What are you reading?

[jackinnj]

There is life after hours --- I usually have 5 to 10 books working at any time. I reserve the last couple hours of every day to tackle one or two. Here's the current list:

"Durer" by Fedja Anzelewsky -- anyone fascinated with sound is probably intrigued by Durer's work.

"Grant's Final Victory" -- Grant's memoirs in his final year, dying from throat cancer. This is a great, short book.

"Coolidge" -- keep cool with Calvin -- he had the personality of a sour pickle but pulled us out of the post WW-I Wilsonian depression.

"Monuments Men" -- I had a friend who was one of these folks --

 

[Richard Ellis]

I consume my National Geograhics........I've had a lifetime membership since 1962. I read them cover to cover. I was intrigued by the latest issue dealing with bringing back to life recently extinct species......AKA "Jurassic Park". While not being able to revive such old species....the technology exists to bring back recently extinct species. I followed the account of the attempt to 'restore' such a species.....the newborn mammal lived for a few hours plagued by a malformed digestive system....fascinating account.


________________________________________________________Rick.........

 

[Luke]

Wool. Silo series of books is very good.

 

[Cassiel]

I'm rereading. Too lazy to search for new interesting books, if there's any - which I doubt. I only read crap diyAudio at night, just to give me nice nightmares. Anyway, some evenings I like to sit outside under the sun and read in good company (a beer and some stray cats). This is the stuff I'm rechecking right now.

The Gay Science - Nietzsche.
Junky- W. S. Burroughs
Heart of Darkness - J. Conrad (meh).

 

[jackinnj]

Heart of Darkness - J. Conrad (meh).

Conrad spoke no English until he was in his 20's -- it shows through in that novel -- it makes you perspire. one of the most influential English writers of the 19th century. Narcissus is worth the time, although the web-nanny won't allow the full title.

 

[billyk]

Read tech and business stuff for a living so when it comes to recreational reading I like fun stuff, escapist mostly. I am currently re-reading the Jim Butcher Dresden series. I read for about 20-30 minutes every night before I am and as a way to fall, asleep.

 

[chris661]

A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian.

I hadn't read anything for a while before that one, it reminded me how it was to devour a good book.

Chris

 

[AndrewT]

working through Ott.
but that does not stop re-reading of other texts.

 

[Cassiel]

Conrad spoke no English until he was in his 20's -- it shows through in that novel -- it makes you perspire. one of the most influential English writers of the 19th century. Narcissus is worth the time, although the web-nanny won't allow the full title.

Haven't read that one. I probably will. His prose sounds weird at times but he's OK. There's plenty of 'nigger' on the last Tarantino movie, web-nanny is foolish.

 

[mlloyd1]

wow, same for me.

i do audiobooks because I (used to) have long commutes.
I just finished all the Dresden series (for the first time) a month ago.
Great stuff!

the magic theme was interesting, so I also read Lev Grossman's "The Magician" and "The Magician King". Different from Butcher and not quite as good, but enjoyed non-the-less.

Just finished Ace Atkin's "Wonderland". I'm a big fan (as in multiple re-reads) of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series and was pleased the estate named Atkins to continue the series after Parker's death. Atkins is not Parker (yet) but he ain't bad at all.

Just started Robert Crais novel "Suspect". I like his Elvis Cole/Joe Pike novels. This one is different (not a Cole/pike novel) but also good so far.

I've got to find some good sci-fi. Any good recommendations, especially involving time-travel?
Not the classics, I've read them already.

thanks,
mlloyd1

Read tech and business stuff for a living so when it comes to recreational reading I like fun stuff, escapist mostly. I am currently re-reading the Jim Butcher Dresden series. I read for about 20-30 minutes every night before I am and as a way to fall, asleep.

 

[bananaslug86]

Good Sci Fi author who deals well with time travel is Connie Willis. One novel, "The Doomsday Book" is very well written and suspenseful, dark and funny all at the same time. "Firewatch" is another series of short stories which deal with time travel. "To Say nothing of the dog" is hysterical, but it helps if you have read Jerome K Jerome's book "Three Men in a Boat" first. Her other writing is equally good, but not dealing necessarily with time travel motifs.

