What book(s) are you reading now?

[cardero]

Gathering Blue-Lois Lowry (recommended by a friend)

Kira, newly orphaned and lame from birth, is taken from the turmoil of the village to live in the grand Council Edifice because of her skill at embroidery. There she is given the task of restoring the historical pictures sewn on the robe worn at the annual Ruin Song Gathering, a solemn day-long performance of the story of their world's past. Down the hall lives Thomas the Carver, a young boy who works on the intricate symbols carved on the Singer's staff, and a tiny girl who is being trained as the next Singer. Over the three artists hovers the menace of authority, seemingly kind but suffocating to their creativity, and the dark secret at the heart of the Ruin Song.

Ender’s Game-Orson Scott Card (recommended by a friend)

Intense is the word for Ender's Game. Aliens have attacked Earth twice and almost destroyed the human species. To make sure humans win the next encounter, the world government has taken to breeding military geniuses -- and then training them in the arts of war... The early training, not surprisingly, takes the form of 'games'... Ender Wiggin is a genius among geniuses; he wins all the games... He is smart enough to know that time is running out. But is he smart enough to save the planet?

 

[cardero]

Finally following on the brilliant heels of Marvel’s Essentials, (more book for the buck!!) DC Comics finally comes out with their telephone book collections of the classics with the Showcase series. Jonah Hex, western bounty hunter, first appeared in Weird Western Tales. These reprints have not seen the light of day since the early 70’s. Now in one volume I can thrill to the adventures of this disformed anti-hero and bask in the all the black and white glory of some of the most famous DC artists and writers ever assembled.

Spider Woman is back and the New Avengers got her!! To celebrate the return of this venomous feminine, Marvel is launching a reprinted Essentials volume, a new 5-issue origin mini-series and eventually her own title. What better way to jump on board than re-reading the first original series (all 50 issues) that debuted back in 1978 to refresh my memory for the coming onslaught.

 

[Smoke]

I always have several going at the same time. Right now they are:

• H. Larry Ingle, Quakers In Conflict: The Hicksite Reformation
• Kevin Phillips, American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, And The Politics Of Deceit In The House Of Bush
• William G. Dever, Who Were The Early Israelites And Where Did They Come From?
• Mark S. Smith, The Early History of God: Yahweh And The Other Deities In Ancient Israel
• The Works Of That Eminent Minister Of The Gospel, Job Scott, Late Of Providence, Rhode Island (Volume II)
• Spider Robinson, Callahan's Con. (Re-reading)

 

[ChrisP]

Inside the Third Reich

From ambitious German architect to an adjutant to Hitler. Albert Speer recounts the rise and fall of the Third Reich. To how it came to power and why the Germans lost the war. These memoirs also take a peek into the human psyche and explains how one man could sway a whole nation.

Was Albert Speer not the Moderate who helped to create Hitler's downfall (esp. with Franco in Spain?)

 

[cardero]

Was Albert Speer not the Moderate who helped to create Hitler's downfall (esp. with Franco in Spain?)

I do not remember Speer being that closely associated with other political rulers but I do remember that he defied and disagreed with Hitler on many policies including Hitler’s “scorched earth” theory. This proposition entailed the destruction of many of Germany’s buildings and bridges so that the Rebels could not prosper from them. Speer believed that there was much historical value in German architecture and did not want that to be lost to the German civilians.

 

[anders]

I really should be concentrating on tomorrow's Chinese test paper, so what am I doing here?

Ayways, apart from Routledge's Colloquial Chinese (the best one that I found so far of that enormous lot, IMHO), waiting in the wings are

B.N. Jha , A glimpse of the history of Sanskrit grammar, in which the author describes several important scholars, like Brihaspati, who lived ca. 4000 BCE, Shiva (Maheshvara) ca. 4000 BCE, Bharadvaja ca. 3950 BCE etc. Perfectly crazy, but here and there entertaining.

The first part of Snorre Sturluson's Nordisk kungasagor (Heimskringla), the choice being obvious (I hope) to any Scandinavian.

and Bryant: The quest for the origins of Vedic culture, the one non-biased source I've found on a possible "Aryan" subcontinental immigration. An admirable presentation of the indigenous emergence arguments as well of the conquering explanations. I still can't decide on what kind of people the Indus valley civilization people were, though. Perhaps that's why like the book.

Thor Heyerdahl's The Search for Odin, generally discarded by the academia, but an entertaining story about how to interpret linguistics and archaeology to prove that ancient gods were created on memories of factual persons.

 

[ChrisP]

I do not remember Speer being that closely associated with other political rulers but I do remember that he defied and disagreed with Hitler on many policies including Hitler’s “scorched earth” theory. This proposition entailed the destruction of many of Germany’s buildings and bridges so that the Rebels could not prosper from them. Speer believed that there was much historical value in German architecture and did not want that to be lost to the German civilians.

If my memory serves me correct (and that's a 50/50 call there) he was sent into Spain to talk to Franco for Hitler in 1930something, and played one off against the other.

 

[Feathers in Hair]

Whoo-hoo! I love these types of threads! (One gets great suggestions on what to read!)

