What are you reading lately?

#1

Still working my way through White Noise, by Don DeLillo.

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Also some computer self-learning books.

#2

STILL trying to get away from FB on the intertoobs and read Mercury Falling, Mercury Rises and (now available) Mercury Rests.I blames (thanks) Foogy for my sloth.

TollandRCR · #3

STILL trying to get away from FB on the intertoobs and read Mercury Falling, Mercury Rises and (now available) Mercury Rests.I blames (thanks) Foogy for my sloth.

They are funny, sometimes silly books. I read them as brain candy.

Tink · #4

I haven't read a book since the election heated up. I have a Mary Higgins-Clark book that I have been trying to get to since April. A friend of mine gave me Bill Press' book for Valentines day, but I have only gotten up to chapter three on that one. I am hoping we have a really snowy winter so I can sit at home and read all day.

#5

I just finished David Brin's new book, Existence. Brin has always been one of my favorite authors. His Uplift series is some of the best science fiction around and his short stories are fun.This novel, however? I want my money back. Incomprehensible, nothing but loose ends and more font changes than if Orly had written it. Bleah.I just started Feed, by Mira Grant. First book of a sci-fi zombie trilogy set in 2039. so far it's -xx

#6

Reading "Hilldiggers" by Neal Asher and about half way through it. Pretty damn good so far. Very character driven science fiction novel

#7

Phantom by Jo Nesbo.

I'm a fan of the lead character in this crime fiction series, Harry Hole, a troubled Oslo cop who ran off to Hong Kong to escape his woes. His ex-girlfriend's son, meanwhile, became a drug dealer in high school and was arrested for murder. Harry doesn't believe it for a minute. He comes back to Norway to save the boy and gets entangled in dangerous goings-on with drug gangs and crooked politicians, who pretend they are cleaning up the city.

I'm pretty sure I've read all of the Nesbo books that have been translated into English.

#8

White noise.A book I couldn't put down. It's also a movie, but READ THE BOOK:Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell

#9

Daniel Woodrell is a brilliant writer of country noir. I'm going to download Winter's Bone. I liked Give Us a Kiss and Tomato Red.

insomnia · #10

I usually read two books a week, but right now I am doing data entry for the Obama campaign in the evenings. (Putting my insomnia to good use!) I usually read mysteries, Sci-fi and Fantasy. So thank you everyone for the great suggestions!

bd

mary · #11

During times of stress (both political and personal), I re-read old favorites - mysteries or historical fiction, etc. That's what I'm doing now. If the polls get too grim, I'll re-watch Ken Burns' The Civil War because the good guys won. (What can I say - it got me through the Clinton impeachment and Bush v Gore)

For those looking for escapism right now, I highly recommend Connie Willis' Blackout and the sequel All Clear, a time travel story set largely in London during the Blitz. If your TARDIS is unavailable, this is the next best thing. (But you don't have to be a Whovian to enjoy it.) Bonus: the good guys win this war too.

If the unthinkable happens on Election Desay, I will disappear into 15th and 16th century Europe with Dorothy Dunnett's six-volume Lymond Chronicles and its eight-volume prequel, The House of Niccolo. It takes at least a month to finish both series.

borealis · #12

Catherine the GreatRobert K. Massie.

#13

My next six weeks of reading are a little constrained, as I'm working on a complex project and really can't afford a lot of brain power for complexity in my pleasure reading. However, I can't NOT read. So I have an actual list! Books that I consider "safe" for my purposes:Isaac's Storm, Erik Larson (The storm that hit Galveston in 1900) So far I'm enthralled.The Forever War, Haldeman.Flood, Stephen Baxter. Eh, it hasn't grabbed me yet. I spent 2.80 on it at the used bookstore. It has a sequel, which I bought at the same time. I better start liking it.Those three are bathroom books (bathtub reading, really).Graceling, Kristin Cashore. YA fantasy, bedtime reading. So far I like it. This was on the recommendation of one of my friends who knew I needed uncomplex but decent. It seems to be very good for that. There are sequels.White Noise. I have started this. I'm not sure it's exactly right for my requirements, but it's not too bad.Kindle previews to see how they strike me:The Hare With Amber Eyes, Edmund de Waal. Will buy.Blood Music, Greg BearThe Long Earth, Baxter and Pratchett. I'll be surprised if I don't buy this within a week.Among Others, Jo Walton. Will buy.Downloaded on kindle, not yet touched:The Mongoliad, Bear, Pratchett, etc. I'm sure this is right for my requirements.Stuff I'm reading that I'm not worried about the constraints: 1491, Mann. Yet another reread of Connie Willis's Doomsday Book.Also reading: An Uncommon Woman, The Empress Frederick, by Hannah Pakula, and Ford, The Men and the Machine. (These are in the same category as Isaac's Storm: I bought them for projects I'm working on and am enjoying them a lot.)I'm sure you're glad you asked. I ... like books.

