What are you currently reading?

[LGR4GM]

Into book 2 of the Malazan book of the fallen series.  It is quite good.

 

This blog was on bbc and I thought it might also give people some new series to check out.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746

[MattPie]

I picked up "The Martian" after hearing about the movie coming out later this year. It's a fun read. I figured I'd read a chapter or two a night, but consumed it in 2-3 nights as I couldn't put it down. I finished it a few weeks ago, and find myself wanting to read it again already. I highly recommend!
 
Synopsis: If you think about the movie Castaway but on Mars, you wouldn't be too far off. The format one of my favorite types of Sci-fi, "this is how hard space would be". There's no space monsters, malevolent bacteria, or life forces, just storms and stuff breaking down and some reasonable MacGuyvering to stay alive. The book format is mostly reading the astronaut's log about being stuck on Mars alone with several sections of traditional prose with to people at NASA trying to figure out what to do and some with the crew of the ship the astronaut was supposed to be on. The main character comes off as "engineer/scientist with a silly/funny streak"; as in someone that would be interesting to have a beer with and talk science.
 

[pi2000]

Fear the Sky

[Eleven]

"Commentaries on Spinoza" by Andrew Peters.  It is remarkably fresh.

[X. Benedict]

"Commentaries on Spinoza" by Andrew Peters.  It is remarkably fresh.

Is Peter's a pantheistic?

[WildCard]

Into book 2 of the Malazan book of the fallen series.  It is quite good.

 

This blog was on bbc and I thought it might also give people some new series to check out.

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746

Just finished the 4th book, about 200 pages into the 5th. It's annoying that the main character focus jumps from book to book, but he does such a good job at making them interesting that I get so absorbed into them each time. 

 

I picked up "The Martian" after hearing about the movie coming out later this year. It's a fun read. I figured I'd read a chapter or two a night, but consumed it in 2-3 nights as I couldn't put it down. I finished it a few weeks ago, and find myself wanting to read it again already. I highly recommend!

 

Synopsis: If you think about the movie Castaway but on Mars, you wouldn't be too far off. The format one of my favorite types of Sci-fi, "this is how hard space would be". There's no space monsters, malevolent bacteria, or life forces, just storms and stuff breaking down and some reasonable MacGuyvering to stay alive. The book format is mostly reading the astronaut's log about being stuck on Mars alone with several sections of traditional prose with to people at NASA trying to figure out what to do and some with the crew of the ship the astronaut was supposed to be on. The main character comes off as "engineer/scientist with a silly/funny streak"; as in someone that would be interesting to have a beer with and talk science.

 

Nice write-up, I've been thinking about checking this one out ever since I saw the trailer. Though that always happens: I see a good flick and find out it was originally a book and I want to read the book before the movie (Lord of the Rings taught me this lesson the hard way)

 

So far, books I've always meant to read are:

 

Great Gatsby, The Martian, Lord of the Rings (tried several times, can't get through it after I saw the movie), Art of War, The Dark Tower Series, A Clockwork Orange, the Shining (still haven't seen this), and plenty more I can't think of off the top of my head. 

 

"Commentaries on Spinoza" by Andrew Peters.  It is remarkably fresh.

Spinoza's a good read, I managed to get some assignments and a fairly in-depth research paper written on his theory on the cosmological argument. I haven't read a ton of philosophy, just him, Descartes, and Plato's Republic, but Spinoza was really the one that stuck with me religion wise because he broke it down to a fundamental level. Though every time election time comes around I can't help but think about Plato's Five governmental regimes...

[ParkMeadow]

"Commentaries on Spinoza" by Andrew Peters.  It is remarkably fresh.

I'd love to check it out, but can't find on Amazon. Any more details that might help search?

[MattPie]

Just finished the 4th book, about 200 pages into the 5th. It's annoying that the main character focus jumps from book to book, but he does such a good job at making them interesting that I get so absorbed into them each time. 

 

Nice write-up, I've been thinking about checking this one out ever since I saw the trailer. Though that always happens: I see a good flick and find out it was originally a book and I want to read the book before the movie (Lord of the Rings taught me this lesson the hard way)

 

So far, books I've always meant to read are:

 

Great Gatsby, The Martian, Lord of the Rings (tried several times, can't get through it after I saw the movie), Art of War, The Dark Tower Series, A Clockwork Orange, the Shining (still haven't seen this), and plenty more I can't think of off the top of my head. 

 

Spinoza's a good read, I managed to get some assignments and a fairly in-depth research paper written on his theory on the cosmological argument. I haven't read a ton of philosophy, just him, Descartes, and Plato's Republic, but Spinoza was really the one that stuck with me religion wise because he broke it down to a fundamental level. Though every time election time comes around I can't help but think about Plato's Five governmental regimes...

