Which book are you reading now? Volume XI

[Oruc]

I finished reading "expedition to disaster" by Philip matyszak and before that "the hour of decision" by Spengler, I dragged my heels with that one though.

Now I'm reading "the Tyrants of Syracuse" by Jeff champion, rather plebeian by peoples standards here I'm sure.

 

[Tahuti]

Close to finishing Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence. Still need to finish Crime & Punishment after that.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Just started reading Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky. Free digital copy came with Metro: Last Light, and although I hate reading on the computer, I'm enjoying the book enough to look past the fact.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I usually read a few books relating to English history and culture for St. George's Day in April; I arrived at a bittersweet finish for Bernard Cornwell's "Richard Sharpe" series with Waterloo earlier, and am now into Sir Winston Churchill's "History of the English-Speaking Peoples", volume III: The Age of Revolution. It starts with the ascension of William of Orange to the English throne, and goes through to the Napoleonic wars. Speaking of which, the Sharpe series has been incredible; I've been reading it book by book for four years. There are twenty of them, tracing a rifleman's story from his enlisted days in India to his rise from the ranks to be a lieutenant-colonel during Waterloo. Fantastic stuff.

 

[peter grimes]

I usually don't read fiction (there's so much reality that's way more interesting to me!), but I have to admit that I'm LOVING Red Mars* by Kim Stanley Robinson.

In describing my tastes to a coworker, I noticed that I prefer books that discuss events, problems, and solutions. I don't have much patience for reading about the inner lives of the people behind the events or solving the problems. So The Making of The Atomic Bomb is one of my favorite books, but a biography about Oppenheimer doesn't interest me.

In Red Mars the author hits a great balance between those two extremes. Technically there are some pretty big errors, but I'm willing to look past them for now.

*I will likely finish the book on my lunch break, good thing I brought along Green Mars, too

 

[Masada]

A Dreadful Deceit: the Myth of Race From the Colonial Era to Obama’s America - Jacqueline Jones: Interesting.
The American Way of Poverty: How the Other Half Live - Sasha Abramsky: Interesting.
Goliath: Life and Loathing in Greater Israel - Max Blumenthal: Interesting.

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

I usually don't read fiction (there's so much reality that's way more interesting to me!) [...]

In describing my tastes to a coworker, I noticed that I prefer books that discuss events, problems, and solutions. I don't have much patience for reading about the inner lives of the people behind the events or solving the problems.

Are you me?

Anyway, America Again by Stephen Colbert. Pretty funny.

 

[peter grimes]

Are you me?

Anyway, America Again by Stephen Colbert. Pretty funny.

quiet! Don't let the mods know!

 

[Antilogic]

This thread makes me sad because I have had read all of 20 pages for pleasure reading in the last couple weeks.

 

[JohannaK]

You tell me.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

I went to get Capitalism in the 21st Century by Thomas Piketty, but B&N was sold out. So I grabbed instead:

Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber
The Spectre of Hegel by Louis Althusser

 

[ParkCungHee]

Europe of the Dictators: 1919-1945 by Elizabeth Wiskemann.

Very dated, filling time until I can get my hands on some books I want to read payday, but the parts on Eastern Europe and the attention it's given is mostly new to me and still are a real treat. Would have been great when it came out.

 

[mech654]

The books that I am currently reading are:
Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling and Numbers without end by C.Lanczos

Since the semester is drawing near the end. Hopefully I can started on my backlog of books.

 

[ParkCungHee]

I usually don't read fiction (there's so much reality that's way more interesting to me!), but I have to admit that I'm LOVING Red Mars* by Kim Stanley Robinson.

In describing my tastes to a coworker, I noticed that I prefer books that discuss events, problems, and solutions. I don't have much patience for reading about the inner lives of the people behind the events or solving the problems. So The Making of The Atomic Bomb is one of my favorite books, but a biography about Oppenheimer doesn't interest me.

I think if I had to summarize my taste in books, it would be books that give me a different way of looking at the world. I don't like biographies much because they don't do a very good job of this, usually. They instead try to make the lives of other people relatable, which usually means making them a lot like us.

I think this is why what I read is mostly philosophy or history, but a particular kind of history. For example The Making of the Atomic Bomb looks like it would bore me to tears (I may be wrong, but that's how it looks), but From Kings to Warlords is my favorite bit of history. Because it looks at a way of doing things totally different from what I'm used to, and really brings out the detail of it.

 

[sophie]

Not entirely sure whether or not this is still the active thread...

But I finished Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Azkaban

Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch will begin shortly. They're starting to get really easy to read!

 

[Smellincoffee]

A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World, David Bernstein

I've read books on the influence of the salt trade, or of particular beverages, or of sugar, and so on, so a narrative that covers it all is most enjoyable.

 

[peter grimes]

I'm on Green Mars now. Still enjoying the series immensely.

 

[Kozmos]

It is one of my favourite series. So broad and deep without going on forever like other series.

I'm currently reading Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days and Dance with Dragons.

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Not entirely sure whether or not this is still the active thread...

But I finished Harry Potter und der Gefangene von Azkaban

Harry Potter und der Feuerkelch will begin shortly. They're starting to get really easy to read!

Very good! That's an exceptional level of skill you're displaying!

I remember translating the first chapter of Der Stein der Weisen for a German class once. That was pretty rough...

 

[Smellincoffee]

I went to get Capitalism in the 21st Century by Thomas Piketty, but B&N was sold out. So I grabbed instead:

Debt: The First 5,000 Years by David Graeber

Have you started reading this yet?