What are you reading?

[nancy_raygun]

I noticed that there isn't an active topic about books/ reading so maybe we can talk about books and stuff?


I haven't watched The Game of Thrones, but I read the first book and as soon as I finished, I closed the book, put it down, then shook my fists in the air. I wanted to wordvomit at my boyfriend, but he hasn't read the book.


I'm currently reading The Phantom Tollbooth. Lots of wordplay, which is good, because wordplay makes me wet.

 

[Crumb]

wait, you didn't immediately dive right into A Clash of Kings??? :shock:


as for what I'm currently reading... well, I'm cheating a bit... I'm listening to the entire Wheel of Time series on audiobook. I listen/read while I'm at work and I just finished Book 10, so tonight I'm putting Book 11 on my ipod, so I'm ready for tomorrows work day.
which is kind of like a re-read for me so I can have a refresher before the last book comes out in January.

 

[morment]

I'm reading The Lies of Lock Lamora by Scott Lynch, it's pretty good but it hasn't fully grabbed me yet.

 

[nancy_raygun]

wait, you didn't immediately dive right into A Clash of Kings??? :shock:


as for what I'm currently reading... well, I'm cheating a bit... I'm listening to the entire Wheel of Time series on audiobook. I listen/read while I'm at work and I just finished Book 10, so tonight I'm putting Book 11 on my ipod, so I'm ready for tomorrows work day.
which is kind of like a re-read for me so I can have a refresher before the last book comes out in January.

Oh, I want to, we just don't have it. This particular book was gifted to my boyfriend. My plan is to just buy all the books in one sitting for myself.

Not being able to move onto the next book was one of the reasons I was shaking my fists.

 

[AllisonWilder]

Of course a thread like this comes up when I'm not reading some great work of literature. I'm reading Star by Pamela Anderson. :lol:

 

[AmberCutie]

Last month I finished The Book of Lost Things by John Connelly. A grown up fairytale story that follows a boy dealing with OCD and the loss of his mother. It was a good easy read.

Right now I am only about 1/3 through The Passage: A Novel by Justin Cronin. It's... interesting, but some sections are hard to keep glued to. It is a bit verbose at times which leaves you in long periods with no action or mystery or excitement. It's ultimately about a government project to take a vampire-contaminant and use it as a weapon after testing it on subjects selected from death row, as well as the mystery surrounding an abandoned 6 year old girl that seems to already have it in her blood.

Some reads I recommend:

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. May be one of my favorites of all time. Lots of video game and 80's pop culture references in this post-apocalyptic sci-fi digital fantasy world based story. Exciting and fun with very lovable characters.

All 3 books in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. The first book in the series was better than the movie, we'll have to see about the next 2. I got so completely absorbed into these books I could hardly put them down.

Public Enemy Zero by Andrew Mayne. Somewhat of a reverse-role from usual zombie stories. Andrew Mayne isn't a big-time author and I think this is only on eBook, and it has a handful of grammar/spelling errors, but the story was very fun and exciting, so I could easily overlook it.

I think the next book I am going to attack is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It keeps getting recommended to me since I liked Ready Player One, and I see it referenced often on Reddit. Also, I hear there will be a movie adaptation of it soon.

 

[Mirra]

Yeah... I'm eagerly awaiting book 6 of a Song of Ice and Fire and book 3 of the Kingkiller Chronicle (omfg I consumed the first two waaaay too fast). It's going to be some time still for either of them I fear. ><

I decided to read something a lot shorter... and ended up deciding to try a children's lit fantasy series that, I thought, would obviously be a hit since there was a movie made from it. I've read through about half of the Golden Compass and am just not motivated to finish it. Eventually I will but I don't see myself being driven to continue into book 2 unless I start feeling a lot more excited about these characters.

GoodReads.com is suggesting The Way of Kings as my next read. It was pretty spot on with suggesting the Kingkiller Chronicle so I think I'll go with its suggestion rather than trying to find something on my own.

 

[Evvie]

For non-fiction, The Power of Habit (cannot immediately recall the author, I apologize) is an amazing book studying the psychology of habit in the individual, corporations, and society. It's awesomely written, interesting to read and the information is at times astounding.

