Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[DaveFromCampbelltown]

A different forum reminded me of The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith.
He really understood cats (as much as humans can).

Another was Robert Heinlein (for all his other literary faults), as shown in The Door into Summer with his cat Petey, who, during winter, made the protagonist check all doors in the house, just to make sure none of them led into Summer.
There was also the cat Pixel (Blerrt)* who shows up in a number of Heinlein's stories. Pixel, like many cats, totally ignores quantum and the rules of physics, and just, walks through walls.

See also

*If you've read it, you know the reference

 

[Madonepro]

Exercise Physiology, McArdle, Kaitch and Kaitch.

 

[Snow4maen]

I've recently read Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit, by Jeanette Winterson. Which accounts her growing up with her foster parents who were really quite strange. It was interesting, and I found myself marvelling at how well she dealt with it all, and went on to do very well for herself.

I also read a good book by Ali Smith, called Hotel World. Unlike any book I have read in that the supposed protagonist dies in the first few pages! Great characters, never boring. Good fun.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Over the past few days, I have been reading the Ibis Trilogy (Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke and Flood of Fire) by (the invariably excellent) Amitav Ghosh.

 

[pachyderm]

A different forum reminded me of The Game of Rat and Dragon by Cordwainer Smith.
He really understood cats (as much as humans can).

Another was Robert Heinlein (for all his other literary faults), as shown in The Door into Summer with his cat Petey, who, during winter, made the protagonist check all doors in the house, just to make sure none of them led into Summer.
There was also the cat Pixel (Blerrt)* who shows up in a number of Heinlein's stories. Pixel, like many cats, totally ignores quantum and the rules of physics, and just, walks through walls.

See also

*If you've read it, you know the reference

I've read the Heinlen book. Not bad.

For a while there I couldn't make myself read at all and out of nowhere now I have a very big appetite for books again.

In the past week I've finished:

I ended up really enjoying Lincoln... even though the writing style/presentation took me a bit of getting used to.

Lions... was fantastic historical fiction on the juvenile level and a very quick read.


And I've just begun:

 

[pachyderm]

And I've just begun:
View attachment 2605783

I'm loving this one. I remember trying to start way back after I bought and I struggled to get anywhere at all.

Totally engrossed now.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Devoured - in a single sitting - "The Curse of Bigness: Antitrust in the New Gilded Age" - by Tim Wu.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Just started (this morning, reading in bed, with some early - and very welcome - spring sunshine - bright with the promise of spring, bright in a blue sky blessedly empty of clouds - streaming in the bedroom window) - "The Age of Extraction: How Tech Platforms Conquered the Economy and Threaten Our Future Prosperity" by Tim Wu.

That was at, around - or, rather, between - 08-00-09.00; however, by ten in the morning, it had already clouded over, the sky now a scowling and dismal charcoal grey; and by eleven, well, by eleven, alas, it was raining.

 

[pachyderm]

All done!

Loved it!

 

[MacMorrison]

The Aeronaut's Windlass (2015) by Jim Butcher

A steampunk fantasy (the first of two books in the series so far) - pulled me right in...

 

[KaliYoni]

Set aside for the moment. Somewhat utilitarian writing but I picked it up because I enjoyed the TV series and want to see what was changed from the real story.

The Gold

The real story that inspired the BBC drama, The Gold On Saturday, 26 November 1983, an armed gang stole gold bullion worth almost £26 million from the Brink's-Mat security depot near London's Heathrow Airport. It was the largest robbery in world history, and only the start of an extraordinary...

www.penguin.co.uk

Recently finished. An amazing story, with very accessible and entertaining writing (even though the author is a former academic):

The Sea Captain's Wife

The true story of the first female captain of a merchant ship and her treacherous navigation of Antarctica's deadly waters, from the New York Times bestselli...

us.macmillan.com

Up next.
(ETA: this book has a common trait with many nonfiction books written by journalists. The text feels like a padded version of a newspaper or magazine story. Even so, anybody with an interest in the Cold War or real world espionage should enjoy reading the book.)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Spy-in-the-Archive/Gordon-Corera/9798897100262

 

[obeygiant]

Moby Dick

So far really good. Lol

 

[pachyderm]

Moby Dick

So far really good. Lol

I love this one.

 

[obeygiant]

I love this one.

Anther thing I am enjoying is noticing the many references to Moby Dick in everyday media and movies and tv shows. First example as in Wrath of Khan when Khan starts with "He Tasks Me...."

 

[KaliYoni]

references to Moby Dick in everyday media and movies and tv shows

And for all the rockists out there on the MR Community Forum (you know who you are!)...

 

[Clix Pix]

And for all the rockists out there on the MR Community Forum (you know who you are!)...

Another interesting Moby Dick tidbit and certainly different use of the name. There is a series of restaurants around the Washington, DC area called Moby Dick House of Kebabs. Yep, it's a Persian restaurant! So why "Moby Dick?"

