Whatcha readin'?

[Myxomatosis]

So, I've been pretty much consumed in work and school since mid April and haven't really been able to get the time to read books I WANT to read. So while visiting Florida I picked up a couple books...

The Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs (something I've wanted to read for ages)

annnnd....

The Motorcycle Diaries by the late great Ernesto Che Guevara

Anybody read of either of these before? Oh hell, what might you guys be into right now?

[TheDudeOfOz]

Whatcha readin'

This thread.
















oooooooooo

[Myxomatosis]

Well what do you think of-

HEY I'VE BEEN HAD

[Dr. L]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets again.


Also, "Tales of Edgar Allan Poe" is on my list.

[Carnage]

This thread.
















oooooooooo

You stole my idea.

Well I suppose I am reading the text that I am currently typing...

[Grunthos]

HEY I'VE BEEN HAD

Be sure you get your shots...

[Ythogtha]

Isaac Asimov's The Complete Robot

World War Z (again)

and the newest issue of Seed magazine

[Luger]

The seventh harry potter

and world war z

[S Carver Orne]

Halo: The Cole Protocol

[Sprinkels]

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave


I hate Summer Reading.

[JägerMeister]

The Scarlet Letter, only because it's an assignment for my language class in my upcoming junior year.

[Luger]

The Scarlet Letter, only because it's an assignment for my language class in my upcoming junior year.

shitsux

[JägerMeister]

shitsux

srsly

[Myxomatosis]

srsly

hxc

[Luger]

srsly

But I think the worst thing was our teacher told us before we even read it who the father was.

[JägerMeister]

But I think the worst thing was I teacher told us before we even read it who the father was.

:lol:

I'm 9 chapters into this and all it keeps saying is "Hester thinks her child is possessed" and "lol let's shun Hester more".

[Luger]

:lol:

I'm 9 chapters into this and all it keeps saying is "Hester thinks her child is possessed" and "lol let's shun Hester more".

Yeah....that's pretty much the whole book until the last two chapters.

[maggotface]

i got a copy of trainspotting, but i havent read it yet

[Ythogtha]

The ingredients on the back of a beverage bottle.

[Speckta]

Just finished:
Musicophilia - Dr. Sacks

Working on: On The Road - Kerouack (so far I find it a little disapointing. I mean, Kerouack's language is sweet, but the plot is.. well.. I guess I don't know what to expect).

edit: On the shelf: Fortune's Formula - William Poundstone
Breakfast of Champions - Vonnegut
Cuba, what everyone needs to know - Sweig

and my brother just gave me:
House of Leaves - Danielewski


second edit: Scarlet Letter does not suck. I wrote a paper based on a feminist read of The Scarlet Letter.

Let's see what I called it: "Puritanism vs. Feminism."

Aced it.

[Ythogtha]

The Neconomicon, by Chaosium. It’s not supposed to be "the actual" book, but is a collection of stories, essays, etc. concerning Lovecraft’s dark tome.

[Grunthos]

RE-reading the Dune series, end to end, as my summer book. Middle of "Children of Dune" atm.

[Agent Cay]

"Guns, Germs, and Steel", only because so many other people have liked it and it's relevant to my interests and also I'm in need of a new reading book.

[Ythogtha]

Finished up the Necronomicon. Rereading my NWoD book to brush up on the rules and rereading Asimov's Foundation series.

[sdhonda]

Against A Dark Background by Iain M. Banks.

[Dr. L]

Various Goosebumps books.

[Nepharski]

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, a book I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did. Though I use the term "Enjoy" loosely, considering the subject matter.

[Speckta]

Yeah I liked Things Fall Apart. 'Til I read a review of Heart of Darkness by Achebe where he goes off on Conrad for being a racist.

So, I used his argument against him in a paper.

If Achebe's right and Heart of Darkness and Conrad are racist, then Achebe and Things Fall Apart are sexist.

[Luger]

Various Goosebumps books.

I think I had about everyone of those.....EVER. They still crowd up my bookshelf. My favorite was The Night of The Living Dummy.

[Skath]

I'm re-reading Battle Royale before I give it to my girlfriend. Haven't even looked at this book in a few years and I'm glad to read it again. Still makes me cringe a little at some parts.

[Tonus]

Five Families, by Selwyn Raab. For the third or fourth time.

[Edmaster]

Just starting Animal Farm. Not sure how I never read this before now.

[Nepharski]

Yeah I liked Things Fall Apart. 'Til I read a review of Heart of Darkness by Achebe where he goes off on Conrad for being a racist.

So, I used his argument against him in a paper.

If Achebe's right and Heart of Darkness and Conrad are racist, then Achebe and Things Fall Apart are sexist.Unfortunately I'm not familiar with Heart of Darkness or Achebe's articles on it, though the person who recommended Things Fall Apart to me also suggested I read Heart of Darkness, so maybe in a future post.

