# What Are You Reading Now? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 18, 2002, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270 "2002-04-18T05:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Katisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bcef8e/32.png) [@Katisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katisha)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/61 "2002-04-21T08:26:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ITR champion \* > \*\*I’m also about half-way through _The Once and Future King_. The first two sections were very clever and well-written. \*\* Oh, that’s one of my favorite books! Glad you’re enjoying it. 🙂 I just went to the bookstore tonight, actually, and bought _The Tolkien Reader_ and a collection of Victorian comedies, the latter because it contains W.S. Gilbert’s _Engaged,_ and as one of the G&S societies I’ve worked with is staging it this summer and I’m hoping to be involved with the production I figured it might be a good idea to read the play. 😃 Haven’t started it yet… (BTW, one of the other plays in it is by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, of “It was a dark and stormy night” fame.) I haven’t been reading the Tolkien Reader stuff in order – I’ve read “The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth,” which I really liked, but it’s probably not to everyone’s taste (a good working knowledge of Old English poetry really helps), and “Leaf by Niggle,” which is wonderful, very touching. Stuff I’m reading for school includes _The Coming of the Book_ by Lucien Febvre and Henri-Jean Martin, a classic history of the printing industry (I’m taking a course called “The Book in Early Modern Europe,” which is a lot of fun, especially since we meet in Special Collections so we can look at 400-year-old books), various collections of 17th-century poetry (the course is very Donne- and Jonson-heavy, which I consider a definite plus), and the various sources for my MA thesis (in which I discuss Jonson’s appropriation of antitheatrical tropes in _Volpone._ This entails reading a lot of 16th- and 17th-century antitheatrical writing, which is interesting, if repetitive, but since most of what I have is printed in blackletter and reproduced on microfilm it’s not always easy on the eyes). My favorite secondary source is Jonas Barish’s _The Antitheatrical Prejudice,_ which is basically a rundown of opposition to the theater (obviously!) in western culture since the time of Plato. ---
**Author:** ![burundi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3ec8ea/32.png) [@burundi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burundi)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/62 "2002-04-21T17:40:26Z")
Oooh, **BiblioCat** , _The Blind Assassin_ is great! Start reading it now! Get off the internet and start reading! ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/63 "2002-04-21T17:54:23Z")
Turtledove’s \*Colonization:Aftershocks \* alternate history ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/64 "2002-04-21T18:09:57Z")
I just finished Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, for the third time. And now I’m currently in Ayn Rand’s Anthem (my first Ayn Rand book ever!) and Ruth Rendell’s King Solomon’s Carpet. I don’t think it’s geeky to plan out your books, **Dante** , I do it a lot. I eventually want to reread some Stephen King and Ira Levin novels, finally finish The Wasp Factory, and start on some Mario Puzo. ---
**Author:** ![Jabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5e925/32.png) [@Jabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jabba)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2002, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/65 "2002-04-21T22:31:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jabba \* > \*\*_Artemis Fowl_ by Eoin Coller ( just started it today). \*\* Finished that one. Now reading _Northern Lights_ by Philip Pullman, the first part of the _His Dark Materials_ trilogy. I’m about one-third of the way through so far and am very much enjoying the atmosphere. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/66 "2002-04-22T02:11:10Z")
Guess I’m going to drag the intellect level down quite a bit but I am reading for the second time Real Ponies Don’t Go Oink by Patrick McManus. Pure escapism, down right funny, makes you wish for the simpler times. Can’t wait for his next book. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/67 "2002-04-22T02:25:34Z")
_Clear And Present Danger_ by Tom Clancy. Yeah, I hate his political agenda and he’s often too wordy, but I do enjoy the way he can take a whole ton of sub-plots and mesh them together into one big story. Whenever I read his books, several I times I think to myself, “Ohhhhh, so that’s what that stupid little thing a couple hundred pages ago meant!” And Hollywood special effects is no match for the imagination. ---
**Author:** ![stankow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@stankow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stankow)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/68 "2002-04-22T02:33:20Z")
_Angry Lead Skies,_ by Glen Cook, who is a god and should be selling out stadiums just to watch him. This is the latest in the Garrett Files series, about a hard-boiled film-noir detective who happens to live in a fantasy world (like Ankh-Morpork, but less wacky). Cook first hit it (relatively) big with the Black Company series, which were kick-ass military stories that just happened to be in a fantasy world as well (different one from the Garrett stories, though). He can write well and convincingly in all three genres (fantasy, military and mystery), and he deserves to sell way more books than he does. So go check him out already. ---
**Author:** ![lurkernomore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@lurkernomore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurkernomore)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/69 "2002-04-22T02:33:48Z")
Elwood - he has another scheduled for the summer - but I wish he’d cut down on the subplots - enough 800 page books… Racer, a lot of us alternate lighter and heavier - one befor ethis was fantasy, Incompleat Enchanter revival ---
