar's Club (Mary Karr), She's Come Undone (Wally Lamb), Contact (Carl Sagan), True Crime (Andrew Klavan), Angela's Ashes (Frank McCourt), The Regulators (Richard Bachman)

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm currently reading "Lost Moon" by Jim Lovell, re: the failed Apollo 13 mission.

[Brunetter]

And the Callahan's Crosstime Saloon Series by Spider Robinson.

[JimmyNipples]

Hmmm. I've never seen Heinlein's name spelled that way before.

All kidding aside, Farmer in the Sky is one of Heinlein's all-time greats. Probably his third or fourth best juvie. I'd put it behind Tunnel in the Sky, Have Spacesuit and Citizen of the Galaxy

You've got good taste in books!

Fenris

Hmm....shit, I bought an arm load of books from a store front school last week.....on the way back to work, I was hit by a bus.....my brains were scattered all over the street.

My wife, Morgan Fairchild, was quite upset.

Now, I shall return to my book, Tom Clancy's "The Shining"

[Max Torque]

"Bless Me Ultima" reminded me, Rudolfo Anaya spoke at my dad's graduation in New Mexico last month. BOY, does that guy push the hispanic-folklore agenda. I sat there thinking, "This ain't a political forum, dude, just move on...."

At the moment, I'm reading lotsa books about death and advance directives. Sadly, summer law school doesn't allow one much time for recreational reading.

[Ellen Cherry]

Edwardina -- Heh-heh, nope, I'm not marketing the book. But your thoughts were very, very helpful to me! I was looking to discover what a teen might want out of a book, and lo and behold I find it's just what *I* want out of a book. Thank you for making that clear!

RealityChuck -- You're out to save my sanity, I can tell. I'll bet my collection is one of the Asimov compilations of classic sci-fi. Neither are on amazon (which of course isn't definitive) but I'm afraid they're out of print. Back to the boxes in the attic for me.

Lonesome Dove -- Oh, by far one of my favorite novels. The Streets of Laredo, a prequel, was simply awful. I had to go re-read LD to get the taste out of my mouth. His dialogue is wonderful, the characterizations superb and the humor sly. Perfect combination.

Brunetter -- I'm with ya on White Oleander. I'm leery of Oprah books, but this one is quite gripping. Have you read Expecting Adam, which I mentioned above? I think you'd like it. And I was enthralled with Snow Falling On Cedars. A lot of my friends said they had trouble getting into it, but I adored all the side tales that wove in and out of the main story. I felt as though all those people were teeming inside the author, crying to get out and into the story! Yet it wasn't disruptive. A very satisfying read.

I love hearing what everyone's reading, but i sure hope this doesn't just turn into a "what I'm reading now" thing.

A book that had a strong impression on me when I read it in college was The World According to Garp by John Irving. It's impossible to describe just how Irving was able to transport me to another world entirely (maybe I was just too impressionable, LOL). Perhaps it was the first serious, adult novels I'd read that made me think and laugh at the same time. I don't know, but I've loved Irving ever since. I finished A Widow for One Year not long ago and it seemed very Garpesque.

[JimmyNipples]

General question -- What books did you like to read in your 'formative' years?

My very 1st book was Planet of Death by Robert Silverberg.

Thats the book that made me want to read and read and read.

[Eve]

Thanks, Nemo! [do they make a smiley-face that blows kisses?]

I am in the midst of a WONDERFUL new bio of poor Sharon Tate, by Greg King—when you're through with MY book, rush out and buy this one! It's from a crappy publisher, though (no bibliography or index, and real shoddy editing), but Greg King is such a good writer he manages to overcome that.

Also just read an excellent mystery, "Grievance," by K.C. Constantine. Unlike the King book,this one is well written AND well edited!

[Edwardina]

I have finally succumbed to the Robert Jordan insanity and am currently reading "The Shadow Rising." The series is better than I expected it to be (I am automatically suspicious of anything this popular), but not transcendent, either. It's better than most fantasy out these days.

However, I'd much rather talk about some of the really great books I've read:

The River Why by David James Duncan. All my friends started the book and said, "Fishing? This is a book about fishing?" It starts out that way, yes. But really, it's not *just* about fishing. Towards the end it's hardly about fishing at all. If you can get through the first few pages, you'll be in heaven. This is a good yarn.
Seventh Heaven by Alice Hoffman. It's hard to pick a favorite, all of her books are so good, but I'd have to choose this one above all as having the most elements I liked, probably because I read it when I was in high school and there are high school age characters in it.
Where Is Joe Merchant? by Jimmy Buffett. This is good hammock reading. I was amazed by the complexity of the plot, and the wealth of interesting characters, in this book. I like books full of weird folks and weird goings on. I'm just weird that way.
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins. In speaking of weird folks and weird goings on . . . Of course, Tom is lovable for other reasons: he writes as though he had bathed in poetry and then rolled naked on the page. He was my writing idol before I met the gentle, quiet Ursula K. LeGuin.
The Wizard of Earthsea series by Ursula K. LeGuin. A master (mistress?) of simplicity, she taught me that writing didn't have to be grandiose to be impactful. Plus, her stories have a mythic quality that I would love to see more of. My favorite of this series is the last one, Tehanu. Of course, you have to read the others first.
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. Of all his books, this one is probably the most accessible to the widest range of people. It's SciFi, but it weaves in layers and flavors from other genres, including some out-there theories on religion. Plus, it's really funny.

