What Are You Reading?

Personally, I've enjoyed the Dan Brown books. The key is to not try and take them too seriously, and suspend disbelief for the sake of entertainment. Plus, the historical and other facts packed into the books are very interesting. Though, I can see needing to be a bit of a Discovery Channel watcher to really appreciate that aspect. No offense guys

docholliday77 said:

Steven Jay Gould? The paleontologist? I didn't realize he had written fiction.

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Yap. The Swedish Academy thought that paleontological fiction did not qualify for the Literature Nobel Prize. A key fact that explains why his fiction is mostly unknown.

The Days Trilobytes Sneezed is such a wonderful book... I will never forget the part in which Xunu leaves her home.

I finished 10% Happier by Harris. I recommend it for the meditation curious.

I also read L.A. Requiem by Robert Crais over the weekend. I recommend it if you enjoy crime novels. I'm looking forward to getting some of his other books out of the library.

Finished Shadowmarch by Tad William's, a nice chewy read. I also finished Hawk by Steven Brust, the latest in the Vlad Taltos novels. He's always fun to read.

I started The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin.

"My Lady Nicotine," by J.M. Barrie. Hardly seems right to read this without pipe in hand, so I'm smoking more the last couple days....

Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker and Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

I started, but couldn't get into Dear Leader, about life in North Korea (http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Leader-Escapee-A-Inside-North/dp/147676655X). The book received very good reviews, but I just wasn't that interested in the topic. I then switched gears entirely and started Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris. His writing and storytelling never fail to bring a smile to my face.

dklaiman said:

I finished 10% Happier by Harris. I recommend it for the meditation curious.

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Hmm, I am meditation curious. I will check it out.

"A Farewell to Arms." My first crack at Hemingway.

dklaiman said:

I started, but couldn't get into Dear Leader, about life in North Korea (http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Leader-Escapee-A-Inside-North/dp/147676655X). The book received very good reviews, but I just wasn't that interested in the topic. I then switched gears entirely and started Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls, by David Sedaris. His writing and storytelling never fail to bring a smile to my face.

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I am fascinated by North Korea. I do not mean this in a good way, just that the country appears so odd I cannot help but want to know more about it. It is wild to see pictures of the capitol with its wide avenues and not one car on the road, amonst other weird things.

Book-1 of Sean Russell's "The Swan's War" series : The One Kingdom

Kilroy6644 said:

"A Farewell to Arms." My first crack at Hemingway.

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If you don't like it, give The Sun Also Rises and the short stories a try. Definitely worth reading.

TimmyBoston said:

Early Autumn by Robert B. Parker and Eat and Run by Scott Jurek

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I really enjoyed Early Autumn when I read it; I was blasting through the first 15 or so of the Spenser series. I lost track after that, but that one sticks in my mind as being really good.

I've recently read all the Harry Potter books. Seen the moves never read the books, Honestly the books are better. Just finished the Dragoneer Saga by MR Mathias. Part Dragon rider/LOTR ish with aliens toward the end. Right now reading Tarzan. Brought an Edgar Rice Burroughs collection which has all his Tarzan and John Carter books.

I recently read all the Harry Potter books to my kids. It's my second time through them. They are definitely great stories and a great world. We've moved on to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Same age group but not as heavy as Potter gets, and the Greek myths are fun.

Kilroy6644 said:

"A Farewell to Arms." My first crack at Hemingway.

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I will be interested in what you think. I thought I really liked Hemingway, but he seemed rather dated last time I went back to his stuff.

Am currently reading Martin Cruz Smith "Nightwing," which is Tony Hillerman-esque and was first release in 1977. I have really liked MCS, including his last three novels, which seemed to me to get relatively little attention. But he seems really out of his element with this one.

Just finished the wonderful "Leaving the Atocha Station," by Ben Lerner. Fulbright kid, in Madrid, is the narrator. Irritating little punk, in many ways, but so smart, you sort of forgive him his (many) faults. The last 4 pages of chapter four is the best piece of prose I have read in years. Very moving. On to his other novel, and his poetry. Why are Brown grads so grating? Too much semiology?

I am also deep into the six-volume correspondence of Rupert Hart-Davis and George Lyttelton, but this is really a minority interest. Try "Atocha" instead!

I put the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms aside to read Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence. I think I've reached capacity on how many different series of books I'm reading. I want to finish up those series that all the books published before starting something new.

Rereading The Blind Watchmaker by Richard Dawkins. Just an amazing book. On of the clearest explanations of the process of evolution out there.

wurglehound said:

If you don't like it, give The Sun Also Rises and the short stories a try. Definitely worth reading.

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+1

The short stories collection is one of my favorite books.