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BOOKS

BOOKS

Discussion, news, book hauls, reviews, and anything else about books!

10975 members
Posted byShufflepuffin/books-Jul 02, 2016 at 8:41 PM

What are you reading right now?

What books are you currently reading? How do you like them so far?

Comments67
  • TheLizardQueenJul 02, 2016 at 8:46 PMΔ

    I've been slacking on my reading due to moving but my current read is Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. It is brilliant so far really enjoying it.

    • gravewriterJul 12, 2016 at 8:35 AMΔ

      I've got his book, The Fireman, on my "to-read" list. I read his graphic novels for Locke & Key and they were fabulous. A librarian recommended it after asking if I liked HP Lovecraft. After I started reading them, I discovered that he was Stephen King's son. I guess it makes sense that he would go by another name...Joe King doesn't sound proper for a horror writer.

      • TheLizardQueenJul 12, 2016 at 8:38 AM

        I need to read that one! I liked the Locke and Key graphic novels a lot. Have been meaning to acquire them so I can finish the series.

        I love HP Lovecraft too.

        :)

      • petatronJul 20, 2016 at 2:44 AM

        The Fireman is sitting in my to-read pile as well!

  • terrorerrorJul 02, 2016 at 9:51 PMΔ

    Zoo City, by Lauren Beukes. I like it so far, picked it up on a whim at the library.

    • koopsykoopsyJul 26, 2016 at 1:50 PMΔ

      I read Zoo City right after I came back from living in Joburg for a few months. Amazing! Beukes's version of Joburg is so rich and colorful and noisy and mysterious, much like the real thing. It also has a more radical story than I think it seems like at first. Hope you enjoy it all the way through.

      • terrorerrorJul 26, 2016 at 7:06 PM

        I did, thank you!

  • KaelaJul 02, 2016 at 9:37 PMΔ

    Anna Karenina. STILL.

    BUT I AM ACTUALLY FINALLY making progress on it and getting closer to finishing it. WOO! Vacations and broken ankles and hospital stays all rolled into one turn out to contribute to a decent amount of reading time.

    • TheLizardQueenJul 02, 2016 at 11:00 PM

      Well that's looking on the bright side!

    • nopicnicJul 03, 2016 at 4:15 PMΔ

      Ah, Anna Karenina is somewhere in my towering pile of stuff to read at some point this year! What translation do you have? I picked up the recent Rosamund Bartlett (Oxford University Press) one, which I've heard good things about.

      • KaelaJul 04, 2016 at 12:09 AM

        Looks like it's "The famous Constance Garnett translation" on my kindle and a translation by Joel Carmichael for the actual book (I switch back and forth depending on mood and convenience). Normally I try to pay some attention and look up the translations to see if there's a better/worse version, but with this I just did the one that was free on my kindle and the copy of the book my husband already had in the house, haha.

        Good luck with it! It's pretty good, but it is long, and they can be some dry patches. I actually started it a couple years ago and stopped almost halfway through after reading 40 pages solid about farming, and just finally picked it up again a few months ago. Turns out I gave up literally on like the second-to-last page of the farming monologue, haha. Now my kindle app says I'm 86% through! Getting there!

      • TheSameAsDyingJul 09, 2016 at 11:41 PM

        I have the Pevear / Volokhonsky translation, since that was the translation with the most aesthetic bindings. It is a very good translation, though, and they did an interview last year with The Paris Review, where they talk about the process of translating Tolstoy.

    • CraigShermanJul 08, 2016 at 5:07 PM

      I loved AK! I love his short stories too - a great super short one is "the three questions". But I think Tolstoy gets better the older you get. At 21, I couldn't get into it - it was 'work' to read. Now it's a joy.
      Hope you love it.

    • TheSameAsDyingJul 09, 2016 at 11:37 PM

      I started reading it last summer, but school started and I had coursework to get through, and then I had an entire summer reading list, too. So now that I'm mostly through that list (only short stories and poetry left), I've decided my big read for the summer will be getting through Anna Karenina. I've started over at the beginning.

      What I love about it -- and I'm not sure if it's just the translation -- is the simplicity and clarity that Tolstoy uses. Everything is absolutely clear and well-explained, and the characters are so multi-dimensional and rounded that it's absolutely bewildering. Life goals: write one character as well as Tolstoy writes all characters.

  • AlkaidJul 02, 2016 at 10:46 PMΔ

    I just finished Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin. Man, it was weird. I did enjoy it, though, and I'd recommend it to anyone else too as long as they're okay with a book set in China and has a pretty odd premise.

