The "What Are You Currently Reading?" Thread

[Sacul]

I'm gonna give literature reading a break, because I started The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, by Jesse Schell a few days ago. It's been a wonderful read so far.

[Tomislav95]

Hunger by Knut Hamsun. A classic and great style despite being book with no real story (it's more in the background).

[wkiml]

Mr Mercedes Stephen King

[Beowulf]

Just finished reading the 4th book in the fan-fiction series of James Potter, following the adventures of Harry Potter's eldest son.  Great stuff.  Just as good as J.K. Rowling's writings.  So much so, when the first book came out, many people thought it WAS her writing!

[TheVoxyn]

Also finished Mr Mercedes, wasn't very impressed to be honest. Cared very little for the main character and was rooting for the bad guy until the end because apart from the killing part he was a lot more interesting. I didn't like that King had to resort to cheap tricks like making the bad guy have racist thoughts to make him unlikable.

[hefdaddy42]

Debt of Honor by Tom Clancy

[jasc15]

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.  I don't know why I never read this book.  I'm only about 30 pages in, and I notice his writing is not as the level of complexity I expected; it reads quite fast.  I guess it's more about the plot than the writing itself.

Contrasting with Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World, which I just finished a few days ago, Sagan packs a lot of ideas into each sentence, and you have to keep track of the commas to stay with his intended message.

[Cyclopssss]

Stephen King - Mr. Mercedes.

[masterthes]

James Potter and The Hall of Elders' Crossing by G. Norman Lippert. Yes, I know it's fan fiction, but I've heard some good stuff so I thought I'd give it a try

[orcus116]

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.  I don't know why I never read this book.  I'm only about 30 pages in, and I notice his writing is not as the level of complexity I expected; it reads quite fast.  I guess it's more about the plot than the writing itself.

I've found Crichton to be a solid author who did very well at blending in scientific research with slightly outlandish fiction. His books were definitely more Hollywood but you can tell he actually cared about making it more or less correct in terms of the subject matter. In terms of writing levels he's one step above a Clive Cussler (who I haven't read in years but loved as a high schooler) and two steps above a James Patterson (who I've never read but from everything I've heard I can make a decent assumption).

[orcus116]

Posted this over at 5/8 but here is my current summer reading list, which is a mix of stuff I just bought and stuff I've had on my shelf for awhile:

Thomas Pynchon - V
Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse Five
John Steinbeck - The Grapes of Wrath
Mark Bowden - Finders Keepers
Philip K Dick - Valis
Cormac McCarthy - Blood Meridian (was halfway through it last time but I could not get used to the narrative style)
Matthew Pearl - The Dante Club
Orson Scott Card - Enders Game

Slaughterhouse Five was a crazy but really interesting book, but I admit following his narrative style is a little challenging at times.  The Grapes of Wrath is one of the great heavy weights, he is one of literature's most beautiful writers - highly recommend it.  Blood Meridian is the bloodiest book I have ever read, and the story is a bit difficult to follow, I personally wouldn't recommend it if this is your first Cormac novel.  It seems you like science fiction, I would suggest you read The Road instead, or, if you like westerns (Blood Meridian is sort of a western) then read one of The Boarder Trilogy books, they are more accessable and, in my opinion, more fun to read.  As far as Ender's Game goes, I just hope you haven't seen the movie because it does a great injustice to this book and it will give you the wrong impression.  I hope you don't mind that I commented on your list, I just love books and I couldn't help myself.

No worries, I like creating a discussion. I haven't seen Ender's Game mainly because I wanted to read the book first. I already own and have gone through some of Blood Meridian years ago so I'm going to restart it although I do want to read The Road soon. In addition to Grapes of Wrath I just ordered East of Eden. It's odd, the only Steinbeck I've read is Tortilla Flat but he's just an author I feel like I'm going to really enjoy.

[jasc15]

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.  I don't know why I never read this book.  I'm only about 30 pages in, and I notice his writing is not as the level of complexity I expected; it reads quite fast.  I guess it's more about the plot than the writing itself.

I've found Crichton to be a solid author who did very well at blending in scientific research with slightly outlandish fiction. His books were definitely more Hollywood but you can tell he actually cared about making it more or less correct in terms of the subject matter. In terms of writing levels he's one step above a Clive Cussler (who I haven't read in years but loved as a high schooler) and two steps above a James Patterson (who I've never read but from everything I've heard I can make a decent assumption).

I'm not well read in popular fiction, so I don't really have a basis of comparison.  As I read, it feels like a strange juxtaposition between his rather unsophisticated writing style, and hyperspecific technical jargon (like protiens with a molecular weight of 1938, or something).  I appreciate his effort toward a high level technical accuracy, but his use of language isn't at that same level.