Currently, I'm attempting to read Frank Herbert's Dune, a book I'm sure a lot of people assumed I'd read already. It's an intimidating read, but interesting so far as of the first couple dozen pages.

[sdhonda]

I got about a quarter way through and stopped for some reason.

[Speckta]

Currently reading: Into The Wild

Recently finished:

On The Road
Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain
Breakfast of Champions
Fortune's Formula
Epileptic


On my bookshelf:


Cuba: What Everyone Needs to know
Catch a Fire: The Life Of Bob Marley
House of Leaves
Trois Poetes de leur Vie
Six Upanishads Majeures
Les Bienvaillantes



List of books I want to get next:

Crash Proof
The Match king
Super System
The Tipping point - Malcolm Gladwell
Post-Scarcity Anarchismuch day to day, bu
Les Fleures du Mal
The American Future A History
The Mad Ones - Tom Folsom
Life Inc
Free (the future of a radical price)
Imbibe - David Wondrich
The Family - Jeff Sharlet
Predictioneer's Game - Bruce (?)
Wordy Shipmate - Sarah Vowell
No Impact man: the Adventures of a Guilty liberal - Colin Beavan
Bright-sided - Barbara

[Agent Cay]

I WOULD be reading Guns, Germs, and Steel right now, but college is a pesky thing which demands attention..

[Grunthos]

Still flogging thru the Dune books. "Chapterhouse: Dune." Haven't had much reading time this summer.

[NervousWreck]

For the first time in I-don't-remember-when I am not reading anything not related to work or study of any sort. THis situation sucketh verily.

[NervousWreck]

Update. I am now reading Comrades by Robert Service. It's a history (genuine, not hagiographa) of world communism. Still need some fiction though.

[S Carver Orne]

Gears of War: Jacinto's Remnant, by Karen Traviss

About 3/4 of the way through, pretty good follow up to her last book (Aspho Fields).

[Hakoon1]

I'm reading 'To Kill a Mockingbird' By Harper Lee. It's a really good book. Slow beginning, but it gets better.

[Speckta]

They die in the end.

[S Carver Orne]

The Atrocity Archive by Charles Stross

I love the Bob Howard stories. :D

[NervousWreck]

In the Court of the Crimson Kings by SM Stirling (reread)

[GuitarFreak]

Omaha Beach by Joeseph Balkoski. Have to do a paper on it for history. Pretty good book so far though.

[S Carver Orne]

Concrete Jungle by Charles Stross

Follows the last one I read.

[Dr. L]

Just finished reading 'Freak the Mighty' by Rodman Philbrick.

[Tonus]

Currently reading Donnie Brasco (Joe Pistone w/Richard Woodley)

Once that's done, I'll read Boss of Bosses (Joseph O'Brien and Andris Kurins)

After that I'll work my way through the Bill James Handbook 2010

[Luger]

Just finished reading 'Freak the Mighty' by Rodman Philbrick.

Wow dude, I just nostalgia'd. Read that a looong time ago, great book.

[Dr. L]

And its movie was just as good, you can find it on youtube. Though the movie's name is "The Mighty"

[Aaron]

Tunnels

[Valderack]

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson for a Biology project.

and

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

[Grunthos]

"The Past Through Tomorrow," Heinlein.

Finally finished off all the Dune books, in order. Took a while.

[Valderack]

I Am Legend by Richard Matheson for a Biology project.

and

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

Just finished I Am Legend. What a great book.

[Speckta]

Just finished reading: House of Leaves, and re-reading Vonnegut's Man Without a Country

Currently reading: Vonnegut's Fates Worse Than Death.

[Grunthos]

The Number of the Beast, Heinlein.

[Dr. L]

"Bingo Brown, Gypsy Lover" - Betsy Byars



Sorry Ms. Byars, this wasn't one of your best. Don't give me the excuse it was an Elementary reading level. R.L. Stein was too, and he was brilliant.


Keep trying, Miss Byars. But no more Bingo Brown. Started out with promise, but didn't give a satisfactory conclusion, much like Pee Wee Herman.

[Edmaster]

I need to get back to reading over winter break. The padres have a nice little library in our basement, and I still haven't read half the books down there.

[S Carver Orne]

Halo Legends

[imothing91]

Anyone have good suggestions? I need to read more. The last thing I read for fun was "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom.

[S Carver Orne]

I still strongly stand behind my universal recommendation of On Her Majesty's Occult Service by Charles Stross. Especially for Grunthos; he'd freaking love it.

[S Carver Orne]

Just bought 'Going Rogue'. Very much looking forward to reading it.

