What book are you reading?

[Quirinus]

On the last chapter of Harry Turtledove's The Victorious Opposition. It's the third book in his American Empire trilogy, which is in turn part of his Timeline-191 meta-series where the Confederate States won the Civil War. It's a fascinating series, and I'm definitely interested in continuing to the next tetralogy in the chronology, but my local bookstore has the annoying habit of not stocking the first book of a series, so I'm stuck.

[Martok]

I'm currently about a third of the way through The Subtle Knife, the second novel in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (the first novel being the better-known The Golden Compass).

I'm liking it so far, even though I find myself in a near-constant state of confusion -- scenes and chapters resolve unanswered questions, only to raise up more mysteries in their place. I also have to admit that I began to realize about 2 chapters ago just how much I'd underestimated the true scope of Pullman's overall storyline -- I have a feeling that where I currently *think* it's going will have little resemblance to where it actually ends up.

[pevergreen]

Just finished "Wrath of a Mad God" by Raymond E. Fiest.

AAGGGH It solves so many things!

One of three series I really do enjoy, other being the first lot of books by David Eddings, and the final being the "The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone" series by Gregory Keyes.

The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone's first book, The Briar King is holding the record for the longest time to read. Cold Mountain/For Whom the Bell Tolls/Various Asimov books did not take this long for me.

Its not boring, its just so complicated. I havent read the Wheel of Time, but apparently its kind of like that, mulitple storylines but I think its a lot better Maybe thats because i'm the only person i know thats read it...

[Geoffrey S]

Does anyone know the name of a series of books set in the afterlife? I remember snippets from ages ago, but not much. Several books, a whole bunch of famous dead people decide to find out why they are where they are and set off on a boat trip. Not much to go on, but that's about all I remember.

[Sigurd]

Just finished "Wrath of a Mad God" by Raymond E. Fiest.

It is out?? *Runs to the bookstore*

I have read all of Feist starting with Magician and just love his work.
If you like Feist, you will love George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Go and rent the first one at the library if you are not sure you want to spend money on unknown books. A Game of Thrones is the first one.

[Beirut]

Just back from the Big City. Picked up Storm of Steel by Ernst Junger. Supposed to be a very good book about WWI trench action. Been looking forward to this one for several months. (Also have The Real War, a book about WWI by Liddell Hart coming in the mail from Amazon this week. Yes!)

Also picked up:

Plato's Republic (Really nice copy for $12.)
Plato's The Trial and Death of Socrates
On Liberty by John Stuart Mill
Walden & Civil Disobedience by Thoreau
The Second Treatise of Government by Locke

I have a big civil rights fight coming up and I needed some eloquent backing.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.
Kalevala and a couple of Le Morte d'Arthur editions as well as Tolkien HoME vol. 5 have been given a break along with the serious books in Turkish that attempted to enter my reading world once again, taking advantage of the warmer seasons' arrival and some happy incidents -though I managed to complete two- and I'm reading The Lord of the Rings again, let me see, the fourth time.
.

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker. I'm almost finished it now, and phew, eye opener. It's brilliant in the sense that it is unvarnished by the author - it consists completely of quotes and the contexts in which they were written. The author is a pacifist, but other than the choice of quotes and some inflections in some of the language he uses while interpreting, he does not insert his own opinion into the book.

The result is outstanding - it questions common belief. Did the Japanese attack out of the blue, or did America pull a Bismarck? Was the bombing of Coventry an act of German barbarism, or was it a simple retaliation, for which due warnings were offered? In doing so, Nicholson Baker presents a truly accurate view of the war. There was evil everywhere.

[Martok]

Just started Good Ice by Forrest Peterson. He's actually a local guy; he and my dad went to school together. Way too early to tell yet whether I'm going to like it or not, though.

[Decker]

I just finished reading Animal Farm. Was a good book.

And now I'm beginning to read The Face of Battle and Hell's Gate: The Battle of the Cherkassy Pocket. I'm looking forward to both.

[Martok]

Just finished Killing Rommel by Steven Pressfield two days ago. Another fine effort from him, although in my personal opinion it's not quite up to the standards of his previous works (most of which have til now been set in the ancient Greek world). Still an enjoyable read overall, however.