    Before I go on to read the sequel I'm going to read Too Like the Lightning next, though.

    • GuyDudemanJul 02, 2016 at 10:51 PMΔ

      as long as they're okay with a book set in China

      Why would someone not be ok with that?

      And I love odd premises.

      • AlkaidJul 02, 2016 at 10:57 PMΔ

        Some people don't find it easy or enjoyable to get into books that are set in cultures they aren't familiar with. That's the reason I mentioned it.

      • GuyDudemanJul 02, 2016 at 11:02 PM

        Interesting. Ok, cool.

      • zhemaoJul 02, 2016 at 11:36 PM

        Well, it was also originally written in Chinese and then translated into English, which makes it even more difficult. Plus, there are all those references to the Cultural Revolution, earlier Chinese history, and classical Chinese literature. And in addition to that, there's all the physics stuff. The translator put in a ton of footnotes just so that English-speaking readers could make sense of it.

    • TheLizardQueenJul 02, 2016 at 10:59 PM

      I want to check this one out. It keeps popping up.

    • terrorerrorJul 03, 2016 at 10:51 AM

      You had me at "odd premise."

  • KeepNappingEliteJul 02, 2016 at 11:34 PM

    The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst. There's a documentary about his story on Netflix US called Deep Water. He was a really fascinating guy who was put into a sad situation.

  • AwkwardGeckoJul 02, 2016 at 8:47 PMΔ

    Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials That Shape Our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik.

    So far so good. Each chapter focuses on one material. The last chapter was ceramics, I learned a lot about them lol. Another chapter was all about joints. Just a random selection of different stuff.

    • Rabid77Jul 09, 2016 at 3:40 PM

      This is on my to read list, glad to see someone is enjoying it....I might have to move this to the top of the list

  • FlonzoJul 05, 2016 at 8:24 PMΔ

    I'm reading Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and thoroughly enjoying it so far.

    • gravewriterJul 12, 2016 at 8:37 AM

      Excellent book! I've read it twice. One of the first Gaiman books I ever read. I've read tons from both authors since.

    • TheLizardQueenJul 12, 2016 at 8:39 AMΔ

      I have read this so many times. It is amazing.

      Recommend American Gods by Neil Gaiman if this tale intrigues you!

      • FlonzoJul 12, 2016 at 3:04 PM

        I've read American Gods twice. It is really good. I love Gaiman's take on religion and mythology. It's the first book by Terry Pratchett I've read however.

  • GuyDudemanJul 02, 2016 at 10:33 PMΔ

    Republic of Thieves (of the Lies of Locke Lamora series)... Just about 50 pages in, really good so far!

    Really enjoying this series. Hope he turns our more books soon!

    • TheLizardQueenJul 02, 2016 at 10:39 PMΔ

      Oh man my boyfriend read that and it is on my list!

      • GuyDudemanJul 02, 2016 at 10:51 PMΔ

        SOOO Great!! Start at the beginning with The Lies of Locke Lamora. So awesome. It's as if Ocean's 11 and Oliver Twist had a lovechild and it was abandoned in Medieval Venice. Also, with the added intrigue of the setting having mysterious ruins of a great and advanced civilization that I'm hoping they never explain fully because if they explained it or if it had something to do with the events in the book other than being a cool setting, I think it would cheapen it. I love it.

        The 2nd book, Red Seas Under Red Skies is a pirate book, so prepare yourself for that kind of thing. It's worth it, just a lot of nautical stuff. I definitely learned what Port/Starboard meant!

      • TheLizardQueenJul 02, 2016 at 10:55 PMΔ

        I got a glimpse into it because the fella was listening to Red Seas Under Red Skies in audio book format. I really want to read the series.

        Oh and apparently he hasn't read Republic of Theives yet. My bad.

      • GuyDudemanJul 02, 2016 at 10:58 PM

        Ahh. Republic of Thieves is really great so far.

      • PymJul 05, 2016 at 11:02 AM

        Have been reading non-fiction about real life pirates and mutineers (and their executions) in the late 18th and early to mid-19th century, and it's blowin' my mind! Learned that there was a big increase in pirating & mutinees right after and related to the French revolution. So it wasn't always about stealing and plunder -- it was also political.

      • koopsykoopsyJul 26, 2016 at 1:51 PM

        Yeah, agree, make sure you start at the beginning with Lies! In these books, you can almost taste how much fun the characters are having.