Gordon

 

[SY]

I'm as bad as Jack, always have 4-5 books going. The one I'm really enjoying now is Jim Steinmeyer's "Hiding the Elephant," a history of stage illusions. Although my real interests and passions are mentalism, sleight of hand, and close-up magic, the ingenuity and engineering used in creating "big" magic is fascinating.

 

[Johno]

I have 3 on the go...
I'm re-reading Kurt Vonnegut's Slapstick for the nth time, school-boy humour.
Discovered VS Naipaul at an airport bookshop years ago, has a nobel prize for english lit. Currently reading his Essays, the writer and the world. recommend him highly and I am always on the lookout for more of his stuff.
Lastly, wading through a rather heavy but light on the math The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. Its probably a little dated now, first published in 2004.
John

 

[sofaspud]

I'm as bad as Jack, always have 4-5 books going. The one I'm really enjoying now is Jim Steinmeyer's "Hiding the Elephant," a history of stage illusions. Although my real interests and passions are mentalism, sleight of hand, and close-up magic, the ingenuity and engineering used in creating "big" magic is fascinating.

How 'bout a little spoiler, SY? What is the oldest illusion in the book? Does it begin with stage shows, or go much farther back, a la Walter Gibson's Secrets of Magic?
Haven't had as much reading time lately. Currently making it through Stereo High-Fidelity Speaker Systems, a mid-70's Howard Sams book by Art Zuckerman. Ran across it in the dark recesses of my bookshelves.

 

[PeteMcK]

Halfway through 'The Slap' by Christos Tsiolkas - a barbecue guest slaps a 4 year old brat (not his child), & the novel explores how this plays out. I thought it was a bit pedestrian to start with, but it gets more interesting as it progresses & the characters evolve.
Got bogged down near the end of Salman Rushdie's 'Midnight's Children', I think he's a great story teller, better at shorter forms, but doesn't do it for me as a novelist.

 

[jcx]

Turtledove does alternate historys - sorta time travel flavor - has a few teen "time travel" novels via "parallel universes"

SM Stirling has a fair sized time travel series

Eric Flint plunks a contemporary Virginia coal mining town in the middle of the Thirty Years War in the Germanies - over a dozen novels, collaborations, a good sized fan fiction industry

Kage Baker - the company series, but everything she's published is worthwhile

David Brin is just insanely good - even if more straight/hard scifi

 

[SY]

How 'bout a little spoiler, SY?

No, this really concentrates on stage shows, so there's only glancing coverage of pre-18th century.

Sleight is, of course, much older. I'm sure that Ogg the Neanderthal had his version of Cups and Balls, using pebbles and nut shells.

 

[mlloyd1]

bananaslug86:

thanks, i'll look her up !

mlloyd1

Good Sci Fi author who deals well with time travel is Connie Willis. ...

Gordon

 

[mlloyd1]

Sy:

sounds interesting; i'll look for this also.
got any other "magic" recommendations?

thx,
mlloyd1

I'm as bad as Jack, always have 4-5 books going. The one I'm really enjoying now is Jim Steinmeyer's "Hiding the Elephant," a history of stage illusions.
...
.

 

[Flavious Maximus]

Talking apes, king kong and dinosaurs....

Kong on the Planet of the Apes.

Following the events of the original Planet of the Apes 1968 film, Dr. Zaius and General Urus lead a small group of soldiers to the Forbidden Zone to destroy any remaining evidence of Taylor's time amongst them. To their surprise , they discover...A KONG! Now they must venture to Skull Island with Cornelius and Zira to discover the truth, but they nay not survive the deadliest journey of their lives.

I'm about to start this (graphic novel.) Borrowed it from the library for the kids but now that all libraries are all closed and I'm out of work I think I'll read it myself. I quick peak has revealed a battle with a monster Venus flytrap that eats a number of apes....looks good!