What Are You Reading?

[HeatDeath 430]

Currently Reading:

Godel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, by Douglas Hofstadter

The Last Temptation of Christ, by Nikos Kazantzakis

The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkein

Next Up:

Eternal Security, by Charles Stanley

Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand

If you have any interest in computers, mathematics, or how thinking works, GEB is one of the best books ever written, by anybody, ever.

[BH45 0]

Currently Reading - "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett.

Enjoyed reading "90 Minutes in Heaven" - Don Piper with Cecil Murphey; "The Shack" - Wm Paul Young

Favorite - "Five Little Peppers" Margaret Sidney

[Krikit 1,164]

Just finished reading The Vanished Man by Jeffery Deaver. A very good mystery. http://www.jefferydeaver.com/Novels_/VanishedMan/vanishedman.html

Going to start The Associate by John Grisham this evening. http://www.jgrisham.com/the-associate/

[CAdreamer 14]

I recently finished Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay. Hated every moment of it -- the story line, the writing style... all of it.

Onto a nonfiction selection now, Who Says Elephants Can't Dance, by Louis V Gerstner. It's about "guiding an enterprise through change", but I'm hoping to glean some tips on making the transition for my wee family to the US.

[sachinky 465]

Finished A Bad Beginning by Lemony Snickett yesterday afternoon.

And then Nancy Drew: The Clue in the Leaning Chimney earlier today.

Currently reading:

The Hours - Michael Cunningham

Artemis Fowl: The Lost Colony - Eoin Colfer

Edited March 2, 2012 by sachinky

[warlord 73]

Still working on my Belinda Carlisle autobiography book. Need to get another one for my up coming trip as I only read when waiting for planes at airports. Not my favorite, but really good though...

[beejay 123]

Never noticed this thread before!

Just finished: The book of drugs: A memoir by Mike Doughty (of Soul Coughing)

Starting: Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford

[sachinky 465]

11/22/63 by Stephen King.

10 chapters or so in, and it's already blowing my mind.

Does anyone use goodreads, by the way?

Edited April 21, 2012 by sachinky

[canada_socks 97]

I am about to start reading "The Hunger Games". I already saw the movie (would have preferred to read the book first but oh well!). I am going on a 6 week long trip back to Canada on Thursday, so that will be my entertainment on the plane ride.

[beejay 123]

11/22/63 by Stephen King.

10 chapters or so in, and it's already blowing my mind.

Does anyone use goodreads, by the way?

I'm on goodreads, I actually just updated it today.

Finished Genghis Khan (from my last post) and loved it!

I've been on an Agatha Christie kick lately so I'm rereading some her books that I have laying around. Right now I am reading The Thirteen problems with Miss Marple.

[MelissaAndJordan 5]

I am about to start reading "The Hunger Games". I already saw the movie (would have preferred to read the book first but oh well!). I am going on a 6 week long trip back to Canada on Thursday, so that will be my entertainment on the plane ride.

After all the fuss I finally picked up "The Hunger Games" when I saw it in the store last weekend. Read it that night. Went back the next morning and got the other two. Finished the series in 3 nights. It's not the best series ever, but yet I kept having the "just one more chapter" syndrome at 4am.

[awkwardsoul 20]

Currently Reading: 50 Shades Freed (I've been going through the series - 50 Shades of Grey)

Twilight fan fic gone... well... adult then name scrubbed.

Last series I just finished was the Hunger Game series too - I made my fiance (now husband!) take me to the movie and he liked it - now he's reading the books! HAHAHHAAHAHA!

Favorite Book: I have to choose? Probably a Lynsay Sands.. mebe "Single White Vampire". I dunno, I mostly read trashy romance.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I currently have three books on the go . .

"The Top Five REGRETS of the Dying - A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing" by Bronnie Ware - very interesting read - the author, after doing a lot of travelling and in need finally of a job with meaning, found herself working in palliative care. The book is a result of her discussions and observations with those who are at the end of their lives and deal with the 'what if's and 'if only's' now that there is no more time left. Not surprisingly, the number one regret is "I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me".

"The 10,000 Year Explosion - How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution" by Gregory Chochran and Henry Harpending, - examining the genetic and geographic influences that led to what many have called a 'leap forward' in human evolution about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago and discussion about what and why and how, etc. Fascinating and very well researched and documented. I've always been fascinated by genetics and it is interesting to see it explored in an evolutionary premise.

'To A Mountain In Tibet' by Colin Thubron - kind of a variation on my mountain climbing theme, I read his previous 'travelogue"Shadow of the Silk Road" and enjoyed it immensely. While this isn't about mountain climbing, it is about the country and people in Tibet and the Himalaya and that is part of the subject I find fascinating. I've only just started, but already am appreciating his informative style. It is really kind of a spiritual journey for him, a pilgrimage, of sorts.

I've just finished 2 very different books, one because I was fascinated by the author and read everything else she has written with great pleasure so when I found this one (and one I read just before this) even though it isn't my usual style, I read it "Mozart's Blood" by Louise Marley. The protagonist is an opera singer who first appeared on stage with Mozart conducting - and both she and Mozart are bitten by one of his patrons who is a vampire (this is what I mean by not my style!). The story is basically about how she survives as a career operatic soprano in 'identity' after 'identity', not wanting to take blood to survive, and with every meal gaining the 'memories' of the individual involved. It is incredibly well written, not at all like the hyped up vampire stories that are currently making the rounds and well worth the read. The author is a former opera singer herself so knows her subject beautifully - and I just love her writing style.

The other book is 'The Spirit of the Place" by Samuel Shem, about a young doctor who leaves small town Ohio to live abroad and comes back after his mother dies. Her will states that he will inherit her house and fortune only if he lives in her house (his old childhood home) for a year and 13 days. He doesn't plan to stay until his Italian girlfriend tells him he should so he ends up assisting the aging small town doctor, meeting someone new after the old girlfriend dumps him, and keeps seeing his mother's ghost flying around. It is extremely entertaining and provocative as he comes to terms with who he is, why he left and how to deal with his past relationship with his mother, who turns out not to be a particularly nice person in very many ways.

Edited April 22, 2012 by Kathryn41

[beejay 123]

I currently have three books on the go . .

"The 10,000 Year Explosion - How Civilization Accelerated Human Evolution" by Gregory Chochran and Henry Harpending, - examining the genetic and geographic influences that led to what many have called a 'leap forward' in human evolution about 40,000 to 50,000 years ago and discussion about what and why and how, etc. Fascinating and very well researched and documented. I've always been fascinated by genetics and it is interesting to see it explored in an evolutionary premise.

I was just looking at this on Amazon and almost got it. I'm a big evolution/anthropology junkie so I may have to go back and purchase this one since it sounds like you are enjoying it. Mapping Human History by Steve Olson is one I've read in the past and enjoyed but for genetics have you ever read Mutants by Armand Marie Leroi? It's really easy to read and pretty fascinating - just not something you want to read while pregnant.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

I was just looking at this on Amazon and almost got it. I'm a big evolution/anthropology junkie so I may have to go back and purchase this one since it sounds like you are enjoying it. Mapping Human History by Steve Olson is one I've read in the past and enjoyed but for genetics have you ever read Mutants by Armand Marie Leroi? It's really easy to read and pretty fascinating - just not something you want to read while pregnant.

I think you would enjoy it then, yes . I haven't read either of those but I will definitely take a look at them. Fortunately, I am past the age of being pregnant so shouldn't have a worry - unless of course, I turn out to be some sort of weird mutant myself!