  • pillbobagginsJul 02, 2016 at 10:29 PM

    I'm reading Shadowfall by James Clemens, it's the first book in the chronicles of the Godslayer. it's a dark fantasy world, pretty miserable. It's not unlike A Game of Thrones but it's not quite comparable either. It's not about nobles and kings squabbling over a throne, it's about those who have fallen from grace or who started out on the bottom rung finding their will and courage to keep going and fight the evil that has swept over their land. There's a former shadowknight, a thief and a little girl of about 13 who has a magic "pet" called Pupp whose physical form can only be seen in blood as the main characters so far. It's a gripping read and a nice change from reading about the rich and privileged killing each other over petty bullshit as far as fantasy goes. It's pretty brutal, with rape and murder happening early in the book and there's no flowery language to try to make it seem like less than it is.

  • StayFrayJul 03, 2016 at 12:41 AMΔ

    Book 4 of the Outlander series Drums of Autumn

    • curvy_deeJul 03, 2016 at 12:50 AMΔ

      How are you finding it? I've read the entire series a few times, but on the most recent re-read got simply over all the rapes and near rapes. I'm thoroughly enjoying the TV series though.

      • StayFrayJul 03, 2016 at 12:52 AM

        It has slowed a little for me at this point. I haven't watched to series yet. I do love, love, love the characters and think that's what has kept my attention.

    • TheLizardQueenJul 12, 2016 at 8:40 AM

      Oh wow haven't read these in years. I remember my mother being very uncomfortable when I first discovered her Gabaldon stash haha.

  • PymJul 02, 2016 at 11:22 PM

    Reading Kiril Medvedev's book of poetry and essays, "It's No Good."

  • swords_and_wordsJul 03, 2016 at 9:57 PMΔ

    I'm reading One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's part of my summer homework for my IB Lit class. I can't say I like it particularly much - there are parts of it I find interesting (ie, the magical realism), and the style of writing I generally enjoy.

    But it's also very disturbing and uncomfortable to read, including but not limited to pages on a boy's large penis and how he imagines his mother's face during sex, and then later, an entire chapter on a pedophile's lusting over a nine year old girl (who they literally say she hasn't hit puberty and still wets the bed, but they're still okay with him marrying her???). So I'm not really enjoying it because of all of that, and the fact I have to annotate it all isn't helping much - and I'm only on page 78/417.

    • Rabid77Jul 09, 2016 at 3:44 PMΔ

      Marquez is one of my all time favorite authors! But you are right it's a very heavy read. The one thing I love about 100 years is all the women characters and the contrast to the men. They are all strong and sane as opposed to the men...You might consider reading Love in the Time of Cholera next. It's not quite such a heavy read.

      • swords_and_wordsJul 09, 2016 at 11:53 PM

        I'm slowly getting used to the heaviness of the book, and the fact that it's well written is a plus. And I agree about the female characters! My favorite character is probably Úrsula, or maybe Pilar Ternera.

        I'll definitely check out that book when I get the chance!

  • Rabid77Jul 09, 2016 at 6:16 PMΔ

    I've always been fascinated with history, and am currently reading David Crockett: The Lion of the West by Michael Wallis. It's one of the better biographies I've read, as most biographies can be really dry and boring. Crockett is one of the most interesting figures in American History. Wallis' book sheds light on the myth of Davy Crockett

    • gravewriterJul 12, 2016 at 8:40 AMΔ

      Awesome! I've added it to my list. I'm always on the lookout for good history books. Have you read any of the books Edmund Morris wrote about Teddy Roosevelt? He did a trilogy of his life. The first one was the best and it takes you up to his becoming president.

      • Rabid77Jul 12, 2016 at 9:17 AMΔ

        I haven't read them yet but I did read Pringle's biography of TR, which was really good! TR is another of my favorite historical figures. His life was remarkable! One thing I really admired about him was what an avid reader he was!

      • gravewriterJul 12, 2016 at 9:51 AM

        He is, by far, my favorite president. I've got another book on my reading list called The Big Burn. It delves into TR's conservationism along the way. Don't know when I'll get to read it (my list is a little out of hand).

  • kitbornJul 17, 2016 at 6:32 AM

    I have never read Agatha Christie until a few days ago. I read Murder on the Orient Express and loved it. She has written so many books, I don't know which one I will read next.

  • RoseJul 05, 2016 at 8:35 AMΔ

    I'm reading The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett. I'm reading The Nest for a book club. Not sure if I would have added this to my Mt TBR if I'd just stumbled across it, but I'm enjoying it. I've been working on The Colour of Magic for a while. Not because it is bad, it's just a ebook I'm borrowing from the library and it feels like every time I hit a groove my loan ends and I have to wait a week or two to get it back. I'm nearly done with it, though.

