What books are you reading for pleasure these days?

[JensM]

Taken up "On the Shores of the Mediterranean" by Eric Newby, as "Spring Snow" by Mishima was a little heavy to read in bed, which unfortunately seems to be the place I read for enjoyment, these days.

Should probably consider an effort towards spending more time off-line, the distraction is there, even if it is mostly a positive experience.

 

[drd1135]

I read my daughter mostly books by British authors, not by design but it does reflect my own tastes in children’s books. She loved Watership Down. We had a long discussion about why General Wormwort was unwilling to accept Hazel’s proposal of peace and cooperation between the two warrens.

 

[Bensch]

Two books on the go at the moment;
"The Enemy Within" by Tim Ayliffe.
"Love People, Use Things" by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.

 

[John King]

I read my daughter mostly books by British authors, not by design but it does reflect my own tastes in children’s books. She loved Watership Down. We had a long discussion about why General Wormwort was unwilling to accept Hazel’s proposal of peace and cooperation between the two warrens.

Steve, I don't know if you already know this, but Watership Down was based on a scientific paper titled "The Secret Life of the Rabbit". The latter is a fascinating read in itself. Apparently, a buck rabbit is capable of fighting off an adult fox! Anyway, WD is a lovely story.

 

[UnderOpenWater]

I just finished Anthony Doerr's "All the light that we cannot see." It is a breathtakingly beautiful book. I (and the Pulitzer committee) cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

[phigmov]

Finished 'The Knowledge' - was 3/4 way through 6 months ago and hit a wall (& other books) so parked it. Found a couple of quiet afternoons to polish it off. Its a good read but you have to be in the right mood - I'd actually love to see a BBC documentary series on each chapter as it would make for quite an education show in terms of practically kick-starting a number of critical technologies after an apocalyptic event.

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[Walter Palmer]

Just finished "The Four Winds" by Kristen Hannah. A modern author takes on the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

About to start "Atlas Shrugged" - seems a fitting time.

 

[William Lewis]

Been working my way through an excellent current Paleoanthropology textbook Processes in Human Evolution

Once upon a time, I was chasing a Philosophy/English double major but then I dropped out to put my then GF through school. Now, if I were to go back, I'd probably go into Paleoanthropology. I'm sure I'd make so much more money

 

[John King]

Just finished "The Four Winds" by Kristen Hannah. A modern author takes on the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl.

About to start "Atlas Shrugged" - seems a fitting time.

Walter, it took me about 9 months to read Atlas Shrugged the first time. I didn't find it light reading in my late twenties. The second time was a lot faster.

 

[The Quiet Photographer]

Up until recently, recently being the last 8 months or so, I've been on a fiction kick - specifically mysteries.

For quite a few years I'd been reading almost nothing but nonfiction - quite a few books on Afghanistan (two of my favorites were written by Rory Stewart), a book called "Justice" based on a course taught with the same name in a well known law school... But then I got hooked into reading the Stieg Larrson trilogy "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo", etc. I really didn't want to read them but once I started I couldn't stop! Some extreme violence, and more...but also very interesting, and well written. I had forgotten how enjoyable a good mystery can be - as long as you can't figure things out easily. It's like going to the movies...but you can sit anywhere.

Right now, I am on my second Henning Mankell book - one of his Kurt Wallander series. This one is, I believe, the most recent "The Troubled Man". I got turned on to the character of Kurt Wallander thanks to a BBC series BBC - Press Office - Kenneth Branagh stars in Wallander for BBC One and will most likely read my way through all of them.

What about you all - what are you reading for pleasure these days?

I’m totally into Scandi Noir these days including film and have read all the Mankell books and the Martin Beck series by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö which have all been made into films. The Icelandic novels tend to ramble somewhat and you need to keep a good eye on the plot developement. All of them fulfill the latent detective in me.

Up until recently, recently being the last 8 months or so, I've been on a fiction kick - specifically mysteries.

For quite a few years I'd been reading almost nothing but nonfiction - quite a few books on Afghanistan (two of my favorites were written by Rory Stewart), a book called "Justice" based on a course taught with the same name in a well known law school... But then I got hooked into reading the Stieg Larrson trilogy "The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo", etc. I really didn't want to read them but once I started I couldn't stop! Some extreme violence, and more...but also very interesting, and well written. I had forgotten how enjoyable a good mystery can be - as long as you can't figure things out easily. It's like going to the movies...but you can sit anywhere.

