What are you reading?

[Mujib]

Is it true some B&N stores were selling signed copies of the new Cormac McCarthy set? Anyone get one?

 

[am55]

Another reread:
View attachment 1857821

Have you seen the movie of Voyage au Congo?

 

[Scuppers]

Have you seen the movie of Voyage au Congo?

No, not much of a film person.

 

[edinatlanta]

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. It's pretty trippy. Really want to see how she wraps this up.

 

[Kaplan]

Catching up on what recent books I can recall. Will put a quick and dirty rating of 1-3; not an attempt at any objective criticism, purely a subjective rating of reading pleasure.

Last year, while spending 2 weeks on a beach in the Aegean Sea:

Alexandre Dumas: The Count of Monte Cristo. 🌞🌞🌞 for the first 25% or so, that sets up the story, betrayal, imprisonment, escape and preparation. 🌞 for the last 600 pages that deal with the slow revenge (with zero swashbuckling!) - clearly suffering under how it was published as a serial over 1½ years - like a once popular tv series that overstays its welcome.

John le Carré: The Looking Glass War. 🌞🌞 - nice enough, if maybe not the best beach read.

Haven run out of anything more to read, I stumbled upon Protector by Conn Iggulden on a sparsely populated book carousel. Kitchy cover, but gave it a chance. A dramatization of the Battle of Salamis 480 BC (and more), it was very satisfying, heightened by being set in the same waters as I was reading it by. 🌞🌞🌞

 

[Kaplan]

Near the end of last year, I began researching some (primarily) Sci-Fi books.

Same rating system as above: 1-3, purely based on subjective reading pleasure.

First was a re-read of Philip K. Dick's Ubik. 🥫🥫

Then Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore. 🐱🐱🐱

Tried an audio book, Greg Bear's Blood Music. 💉💉(available on youtube)

Got a good haul of Sci-Fi for x-mas, started with HG Wells' The War of the Worlds. 👾👾👾

And since new year's:

Ray Bradbury: The Martian Chronicles. 🚀🚀
Arthur C. Clarke: Childhood's End. 🚀🚀🚀
Philip K. Dick: The Minority Report (short story). 🚀🚀
Fritz Leiber: The Big Time. 🚀🚀
James Blish: A Case of Conscience. 🚀🚀first half, 🚀 second half.
Robert A Heinlein: Starship Troopers. 🚀(had more Heinlein planned, but nope)
Kurt Vonnegut: Harrison Bergeron (short story). 🚀🚀🚀
Harlan Ellison: I Have No Mouth and I must Scream (short story). 🚀🚀🚀
Haruki Murakami: The Strange Library (short story). 🔖🔖🔖

(The Murakami aside, the short stories can be found for free on-line.)

Read through most of John Wyndham's The Crysalids today, feels like 🚀🚀🚀

Will happily take recommendations for more Sci-Fi, classic or new. Will put behind the spoiler what I've previously read, as well as what I've lined up .

Spoiler: Books, books, books

Have read: 1984, Brave New World, Fahrenheit 451, Dune, Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep, Roadside Picnic, Ender's Game (the short story), Neuromancer, The Road, Leviathan Wakes.

In the process of accumulating: We, The Dying Earth, Foundation Trilogy, The Illustrated Man, City, The Space Merchants, The Stars My destination, The Sirens Of Titan, The Man In the High Castle, Solaris, Hothouse, The Drowned World, Lord Of Light, Nova, Nightwings, Slaughterhouse-Five, The Palace of Eternity, The Mote In God's Eye, The Forever War, Norstrilia, Gateway, The Shadow Of the Torturer, Burning Chrome, Hyperion, A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness In the Sky, Blindsight, House Of Suns, 1Q84, Cage of Souls.

 

[bicycleradical]

I'm terrible at picking light reading at the library. Last time I went, I was pondering some science fiction and walked out with this:

The Origins of Totalitarianism - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Joffrey]

 

[SixOhNine]

Just finished the Green Bone Saga trilogy (Jade City, Jade War, Jade Legacy) by Fonda Lee. It's sort of a cross between The Godfather and a kung fu movie. It's set in a fictional modern Asian-ish country where jade has magical properties to enhance speed, strength, and perception, but only for some, and only if they're careful. Otherwise, it drives them dangerously insane. The country is dominated by two clans, both with legitimate and illegitimate businesses, as well as scores of warrior/enforcers, and they're locked in a blood feud to wipe each other out. I liked it a lot.

 

[HORNS]

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Inspiring person.

I read this and found it fascinating. I then recommended it to two other people who read it and loved it. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

 

[ter1413]

For about the 50th time.

Brilliant tale of the Irish gang in Hell's Kitchen(NYC) back in the 70's!

 

[Kaplan]

Since last post, more classic SF.

Arthur Conan Doyle: The Lost World
Jack Vance: The Dying Earth
Ray Bradbury: The Illustrated Man
Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle: The Mote In God's Eye
Joe Haldeman: The Forever War

- all were great. Began Isaac Asimov's Foundation yesterday.

 

[HORNS]

The Mule is such a great villain.

 

[Kaplan]

^ I just finished Foundation today, so I'm not quite there yet. I might read some other stuff before Foundation and Empire (and between that and Second Foundation - with no plans to continue beyond those).

 

[Lizard23]

^ I just finished Foundation today, so I'm not quite there yet. I might read some other stuff before Foundation and Empire (and between that and Second Foundation - with no plans to continue beyond those).

Foundation is so great. Wish i could read it again for the first time.

The apple tv series does a good job with it, if that is your thing.