What book are you reading atm??

Shenshen

FreeFallin94 wrote: »

200 pages into The Cider House Rules by John Irving. Really enjoying it so far, and I have heard such amazing things about it.

I read some of his books in the 90s, I was rather addicted.
The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp are the only two I actually vividly remember. Really good books.

danrua01

A Life Too Short, the biography about Robert Enke. I don't normally read biographies etc., but it's a good read.

After that I need to get back into Ubik (Philip K. Dick).

JohnMearsheimer

FreeFallin94 wrote: »

200 pages into The Cider House Rules by John Irving. Really enjoying it so far, and I have heard such amazing things about it.

I remember I started this book back in 2007 and gave up on it after 200 pages. It always bothered me that I never finished it so last year I gave it another go. I was very glad I did, I found it very enjoyable. It took me 6 years but I eventually finished it

The movie is worth a watch too. Michael Caine and Toby Maguire are great in it, Paul Rudd pops up in a non comedic role as well.

K-9

Shenshen wrote: »

I read some of his books in the 90s, I was rather addicted.
The Cider House Rules and The World According to Garp are the only two I actually vividly remember. Really good books.

Think I mentioned Garp earlier in the thread, A prayer for Owen Meany is worth a read too.

Got Jeremy Vines autobiography for €1.50 in Dealz! Well worth it for those interested in politics and broadcasting! Interesting insight into Mandelson and Blair.

bnt

I'm reading two books: halfway through a big serious one, I need a break, so I'm reading a shorter one during the "intermission".

The big one is Michael Burleigh's Blood & Rage: a Cultural History of Terrorism. Very heavy going, a catalogue of atrocities, with the only light relief coming from the sheer incompetence of some of terrorists from history, starting with Fenians blowing themselves up in Victorian London, or the mostly ineffectual Russian Anarchists. The Italian Red Brigades were up their own behinds philosophically, while the Baader-Meinhof gang would look like a spoof caricature of "real" terrorists were it not for the body count.

So I'm taking a break with And Another Thing ... by Eoin Colfer: Part 6 of the Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy trilogy. It's a trip, all right.

Oranage2

gutenberg wrote: »

Finally got a copy of Howard Jacobson' J from local library. Ive heard mixed things but I'm a sucker for a dystopia...

How was it? Dystopia novels make up about 80 percent of what I read.



I just finished 'Do androids dream of electric sheep', it was on my bucket list for a long time. Amazing book, it was so good I read it in one day.

Need another recommendation if anyone has one, any genre.

Buona Fortuna

The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo.

I saw one of his lectures (on TED I think) and that's what drew me in.

It was never going to be a light read. PZ covers the Miligram electric shock obedience experiments, the bystander effect, conformance and his own Stanford Prison experiment.

The book goes through to, if not a defence, perhaps an explanation of abuses and mistreatment at Abu Graib. He describes how the organisation, the military, the state, chose only to punish those relatively junior in the organisation. No officers were punished, while a senior sergeant got 8 years prison.


tl:dr Zimbardo argues that people are made bad by situational forces rather than being born evil.

Pablodreamsofnew

I am reading Heidi by Johanna Spyri, It's about a orphan living in the alps with her grandfather. I was feeling really disillusioned with the world and this book always cheers me up.

take everything

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

The Lucifer Effect by Philip Zimbardo.

I saw one of his lectures (on TED I think) and that's what drew me in.

It was never going to be a light read. PZ covers the Miligram electric shock obedience experiments, the bystander effect, conformance and his own Stanford Prison experiment.

The book goes through to, if not a defence, perhaps an explanation of abuses and mistreatment at Abu Graib. He describes how the organisation, the military, the state, chose only to punish those relatively junior in the organisation. No officers were punished, while a senior sergeant got 8 years prison.


tl:dr Zimbardo argues that people are made bad by situational forces rather than being born evil.

Zimbardo did the Stanford Prison Experiment. Ethically crazy but interesting results. I read his Demise of Guys. Shortish ebook essay. Good little read.

Currently reading Bob Newhart's autobiography I shouldn't even be doing this and Dave Gorman's Too much information. Of course I got a stack of half-read stuff as well.

Birneybau

Oranage2 wrote: »

How was it? Dystopia novels make up about 80 percent of what I read.



I just finished 'Do androids dream of electric sheep', it was on my bucket list for a long time. Amazing book, it was so good I read it in one day.

Need another recommendation if anyone has one, any genre.

'The Circle' by Dave Eggers.

Buona Fortuna

take everything wrote: »

Zimbardo did the Stanford Prison Experiment. Ethically crazy but interesting results. I read his Demise of Guys. Shortish ebook essay. Good little read.

Currently reading Bob Newhart's autobiography I shouldn't even be doing this and Dave Gorman's Too much information. Of course I got a stack of half-read stuff as well.

You and me both
They usually find there way to the charity shop.

My last half read was Why does E=mc2 by Brian Cox. I thought I could hang in there but no.

take everything

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

You and me both
They usually find there way to the charity shop.

My last half read was Why does E=mc2 by Brian Cox. I thought I could hang in there but no.

If you're looking for a readable popular science book, an incredibly accessible read on Quantum theory (if you're into that) is Jim Al-Khalili's Quantum: A guide for the perplexed.

P.Walnuts

Buona Fortuna wrote: »

You and me both
They usually find there way to the charity shop.

My last half read was Why does E=mc2 by Brian Cox. I thought I could hang in there but no.

take everything wrote: »

If you're looking for a readable popular science book, an incredibly accessible read on Quantum theory (if you're into that) is Jim Al-Khalili's Quantum: A guide for the perplexed.

