What are you readioactive now(and other book related stuff)?

[German Sausage]

Jared Diamond has clearly decided to make a point, and get it along to anyone who does anything more than read the blurb. but its a good point though, so ill finish the book.

[Narsil]

(Reviving dead thread)

I just finished Shadow of the Giant, by Orson Scott Card. It's the last book in the "Shadow" series, and is superseded by Speaker for the Dead. All I can say is, amazing. This book is the distilled essence of what makes the Ender novels wonderful, the overarching game of chess played by overlords with very human pawns, and the emotional dilemmas behind them. The very last scene, with Peter and Ender's reconciliation, is very touching and almost tear-jerking.

I now wait patiently for Shadows in Flight, to tie up all the loose ends of Giant and Children of the Mind.

In the mean time, I am just about to begin House of Leaves, having snagged the last copy at Barnes and Noble. Looks very creepy, any comments?

And after that, I have Count of Monte Cristo to read. That looks freakin' awesome and I can't wait.

[thefiddler]

In the mean time, I am just about to begin House of Leaves, having snagged the last copy at Barnes and Noble. Looks very creepy, any comments?

And after that, I have Count of Monte Cristo to read. That looks freakin' awesome and I can't wait.

I'm currently reading House of Leaves and it is quite creepy.

Also, Alexandre Dumas is my favourite author EVER! The Count of Monte Cristo is my favourite book by him, too.

So, you get a cookie, 'cause I like you.

[Lani]

I'm currently reading Cracking the GRE.

[fjafjan]

Finished: To kill a mockingbird

Starting up: The god metaphor

[Traisenau]

Currently trting to read for fun, but am not able to due to time constraints(fracking Junior year in high school)

World War Z - Max Brooks
Darkly Dreaming Dexter/Dearly Devoted Dexter - Jeff Lindsay (These I really do recomend, they're very well writen books about a CSI who moonlights as a serial killer... of other serial killers)

I recently finished American Gods by Niel Gaiman, and this one everyone should read sometime.

And for school I have to be reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and I kinda like it, but I probably wouldn't read it for pleasure...

[kohizeri]

Just finished: Perdido Street Station by China Mieville

Highly recommended, though be prepared for heavy reading.

Starting: Fifty Degrees Below by Kim Stanley Robinson

[Narsil]

I'm on about page 110 of House of Leaves, and holy hell this book is screwed up in the head. Amazing, but screwed up. A lot of things, like the 20-page diversion into the story of Echo and the physics of echos, seem completely superfluous and unnecessary, but you immediately understand what it's for when you feel the chill down your spine reading "there was no wall in the Navidson house greater that 25 feet, and later that Daisy' scream echoed. It's really scary like that. I couldn't walk around my own house to get a drink of water last night, I was so creeped out.

Even so, I feel 'm missing out on a later or two of complexity that's just beyond my understanding. Like the SOS chapter, how there were dots in between each paragraph. I knew they meant something, and something important, but I didn't know what. Same thing with the frequent misspellings throughout the book. I don't know if it's saying something or screwing with my head. Truth be told, I'd rather not find out just yet. Though I have picked up on many subtle things, like the odd statement about philosophy and human nature strewn about.

On the subject, has anyone read his new book, "Only Revolutions", yet? That sounds like a rather creepy yet interesting story. I would love some opinions on it.

[Belial]

You're right about that book having a ton of layers.

I definitely detected some statements about literary theory, for one thing, in amongst the creepy horror...

[Traisenau]

Oh, I'm also planning on picking up Guns, Germs and steel to read over the Summer.

[thefiddler]

Yeah, there's a lot going on in House of Leaves and sometimes it seems like something doesn't seem relevant but it is.

Also, there's a lot of small things to pick up on.

OK, going to the list that I wrote of books that I'm currently reading...

Miss Lonelyhearts & The Day of the Locust Nathanael West
Reefer Madness Eric Schlosser
House of Leaves Mark Z. Danielewski
The Perks of Being a Wallflower Stephen Chbosky
The Tempest William Shakespeare
The Divine Comedy Dante Alighieri
Parts of The Canterbury Tales Geoffrey Chaucer

I think that is it...

[Verysillyman]

On the subject, has anyone read his new book, "Only Revolutions", yet? That sounds like a rather creepy yet interesting story. I would love some opinions on it.

My friend bought it cos there's some sort of competition? But the rules don't say what one has to do to enter, just that they have to do something creative, there's prizes for each category, and if they read the book then they should know what to do.

[jacobsencommak]

Just finished Whirligig, it was a pretty good book.

Now I'm reading Ten Little New Yorkers by Kinky Friedman, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig.

[Lani]

Heee, Kinky Freidman!

My boyfriend recently finished Zen... after having attempted to read it like 8 times or so. He, and several other people I know, say that they get stuck half way and then don't finish it. So watch out for that!

[Alisto]

On the subject, has anyone read his new book, "Only Revolutions", yet? That sounds like a rather creepy yet interesting story. I would love some opinions on it.

It's the only book I've ever returned. Doing something different and unique with a book is good and fine, but I couldn't even read this one. There may be a great story somewhere in there, but I wasn't able to find it.

[Zach]

I'm currently waiting on the bookstore to get in the copy of The Self-Aware Universe that I ordered (Amit Goswami). I've read parts, but never managed to finish it.

Also, this House of Leaves book sounds intriguing.

