What book are you reading atm??

Merkin

Merkin wrote: »

Its my favourite too although considered by die-hard Murakami fans as the least true to form. Yawn! I don't think so, it's different yes but equally as good if not better than lots of his other works.

Yes, it's a 'better' read in lots of ways, just not quite the usual style.

I've loved all of his work (that I've read) though. Kafka on the Shore is my second favourite - so far.

I'm currently reading Netherland, by Joseph O'Neill. From early in the book, I've found the narrator to be an irritation.

It's like I'm hitch-hiking through a charming & beguiling landscape, having been picked up by a really obnoxious, whiny, sour driver. I hate him. I wish I could be rid of him and enjoy this experience without him, but I'll probably hop out of the car, or dump him on the roadside at the earliest opportunity.

I'll probably not finish the book, in other words.

jackal

Haynes Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird Manual

http://www.haynes.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/BookFeature_SR-71-BlackbirdView?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001

Actually more of a history etc but interesting for man-children like myself.

foggy

Some great recommendations there. I've just finished 'Unravelling Oliver' by Liz Nugent. Great book.
Before that I read 'We are all completely beside ourselves' by Karen Joy Fowler also a great read.

Sunny Dayz

Reading LA Candy by Lauren Conrad (she of MTV's The Hills). Case of art immitating "reality" but addictive none the less, like the show.

Merkin

foggy wrote: »

Some great recommendations there. I've just finished 'Unravelling Oliver' by Liz Nugent. Great book.
Before that I read 'We are all completely beside ourselves' by Karen Joy Fowler also a great read.

I read Fowler's book recently and absolutely hated it. I think it's probably very much a love it or hate it book!

foggy

Merkin wrote: »

I read Fowler's book recently and absolutely hated it. I think it's probably very much a love it or hate it book!

I know what you mean, I didn't like the main character much, found her to be a bit weak willed, but I enjoyed the story. I found it facinating.

nicki11

Reading the painted caves by Jean M. Auel, very engrossing and detailed novel about early humans surviving in a fictional universe

Ice Storm

Merkin wrote: »

I read Fowler's book recently and absolutely hated it. I think it's probably very much a love it or hate it book!

I was quite indifferent to it. But I knew too much about the story before reading it so that probably affected my enjoyment.

I don't understand why people love it so much; I found it very depressing.

gutenberg

I finished The Poisonwood Bible at last, and loved it.

In fact, the subject of the book (the Congo) intrigued me so much that I am now re-reading Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

MRnotlob606

I am reading Jon Ronsons "Them-Adventures with extremists "

Custardpi

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

I am reading Jon Ronsons "Them-Adventures with extremists "

Snap! Just finished it, had seen the documentary which accompanied it a few years back. Really like that he does his best to be as scrupulously fair to everyone involved as possible, meaning that some of the "extremists" come off as more decent than you might think, while some of their opponents look like mean spirited & bullying individuals, even though their overall philosphies might be superior to those of the radical groups.

bnt

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief
I'm not even halfway through this, but I'm already totally freaked out. If even half the allegations about L. Ron Hubbard are true, the guy was even more of an absoute s#!t than I already understood him to be.
Fraud? Check.
Bigamy? Check.
Violent Abuse? Check.
Kidnapping? Check.
The guy managed to abusively manipulate and co-opt everyone and everything he encountered, including his family, colleagues, girlfriends and wives, his children, fellow SF authors such as Joseph Campbell and Robert Heinlein, and even the US Navy. I wasn't aware that he'd dabbled in "black magic", to the extent that even Aleister Crowley was alarmed.

Apparently [Jack] Parsons or Hubbard or somebody is producing a Moonchild. I get fairly frantic when I contemplate the idiocy of these goats.

Hubbard approved rampant abuse of Scientology adherents who strayed in any way, thorugh various punitive programs with Orwellian names, such as the Rehabilitation Project Force.

Now for the second half, the David Miscavige era. :eek:

FouxDaFaFa

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

I am reading Jon Ronsons "Them-Adventures with extremists "

Great book. I was just thinking the other day that I need to re-read it.

bnt wrote: »

Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief

Good, isn't it?

