What Are You Reading?

Pygmalion · 03-05-2010 08:08PM

Started reading The God Delusion.

The man seems a lot less "extreme" than most people claim, I think they confuse overly direct (to the extent that you're pretty much an asshole) with being extreme.

03-05-2010 09:22PM

Pygmalion wrote: »

Started reading The God Delusion.

The man seems a lot less "extreme" than most people claim, I think they confuse overly direct (to the extent that you're pretty much an asshole) with being extreme.

I think it's quite mild. And very interesting. As Dawkins himself says, I think it's got to do with the way we seem to take Religion as some area logic just can't touch.

Craguls · 03-05-2010 09:38PM

Pygmalion wrote: »

Started reading The God Delusion.

The man seems a lot less "extreme" than most people claim, I think they confuse overly direct (to the extent that you're pretty much an asshole) with being extreme.

It's more to do with the manner in which he debates and his total disregard for anyone else's opinion. His writing's rather good although he's a habit of taking established biological principles and putting twits on them to pass them off as his own. My biology tutor showed us a video where tore a group of creationists to shreds. Apparently he's rather sexist too from what rumours circulate in academia.

rebel girl 15 · 03-05-2010 09:52PM

Finished the GAA books before I went, read Summer On Blossom Street yesterday, At the Stroke of Midnight by Alex Kava today (two hours!) and I'm onto an Erica Spindler one!

Pygmalion · 03-05-2010 10:02PM

Deleted User wrote: »

I think it's quite mild. And very interesting. As Dawkins himself says, I think it's got to do with the way we seem to take Religion as some area logic just can't touch.

I'd have to agree.
To be honest he seems to be a dick, and there have been paragraphs making me think he's a bit up his own ass.
But he makes good points for the most part (so far at least, in my opinion, YMMV, IANAL etc. etc.), and it's refreshing to see religion treated as something fallible, rather than "Oh no, we can't blame religion for X or we're intolerant".

Craguls wrote: »

It's more to do with the manner in which he debates and his total disregard for anyone else's opinion.

I can't claim to have seen much debates with him, but might go and find some to see this.
He does seem like an asshole as I've said though, so wouldn't be surprised.

SligoBrewer · 04-05-2010 12:22AM

Craguls wrote: »

It's more to do with the manner in which he debates and his total disregard for anyone else's opinion. His writing's rather good although he's a habit of taking established biological principles and putting twits on them to pass them off as his own. My biology tutor showed us a video where tore a group of creationists to shreds..

Sounds like he'd be a great Hist member tbh.

Craguls · 04-05-2010 12:25AM

SligoBrewer wrote: »

Sounds like he'd be a great Hist member tbh.

Your **** off you hist **** profile picture induced many lols on my part.

SligoBrewer · 04-05-2010 12:26AM

Craguls wrote: »

Your **** off you hist **** profile picture induced many lols on my part.

:cool:

seriousfizz · 04-05-2010 07:54AM

Novella wrote: »

I'm reading Pride and Prejudice. Have already read it a good few times, but I it. Also, The Journals of Sylvia Plath. This has been on-going for quite a while, I have to admit! It's a huge book and I think you have to be in the right mood to read it. Sometimes I find it really heavy and depressing, but it is amazing.

I didn't know there was such a book! My gf is a big Plath fan, she's told me a bit about her. I'll be looking out for this one

I love this thread, to be honest with yis! So many good books floating around :cool:

Novella · 04-05-2010 01:24PM

seriousfizz wrote: »

I didn't know there was such a book! My gf is a big Plath fan, she's told me a bit about her. I'll be looking out for this one

I love this thread, to be honest with yis! So many good books floating around :cool:

Yeah, it's a huge book. I can't remember where I bought it but it was pretty expensive. It's not so bad if you buy it online though

Here it is : http://www.amazon.com/Journals-Sylvia-Plath-1950-1962/dp/0571205216/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272979396&sr=1-4

seriousfizz · 04-05-2010 03:35PM

Novella wrote: »

Yeah, it's a huge book. I can't remember where I bought it but it was pretty expensive. It's not so bad if you buy it online though Here it is : http://www.amazon.com/Journals-Sylvia-Plath-1950-1962/dp/0571205216/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272979396&sr=1-4

Ah nice one

Sound!

Piste · 04-05-2010 10:47PM

I finished reading "Tghe Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists". I haven't read a book that made me laugh out loud as much in ages, it's pretty hilarious stuff. I started rereading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. I forget plots and details so easily so it's like reading it for the first time, with only a mild sense of Déja Vu.

almostnever · 04-05-2010 10:55PM

Piste wrote: »

I finished reading "Tghe Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists". I haven't read a book that made me laugh out loud as much in ages, it's pretty hilarious stuff. I started rereading Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk. I forget plots and details so easily so it's like reading it for the first time, with only a mild sense of Déja Vu.

And Chuck Palahniuk's books are mindfúcks (in the best possible way) so they're always fresh. Ever read Invisible Monsters? amazingggg.

highlydebased · 09-05-2010 09:36PM

Well, his death has at least motivated me to get the book down off the bookshelf..

