What are you reading right now?

Trollheart · 12-20-2016, 09:16 PM

Just about to start reading this. Looking forward to it.

Just finished reading this. Was quite funny but also a bit worrying when you consider how much knowledge the guy has about the inner workings of UK politics, and that while this is a satire, well, you know...

Oh, and I read this for sis every Christmas of course. Just started it this morning.

Tristan_Geoff · 12-20-2016, 09:45 PM

Kubinator · 12-23-2016, 10:49 AM

Stephen King - The Stand
some books from Metro 2033 Universe

Paedantic Basterd · 12-24-2016, 11:06 AM

John Irving's Hotel New Hampshire. Just finished it. Beautifully written.

Spoiler for however:

Paedantic Basterd · 12-25-2016, 07:25 PM

Cormac McCarthy's The Road.

Spoiler for Spoils:

innerspaceboy · 12-26-2016, 06:58 PM

I revisited my book list this evening and was delighted to realize that years back I'd purchased a copy of Asimov's Robot Dreams short story collection but had never finished reading it. I quickly retrieved the book and instantly recalled why I'd purchased it - not only did it contain both of my favorite stories, (The Last Question and The Last Answer), but it also includes eight other Multivac stories which I'm excited to explore.

Just read The Machine That Won the War and smiled at the oh-so-Asimov ending.

It's like a surprise Christmas gift to myself!

LoathsomePete · 01-04-2017, 12:45 PM

The Tower of Swallows by Aznjdrez Sapkowski

I listened to The Last Wish, The Sword of Destiny, and The Blood of Elves on Audible during the semester while working out or walking around campus because there just wasn't enough time for personal reading. I just plowed through The Time of Contempt and Baptism of Fire over the course of a week and want to try and get this done by the end of the week. With the academy coming up in less than 3 weeks I want to squeeze in as much personal reading as I possibly can.

Not sure what I think of this one so far though. It keeps on with Sapkowski's usual style of writing, wherein you're shown the aftermath of important events and then the context is filled in later throughout the novel. The last book almost exclusively focused on Geralt and his annoying angsty phase, so I suspect this book will be more focused on Ciri and Yennifer.

**Janszoon** · 01-04-2017, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paedantic Basterd

John Irving's Hotel New Hampshire. Just finished it. Beautifully written.

Spoiler for however:

That was the first book I ever read by John Irving and I loved it. It lead me to a few more of his books in a short span of time, which I also liked a lot, but then I kind of OD'd on him or something and totally lost interest. It's been almost twenty years since I read one of his books, I should probably give him another shot at some point.

--

I'm reading...

War & Peace
I'm about half way through, and a lot of it is a little on the boring side honestly, but I'm still glad to be finally seeing what this monstrous "greatest novel ever written" is all about.

**Goofle** · 01-07-2017, 04:57 AM

^ I've heard a lot of people talk about that book, but never that it was the greatest ever. I'm not doubting that many people do, just that I think it's one of those that split opinion - even if the reader has a certain respect or admiration for it.

This, however, was recommended very highly. I've been hearing lots about it for the past few years but it was Jordan Peterson placing it as his #1 recommend book (with regards to his intellectual development) that finally pushed me to start listening to it.

I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. But I'm not far enough into it to give any kind of verdict.

LoathsomePete · 01-08-2017, 12:32 PM

The Thick Of It: The Missing DoSAC Files

Basically an addendum to the show, reiterating some of the points and adding new ones. I especially enjoyed Malcolm Tucker's bit about tips for incoming Ministers, especially the bit about fucking and how gay fucking wasn't weird fucking, unless you don't happen to be gay in which case it is weird fucking.

12-20-2016, 09:16 PM	#5681 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Just about to start reading this. Looking forward to it. Just finished reading this. Was quite funny but also a bit worrying when you consider how much knowledge the guy has about the inner workings of UK politics, and that while this is a satire, well, you know... Oh, and I read this for sis every Christmas of course. Just started it this morning. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

12-24-2016, 11:06 AM	#5684 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	John Irving's Hotel New Hampshire. Just finished it. Beautifully written. Spoiler for however: I was hooked right through to the detonation of the bomb, but the book kind of fell apart for me after that. I was dissatisfied with how John and Franny dealt with their relationship, the Chipper Dove revenge scene was surreal and absurd to the point of ridiculousness, and I didn't like how Susie and John came together in the end. Honestly, I think maybe John should have ended up alone with just a fake hotel pet project. It felt like Irving was trying too hard to give these characters a happy ending after going through so much, but I don't mind bleak endings and I think one would have been more appropriate here.

12-25-2016, 07:25 PM	#5685 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	Cormac McCarthy's The Road. Spoiler for Spoils: I loved this, although it was not nearly as bleak and depressing as I expected it to be, after years of being told how this was the most soul-destroying novel of all time. Honestly, I thought it ended with a shred of hope, which was not what I'd expected and somehow didn't fit the idea I had about it the whole time. I kind of wish that it had ended with them reaching the coast, reaching their goal, seeing that there was nothing, then turning around and heading back the way they came, just so they could have some kind of purpose. A purpose the reader knows is senseless. Or they could have killed themselves. I dunno, I just felt dissatisfied after being promised I'd cry myself to death. 1984 was bleaker than this.

01-04-2017, 12:45 PM	#5687 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	The Tower of Swallows by Aznjdrez Sapkowski I listened to The Last Wish, The Sword of Destiny, and The Blood of Elves on Audible during the semester while working out or walking around campus because there just wasn't enough time for personal reading. I just plowed through The Time of Contempt and Baptism of Fire over the course of a week and want to try and get this done by the end of the week. With the academy coming up in less than 3 weeks I want to squeeze in as much personal reading as I possibly can. Not sure what I think of this one so far though. It keeps on with Sapkowski's usual style of writing, wherein you're shown the aftermath of important events and then the context is filled in later throughout the novel. The last book almost exclusively focused on Geralt and his annoying angsty phase, so I suspect this book will be more focused on Ciri and Yennifer. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

01-08-2017, 12:32 PM	#5690 (permalink)
LoathsomePete Cardboard Box Realtor Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Hobb's End Posts: 7,648	The Thick Of It: The Missing DoSAC Files Basically an addendum to the show, reiterating some of the points and adding new ones. I especially enjoyed Malcolm Tucker's bit about tips for incoming Ministers, especially the bit about fucking and how gay fucking wasn't weird fucking, unless you don't happen to be gay in which case it is weird fucking. __________________ Last.FM 101 Albums That May Not Change Your Life, But I Really Like And You Might Too

12-23-2016, 10:49 AM	#5683 (permalink)
Kubinator Groupie Join Date: Sep 2016 Posts: 8	Stephen King - The Stand some books from Metro 2033 Universe