What are you reading now?

[dataz722]

I am reading this

and this

Exciting huh?

 

[forcera]

Just finished "33 Questions About American History You're Not Supposed to Ask" by Thomas Woods. He is one of my favorites; I actually got to hear him speak at a conference while I was in college.

Currently reading "The Conscience of a Libertarian: Empowering the Citizen Revolution with God, Guns, Gambling & Tax Cuts" by Wayne Allen Root

Next "The Revolution: A Manifesto" by Ron Paul

However I'm always reading something about beer, right now Im working through "Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink" by Randy Mosher. It’s my bathroom book.

 

[ThickHead]

A little off topic, but: Does anybody hate hardcover books as much as I do? I would pay more for a paperback copy than hardcover its that bad.

It depends on the book's purpose for me actually. If I am using a book anywhere near my kitchen I will always purchase books in hardcover. Most examples here would be cookbooks, etc. Two recent purchase examples for me are as follows:

• The River Cottage Meat Book - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall

• 
  Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn

These are two quality books that should be in every chef or cook's library as long as they dig meat.

As for other literary nurishment, I just finished rereading this one for about the 10th time:

• 
  Iron John: A Book About Men - Robert Bly
  
  An analysis, by Robert Bly, of a Brothers Grimm fairy tale where the author identifies lessons from the fairy tale which may be particularly meaningful to men. The analysis will certainly put you in mind of the writings and lectures of Joseph John Campbell if you have had the pleasure of perusing any of his work. If you havn't (and you havn't been living under a rock) then you have certainly been exposed to work influenced by him. At any rate, this can be an eye-opening read for some in either, or both, a pleasureable and/or painful way.

Prior to that I indulged myself in rereading Frank Herbert's Dune and Dune Messiah. Not sure this work needs much narrative description other than maybe my "two thumbs-up."

I am also about halfway through The Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind. I was gobbling these up rather quickly until I needed a fantasy fiction break. If you are interested in this genre please do not let the terrible TV series detract you from giving at least the first book in the series (Wizards First Rule) a go.

As I just finished my last book yesterday I am still in decision-making mode as to what I will pick up next. Time for a trip to the bookstore or a look back through my library. I often like to reread books when in the mood.

 

[hal2814]

I always try to juggle an escapist novel, a history book, and a work of literature at any given time. Here are my current reads:

Escapist Novel: Fletch Won - This is the story Kevin Smith was trying to make a movie out of and I can see why. I don't like many of the Fletch series but this one is great.

History: Themopyle: Battle for the West - I was initially drawn to this book because someone actually bothered to research the Persian side of things and Bradford isn't really heavy-handed towards either side of the battle.

Literature: The Sun Also Rises - Bullfighting, drinking, anti-semitism... What's not to like? So far it's a good but not spectacular Hemmingway novel.

 

[Ashz]

I am also about halfway through The Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind. I was gobbling these up rather quickly until I needed a fantasy fiction break. If you are interested in this genre please do not let the terrible TV series detract you from giving at least the first book in the series (Wizards First Rule) a go.

As I just finished my last book yesterday I am still in decision-making mode as to what I will pick up next. Time for a trip to the bookstore or a look back through my library. I often like to reread books when in the mood.

I really enjoy this series myself. The show is as stated TERRIBLE! Can't even watch a minute of them.

If you are interested in some fantasy, I am currently on the second book in this series and I like it very much. http://www.amazon.com/dp/055357339X/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

If anyone else is interested in a site with a lot of audio books check out

http://www.myanonamouse.net/inviteapp.php

This has boatloads of good downloads. No music, adult material, videos, movies. Only books about practically everything.

I believe I have a couple invites available pm me if you are interested.

 

[Parker36]

Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer (Into Thin Air, Into the Wild). It goes over the stories behind Mormanism, its history, and the crazy pedophile fundamentalists. Very interesting book.

 

[Jim Karr]

David McCullough- 1776. A very detailed history of the last months before the Revolutionaries won the colonies from the Brits.


Randy Alcorn--Heaven. This guy has spent 20 years researching and compiling what Scripture really says about Heaven. After reading this, I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve.

 

[Parker36]

Randy Alcorn--Heaven. This guy has spent 20 years researching and compiling what Scripture really says about Heaven. After reading this, I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve.

Like are going to off yourself tonight because you can't wait excited?

 

[forcera]

I just picked up Super Freakonomics. It's the follow up to Freakonomics.

I got it for 70% off too. It was 20% off because it's new. Then Barns and Noble book club members got an extra 10% off. Then I had a coupon for 40% off. The coupon said that it couldn't be added to other offers, but if the lady working at a book store can't read...oh well.

 

[RandalG]

Designing Great Beers - Ray Daniels...........Go figure

 

[david_42]

Rereading Harry Harrison's "Stars & Stripes" trilogy. What if Prince Albert died a few weeks earlier and England declared war on the USA over the Mason/Slidell incident in 1861?

 

[Parker36]

Rereading Harry Harrison's "Stars & Stripes" trilogy. What if Prince Albert died a few weeks earlier and England declared war on the USA over the Mason/Slidell incident in 1861?

That sounds interesting. How far into the future does it go?

