What are you or have you been reading? (a book thread)

[Dbarrm]

I do a lot of reading. During my time in Iraq I read all the Harry Potter books, The Hobbit and all 3 LOTR books. Eragon, Eldest, and right now I have a few Stephen King books im reading.

I have no Rocketry books but need/want to get some.

Dan

 

[loopy]

I've been reading Dean Koontz lately, I tend to pick an author and stick with them for a while.

Dean Koontz isn't bad, I just get frustrated with how many times the man can write the same book...crazed killer, hero with ethereal psychic link to the killers mind...

 

[loopy]

I just finished the Dark Tower series by Stephen King, and am currently working through Black House - his second collaboration with Peter Straub. After that, I've got some Clive Barker to get through...

 

[jetra2]

My big series this year has been this trilogy of books by Michael Ruhlman:

The Making of A Chef
The Soul of a Chef
The Reach of a Chef

They are great books that really describe the education and jobs that the people that prepare your food go through. It's very interesting!

Jaso

 

[chalinaty]

I just started reading "40 Years of the Amazing Spider-Man" on CD-ROM. It's basically scans of all the Amazing Spider-Man comics from 1962-2003. Should take me a couple of years.

 

[conleyt]

What's that like? I've often thought it might be worth a read.

"Creating Space" has lots of pictures of space-related models, as you'd expect. The majority of the book is more useful as a reference, as the Appendix lists models from most of the model companies out there and gives good detail about each one. The book is divided into chapters that cover subjects like Apollo, Mercury and Gemini, "futuristic" models like the ships from "2001", missiles, etc. The book talks alot about how the model companies tooling has changed hands over the years. It's a pretty good read, and it's cool to see all the pictures. There's the occasional mention of flying models, like the Saturn Vs from Estes, Centuri, and Apogee.

Tom C.

 

[propbeany]

A couple hours a day commuting on the train has turned me into a voracious reader, typically alternative history with some sf thrown in. I've probably buried 50+ books in the past year.

Of note:
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
Robert Rankin, The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse and The Witches of Chiswick (highly recommended, a must read)
Terry Brooks, Armageddon's Children and The Elves of Cintra
Harry Turtledove, In at the Death
Tom De Haven, It's Superman
Al Gore, The Assault on Reason
Chris Mooney, Storm World: Hurricanes, Politics, and the Battle Over Global Warming
Karl Schroeder, Sun of Suns and Queen of Candesce

I've also read a lot of mildly entertaining garbage, not worthy of note.

 

[Adam Selene]

Thw sequel to The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocolypse came out recently. "The Toyminator". Good stuff.

 

[user 13]

I started by re reading "Rendezvous with Rama"

Next was "Over the edge of the World" about Magellan's circumnavigation.

Then a bunch of Larry Niven re reads ending with my yearly re read of what I think is the best Science Fiction book ever, "The Mote in Gods Eye" followed by "Dracos Tavern" and "Man Kzin wars 10"

Then it was on to "Leviathan: History of whaling in America"

Then I re read Harry Potter 5 in preparation for #6 the Half Blood Prince, then The Deathly Hallows. That took some time! It must be close to 2700 pages, but well worth it.

Followed by "1632" and "1633" by Eric Flint.

I'm now reading "Man Kzin Wars 11" to be follow by "The Python Years" by Michael Palin, and a history of the Salem Witch trials.

I'm sure I missed a few.

 

[propbeany]

Followed by "1632" and "1633" by Eric Flint.

I read 1632, 1633, and 1634 and was disappointed -- such a cool premise destroyed by such shallow, one-dimensional characters and poor writing. 1812 and 1824 were both much better books, IMO. Much like 2012: The War for Souls by Whitley Strieber, what started out as a great idea turned into utter rubbish, I couldn't finish the book it was so bad.

 

[vcp]

I read 1632, 1633, and 1634 and was disappointed -- such a cool premise destroyed by such shallow, one-dimensional characters and poor writing.

Enjoyed most of 1632, but only made it thru half of '33 before giving up. Doubly disappointing since '33 was co-authored by Weber.

Really enjoy this thread - gives me a bunch of reading suggestions, already added several to my wish list and library holds.

GC

 

[Fore Check]

I never realized how pedestrian my reading is, compared to the ecclectic tastes illustrated by some of the responses here.

Seems sci-fi is rather popular; I'm much more of a mainstream (thriller/mystery) fiction guy.

I can't recommend the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child enough. Outstanding - pure escapist gold. I strongly recommend starting with Killing Floor and going through them in chronological order of release date. Any one of them can be a stand-alone book; but they do build on each other in a way.

 

[Tolppisouth]

I've lost count of what I've read this year.

Re-read the Robert E. Howard Conan Stories. Read the Robert Jordan Conan Novel.

Re-read all of Moorcock's Elric stories and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

Discovered the Amber series and read the first eight or so books by Roger Zelazny.

Went through the Dune series again.

Discovered Greg Bear's "Darwin's Radio". Good read.

Read Silverberg's "Roma Eterna" and David Brin's "Kiln People." They were both fun reads.

