The Little Book of Neuroses by Michael Thomas Ford. This one is not as light-hearted as his earlier essay collections. It’s still funny, but sometimes he get much more serious.
I have a pile of books (some of them galleys from work) I am delving into right now:
“The Barbary Coast,” a red-hot 1933 history of that area.
“A Single Woman,” a 1930 novel about WWI by John Monk Saunders (who also wrote “Wings”).
Marion Fowler’s new “biography” of the Hope Diamond—v. entertaining and well written.
Carl Hiaasen’s new “Basket Case.” Never read him before, but Ukulele Ike recommends him.
Also just bought, from Edw. R. Hamilton, a huuuuge illustrated history of the 19th century, and a collection of newspaper front pages of famous crimes, from the late 1600s through 2000.
I just finished “Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister” which the esteemed magdalene sent to me.
I need to begin “Ice Bound” for my book club (it’s the story of the female doctor in Antarctica) but…
I just started a book I found on the “new” shelf at the library written by a guy who went to a Little Persons conventions. He wrote an article about dwarves for Esquire but then turned it into a book. Quite interesting. It’s called “In the Little World: A True Story of Dwarves, Love, and Trouble”
I’ll finish Guns, Germs, and Steel tonight.
Up next: Either Why People Believe Weird Things or The Map That Changed The World.
Coming Soon!!! by John Barth. The man is amazing.
After that, I plan to reread some R.A. Lafferty, including Past Master
Rereading The Thorn Birds (for the umpteenth time) by Colleen McCullogh.
Just finished The Dark Tower series again by Stephen King.
Tried to read the new Dean Koontz book, One Door Away From Heaven. I couldn’t believe how slow it was…not up to his usual par at all. I had to give it up.
Next on my list…the new Stephen King anthology, Eventual something. It’s sitting on my bed shelf…can’t wait!!
Im reading two books that were recommended by dopers, Good Omens and Perfect Vehicle
I’m reading Earth by David Brin and Monster by Jonathan Kellerman.
I’m finding Earth tough to read, and I’ve been reading other books along with it so I feel that I’m actually accomplishing something 
Mike
I’m reading Bill O’Reilly No spin zone.
Not as good as his first book tho!
Arturo Perez-Reverte’s The Nautical Chart, which I should finish tonight.
And then I’ll be out of books, unless I reread The Hobbit and my ancient Lord of the Rings, which may actually fall to bits if I open the pages.
I may start Mann’s The Magic Mountain if I can find a used copy.
Anybody here read Michael Malone?
I’m in the middle of The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky and Five Hundred Years After by Steven Brust, and just finished up Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather.
And BTW, Eve, you’re gonna love Carl Hiaasen - that guy is absolutely fantastic! If you like Basket Case, I’d recommend Skin Tight and Double Whammy as followup reads. Great stuff.
Once I get home, I’ll probably either hit The Toynbee Convector (Bradbury) or the history of Ms. magazine that I got out of the library (can’t remember title). Anyone read Nicholson Baker’s Double Fold yet? I’ve checked it out but haven’t started it yet.
Kathy’s dochter [Kathy’s daughter] by Tim Krabbè* nb. Krabbè is the writer of “The Vanishing”. Both movies. *
and Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and other stories by Oscar Wilde.
How I wish I could have the ‘luxury’ of reading what I want ( a good dose of Oscar Wilde would be heaven right now).
I’ve got two essays due in just after the easter break, and so my reading material at the moment is:
The Hidden Welfare State: Christopher Howard
Ideology and Social Welfare: George and Wilding
In Defence of the Welfare State: (ed) Wilding
and funnily enough,
The Welfare State Reader: (eds) Pierson and Castles.
And of course, INNUMERABLE articles and stuff off the web.
Which is why I’m here mucking around on the board.
'Cos I’m delaying the inevitable.
And I’m lazy.
I’m reading Peace by Gene Wolfe at the moment. - I’m a Wolfe man, I’ll read anything by Gene.
Find a Victim by Ross MacDonald. Probably a better author then Chandler and D. Hammett. Good stuff.
-me
The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card
Up next: Inferno by Larry Niven and James Pournelle
Currently reading Bill Bryson’s In a Sunburned Country, his travel book about Australia. It was a lot of fun at the outset, but I’m past a hundred pages now, and he’s starting to repeat his jokes the way he always does (“Ooooh! Scary spiders! Sure hope one doesn’t bite me and poison me to death!”), so I may put it aside soon.
I’ve been dipping into Jacques Barzun’s 1951 Pleasures of Music: A Reader’s Choice of Great Writing About Music and Musicians, which is fun. I’ve re-read some essays by Shaw and Wagner and Stendahl, and I’m looking forward to reading some articles and correspondence by composers.
Next up for Passover week: Sabine Hake’s Popular Cinema of the Third Reich, which supposedly compares the light entertainments produced by the Nazi Propaganda Ministry to the output of the 1930s Hollywood star system.
Eve, Hiaasen is one of my favorites, real funny. Enjoy.
I’m reading Catcher in the Rye. It’s good. It really is.
I love that book, but I remember it as being a slow-starter, too. Keep plugging away.
I’m reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, and am at the stage where the number of remaining pages is waxing at a dangerous rate . . . I want it to keep going forever! I’m going to be so bummed when it ends. When I’m rich, I’m going to hire a team of goons to kidnap Neal Stephenson, and I’m going to lock him up in my basement and force him to write me forty pages a day.