Topic: What are you currently reading? (Read 455565 times)

Reed · « **Reply #50 on:** 28 Nov 2008, 22:03 »

Quote from: Jessidee on 26 Nov 2008, 16:34

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

My PI gave this to me, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The scary thing is that while most of the book is a little far fetched, it is still feasible.

I also happen to be reading Anna Karenina. I expected it to be dreadfully boring, and only started because I didn't have anything better, but I am finding it to be very engaging (even though I'm only 150 pages into it).

CarrionMan · « **Reply #51 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 00:56 »

I'm moving onto The Prince, Discourses on Livy, and Discourse on Method/The Meditations. All for a damn research paper advocating war as a necessary evil.

Joseph · « **Reply #52 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 10:28 »

It sounds like you have an impossible premise to fulfill.

CarrionMan · « **Reply #53 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 11:06 »

I need to convince my English teacher. Not that hard.

Uber Ritter · « **Reply #54 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 14:16 »

Discourses on Livy is fantastic. One of my favorite books on political philosophy.
The Meditations and Discourse on Method are...important. I'll leave it at that. Though the divide between imagination and reason, while not perhaps philosophically sound, is useful when discussing math, for instance non-Euclidean Geometry.

ashashash · « **Reply #55 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 14:19 »

I can't really keep myself to reading one thing at a time lately, so I kind of have a list:

Houseof Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Perdido Street Station by China Mieville
Dubliners by James Joyce
The Gypsies by Jean-Paul Clebert

I've also been reading a bunch of comic books and graphic novels for school lately, so that's kind of taking most of my reading time.

Jessidee · « **Reply #56 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 16:54 »

Quote from: Dire bacterium on 28 Nov 2008, 22:03

Quote from: Jessidee on 26 Nov 2008, 16:34
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

My PI gave this to me, and I was pleasantly surprised by it. The scary thing is that while most of the book is a little far fetched, it is still feasible.

I also happen to be reading Anna Karenina. I expected it to be dreadfully boring, and only started because I didn't have anything better, but I am finding it to be very engaging (even though I'm only 150 pages into it).

i have read a few of margaret atwoods, and im not really a fan of her writing style so much, but i do love the fact she can switch genres quite easily, from the futuristic stuff that could happen to books like the blind assassain that were set in the early 1900's. i'm REALLY enjoying it, i cant seem to put it down...

SonofZ3 · « **Reply #57 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 18:28 »

Quote from: Dire bacterium on 28 Nov 2008, 22:03

I also happen to be reading Anna Karenina. I expected it to be dreadfully boring, and only started because I didn't have anything better, but I am finding it to be very engaging (even though I'm only 150 pages into it).

Tolstoy kicks ass. Hardcore. I think his works are prefaced by so much bullshit that people go into them already jaded, I mean how many times have you heard some comment like "I asked for a phonebook/report/directions, not War and Peace!". When I was in college I took an Honors Russian Lit course, and all we did was read Tolstoy and talk about it. Its the only course I ever got better than a perfect 100% average in, i just got into Tolstoy that much.

Liz · « **Reply #58 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 18:40 »

Aha, so you are actually doing your homework! Good job, Jens.

Liz · « **Reply #59 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 18:59 »

Aww, I am so proud of you. Didn't you start it today too?

Liz · « **Reply #60 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 19:04 »

I have read A Doll's House and quite liked it, but that was quite a few years ago already and I don't really remember it at all.

Now I really want to read it again but I should really work on my paper. Meh. My brain is not in the right state for anything academic right now. I just need pointless videos and silly conversations and perhaps a children's book or something.

Reed · « **Reply #61 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 19:15 »

Quote from: Jessidee on 29 Nov 2008, 16:54

i have read a few of margaret atwoods, and im not really a fan of her writing style so much, but i do love the fact she can switch genres quite easily, from the futuristic stuff that could happen to books like the blind assassain that were set in the early 1900's. i'm REALLY enjoying it, i cant seem to put it down...

