What are you reading right now?

adidasss · 02-15-2021, 06:17 AM

Kurt Vonnegut - Breakfast of champions

Re-reading some of Vonnegut's best of.

Trollheart · 02-17-2021, 06:28 AM

Finished A Tale of Two Cities. As our friend Hawk would say, unassailable: both the most famous and powerful opening and closing lines in any book ever. Superb. The way he came down neither on the side of the aristocrats nor the poor who almost became them, the reflection at the end, the casual cruelty of Monsignor, so many Jacques - words can't describe. Edging close to my favourite Dickens now.

Began Little Dorrit yesterday; great description of Marseilles sweltering in the summer sun already and some dark comedy by one of the (so far) main characters.

Edit: Great to see you back grindy, even if it's only now and then. You bookworm.

**Frownland** · 02-19-2021, 08:34 AM

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

The themes here about memory, perception, and aging are handled really excellently, but the story arc was underwhelming and the style was straight up dull. Crafts an unreliable narrator well but not in a way that stands out. I feel like this could've been a powerful essay instead.

**Exo** · 02-26-2021, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

The beginning is really intense.

Yeah. I kinda skimmed the end where they gave updates on where the six survivors were at the time the book was written. Great first half though.

My favorite non fiction author. Breezed through 100 pages last night. Now I can REALLY talk about cancel culture with the old farts that come into the shop.

Trollheart · 02-26-2021, 08:46 PM

Fiction: Little Dorrit (Charles Dickens)

Non-Fiction: Corporal Hitler and the Great War 1914-1918 (John F. Williams)
Herman Goering - Fighter Ace: The World War I Career of Germany's Most Infamous Airman (Peter Kilduff)
Heinrich Himmler: A Life (Peter Lungerich)

innerspaceboy · 02-27-2021, 02:31 PM

A holy grail - mine at last!

Pictured is the November 1956 Vol 4, No 5. issue of the pulp zine, Science Fiction Quarterly, noteworthy for being the first-ever publication of Isaac Asimov's story, "The Last Question." It was Asimov's favorite short story of his own authorship and the first science fiction tale I read as a young man which directly inspired a life-long love of the genre. It remains my favorite short story to this day and for years I've wished I could have a copy of my own.

I'm so happy to finally claim this beloved treasure for my library!

TheBig3 · 03-04-2021, 12:51 PM

I'm about 2 chapters in. The first one details how the brain responds to a stroke and it's one of the more frightening things I've read in awhile.

The Batlord · 03-04-2021, 03:23 PM

Do they become hipsters?

TheBig3 · 03-04-2021, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batlord

Do they become hipsters?

Who?

The Batlord · 03-04-2021, 06:43 PM

Brains that respond to Strokes.

02-15-2021, 06:17 AM	#7191 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	Kurt Vonnegut - Breakfast of champions Re-reading some of Vonnegut's best of. __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

02-17-2021, 06:28 AM	#7192 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Finished A Tale of Two Cities. As our friend Hawk would say, unassailable: both the most famous and powerful opening and closing lines in any book ever. Superb. The way he came down neither on the side of the aristocrats nor the poor who almost became them, the reflection at the end, the casual cruelty of Monsignor, so many Jacques - words can't describe. Edging close to my favourite Dickens now. Began Little Dorrit yesterday; great description of Marseilles sweltering in the summer sun already and some dark comedy by one of the (so far) main characters. Edit: Great to see you back grindy, even if it's only now and then. You bookworm. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018 Last edited by Trollheart; 02-17-2021 at 10:13 AM.

02-19-2021, 08:34 AM	#7193 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes The themes here about memory, perception, and aging are handled really excellently, but the story arc was underwhelming and the style was straight up dull. Crafts an unreliable narrator well but not in a way that stands out. I feel like this could've been a powerful essay instead. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

02-26-2021, 08:46 PM	#7195 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,992	Fiction: Little Dorrit (Charles Dickens) Non-Fiction: Corporal Hitler and the Great War 1914-1918 (John F. Williams) Herman Goering - Fighter Ace: The World War I Career of Germany's Most Infamous Airman (Peter Kilduff) Heinrich Himmler: A Life (Peter Lungerich) __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

03-04-2021, 12:51 PM	#7197 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	I'm about 2 chapters in. The first one details how the brain responds to a stroke and it's one of the more frightening things I've read in awhile. __________________ I've moved to a new address