What books are you reading for pleasure these days?

I found Earthsea evocative but dry. It was only recently that I tried her other material and came to the 'Left Hand of Darkness' & 'The Dispossessed' - both of which I enjoyed immensely (maybe with the hindsight of a couple of decades under my belt).
I read the Earthsea (then a trilogy) books first when I was 14. It's one of those series I have read periodically throughout my life and my view of it has changed accordingly.
 
I read mainly novels on my Kindle these days. I used to fly off to Spain for a few weeks at a time with a suitcase full of paperbacks and so the advent of the Kindle was a blessing. The only trouble is that I can never remember what I've read unless I go back to my Amazon "orders" account! I did read "A Little Life" last year, by Hanya Yangihara and it stayed with me for a long time after.

Not remembering is why I joined Goodreads. You can use your KIndle (if its less than a few years old... the first few versions dont do it because Amazon hadnt bought it then) to post to Goodreads... Its worth it if you are as absentminded as I am. I read way too fast and forget easily :)

This is how your "Read" books are presented
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I’m still doing goodreads. I aimed for 60 books last year ad only got to 47. Its a sad fact that I cannot read as fast as I used to, even a few years ago. I’m aiming for 50 this year, but doubt if I will make it. So far I’ve read 9. Just started Ben Bova’s “Apes and Angels”. Apes and Angels
Never a good idea to rush a book IMO. There's a person I used to know who really used to get through a book quick, but couldn't remember some of what I considered to be the most relevant parts of it.
 
I'm usually obliged to reading several books simultaneously for professional reasons; in the last couple of weeks, I had to digest:
- Ulrich Karger. Die Odyssee. (a short version of Homer's great work for secondary school kids)
- Bertolt Brecht. Die Dreigroschenoper. (the famous "Three Penny Opera" - the original play, obviously)
- Hartmann von Aue. Der arme Heinrich. (a 12th century novel about selfishness and devotion - and how to get it right; quite a worthy read, actually)
- Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Justiz. ("The Execution of Justice" - what if the law could be twisted in to becoming unjust? Bad things done to make things "right")
--- still at it, in fact.
- Friedrich Schiller. Die Räuber. ("The Robbers" - why absolute freedom and self-fulfillment don't work, 18th century style - at the dawn of the French Revolution)
- Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Die Physiker. ("The Physicists" - a typical grotesque Dürrenmatt drama on how exactly our world might end up in the hands of maniacs)

Now, I need something relaxing - which means that I turn to Terry Pratchett. This time around, it's "Soul Music" ...

M.
 
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I'm currrently re-reading Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything", and apart from being too thick and heavy for comfortable bedtime reading, it's just perfect easy reading for these worrying times.

Actually, I'm gradually working my way through all of his books again, alternating them with the five volumes of Clive James' memoirs.

-R
 
Hi guys, due to a bit more time just lately i've started reading again.
Normally i only read when i'm chilling in my campervan at the beach but due to lockdown that obviously won't be happening for the forseeable....
last week i read the second & third books in a series from a Norwegian author called Samuel Bjork. (read the first a couple of years ago)
"I'm travelling alone" Excellent.
"the owl always hunts at night" Pretty good.
"The boy in the headlights" Excellent again (y)

i have "I am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes lined up as my next read, apparently it's pretty good :)
 
William Gibson's Agency. Sequel to The Peripheral. Completed it late last night; released some time ago, but I'd been waiting until I could give it my full attention.

I try to avoid reading reviews or analysis until I've finished a book. I'm finding it difficult to reconcile my own [positive] opinion with what I have read this morning in most critical and reader reviews. Its intention differs somewhat from his previous three or four books, and may not have been quite as direct as many of his readers expect. But in all, a thought provoking meditation on the nature of authority, agency, and society. It rewards reflection. Recommended.
 
I read the Earthsea (then a trilogy) books first when I was 14. It's one of those series I have read periodically throughout my life and my view of it has changed accordingly.

I was like that with The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings, both of which I first read at age 11. Rinse and repeat at 18, 25, 33 and 47. Havent read recently. Got more and more out of them every time. Maybe its time again :)
 
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