I had only heard of Handmaiden's Tale before reading this book, so I didn't know what to expect, but I wound up neglecting my research far too much for the next few days because of Oryx and Crake

Alex C · « **Reply #62 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 19:41 »

I am currently reading Giraffes? Giraffes!. It comes highly recommended.

Reed · « **Reply #63 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 19:54 »

Quote from: SonofZ3 on 29 Nov 2008, 18:28

Tolstoy kicks ass. Hardcore. I think his works are prefaced by so much bullshit that people go into them already jaded, I mean how many times have you heard some comment like "I asked for a phonebook/report/directions, not War and Peace!". When I was in college I took an Honors Russian Lit course, and all we did was read Tolstoy and talk about it. Its the only course I ever got better than a perfect 100% average in, i just got into Tolstoy that much.

I completely agree with that. It has become one of those books that people only associate with pretentious Lit grad students and wind up avoiding as a result.

Jessidee · « **Reply #64 on:** 29 Nov 2008, 20:02 »

Quote from: Dire bacterium on 29 Nov 2008, 19:15

Quote from: Jessidee on 29 Nov 2008, 16:54

i have read a few of margaret atwoods, and im not really a fan of her writing style so much, but i do love the fact she can switch genres quite easily, from the futuristic stuff that could happen to books like the blind assassain that were set in the early 1900's. i'm REALLY enjoying it, i cant seem to put it down...

I had only heard of Handmaiden's Tale before reading this book, so I didn't know what to expect, but I wound up neglecting my research far too much for the next few days because of Oryx and Crake

i had to read handmaid's tale for a college literature class and loved it, hence the reason i went out and bought a lot of atwood's books. but i generally dont like to read much of the same author all at once, so i put them aside for later...

Jessidee · « **Reply #65 on:** 30 Nov 2008, 16:45 »

im currently reading: the other side of me By Sidney Sheldon

it appears to be his autobiography

Siibillam-Law · « **Reply #66 on:** 30 Nov 2008, 23:27 »

Battle Royale right now
and American Gods.
I'm kinda mixing it up. Dunno why

Tom · « **Reply #67 on:** 01 Dec 2008, 00:12 »

For School: The Skull Beneath the Skin - P.D. James

Initial impression: Good God is this book boring, James is a stern looking woman and writes a "crime novel" as if she were Emily Post. The only crime being the savage cozy-fication of the idea of a private detective - atmosphere, dialogue, actions and plotting create at least an entertaining crime novel, not the stately design of the furniture, the gardens and manners that reveal nothing except "look at me I'm a fairly aloof upper-class twat with some mildly questionable behaviour,how scandalous!" Yes, it's a cozy but the novel itself can be reduced to 50 pages by removing all the hyper-unnecessary details. I might also add that the idea of a crime novel by Emily Post would be hilarious if Chris Onstad did it.

eddie · « **Reply #68 on:** 01 Dec 2008, 10:58 »

Mad Dogs by James Grady

Its about 5 mentally demented CIA agents who escape from a top secret government insane asylum after being framed for murder. As cliche as it is, its been really good so far.

Trollstormur · « **Reply #69 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 02:36 »

I'm re-re-rereading A Feast For Crows (christ, it's only been out 3 years I'm so goddamn nerdy) by george r r martin, the latest A Song of Ice and Fire novel.

it was cheaper than getting new books.

CamusCanDo · « **Reply #70 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 03:37 »

This totally reminds me I have to re-read the series so fa,r in anticipation for ADwD (hopeful) release for next year.

Excited

Boro_Bandito · « **Reply #71 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 06:36 »

Just finished Anansi Boys last night, pretty good.

eddie · « **Reply #72 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 11:55 »

Quote from: Trollstormur on 02 Dec 2008, 02:36

I'm re-re-rereading A Feast For Crows (christ, it's only been out 3 years I'm so goddamn nerdy) by george r r martin, the latest A Song of Ice and Fire novel.

it was cheaper than getting new books.

