What Book(s) Are You Reading?

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BraveSirRobin

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What books are you guys reading? I'm going to be in a car for 18 hours this weekend so I'm looking for some reading material to kill some time. I just finished reading "The Last Ridge", which I thought was an interesting and entertaining read about the US Army's mountain rangers during World War 2. After that I just flew through "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" as a fun read, but now I'm looking for something that requires actual thinking. Anyway, I'm just rambling now. What are some good books that you guys are currently reading or just read?
 
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Reading:
Earth: The Sequel - Fred Krupp and Miriam Horn

Recent:
The Big Short - Michael Lewis
Liar's Poker - Michael Lewis
A few Malcom Gladwell books
The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945 - Josh Toland

And if you're really into something strange, either:
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami, or
House of Leaves by Danielewski
 
I'm just finishing off "Kingdom of Fear" by Hunter S Thompson, bought it at the airport a couple of months ago when traveling for work. Off on my honeymoon next week, so will be reading a couple of Lee Child books then.
 
I'm reading "The First American" by H. W. Brands, a biography of Benjamin Franklin that's really engaging. There are some very interesting points made about how various historical figures, especially Franklin of course, were perceived in their time versus how they are seen now. It really will give you some things to think about concerning some of histories most notable personalities and we came to think of them the way we do.

I'm also reading "My Life in France" by Julia Child, an autobiography about her time learning to cook and about the time she spent writing her book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking". I wouldn't say this book will make you do much heavy thinking but it's a fun look into the history and mind of one of this centuries most unique and beloved ladies.

I am not normally into biographies or autobiographies but somehow fell into reading the two of these at the same time. I don't find either of them nearly as dry as the genre can be but I was also interested in both people well before I started reading.
 
Right now I'm reading two books for a second time, Jesus Lived in India and The Reformation (from my college days back in the '80s).

I just finished another Steve Berry book, The Alexandria Link. I read a few others by him that were also pretty good, The Charlemagne Pursuit and The Templar Legacy. All of them have the same main character. I'm not really into books of that nature since you almost feel compelled to buy and read the others, especially if they are in a series, which these are not, but characters do overlap into other books. I guess that saves reading and writing time since you don't have to reintroduce new characters and their backgrounds.

I also finished another by Richard D'Agostino called the Rite of Passage.

They are all pretty much the same with some global trottig adventures with treasure hunting and religious references (speculative, not mainstream).



JadeMonkeyStang: Go rent the movie Julie and Julia...it's a lot about Julia Childs during that same time period.
 
Finishing up A Peoples history of the United states of America, Howard Zinn. On deck is going to be either God delusion by Dawkins or Gravity's rainbow, Thomas pynchon. Haven't decided yet.
 
I just got back from the library. I picked up Oil! by Upton Sinclair and As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. I want to start reading some classical authors as I haven't read any books from that genre outside of required reading in school. I started reading the latter book and it seems like it's going to be a really quick read. I'm not sure if it's been made into a movie yet, but if it hasn't it seems like the type of book that would make a seamless transition to the big screen. It could be a really good character study type of movie.
 
Usually I read two books at a time; one of them is a "light" no-brainer, the other one makes you think. Right now I'm reading "Watchers" by Dean Koontz (a no-brainer) and "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins (makes you think) :D So far both of those books are really good.
 
I just got back from the library. I picked up Oil! by Upton Sinclair and As I Lay Dying by Faulkner. I want to start reading some classical authors as I haven't read any books from that genre outside of required reading in school. I started reading the latter book and it seems like it's going to be a really quick read. I'm not sure if it's been made into a movie yet, but if it hasn't it seems like the type of book that would make a seamless transition to the big screen. It could be a really good character study type of movie.

I assume you're talking about As I Lay Dying...since Oil! was (loosely) adapted into the film There Will Be Blood.
 
Usually I read two books at a time; one of them is a "light" no-brainer, the other one makes you think. Right now I'm reading "Watchers" by Dean Koontz (a no-brainer) and "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins (makes you think) :D So far both of those books are really good.