 

[Crumb]

I think the next book I am going to attack is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It keeps getting recommended to me since I liked Ready Player One, and I see it referenced often on Reddit. Also, I hear there will be a movie adaptation of it soon.

I heartily recommend Ender's Game as well
it works as a one shot book, but if you're interested, Enders Story does continue

 

[VeronicaChaos]

Do comic books count? I started reading Preacher; fucking awesome so far.

 

[dustinxxxizzle]

I'm currently reading Handling The Undead by John Lindqvist. Same dude who wrote Let the Right One In, which is a fantastic book and an equally beautiful movie adaption. It's a unique take on the "zombie" genre in that the reanimated aren't violent at all, and the story deals with the issue of how the world, and more importantly relatives of the reanimated, would react to the situation.

 

[LiLredhairedgrl]

I am reading "Lolita" right now...

 

[camstory]

I am a horribly slow reader, having severe mixed dominance, or dyslexia as it is more commonly known. A 350 page book that most can finish in 3 or 4 days takes me more than two weeks, at 3or4 hours a day. That said I stay excited about reading, and find it unfortunate that so many hold reading as a low priority pass time these days. I have just reread "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers. It was just as good the second time around, maybe better. It was one of the first shot Memoirs that have been a new trend in the last 20 years. In that vain I hope to search and find "Fever Pitch" by Nick Hornby, as an ebook, a first work memoir of his connection to the sport of football (soccer for us mericans). I just listened to an NPR City Arts & Lectures interview with N. Hornby That made me think that MyNameIsBob must have read his "High Fidelity" a more recent work that deals with his great love of everything music.

A great bumper sticker, "So many books, so little time", I try to keep in mind when I find myself here for 2or3 hours a day and don't pick up a book for weeks at a time.

 

[southsamurai]

lets see here... this week so far i re-read the anita blake series and the merry gentry series by laurell k hamilton, the first few sookie books by charllaine harris, 5 or 6 of chuck pahlaniuks that i have on hand, two nora robb ones (cant ever keep her stuff lined up in my head by title). today i did 2 more of the sookie books, a cosmetology textbook, and read my two books that i wrote here on the comp. still need to finish that effin trilogy, but i lost half of it last time my hard drive crashed and i get pissed off every time i try to work on it . honestly, i might as well call that one book, the first of them is more a novella length really.

plan on finishing the sookie series that i have in my personal collection tomorrow, then hit my vonnegut books over the weekend maybe

 

[Rose]

Currently: Ragnar and The Slave Girls (Ragnar the Dane) by Lily Byrne

Next in line: The Procedure by Margaret Belle
Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb by MJA Ware and MJ Ware
The Bad Luck Wedding Dress by Geralyn Dawson
The Reiver by Jackie Barbosa
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The Fairy Tale Bride by Kelly McClymer

After that I don't know. I have 69 other books that I've yet to figure out which order I want to read them in. They aren't going anywhere though unless my kindle gets full and hopefully I won't buy any more free books until I've knocked out a good chunk of them. As it is I've got 35 things archived that I've read in the last year. BJ and my parents say I read too much. I guess it's a good thing I can get free books then and my grandpa is willing to buy me the rest. :lol:

 

[LilyEvans]

I am reading "Lolita" right now...

Lolita is one of my favorite books of all time. The prose is absolutely beautiful, no matter how horrifying the plot is!

I was reading A Dance with Dragons, but I haven't had time in awhile to read due to schoolwork and work-work. >.< But after I finish that I plan to start A Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling, because that woman could seriously hand me a shit sandwich and I would still read it. I miss having time to read!

 

[curvyredhead]

Not currently reading anything.
Last 3 book were
Fifth Avenue 5 a.m. by Sam Wasson
The Bell Curve by Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray
Skin Of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder

 

[Miss_Lollipop]

Just finished Pillars of the Earth
Now starting re-reading "The Hobbit" in preparation for christmas!

 

[lordmagellan]

About to finish A Splendid Exchange, about trade throughout history and how it shaped the world. Rather fascinating and apparently well written as the subject matter would usually bore me to sleep. Author is William J. Bernstein.

