Currently reading thread...

nihpuad · 19-06-09 06:30:57

I recently finished the audio version of Free Food for Millionaires by Lin Jin Lee. It's a lengthy novel about a young Korean-American woman in New York. A chick-lit novel about the immigrant experience isn't what you'd expect a middle-aged, middle-class white guy to read, but I really loved it.

I recently noted that Simon Winchester has a new book out, about China. He's one of my favorite authors, and a great reader, so I'm going to look for the audio version.

Plus which, I'm working my way through the Harry Potter oeuvre, in advance of the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince this summer. I always try to "pregame" each new movie by re-reading the books up to that point. I always read the Potter books in hardcopy, even though I've heard the audio versions are great, because in my head the "voices" of the characters are those of the film cast.

Last edited by nihpuad (19-06-09 06:34:22)

VeronicaF · 19-06-09 06:35:07

ngaio wrote:

I tried reading a Neil Stephenson book, Quicksilver, got about halfway through but was just finding myself losing interest. Maybe I should try Snowcrash because most everyone I know is mad about Neil Stephenson...

Snow crash is a little easier than some of his other books. But I love that when you read Neil Stephenson stuff you feel like your actually learning things. Cryptonomicon is pretty good too. Although i never finished it because the friend I borrowed it from wanted it back

hyperballad · 25-06-09 05:33:33

Okay, about halfway through Stiff by Mary Roach - I can't put it down. It's fascinating... Okay so I'm a little bit morbid, but it really is an awesome book.

ngaio · 26-06-09 03:22:48

Mwaha! Yeah, I really liked it. Glad you do too!

Folly · 30-06-09 06:02:52

ahh but the Harry Potter audio books are read by the marvelous Stephen Fry, whose podcast, "Stephen Fry's podgrams," I just started listening to. And he has such a tangible and emotive way of pronouncing words - similar to the same way a food critic would savour every subtle flavour. So I'm hoping it would enhance the audio book experience for you. Trust me, he'll sound like a teacher at hogwarts.

nihpuad · 30-06-09 07:28:29

Folly wrote:

ahh but the Harry Potter audio books are read by the marvelous Stephen Fry,

???

The iTunes store is telling me the narrator is Jim Dale, which is what I had thought. Perhaps there's a distinction between UK and U.S. audio editions?

In any case, I have the voices of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Alan Rickman, et al., so wired into my head that I don't want to risk cognitive dissonance. Maybe after the last of the movies is out, I'll go back and revisit the series as audiobooks. I'm the odd duck who can enjoy re-reading (or re-"reading") my favorites an almost indefinite number of times.

For instance, I'm currently in the process of re-listening-to a set of Bill Bryson's early travel books (Notes from a Small Island, Neither Here Nor There, and I'm a Stranger Here Myself), which I highly recommend (as I do all of Bryson's audiobooks).

Folly · 01-07-09 03:53:39

damn, i was sure the ones we used to sell in Borders (in Aus) are by Stephen Fry.

nihpuad · 01-07-09 06:11:34

Folly wrote:

damn, i was sure the ones we used to sell in Borders (in Aus) are by Stephen Fry.

I think that's right: I looked it up last night after posting, and Fry does read the UK editions... which I'm guessing is what's on offer in Oz; Jim Dale does the U.S. audio editions. By all accounts, both are wonderful.

artist_charlotte_v · 02-07-09 09:31:40

I'm re-reading And The Ass Saw The Angel by Nick Cave. His new book is released next month, very exciting.

BelgianDude · 23-07-09 23:35:47

Right now, I'm reading The Erotic/Pornografic Works of Louis Paul Boon. A well-known Flemish author, his style is still unparallelled. There's no translations, I'm afraid. Before that, I read The Blue of Rembrandt, by Jörg Kastner.

Last edited by BelgianDude (23-07-09 23:36:33)

steveg2550 · 24-07-09 02:42:25

I am currently reading; "Elantris," by Brandon Sanderson. I am about half way through it, and enjoying it very much.

I have also read all three of his "Mistborn" trilogy. That is an excellent series of books! He actually wrote "Elantris" first. But that book is of a different time & place than his "Mistborn" books.

I enjoy reading Science Fiction and fantasy books. Space adventures are among my favorites.

"Pandora's Star, by Peter F Hamilton. And his sequel book, "Judas Unchained." Those two books were wonderful reading.

Elizabeth bear book "Dust" was a very intense book.

I like my space hero's too. Author Elizabeth Moon wrote a five book series called, "Vatta's Wars." David Weber's, "Honor Harrington" series. Mike Shepherd, "Kris longknife" series. Tanya Huff, "Heart of Valor" series.

They have actual hero's in those books. Who doesn't like hero's?

Those books were fun to read. But if you want to get serious; I've read all three books written by Brian Herbert Jr (the son, not the dad) and Kevin J Anderson.

They co-wrote three books about the Machine wars, they are; "Dune: The Butlerian Jihad," "Dune: The Machine Crusade," and the last book in that series, "Dune: The Battle of Corrin"

Kevin J Anderson also wrote the seven book series, "Saga of the Seven Suns" That is excellent reading! Each book is an adventure.

It is amazing how we all differ in what we all like to read. But we come together here because we love the wonderfully intimate contributions presented here. That is something we all have in common.

Last edited by steveg2550 (24-07-09 02:47:04)

hyperballad · 13-08-09 01:41:37

I'm slowly plodding through a book on ejaculation and have been reading it for an age... That's going to take a while.

But I have finally caved and I'm reading the Harry Potter series - finished the first book and about halfway through the second one. Insofar: not bad, good, light nighttime-beforebed reading.

Liquid · 15-08-09 08:07:15

Just picked up John Birmingham's latest "Without Warning". It follows what happens when a mysterious energy wave makes all human and animal life in most of North America just vanishes, effectively leaving the world without a Pax Americana... a great "what if?" type of story.