I use the same method! Usually have one non-fiction and one or two fiction(s) going at the same time.

Right now, it is:

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and:

stiff.JPG


Surprising to say, but I've read Stiff twice now. I'm a big fan of all of Mary Roach's work. Her writing style of a layperson with an insatiable curiosity about science and history, with a healthy dose of blasphemy and sarcasm suits me very well.
 
Just finished reading "To the White Sea", by James Dickey (author of "Deliverance"). To me, it was a perfect book... a survivalist story-line, set in WWII, but so much more. A story of transformation. Simple, clear writing. It drew me in, and challenged me on several levels.
Maybe check out the blurbs on amazon if you're interested. I will read "To the White Sea" again, highly recommended.
 
+1 on The God Delusion (Dawkins). Recently read that and enjoyed it. Currently reading Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell. I've got a stack of several other books that I hope to get to soon.
 
I assume you're talking about As I Lay Dying...since Oil! was (loosely) adapted into the film There Will Be Blood.

Yeah, I'm talking about As I Lay Dying. "Loosely" is a good term to use to describe the relationship between Oil! and There Will be Blood. From my understanding, Oil! is written from bunny's point of view whereas TWBB is based on his father with the son playing a supporting role. And I believe that Paul Thomas Anderson only used the beginning of Oil! for his film and then the two plots begin to separate.
 
just finished A wolf at the table by Augusten Burrows. pretty good, a lot darker than his other stuff.
 
Finished Oil! by Upton Sinclair and now reading For the New Intellectual by Rand that was a Birthday gift.
 
I've been spending the past few months ploughing through an old (well, been around a while) fantasy series, the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan. Read the first few when I was younger, and picked them up again from the start after a friend reminded me of them. 10,000+ pages so far, and am on the current book... Soon as I'm done with that, Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest is waiting on the nightstand, along with Collapse from Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs, and Steel)
 
What books are you guys reading? I'm going to be in a car for 18 hours this weekend so I'm looking for some reading material to kill some time. I just finished reading "The Last Ridge", which I thought was an interesting and entertaining read about the US Army's mountain rangers during World War 2. After that I just flew through "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" as a fun read, but now I'm looking for something that requires actual thinking. Anyway, I'm just rambling now. What are some good books that you guys are currently reading or just read?

First: don't read and drive. You'll lose your place in the book when you crash and burn.

Second: good to see so many people reading the God Delusion. Try something by Hitchens too!

Third: Gravity's Rainbow is HARD. I only got a few chapters in before I gave up. Dhalgren is another one like that. I need to try both them again. If you want to think (and say wtf? a lot), those are good choices!

I'm currently working my way through the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. Sci-fi, but with some philosophical questions about religion, life and death, and other stuff.
 
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The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution and Future of the Human Animal by Jared Diamond. I've read Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies and liked it so decided to try Third Chimp.

I've only read the intro but vacation starts in 2 days, 1 hour, and 28 minutes.

Just finished Pot-Limit Omaha Poker by Jeff Hwang but I don't think that's what you're looking for.
 
right now i'm on book three of stephen lawhead's "Pendragon Cycle' there's five books in all. it's a pretty good tale of arthur and his knights imo.
 
'The Road to Gandolfo' by Robert Ludlum. No thinking books for me right now.
 
What did you think of Oil!? I'm going to start reading it, hopefully, in the next day or two.

I thought it was an overall good story for the first 4/5 of the book. I was really captivated for the first half when the story was mostly focused on the Father and Son. Their bonding, relationship and love despite the growing philosophical differences.

Then it swayed away from the story and got a little more abstract into Sinclair's pro-Socialism rants.
 
JadeMonkeyStang: Go rent the movie Julie and Julia...it's a lot about Julia Childs during that same time period.

Seeing that movie is actually what got me to finally go and read the book, I've been planning to read it for awhile. The parts of the story about Julia back in the day was taken from "My Life in France" while the modern parts were taken from Julie's book. They changed some of the details and such for the movie from what I can tell but nothing that made a huge impact.
 
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