  • shanenJul 03, 2016 at 5:18 AM

    Too Big to Fail. Pretty good, but Barbarians at the Gate was probably better. Just finished はたらく機械レンタルのひみつ, which was kind of flat. Volume 116 in the series, but the latest one have been getting more and more flat.

  • curvy_deeJul 03, 2016 at 12:49 AM

    I've just this morning finished the first 'Barmimaeus' book (Jonathan Stroud). Thoroughly enjoyed - glad I have the next three ready to go :)

  • terrorerrorJul 26, 2016 at 7:07 PMΔ

    @Alkaid had me reading The Three-Body Problem, and I ate that up. I'm currently reading the sequel, The Dark Forest.

    • terrorerrorJul 26, 2016 at 7:10 PM

      I also have Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters that I've been dying to read, but. Got distracted by Cixin Liu and I tend to not read other books until I'm through with a series.

  • ElizaJul 05, 2016 at 3:41 PM

    Just finished re-reading "Go and Come Back" by Joan Abelove. It's a short novella about an indigenous people in the jungles of Peru, and the two female anthropologists who come to live with them. A short, lovely read that always reminds me that MY way of thinking is not the best way or the only way.

  • LoganCaleJul 15, 2016 at 12:17 PM

    I just finished The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and am now reading The Forge of God by Greg Bear. Both quite enjoyable.

  • romorfenJul 14, 2016 at 7:04 PM

    I just finished reading Dostoevsky's "The Idiot". I enjoyed it a lot, but it definitely seems weaker than some of his other works. It felt to me that he didn't really know how to wrap it up after Algaia and NPB's confrontation.

  • JOnyangoJul 13, 2016 at 5:07 AM

    The great safari

    On the lives of George and Joy Adamson

    A lovely book which brings back fond memories of my country of birth (Kenya)

  • ZennerJul 12, 2016 at 9:42 PMΔ

    In fiction I'm listening to Girl on a Train and reading through Jo Nesbo's Norwegian detective series. I've recently read Charles Stross's laundry series while waiting for his new book at the library. In nonfiction I'm reading The Organized Mind and Kevin Kelly's new book The Inevitable.

    • curvy_deeJul 13, 2016 at 12:15 AM

      The Laundry Series is pretty great, isn't it? I'm about due to re-read them...

  • gravewriterJul 12, 2016 at 8:44 AM

    I finished Christopher Moore's The Serpent of Venice two days ago. It gives a comedic approach to several Shakespeare plays while being a great story even if you haven't read them.

  • TheSameAsDyingJul 09, 2016 at 11:45 PM

    Anna Karenina was already mentioned, but I'm also working my way through Alice Munro (she has so many stories; it's slow, but rewarding), especially her earlier stories, in Dance of the Happy Shades. What I love about Munro is the way she gives such precise weight to each word, so that the meaning is clear, but at the same time, she isn't weighed down with awkward phrases or paragraphs. Everything seems so natural and candid. Right now I'm working on a short story, in the style of Munro, and it's honestly difficult to find that balance between over- and under-writing, that she seems to ride so perfectly.

  • petatronJul 20, 2016 at 2:44 AM

    I'm currently reading "City of Mirrors" by Justin Cronin. I'm a bit over halfway through. So far I really like it. Its shaping up to be a nice end to the Passage trilogy.

  • kitbornJul 18, 2016 at 11:12 AM

    Currently I am reading: Silent Scream (D.I. Kim Stone #1) by Angela Marsons

    This book is very interesting and gripping.

  • macindogJul 26, 2016 at 4:33 AMΔ

    Currently reading Phule Me Twice by Robert Asprin and Peter J. Heck. This is the fourth in the Phule's Company tales and, while it's a wee bit predictable, it's amusing enough and a bit of light entertainment between my heavier diet of sci-fi and fantasy.

  • MrsRealWJul 21, 2016 at 9:37 PM

    Dale Carnegie: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living I am into self help books at the moment. Used to read fiction books all the time but wish i have started on non-fiction in my early 20s. LOL. Guess never too late :)

  • sorinaJul 20, 2016 at 3:26 AM

    I just started the third novel from the Neapolitan Novels, Those who leave and those who stay, by Elena Ferrante. Started the series some 3-4 weeks ago and I'm already addicted to it. I quite struggle with the idea of this being an adult Harry Potter or a real masterpiece of the bildungsroman type. I hope I'll make up my mind by the time I reach the end of the fourth novel!

BOOKS

BOOKS

Discussion, news, book hauls, reviews, and anything else about books!

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