What are you filthy heathens reading atm?

magicbastarder

what people seem to find most offputting is others treating it like a bible; which obviously would cloud critique of it purely standing on its own as a story.

Paddy Samurai

swampgas wrote: »

Just finished reading:
- The Anubis Gates (Tim Power)

Great read,one of his top three IMO.

Beruthiel

I am rereading The Hobbit at the moment in preparation for the film coming out in December.
Am a big Tolkien fan.

[-0-]

Here's a list of everything I have read so far this year, according to my amazon account (and the 4 I am currently reading as previously posted). Hopefully this will be useful for those of you looking for new texts.

• A Universe from Nothing by Laurence Krauss
• Arguably: Essays by Christopher Hitchens
• Thomas Jefferson (Eminent Lives) by Christopher Hitchens
• Blood, Class and Empire: The Enduring Anglo-American Relationship (Nation Books) by Christopher Hitchens
• Hitch-22 by Christopher Hitchens
• The Quotable Hitchens: From Alcohol to Zionism--The Very Best of Christopher Hitchens by Christopher Hitchens
• The Enemy by Christopher Hitchens
• Mortality by Christopher Hitchens
• The Trial of Henry Kissinger by Christopher Hitchens
• The Monarchy: A Critique of Britain's Favourite Fetish by Christopher Hitchens
• Our Cosmic Habitat by Martin Rees
• Animal Farm and 1984 by George Orwell
• Brave New World and Brave New World Revisited by Aldous Huxley
• The Portable Atheist: Essential Readings for the Nonbeliever by Christopher Htichens
• Letters to a Young Contrarian (Art of Mentoring) by Christopher Hitchens
• Why Orwell Matters by Christopher Htichens
• The Strange Death of Liberal England by Christopher Hitchens
• God, No! by Penn Jillette
• Lying by Sam Harris
• White Fang by Jack London
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
• Dracula by Bram Stoker
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The Time Machine by H.G Wells
• Surely you're joking, Mr Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman
• The Hobbit J.R.R Tolkien
• Nostos by John Moriarty
• The Missionary Position by Christopher Hitchens
• The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt
• The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt
• A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton Malkiel
• Serious Sounds by John Moriarty
• What the Curlew Said: Nostos Continued by John Moriarty
• Dreamtime by John Moriarty
• A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• The Rachael Papers by Martin Amis
• Joseph Anton: A Memoir by Salman Rushdie
• The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams
• Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays by George Orwell
• The Jefferson Bible by Thomas Jefferson
  

Next on my list are the following:

• Moby Dick by Herman Melville
• Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville

Beruthiel wrote:

I am rereading The Hobbit at the moment in preparation for the film coming out in December.
Am a big Tolkien fan.

That's the reason I'm reading it again as well. I read it about 12 years ago, and forgot most of it if I'm honest. It's such a quick, fun, and easy read. I love it. Not sure how they are making three movies out of it though!

I couldn't read Moby Dick

I'll look at my order history too...
Warbreaker
By Brandon Sanderson

The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Moby Dick
By Herman Melville

The Golden Key
By Melanie Rawn

A Madness of Angels
By Kate Griffin

The Forever War
By Joe Haldeman

Gridlinked
By Neal Asher

Before They are Hanged
By Joe Abercrombie

Neuromancer
By William Gibson

Lone Wolf
By Jodi Picoult

The Magic Mountain
By Thomas Mann

Sleep, Pale Sister
By Joanne Harris

The Shadow of the Wind
By Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Among Others
By Jo Walton

Last Argument of Kings
By Joe Abercrombie

Perfume
By Patrick Süskind

Flowers for Algernon
By Daniel Keyes

The War for Children's Minds
By Stephen Law

Atlas Shrugged
By Ayn Rand

The Portrait of a Lady
By Henry James

I downloaded a few on my ipod as well & went into the shops
Peter Hamilton! I read his latest
Needs more books

Genghiz Cohen

If you find you enjoy WarBreaker I highly recommend the Mistborn Trilogy by Sanderson.

Genghiz Cohen

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

If you find you enjoy WarBreaker I highly recommend the Mistborn Trilogy by Sanderson.

Oh, I've read most of his books at this stage It wasn't bad, but not up there. The new series is looking great so far

robindch

Beruthiel wrote: »

Am a big Tolkien fan.

No shit, Beruthiel. How are the cats these days?

Canis Lupus

Beruthiel wrote: »

I am rereading The Hobbit at the moment in preparation for the film coming out in December.
Am a big Tolkien fan.

Tried so many times to read that book. Always found it such a chore and gave up.