Clairez · #14

Finished White Noise which I really liked. Just finished the Odyssey for the Greek and Roman mythology class I am taking on Coursea.Now reading Defoe's Journal of a Plague Year. Recommeded by a Yale lecture series I have been following on the History of Epidemic Diseases which is very good series.

Patagoniagirl · #15

Just re-read (for the third time in a couple of decades) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. And wishing I hadn't loaned out my Cormack McCarthy stuff...Sutree, etc. Shameful that I joined the book club here and have not yet downloaded the current choice.

#16

Well, this is one that I read in paperback, gave to someone who enjoyed it as much as I did, and then bought again on my Kindle account when I discovered how much I missed it:

[/break1]amazon.com/gp/product/0451459156/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451459156&linkCode=as2&tag=net4tv]Ruled Brittania by Harry Turtledove

It's an alternative history, with the turning point having been the success of the Spanish Armada, ten years before the book's action. Elizabeth I is a prisoner, and Philip of Spain's daughter Isabella is the (very Catholic) queen, supported by the Spanish army that occupies England.

The protagonist is William Shakespeare, and the story is quite literary and well-researched, and a great read. Many Turtledove fans call this his best book, and I might agree. Although I'm very partial to [/break1]amazon.com/gp/product/0345384687/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345384687&linkCode=as2&tag=net4tv]Guns of the South as well, that book requires a fantasy premise for it's "what if the South had enough firepower to win?" exploration, while Ruled Brittania is straight alternative history that could have happened without magic.

Clairez · #17

Well, this is one that I read in paperback, gave to someone who enjoyed it as much as I did, and then bought again on my Kindle account when I discovered how much I missed it:

[/break1]amazon.com/gp/product/0451459156/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0451459156&linkCode=as2&tag=net4tv]Ruled Brittania by Harry Turtledove

It's an alternative history, with the turning point having been the success of the Spanish Armada, ten years before the book's action. Elizabeth I is a prisoner, and Philip of Spain's daughter Isabella is the (very Catholic) queen, supported by the Spanish army that occupies England.

The protagonist is William Shakespeare, and the story is quite literary and well-researched, and a great read. Many Turtledove fans call this his best book, and I might agree. Although I'm very partial to [/break1]amazon.com/gp/product/0345384687/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345384687&linkCode=as2&tag=net4tv]Guns of the South as well, that book requires a fantasy premise for it's "what if the South had enough firepower to win?" exploration, while Ruled Brittania is straight alternative history that could have happened without magic.Ohhh liked the sound of Ruled Brittania Ducktape! Added it to my wishlist and am going to give it a go as soon as I get a bit caught up on all I am reading now.

xKat · #18

Phantom by Jo Nesbo.

I'm a fan of the lead character in this crime fiction series, Harry Hole, a troubled Oslo cop who ran off to Hong Kong to escape his woes. His ex-girlfriend's son, meanwhile, became a drug dealer in high school and was arrested for murder. Harry doesn't believe it for a minute. He comes back to Norway to save the boy and gets entangled in dangerous goings-on with drug gangs and crooked politicians, who pretend they are cleaning up the city.

I'm pretty sure I've read all of the Nesbo books that have been translated into English.

I pre-ordered Phantom before it was released. It is sitting next to my bed, but I've not been reading books much recently (way too many unread threads here, I've been trying to catch up).

I too love Jo Nesbo and the Harry Hole series. Between us, my sister and I have all of the books that have been translated into English. At least two of the books I bought online before they were released in the US - one is the UK edition and the other a Canadian edition. I couldn't wait for the US editions to be released. I'm somewhat reluctant to start the new one - I always want more and it is tough having to wait for another book.