Also on my table is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair.  Something that was always used as an example of "muckraking journalism" in high school history class.  It seems (based on reviews I've read) to have a lot more to it than a simple expose of industry, with a broader critique of human social behavior.

[ozzy554]

Reading my way through Lawrence Block's Scudder series.

Sins of the fathers 4/5
Time to murder and create 4/5
In the Midst of Death 3/5
A Stab in The Dark 4/5 (my favorite so far)

Now time to start Eight Million Ways to Die

[FracturedMirror]

I've been reading my way through the Black Company series.  I'm currently on Dreams Of Steel.

[Sacul]

Just finished A Path of Daggers, from The Wheel of Time series. I really liked it, but it wasn't better than the previous one - nor I expected to top it. Actually, it felt a bit short, or maybe there where too many battles in comparison with the rest of the saga Will begin Winter's Heart soon.

[WDADU]

Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Finished Stephen King's Mr. Mercedes on Friday night and loved it.

[Dimitrius]

I've been reading my way through the Black Company series.  I'm currently on Dreams Of Steel.

I've heard that that's a good series to read while waiting for the next ASoIaF book.

[FracturedMirror]

I've been reading my way through the Black Company series.  I'm currently on Dreams Of Steel.

I've heard that that's a good series to read while waiting for the next ASoIaF book.

Yep, it is!

I think if somebody likes one, they'll probably like the other.  And the Winds Of Winter are probably far away; the seasons of Westeros are unpredictable after all.

[Dimitrius]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

[senecadawg2]

Those sound like series for me to check out eventually then, now that I've finally got started on ASoIaF. I'm about halfway through Game of Thrones so far and really enjoying it.

[cramx3]

Just got into e-book reading.  I got an Ipad for work (so I can read technical books which I have unlimited access to) but I also decided to check out iBooks for personal reading.  Decided to buy the entire ASoIaF series (I own them all in softcover and have read them all), but it's nice to be able to read some chapters here and there to refresh my memory or relive parts of the story.  Its really cool to have like 4000 pages at the tip of my fingertips.  I started reading parts of A Feast for Crows yesterday.

[FracturedMirror]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

The First Law Trilogy was really good.  I want to read Abercrombie's next three books in the First Law world as well.

[Dimitrius]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

The First Law Trilogy was really good.  I want to read Abercrombie's next three books in the First Law world as well.

Fuck yes they were! Fucking Bloody-Nine man! And motherfuck Bayaz, what a boss!

[The King in Crimson]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

The First Law Trilogy was really good.  I want to read Abercrombie's next three books in the First Law world as well.

You're in for a treat then. I actually liked the three standalones more than most of the trilogy. 

[FracturedMirror]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

The First Law Trilogy was really good.  I want to read Abercrombie's next three books in the First Law world as well.

Fuck yes they were! Fucking Bloody-Nine man! And motherfuck Bayaz, what a boss!

Bloody Nine, Bayaz, Luthar, West, every character was great.  But Glokta had to be my personal favorite in the series.

[Dimitrius]

He has that Tyrion charm!

[FracturedMirror]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

The First Law Trilogy was really good.  I want to read Abercrombie's next three books in the First Law world as well.

You're in for a treat then. I actually liked the three standalones more than most of the trilogy. 

Yeah, I'm looking forward to reading them.  And then there is also Abercrombie's new one Half A King coming out soon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SWIzKpc9PFE

[Dimitrius]

Look at GRRM writing reviews of other books instead of writing TWoW!!!

[masterthes]

Yeah, because of that I read Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I fully recommend that to any fans of ASoIaF.

The First Law Trilogy was really good.  I want to read Abercrombie's next three books in the First Law world as well.

Fuck yes they were! Fucking Bloody-Nine man! And motherfuck Bayaz, what a boss!

Bloody Nine, Bayaz, Luthar, West, every character was great.  But Glokta had to be my personal favorite in the series.

Well, you guys convinced me. I'm giving the first book a go as we speak

[Fluffy Lothario]

Just finished The God Delusion.

Whether or not I actually go through with it, the next three books I plan to read are:

Joyce - A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
The Odyssey
Joyce - Ulysses

[Dimitrius]

Finished Nineteen Eighty-Four. It's downright terrifying to think that, close to 65 years after its released, the novel is probably at its most relevant!

[Tomislav95]

Finished with Kundera's The Unbearable Lightness of Being (liked it) and now reading Foundation and Empire (Foundation #2).
I'm planning to read The First Law trilogy, good to see some recommendations
Also, what about The Kingkiller Chronicle? Did anyone read it?

[Jaffa]

Also, what about The Kingkiller Chronicle? Did anyone read it?

I haven't read it myself yet, but pretty much everyone I work with at the bookstore is in love with it. 

[masterthes]

Haven't read the second book yet, but the first one is great

[Jaffa]

Plus, Rothfuss is a really nice guy.