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Maklershed · Jan 1, 2011

Ulairi · Jan 1, 2011

I'm reading 'The Gun Seller' by Hugh Laurie. I love it.

Maklershed · Jan 1, 2011

Still working on They Call Me Baba Booey

They Call Me Baba Booey by Gary Dell'Abate

finowns · Jan 1, 2011

We have a book club?

51n9uUVB9sL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-22,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Pretty good Urban Fantasy series.

Waiting for this.

Maklershed · Jan 1, 2011

finowns said:
We have a book club?

It hasn't been operational in awhile. It would be cool to get it going again though.

We have these suggestions so far ....

afternoon delight said:
Can I makes suggestions?

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Great War for Civilization by Robert Fisk
Blood Meridian by McCarthy
Franny and Zooey by Salinger

Mgoblue201 · Jan 1, 2011

I'm still reading:

After I am finished, I have to decide whether I want to read John Adams, Team of Rivals, or The Warmth of Other Suns next.

Gamecocks625 · Jan 1, 2011

John Bunyan's Holy War on iBooks

I love his allegories

finowns · Jan 1, 2011

Maklershed said:
It hasn't been operational in awhile. It would be cool to get it going again though.

We have these suggestions so far ....

Child 44 looks interesting and is $3 on the kindle. Has my vote.

nny · Jan 1, 2011

I've been on a videogame-related book mood:

Just finished The History Of Nintendo. Vol.1 (Florent Gorges) and am reading Replay - The History of Video Games (Tristan Donovan).

Also reading The Moral Animal - Why we are the way we are: The new science of Evolutionary Psychology (Robert Wright).

Night_Trekker · Jan 1, 2011

I'm still reading The Complete Stories of Franz Kafka. I can't wait to move on to his novels. I'm also still reading The Best American Short Stories 2010. There's a lot of great stuff in there.

I also started reading Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West (a Christmas gift). Pretty neat stuff so far. I don't read much non-fiction, but I think I will love this.

British Monsoon · Jan 1, 2011

I'm in the process of reading After London by Richard Jefferies, which was written in 1885 and is one of the first examples of a post-apocalyptic novel - it's an account of the state of the world surrounding London two hundred or so years after an apocalyptic event. The book is divided into two halfs; the first being a detailed description of every aspect of the environment from which animal species remain and are dominant, to the changes in geography and plant-life and the breakdown of human society. The second half is a narrative about an inhabitant of post-apocalyptic London, but I'm just touching the surface on this half so far - although even without it, the first half is a well imagined and interesting concept that doesn't suffer from the dated feel of the prose in the second half and, although somewhat dry in places, Jefferies detailed historical-style account provides a genuinely intriguing window into this post-apocalyptic England, moreso than the prose will, I feel.

The book is public domain in the US and can be downloaded for Kindle and other devices from here; http://manybooks.net/titles/jefferie13941394413944-8.html

Monocle · Jan 1, 2011

Nightfall and Other Stories by Isaac Asimov

The Sandman Papers edited by Joe Sanders

And probably some other things from my ridiculous backlog.

Looking at it on my shelf, I feel compelled to insist for the sake of those who haven't sampled its pleasures that this translation of Crime and Punishment is a must read:

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky

Utterly destroys Constance Garnett's version with more natural dialogue and rich yet precise phrasing. It isn't even close. The explanatory notes really seal the deal.

coldvein · Jan 1, 2011

book club does need a new book. i think something short-ish would be a good place to start..

SoulPlaya · Jan 1, 2011

Maugham-Of Human Bondage
Dostoevsky- Poor Folks (rereading it)
White-The Once and Future King

DesertEater · Jan 1, 2011

Finished these last month :
Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

The Death of Ivan Ilych - Leo Tolstoy

Reading now :
The Communist Manifesto - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels

Parham · Jan 1, 2011

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Alucard · Jan 1, 2011

It's a short story collection. It's been a pretty mixed bag, but I got it for a buck and a quarter from a used book shop a couple of years ago, so I can't complain. The first story about Da Vinci meeting Einstein in a pub is pretty neat, as is one that talks about fantasy novel stereotypes and how to make the genre more interesting. That one is more of an essay than a story, but I love stuff like that from authors. There are also plenty of Norse-themed viking tales.

I've also been digging my teeth into the following book, and I have been taking my time with it by doing background research on many of its historical points:

It's intended as a history book for children, but it's written in a style that really is accessible to everyone, and that entertains as well as informs. As an adult, it's great having this to refresh my memory of a lot of high school history, and to be able to do further focused research on my own when I want to know more about something that the book brings up.

KidDork · Jan 2, 2011

About ninety pages in so far. I love Kadrey's love letter to the hardboiled genre, (he has characters called Stark and Parker, for example) and his take on Hell and the supernatural feels as hard edged as the prose. It's reminds me of a much more pissed off Dresden Files.

thetechkid · Jan 2, 2011

About half way through, and it's pretty good so far.

ngower · Jan 2, 2011

Got a Kindle over Christmas and I have been sort of reading a little bit of everything, though I enjoyed what I read of "This Side of Paradise" and may delve deeper into that.