[matt_mcl]

I don't reaad much non-fiction. Right now I'm in the middle of translating one of my favourite books ever: The Doubter's Companion by John Ralston Saul. (Political philosophy.)

[Spoke]

General question -- What books did you like to read in your 'formative' years?

H.G. Wells made a reader out of me, when I was a lad. I started with War of the Worlds, then The Time Machine, The First Men in the Moon, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The Invisible Man.

By this point, I was hooked on reading, in general, and science fiction, in particular.

[Koffing]

I'm reading the revised Clanbook: Malkavian. It's a sourcebook for White Wolf's Vampire: the Masquerade RPG. It's far superior to the first edition.

[Little Nemo]

I'm reading the revised Clanbook: Malkavian. It's a sourcebook for White Wolf's Vampire: the Masquerade RPG. It's far superior to the first edition.

A hijack perhaps, but here's my rant on White Wolf.

I got into the VtM series by way of the GURPS adaptation. I liked the depth of the background and was generally able to ignore the cliches. Being a completist nut, over the course of the next year or so, I ended up buying most of the WoD series.

I was not pleased with everything White Wolf did. I felt their decision to stiff Steve Jackson games over the GURPS licensing agreement was ungrateful. I also felt they were spreading themselves too thin, trying to get the most possible sales while their product was "hot" rather than develop it for the long term. The Changeling series seemed to essentially be a contractual obligation as far as Mark Rein-Hagen was concerned. And I didn't find their new SF series (Trinity?) worth following.

So I began to slow down my WW purchases and consider long and hard before buying their new products. But their recent decision to essentially restart the whole line finally pushed me completley over the edge. Considering I've had misgivings about a lot of their recent products, I've decided I don't want to start all over again with their "revised editions". At this point, the main decision I'm making about the WoD line is whether I should dump my whole collection onto EBay.

[Kiva]

OK, on my nightstand right now are:
Chaos by Gleick
At Home in the Universe by Stuart Kaufmann
Goedel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter (sp?)
The latest issues of Scientific American and Discovery magazines.

So I'm a geek.

On my list for the future are:
Guns, Germs and Steel - I've been wanting to get to that for over a year now.

Geek here as well. I read Chaos when I was fourteen. That book sent me into long, dizzy, wide eyed, opened mouthed, awed, full of breath, raptured dazes. Incredible stuff.

Right now I'm reading Guns, Germs and Steel which is an excellent and timely book. Very readable. Some books have me counting how many pages I've gotten through so far, but that's not the case here. You don't have to reread paragraphs three times to make them take.

Books that changed my life:
A Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
This affected me in the same way Chaos did, but on some different levels. This book cries out to be read aloud. Dillard is, in my opinion, foremost American essayist.

The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan
The skeptic's manifesto. Beautifully written, carefully, fairly and rationally put together.

[Ellen Cherry]

Guns, Germs and Steel is going on my TBR list for sure.

Hey, who was I asking about Gravity's Rainbow? I never got an answer! (You'd think I wouldn't be so anxious for someone to tell me I'm an airhead.)

More all-time favorite books -- The Bonfire of the Vanities. This really is one of the funniest books I've ever read, though it left me with a residual fear of ever going to New York. If I ever do get there, I'll be immediately labeled a bumpkin anyway, so what am I worried about? I love farce, if it's done well.

Another in a vaguely similar vein that springs to mind is A Confederacy of Dunces. I've only read it twice, but the second time was just as hysterical. I'd anticipate what was going to happen and get hilarious just waiting for it to spring. Isn't there an Ignatius J. Reilly on these boards somewhere? (as a username not as a personality type; LOL)

I know I said I didn't read any "girlhood" books, but I musta lied because I was thinking about how Anne of Green Gables probably had an important effect on me at the age of 10 or 11. Anne is an imaginative and creative girl with a firey temper. I really aspired to be as imaginative as she, which may have fostered my own creative self. At any rate, I began making up my own stories in earnest after reading the book. For a while I was re-reading every 3 or 4 years, just to immerse myself in sweetness and wholesomeness for a few hours.

Has anyone here read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver? I finished it in late winter, early spring I think. Hmm...maybe it was last fall. At any rate, not too long ago. The book had some problems, but overall it was really a masterpiece, I thought. I feel I understand the problems of Africa better for having read it, which I'm sure was Kingsolver's intention. It's her best work, IMHO.

[Kyla]

I can't believe this thread has this many posts and NO ONE has mentioned the FFF Reading Circle! Please do check it out, it's lovely, and I have recently appointed myself as the Ursa Major's successor in making sure it moves along, so I'm doing a bit of adverstising. We presently have a circle reading Ulysses, and one reading Fahrenheit 451 is due to start soon. You're absolutely welcome to join in the reading and make new nominations over at FFF. The URL is http://fff.fathom.org/ubb/Forum13/HTML/000073.html

For the record, I am presently reading both of the aforementioned books, as well as The Social Art by Ronald Macaulay, a book on linguistics and language acquisition. I work in a bookstore and always have at least a couple books going. I recently read all three Harry Potter books, which surprised me in being so good! I'm as psyched about Book 4 as all the kids who come in asking me about it now!