 

[Joker]

Belgariad by David Eddings...........again.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

The God Delusion is a 2006 bestselling non-fiction book by British biologist Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins, well known writer on evolutionary theory, begins this volume by quoting from Robert Pirsig (author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance) (page 5): "`When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called religion.'"

 

[ThickHead]

(author of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)

One of my all-time favorites...Phaedrus.

 

[Revvy]

I'm just finishing Louis L'Amour's "The Walking Drum." His only non western, historical adventure novel. And I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

I was disappointed to find out that L'Amour had planned to make it into a trilogy, but died without completing it.

Have any of you read it, and if so, and you are fans of historical novels, can you recommend to me any similarly rousing historical adventures?

I'm a big fan of Kenneth Roberts, and have read all of his works.

But I'm really into the whole swashbuckling swords/pirates/hashisians mythos right now. Has anyone else written anything similar?

 

[android]

just finished 'Travels with Barley' by Ken Wells

i enjoyed it... next up is "Ambitious Brew"

 

[arch1tect]

Finished Under the Dome by Stephen King a few weeks ago. Currently reading:

The Stand by SK(again)
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Physics of the Impossible(trying to read again)

 

[Dr_Deathweed]

I'm just finishing Louis L'Amour's "The Walking Drum." His only non western, historical adventure novel. And I have enjoyed it thoroughly.

I was disappointed to find out that L'Amour had planned to make it into a trilogy, but died without completing it.

Have any of you read it, and if so, and you are fans of historical novels, can you recommend to me any similarly rousing historical adventures?

I'm a big fan of Kenneth Roberts, and have read all of his works.

But I'm really into the whole swashbuckling swords/pirates/hashisians mythos right now. Has anyone else written anything similar?

Louis L'Amour also wrote "Last of the Breed" which is a non-western adventture in cold war era Russia/Siberia, its a good read. Otherwise, the first two books of "The Sacketts" series are more colonist era early America, with a hint of swashbuckling thrown in for fun.

Right now im starting Stephen King's Dark tower series, on the second book "The Drawing of the Three." I have not been in a reading mood recently so its taking me a long time to get through this even though the story is great. Recently I have just wanted to come home and rot my brain with some MW2 or Mass Effect on the 360...

 

[jkarp]

Robert J Sawyer's "Flash Forward". Dramatically different (and unsurprisingly better than) the current TV show based on it.

 

[arch1tect]

Louis L'Amour also wrote "Last of the Breed" which is a non-western adventture in cold war era Russia/Siberia, its a good read. Otherwise, the first two books of "The Sacketts" series are more colonist era early America, with a hint of swashbuckling thrown in for fun.

Right now im starting Stephen King's Dark tower series, on the second book "The Drawing of the Three." I have not been in a reading mood recently so its taking me a long time to get through this even though the story is great. Recently I have just wanted to come home and rot my brain with some MW2 or Mass Effect on the 360...

I love The Dark Tower Series. It took me a long time to start reading it as I started when I was 14 or 15 and he had just released the 4th book.

Are you playing Mass Effect 2?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

World War Z by Max Brooks

 

[arch1tect]

World War Z by Max Brooks

Another great book! Did you read The Zombie Survival Guide?

 

[Revvy]

Louis L'Amour also wrote "Last of the Breed" which is a non-western adventture in cold war era Russia/Siberia, its a good read. Otherwise, the first two books of "The Sacketts" series are more colonist era early America, with a hint of swashbuckling thrown in for fun.

Oh cool, I thought 'drum was the only non western he wrote. And I'll look into the sackett seriess.

Right now im starting Stephen King's Dark tower series, on the second book "The Drawing of the Three." I have not been in a reading mood recently so its taking me a long time to get through this even though the story is great. .

I warn you, don't get to emotionally invested in the series....the fact that SK became bored with it becomes evident in later books, I think including the last one...It was a bitterly anticlimactic ending.

The series disappointingly, and almost frustratingly inconsistant, sheer brillance and great potential, with just enough stuff to pi$$ you off.

 

[Jim Karr]

A history/documentary called "The Century" written by Peter Jennings and another reporter who represented the print medium.....It's a very insightful look at the Twentieth Century. I'm about midway through, 1952-1957. Excellent coffeetable book.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Just started Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I needed a break from all that serious stuff I've been reading this past year. It's ultimately going to be a 15 book series, averaging about 800 pages each book. Yeah, I'll be busy for a while!

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

Belgariad by David Eddings...........again.

Awesome! Aside from The Hobbit, that series was one of the first to get me into reading.

 

[KingBrianI]

Just started Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. I needed a break from all that serious stuff I've been reading this past year. It's ultimately going to be a 15 book series, averaging about 800 pages each book. Yeah, I'll be busy for a while!

No kidding, you'll breeze through the first couple of books, but sometime in there, Jordan let his characters take over that series and each book wanders aimlessly around for 700 pages before something actually gets done in the last 100. Having said that, I'm about to start "The Gathering Storm" once my I get to the front of my library's waiting list for it.

 

[bob1852]

"The Book of Basketball" by Bill Simmons.

Great book about the NBA, rating players, teams, eras, etc. with a steady dose of Simmons humor.

Maybe that's why shecky doesn't like Simmons. He doesn't understand his humor?

 

[flyangler18]

Ted Gioia's Delta Blues - a wonderful piece of music history about my favorite genre of American roots music.

Robert Palmer's Deep Blues to follow.