Fad · 09-05-2010 10:13PM

Reading Catcher in the Rye for the first time since 1st year of secondary school, so much better this time!

Richard Cranium · 09-05-2010 10:48PM

I should probably re-read that myself some time. I read it a couple of years ago over the summer and wasn't impressed with it at all. I didn't see what all the fuss was about tbh.

Novella · 09-05-2010 11:31PM

I really love Catcher in the Rye, it's one of my favourites.

Atm, I'm reading The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. I saw the play years ago, maybe when I was doing my Leaving Cert, I forget, and I loved it so when I saw the book on amazon, I bought it.

Jay P · 09-05-2010 11:34PM

Richard Cranium wrote: »

I should probably re-read that myself some time. I read it a couple of years ago over the summer and wasn't impressed with it at all. I didn't see what all the fuss was about tbh.

That's the exact same with me. I've been meaning to go back to it for ages.

A Neurotic · 09-05-2010 11:47PM

Richard Cranium wrote: »

I should probably re-read that myself some time. I read it a couple of years ago over the summer and wasn't impressed with it at all. I didn't see what all the fuss was about tbh.

Jay P wrote: »

That's the exact same with me. I've been meaning to go back to it for ages.

And a plus one!

Fad · 10-05-2010 12:08AM

I loved it the first time, enjoying it more this time

Craguls · 10-05-2010 12:12AM

I loved it as well. The opening paragraph is one of my favourite pieces of writing ever

Extrasupervery · 10-05-2010 12:27AM

I bought and started it months ago...dunno what happened. It shall join the long list for the summer

Gang of Gin · 10-05-2010 12:36AM

Untold Stories by Alan Bennett. Best book I've read in a year or so, and A Confederacy of Dunces was one read within that period too, which I'd like to think is a strong indicator of the brilliance of Bennett. Sorry, just carping on...my humble opinion. An unnecessary added extra to the thread.

Skinback · 10-05-2010 12:39AM

Fad wrote: »

Kinda curious as to what my demographic actually reads (if anything)

I'm reading:

All Families Are Psychotic-Douglas Coupland.

and I have the following lined up:

At Swim Two Birds-Flann O'Brien.
Survivor-Chuck Palahnuik.

and I have to scan through the "Bhagavad Gita" (Hare Krishna sacred text) for my religion project, which I really need to get done over Xmas

I gave up on At Swim Two Birds....found it turgid

Skinback · 10-05-2010 12:41AM

Novella wrote: »

I really love Catcher in the Rye, it's one of my favourites.

Atm, I'm reading The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde. I saw the play years ago, maybe when I was doing my Leaving Cert, I forget, and I loved it so when I saw the book on amazon, I bought it.

Thats the way with favourite old school books....I rebought my old 60's Anthology of Poetry for the same reason.

Skinback · 10-05-2010 12:45AM

Shacklebolt wrote: »

Tarry Flynn by Kavanagh.

I also plan to finish Dantes Inferno shortly.

Ah god.....Tarry Flynn takes me back...I loved it.Read it when I was a whippersnapper.

Skinback · 10-05-2010 12:48AM

Insect Overlord wrote: »

I'll be starting Angela's Ashes in a few days time, got through the first 3 chapters of Northern Lights very quickly last night.

Angelas Ashes and Tis are two great reads.

hare05 · 10-05-2010 12:49AM

Roadside Picnic - Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

Really good sci-fi, the movie Stalker and the game series S.T.A.L.K.E.R. are based on it.
(They are not directly linked to each other, other than an Eastern-Block theme and a re-imagining of Roadside Picnic)

Aliens land in 6 different places around the world for a day and then leave, without any intentional contact with the human populace. The 'Visitation Zones' (places around where they landed) have changed overnight. The standard laws of physics no longer apply in these places.

It's a different kind of alien encounter, the type that woodland animals would experience if humans were to 'land' in their woods and have a picnic. The terror of strange noises (radios), the disruption of their habitat, and the strange things left behind (bottles, wrappers, maybe a lighter or wasted batteries).
Humans don't send emissaries to the animals before we have a picnic, we just go there, do what we want, and leave, without ever thinking about the animals that were there first.
How would we fare if a more advanced civilization did that to us?

Certainly worth a read.

Skinback · 10-05-2010 12:53AM

Xx_emma_xX wrote: »

I'm reading J.D Salinger - The Catcher In The Rye. I saw it today just dumped in some corner at a bookshop and said I'd see what all the hype is about. So far I'm not too impressed, to be honest, but it's early days yet.

That's cos ur a girlie.Catcher is a boys book.

Skinback · 10-05-2010 12:55AM

Corkfeen wrote: »

Sure i'll have a crack at War and Peace..... Will read some more Dickens and Dostoevsky for good measure. Have a big pile of recent enough books to go through too; Girl with the Dragon Tattoo etc....;)

You should try Gissings Netherworld too, as an alternative to Dickens.
I loved it and New Grub Street too.

What Are You Reading?

Comments