[-0-]

bluewolf wrote: »

I couldn't read Moby Dick

I started reading it but realized it is not going to be a book I can read while reading others so I put it down until I'm done with the books I'm reading at the moment. I loved the first couple of chapters though!

Gbear

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Tried so many times to read that book. Always found it such a chore and gave up.

It is ostensibly a children's book. I don't think you could pick it up and enjoy it if the first time you read it you were over 15.

A lot of the joy I experience rereading the Hobbit (although after having read it at least 10 times at the age of 23 I'm probably finished) is from the nostalgia.

However I can still enjoy LoTR because of it's writing or the Silmarillion because I'm a Tolkien nerd.

Genghiz Cohen

bluewolf wrote: »

Oh, I've read most of his books at this stage It wasn't bad, but not up there. The new series is looking great so far

I do need to pick up Way of Kings II soon, after WoT....

McG

Ringworld by Larry Niven.

Decided to try out a few sci fi classics and so over the last year or so have read a few of Asimov's Foundation series, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series and Joe Halderman's Forever War.

Recently finished Snuff by Terry Pratchett, the Long Earth by Pratchett and Stephen Baxter and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman.

I'm also about halfway though God is Not Great and The Greatest Show on Earth on my Kindle but have been for a few months now... I keep getting drawn back to fiction.

[-0-]

McG wrote: »

Ringworld by Larry Niven.

Decided to try out a few sci fi classics and so over the last year or so have read a few of Asimov's Foundation series, Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game series and Joe Halderman's Forever War.

Recently finished Snuff by Terry Pratchett, the Long Earth by Pratchett and Stephen Baxter and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Philip Pullman.

I'm also about halfway though God is Not Great and The Greatest Show on Earth on my Kindle but have been for a few months now... I keep getting drawn back to fiction.

It's funny, I find I'm drawn away from fiction more than I'm drawn to it.

Beruthiel

[QUOTE='[-0-]
That's the reason I'm reading it again as well. I read it about 12 years ago, and forgot most of it if I'm honest. It's such a quick, fun, and easy read. I love it. Not sure how they are making three movies out of it though! [/QUOTE]

Apparently: The director is drawing not only on the original book, but also on more than a hundred pages of appendices Tolkien later wrote that expanded on the world of "The Hobbit."

Either way, I am now required to eat healthy and proceed with moderation in all things, in order to stay alive for the next 1.5 years.
Obviously I shall also pray to holy god to take special care of me and make sure nothing untoward happens to me over that time period.

robin wrote:

No ****, Beruthiel. How are the cats these days?

Watching you robin.
Always watching....

Canis wrote:

Tried so many times to read that book. Always found it such a chore and gave up.

I hate to be the bearer of bad tidings Canis, but clearly, (in my very professional opinion) there is something very wrong with you.

[-0-]

Beruthiel wrote: »

Apparently: The director is drawing not only on the original book, but also on more than a hundred pages of appendices Tolkien later wrote that expanded on the world of "The Hobbit."

Very interesting, I wasn't aware of that.

Either way, I am now required to eat healthy and proceed with moderation in all things, in order to say alive for the next 1.5 years.
Obviously I shall also pray to holy god to take special care of me and make sure nothing untoward happens to me over that time period.

Haha, you and me both! Mind you, I have started drinking way more than I have done for the past several years. I should stop that, it's older I'm getting!

pauldla

[-0-] wrote: »

It's funny, I find I'm drawn away from fiction more than I'm drawn to it.

Me too, I don't read much fiction these days. The last novel I read was Shantaram a few years back.

Bannasidhe

Pratchett's Dodger on the Kindle. I was torn between wanting a hard copy and wanting to read it now without having to get arse off sofa and, like, go outside. Am glad I got the kindle version now as it's not exactly a classic Pratchett.

Reading The Ugly Duckling to the grandkids - H.C. Anderson's not Disney - the language is beautiful and it was free kindle version.

Still trying to finish both Don Quixote and Washington Irving's book on the Alhambra....:o

housetypeb

ScienceNerd wrote: »

.

Recovered a battered copy of Watership Down in my granddad's house, anyone ever read it?

Read it years ago,a fantastic book.

keane2097

bluewolf wrote: »

Just finished Atlas Shrugged

Is this worth a spin?

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Pfft, learning.... :rolleyes:

Robert Jordan - The Wheel of Time series. Book 14 is out in January so I'm heading back through the rest in preparation.
About 60% through Book 2, The Great Hunt.

As though reading them once wasn't chore enough!

ride-the-spiral

Mainly reading Ringworld by Larry Niven. I dunno, it's pretty good but it's not nearly as good as other sci-fi i've read. Perhaps I'm just not that into harder sci-fi. I'm going to read Consider Phlebas, or perhaps Ilium by Dan Simmons, when I'm finished that.

