Which book are you reading now? Volume XI

[Masada]

I just finished An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris, a recounting of the Dreyfuss via in novel form, from the perspective of Colonel Picquart, the intelligence officer whose investigations helped exonerate Dreyfuss.

I'm now reading this.

You don't know me but you don't like me: Phish, Insane Clown Posse... - Nathan Rabin: I gave up at about 70%, it just didn't hold me, in part, because of endless reminiscing about drug use detracted from the original promise of the book i.e. an examination of widely reviled groups within our culture.

Forged: Writing in the Name of God - Bart D. Ehrman: Interesting as ever.

The Historical Figure of Jesus - E. Sanders: Interesting.

 

[Antilogic]

I have not done any pleasure reading in approximately 2 weeks, and I intend to change that soon.

1. US presidential biographies (I find it often give diffferent perspectives on history, since it tends to accentuate the people rather than just the events);

I'd be interested in seeing your list. I went on a biography kick last year and picked up several: McCullough's three, Morris's three on Teddy Roosevelt, Millard and Miller who wrote about the assassinations of Garfield and McKinley respectively, and some non-presidential guys like Stewart's book on Aaron Burr and Newton's book on Earl Warren.

 

[JohannaK]

And The Mountains Echoed, by Khaled Hosseini. I really loved his two previous novels, but this one was terribly disappointing. It's composed of many stories that are related to each other, but the main problem is that while every story is supposed to be narrated by a different character, almost all of the characters are the same. Every story is the same story. It's a pity, because it was set off to an interesting development.

Gonna reread Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction, a great and engaging little book by Jonathan Culler; together with a short crime story (Mother's Help by Ruth Rendell) for my English class; then possibly A Midsummer Night's Dream; also The World As Will And Representation (Arthur Schopenhauer) in my spare time.

 

[Traitorfish]

A Plague of Sheep by Elinor G.K. Melville. It sounds like a surrealist comedy, but it's actually about ecological change in post-conqust Mexico, because I am a fun and exciting guy.

 

[Cutlass]

I have not done any pleasure reading in approximately 2 weeks, and I intend to change that soon.



I'd be interested in seeing your list. I went on a biography kick last year and picked up several: McCullough's three, Morris's three on Teddy Roosevelt, Millard and Miller who wrote about the assassinations of Garfield and McKinley respectively, and some non-presidential guys like Stewart's book on Aaron Burr and Newton's book on Earl Warren.

There's a recent biography of Wilson I saw on the library new arrivals shelf. But I didn't look close enough to tell you anything about it. I think it's this

http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-A-Scot...ie=UTF8&qid=1392228133&sr=8-2&keywords=wilson

 

[Masada]

An Officer and a Spy: Robert Harris - Very good.
Why can't elephants jump? And 101 other questions: Ed Mick O'Hare - A compilation of Q&A's from the New Scientist. Very readable.
Ordinary Men: Christopher R. Browning - Fantastic. Discusses how the otherwise normal people became mass murderers.
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal: Mary Roach - Roach is now my favorite science writer.

 

[sophie]

Ich habe Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen fertig lesen!

Ich werde die Kammer des Schreckens morgen beginnen

Spoiler :

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I'm going to start the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow

 

[Antilogic]

I just finished Richard Miles's Carthage Mvst be Destroyed, and felt that it was a great complement to what I remember from my old Roman history class. It's quite good at showing the shared features and synthesis of Mediterranean faiths (with a focus on Carthage, of course), and the last half on the Punic Wars was excellent.

Wish we had more primary sources from Carthage, though. But Miles did a great job with what we do have.

There's a recent biography of Wilson I saw on the library new arrivals shelf. But I didn't look close enough to tell you anything about it. I think it's this

http://www.amazon.com/Wilson-A-Scot...ie=UTF8&qid=1392228133&sr=8-2&keywords=wilson

It seems somewhat short and the reviews are pretty mixed. I'll keep an eye on it, though, especially if one of the PB guys goes for it.

Ich habe Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen fertig lesen!

Ich werde die Kammer des Schreckens morgen beginnen

Spoiler :

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I'm going to start the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow

Congratulations, it's a bit of a challenge to read through a book in another language for the first time!

 

[Kyriakos]

I was given a collection of short stories by Murakami ('Blind willow--Sleeping woman'). Haven't read anything by him by now. Any particular story you can suggest?

 

[Cutlass]

I've been reading the Brandon Sanderson Mistborn series. Just started the 3rd of them.

 

[Mouthwash]

Ich habe Harry Potter und der Stein der Weisen fertig lesen!

Ich werde die Kammer des Schreckens morgen beginnen

Spoiler :

I finished reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I'm going to start the Chamber of Secrets tomorrow

Is it still as well written? Is there anything you noticed or didn't like about the translation?

 

[Kyriakos]

I just read The Mirror, a short story by Haruki Murakami.
A very cool story. I hadn't read anything by him until now, but i will surely check more of his works

I particularly loved the metaphor for the broken door, moving due to the nearby hurricane building-up.

 

[Darth Caesar]

I'm on A Storm of Swords now

Spoiler :

And am in mourning after the Red Wedding.

 

[Antilogic]

Been reading through Amy Goodman's The Silenced Majority, which is a collection of her columns and some other associated postings from the end of the Bush presidency and Obama's first term arranged thematically.

 

[Mouthwash]

Been reading through Amy Goodman's The Silenced Majority, which is a collection of her columns and some other associated postings from the end of the Bush presidency and Obama's first term arranged thematically.

Why?

 

[Antilogic]

Something different from the usual stuff I read, and I didn't follow her news broadcast as carefully five years ago so it's still new to me.

 

[Mouthwash]

Something different from the usual stuff I read

If you wanted that, why don't you just get into sci-fi or something instead of reading useless leftist crap?

 

[Antilogic]

If you wanted that, why don't you just get into sci-fi or something instead of reading useless leftist crap?

Used to be into scifi, doesn't really hold my interest anymore. I prefer to read non-fiction almost exclusively nowadays.

You don't seem to be a fan of her, any particular reason why?

 

[ParkCungHee]

In Search of Wealth and Power, Yan Fu and the West.

Feel kind of like I should have read something about Yan Fu before reading this.

 

[Joecoolyo]

I'm on A Storm of Swords now

Spoiler :

And am in mourning after the Red Wedding.

I'm not going to say anything, but it gets good, it gets really good. Especially in A Dance with Dragons.

You're in for a real treat