 

I tried to read a Clockwork Orange in college, but it was mostly written in Brittish slang and I gave up. I should try it again some time. I've read LotR twice, once when I was around 12-13 and again as the movies came out. I have a tough time committing the time to watch the movies, never mind read the books. :)

 

I'm reading Gulliver's Travels right now. It's interesting but it hasn't really hooked me yet.

[bunomatic]

I tried to read a Clockwork Orange in college, but it was mostly written in Brittish slang and I gave up. I should try it again some time. I've read LotR twice, once when I was around 12-13 and again as the movies came out. I have a tough time committing the time to watch the movies, never mind read the books. :)

 

I'm reading Gulliver's Travels right now. It's interesting but it hasn't really hooked me yet.

Ever try anything by Erving Welsh ? He wrote Trainspotting, Porno, and a bunch of others I can't remember. I've read a couple but it was a struggle because he also writes in a scottish slang. I found I was constantly calling my friend Peter who's a scot to ask him the meaning of strange phrases and such.

[DR HOLLIDAY]

Ever try anything by Erving Welsh ? He wrote Trainspotting, Porno, and a bunch of others I can't remember. I've read a couple but it was a struggle because he also writes in a scottish slang. I found I was constantly calling my friend Peter who's a scot to ask him the meaning of strange phrases and such.

 

Irving Welsh has some great books......Trainspotting the novel is even more up then the movie, both are great........I have no problem with the dialect because a friend of mine was Scottish and I grew up reading his comics, which had the same dialect.......Weird, lol

I have just finished reading, "A Confederacy of Dunces", its a great book, a little off the wall but great none the less.

[bob_sauve28]

I just finished a book on the Eisenhower presidency. Good book, interesting, cold war stuff and McCarthy and all that, but the one thing that really just jumped out at me was how cigarettes were killing Ike's generation. He had a heart attack and stroke while President--he had been a heavy smoker--his best friend had a lung taken out and died shortly after and other he knew were the same way. 

[bunomatic]

I just finished a book on the Eisenhower presidency. Good book, interesting, cold war stuff and McCarthy and all that, but the one thing that really just jumped out at me was how cigarettes were killing Ike's generation. He had a heart attack and stroke while President--he had been a heavy smoker--his best friend had a lung taken out and died shortly after and other he knew were the same way. 

Looking back at that era that was a time when cigarette ads had doctors extolling the virtues of smoking. Its crazy the misinformation that the tobacco companies got away with at that time. 

[WildCard]

Just finished the 5th book in theMalazan series: 'Midnight Tides'. It took about 250-300 pages for it to get going, but once it did I couldn't put it down. The last 150 pages are incredible, and hold some of the best battles, surprises, and witty dialogue I've ever read. Can't wait to start the next book tonight

[qwksndmonster]

I'm in the middle of The Shining right now.  Never read King before.

 

I have seen the Kubrick film a good 4 or 5 times.  Can't wait to watch it again when I'm done reading.

[Randall Flagg]

I'm in the middle of The Shining right now. Never read King before.

 

I have seen the Kubrick film a good 4 or 5 times. Can't wait to watch it again when I'm done reading.

I've read at least 40 of his books, hope you like this one! It was the second one I ever read, behind Carrie

[MattPie]

I finished "A Princess of Mars" (Edgar Rice Borroughs) the other day. Short read, old sci-fi, definitely of the "monsters and fighting" side of sci-fi (unlike "The Martian", my last read). It was fun, but other than a few details it's almost "Cowboys and Indians on Mars". I'm not sad I read it, but I'm not sure if I'd continue on to the other seven books in the series. It was free on Google Books, and being written in 1917 may be public domain and available via lots of sources.

[Weave]

I finished "A Princess of Mars" (Edgar Rice Borroughs) the other day. Short read, old sci-fi, definitely of the "monsters and fighting" side of sci-fi (unlike "The Martian", my last read). It was fun, but other than a few details it's almost "Cowboys and Indians on Mars". I'm not sad I read it, but I'm not sure if I'd continue on to the other seven books in the series. It was free on Google Books, and being written in 1917 may be public domain and available via lots of sources.

 

I've gotten into old Sci-fi as of late too.  HG Wells stuff still holds up pretty well.  The Time Machine is dated, but the rest are still really good reads.  And Isaac Asimov's stories are fantastic.

[biodork]

I'm in the middle of The Shining right now.  Never read King before.

 

I have seen the Kubrick film a good 4 or 5 times.  Can't wait to watch it again when I'm done reading.