Also "reading" The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose, but it's not really made to be read in the same way as other popular science, so I'm finding it hard to get through even as a theoretical physics student.

Genghiz Cohen

keane2097 wrote: »

As though reading them once wasn't chore enough!

They do start to slog around book 4, but once it picks up again it's totally worth it.

fitz0

keane2097 wrote: »

Is this worth a spin?

For such a lengthy book, it does a good job of drawing you in. For most of it anyway, some parts are a serious chore to get through. But, to be honest, don't read it. The unrealistic characters, the unnecessary 'romantic' subplots, the cartoon depiction of socialism and the 60 page monologue are just too much. I hear the Fountainhead has the same themes and ideas but is a much more manageable read.

This book sucked me in, turned me into a right wing, communist hating idiot for two years and, ultimately, left me completely cynical of right wing capitalism. It's argument for unrestricted capitalism leading to unlimited invention is appealing but, in the end, it's a fantasy.

General Relativity

Tried to read 50 shades the other day to see what the fuss was about. Turns out it's shite, who knew. :rolleyes: Why women like it is beyond me. The authors writing style is atrocious.

Picked up LotR again yesterday. My Ninth time reading it. Once a year since I was 12 and twice when I was 16 .

PopePalpatine

bluewolf wrote: »

I couldn't read Moby Dick

I'll look at my order history too...

[snip]

The Great Gatsby
By F. Scott Fitzgerald

[snip]

I read that for my Leaving Cert English course, it was a good book but a bit hard to follow for the opening quarter.

Right now I'm reading The Bourne Identity. I picked up in a second-hand book fair in London for £3.50. I've been reading it on and off, so I'm finding it hard to get stuck into. I only read one book at a time, it keeps my mind focused.

Fountainhead wasn't as good as AS, imo. I think AS is well worth a read.

Ectoplasm

Rereading Northern Lights at the moment for college. I'm really enjoying it despite it being 'assigned' reading. Of course, being a filthy heathen, I quite like the church being viewed with something less than rose-tinted glasses.

Also rereading Karen Rose books lately. I find it easier to go back to books I've already read when I'm studying other books.

Aenaes

PopePalpatine wrote: »

Right now I'm reading The Bourne Identity. I picked up in a second-hand book fair in London for £3.50. I've been reading it on and off, so I'm finding it hard to get stuck into. I only read one book at a time, it keeps my mind focused.

I did not like that book at all or any of Ludlum's books really.
"Find Carlos", "Get Carlos". It actually put me off watching the films.

Bannasidhe

My two return to books are Shute'sA Town Like Alice and Follett's Pillars of the Earth.

The former because I admire how it shows that against the odds the human spirit can triumph and how one person can have a positive impact on the world around them.

The latter because it is that rare thing - a historical novel that gets most of the details right and really does capture the atmosphere of the period. It also helped me remember all the architectural names associated with Gothic and thereby pass an exam many years ago.

C.J Sansom, Joe Abercrombie and Neal Stephenson are 'must reads' for me.

Abercrombie has invented an inquisitor/ torturer who is funny, actually a decent guy and one of the best anti-hero's I have ever encountered.

magicbastarder

i've been looking for a copy of the things they carried by tim o'brien recently - i always end up giving my copy away.
no bookshops seem to have it in stock at the moment. it's always the first book i recommend when someone asks for a recommendation.

Sulla Felix

Deleted User wrote: »

Having read the thread I might just keep my low-brow nonsense to myself. :pac:

Nah, spill it. Just as encouragement, I just finished reading World War 2.2. Ever wanted to know what would happen if a taskforce of near future AI controlled stealth battleships were transported back in time to the battle for Midway? Now you can find out! Totally trashy but very very fun. :pac:

fitz0 wrote: »

For such a lengthy book, it does a good job of drawing you in. For most of it anyway, some parts are a serious chore to get through. But, to be honest, don't read it. The unrealistic characters, the unnecessary 'romantic' subplots, the cartoon depiction of socialism and the 60 page monologue are just too much. I hear the Fountainhead has the same themes and ideas but is a much more manageable read.

This book sucked me in, turned me into a right wing, communist hating idiot for two years and, ultimately, left me completely cynical of right wing capitalism. It's argument for unrestricted capitalism leading to unlimited invention is appealing but, in the end, it's a fantasy.

This pretty much sums me up. Read it as a teenager with socialist leanings, and it took me in, chewed me up and threw me out a foaming mouthed libertarian.