And less effort than going to the library!

imapiratearg · « **Reply #73 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 12:02 »

Quote from: Alex C on 29 Nov 2008, 19:41

I am currently reading Giraffes? Giraffes!. It comes highly recommended.

Ahaha! I wonder if the band is named after this book.

Gilead · « **Reply #74 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 16:02 »

I'm reading Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrel. It's very good, like an Austen novel with magic and whimsy instead of interminable boredom.

Katherine · « **Reply #75 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 16:12 »

I am currently reading Junky and when that is finished, I have The Posessed by Dostoevsky waiting for me.

Puki · « **Reply #76 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 16:28 »

Terror, by Dan Simmons. Quite good, must admit.

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #77 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 16:35 »

o/

high-five for The Terror because that book is fucking sick.

have you read the Hyperion series? those are probably my most favoritest books of all time.

Siibillam-Law · « **Reply #78 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 17:05 »

Quote from: Boro_Bandito on 02 Dec 2008, 06:36

Just finished Anansi Boys last night, pretty good.

Anansi Boys is awesome stuff

Jessidee · « **Reply #79 on:** 02 Dec 2008, 17:11 »

I finished Sidney Sheldon's autobiography, and now im reading The orphans of the storm its really just a trashy novel, but it doesn't involve thinking

pen · « **Reply #80 on:** 04 Dec 2008, 05:08 »

I'm currently reading Definitely Dead, by Charlaine Harris. It's the 6th book in the Sookie Stackhouse Series, and the series is the basis for the HBO series, True Blood. The whole series is a quick read, and is entertaining. I wouldn't qualify it as good literature, but it's good enough to take on the train with me. I like it a lot.

Gemmwah · « **Reply #81 on:** 04 Dec 2008, 05:22 »

I'm reading The Accidental by Ali Smith. It's very pretty at the moment but nothing's happened quite yet, so we'll see how it goes when I've got more time to sit and actually get a chunk of it read.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #82 on:** 04 Dec 2008, 17:23 »

Well I'm in the middle of a busy semester so, as a mix of school and outside of school books, I am currently reading:
"We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow we will be Killed with our Families: Stories from Rwanda" by Philip Gourevitch
"A Problem from Hell: America in the Age of Genocide" by Samantha Powers
"The Dark Side" by Jane Mayer
"The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World" by Elaine Scarry
"Journey to the End of the Night" by Celine
"Slaughterhouse: Bosnia and the Failure of the West" by David Rieff
"2666" by Roberto Bolano
"Collected Stories" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
"Globalizing Rights: The Oxford Amnesty Lectures" by various people
"The South Atlantic Quarterly: Claims of Human Rights" by various people
"The Tin Drum" by Gunter Grass
"The Painted Bird" by Jerzy Kosinski

...all I ever do is read.

jackhammer · « **Reply #83 on:** 05 Dec 2008, 09:59 »

Arthur by Stephen Lawhead

rynne · « **Reply #84 on:** 05 Dec 2008, 12:33 »

I just finished Michel Houellebecq's The Elementary Particles, which I thought was really good. Especially if you like you nihilistic French novels with a little bit of sci-fi. But I can understand why some people hate it.

Ozymandias · « **Reply #85 on:** 05 Dec 2008, 16:22 »

Quote from: Scandanavian War Machine on 02 Dec 2008, 16:35

o/

high-five for The Terror because that book is fucking sick.

have you read the Hyperion series? those are probably my most favoritest books of all time.

Oh man. I loved Hyperion. I really need to get the rest of the books.

Uber Ritter · « **Reply #86 on:** 06 Dec 2008, 16:06 »

Currently reading Strategy by Liddel Hart. Good book so far, but I'm more interested in it's political implications than it's military ones.

Surgoshan · « **Reply #87 on:** 07 Dec 2008, 05:53 »

Quote from: Surgoshan on 25 Nov 2008, 16:20

I finished Watchmen last night, and am currently reading Barry Straus's The Trojan War: A New History, Charles Mann's 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus, Neil Gaiman's Sandman (Volume 3), and Terry Pratchett's Going Postal.