From Wikipedia:

The name references one of the biggest kabob joints in Tehran, which was right near the American Embassy during the Shah's time. It was called Moby Dick, apparently because the owner really liked the book.

 

[KaliYoni]

Spent some time skimming some previously read books due to current events:

(believe it or not, Yergin was able to keep this from being a dry and technical book)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Prize/Daniel-Yergin/9781439110126

(Bergman had, and continues to have, extensive access to insider sources)

Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman: 9780812982114 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first definitive history of Israel’s targeted killing programs, which have shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the larger world—from the man...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

(A classic)

Persepolis I & II

The brilliant graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. Marjane Satrapi lived through the Iranian Revolution as a little girl. This is her classic memoir-in-comic-strips, the story of a child entangled in the history and politics of her country. It paints an...

www.penguin.co.uk

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Spent some time skimming some previously read books due to current events:

(believe it or not, Yergin was able to keep this from being a dry and technical book)

https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Prize/Daniel-Yergin/9781439110126

(Bergman had, and continues to have, extensive access to insider sources)

Rise and Kill First by Ronen Bergman: 9780812982114 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first definitive history of Israel’s targeted killing programs, which have shaped the Israeli nation, the Middle East, and the larger world—from the man...

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

(A classic)

Persepolis I & II

The brilliant graphic memoir of growing up in Iran during and after the Islamic revolution. Marjane Satrapi lived through the Iranian Revolution as a little girl. This is her classic memoir-in-comic-strips, the story of a child entangled in the history and politics of her country. It paints an...

www.penguin.co.uk

Persepolis is a genuinely brilliant classic.

 

[Snow4maen]

I'm very very slowly crawling my way through The Coming Wave, by Mustafa Suleyman. This is one I feel I 'should' read, but in all honesty, I don't really want to.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm very very slowly crawling my way through The Coming Wave, by Mustafa Suleyman. This is one I feel I 'should' read, but in all honesty, I don't really want to.

Ah, yes.

Dutiful reading, that is, dutifully reading a text, tome, or book because you feel you should, (for a variety of reasons) rather than because you want to, or the book in some way grabs you and compels you to finish the work: Yes, I am quite familiar with this experience.

 

[Gregg2]

I assume most posts here are about novels. I don't read many (hardly any) novels. I'm currently reading Enough is enuf, which is about the history of attempts to simplify spelling in our tortured language. I just got to the chapter that mentions what happened in the 1920's in the US as those reform attempts fizzled out. Businesses were inspired to use phonetic misspellings to capture attention. K and U are the most popular letters for such shenanigans.

 

[pachyderm]

I assume most posts here are about novels. I don't read many (hardly any) novels. I'm currently reading Enough is enuf, which is about the history of attempts to simplify spelling in our tortured language. I just got to the chapter that mentions what happened in the 1920's in the US as those reform attempts fizzled out. Businesses were inspired to use phonetic misspellings to capture attention. K and U are the most popular letters for such shenanigans.

It's a thread for whatever you are reading.

Sonuds interesting.

 

[otetzone]

I generally am pretty picky with what I read. And I like books that manage to mess with me, breaking my 'guard'. The same goes for music as well, by the way.

These days my favorite author is Iain Reid. I absolutely love all of his novels and am looking forward for the new one.
I have recently read Fever Dream by Samantha Schweblin and it was not bad yet not really groundbreaking. Definitely worth mentioning.
At the moment I'm reading Threats by Amelia Gray and while having made a third through the book, it seems to be a very good one. Actually, a page-turner. I think I'll finish it today.

 

[headlessmike]

I assume most posts here are about novels. I don't read many (hardly any) novels. I'm currently reading Enough is enuf, which is about the history of attempts to simplify spelling in our tortured language. I just got to the chapter that mentions what happened in the 1920's in the US as those reform attempts fizzled out. Businesses were inspired to use phonetic misspellings to capture attention. K and U are the most popular letters for such shenanigans.

I've added it to my reading list!

I just finished reading Dune. Have no interest in the films, but I have discovered in recent years that I really enjoy SciFi, particularly classic SciFi, and many have recommended that I give Dune a try. It was a great book, but quite different than the likes of Asimov. There are a lot of concepts and identities that are not explained as they are presented in the book, leaving the reader confused at times but things grow more clear as the book progresses. I plan to continue with the sequels after a little breather.

Now I'm reading This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong, a lighthearted book about the cultural and historical impact of maps, particularly flawed maps. It's written by the creators of the Map Men YouTube series.

 

[Mr.Ben]

Animal Farm (Orwell) and Crime and Punishment (Dostoevsky). Never read either before but was recently gifted them. I've finished Animal Farm. That was an easy read as it's fairly short. Now part way through Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky is definitely more long-winded with a tendency to let his characters ramble a bit, but I'm getting more of a feel for it as I get further in. 🙂