# What are you reading now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 9, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237 "2005-11-09T17:32:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/21 "2005-11-09T19:34:10Z")
I’ve just finished reading Diana Gabaldon’s entire **Outlander** series. I’m pausing to re-read an O’Brian novel ( **Desolation Island** ) before I launch into re-reading Dan Simmons’s \*\*Ilium \*\*in preparation for reading his **Olympos**. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/22 "2005-11-09T19:44:11Z")
Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches From the Unfinished Civil War (another one by Tony Horwitz)…my favorite part is where he describes his journeys with a hardcore civil war re-enactor. The Life of Hon. William F. Cody–supposedly by the man himself. I’ve been to several Buffalo Bill sites in my travels, and it’s interesting to get the stories from his perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/23 "2005-11-09T19:51:42Z")
> [@dangermom](#): > > Hah! That was me. I enjoyed it. Okay, I’ll be sure to hold you accountable for it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![the\_brave\_navel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@the\_brave\_navel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_brave_navel)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/24 "2005-11-09T19:51:51Z")
A biography of Mohandas Gandhi written by Yogesh Chadha. Easy to read and very informative. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/25 "2005-11-09T19:56:28Z")
Currently slowly reading my way through The Neutronium Alchemist. I’m enjoying it immensely, but most of my free time lately has been going to World of Warcraft. Yeah, I suck. Immediately before that, I read through Bryson’s Brief History of Time and Freakonomics. Both pretty interesting stuff, even if I didn’t necessarily agree with everything. Next up on my rather enormous queue of things I want to read (and which are, physically, stacked on my nightstand in an Everest-sized pile): The first volume of the reprinting of Robert E Howard’s Conan stories History of Hell Haldeman’s Forever War The Earthsea Trilogy Gaiman’s Anansi Boys Serendipity (the book about accidental science) Terry Pratchett’s Thud Demon Haunted World Dan Simmon’s Olympos For starters. I keep buying more books and I keep finding stuff to read at a much faster pace than any human being could ever possibly read them. Seriously, I’m going to have to take vacation time or something to get caught up. I really wish people would stop talking about neat books on the SDMB. My reading list would be a **lot** shorter. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/26 "2005-11-09T19:58:05Z")
> [@slortar](#): > > Bryson’s Brief History of Time And by that, I mean “Short History of Nearly Everything”. God, I can never get the title of that book straight… ---
**Author:** ![gooftroopag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gooftroopag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gooftroopag)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/27 "2005-11-09T20:07:09Z")
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time series) ---
**Author:** ![yellowval](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/919ad9/32.png) [@yellowval](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yellowval)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/28 "2005-11-09T20:07:38Z")
I’m into **Life of Pi** right now. The book I read before that is **Gardenias** by Faith Sullivan. None of you have probably heard of her, but she’s great. I took a class from her when I was in college and can’t resist an opportunity to give her a plug here. If you do decide to try her books, start with **The Cape Ann**. **Gardenias** is a continuation of the story started in **The Cape Ann**. (It’s not really a series, per se.) ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/29 "2005-11-09T20:11:34Z")
I’m reading **Jarhead**. I’d like to read it before seeing it. I just finished a book called **Loose Lips** about a woman who gets a job at the CIA. It’s a quick, funny, enjoyable read. You can read it in a day. I’m also plodding through a personal investment book, and my current bathroom book is Chris Ware’s graphic novel **Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid In the World**. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/30 "2005-11-09T20:15:09Z")
