Whatcha Readin'?

Schneibster · Post by **Schneibster** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 1:27 pm

I read a book or two a week. Right now I'm working on Excession by Iain M. Banks.

rog · Post by **rog** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:02 pm

[quote=""Schneibster""]I read a book or two a week. Right now I'm working on Excession by Iain M. Banks.[/quote]

Excellent stuff, I've enjoyed all of the 'culture' books, and am very much looking forwards to the next one.

David B · Post by **David B** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 2:32 pm

Still on http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wisdom-Birds-Il ... 074759256X

and in parallel http://www.amazon.co.uk/At-Home-short-h ... 0385608276

David

MattShizzle · Post by **MattShizzle** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 3:37 pm

I've been reading some Nook books. I don't have an actual Nook but my new computer came with Nook for PC. And it's slightly cheaper than buying an actual book and doesn't take up room.

Gooch's Dad · Post by **Gooch's Dad** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:16 pm

I'm going through a collection of O. Henry short story winners from 1919 through 1960. Just one more of a great many throwaways from my school library. I have boxloads of them that I need to take to Goodwill now.

Some of these short stories are just fantastic. I'm also trying to wade through Hellburner by C.J. Cherryh, but I don't much care for the book, even though it has great reviews on Amazon.

MattShizzle · Post by **MattShizzle** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 4:17 pm

When I was working 3rd shift I was reading almost a book a day.

Silly Sausage · Post by **Silly Sausage** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 5:22 pm

I'm making my way through all of Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld novels, in order.
I'm up to Equal Rites (number 3) although I've read quite a few previously.

I'm also reading a couple of other books that I tend to pick up and put down when the mood strikes me, nothing very interesting though.

kennyc · Post by **kennyc** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 6:29 pm

[quote=""Gooch's Dad""]I'm going through a collection of O. Henry short story winners from 1919 through 1960. Just one more of a great many throwaways from my school library. I have boxloads of them that I need to take to Goodwill now.

Some of these short stories are just fantastic. I'm also trying to wade through Hellburner by C.J. Cherryh, but I don't much care for the book, even though it has great reviews on Amazon.[/quote]

Excellent! Short Stories are my favorite form and I buy the O Henry anthology along with the Best American Short Stories and the Best Science Fiction anthologies every year. Some of these are now available as ebooks for my kindle(s), epub and android readers. But I still read at least half of my reading in/on paper and prefer that for some things (poetry in particular).

I read a lot of poetry collections and have been read a lot of essay anthologies (Best American again) and collections and I always buy/read the Best American Science and Nature writing anthologies...oh and the Annual Best Magazine Writing.

oh an I always have more to read than I can get through.

kennyc · Post by **kennyc** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:14 pm

I went looking for a collection of O Henry awards 1919-1960....I thought maybe there was a compilation of the best of the best, but no....what I did find though was that most of the early O Henry Annual award collections are available for free for download from Amazon for your Kindle or from Guttenberg or Android books for various formats.

I'm reading the introduction to the 1919 collection right now.....it is very disconcerting and unsettling in a way to wirelessly read about, search for, download fpr free and and be reading this all within seconds on my handheld Kindle Fire (computer)......

Wow! My how things have changed since those stories were written!

Gooch's Dad · Post by **Gooch's Dad** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:19 pm

Yes, there is such a compilation, I have it right here. And Amazon has a few used ones:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Prize-Stori ... B000H2C1HG

Cath B · Post by **Cath B** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:19 pm

My plans to get going with my kindle after finishing the books I was given for Christmas were scuppered by loosing internet access for nearly a week at the wrong time. So I'm now reading a second hand copy of Brief Lives by John Aubrey. Aubrey's sources for his series of anecdotes about various sixteenth and seventeenth century characters were not always reliable, but are usually entertaining and give a fascinating insight into the lives of the rich and the bankrupt of the period.

Brief is all too often the right word to use. Aubrey lived through the Civil War and life under the Protectorate and the Restoration and some of his subjects perished in the mayhem or by getting on the wrong side of some monarch or other.

Aubrey was himself something of a character with a range of interests including folklore, local history and antiquities. He recorded the Neolithic henge of Avebury and discovered cavities from the first building stage of Stonehenge which are now called Aubrey holes. The brief biography at the front of the book suggests what Febble calls a grasshopper mind - adult ADHD perhaps?

kennyc · Post by **kennyc** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 7:20 pm

[quote=""Gooch's Dad""]Yes, there is such a compilation, I have it right here. And Amazon has a few used ones:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Prize-Stori ... B000H2C1HG[/quote]

Ah, thank you! Ordered.

Arpie · Post by **Arpie** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 8:30 pm

Has anyone read Anathem by Neil Stephenson? I really loved Snow Crash, and especially Cryptonomicon. His Baroque Cycle trilogy lacked a coherent plot imo, and Anathem, with all it's other world terminology and weird names, I can't seem to connect with at all.

I have lots of specific questions about what's happening in this book but will wait to see if anyone else here read it before posting them. Now back to my tattered copy of Godel, Escher, Bach in search of Tortoise quotes that humber has recently brought to mind.