Right now, I am on my second Henning Mankell book - one of his Kurt Wallander series. This one is, I believe, the most recent "The Troubled Man". I got turned on to the character of Kurt Wallander thanks to a BBC series BBC - Press Office - Kenneth Branagh stars in Wallander for BBC One and will most likely read my way through all of them.

What about you all - what are you reading for pleasure these days?

 

[Richard]

Just finished this – a Christmas present from my partner. I was never a fan of Nirvana and I’m only slightly a fan of the Foo Fighters, but every time I’ve seen Dave Grohl interviewed or heard his opinion on other artists I’ve thought, “I like that guy”. I already knew that the man you see shouting into the microphone on stage, with the big hair and the big teeth and the colourful language is just one aspect of Dave Grohl. The book makes it clear that there are at least a couple of other guys up there – the loving husband and father (of three girls) and the school drop-out who can’t believe his luck in the job he does and the people he meets. Some of the better stories involve chance encounters with rock royalty (Little Richard, Elton John) and Grohl takes evident delight in unlikely interactions between his children and his heroes. One daughter is taught to play piano by Paul McCartney and another gets a bedtime story from Joan Jett.

There's darkness when Grohl talks about Kurt Cobain's drug addiction and death, horror when he explains why jumping off an arena stage mid-performance can be a really bad idea, and surprise when he reveals why you shouldn’t pee in the bushes in the grounds of the White House.

It all makes for a very entertaining read, if you’re not offended by colourful language, and it’s prompted me to get a Foo Fighters concert on DVD. Not sure why I haven’t done that before.

-R

 

[JensM]

About to start "Atlas Shrugged" - seems a fitting time.

That one is hard going.

I started it twice, read it once, not likely to read it again.

There are some food for though in it, whatever side one comes at it from, but as litterature? Frankly, rather boring, ranting and not particularly good.

 

[John King]

That one is hard going.

I started it twice, read it once, not likely to read it again.

There are some food for though in it, whatever side one comes at it from, but as litterature? Frankly, rather boring, ranting and not particularly good.

Jens, I suppose that it's fair to call the longest soliloquy I am aware of in literature "a rant". John Galt's 90 odd pages qualifies ... . Makes Hamlet's look pretty meagre! I don't think any of Shakespeare's plays are as long as that.

"Anthem" is far more concise.

 

[phigmov]

About a 1/3rd of the way through Mark Lanegans autobiography 'Sing backwards and weep' - loved Screaming Trees & his solo stuff + work with Queens of the Stone Age and Twilight Singers/Gutter Twins.

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[phigmov]

About 2/3rds through the new Alistair Reynolds 'Inhibiter Phase' - pretty good. Enjoying being back in the Revelation Space milieu he established in some of his earlier novels.

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[drd1135]

Jens, I suppose that it's fair to call the longest soliloquy I am aware of in literature "a rant". John Galt's 90 odd pages qualifies ... . Makes Hamlet's look pretty meagre! I don't think any of Shakespeare's plays are as long as that.

"Anthem" is far more concise.

You read Anthem and you pretty much have read Rand. Maybe the Fountainhead.

 

[John King]

You read Anthem and you pretty much have read Rand. Maybe the Fountainhead.

Agree.

If you ignore the heavy proselytizing, and just stick with the ideas of individual value and examining the motives of those with whom one has aligned oneself, she hits the nail on the head.

Almost all humans are field dependent to one degree or another. Truly field independent individuals are very rare, because humans are fundamentally a herd/tribal animal. BTW, the Wikipedia article is very simplistic, but gives a basic introduction to the concept.

Field dependent people tend to rely on support from their group of friends and acquaintances, whereas field independent people tend to rely on their own judgement, knowledge and expertise. This is also a gross over-simplification, as it also applies to those who have pathological personalities (common term, 'psychopaths').

 

[Richard]

This was a sort of late Christmas present to myself - it got good reviews and it was only £5 at Amazon, so I couldn't resist.

I'm not a huge Mel Brooks fan, but I think The Producers is a terrific movie and it's been too long since I've seen Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. It's fun reading the stories surrounding these movies (and others) and being reminded of the best scenes and the best gags. You can hear Mel Brooks' voice very clearly throughout, and that's always welcome in an autobiography. I'm about halfway through at the moment, and wondering why I've never seen Silent Movie or High Anxiety. I must do something about that.

-R

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[Zeus1]

Just finished Diane Setterfields "The Thirteenth Tale" and now beginning "Memoirs of a Geisha" by Arthur Golden.

 

[agentlossing]

Finished The Two Towers, now on to The Return of the King!