The philosophy is seductive but ultimately bankrupt. I'd call it an important read though, given the current bent in the GOP towards her philosophies and as long as the book is, it's actually more accessible than her shorter purely philosophical works.

Oh, and fun bit of trivia. Everyones favorite giant atheist magician keeps a framed, signed sample of Rands from Atlas Shrugged in his changing rooms at the Penn and Teller theater in Vegas.

fitz0

Sulla Felix wrote: »

This pretty much sums me up. Read it as a teenager with socialist leanings, and it took me in, chewed me up and threw me out a foaming mouthed libertarian.

The philosophy is seductive but ultimately bankrupt. I'd call it an important read though, given the current bent in the GOP towards her philosophies and as long as the book is, it's actually more accessible than her shorter purely philosophical works.

I guess it is a timely read given the American elections. It lets you see how flimsy Romney/Ryan's economic basis is. As a neat counterpoint I would advise everyone that is familiar with Rand's works and ethos to watch Adam Curtis' excellent documentary All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace. The portrait of Rand that emerges is not the objective perfect human she admired so much. It turns out she was human after all.

Bookworm85

EMF2010 wrote: »

Rereading Northern Lights at the moment for college. I'm really enjoying it despite it being 'assigned' reading. Of course, being a filthy heathen, I quite like the church being viewed with something less than rose-tinted glasses.

That series of books is one of the most important ones I ever read as a young teenager. I read it not long after I realised I had no belief and I found it very comforting. I read them so much that to this day I can open any book on any page and continue reading from there. Its an awesome story anyway, regardless of the church element.

Anyway I'm reading 'Hitch 22' and 'Winner Take All' by Dambisa Moyo.

Never paid much attention to Hitch before he died, but recently bought a copy of his book 'Arguably' which is a collection of his essays and articles. That book completely opened my eyes to what Hitchens was all about. He was so much more than just an outspoken atheist! Some of the things he saw and experienced will make your jaw drop and he was simply an outstanding writer and I admire him for that more than anything else.

Winner Take All is about how the Chinese are buying up a frightening amount of resources around the world. Everything from arable land to mines, water and oil. I'm only a few chapters in but its an interesting read so far!

Sarky

I've been really letting my reading slide this last year or two. College/work/side projects have taken up most of my time.

As a result, I've found myself just dipping in and out of various books instead of sitting down and reading one in full. A couple of Lovecraft stories, a few bits and bobs from various RPG books and the occasional glance at my beloved whiskey guide mostly.

My to do list is huge. I still have to read the last two books of the Malazan series, I'm about a third of the way through an anthology of Conan stories, I have a book on the sun cult of ancient Egypt, one on warriors of Japan as portrayed in the war stories and one on the recurring image of 12-tribe nations across the planet. I've a bunch of Charles Stross books to have a look at too.

And no real time to do it either, I start a new job in just over a week. #firstworldproblems

Sulla Felix

Sulla Felix wrote: »

Nah, spill it. Just as encouragement, I just finished reading World War 2.2. Ever wanted to know what would happen if a taskforce of near future AI controlled stealth battleships were transported back in time to the battle for Midway? Now you can find out! Totally trashy but very very fun. :pac:

Yeah I was just a little busy when I was about to reply that time. :pac:

Just finished Hitch 22, very enjoyable and gave me a big list to get through. Started Lord of the Flies and almost finished Fahrenheit 451. Think I might start His Dark Materials next, I've about 9 wasted years to make up!

Obliq

MagicMarker wrote: »

Hmmm, lot of love for Mr Banks, tbh I'm not a great fan of Sci-fi and I hate hate hated The Wasp Factory.

Hated the Wasp Factory too. "The steep approach to Garbadale" is one of his better non-sci-fi ones I think.

I[ve just read "Gold" by Chris Cleave - amazing writing. I was stunned by it and went and looked up what else he[d written - discovered I[d already read two of his other books (not good at remembering names of authors/books/films, etc.) and not been exactly overwhelmed, but Gold is excellent. Sentimental in some ways.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jun/03/gold-chris-cleave-review-olympics

kylith

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Re-reading Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett.

Recovered a battered copy of Watership Down in my granddad's house, anyone ever read it?

housetypeb wrote: »

Read it years ago,a fantastic book.

It's one of my favourite books from my childhood, it's fantastic.

General Relativity wrote: »

Tried to read 50 shades the other day to see what the fuss was about. Turns out it's shite, who knew. :rolleyes: Why women like it is beyond me. The authors writing style is atrocious.

Hey, hey! Women don't like it. Some women do. You couldn't pay me to read that drek.

Obliq

kylith wrote: »

Hey, hey! Women don't like it. Some women do. You couldn't pay me to read that drek.