My sister returns from a 3 week trip to Croatia this week. So I better start Phantom tonight. I promised to mail it to her when I was done. She still has 2 weeks of her sabbatical left.

#19

I love mysteries, but it seems that lately I've been spending too much time on FB reading the Real Life Adventures of Orly Taitz. Truth is certainly stranger than fiction!There's a website which I love and you might find useful - http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/. It has bibliographies of over 30,000 authors. The first thing I do when I find an author that I enjoy is to go out there and see what else they've written. Check it out.

#20

Ooo, thanks for that link. I see that one of my favorite mystery authors has a new book out.[link]Minette Walters,http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_ ... text%2C227[/link] has had two of her early novels made into PBS mysteries - the Ice House and, I think, The Sculptress. She's a former journalist. I have loved every one I've read.

#21

Late this summer, I read The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America's Most Powerful Trial Lawyer by Curtis Wilkie.

It is the story of Dickie Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful trial lawyers in the United States, mostly by virtue of the Big Tobacco suits filed by various states. While the book starts out rather mundanely, with tales of Scruggs' upbringing, it becomes a real thriller when various colleagues are ensnared by the law and start wearing wires.

(Scruggs' brother-in-law is the fabulous Trent Lott).

It is a fascinating tale of someone who was on the top of the world being taken down by his own petty idiocy and loss of any sense of morality. My only problem with the author is that he fails to properly acknowledge any of Scruggs' courtroom successes on the way up, and seems to overlook the fact that insurance carriers and huge corporations don't just pay up to someone without a proven trial record.

burriana · #22

Phantom by Jo Nesbo.

I'm a fan of the lead character in this crime fiction series, Harry Hole, a troubled Oslo cop who ran off to Hong Kong to escape his woes. His ex-girlfriend's son, meanwhile, became a drug dealer in high school and was arrested for murder. Harry doesn't believe it for a minute. He comes back to Norway to save the boy and gets entangled in dangerous goings-on with drug gangs and crooked politicians, who pretend they are cleaning up the city.

I'm pretty sure I've read all of the Nesbo books that have been translated into English.I've not read any Nesbo books yet but I went to see the Norwegian film Headhunters (based on the novel of the same name by Nesbo) at the cinema last weekend. Brilliant, I can't recommend it too highly. A really enjoyable way to spend an evening. I'm definitely going to pick up some of his books to read.

If anyone needs a a dash of humour to brighten these dark days, I've just finished Kill Your Friends by John Niven. Politically correct it isn't but it's truly hilarious.

[/break1]amazon.co.uk/Kill-Your-Friends-John-Niven/dp/0099516675/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350322815&sr=1-1]http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kill-Your-Frien ... 815&sr=1-1

#23

[Snip]Isaac's Storm, Erik Larson (The storm that hit Galveston in 1900) So far I'm enthralled.I read it a few years ago and couldn't put it down. An amazing story.I'm reading, "The Dog Stars," a first novel by an adventurer writer, published only a couple of months ago. I don't usually read just published books, and rarely does sci fi pique my interest. But a friend recommended it and so far, it's a good read.

Sugar Magnolia · #24

Late this summer, I read The Fall of the House of Zeus: The Rise and Ruin of America's Most Powerful Trial Lawyer by Curtis Wilkie.

It is the story of Dickie Scruggs, who became one of the wealthiest and most powerful trial lawyers in the United States, mostly by virtue of the Big Tobacco suits filed by various states. While the book starts out rather mundanely, with tales of Scruggs' upbringing, it becomes a real thriller when various colleagues are ensnared by the law and start wearing wires.

(Scruggs' brother-in-law is the fabulous Trent Lott).

It is a fascinating tale of someone who was on the top of the world being taken down by his own petty idiocy and loss of any sense of morality. My only problem with the author is that he fails to properly acknowledge any of Scruggs' courtroom successes on the way up, and seems to overlook the fact that insurance carriers and huge corporations don't just pay up to someone without a proven trial record.And his son Zach was convicted of...

wait for it...

misprision of felony!!!!

#25

Yup, ole' Zach got zapped for copping an attitude with a hanging judge. [-X