Been working on The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Jo Campbell for about two years now; Probably longer. Like Cam, I'm a horribly slow reader, but I have no problems reading, I just tend to fall asleep. Sucks because I rather enjoy reading and getting books. I have way too many for the amount I actually read.

Also reading through a book on morality and moral arguments when I get a few minutes.

I like to bounce between nonfiction and novels with my reading. But I tend to read more nonfiction.


Amber, I second the Ender series. Speaker For the Dead, the second (?) is also really good.

VChaos, Preacher was fun with ups and downs. I like absurdity, but some points in it are just plain silly and seem to just be tossed in to keep the book going. Herr Star is still one of my favorite villains.

 

[Miss_Lollipop]

About to finish A Splendid Exchange, about trade throughout history and how it shaped the world. Rather fascinating and apparently well written as the subject matter would usually bore me to sleep. Author is William J. Bernstein.

Been working on The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Jo Campbell for about two years now; Probably longer. Like Cam, I'm a horribly slow reader, but I have no problems reading, I just tend to fall asleep. Sucks because I rather enjoy reading and getting books. I have way too many for the amount I actually read.

If you're looking to get a good grasp of Joseph Campbell without wading through his very dense writing style, try "The Power of Myth".

It's a ... i wont say transcript, but the PBS series where Joseph Campbell was interviewed about his works is put into a book format. The version with the pictures and diagrams is better .... I like illustrations.

I read it when I was 14 and just..gobbled it up...

 

[HarmlessSquirrel]

I'm currently reading Reamde by Neal Stephenson. I can recommend everything he's written. Some of his books I would describe as "slightly science fiction." Some of them are really just fiction. I'm enjoying this one, although I don't think it's his best. My favorites of his are Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle (which is a trilogy of semi-historical fiction).

 

[SpecialK]

I think the next book I am going to attack is Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. It keeps getting recommended to me since I liked Ready Player One, and I see it referenced often on Reddit. Also, I hear there will be a movie adaptation of it soon.

I heartily recommend Ender's Game as well
it works as a one shot book, but if you're interested, Enders Story does continue

Ender's Game is listed as my favorite book on my mfc profile. Definitely read this book as it is mind blowing. I personally wasn't happy with the continuation of the story but did read all of the books. Orson Scott Card has some great books...I recommend The Gate Thief if you enjoy his writing. I can't wait for the second book in that series to come out next year.

I have read all of the Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Throne) books that are out so far and I found them almost impossible to put down once I started.

If you're into sci-fi the current dune books by Herberts son are fantastic as well.

 

[MrRodry]

Just finished with The Walking Dead #104 (Loving this N%#@n sadistic crazy motherfucker, he needs a spin-off or a origin special TWD edition). After A Game of Thrones, I got hooked, and started with A Clash of Kings but I'm reading it at a very slow speed.

 

[crappuccino]

having read a song of ice and fire in 2006 (although i never finished a feast for crows), the tv series kinda brought me back to reading. a highly sophisticated google search for "books like game of thrones" pointed me to steven eriksons "malazan book of the fallen", which is quite unlike game of thrones and more like a fantasy version of x-men. i actually read the first four books and i don't know why. it had one great storyline, the rest was terrible.
then came joe abercrombies "the first law" trilogy, which i loved, and the standalone novel "best served cold", which was... okay.
now i've started the kingkiller chronicle and... stopped at like chapter 3 when it became clear that it's just another superhero/villain story.
soo... any suggestions for "books like game of thrones"?
like, believable characters, low fantasy, keep the 100,000 year old shapeshifter demons with huge soul-eating swords to a minimum?

 

[schlmoe]

Just finished Pillars of the Earth
Now starting re-reading "The Hobbit" in preparation for christmas!

If you liked that, "World Without End" is definitely worth a look. Not really a sequel, but it picks up the story (in the same town) about 150 years later.

If you like Ken Follet's writing, I can recommend almost all of his books He started out in the spy/mystery genre, then went to epic type novels, and now goes back & forth.

One of his earlier books, "On Wings of Eagles" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Wings_of_Eagles

It is a non-fiction account of a rescue of 2 Americans from an Iranian jail during the time of the Iranian Revolution. True story, but it reads like a novel. Very gripping, highly recommended!