Most of mine are re-reading, since the local library has already been 'ransacked' and the bookstore is currently not in the picture.

"Bag of Bones" by Stephen King. (I like the way his main character describes the writing process.)

"The Truth (With Jokes)" by Al Franken.

"Thief of Time" by Terry Pratchett. ("Witches Abroad", too. I like to be reading at least two of his books at a time.)

"FAKE" and "Descendants of Darkness". (Both are manga series. The first is set in New York, and chronicles the relationship of a police partnership. The second focuses more on a supernatural element, the main characters being Shinigami, or 'guardians of death'.)

 

[Darkdale]

Fathers and Sons, by Turgenev
A History of the Arab Peoples, by Hourani &
Dark Tide (A History of Boston's Great Molasses Flood of 1919), by Puleo.


Oh And Ender's Game remains one of my favorite books of all time. Orson Scott Card is my favorite Fiction writer.

 

[Bastet]

For a change I've only got one book on the go (and it's slow going, since I don't seem to be making it to bed early enough to stay awake for more than a page or two at a time ), Interview With The Vampire, by Anne Rice. I'm not even 50 pages in and I want to slap Louis upside the head for being a whining sod. Methinks it's going to be a looooooong book...but I'm determined to finish it this time (I tried it once about 11 or 12 years ago but didn't even get 20 pages in lol).

 

[Smoke]

For a change I've only got one book on the go (and it's slow going, since I don't seem to be making it to bed early enough to stay awake for more than a page or two at a time ), Interview With The Vampire, by Anne Rice. I'm not even 50 pages in and I want to slap Louis upside the head for being a whining sod. Methinks it's going to be a looooooong book...but I'm determined to finish it this time (I tried it once about 11 or 12 years ago but didn't even get 20 pages in lol).

In general, I like Anne Rice, but I had a hard time with that one, too. I didn't like Louis or Lestat, and Claudia creeped me out. I probably wouldn't have bothered with any more of her books if that had been the first one I read.

 

[ChrisP]

For a change I've only got one book on the go (and it's slow going, since I don't seem to be making it to bed early enough to stay awake for more than a page or two at a time ), Interview With The Vampire, by Anne Rice. I'm not even 50 pages in and I want to slap Louis upside the head for being a whining sod. Methinks it's going to be a looooooong book...but I'm determined to finish it this time (I tried it once about 11 or 12 years ago but didn't even get 20 pages in lol).

It's a slow burner for sure but definitely worth it Bastet

 

[michel]

It's a slow burner for sure but definitely worth it Bastet

I can only manage one at a time; in very small doses....................
The Human Mind: And How to Make the Most of It, by Sir Robert Winstone.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553816195/qid=1138729436/sr=2-3/ref=sr_2_3_3/202-9449403-6325451

 

[Bangbang]

I just started this one yesterday. I love reading his books.

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=If6iDAZClS&isbn=0345409469&itm=1

 

[nutshell]

Here's my list. Between church and school, I'm always reading multiple books.

KJV Holy Bible
The Book of Mormon

Hamlet...Shakespeare
The Winter's Tale...Shakespeare
Sometimes the Magic Works...Terry Brooks
Great Expectations...Charles Dickens
Wuthering Heights...Emily Bronte
Various poetry by Victorian-era writers

 

[Revasser]

Right now I am reading Richard Adams' "Shardik". Second time through, and I'm really enjoying it. Immediately before that, I read Tony Shillitoe's "Ashuak Chronicles" trilogy. That was really excellent, and I recommend it to everyone who likes a little serious social commentary with their fantasy.

As for non-fiction, I'm reading "Daily Life of the Egyptian Gods" which is co-written by Dimitri Meeks and Christine Favard-Meeks.

 

[Mike182]

i am currently reading several books:

i am reading two Anne Rice books, "the vampire lestat" and "christ the lord"

i am also reading Graham Nortons auto-biography, homer's "the illiad" and terry pratchett's "witches abroad"

you see, all of these are great books, but when you read part of one, then part of another, you end up with a gay vampire building a trojan horse just to stop a servant girl marrying a prince:biglaugh:

 

[Revasser]

i am currently reading several books:

i am reading two Anne Rice books, "the vampire lestat" and "christ the lord"

i am also reading Graham Nortons auto-biography, homer's "the illiad" and terry pratchett's "witches abroad"

you see, all of these are great books, but when you read part of one, then part of another, you end up with a gay vampire building a trojan horse just to stop a servant girl marrying a prince:biglaugh:

Now THAT would be a book I'd buy.

 

[Ulver]

Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

The Inner West: An Introduction to the Hidden Wisdom of the West. Edited together by Jay Kinney.

 

[Bastet]

It's a slow burner for sure but definitely worth it Bastet

I've been told to read it, if only so that I'll appreciate the rest all the more. In the words of Q_T_R, "Lestat's way more fun, but you've gotta slog through Louis to really appreciate it." Or something like that. She's getting the books when I'm done with them - I'm replacing her set that our mother gave away while she had them on loan. :bonk: Two birds with one stone and all... I have Lestat ready and waiting for when I finish this first one...still need to go raid the second hand bookshop for the rest.