Have now started Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb, her first book in the Farseer Trilogy (which is itself the first of her three Realm of the Enderlings trilogies). I've got all nine books loaned to me from a friend, so I'll be at this for a little while.

[Kralizec]

Prelude to Foundation by Isaac Asimov.

After this I'm going to read his Robot and Empire series, if I can find them.

[Conradus]

Just finished Frank Herbert's The Jesus Incident and started in Marquez' 100 years of solitude -or whatever is the English name of that novel

[TevashSzat]

Have to do some reading for school. Am starting The Picture of Dorian Grey atm and have to get through Frankenstein later too

[woad&fangs]

I finally got around to reading Shogun. Just 900 more pages to go until I finish.

[naut]

The Overcoat, Nikolai Gogol, just started it.

[Motep]

Fruits basket #2. It is funnier than hell.

[Innocentius]

After about a year of mostly Russian authors (Leonid Leonov highyl recommended) intermingled with the occasional "other classic" (Nietzsche, Zola etc), I've just started reading Sartre's Nausea. Too early to tell whether it's good or bad just yet, but since I tend to dislike philosophical works, and existensialism in particular, I think I'm going to hate it.

[Uesugi Kenshin]

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. It's really good, and seems to point out a lot of the problems in American US History courses, and more specifically textbooks. I think the AP US course at my school probably was fairly good, but this book still points out a lot of problems shared both by the course and the textbook that we used.

Plus it's endorsed by Howard Zinn!

[Craterus]

Pretty soon, I'll be reading Beyond Good and Evil. Possibly Thus Spoke Zarathustra too. And also maybe some of Sartre's stuff too. Probably not Nausea though. More likely Existentialism Is A Humanism.

[CountArach]

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen. It's really good, and seems to point out a lot of the problems in American US History courses, and more specifically textbooks. I think the AP US course at my school probably was fairly good, but this book still points out a lot of problems shared both by the course and the textbook that we used.

Plus it's endorsed by Howard Zinn!

That was in the recommended readings of one of my many Punk Band CDs, always a good guide . Oh, as is the Howard Zinn endorsement.

I'm reading re-reading a couple of Noam Chomsky books, as well as the Second Book of the Wheel of Time By Robert Jordan. given that he died fairly recently I sort of thought of it as my duty.

[Fragony]

I'm reading re-reading a couple of Noam Chomsky books

Who would have thought

Rereading 'Wild Swans' here I forgot how amazing it is. China is a cruel cruel place.

[CountArach]

Who would have thought

I know - surprising huh?

Actually I started re-reading The Communist Manifesto again this morning for like the 7th time...

[Motep]

Reading the Drizzt stuff from Forgotten realms. Good stuff.

[Craterus]

Having another shot at Stalingrad by Beevor. Seems easier the second time around.

[Dutch_guy]

Just finished Imperium, by Robert Harris, and Julian by Gore Vidal. Both were excellent, I'd definately recommend them to anyone remotely interested in the periods.

Anyway, should start reading guns, germs and steel, by Jared Diamond, soon.

[Martok]

Just finished Assassin's Quest by Robin Hobb earlier this evening, which also means I've completed the Assassin's trilogy.

Not sure what I make of Ms. Hobb. Her books are enjoyable enough that I don't have to force myself to read them, but there does seem to be something....lacking in her writing style. Can't put my finger on it yet.

Well, I'm reading her Liveship trilogy next, so I'll have plenty more material to figure it out.

[Hosakawa Tito]

I've just started The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd. I've enjoyed his other historical fiction titles, and this one should keep me occupied for a bit (800 pages).

[Conradus]

Just finished reading Herbert's Lazarus Effect and started in Goodkinds Phantom

[Martok]

I've just started The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd. I've enjoyed his other historical fiction titles, and this one should keep me occupied for a bit (800 pages).

I've seen that book lying about in libraries for a while now. I've been tempted to pick it up a few times, except that it seems to be the first in a series thats not finished yet (I generally avoid reading series until the last book is actually available).