**Author:** ![croaker67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/439d5e/32.png) [@croaker67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/croaker67)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/70 "2002-04-22T03:02:50Z")
Stankow is right. Check out Glen Cook. Try Christopher Moore’s latest “Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff- Christ’s childhood pal”. He’s a hoot. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/71 "2002-04-22T03:10:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BiblioCat \* > \*\* > > I just bought _The Blind Assassin_ by Margaret Atwood, but haven’t started it yet. I loved _The Handmaid’s Tale_. > \*\* I’ve only managed to read two Atwood novels all the way through, _The Handmaid’s Tale_ and \* Surfacing\*. I’ve tried others, but… On the other hand, though, I absolutely love her books of short stories. If you haven’t read any, I’d suggest \* Wilderness Tips\* as a good place to start if you’re interested. ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/72 "2002-04-22T11:15:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jabba \* > \*\*Now reading _Northern Lights_ by Philip Pullman, the first part of the _His Dark Materials_ trilogy. I’m about one-third of the way through so far and am very much enjoying the atmosphere. \*\* He manages to sustain the quality right through the trilogy. It’s my first dip into fantasy since LOTR etc. fifteen odd years ago and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. The philosophical sub-text will wreck your head though - every time you think you have a handle on the message he’s trying to deliver, something happens to make you re-think. ---
**Author:** ![GrizzRich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@GrizzRich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrizzRich)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/73 "2002-04-22T12:44:36Z")
Just finished “The Quaker Book Of Wisdom”. Very down-to-earth without being preachy. ---
**Author:** ![LolaBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2002, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/74 "2002-04-22T21:28:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dante \* > \*\* > > Is planning your book reading in advance _too_ geeky? \*\* Of course not, that’s why I made this thread. 😛 Thank you to everyone who replied, I now have a great list of new authors and books to choose from. I really appreciate it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jmac755](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmac755](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmac755)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/75 "2002-04-23T00:21:55Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Dante \* \*\*I’m pulling some of the old classics out of the library for the daily train ride to work, so I’m re-reading Asimov’s _Robots_ series, and then I’ll be moving on to the _Foundation_ series. Dante, I recommend you read the three Galactic Empire novels before you start the Foundation series as they set the stage for the Foundation series. Currently reading A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar … bought it last summer while visiting Princeton during the filming of the movie. Guns, Germs, and Steel … The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond ? just started. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz … gift from my brother. Economics Explained by Robert Heilbroner and Lester Thurow … thinking about pursuing a masters degree in economics. ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/76 "2002-04-23T03:35:33Z")
Tower of Babel: The Evidence Against the New Creationism, by Robert Pennock, is my “book for the joy of reading” at the moment. For work, I’ve been reading “Winning with Software”… exciting, I know. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/77 "2002-04-23T04:01:34Z")
_Fast Food Nation_ , by Eric Schlosser. (non fiction) ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/78 "2002-04-23T17:06:53Z")
**Bend Sinister** by Vlaimir Nabokov. Can’t tell yet if I’m going to like it, but this version has a foreword in which the author calls George Orwell mediocre so already we’re on the same wavelength. Recent reads: Slackjaw by Jim Knipfel Another Charles Bukowski manqué ends up in New York, but with a twist: he’s going blind due to retinitis pigmentosa. Likeable but not earthshattering. Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris Biography of T. Roosevelt’s presidential years. The author leaves us the impression that T.R. led the country on personality alone. (The same author wrote a bio of Ronald Reagan) For registered Republicans only. O.K. In fairness, the author won a Pulitzer for The Early Years, part one of a meticulously planned and researched trilogy on Roosevelt, and it’s probably more difficult to get any actual truth about what a president did or did not actually _do_ than about most people. Gravity by Tess Gerritsen A bit farfetched and emotional for my tastes but I finished it. A few years ago my favourite bookstore was giving out advance transcripts amidst great fanfare, but I recently found the hardcover in a bargain bin. Draw your own… ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/79 "2002-04-23T17:14:33Z")
**The Captain from Connecticut** by CS. Forester (re-read for the umpteenth time). Horatio Hornblower played as an American, for a change. **Lawrence of Arabia** by Jeremy Wilson – the authorized (!) biography, using previously unavailable British documents. authorized in 1990 by Lawrence’s youngest brother, who must’ve been 90 at the time. **Mad as the Dickens** by Toni L.P. Kelner – the latest in her Laurie Ann detective series. Her Shakespeare-quoting husband quotes Dickens in this one. ---
**Author:** ![Tygr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df788c/32.png) [@Tygr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tygr)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2002, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270/80 "2002-04-23T17:31:06Z")
_Angel Fire East_ by Terry Brooks. Last of a trilogy that, AFAIK, doesn’t have it’s own name. The first 2 books are _Running with the Demon_, and _A Knight of the Word_. Before this I read C.S. Friedman’s _Coldfire_ trilogy (wonder if our resident moderator has heard of it?), which I greatly enjoyed. A good, dark, hard fantasy series. I have Ben Bova’s _Mars_ waiting in the wings. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/104270.md?page=5)