 

[lordmagellan]

About to finish A Splendid Exchange, about trade throughout history and how it shaped the world. Rather fascinating and apparently well written as the subject matter would usually bore me to sleep. Author is William J. Bernstein.

Been working on The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Jo Campbell for about two years now; Probably longer. Like Cam, I'm a horribly slow reader, but I have no problems reading, I just tend to fall asleep. Sucks because I rather enjoy reading and getting books. I have way too many for the amount I actually read.

If you're looking to get a good grasp of Joseph Campbell without wading through his very dense writing style, try "The Power of Myth".

It's a ... i wont say transcript, but the PBS series where Joseph Campbell was interviewed about his works is put into a book format. The version with the pictures and diagrams is better .... I like illustrations.

I read it when I was 14 and just..gobbled it up...

Yea, Netflix had the series, but I've yet to find the book. I wanted to read this one as (everyone stay calm) George Lucas said it was one of his major inspirations for creating Star Wars. I've got a few of his books, actually, but yes, his writing is very dense. But I love mythology and speculations on its origins.

Power of Myth also introduced me to Bill Moyers, who is a wonderful interviewer. I have one of his books which is a collection of interviews with all kinds of people, A World of Ideas is the name. I want to think two were published.

 

[nancy_raygun]

I'm currently reading Reamde by Neal Stephenson. I can recommend everything he's written. Some of his books I would describe as "slightly science fiction." Some of them are really just fiction. I'm enjoying this one, although I don't think it's his best. My favorites of his are Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle (which is a trilogy of semi-historical fiction).

My boyfriend puts him under the 'cyberpunk' genre. I've read Snow Crash and The Diamond Age and I love both books. It was actually pointed out to me that there is a Snow Crash related easter egg in The Diamond Age. So now I have to read both books all over again.


I actually just finished reading The Phantom Tollbooth and am wondering why it isn't required reading in schools. There's a lot of valuable lessons to be learned from that one book.

 

[MrRodry]

having read a song of ice and fire in 2006 (although i never finished a feast for crows), the tv series kinda brought me back to reading. a highly sophisticated google search for "books like game of thrones" pointed me to steven eriksons "malazan book of the fallen", which is quite unlike game of thrones and more like a fantasy version of x-men. i actually read the first four books and i don't know why. it had one great storyline, the rest was terrible.
then came joe abercrombies "the first law" trilogy, which i loved, and the standalone novel "best served cold", which was... okay.
now i've started the kingkiller chronicle and... stopped at like chapter 3 when it became clear that it's just another superhero/villain story.
soo... any suggestions for "books like game of thrones"?
like, believable characters, low fantasy, keep the 100,000 year old shapeshifter demons with huge soul-eating swords to a minimum?

Not really a book but George R. R. Martin got this Tales of Dunk and Egg novellas set in the A Song of Ice and Fire world.

 

[Red7227]

like, believable characters, low fantasy, keep the 100,000 year old shapeshifter demons with huge soul-eating swords to a minimum?

No actual magic, just an alternative world with lots of politics and strong characters

Lots of politics and strong characters. Some magic.

The absolute silliest book you will ever read. Great fun, strong plots and strong characters. There are about 6 books in the series

 

[HarmlessSquirrel]

I'm currently reading Reamde by Neal Stephenson. I can recommend everything he's written. Some of his books I would describe as "slightly science fiction." Some of them are really just fiction. I'm enjoying this one, although I don't think it's his best. My favorites of his are Cryptonomicon and The Baroque Cycle (which is a trilogy of semi-historical fiction).

My boyfriend puts him under the 'cyberpunk' genre. I've read Snow Crash and The Diamond Age and I love both books. It was actually pointed out to me that there is a Snow Crash related easter egg in The Diamond Age. So now I have to read both books all over again.

Those books could be called cyberpunk, sure. Most of his later stuff is not though.

I actually just finished reading The Phantom Tollbooth and am wondering why it isn't required reading in schools. There's a lot of valuable lessons to be learned from that one book.

I think we actually did read that one in school. I remember loving it, although it's been a very long time since I last read it.