John

 

[fastfreddie]

Dean Koontz isn't bad, I just get frustrated with how many times the man can write the same book...crazed killer, hero with ethereal psychic link to the killers mind...

Try any of John Sandford's Prey novels. If you like Koontz, you'll probably really like Sandford.

 

[fastfreddie]

Then a bunch of Larry Niven re reads ending with my yearly re read of what I think is the best Science Fiction book ever, "The Mote in Gods Eye" followed by "Dracos Tavern" and "Man Kzin wars 10"

I think my favorite Niven novel was Protector. Kind of makes you wonder......

 

[Indiana]

Dean Koontz isn't bad, I just get frustrated with how many times the man can write the same book...crazed killer, hero with ethereal psychic link to the killers mind...

Try Cold Fire.

 

[D-12 Dave]

Did a re-read of Tad Williams Dragonbone Chair trilogy.Thats alot of reading,trust me!

 

[Tom Swift]

I most recently finished, and thoroughly enjoyed, "A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey: 1957 - The Space Race Begins". For a great overview of this book, read the 2nd review shown on its Amazon.com page.

https://www.amazon.com/Ball-Dog-Monkey-Space-Begins/dp/0743294319/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1199501853&sr=1-1

In 2007 I also completed the Harry Potter series, reading them all aloud to my kids for half and hour each night at bedtime. Took forever.

 

[Doc_Russell]

Just finishing up "The Great Improvisation" about Ben Franklin's long mission to France to secure help for the fledgling America from 1776 - 1784.

Next up, maybe some Richard Feynman physics lectures.

And Hey Tom Swift, where in Jersey? I was raised in Willingboro...

DR

 

[user 13]

I think my favorite Niven novel was Protector. Kind of makes you wonder......

Beware, Protectors are everywhere! At least in Niven books.

Oh I forgot "1776"

 

[roadkill]

Lack of time has recently crimped my
recreational reading a lot, but I try to
get in some Jack Higgins, Robert Ludlum,
Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler when I can...

Sprinkle in some Asimov, Castaneda, Verne and
Clarke etc. for SciFi salt,

Add a dash of Revolutionary / Civil War history
for pepper and you get the rather eclectic recipe
for my likely reading.

And I don't like to sell my books either - its like
selling my friends for a couple of bucks, no way....

 

[carson]

Who's looking out for you, by Bill Oreilly.
The Enemy within. by Micheal Savage.
Somebody has to say it. by Neal Bortz. (great read)

OK,so my books are way too serious.
I can't help it, I'm junkie for the serious stuff.
Way too much time following politics.

 

[hokkyokusei]

Next up, maybe some Richard Feynman physics lectures.

Feynman's a great writer. If you like his lectures try his other stuff about his life and experiences.

 

[spacecadet]

'The Campaigns of Wellington' by Ian Fletcher.
'Home Guard Manual, 1941'.
'Notes for British Soldiers in France' 1944.

 

[talkin Monkey]

I've been reading Dean Koontz lately, I tend to pick an author and stick with them for a while..

Yah, I hear ya.

I'm on my second go around with Steven Kings' 7 volume "Dark Tower"" story.

Currently toward the end of "Wizards and Glass''

 

[Fore Check]

I have a pair of co-workers that are currently working through the King's Dark Tower series. One of them is a book ahead of the other and he passes them down the line. They talk about them as if they really like them.

BTW: Has anyone read the Sigma Force novels by James Rollins? (Sandstorm, Map of Bones, Black Order, and Judas Strain, those titles listed in order of publishing date)

And another thing, Talkin' Monkey:

"OK. The formula, uh, for the Beer, is E=MC²." - Bob McKenzie, The Great White North

CLASSIC!

 

[Breeze1913]

Textbooks. I just finished my B.S. and I really don't wanna crack the cover on a book for a few months.

 

[loopy]

Yah, I hear ya.

I'm on my second go around with Steven Kings' 7 volume "Dark Tower"" story.

Currently toward the end of "Wizards and Glass''

Gotta love that series. Wicked ending....

 

[Rocketcrab]

I confess that I usually have about 2 or 3, sometimes 4 books going at once, not mention "Books on CD" from the Library that I listen to in the car. They are an almost embarresingly wide range, too:

1. "Pocket Battleship", about the German cruiser Admiral Scheer during World War II. [I'm a WWII buff]

2. "Mr. Timothy" by Louis Bayard [Tiny Tim of Dickens fame grows up]

3. Just finished "Dead Watch" by John Sandford

4. Just starting "The Tin Roof Blow Down" by James Lee Burke [probably my favaorite fiction author]

5. Received "Johnny U" for Christmas, a bio of the famous Baltimore Colts QB.

 

[mjennings]

I read Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut, and Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card (1st time both) on flights to visit family over Christmas / New Years. Very good books.

On Deck are Alistair Reynolds Pushing Ice and the book of In the Shadows of the Moon
Also finding room for books that won’t fit on the current 4 full bookshelves

Less my Wife and I are both jealous of your signed Bradbury!!