[DuSTman]

I'm currently reading Kevin Mitnick's "The Art of Intrusion" - a collection of true stories regarding various hackings. It's written for a fairly non-technical audience, and I could do without it stopping to explain terms such as "IRC", but they're still interesting stories, and well worth a read..

After which, I intend to crush my intellectual ego by doing the hawkman's "brief history of time".

[Jesse]

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman.

I meant to get it before Christmas, but didn't have the money, then forgot all about it. Shame on me.

[Belial]

Good book

[iw]

Currently I'm reading Haruki Murakami's Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. If you've never heard of Haruki, he's a very popular Japanese author that writes contemporary literature, usually with a fantastic twist. Kind of like Palahniuk's Lullabye except without the gritty attitude.

Recent books have included:
My attempt to read books that were never on my high school syllabus:
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury.
Also:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Equation That Couldn't Be Solved - I was disappointed in this one.
Dance Dance Dance, again by Haruki Murakami
Foucault's Pendulum, a classic by Umberto Eco
It's also been a while since I read a book that has enthralled me as much as Neal Stephenson's The Baroque Cycle.

Eventually I'm going to get around to my copy of Proofs From The Book.

[VannA]

I'm Reading Hume. It's hard going.

Whomever was Reading China Mievielle..

Make sure you read the rest.

I'm not otherwise in the mood for reading.

[boethius78]

Currently going back through Robin Hobb's Liveship Trilogy.

eep. Me too. I'm about two thirds of the way through Ship Of Destiny. Moving on to the Assassins Trilogy next.

[Belial]

Liveship trilogy is win.

I'm currently reading "The Color of Magic" (first time...Randall finally talked me into reading pratchett) and "Snow Crash".

Also, a nonfiction book called "Phantoms in the Brain" by Dr. Ramachandran. All about wierd neurological phenomena. It's very much with the yes.

[Toeofdoom]

Currently going back through Robin Hobb's Liveship Trilogy.

eep. Me too. I'm about two thirds of the way through Ship Of Destiny. Moving on to the Assassins Trilogy next.

I think I've read all the robin hobb books... liveship, assassin, them next ones and 2 of the soldier son ones anyways.

[Jesse]

Same here. I can't wait until the next Soldier Son book (Although I must admit I'm not connecting with him emotionally as well as I have other characters. I think it's because the focus is solely on him whereas in Liveship Traders we had Brashen, Malta, Kennet and others alongside Althea and in Farseer we had the brilliant character of the Fool.)

[Gordon]

My father constantly sends me books about how to set goals or attain success or other random topics he hopes will get me motivated in something or another.

Anyway books called "The Richest Man in Babylon", I brought it to work today because I knew I'd have a couple hours to kill and it's only 144 pages. Anyway actually was a pretty decent book, pretty much just a bunch of stories about this Babylonian man and the "secrets" to his success. It's by George S. Clason, I don't usually recommend books to people (as I don't read very many of them all the way through any more). But ya, if you're in business or planning to go into a business type program it might be a good book to read.

[Tawnos]

Read Dragons of a Lost Star yesterday, and am halfway through Dragons of a Vanished Moon today (both by Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman)
Recently read (last week or two):
Storm Front by Jim Butcher
The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Next to read:
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson

[Jesse]

I really enjoyed Cryptonomicon, and Belial was right, Fragile Things was excellent.

[Toeofdoom]

"Teach yourself C" by some schmidt dude

[Verysillyman]

Today I read Kafka's "The Metamorphosis". And "Before the Law", also by Kafka but that's only a page long. I'm still pondering it though.

In the afternoon I read Charles Bukowski's "Pulp". It is quite odd.

[Jesse]

I am going through the Sandman collection again. Just finished Preludes & Nocturnes which contains 'The Sound of Her Wings' which is a wonderful story about Death.

[German Sausage]

i finished the martha washington series earlier today, and i think it should have stopped with give me liberty. the second was ok, but kinda silly, and it went downhill from there.

(comics by frank miller of sin city fame, FYI)

[Silverbolt]

Taking a break from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Life, the Universe and Everything to read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

[Belial]

Currently rereading Preacher and Transmetropolitan.

Also, totally approving of the Dragonlance and Gaiman stuff that's been mentioned thus far.

Mention of Weiss and Hickman is making me want to reread the Death Gate Cycle.

[warriorness]

Recently finished reading:
Dune
Dune Messiah

Now reading:
Children of Dune

Yet to read:
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune (not bought yet)
Chapterhouse: Dune (not bought yet)
Catch-22 (got this one about the same time as Dune, but Dune got to me first)

[Silverbolt]

Recently finished reading:
Dune
Dune Messiah

Now reading:
Children of Dune

Yet to read:
God Emperor of Dune
Heretics of Dune (not bought yet)
Chapterhouse: Dune (not bought yet)
Catch-22 (got this one about the same time as Dune, but Dune got to me first)

God Emperor is the best, in my oppinion. It's where the true action nd the true point to the series begin. Heretics and Chapter House kick ass as well.

[German Sausage]

ooo! transmetroplitan! i love them! they are the reason i'm not allowed to borrow from the darebin library service anymore. 11 comics out for about a month overdue = megafines

[Belial]

Transmetropolitan = Hunter S. Thompson in the crazy future = Love

[william]

"Empire" by Orson Scott Card. It's a pretty good work(not as good as the other works of his I've read though) although one of the characters (Reuben Malich) kinda grated on me. Luckily, he died about halfway into the book.

[Jesse]

I have The Dragonlance Trilogy and the Twins trilogy but can find no more.

Just waiting for Katharine Kerr to release a new book now.