Nothing all too thrilling really. I’m slogging my way through a **Turow** right now\*\* (Reversible Errors)\*\*. I always wonder why he doesn’t just call it Chicago, and not pretend it’s some fictional city. Bugs the crap out of me really. On deck I have a Discworld but for the life of me can’t remember which one…I just finished the **Colour of Magic** and **Light Fantastic** for about the third time I think. I have the wife reading [The Wild Road](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345423038/ref=pd_sim_b_1/002-6423497-1151216?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance) right now, which might be a mistake - she’s constantly looking up over the book at me and shaking her head. Once she finishes it, I may take it and [The Golden Cat](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345423054/ref=pd_sim_b_1/002-6423497-1151216?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance) again. If you’re a cat person, you might like these, but you have to be able to free your mind from the “cats as cute furry pals” mode to enjoy them. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/31 "2005-11-09T20:15:28Z")
[The Ancestor’s Tale](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/061861916X/103-3696500-8243062?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance), By Richard Dawkins. It’s about humanity’s evolution from modern man all the way back to the origins of life. I thought it was going to be very preachy, what with the guy being very vocal about his atheism and all but it’s pretty good, I can barley put it down. Also: [Things Fall Apart](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385474547/103-3696500-8243062?v=glance&n=283155&s=books&v=glance), By Chinua Achebe. I had to read this one for a History class but started again, also pretty good, and sad. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/32 "2005-11-09T20:21:16Z")
I don’t have much time to read anymore (only textbooks) but I decided to get a library card recently (from the town where I go to school) because I am too broke to buy books (my preferred way). I had a short list of things I wanted to read, and I only found one at the library, **Everything Is Illuminated** by Jonathan Safran Foer, which is on deck. I also picked up **The Nanny Diaries** because I was stressed and wanted a quick, fun read. It served its purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/33 "2005-11-09T20:22:01Z")
Roger MacBride Allens’ “The Shores of Tomorrow”. It’s the third part of the Solace Saga. A small group of people are trying to save humanity’s future in the 54th century. ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/34 "2005-11-09T20:40:50Z")
I’m reading S.M. Stirling’s **Draka** which somehow escaped my notice when it was first published. Reading about the Draka is somewhat similar to driving past a car accident on the highway. You don’t want to look but you know that you have to. At least this one seems to give me a character I can root for. I just finished Lian Hearn’s **Tales of the Otori** trilogy. \*The New York Times \* named all 3 books as notable books but I’d have to disagree. The writing isn’t bad but the story is trite, boy meets girl-boy loses girl-boy gets girl, using a pseudo-medieval Japan overlaid with a tinge of magic. I wasn’t impressed. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/35 "2005-11-09T20:45:31Z")
I have a bunch of irons in the fire right now; too many. _13 Men_ by Tiffany Thayer \*Capote \*by Gerald Clarke _From Reverence to Rape_ by Molly Haskell \*Mysteries \*by Knute Hamsun _The Habit of Being_ by Flannery O’Connor _The Lost Steps_ by Alejo Carpentier _Placing Movies_ by Jonathan Rosenbaum ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/36 "2005-11-09T20:46:30Z")
**History of the Canadian Pacific Railway** by W. Kaye Lamb, part of the _Railroads of America_ series. Following the Daily Lectionary in the Episcopal _Book of Common Prayer_, I’m also reading the New Testament book _Revelation_, a little bit each day. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/37 "2005-11-09T20:47:08Z")
Oh! And my current bathroom reading material is Dave Barry’s _In Cyberspace_. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/38 "2005-11-09T20:52:04Z")
Just started _Conjectures and Refutations_ by Karl Popper. It’s good and accessable if you have a small knowledge of philosophy. It’s less technical and more discursive than _Logic of Scientific Discovery_. I’m finishing _Seeds of Time_ by Kay Kenyon. It isn’t very good but it’s easy enough to read that I’ll finish it. I’ll probably start _A Million Open Doors_ by John Barnes next. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2005, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/39 "2005-11-09T20:55:23Z")
I, too, am currently reading _The Know It All_, by Jacobs. I just got done polishing off an old Zane Grey western (a slight revision of the classic _The Lone Star Ranger_), and next up is likely to be the new Honor Harrington novel. ---
**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:** [November 9, 2005, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237/40 "2005-11-09T20:56:08Z")
> [@](#): > > Oh! And my current bathroom reading material is Dave Barry’s In Cyberspace. I recently pullerd it out and read through it at bedtime. My god, it’s less tha ten years old and it seems ancient. “Alt Tab switching”, “ABORT, RETRY, FAIL”, dial-up internet speeds. My daughter, if she ever reads this, will need a translator. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-you-reading-now/330237.md?page=3)