Since I am presently smack in the middle of my month long break from school, I finally have time to read something that I want to read. It’s beautiful, let me tell you.
Of course, being the nerd I am, I am spending my break catching up on some political and history books that I’ve had sitting on my shelf and that I’ve been wanting to read. I’m totally one of those people that just buys random books that look cool, but wont read them for months.
Anyway, first thing I read was Imperial Grunts by Robert Kaplan. I wont go into much detail, as the reviews over on Amazon sum it up better than I can, but I’ll say that over all this was a good book. Kaplan does a great job introducing and humanizing the “characters” as well as making his points without being too heavy handed. I was most impressed by Kaplan’s comparison between our current militaristic endeavors and those that took place when we tamed the wild west. That theme is carried throughout the book and developed really well.
Now I’m reading The Assassins’ Gate by George Packer. I’m only a bit into it, but this is another really well written political-military-(modern) history book. Perhaps I’m jaded from having read so many really horribly dry political science books, but the last two I’ve read (and am reading) have been great. Again Amazon does a better job than I could of summarizing, but the book basically outlines what has gone wrong in Iraq. This is another one with good “character” development.
Currently, this. Another Doper in another thread awhile back mentioned she was reading one of his books, I found that one, one thing led to another, now I’m working my way through.
This is on deck because…well, because it’s a Christmas book, ya know?
And this is on deck though I may get to it next, because it’s a library book, and there’s a wait list for it.
I’m currently reading The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield, which I’ve seen recommended here several times, and I’m engrossed by it in a way that is rare for me with fiction these days. It feels so good to be drawn into a story again!
Bus Guy, I have Fforde’s The Eyre Affair in my to-be-read pile, so hopefully soon I’ll be following in your footsteps! I’m glad to see you’ve got the Bryson book out…I loved it.
Aaah, debate tournaments. There is no better place in the world to get reading done. The judge and coach houses usually have nice big comfy couches and reading ensues. It’s lovely. Of course, the never-ending supply of sodas and coffee makes the experience that much better.
Right now I’m re-reading Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, but next up is Clive Cussler’s Treasure of Khan (new Dirk Pitt! yay!). Also on deck are Vince Flynn’s Consent to Kill and Brad Meltzer’s The Book of Fate (I have such a weakness for books like those).
Even better: I was in charge of debate tab, which meant all I had to do was tell the people at the computer to work harder and keep the nosy coaches out of the tab room. Free food, free coffee, and competent staff…just the ticket for getting a book finished!
Generation Ecstasy by Simon Reynolds. I’m not really into techno music or raves but I loved his postpunk book and this is great too. Next up is either Neal Stephenson’s Quicksilver or Geoff Emerick’s Here, There, and Everywhere (about his career as recording engineer for the Beatles; I read the first few pages and wasn’t impressed with his writing, but the topic is fascinating).
Finished Antonia Fraser’s “Marie Antoinette–The Journey” a month or so ago, & saw in her bibliography the book “Marie Antoinette” by Madame Campan (a contemporary of MA and one of her ladies in waiting, as well as a lady in waiting for Loius XVI’s maiden aunts before MA ever arrived on the scene), so when I ran across the Mme Campan book a few days ago, I snatched it up! It’s exquisite, tho the authoress wastes no precious writing time in detailing the background of the “players” surrounding the French King and Queen, so I am glad I read the other (Fraser’s book) first, or I wouldn’t know who’s who.
Read “Running With Scissors” quickly over the weekend when I found myself with some long hours for reading, for a change—this had been recommended to me for some time & is a quick, entertaining & bizarre read. It’s like going thru puberty as orchestrated by Chuck Palaniuk, hard at times to believe it’s a true story.
Also just finished “Memories of My Melancholy Whores” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez…why does everything this guy writes make me feel like I am viewing it thru peyote-tripping eyes?
It’s both real and surreal simultaneously. He’s a genuine poet.
Next up is “The Thirteenth Tale” for me…I know I am getting it for Christmas and I can hardly wait!
I’m in the middle of Wolf Captured by Jane Lindskold, book four in her Firekeeper series and Flynn’s World by Gregory McDonald, book four in his Flynn series.
I just finished The Quiet American and started A Scanner Darkly. Both good drug books. Next will probably be *The Road * and *Girl in Landscape, * but if I get the *The End * as a gift I’ll read that first.
Finished Max Brooks’ World War Z and Terry Pratchett’s Wintersmithearlier this month. Started reading Michael Palin’s Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years.
I am just about finished with *Trancendent * by Stephen Baxter. Not too bad. Before that was Turning Angel by Greg Iles. It was ok.
I am dying to find another good author I can really get into. The problem is that I like horror. Most horror writers suck. Actually, the vast majority of horror writers suck. So I find myself reading other stuff until Stephen King, Cliver Barker or Peter Straub put out another book*. In the mean time I end up reading all kinds of other stuff, some good, most not so good. Baxter has been pretty good so far. Neil Gaiman is also fairly good. I’ve read several other thriller books recently but nothing really stands out.
Slee
*Hey there Clive ol’ buddy. STOP WITH THE FREAKING PAINTING and get on with WRITING! And you Pete, where the heck is the next book? I am WAITING! And Steve, old buddy, old pal…oh wait, I’ll pick up your new book tomorrow… Hey Clive and Pete, did ya notice the King is *retired * and putting out more new books than you are? Huh? Did ya???
I just picked up the last three books in Kate Elliot’s Crown of Stars series. I’d read the first four over the summer, but didn’t have any time during the school year to do anything other than school work. Blast you weeder classes!
I also have two books by Vladimir Nabokov: Pale Fire and Despair. I gave in and bought Laurell K Hamilton’s latest, Mistral’s Kiss. My god, only 215 pages? For that much money? And that bad? I hung in there for the Merry Gentry series, buying the books knowing how they were written, but this is a new low.
I’m reading Wuthering Heights because it’s my book club’s choice for this month. I’ve also got Devil in a Blue Dress and To the Ends of the Earth (William Golding trilogy) on the go. There will probably be more but with all this impending hexmas stuff, I haven’t on a me trip to Waterstone’s yet. There’s always tomorrow!
