I’m trying to finish Joseph J. Ellis’s Founding Brothers before my next batch of considerably more frivolous books arrive in the mail. I’m expecting a new Maryjanice Davidson book and Kelley Armstrong’s new novel Personal Demon.
I just finished another of Georgette Heyer’s Regency romances, Lady of Quality. I really enjoy her writing, but this story wasn’t as satisfying as *Frederica *or The Grand Sophy.
[QUOTE=Pollux Oil]
I just read Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. I thought it was a hilariously written book and that was the first I’ve read of him, so I’m going to pick up a few of his other books soon and dive into them. 
In the interim, my friend recommended a Piers Anthony book to me and I’ve never read any of his stuff, so I’ll probably hit that next. A Spell for Chameleon is the name of it.
[/QUOTE]
I would recommend both of these things. Piers Anthony is kind of a hack, but he’s a fun hack.
I actually finished** all** the books I was reading in March over the weekend, during a bout of flu and fever. I am a clean slate! I believe I will start Ian Fleming’s Moonraker this evening, though. I’m slowly making my way through the James Bond series.
A book of short stories called Twilight of the Superheros by Deborah Eisenberg. Haven’t gotten to far into it but it’s decent so far (it’s a book club selection, so I have to finish by 4/7, read faster!).
I’m about 100 pages into Don Quixote and it’s not grabbing my interest very much. Of course I’ll slog my way through it like the bibliomasochist I am.
So on the side I’m reading some ‘fluff’ fiction that was given to me. A whole box full of John Grisham and other such authors I’d never think to read if it weren’t free. They’ll get me some credits on paperbackswap I hope.
I also need to read a book manuscript written by a friend of mine. I’m saving that for the weekend.
The Count of Monte Cristo
[QUOTE=TheMerchandise]
I would recommend both of these things. Piers Anthony is kind of a hack, but he’s a fun hack.
[/QUOTE]
In the early Xanth, yes. In the Phaze/Proton world, yes. In later Xanth, no…I’m still reading them as they come out, because they’re like Chef Boyardee to me…I know I used to like them a lot, so I try again whenever a new one comes out, and for about two chapters it’s nice, but by the time I finish the book I realize that it was mostly junk and now I feel all bloated and ill.
Wow…that was asking an awful lot out of that metaphor, wasn’t it?
Sorry, still slogging through Derrida, Freud, Foucault et al for the lit-crit class. And I’ve read The Handmaid’s Tale about six times this semester. But I’m looking forward to summer – gonna’ go back and revisit some old friends from my undergrad days.
Jules Verne’s The Invasion of the Sea (translated into English for the first time only in 2001; I just saw a copy this weekend)
Philip Jose Farmer’s The Gates of Creation, the seconf in his World of Tiers series. I read the first one 25 years ago this summer, and never read any of the others. I figured it’s about time to give them a shot.
“Lemony Snicket’s” The Miserable Mill. MilliCal insists that both Pepper and I read the entire Series of Unfortunate Events.
[QUOTE=CalMeacham]
“Lemony Snicket’s” The Miserable Mill. MilliCal insists that both Pepper and I read the entire Series of Unfortunate Events.
[/QUOTE]
You’d probably enjoy them more if you could listen to Tim Curry do the audiobooks. I liked that, but I’m not sure how I’d have fared just reading them.
[QUOTE=Pollux Oil]
I just read Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore. I thought it was a hilariously written book and that was the first I’ve read of him, so I’m going to pick up a few of his other books soon and dive into them.
[/QUOTE]
Jumping back in, sorry: You Suck: A Love Story is brilliant–pick that one up first! 
[QUOTE=jayjay]
In the early Xanth, yes. In the Phaze/Proton world, yes. In later Xanth, no…I’m still reading them as they come out, because they’re like Chef Boyardee to me…I know I used to like them a lot, so I try again whenever a new one comes out, and for about two chapters it’s nice, but by the time I finish the book I realize that it was mostly junk and now I feel all bloated and ill.
Wow…that was asking an awful lot out of that metaphor, wasn’t it?
[/QUOTE]
No, no… I’m actually right with you there.
Just finishing two really funny books - “Stop dressing your six-year-old like a skank : and other words of delicate Southern wisdom” by Celia Rivenbark, and “Smile when you’re lying : confessions of a rogue travel writer” by Chuck Thompson.
Also reading some interesting YA fantasy stuff: “The Book of a Thousand Days” by Shannon Hale, “The Time Travellers” by Linda Buckley-Archer. and “Flight” by Sherman Alexie. I can recommend all. Newest by Clare Dunkle “Sky Inside” was a disappointment tho.
[QUOTE=well he’s back]
Just finishing two really funny books - “Stop dressing your six-year-old like a skank : and other words of delicate Southern wisdom” by Celia Rivenbark
[/QUOTE]
The title is so good I had to go over to Amazon to “Search Inside This Book!” Now I must find it and read it all. ALL!
sigh Mount ToBeRead will never shrink. It will only get larger, like Mount Everest.
Chiming in to subscribe and get more ideas.
Have a few books on the go.
Night Blitz, John Ray
The Cannon, Natale Angier (reread)
Twinkie, Deconstructed, Steve Ettinger
Eagerly anticipating my shipment of How to Fossilize your Hamster, Mick O’Hare and New Scientist magazine.
Hah, believe it or not, I’m reading War and Peace. Tried reading it about 20 yrs ago and couldn’t get through what I saw as banality; but strangely, now I’m actually enjoying it! So is it maturity, or being satisfied with banality?! 
Bibby
I thoroughly enjoyed War and Peace. It gets a bad rep. A little background knowledge of Russia and the Napoleonic era does help.
[QUOTE=Bibby]
Hah, believe it or not, I’m reading War and Peace.
[/QUOTE]
Heh…I can’t even think of the title of War and Peace without picturing Snoopy’s puppet version…
[QUOTE=twickster]
The Year of Living Biblically, by A.J. Jacobs (the guy who read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica). I’m liking it a lot.
[/QUOTE]
Finished it last night – the Dope (one of the columns) got a shout-out in the footnotes, which was pretty cool.
The Space Opera Renaissance, edited by David Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer. A collection of short and not so short stories of epic science fiction.
Descartes’ Error, a book on the neurological underpinnings of rational thought. Pretty interesting, and driving a spike into the last tattered remnant of my dualistic beliefs.
Hurrah, I’m finally actually reading books for pleasure and not for researching Wikipedia articles! I just finished Hustler Days: Minnesota Fats, Wimpy Lassiter, Jersey Red, and America’s Great Age of Pool by R.A. Dyer. It’s a history of pool in the US told through biographical sketches of the three titular players. Good quick read, very interesting and informative. Although I ended up using it for Wikipedia anyway to beef up a couple of articles.
Next up I think is going to be Lost and Found by Carolyn Parkhurst. It’s about an “Amazing Race”-type race around the world.