Bill Byrson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is extremely accessible, and funny throughout

Vincent Vega

Currently reading the Phoenix manga series by Osamu Tezuka.

I thought Volume 1 was pretty good, but I've just finished Vol. 2: Future and it is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read.

Looking forward to the other 10

I really wish more people could look beyond the cartoonishness of a lot of his art because I think the message he puts across in his books goes far beyond what most people would even dream of finding in a manga.

For anyone interested here's an overview of the series.

looking_around

Vincent Vega wrote: »

Currently reading the Phoenix manga series by Osamu Tezuka.

I thought Volume 1 was pretty good, but I've just finished Vol. 2: Future and it is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read.

Looking forward to the other 10

I really wish more people could look beyond the cartoonishness of a lot of his art because I think the message he puts across in his books goes far beyond what most people would even dream of finding in a manga.

For anyone interested here's an overview of the series.

Is there an anime version?
Try as I might I don't enjoy reading manga or comics.

the evasion_kid

Off the rails in Phnom Penh "into the dark heart of guns,girls and ganja" by amit gilboa

Basically a visitors take on Cambodia during the 80s and the legacy of pol pot were Phnom Penh turned fairly lawless and was a place were anything goes

Birneybau

'Under The Skin' by Michael Faber.

The book came to my attention through one of the most interesting films of the year, of the same name.

1st chapter down, enjoying it.

megaten

Vincent Vega wrote: »

Currently reading the Phoenix manga series by Osamu Tezuka.

I thought Volume 1 was pretty good, but I've just finished Vol. 2: Future and it is without a doubt one of the best books I have ever read.

Looking forward to the other 10

I really wish more people could look beyond the cartoonishness of a lot of his art because I think the message he puts across in his books goes far beyond what most people would even dream of finding in a manga.

For anyone interested here's an overview of the series.

I thought Phoenix was never completed? I've read one or two Tezuka books and don't remember thinking their that great. That's probably more to do with him laying the foundations for most other manga authors though.

Meathlass

Birneybau wrote: »

'The Circle' by Dave Eggers.

Picked this up for a summer holiday read - absolutely loved it.

looking_around

Just finished "The Left Hand of God"- Paul Hoffman , I was pretty glued to the book, though I'm still not sure what to make of the story. It wasn't until the last chapter that if finally felt like...it was going somewhere. I;m not sure. Though I look forward to reading the next two books.

Belle E. Flops

Finished 'Neverwhere' yesterday. Really enjoyed it so must buy a few more of Gaiman's books.

Just after starting 'The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde'.

Stan27

Just finished the new Ross O carroll Kelly book. It's just that good

Loanshark Blues

P.Walnuts wrote: »

Bill Byrson's A Short History of Nearly Everything is extremely accessible, and funny throughout

Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You by Marcus Chown is also great. Although the fact that I think I understand it all after reading it means I probably don't..

Vincent Vega

looking_around wrote: »

Is there an anime version?
Try as I might I don't enjoy reading manga or comics.

There were a few films made over the years focusing on bits and pieces of the story, and also an anime series made in 2004 but I haven't seen any of them.
As far as I know though, they are all adaptations which Tezuka himself had little input in.

megaten wrote: »

I thought Phoenix was never completed? I've read one or two Tezuka books and don't remember thinking their that great. That's probably more to do with him laying the foundations for most other manga authors though.

True, it was never completed but each volume is a separate story in itself.
Viz just digitised them at the start of the year which is great since some of the print copies are pretty hard to find at a reasonable price.
In the meantime I borrowed it from the internet. :pac:

I read about half of his 'Buddha' series a few years back, which i remember enjoying, but after a certain point this one really began to hit home for me.
Well worth the read for anyone interested in the human condition.

tomglsn

Odd apocalypse by Dean Koontz. Pretty good.

Rowley Birkin QC

The Man from St.Petersburg by Ken Foliet.

Good but predictable so far.

Collie D

Finished I am the Secret Footballer at the weekend. Supposedly written by an English Premier League player who has a column in The Guardian. Some insights into what it's like to be a professional player but not as many juicy stories as I'd have liked. Maybe one for the fans of the column only.

Started another sports autobiography last night - The Undisputed Truth. Had a little wrestle with my conscience about buying a book by a convicted rapist but I have a feeling Mike Tyson will have quite a story to tell. Only a chapter in but already looks like boxing saved him from an early death or a life behind bars. Should be an interesting read.

FreeFallin94

Just finished The Cider House Rules, and my God, it was so, SO beautiful. I loved the characters, and John Irving is such a fantastic writer. There were so many moments where I wished I had a highlighter so that I could underline some quote or other- and I am not usually the type of reader who gets the urge to do that at all.

Also, the very last line- I don't see how the novel could have been finished more perfectly. I read it and just sat for a minute because it was such a perfect way to conclude the story.

Considering I loved his writing so much, would anyone be able to recommend me any of Irving's other novels to read that would be up to the same standard?

K-9

FreeFallin94 wrote: »

Just finished The Cider House Rules, and my God, it was so, SO beautiful. I loved the characters, and John Irving is such a fantastic writer. There were so many moments where I wished I had a highlighter so that I could underline some quote or other- and I am not usually the type of reader who gets the urge to do that at all.

Also, the very last line- I don't see how the novel could have been finished more perfectly. I read it and just sat for a minute because it was such a perfect way to conclude the story.

Considering I loved his writing so much, would anyone be able to recommend me any of Irving's other novels to read that would be up to the same standard?

The World according to Garp and A prayer for Owen Meany are both very good reads.

drugstore cowboy

Henry Kissenger's new one.