Well, I finished the Trojan history, Sandman 3, and Going Postal. Moved on to Thud, finished it. Now I'm reading a history of Greece (at home) and still working on 1491 (at work). I'm almost done with 1491; I think I'll reread Watchmen.

Uber Ritter · « **Reply #88 on:** 07 Dec 2008, 22:12 »

1491 is awesome. One of my favorite popular-scholarship books that I've read recently.

crabjob · « **Reply #89 on:** 08 Dec 2008, 13:48 »

I just finished This Is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin and it was great; lots of insight about how music affects our brains, why we like listening to music, and there's even a chapter about the evolutionary development of music. I also just started on Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris. I've been youtubing a lot of his talks on religion and society lately so I decided to start reading his stuff. It's pretty stimulating so far.

Usopp · « **Reply #90 on:** 08 Dec 2008, 14:19 »

Quote

I'm re-re-rereading A Feast For Crows (christ, it's only been out 3 years I'm so goddamn nerdy) by george r r martin, the latest A Song of Ice and Fire novel.

it was cheaper than getting new books.

Done that for all the series at least 4 times

. So nerdy, yet so very great. Also, I've back-to-fronted A Game of Thrones so many times, it isn't even funny.

Re-read Making Money, Thud, and Wintersmith, all by Terry Pratchett.
Reading Bitter Virgin manga again as well as Thursday Next: First Among Sequels.

Jessidee · « **Reply #91 on:** 08 Dec 2008, 15:22 »

so, you all confinced me that reading Anna Karenia was a good idea, so i made the effort of going to the local library (who have a crap range) and hired it out... im not far in, but enjoying it

Siibillam-Law · « **Reply #92 on:** 08 Dec 2008, 17:13 »

The Hippopotamus, by Stephen Fry now

It's ... well it's quite bizzare I have to say

GreyGabe · « **Reply #93 on:** 09 Dec 2008, 20:25 »

I just read 1984 By George Orwell a few weeks ago. It terrified and intrigued me.

Then I read Shadow's Edge by Brent Weeks (the second in a trilogy by him). I'm now reading the third of those. The trilogy is your basic fantasy novel type story. Easy reading but quite enjoyable.
I am eagerly awaiting The Last Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko. Hopefully it will be out in the next couple of months. I must have it for my own.

vollmond · « **Reply #94 on:** 17 Dec 2008, 09:47 »

Depending on which room of the house I'm reading in:

Dialogues of Plato - Plato
Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on ‘Romanism’ by ‘Bible Christians’ - Karl Keating
Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology - Ayn Rand
Cryptonomicon - Neal Stephenson
It's Not News, It's Fark: How Mass Media Tries to Pass Off Crap As News - Drew Curtis

Taking me wayyy too long to make any headway on any of them

Siibillam-Law · « **Reply #95 on:** 17 Dec 2008, 14:15 »

Goddammit, I feel so inferior

People reading Plato and shit, and I'm laughing and clapping my hands at Stephen Fry

Katherine · « **Reply #96 on:** 17 Dec 2008, 14:19 »

But you're reading something, and that's what is important!

celticgeek · « **Reply #97 on:** 17 Dec 2008, 21:54 »

Reading Is FUNdamental!

Surgoshan · « **Reply #98 on:** 18 Dec 2008, 03:53 »

Quote from: Katherine on 17 Dec 2008, 14:19

But you're reading something, and that's what is important!

Not only that, but he's reading and clapping his hands at the same time. Ask yourself this; what's he holding the book with?

Dimmukane · « **Reply #99 on:** 18 Dec 2008, 06:03 »

This thread serves to remind me how little I've been reading. Used to check out 11 books every 3 weeks. Now I'm reading one book 30 minutes a day over a period of 2 months.

THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)

Author Topic: What are you currently reading? (Read 455565 times)

Jessidee

Jessidee

Jessidee

Gilead

Jessidee

crabjob

Usopp

Jessidee

vollmond