If you find that you enjoy Stephen King, I highly recommend The Talisman and The Black House (both collaborations with Peter Straub).

[LGR4GM]

Just finished the 5th book in theMalazan series: 'Midnight Tides'. It took about 250-300 pages for it to get going, but once it did I couldn't put it down. The last 150 pages are incredible, and hold some of the best battles, surprises, and witty dialogue I've ever read. Can't wait to start the next book tonight

Nearing the end of book 3 of the Malazan series. The breadth and scope of these books is impressive and it is so hard to see how the characters are entwined but he slowly brings everything full circle.

 

Also Anomander Rake... he is such a badass he doesn't feel the need to prove it. 

[WildCard]

Nearing the end of book 3 of the Malazan series. The breadth and scope of these books is impressive and it is so hard to see how the characters are entwined but he slowly brings everything full circle.

 

Also Anomander Rake... he is such a badass he doesn't feel the need to prove it. 

The first 5 books (a ton of writing) are devoted to setting the stage, and then the last 5 bring everything together. As far as book 3 goes (spoiler for qwk)

 

 

Anomander's scene with Whiskeyjack when they mercy kill that demented band of rabble was so good. The emotion there from Whiskeyjack and the empathy from Rake is palpable.

 

Also, the Segulah are probably my favorite race in the series. They're just so incredibly badass in hand-to-hand combat, and their social dynamic is pretty sweet. The thing that gets me with them is, even though Mok is only the 3rd Segulah, he still can easily handle anyone on this continent, besides maybe Rake and Dassem Ultor (you'll meet him later, he's awesome)

 

 

[WildCard]

Have a favorite scene or character yet Liger? I would ask for theories but honestly, I'm only 2 books ahead of you so far and have yet to make it back to Genabackis 

[qwksndmonster]

If you find that you enjoy Stephen King, I highly recommend The Talisman and The Black House (both collaborations with Peter Straub).

I am enjoying him!  The Talisman is kicking around somewhere on our bookshelves, I believe.

 

I've read at least 40 of his books, hope you like this one! It was the second one I ever read, behind Carrie

I'm pretty shocked that it's taken me this long to finally get around to reading a Steven King novel.  I've had some up thoughts running through my head as of late. 

And I still haven't even gotten past the first chapter of Gardens of the Moon.  

[biodork]

I am enjoying him!  The Talisman is kicking around somewhere on our bookshelves, I believe.

 

I'm pretty shocked that it's taken me this long to finally get around to reading a Steven King novel.  I've had some ###### up thoughts running through my head as of late. 

And I still haven't even gotten past the first chapter of Gardens of the Moon.  

I read them backwards because I hadn't realized that Black House was a sequel, but they're sufficiently standalone that I enjoyed it anyhow.  I need to read the Dark Tower series at some point; you've probably noticed that King likes to re-use certain places in his stories (Derry, ME being the most obvious one), and there are ties between places used in the Talisman and Black House to the Dark Tower books from what my dad has told me.

 

I don't know if you've seen the movie versions of The Stand, It, or Dreamcatcher, but in all three cases the books are far better and are entertaining reads.  (The first two were probably way before your time and were done in tv mini-series style, and the latter was more recent but Hollywood ruined it.)

Edited August 8, 2015 by biodork

[dudacek]

Funny you guys are talking King, I just started reading The Gunslinger with the intent of reading the Dark Tower series straight through.

I've read most (all?) of it before, but it was in bits and pieces over 25 years.

[qwksndmonster]

Haven't seen any of those movies based on King stories, so I'm thankfully not spoiled if I ever do get around to reading them.

 

 

I've also been reading a collection of Yeats.  I came across this poem the other day.

 

Ephemera

 

'Your eyes that once were never weary of mine
Are bowed in sorrow under pendulous lids,
Because our love is waning.'

 

And then she:
'Although our love is waning, let us stand
By the long border of the lake once more,
Together in that hour of gentleness
When the poor tired child, Passion, falls asleep:
How far away the stars seem, and how far
Is our first kiss, and ah, how old my heart!'

 

Pensive they paced along the faded leaves,
While slowly he whose hand held hers replied:
'Passion has often worn our wandering hearts.'

 

The woods were round them, and the yellow leaves
Fell like faint meteors in the gloom, and once
A rabbit old and lame limped down the path;
Autumn was over him: and now they stood
On the lone border of the lake once more:
Turning, he saw that she had thrust dead leaves
Gathered in silence, dewy as her eyes,
In bosom and hair.

 

'Ah, do not mourn,' he said,
'That we are tired, for other loves await us;
Hate on and love through unrepining hours.
Before us lies eternity; our souls
Are love, and a continual farewell.

 

1889 - William Butler Yeats