Time for another "Whatcha readin'?" thread.

You’re going to have to go to ChiDope in May!

**Let Freedom Ring ** By Sean Hannity.
So far, very interesting and enlightening.

The Snow Poems (A.R. Ammons)
The End of Beauty (Jorie Graham)
Themes out of School (Stanley Cavell)
Dona Flor and her Two Husbands (Jorge Amado)
New Foundations for Psychoanalysis (Jean Laplanche)

Just finished Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke. Yeah, I got this old without reading that book. I got lucky in one of those Box 'O Books round-robin things and ended up with some classic SF.

Next up is Night Blooming by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro. I don’t read St. Germain novels but this one came free from the publisher. I don’t know why they gave it to me, but it’s the first time I ever got a free book from a publisher and I’m taking it. It’s actually pretty good so far.

Just finished “Why Orwell Matters,” by Christopher Hitchens. Another brilliant work by Hitchens, particularly in his examination of how Orwell’s work has been both emraced and reviled by critics across the political spectrum.

Currently reading “Nine Stories,” a collection of shorts by J.D.Salinger. Interesting as a series of character studies rather than narratives.

I found “Watchmen” more enjoyable the second time through.

Just finished “Wizard & Glass” (Dark Tower IV), which was -so good- that I’ll probably go back and re-read it soon. I’ve been working on Katherine Graham’s autobiography (reading it in fits and starts); in the mean time, I’ve also read an old Jane Marple of Agatha Christie, “Pocketful of Rye” (hehe, didn’t guess that murderer at all!).

I don’t have anything in mind right now, except to go back and re-read some old Stephen King books, which I plan on trying to pick up a few at a used bookstore (the ones I don’t have already that is :smiley: I have most of them!). I’m also going to probably re-read some of James Ellroy’s early works–I saw “L.A. Confidential” a few weeks ago and it reminded me of how good his early stuff was (the later stuff is good too, but a bit disjointed and rambling for me, plus it’s even raunchier, if that’s possible!). I’ll pick these up at the used bookstore as well, if I can find em.

I do have plans for my income tax refund money…plans that include several regular bookstore purchases, especially “From a Buick 8” by King and the one that someone else mentioned, “Beautiful bones” (?) There are many others I’d like to read as well, and I’ll be making up a list between now and tax return time. :slight_smile:

In the middle of reading Terry Pratchett’s new Discworld Novel, Night Watch.

Not to let too much out about it, but Sam Vimes goes back in time.

AND, we learn some details about what Havelock Vetenari did before he became Patrician.

Good fun, as usual from Pratchett.

Currently in the middle of Book 2 of Tad William’s Otherland series.

Big honkin’ books.

I Just Finished Joe Queenan’s “My goodness, a cynic’s guide to sainthood” .

I just started Neal Stephensons That Diamond Age.

My goal this year: to read 12 new books. I’m a slow reader.

I’m sort of halfway through the collected “Lord Darcy” books by Randall Garrett. I don’t know what I’ll read after that - perhaps more Victorian Sci-Fi, perhaps re-read “Godel, Escher, Bach”, perhaps the “Hellboy” novel I got, or maybe something else.

(Actually, what I’ve REALLY read lately are a bunch of comics I bought but never read: The Red Star, Promethia (catching up to the present on this tired, snail-paced series - I don’t know why I still buy it), and Ruse. Also some old issues of ‘Doctor Who Monthly’ magazine that a friend left me, but as it gets away from the show and more into the books and audio things I find it too depressing to read.)

I just finished reading Fever Pitch by Nick Hornsby. In my pile to be read are The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, about the ill-fated Scott expedition to the South Pole; The Miracle of Castel di Sangro by Joe McGinniss, about an American author who follows the exploits of lower division Italian soccer club; and L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy.

1632 and 1633 . The story of what happens when a small town in West Virginia is transported lock, stock and barrel into the middle of the Thirty Year’s War in Germany. I’ve sped thorugh both books and really like them. Now I am going to start over and read them more slowly, with a map of Europe on the wall by the end of the couch. And there will be more sequels as well, hurrah! Eric Flint authored the first one, and he co-wrote the second with David Weber. If you are into history, or alternate history, these are great books.

It sounds like you have a pretty extensive list set up, Biggirl, but I’d second The Lovely Bones. I’m almost finished with it (got it from my BIL’s mother for Christmas) and I think it’s beautifully written, gruesome and romantic and witty and sad but not in a depressing way. I’m about to start Salman Rushdie’s Fury, which I picked up in hardcover at a bookstore here for $6. Before that I read Bruce Campbell’s If Chins Could Kill, which if you’re a fan of his work you must read.

May I add another ‘thumbs up’ for J.Diamond’s “the Third Chimpanzee”

Right now I am reading “Newjack” by Ted Conover. Non fiction. Guy becomes a prison guard, pardon me, corrections officer at Sing Sing.
Excellent reading.

I’m reading Bruce Campbell’s If Chins Could Kill right now and enjoying it immensely. The man is amusing and has seen it all (well, not really).

Before and after that, I’m reading through some Gene Wolf New Sun and Long Sun books. It’s always entertaining to watch Wolf stretch his muscles. I don’t often read something and literally have no idea where the author is going to wind up.

I haven’t read anything recreational for over a year up until 2 days ago when I had some bus and train travelin’ to do. So I grabbed Pratchett’s The Color of Magic and got pretty engrossed in it. (I had read Small Gods a few years ago but I figured it’d be nice to find out where it all started).

Oh, and also the OP’s legal MP3 collection :wink:

About 1/2 way thru The Goblet of Fire for the first time - re-read the other three to have the background fresh in my mind. After this, I’m reading Night Watch (and champing at the bit to get started!)

Also started * Star Trek: I’m Working on That* William Shatner with Chip Walter. Subtitled “A Trek from Science Fiction to Science Fact” … am just thru the intro & is pretty amusing so far. We’ll see how the actual explanations go.

And since I volunteered myself for Jadis’s thread (read 50 books in a year) I have the following – previous SDMB recommendations – checked out from the library and due Jan 27. We’ll see if I need renewals or not.

  • The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay - Michael Chabon
  • “Surely you’re joking, Mr. Feynman” - Richard Feynman
  • Girls lean back everywhere : the law of obscenity and the assault on genius - Edward De Grazia

Just started “The Wounded Land” by Stephen R. Donaldson yesterday. I’ve been re-reading the whole Covenent series, and after that have 4 new Discworld books to get into.

Just starting Steven Brust’s The Book of Taltos (containing Taltos and Phoenix). Next on tap after that is all of Zelzany’s Amber novels in one handy doorstop volume, which I’ll be rereading for the first time in years.

Right now almost finished with The Hobbit; was tricked into seeing the movie, so I needed to read the book again to purge it from my mind. Next up, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. It’s a kid’s book, but I recommend it to everyone. Also, a SF short story collection.