[davidlolol]

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Brilliant book, third read through :D

[Little Bug]

Leven Thumps and the Wrath of Ezra.

Sorry I like fantasy.

[davidlolol]

The Liar - Stephen Fry

Just started earlier today, making not much sense as of yet although I did lol on the train at it.

[Grunthos]

An anthology of short stories titled "The New Space Opera."

[Speckta]

Going Rogue.... By Palin?

[S Carver Orne]

Yes. Going Rogue, Sarah Palin.

[Speckta]

* Cuba: What Everyone Needs to know
* Catch a Fire: The Life Of Bob Marley
* House of Leaves
* Trois Poetes de leur Vie
* Six Upanishads Majeures
* Les Bienvaillantes



Finished Cuba and House of Leaves.

36 pages deep in "Les Pierres Sauvages."

[Phaze]

Need to read The Proteus Operation and The Magus by next week. Also just received Pride and Prejudice from my brit lit teacher today, and I have a frankenstein essay due next week as well,so I'll be rereading that. I don't even remember the last time I read a book for leisure. :( But only 1.5 more quarters of this until summer. :D

[davidlolol]

Tokyo Year Zero - David Peace

Pretty awesome

[Speckta]

Need to read The Proteus Operation and The Magus by next week. Also just received Pride and Prejudice from my brit lit teacher today, and I have a frankenstein essay due next week as well,so I'll be rereading that. I don't even remember the last time I read a book for leisure. :( But only 1.5 more quarters of this until summer. :D

Jane Austen is the most painful thing I've been put through as an English major.

I've had to read Pride and Prejudice AND Sense and Sensibility.

Faked my way through the second half of the first, and was the only student to actually read the second (it was painfully obvious), and gave my professor a hard time for the entire length of it.

[Phaze]

Jane Austen is the most painful thing I've been put through as an English major.

I've had to read Pride and Prejudice AND Sense and Sensibility.

Faked my way through the second half of the first, and was the only student to actually read the second (it was painfully obvious), and gave my professor a hard time for the entire length of it.

Any romantic-type books (and pardon me if I'm incorrect; you're an English major and I'm in 11th grade brit lit) are just terrible. Wuthering Heights was one of the most painfuly reading experiences of my life, and I didn't even read Jane Eyre, though it was required.

[Speckta]

I liked Wuthering Heights for its gloomy / creepy aspect (both tropes of gothic lit), but I checked out when it turned into a sobby love story.

[Edmaster]

Spring Break has granted me time to read. Finished off Lone Survivor in the car ride home.

[imothing91]

Jane Eyre was probably the worst book I've ever read.
Or rather, I tried to read 3 pages at a time and then I realized I had NO idea what was going on. Then I read it again and I was like "Wtf this is terrible."

[Speckta]

36 pages deep in "Les Pierres Sauvages."

Less than 40 pages from finishing it.

[Little Bug]

Making an attempt at Eragon for the 5th time.

[Valderack]

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien.

97 pages in.

[Grunthos]

"The Gripping Hand." Niven/Pournelle. Sequal to "The Mote in God's Eye."

[Dr. L]

"Odd Thomas" by Dean Koontz.


Brilliant story, but at one part near the end I was thinking "You're an asshole, Dean"

[Grunthos]

"Harvest of Stars" Poul Andersen

[Tonus]

I just finished Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk. The afterword on the more recent editions, where Palahniuk explains how the book came about, makes the style choice more understandable. But if I hadn't watched the movie, I am not sure that I would've read the novel through. The fast-paced semi-stream-of-consciousness narrative can very quickly either lose you or bore you. The book does pick up the pace near the end, but I think it takes too long to get there, and the ending is something of a letdown.

The movie, IMO, is much better than the book. Whoever read this book and decided it would work as a film must be slightly mad. Whoever took this book and turned it into the movie script is a genius. And if those two are the same person, then he's a mad genius.

The primary plot twist is the same in the movie and the book, but handled differently. If you've seen the movie the plot twist is no surprise and the hints that you would otherwise have missed are obvious. But the way it is handled makes you wonder how it will be resolved anyway. Sadly, I found the resolution pretty unsatisfying. Now that I think about it, the way the movie resolved the issue was pretty silly as well.

Anyway, I found that the movie made the book more enjoyable, and the book made the movie more enjoyable in retrospect. I'm not sure I'd feel that way about either of them if I'd read the book first and later seen the movie.

[S Carver Orne]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

The novelty wears off very quickly. I want to punch the revisionist author in the face. Basically, it is Pride and Prejudice with sporadic mentioning of zombies and constant use of the phrase "the deadly arts". It is lame, and I feel ripped off.

[Grunthos]

"Robots of Dawn" Asimov. I really need to buy some new books. But the old ones are so much better-written!