Books What Are You Reading or Listening To?

[Brian]

My beach book this year is Oathbringer

[GeneticBlueprint]

11 hours ago, ManUtdRedDevils said:

My beach book this year is Oathbringer

 

Still haven't finished Words of Radiance. I need to get around to doing that.

[Emblazon]

My MEG: Generations shipped today! Can't wait!!!

[Guest]

Rendezvous with Rama, Clarke.

 

After finishing contact I asked some of my buddies for another Sci-Fi recommend and they said I need to get some Clarke in my life. I’m about halfway in and it’s starting to get pretty interesting.

[dualhunter]

8 hours ago, sblfilms said:

Rendezvous with Rama, Clarke.

 

After finishing contact I asked some of my buddies for another Sci-Fi recommend and they said I need to get some Clarke in my life. I’m about halfway in and it’s starting to get pretty interesting.

 

I liked the first and third books but skipped a huge chunk from the beginning of the second.

 

[CastlevaniaNut18]

With the Old Breed, by E. B. Sledge. It's his memoir on the battles of Peleliu and Okinawa. One of the greatest personal accounts to come out of the Pacific Theatre. 

[gamer.tv]

Finished Return of the King and found the ending so much more enjoyable than I did when I first read the series (and wanted it to pretty much end after Gondor).  I really appreciate the transition to the 4th age and all that it meant. 

 

Read When We Were Orphans over a few days and it was really, really good.  Depending on the year, maybe not award winning, but certainly a must read book. The one thing I loved (and as someone that would love to write, made me envious) was it took a fairly linear, straight forward story but wound a very compulsive narrative around it. 

 

Now reading the Underground Railroad, at about the 160 page mark and it's fantastic.  Horrible for the tone it takes (almost carefree in comparison to the words and situations described) but an apparent great representation of the era (1820's American south).

[gamer.tv]

So Underground Railroad has been finished and a very worthwhile.  It's made me want to learn more about the reality of the railroad (less about the treatment of slaves in the South during the era).  I've decided on reading the Silmarillion (not just for the Nokra upvote) and so far, after the introduction, if this is the tone of the remainder, it's both very interesting and a bit of a battle.  I've also got a book called Total Rugby which is seen (at least in the modern era) as the definitive coaching guide, something more helpful as I'll be completing a youth coaching qualification this Autumn.

 

Then I think I'll read something a bit more straightforward.

[SoberChef]

Waiting for "Thrawn: Alliances" to arrive Tuesday

[Nokra]

18 hours ago, gamer.tv said:

So Underground Railroad has been finished and a very worthwhile.  It's made me want to learn more about the reality of the railroad (less about the treatment of slaves in the South during the era).  I've decided on reading the Silmarillion (not just for the Nokra upvote) and so far, after the introduction, if this is the tone of the remainder, it's both very interesting and a bit of a battle.  I've also got a book called Total Rugby which is seen (at least in the modern era) as the definitive coaching guide, something more helpful as I'll be completing a youth coaching qualification this Autumn.

 

Then I think I'll read something a bit more straightforward.

You know me.

 

[GeneticBlueprint]

The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston. It is an enthralling true story about a team of archaeologists and explorers finding a rumored hidden city in the Honduran jungle using Lidar, then subsequently pounding the ground to go explore it. I'm about halfway through. It starts with some colorful ancient, recent, and modern history and then moves on to the main event which I'm in the middle of now. One of my favorite stories so far is about how they encountered a Fer-de-Lance viper and an SAS commando that was accompanying them trapped it with a snake stick, grabbed it from behind, decapitated it, then stabbed it through the head into the ground because the thing kept trying to attack him.

 

Quote

As its head lashed back and forth, straining to sink its one and a quarter inch fangs into Woody’s fist, it expelled poison all over the back of his hand, causing his skin to bubble. . .while the headless snake also began to crawl off, and Woody had to pull it back into the pool of light to prevent its escape into the brush. . .(Later, he said he was “a bit concerned” when he felt the poison running into a cut on the back of his hand.)

 

[number305]

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

 

It was a fun read.  It is a fantasy novel with a heavy rock and roll vibe.  

[CastlevaniaNut18]

Also reading Those Who Save Us, by Jenna Blum. Over halfway through and while I like the premise, the writing is often clunky. Takes something away, but I want to see the conclusion.

[Guest]

Finished Rama...not sure when I’ll revisit Clarke, his style made it feel a bit like a chore to read. Overall interesting and worth the time. Any Sci-Fi readers have a recommendation for something to pick up next?