I was hoping to read Crime and Punishment, which is still possible, but I want to read a book for school before I have to go back so I can ease into the semester a bit.

TheKaeptain · Jan 2, 2011

Starting The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle.

zero_suit · Jan 2, 2011

Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. I just started, but it's very entertaining so far.

Salazar · Jan 2, 2011

Noel Annan's The Dons: Mentors, Eccentrics and Geniuses.
Alan Pryce Jones's memoirs, The Bonus of Laughter.
Rereading Tobias Wolff's In Pharaoh's Army.

Dead Prince · Jan 2, 2011

Almost done with Feed

Reading this in the off chance when I don't want to finish Feed.

Gonna try something else after this.

Entropia · Jan 2, 2011

I just finished reading "I Drink For a Reason" by David Cross. I thought it was funny, but at the same time it was a bit difficult to read due to how many tangents he'd go on in the middle of one.

I'm going to be reading "Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning" next. I know that's not exactly a book a lot of you guys in this thread are looking for... but a book is a book!

thomaser · Jan 2, 2011

Just finished Jack Kerouac's "On the Road - The Original Scroll". It's the original version with real names intact. Spent almost two months on it, which is highly unusual, but that's mostly because I had to stop for a while to study for exams, and to concentrate on work. Anyway, the first half of the book was hard to read, but the second half whizzed by in two days. Something just clicked halfway, and I got into the rhythm of the book. Great stuff - I almost want to start on it again just to read it all "in the zone". The characters are so interesting, especially, of course, Neal Cassady. It's strange to think that he was a real person.

Tomorrow, I'm starting Ibsen's "Little Eyolf". After that, Bram Stoker's "Dracula" for the third or fourth time. It was the very first book I read in English when I was 12 or 13 or so. This time, I have the Norton Critical Edition, with all kinds of introductions, background info and notes. It just feels right to read it now - it's a winter kind of book.

J Tourettes · Jan 2, 2011

finowns said:
Child 44 looks interesting and is $3 on the kindle. Has my vote.

Was a real page turner from what I remember although lost it a bit towards the end.

ismaboof · Jan 2, 2011

Every week I'm drawn closer and close to radio stories as a real career (still in school). I'm reading this while making my own podcast episodes, so hopefully I'll be able to see significant improvement by the time I'm done the book. It's surprisingly well-written.

A required book for school. Everyone I've talked to says it's god damn amazing, so it has high hopes to live up to. I'm only on page 15 or so, and only get glimpses of amazing writing. This one has plenty of room to become incredible.

CF_Fighter · Jan 2, 2011

Fun, light read. Gives good background to why things are the way they are in Cataclysm. Got it off a "free" e-book site.

Doytch · Jan 2, 2011

Christmas break has let me blitz through a handful of books:

Dickens' A Christmas Carol (reread)
Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (reread)
Plato's Republic
Michael Lewis' Moneyball

I started A Tale of Two Cities for the first time today. I never really read any of Dickens (besides ACC) before, and I'm in love with his writing. Wonderfully descriptive and extremely evocative. The second chapter about the mail delivery in the rain and the messenger is just stuffed with beautiful imagery. I think I might just go on a Dickens kick. One more week til classes start!

DesertEater said:
The Death of Ivan Ilych - Leo Tolstoy

What did you think? We had a good discussion about this in my Tolstoy course last semester. I love the pacing and writing (the paragraph about the little black pit in his stomach that he falls through), but I found Tolstoy more proselytizing than in the rest of his works. Also, he seems too cockily sure of his psychological insights in parts like "and everyone thought, as they do at such times, 'At least it wasn't I [that died]." It seemed to me that the world he was looking at was much colder and self-interested than it was in reality.

Anyway, big fan of Tolstoy in general, but not so much this short story.

Hairtux · Jan 2, 2011

KidDork said:
About ninety pages in so far. I love Kadrey's love letter to the hardboiled genre, (he has characters called Stark and Parker, for example) and his take on Hell and the supernatural feels as hard edged as the prose. It's reminds me of a much more pissed off Dresden Files.

I found this series after finishing all the Dresden Files books. Sandman Slim was awesome. I'm reading Kill the Dead right now (2nd in the series) and it's really good.

sparky2112 · Jan 2, 2011

Just finished:

You can't read the small type, but this is a 'biography of cancer'. Every time I read something like this, it makes me wish I had pursued the sciences...

Just remember when this wins a major award in 2011 that the author is a practicing oncologist and this is his first book. It was fascinating.

bedlamite · Jan 2, 2011

Just finished

41T8Y0xu6vL._SL500_AA266_PIkin3,BottomRight,-16,34_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

Satirical fantasy, it's a funny read and highly recommended

coldvein · Jan 2, 2011

how much free stuff is available as far as e-books go? i'm 1000% against e-readers, but if there's free stuff..hmm..

Salazar · Jan 2, 2011

coldvein said:
how much free stuff is available as far as e-books go? i'm 1000% against e-readers, but if there's free stuff..hmm..