Cath B · Post by **Cath B** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:38 pm

[quote=""Arpie""]Now back to my tattered copy of Godel, Escher, Bach in search of Tortoise quotes that humber has recently brought to mind.

[/quote]

That's been on my list for quite a while.

My brother bought it for me and initially kept asking whether I'd read it.

He hasn't done so lately so perhaps he's given up on me.

Garnet · Post by **Garnet** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 10:46 pm

I'm currently reading A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin. It is book 4 of a planned series of 7. Book five was released not too long ago.

I'm not sure that I'll continue with the series. I'm finding his writing style to be increasingly ponderous. These are the only books I've ever read where I routinely skip entire pages. His numerous plots are all seeming kind of pointless to me right now too. Also, he tends to kill off one or more main characters at the end of each book. I dunno, I'm just not enjoying the series very much.

David B · Post by **David B** » Sat Jan 21, 2012 11:03 pm

[quote=""Cath B""]

Arpie;315085 wrote:Now back to my tattered copy of Godel, Escher, Bach in search of Tortoise quotes that humber has recently brought to mind.

That's been on my list for quite a while.

My brother bought it for me and initially kept asking whether I'd read it.

He hasn't done so lately so perhaps he's given up on me.[/QUOTE]

It's a great intuition pump.

David

Ozymandias · Post by **Ozymandias** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 1:48 am

I am currently reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson.

Silly Sausage · Post by **Silly Sausage** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:41 pm

Sounds interesting Ozy, how are you finding it?

DMB · Post by **DMB** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:19 pm

[quote=""Cath B""]My plans to get going with my kindle after finishing the books I was given for Christmas were scuppered by loosing internet access for nearly a week at the wrong time. So I'm now reading a second hand copy of Brief Lives by John Aubrey. Aubrey's sources for his series of anecdotes about various sixteenth and seventeenth century characters were not always reliable, but are usually entertaining and give a fascinating insight into the lives of the rich and the bankrupt of the period.

Brief is all too often the right word to use. Aubrey lived through the Civil War and life under the Protectorate and the Restoration and some of his subjects perished in the mayhem or by getting on the wrong side of some monarch or other.

Aubrey was himself something of a character with a range of interests including folklore, local history and antiquities. He recorded the Neolithic henge of Avebury and discovered cavities from the first building stage of Stonehenge which are now called Aubrey holes. The brief biography at the front of the book suggests what Febble calls a grasshopper mind - adult ADHD perhaps?[/quote]

I love that book but haven't looked at it for decades.

I like whodunnits. After my recent stay in hospital, my kindle battery was really low. I put it to charge and looked for a dead-tree alternative. I found a book by Michele Giuttari that had been sitting unread on a shelf above my bed for years. So I started reading it and though it was really excellent. Giuttari is a retired senior policeman in Italy, so his writing is based on his own experiences. The translator has put it into very good English, which makes for more enjoyment. So I'd really recommend this author.

phands · Post by **phands** » Sun Jan 22, 2012 10:17 pm

I read a lot - usually 3 or 4 books on the go at the same time....

Right now it's.....

"How to teach Quantum Physics to your Dog" by Chad Orzel....really great basic intro to QM for non-physicists.

"New Cthulhu, The recent Weird"...various authors, more HP inspired mythos tales.

"Shades of Grey" by Jasper Fforde.....amazingly odd...only a short way in and intrigued...very funny.

I just finished the "Hunger Games" trilogy by Suzanne Collins....WOW! Although written for younger teenagers (I got it from my 13 year old), it is one of the best written, well plotted and outright original stories I've ever read....all adults should read it. Soon to be a major film....which will no doubt ruin it.

Ozymandias · Post by **Ozymandias** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:17 am

[quote=""Silly Sausage""]Sounds interesting Ozy, how are you finding it?[/quote]

Its pretty good actually.

David B · Post by **David B** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:20 am

[quote=""Ozymandias""]

Silly Sausage;315325 wrote:Sounds interesting Ozy, how are you finding it?

Its pretty good actually.[/QUOTE]

High praise, indeed

David

Serena · Post by **Serena** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:35 am

Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives-Michael Spector

Gooch's Dad · Post by **Gooch's Dad** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 1:49 am

There are some really interesting reviews of Specter's (not Spector) book on Amazon. The main negative review by a Dr. Daniel has comments that go on for 22 pages. He makes a pretty good case that Specter is trying to beat denialists over the head with evidence, rather than trying to build up any actual trust. I'm wondering if there are some better resources in book form. I'll poke around and let you all know.

ETA: I did find a book that seems to fit the bill, and I'll see if my library has it. True Enough: Living in a post-factual society by Farhad Manjoo is what I found. Dr. Dan Murphy's review is worth reading. And I love this bit from his review:

"First, and paradoxically, access to reliable and vetted information in the age of Google and the internet is much harder to come by now than it was a few decades ago."

JSpades · Post by **JSpades** » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:07 am

I'm reading Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.