Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[ucfgrad93]

I am currently reading Praetorian.

https://www.amazon.com/Praetorian-R...TF8&qid=1509234297&sr=8-4&keywords=praetorian

 

[skottichan]

Rereading Stephen King's Desperation

I lost a lot of books, comics and manga when an ex left me when I was at work. I've been slowly getting my favorites back.

(Tho will never get my autographed Hitchhiker's Guide back *shakes fist*)

 

[RootBeerMan]

That looks very interesting. Thanks for posting this.

It's moving kind of slow. My feeling is that Iraqi authors (and likely Middle Eastern authors, as a whole) are uncomfortable with Science Fiction and don't really have a grasp on it, and what makes for good SF.

 

[ucfgrad93]

It's moving kind of slow. My feeling is that Iraqi authors (and likely Middle Eastern authors, as a whole) are uncomfortable with Science Fiction and don't really have a grasp on it, and what makes for good SF.

Thanks, I just downloaded a sample on my Kindle.

 

[0388631]

Actually, speculative science fiction has been a long time tradition within the ME. It's just not the same science fiction we're used to as Westerners. Granted, in recent decades, there's been a tighter grip on what can and can't be written. Regardless of that issue, you'll find most older works of ME sci-fi to be folktale-esque in nature with some other stuff thrown in for good measure. For the most part, most modern ME literature revolves around historical fiction which is really popular, or so I've read, and literary fiction. If you're looking for dystopian sci-fi, then yeah, you'll be disappointed. It's going to be more fantasy than pure, hardcore sci-fi like we're used to. That said, and I know this might piss some off, but religious text initself is considered speculative science fiction from a literary standpoint. So what's in the bible, the torah or the quoran are probably what you'll see in ME sci-fi with some scientific twist to it, nudging it over to fantasy. However, dystopian sci-fi is a growing trend there.

@ucfgrad93 Interesting Roman fiction novel up there. I checked it out yesterday after I thanked your post and found the series to be interesting. I've booked-marked to purchase later. They say never judge a book by its cover. Sadly, I did, and then I read the synopsis. I think I'll enjoy it. I might actually order them in paperback if not hardback and not Kindle. I've been buying both paperback or hardback alongside Kindle as of late. I figured the kids might read it when they're older.

 

[ucfgrad93]

@ucfgrad93 Interesting Roman fiction novel up there. I checked it out yesterday after I thanked your post and found the series to be interesting. I've booked-marked to purchase later. They say never judge a book by its cover. Sadly, I did, and then I read the synopsis. I think I'll enjoy it. I might actually order them in paperback if not hardback and not Kindle. I've been buying both paperback or hardback alongside Kindle as of late. I figured the kids might read it when they're older.

It is a great series in my opinion. I bought the first 10 on my Kindle, but have had to buy the last couple in paperback as the kindle version is unavailable here in the US.

 

[0388631]

It is a great series in my opinion. I bought the first 10 on my Kindle, but have had to buy the last couple in paperback as the kindle version is unavailable here in the US.

Odd. I'll hold off for now, but I'll be contacting Hatchette UK to inquire.

 

[0388631]

It is a great series in my opinion. I bought the first 10 on my Kindle, but have had to buy the last couple in paperback as the kindle version is unavailable here in the US.

I went ahead and contacted Hatchette UK, but after I did I remembered recommending Book Depository to Sceptical last year. They're an Amazon owned company based in North England, IIRC. Ordering from there takes about a week or just over a week. They seem to have all of Scarrow's books in paperback except book eight, which can be purchased elsewhere. I recall your kids being older or in college, so it might be of much use to pass them down. Though I suppose it would be nice to have them in physical form. Just an idea, UCF. They carry hardback books, too. I've found them to be a bit cheaper than Amazon, and if their policy still stands, you don't pay sales tax and shipping is free. So there is a lot of incentive to use them as an American or Canadian. Or outside of the UK and EU.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I went ahead and contacted Hatchette UK, but after I did I remembered recommending Book Depository to Sceptical last year. They're an Amazon owned company based in North England, IIRC. Ordering from there takes about a week or just over a week. They seem to have all of Scarrow's books in paperback except book eight, which can be purchased elsewhere. I recall your kids being older or in college, so it might be of much use to pass them down. Though I suppose it would be nice to have them in physical form. Just an idea, UCF. They carry hardback books, too. I've found them to be a bit cheaper than Amazon, and if their policy still stands, you don't pay sales tax and shipping is free. So there is a lot of incentive to use them as an American or Canadian. Or outside of the UK and EU.

Thanks for this, @Zenithal, but as it happens - I have been buying from Book Depository for years.