This is my favourite public domain site: well-organised, with a good balance between the decent stuff and the diverting pulp. You can download in a few different formats.

http://manybooks.net/categories/

There is much more available than is contained in this site, but it's a good start.

coldvein · Jan 2, 2011

Salazar said:
This is my favourite public domain site: well-organised, with a good balance between the decent stuff and the diverting pulp. You can download in a few different formats.

http://manybooks.net/categories/

There is much more available than is contained in this site, but it's a good start.

wow....awesome!!! this is good. hnmmmmm. hmmm.

Tucah · Jan 2, 2011

I've heard various things about the book in general, but a few friends who literary taste I usually agree with won't stop raving about this book and the format of the book sounds too intriguing for me not to try it.

NotTheGuyYouKill · Jan 2, 2011

KidDork said:
About ninety pages in so far. I love Kadrey's love letter to the hardboiled genre, (he has characters called Stark and Parker, for example) and his take on Hell and the supernatural feels as hard edged as the prose. It's reminds me of a much more pissed off Dresden Files.

I finished this yesterday myself. Awesome book. Gonna pick up the second one soon.

Quote · Jan 2, 2011

Tucah said:
I've heard various things about the book in general, but a few friends who literary taste I usually agree with won't stop raving about this book and the format of the book sounds too intriguing for me not to try it.

Wow, this book looks really intriguing, loving the gimmick behind it. Going to pick it up once I decide between paperback or library binding.

Creamium · Jan 2, 2011

Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is mentioned often as a must-read, but I find the first book pretty disappointing so far. Some of the characters (like Glokta) are great, but the chapters with Jezal are just a chore to get through. In the course of one chapter and 2 convos he decides to go through with fencing after all. This wouldn't be an issue, but it doesn't come off as convincing. 'Prove her wrong! Yeah that's it!'
I finished Rothfuss' Name of the Wind before this and this book just feels so poorly written in comparison. The dialogue is great, but I find it hard to get a feel of the world the action takes place in. His writing style is pretty sparse, which on the upside makes for a quick read.

I'm almost halfway through so I'll at least finish the first book, but I'm not really a fan of this so far.

Fritz · Jan 2, 2011

These are more in the realm of resolution at the moment:

present from fellow gaffer nny via GAF's Secret Santa thread. Been meaning to read this for a while.

Remarque of All Quiet on the Western Front descripes 1940's New York

Bourdieu's work on class distinction

Salazar · Jan 2, 2011

I had to wade through Homo Academicus a few months ago. I hope your Bourdieu experience is more pleasant.

noah111 · Jan 2, 2011

After finishing all the space odyssey books (2001, 2010, 2061, 3001) which were fucking amazing, i'm trying to start on the time odyssey series but it's hard to stick, so far.

Oh yeah, and a bunch of Marvel comics. :lol

Ratrat · Jan 2, 2011

Creamium said:
Abercrombie's First Law trilogy is mentioned often as a must-read, but I find the first book pretty disappointing so far. Some of the characters (like Glokta) are great, but the chapters with Jezal are just a chore to get through. In the course of one chapter and 2 convos he decides to go through with fencing after all. This wouldn't be an issue, but it doesn't come off as convincing. 'Prove her wrong! Yeah that's it!'
I finished Rothfuss' Name of the Wind before this and this book just feels so poorly written in comparison. The dialogue is great, but I find it hard to get a feel of the world the action takes place in. His writing style is pretty sparse, which on the upside makes for a quick read.

I'm almost halfway through so I'll at least finish the first book, but I'm not really a fan of this so far.

I thought Abercrombie was terrible until I read Richard Morgan. Is there a name for this style of gritty morally ambiguous type of fantasy anyway?

Xater · Jan 2, 2011

I will soon be done with A Clash of Kings and need some fiction recommendations that are not fantasy, sci-fi or part of a series. I just can't read the same stuff on and on and need something to change it up. I have some non-fiction stuff on my Amazon wishlist but I am not really in the mood for that.

Ratrat · Jan 2, 2011

Xater said:
I will soon be done with A Clash of Kings and need some fiction recommendations that are not fantasy, sci-fi or part of a series. I just can't read the same stuff on and on and need something to change it up. I have some non-fiction stuff on my Amazon wishlist but I am not really in the mood for that.

The City and the City by China Mieville.

nny · Jan 2, 2011

Fritz said:
These are more in the realm of resolution at the moment:

present from fellow gaffer nny via GAF's Secret Santa thread. Been meaning to read this for a while.

Heh, hope you enjoy it!

peakish · Jan 2, 2011

Reading Moby Dick, it's... a lot of words :lol Quite interesting though.

Ovid · Jan 2, 2011

Salazar said:
This is my favourite public domain site: well-organised, with a good balance between the decent stuff and the diverting pulp. You can download in a few different formats.

http://manybooks.net/categories/

There is much more available than is contained in this site, but it's a good start.

Wow, thanks.

Wiktor · Jan 2, 2011

Slowly working my way through Vorkosigan Saga. Currently halfway through this:

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