Cheers loudly :D

keane2097

Bannasidhe wrote: »

The latter because it is that rare thing - a historical novel that gets most of the details right and really does capture the atmosphere of the period.

Have you tried the Robert Harris Cicero books? Quite liked them for similar reasons.

As for me, finished Consider Phlebas yesterday. Quite liked it without being blown away and suspect some of the well thought of titles in the Culture series will be right up my alley. Have switched over to Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind for now though and at six chapters in am very much enjoying it even though it really just seems to be kicking off.

kylith

Obliq wrote: »

Cheers loudly :D

I made the mistake of saying I'd give Dan Brown a try a few years back. I won't be fooled again!

Beruthiel

General Relativity wrote: »

Why women like it is beyond me.

That kind of outrageous comment is borderline sitebannable.
I'd rather get a root canal, without anesthetic, than read trash like that.

pauldla

kylith wrote: »

I made the mistake of saying I'd give Dan Brown a try a few years back. I won't be fooled again!

I read The Da Vinci Code when I really had nothing else to read (and I do mean nothing, in case anyone missed the bold), and, well, I would have been better off reading nothing.

This guy has a few choice things to say about Mr Browns writing....

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000844.html

kylith

pauldla wrote: »

I read The Da Vinci Code when I really had nothing else to read (and I do mean nothing, in case anyone missed the bold), and, well, I would have been better off reading nothing.

This guy has a few choice things to say about Mr Browns writing....

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000844.html

The only good thing I can say about his writing is that because the chapters are only about a page and a half long it's handy for when you're reading on the bus. I think all avid readers know the pain of having to stop in the middle of an exciting bit, but you don't have that problem with a Dan Brown novel.

Dades

Paddy Samurai wrote: »

swampgas wrote: »

Just finished reading:
- The Anubis Gates (Tim Power)

Great read,one of his top three IMO.

Always pimping the 'Power!

You recommended his stuff to me on the SF Forum book thread on Boards, and I subsequently loved On Stranger Tides and The Drawing of the Dark.

Just to echo any Iain M Banks suggestions: Player of Games is the perfect intro. It's short, one of his first books, one of his best, and gives a good intro in what the Culture is/does.

Consider Phlebas is more running and gunning than anything (which is fine!) but hardly references the Culture.

Malari

I'm currently reading and loving Glamorama by Brett Easton Ellis.

I've read Game of Thrones recently so want to continue that series.

I've read Player of Games and Surface Detail from the Culture series and loved them. My brother has a bunch of them so always trying to get a loan from him.

Years ago I started a copy of Atlas Shrugged belonging to my flatmate, but then she moved out while I was half-way through and I never got around to finishing it. I don't think I could start it again, it wasn't that compelling!

Bannasidhe

pauldla wrote: »

I read The Da Vinci Code when I really had nothing else to read (and I do mean nothing, in case anyone missed the bold), and, well, I would have been better off reading nothing.

This guy has a few choice things to say about Mr Browns writing....

http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/000844.html

The Da Vinci Code was a blatant rip off of The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail - which is itself a challenging read for all the wrong reasons.

Nearest I intend to get to 50 Shades of Grey is perusing Farrow and Ball's range of eggshell paint.

keane2097 - thanks for the recommendation, will keep and eye out for Harris' Cicero books.

Dades

Bannasidhe wrote: »

The Da Vinci Code was a blatant rip off of The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail - which is itself a challenging read for all the wrong reasons.

I did enjoy a chortle when the writers of HB,HG tried to sue Dan Brown for nicking their ideas, but failed because they'd sold their book to the public on the basis that it was all actual fact.

keane2097

Dades wrote: »

Consider Phlebas is more running and gunning than anything (which is fine!) but hardly references the Culture.

Yeah exactly what I meant about expecting others in the series to do it for me more, shoot em up isn't really my style of literature!

Bannasidhe wrote: »

keane2097 - thanks for the recommendation, will keep and eye out for Harris' Cicero books.

Imperium. You can get them as audiobooks for anyone who prefers that format as well.

Bannasidhe

Dades wrote: »

I did enjoy a chortle when the writers of HB,HG tried to sue Dan Brown for nicking their ideas, but failed because they'd sold their book to the public on the basis that it was all actual fact.

I have received threats of legal action from the author of a book on an Irish historical figure - this person was told in no uncertain terms to sling their hook as their book is classified as non-fiction...wrongly in my opinion...

magicbastarder

kylith wrote: »

You couldn't pay me to read that drek.

i dunno. if you gave me two hundred quid to read it...
probably wouldn't take more than a few hours, and you'd be able to buy a couple of dozen books with the money.