And if you like alternate history check out his "Axis of Time" trilogy about a multinational naval battle group from 2020 being transported in time back to WWII and the invasion of Midway, and how the course of the war and history is changed.

blissed · 18-08-09 00:40:10

Has anyone read 'Pride and Prejudice and Zombiess' I saw someone reading it on the train and the cover looked good, though a film's being made and if it's funny I might watch that instead.

.

BelgianDude · 18-08-09 02:01:50

Nope, haven't read that yet. Heading to the liberary tomorrow, though. Just finished Clive Barker's "Mister B. Gone".

ngaio · 18-08-09 08:46:16

I'm currently looking for any reading material regarding mermaids, sirens, etc. If anyone can think of anything, don't hesitate to let me know!

Folly · 19-08-09 05:59:25

I love Clive Barker. My fave book ever is The Thief of Always. Though of course his more adult books are great on much deeper levels.

I am reading Look Who's Morphing by Tom Cho, a local Melbourne guy. It's his debut and comprises short stories which use many 80s pop culture references weaving in and out of themes from his Chinese heritage/family. He starts the first story as Baby in Dirty Dancing. His book is up for an Age Book of The Year Award.

And re: your search for mermaids ngaio, they are a very hot mythical creature aren't they? I wonder why they are the most popular half woman half animal creature. Just cos there are so many other creatures to combine women with, snakes, horses etc. Anyone know any reading material on any of these hybrids?
I was also wondering recently if there are any books where centaurs are the main characters in the storyline. They are such a powerful and strong image, yet they always seem to just be the back up cast in stories such as Narnia or Harry Potter.

ngaio · 19-08-09 06:26:42

The Thief of Always is an awesome book! I love kid's books that aren't afraid to be dark and aren't patronising.

Folly wrote:

I wonder why they are the most popular half woman half animal creature. Just cos there are so many other creatures to combine women with, snakes, horses etc.

Hmmm, good question! Thanks for getting my brain going on this! Perhaps it's partly to do with the seduction story behind mermaids... and the combination of a beautiful women with something such as the ocean (because I think it's more the fact that they inhabit the ocean, rather than the fish tail in and of itself?) ...the ocean being both seductive and beautiful, yet entirely alien and dangerous to man... perhaps made/makes for a powerful metaphor?

Last edited by ngaio (19-08-09 06:27:49)

ngaio · 27-10-09 02:44:47

Currently reading Bonk by Mary Roach... been meaning to get ahold of it for ages and really enjoying it so far. Woot!

ngaio · 23-12-09 07:25:14

I've slowly been rereading the artist Len Lye's biography by Roger Horrocks.

Lye's films and kinetic sculptures were unique and ahead of their time in many ways and still have the power to excite people to this day. The book has once again been a real inspiration to me on many levels. Totally awesome but I'm afraid that last time I looked, it was out of print. Bah humbug.

I'm also about two thirds through Milan Kundera's "The Farewell Party". I loved "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and had read it several times but this book... I don't know. It feels kind of misogynistic but I don't know if that's because it's just a sort of representation of misogyny in the characters or what. Kundera is good at characters and the sort of messy nature of people, I find... but some of the stuff is kind of dated. So I'm not quite sure what I think right now.

natalka · 23-12-09 07:37:42

This is my favourite topic in the world. I'm reading some short stories by Jorge Luis Borges, and they are fantastic. Just verging on the edge of sci-fi which I love so well... Any plans for holiday reading anyone???

I'm thinking Jeffrey Eugenides, he's just edited a collection of love stories for charity, not to mention his own novel 'Middlesex' and I think it might be high time to read one of those Noam Chomsky books my uni courses are so fond of quoting

Happy holidays, oh I'll keep my eyes out for mermaids, Tim Winton did a lovely novel about a fish, Blueback, but I can't think of anything else right now

sonice · 30-12-09 09:20:11

I just read Orxy an Crate by Margaret Atwood and I can't wait to read the follow up The Year of the Flood.
I found Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder very inspiring
I'll read anything by Hunter S. Thompson if I want to laugh and cry.

Last edited by sonice (30-12-09 09:24:36)

ngaio · 20-01-10 01:49:25

Oh I love Margaret Atwood! I've not read her in quite awhile though, I need to get back to her.

I recently read "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human" by Richard Wrangham which was a fascinating read for anyone who's interested in food, evolution, in why we are as we are today, it even has an interesting section in the book from a feminist perspective.

Now I'm reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer, the author of "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close". Foer is an amazing, enjoyable, easily readable author. This particular book covers some incredibly heavy stuff but in a way that isn't hard to read. I'd highly recommend it to absolutely everyone as it's eye opening to the extreme without preaching... and I think we should always try to go through life with our eyes open, expect perhaps when sleeping and coming!

nihpuad · 21-01-10 19:51:22

ngaio wrote:

I recently read "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human" by Richard Wrangham....
Now I'm reading "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer....

That's an interesting juxtaposition, eh? I haven't read either book but have heard extensive interviews with both authors.

ngaio · 22-01-10 01:41:49

It is interesting for sure... but it's actually not such a juxtaposition as "How Cooking Made Us Human" basically states that we've evolved to eat cooked food as cooked food is much easier to eat, digest and take energy from than raw. The book argues that the time saved for doing other "stuff", the maximising of energy intake from less food, basically gave us the ability to become what we are today. This is different from the "man the hunter" theory, as it suggests we relied on cooked food to become what we are, not meat.

I've recently gone vegetarian so was interested from that perspective. "Eating Animals" has convinced me that I've made the right choice.

Blah blah, I'm not very good at explaining these things. The books are far more well articulated and researched than my stances could ever be!

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