Coincidentally, I'm also reading a scientology book which was recently released by a journalist, Tony Ortega. He has been somewhat of an authority on scientology for years. He runs a very well-researched blog about it.

His book is called The Unbreakable Miss Lovely. It chronicles the story of a journalist, Paulette Cooper. She was one of the very first critics of the church in the 70s. She published a book about scientology following a very disturbing incident with her boss, a scientologist.

L.Ron Hubbard was so furious about her book that he basically gave the church carte blanche to destroy her under their "Fair Game" policy. They gave her the codename "Miss Lovely" (she was beautiful) and designated the operation to destroy her "Operation Freakout". The ultimate goal was to either frame her for a cime and have her imprisoned or gaslight her to the point of causing her to go insane or kill herself. The stuff they did to her was just unbelievable. She cannot legally talk about what happened during that time so it's up to Ortega to carry the baton and from what I've read so far, he's doing a good job.

eisenberg1

I just finished Church of Fear, by John Sweeny.

Not a bad read, but does not sound as good as above. But one way to or the other, the Scientology crowd are a scary bunch. A right shower of loopers.

identer

The bible....yes i said it.

Bongalongherb

I just got this book yesterday delivered from Amazon, called... 'Time Storms'

Jenny Randles, Amazing evidence for time warps, space rifts and time travel.

So far it's very interesting. It opens the mind to strange possibilities.

Vayda

To Kill A Mockingbird.

I read it years ago, and was recently reading about Harper Lee. She's a very interesting woman and with the news of her second book being announced I thought I'd go back and read it again.

Fleawuss

I'm reading "Coming Out: Irish gay experiences" edited by Glen O'Brien 2003. I've been doing a lot of personal emotional archaeology the past week and it fits in well. It's well put together with a range of experiences.

Pumpkinseeds

I've just ordered some Clive Barker books, Imajica, The Great and Secret Show and Everville. I read Imajica a long time ago and loved it, I think I might have read TGASS but I'm looking forward to getting stuck into them again.

strobe

MRnotlob606 wrote: »

I am reading Jon Ronsons "Them-Adventures with extremists "

Oooh, me too. Book friends?

Thought the ruby ridge part was pretty grim. Poor kids.

baron von something

Assassin's Quest (Farseer #3)- Robin Hobb. A great series of books

Dirty Dingus McGee

I'm reading Get Shorty by Elmore Leanard.His books are always fun and this one is no different so far.

Comic Book Guy

Finished The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo earlier.

Only got it after hearing him interviewed by Matt Cooper on the Last Word. His central character sounded really interesting and I like crime fiction. Good read but I'm expecting the books to improve as series continues.

Going to start the latest Charlie Parker offering later, love that series.

Ayls

The Convictions of John Delahunt by Andrew Hughes. Separates the good writing from the bad and I'm trying to eke out the last few pages as I'm going to find the standard hard to match.

Chartsengrafs

Finally reading Rabbit, Run by John Updike. Takes a while to warm to Rabbit, but a good read and occasionally tough going.

rosobel

The Bible, I ****ing love Sci-fi

scream

Flesh by Richard Laymon

BlaasForRafa

I'm currently about 2/3rds of the way through Mr Mercedes by Stephen King. I hadn't read one of his books in donkeys years because I don't particularly care for horror stories any more but once I heard he'd started doing crime novels I gave it a go and it's pretty decent tbh.

Reiver

Basster wrote: »

Finally reading Rabbit, Run by John Updike. Takes a while to warm to Rabbit, but a good read and occasionally tough going.

Rabbit, he's such a dick. I love how when any sort of situation crops up he's like "oK, time to do a runner".

The Last Ringbearer. Some Russian Tolkien fanfiction written during Communist times.

Basically the Lord of the Rings is all propaganda from the winning side and the Orcs, Trolls and men of the south are merely defending their territory against aggressive Gondor and the ever troublesome elves.