However, I echo and second @Zenithal's recommendation; they are very good, prompt and professional.

 

[0388631]

Yes, they included a packet of harboiled sweets because I jokingly asked them to include one. A while back I posted about another company, a coffee supplier, who I jokingly asked to place candy and was sent a very heavy bag of the American Skittles candy.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I like hardback books and buy them whenever I can - and I have bought quite a few in recent years from The Book Depository: The quality of the product - such as the print, - the font is usually larger, more legible, more widely spaced, and elegant - while the paper used, - it tends to be heavier and better - the binding - and other matters, such as the production values, all tends to be far superior than for many paperbacks.

 

[0388631]

Yes, I agree. Of the paperbacks I've ordered, the paper is more like printer paper and the font weight is larger than North American print, and better spaced. They weigh more than their NA variant, but they're better. I hardly call it a complaint.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I went ahead and contacted Hatchette UK, but after I did I remembered recommending Book Depository to Sceptical last year. They're an Amazon owned company based in North England, IIRC. Ordering from there takes about a week or just over a week. They seem to have all of Scarrow's books in paperback except book eight, which can be purchased elsewhere. I recall your kids being older or in college, so it might be of much use to pass them down. Though I suppose it would be nice to have them in physical form. Just an idea, UCF. They carry hardback books, too. I've found them to be a bit cheaper than Amazon, and if their policy still stands, you don't pay sales tax and shipping is free. So there is a lot of incentive to use them as an American or Canadian. Or outside of the UK and EU.

Thanks, I’ll check them out.

 

[cdcastillo]

"The Geopolitics of Emotion: How Cultures of Fear, Humiliation, and Hope are Reshaping the World" by Dominique Moïsi.

How did you find it? Do you recommend it for someone with a faint grasp of geopolitics?

 

[2984839]

Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations by Raymond Aron.

Excellent book. It's too bad Aron isn't well known in the US.

Just finished Kosovo: A Short History by Noel Malcolm and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it.

 

[kazmac]

Moving Target: The History and Evolution of Green Arrow by Richard Gray. Completely worth it for the chapter and interview with artist/writer Mike Grell.

And when I need to, Office 2016 for Dummies. Too much information, I prefer learning from Microsoft and another free site.

 

[BornAgainMac]

Expert Oracle Application Express Security

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Peace and War: A Theory of International Relations by Raymond Aron.

Excellent book. It's too bad Aron isn't well known in the US.

Just finished Kosovo: A Short History by Noel Malcolm and it was outstanding. I highly recommend it.

Sounds an interesting reading list.

I spent some time in Kosovo observing several elections, - actually, I have observed/monitored/supervised quite a number of elections right across the former Yugoslavia over the past twenty years - and find the entire region fascinating.

 

[2984839]

Sounds an interesting reading list.

I spent some time in Kosovo observing several elections, - actually, I have observed/monitored/supervised quite a number of elections right across the former Yugoslavia over the past twenty years - and find the entire region fascinating.

It is fascinating indeed. The history there is like an onion, with each of the various conquests and revolutions adding their own layer to it.

 

[fitshaced]

I finished Two Kinds of Truth by Michael Connelly on Saturday. Not his best but a decent read. I think the Harry Bosch character has went as far as he can go. Can’t see him going past another two books.

I also think that Connelly is a bit distracted by his Amazon prime tv series as his quality is slipping. He’s always got great ideas for stories but this one seemed rushed.

 

[LizKat]

Reading a couple more David Ignatius spy novels. Too bad he hasn't a couple dozen out there instead of only ten or so. I could keep doing this instead of reading the newspapers for awhile and be quite content. On tap at the moment, Siro. Just finished: The Director.

 

[JamesMike]

Reading a couple more David Ignatius spy novels. Too bad he hasn't a couple dozen out there instead of only ten or so. I could keep doing this instead of reading the newspapers for awhile and be quite content. On tap at the moment, Siro. Just finished: The Director.

I will have to check him out.

Reading 'Two Kinds of Truth', a Harry Bosch book.

 

[LizKat]

Maybe I'll start in on the Bosch ones when I run out of Ignatius novels. Whatever it takes to keep me away from too much news about the current administration, which I wish were reality TV so I'd have skipped it all together. 😉

 

[AVBeatMan]

Do you need to read the Harry Bosch books in order? I’ve watched the TV show that combines several books into each series.

 

[fitshaced]

Do you need to read the Harry Bosch books in order? I’ve watched the TV show that combines several books into each series.

You don’t need to read them in order but I would recommend it. The tv series was a let down for me. In my opinion, The Wire is more closer to the books than the Bosch tv series in terms of quality. Especially season 5.