 

Picked up Contested Waters again after mentioning it to somebody on the CEB or whatever dopey name it has now. Really fascinating look at how societal changes on race were reflected in swimming culture.

 

Also finishing a churchy book that you Heathens would hate

[JVC920]

If consider audio book I am listening to Warcraft Before the Storm (getting ready for the next expansion.)

 

Next will be listening to Thrawn: Alliances

 

I get to listen to my audio books a lot when working in the server room now.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

Not currently reading it, but I just wanna say that The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an absolutely terrible book about the Holocaust. Read a really good article in The New Yorker last night about how children's books should handle the Holocaust. TBitSP is definitely not how it hsould be done.

 

It was one of the few books I actually wrote a review about for my Goodreads account. It's just that bad. Infuriatingly bad, especially given how popular it is. 

[CastlevaniaNut18]

I'm now reading Summer of '49, by David Halberstam. It chronicles the 1949 MLB season, focusing on the race between the Red Sox and Yankees. I've also started Red Famine: Stalin's War on Ukraine, by Anne Applebaum. 

[Nokra]

I'm reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King. It's the first non-Dark Tower book of King's that I've read and I'm enjoying it a lot so far. I'm about 150 pages in. King may not be "high literature" but he knows how to create atmosphere and tell a story, and that's worth the price of admission for sure. 

 

I recently finished Less by Andrew Sean Greer, about a mediocre author who decides to avoid going to the wedding of his former boyfriend by accepting invitations to a bunch of speaking engagements around the world. The book follows him on his humorous adventures to Germany, India, Morocco, Japan, etc. It has a lot of humor while still dealing with some serious topics (loss, aging, relationships, forgiveness, etc.) and actually won the Pulitzer Prize for 2018.  Deservedly so I would say, it was a very enjoyable read. 

 

I also recently reread Foundation by Isaac Asimov. I know that @legend enjoys these, and I'm planning on reading at least the first four. I purchased them years ago and then keep getting distracted by other books, but I know they're good and easy reads. I'll try to remain focused this time.  

[legend]

3 hours ago, Nokra said:

I'm reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King. It's the first non-Dark Tower book of King's that I've read and I'm enjoying it a lot so far. I'm about 150 pages in. King may not be "high literature" but he knows how to create atmosphere and tell a story, and that's worth the price of admission for sure. 

 

I recently finished Less by Andrew Sean Greer, about a mediocre author who decides to avoid going to the wedding of his former boyfriend by accepting invitations to a bunch of speaking engagements around the world. The book follows him on his humorous adventures to Germany, India, Morocco, Japan, etc. It has a lot of humor while still dealing with some serious topics (loss, aging, relationships, forgiveness, etc.) and actually won the Pulitzer Prize for 2018.  Deservedly so I would say, it was a very enjoyable read. 

 

I also recently reread Foundation by Isaac Asimov. I know that @legend enjoys these, and I'm planning on reading at least the first four. I purchased them years ago and then keep getting distracted by other books, but I know they're good and easy reads. I'll try to remain focused this time.  

 

Excellent! FYI, 4th Foundation book is a bit of a cliffhanger, so it’s not a good place to stop. And if you want to go that far, my suggestion is read the first 3, then pause and reach the robot novels (Caves of Steel, Naked Sun, Robots of Dawn, and then Robots and Empire). Then read The last 2 (in universe chronology) Foundation books: Foundations Edge, and Foundation and Earth. You will thank me for that pause and reverse toward the robot novels  If you cant get enough, then read the prequel Foundation novels: Prelude to Foundation and Forward the Foundation after the final two foundation books and robot novels.

 

Under no circumstances read Foundation and Earth nor the prequel Foundation novels before reading the robot novels.

 

Also, the robot novels are IMO better, especially the last two.

[gamer.tv]

Reading A brief history of time. It’s a sign of someone that understands there work that it can be explained to an idiot like me and make sense.

[Dre801]

The Turner Diaries

[gamer.tv]

On 8/11/2018 at 1:37 PM, gamer.tv said:

Reading A brief history of time. It’s a sign of someone that understands there work that it can be explained to an idiot like me and make sense.

