Sorry, the title by Barbara Wallraff is Word Court.
That would be the Essex, which was the subject of In the Heart of the Sea. No doubt you’d find it an interesting read if you knew which one of them was your relation!
Learning Perl, one of the O’Reilly books
Shambhala, by Chogyam Trungpa
And after some house cleaning, I uncovered More Of The Straight Dope, so I can finally finish the last few pages. 
Turbulent Mirror : An Illustrated Guide to Chaos, Theory and the Science of Wholeness
That, and my ever-growing pile of Astronomy & National Geographic magazines.
I rarely have time to sit and read lately. Perhaps I shouldn’t spend so much time here! Nah, that’s crazy talk.
doesn’t everyone?
You newbies realize that it is required reading here, don’t you? The rest of us are sick of explaining the fnords.
Hmmm, Adam Weißhaupt would be a good replacement name. I suppose we already have one, though.
Just finished Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres. Now reading Possession by A.S. Byatt.
Let’s see…
I’m currently reading:
- The Singing Sword,* by Jack Whyte (2nd in * The Camulod Chronicles*);
Dune, Frank Herbert;
Jumpers, a play by Tom Stoppard;
Aesop’s Fables, the relatively new Penguin edition;
The Fall of Atlantis, Marion Zimmer Bradley;
Prophecy: Child of Earth, Elizabeth Hayden;
A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking;
Conqueror’s Pride, Timothy Zahn and
The Deer Hunter, E.M. Corder
Hannibal by Thomas Harris
I just finished reading Lord of the Flies
Next I’ve got the new Tom Clancy book and Firefox. Used book sales rule! all those books plus a few more for under 3 bucks!
I’m reading “Exiles: The Ruins of Ambrai”, “Slaughter House 5”, “Wicked”, “The Vampire Armand”, “Gone With the Wind”, three romance novels that I’m ashamed to even type down, the newest Cat Who… book, and the newest book by Rita Mae and Sneaky Pie Brown.
I can’t read one book at a time. Too confusing… 
From Potters Field by Patricia Cornwell.
I’m currently splitting time between “Fear and Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72” by hunter S. Thompson and “A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius” by Dave Eggers. Plus I have David Foster Wallace’s “Up, Simba: 7 Days On The Trail Of An Anticandidate” on my MS Reader both at work and at home, and I’m three pages into “The Neal Pollock Anthology Of American Literature” by Neal Pollock, plus I’ve just read “Iphegenia at Orem” in Neil LaBute’s “Bash: Latterday Plays” plus I just bought Darren Aronofsky and Hubert Serlby Jr.'s screenplay for “Requiem For A Dream”…
But I’m really not as highbrow as all that.
Up next (i.e., when I crack them open–as is obvious, I don’t really wait to finish one thing before jumping into another): Michael Chabon’s “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay” (perfect for the comics geek) and my annual birthday/Xmastime rereading of Douglas Coupland’s “MicroSerfs”.
Right now…hmmm…
Seneca’s Thyestes, the great Latin play of power, madness, revenge, and cannibalism.
Book I of Homer’s Iliad. Gotta keep up my Greek skills.
Latin Lyric Poetry of the Middle Ages, by [n]Helen Waddell**. It’s a bit dated but solid nonetheless.
Storeys from the Old Hotel, by Gene Wolfe. Perhaps the greatest writer of speculative fiction alive today.
I think that sums it up.
MR
My current pile of books, which can be found randomly at my desk at work, in my car, next to my computer, or on my nightstand:
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, Jared Diamond.
The Medieval Archer, Jim Bradbury.
Fire and Stone: The Science of Fortress Warfare, 1660-1860, Christopher Duffy.
The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, Will Cuppy.
The Pillars of the Earth, Ken Follett.
And well over a dozen classics from Project Gutenberg, which deserves your support.
Dr.Pinky
Thanks for the offer, I’ll keep you in mind. I haven’t picked up the book in a couple of days, but I think I’ll probably spend a good chunk of the weekend avoiding my grandmother by reading.
Recently discovered the “Repairman Jack” series by F. Paul Wilson- The Tomb, Legacies, Conspiracies and All The Rage. Finished The Tomb and Conspiracies, about to start Legacies. Excellent series. Well written and the character Repairman Jack is unique. The books are a combination of sci-fi, adventure and mystery. Hard to catagorize, but great reads. Also reading A Letter Of Mary by Laurie King. While Christmas shopping at the local Barnes & Noble last week I was delighted to find that Jonathan Kellerman’s latest Alex Delaware was out and on sale for 40% off. Plenty of material to get through the joyous holiday season.
Rumpole’s Return by John Mortimer
The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume III
During my morning Commute I’m listening to:
The Odyssey, translated by Robert Fagles and read by Magneto
**slackergirl, ** it took me 3 years to get through U the first time. It is my responsiBILity to lower the levelling of suffering in this universe.
Hey, Phobos & Sublight: I no longer carry any Sagan on me. I found out he was wrong on some minor, un-remembered point somewhere, & I’ve been a skeptik ever since.
HannibalV, FLCT72 is THE book to be reading now. Kudos to someone who has the mojo, & doesn’t flaunt it.
Kat, I wouldn’t wrench it from your tightly clenched breast. This is why no one over 3 can make their way to the front door. The toppling towers of obscure titles would waste them.