 

Just finished and it was certainly a good starting insight into modern (and the history) of Physics and Cosmology, at least as it was 20 years ago.  I did enjoy the fact that it signed off with the fact that most aspects of human development (at least in an academic sense) is almost impossible to remain [currently] informed on.  At least outside of the few that work within the field and live and breathe the subject.  That said, this will be a nice catalyst for me to enjoy more books/articles surrounding the theory of the universe, at least from a slightly more informed point of view, but more importantly to look at other 'introduction to' books to read.  I would love to have a more rounded understanding of British politics (that my mixture of news and people opinion doesn't offer) so I may look into that. 

 

In the mean time, I've just ordered The Name of the Wind - Patrick Fothfuss, which comes incredibly well recommended by all corners of the internet.  I had no idea of the series before hand, so I'm looking forward to giving it a go.

 

Then I think I need to return back to Uhtred of Beddanburg and continue on with that series, I think I'm eight books in now, so I can't exactly stop. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

I just finished listening to the LibriVox audiobook for Twilight of the Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

This is probably the best "introduction" to his "life-affirming" philosophical ideas, but even then you'll still have to do consult some external analysis. 

[Hurdyb1]

Finished Doctor Sleep last week. It was so Damm good! I was looking for a little bit more chills like The Shining, which I read in the past, but it was such a good thriller and the rising build up was excellent. I want to see how this turns out into the eventual movie we get but it was so good.

 

I need another Stephen King book to read.

[Nokra]

54 minutes ago, Hurdyb1 said:

Finished Doctor Sleep last week. It was so Damm good! I was looking for a little bit more chills like The Shining, which I read in the past, but it was such a good thriller and the rising build up was excellent. I want to see how this turns out into the eventual movie we get but it was so good.

 

I need another Stephen King book to read.

 

Have you ever read The Stand? It was the other King book I wanted to get to because it apparently is frequently referenced in his Dark Tower books, which I loved. 

[EternallDarkness]

1 hour ago, Hurdyb1 said:

Finished Doctor Sleep last week. It was so Damm good! I was looking for a little bit more chills like The Shining, which I read in the past, but it was such a good thriller and the rising build up was excellent. I want to see how this turns out into the eventual movie we get but it was so good.

 

I need another Stephen King book to read.

Bag of Bones is one of my favorites. 

[TheLeon]

I’ve been listening to The Dresden Files audiobooks, mostly at work. I just finished book 6, Blood Rites. It’s been a while since I really got into a series.

[Nokra]

2 hours ago, SFLUFAN said:

I just finished listening to the LibriVox audiobook for Twilight of the Idols by Friedrich Nietzsche

 

This is probably the best "introduction" to his "life-affirming" philosophical ideas, but even then you'll still have to do consult some external analysis. 

 

Does j00 liek teh Nietzsche?! 

 

[CastlevaniaNut18]

A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea, by Masaji Ishikawa. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

1 hour ago, Nokra said:

 

Does j00 liek teh Nietzsche?! 

 

Oh Lord - Nietzsche in his native tongue must be something to behold!

[Nokra]

44 minutes ago, SFLUFAN said:

Oh Lord - Nietzsche in his native tongue must be something to behold!

 

I'll be honest, I gave up about halfway through Also Sprach Zarathustra and haven't even started on the other two.    I bought them at the same time because I was curious and they were cheap, being classics. I found that for the most part the German wasn't that bad (though certainly not easy), but of course even in one's native language they're not easy reads due to the concepts involved. So to read them in a foreign language was taking too much time when I was supposed to be studying.   I'd like to go back to them someday soon.

 

I have read almost all of Hermann Hesse's books in the original German though, and that is sublime.  

[Hurdyb1]

Thanks for the recommendations @EternallDarknessand @Nokra

[EternallDarkness]

58 minutes ago, Hurdyb1 said:

Thanks for the recommendations @EternallDarknessand @Nokra

 

@Nokra 's recommendation of The Stand is a good one. It's a monster of a book, both in length and the scope of the story, whereas Bag of Bones is a more intimate ghost/love story. I can still remember reading the Stand when I was 8 or 9. I remember bringing it with me to school and my teachers questioning whether it was appropriate material for my age  

[Alpha1Cowboy]

Just finished this one.....I'd call it Horror Lite.   Not bad, and the humor was hit or miss, but it definitley was enjoyable for a summer read

 

https://www.amazon.com/Meddling-Kids-Novel-Edgar-Cantero/dp/0385541996

 

[CastlevaniaNut18]

River of Darkness was short and I finished it last night. 

 

Today, I started I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou. I'm sorry to say I've never read it before now.