So what books are you all reading
Marc
Moderator, Beta Tester Posts: 3,181
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I'll start this off (and besides, this topic area doesn't seem to get enough love). I commute via railroad and always looking for good books to read on my Kindle during the ride. I stumbled upon a series from RR Haywood called The Undead the first seven days and its successor, The Undead the second week. RR is UK based and the book shows it by being, at least in my mind, very British in its tone and the characters mannerisms. I worked for a British firm for years and it brought back good memories. Well, not necessarily memories about Zombies but I digress. He does a good job of character development and interplay between them, the book has loads of action and of course did I mention? Zombies!
How about you all, what are you reading now?
How about you all, what are you reading now?
Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...
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Right now I've just started rereading "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson. I last read this eons of years ago, but I find his books so intricate, so detailed and so complex, that upon re-reading his works a second or third time it's almost like i'd never read the book (interspersed with odd moments of deja-vu).
He's not the easiest of authors, but I do find him to be especially unique: he possess a skill and talent rarely seen in science-fiction. Arguably his most accessible book "Snow Crash" was, for me, more prescient than any of Gibson's works. In addition reading his books are akin to reading a pre-ordained alternative future qua reading a piece of speculative fiction. He may not be the perfect author when it comes to deep characterizations, but by gum does he know how to move his people around!
The next book to 'read' on my list is my umpteenth dip into Sun Tzu's seminal work "The art of war". It's been a while since I last read through this, but it find it an amazingly useful book on life in general, especially in business.
Yeah, I'm an odd little bear!
People say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing every day.
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Those are both excellent books. I loved them too. I’ve recently reread several books by Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, American Gods and Anasazi Boys. I’ve also recently read the Devil in the White City. I’ll be rereading the first two books of the Licanius trilogy by James Islington in time for the last book to be released in December. I read a lot in my not very much downtime. Lol
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I’ve read Gaiman’s Neverwhere... really well written. Left me wanting a sequel. (At the time I read it, had no idea it was a TV series)Aric said:Those are both excellent books. I loved them too. I’ve recently reread several books by Neil Gaiman, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, American Gods and Anasazi Boys. I’ve also recently read the Devil in the White City. I’ll be rereading the first two books of the Licanius trilogy by James Islington in time for the last book to be released in December. I read a lot in my not very much downtime. Lol
Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...2 -
I'm reading non-fiction at the moment. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
I know it's super-popular but it's very enlightening. Only a third-through but not very impressed with our species so farHead of Product at Fing3 -
One of my favorite authors. I'm in the process of rereading his books in (mostly) publication order. (I confess I did skip a couple of the very early ones.) I'm up to Anathem (after plugging through Cryptonomicon and the Baroque Cycle books).Pooh said:Right now I've just started rereading "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson.<snip> Arguably his most accessible book "Snow Crash" was, for me, more prescient than any of Gibson's works.<snip>
In addition I'm also rereading all of John Sandford's works (Prey series, That F--n' Flowers, and the Joe Kidd books), all of Elmore Leonard's non-Westerns, slowly working my way through Zelazny's Amber series. I just finished Hobbit/LOTR, plus a couple of YA series for light reading. I switch back and forth between series to keep from burning out on any single author or style. In the past year or so, I reread the Outlander/Lord John series and the Aubrey/Maturin series. I read quite fast, so this isn't such a stretch as it might look. I frequently reread other favorite authors: Dorothy Dunnett (both the Lymond and Niccolo series); Josephine Tey; Arthur Ransome (Swallows and Amazons); Lewis Carroll; (the list goes on).--Pete
Bon Vivant and Raconteur3 -
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LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.Pooh said:
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
--Pete
Bon Vivant and Raconteur
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Let's see ... There's Old Man Logan, The Uncanny X-Men, Avengers ..see a pattern here yet?
OH, and The Dresden Files, I mean as soon as Jim Butcher releases another chapter of it I will."There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain2 -
You like characters with retractable alumantium claws?kltaylor said:Let's see ... There's Old Man Logan, The Uncanny X-Men, Avengers ..see a pattern here yet?OH, and The Dresden Files, I mean as soon as Jim Butcher releases another chapter of it I will.
Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...2 -
Marc said:
You like characters with retractable alumantium claws?kltaylor said:Let's see ... There's Old Man Logan, The Uncanny X-Men, Avengers ..see a pattern here yet?OH, and The Dresden Files, I mean as soon as Jim Butcher releases another chapter of it I will.I do!And they're Adamantium ..."There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain2 -
LAWLMarc said:Pooh<\/a> said:<\/div> @pwmeek<\/a> Anathem<\/a> was quite a surprise for me - I really wasn't sure where it was going for something a full third of the already weighty tome before it then took off for me. Glad I invested my time in it though.<\/div><\/blockquote>LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.![\"\"](denied:\"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031733\/uploads\/editor\/qb\/uik6cxx313o0.jpg\" "\\"Image:")
<\/a>
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
","bodyRaw":"
Pooh<\/a> said:<\/div>@pwmeekAnathem<\/a> was quite a surprise for me - I really wasn't sure where it was going for something a full third of the already weighty tome before it then took off for me. Glad I invested my time in it though.<\/div><\/blockquote>LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.
<\/a>
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
","format":"Wysiwyg","dateInserted":"2019-09-26T17:10:36+00:00","insertUser":{"userID":185,"name":"pwmeek","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031733\/uploads\/userpics\/688\/nX54KEPKQOT5Y.jpg","dateLastActive":"2019-09-26T17:22:41+00:00"},"url":"https:\/\/community.fing.com\/discussion\/comment\/4514#Comment_4514","embedType":"quote"}"> https://community.fing.com/discussion/comment/4514#Comment_4514Really looks comfortable. Perhaps our next thread should be “show us your man/woman cave”?
"There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain1 -
Well, it's a Stickley Morris chair (with various extra pads where this old body needs them) and they are generally quite comfortable.Marc said:Really looks comfortable. Perhaps our next thread should be “show us your man/woman cave”?
The table beyond the chair was made by a friend from some discarded pallets which turned out under inspection to be mostly quarter-sawn white oak, matching the chair perfectly. I think he did a fantastic job of matching the style and finish as well. I'd be happy to make a 360 pan shot of my cave, or perhaps burrow would be a better description, as it is the smallest bedroom in a tiny apartment. Cramming in a tenth of all the things I can't seem to live without has been an interesting exercise.--Pete
Bon Vivant and Raconteur3 -
Honestly i've bought into Audible.
At 230$/year i get 24 books and the ability to buy 3 more books for 28$ (yes, that's even less than the annual) whenever i want.
There also are OPEN and GPL ways to convert said AUDIBLE books into chapterized MP3s but only if you have bought them, you need legal proof of ownership to do so. But after doing it i need not worry that somebody decides they don't have the rights to a book anymore and thus i am denied to listen to something i bought. I will not put direct links here since some people might not approve, but i already gave you the keywords to search for, if you need them. You can also inspect the source code.
Being able to listen to books while i travel for work eases a lot of stress and takes my mind off of any problems allowing me to just drive where i need to and be fresh when i get there to actually do the work needed.
• i am currently listening to 2012's "The Year's Top Short Sf Novels 02", which is really nice.
but i recently listened to:
• the trilogy of "Pride, Prejudice, and zombies" which i had approached very cautious but ended up being one of the most entertaining and laughter-worthy "reads" i ever had,
• Orson Scott Card's Ender series, which started out with a "meh" ended the first "four book trilogy" with a facepalm as huge as the sky that almost made me leave it, and then increasingly got a lot better, i just bought the second book of the second formian war and i'm looking forward to reading it.
• an interesting find which i would normally not have given a dime to was Naomi Novik's Temeraire.
• another series which i would normally have left after the first book but i bought in bulk and the mp3 reader started the second book while i was still driving was John Ringo's Looking Glass series. The first book was truly atrocious since it's basically a (very) badly written starcraft fanfiction filled with infodumps. Luckily from books 2 onwards the author tries to detach himself from the StarCraft roots and present something with a bit more fantasy. It's still bad but "so bad it's good".
• Cory Doctorow's Little Brother series is also very nice
• do i actually have to mention Discworld? I truly hope Terry Pratchett's masterpiece series has been read several times.
• A. Lee Martinez's books (Gil's All Fright Diner; The Automatic Detective; Too Many Curses; etc. etc.) tend to be extremely entertaining too.
• C. J. Cherryh's Chanur series was very nice. As, in general, all her books.
• Sir Arthur Charles Clarke's Rama series is also another i would recommend.
• Phil & Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius was also very amusing.3 -
I will say that Audible is a great deal if you love reading and want to be able to do it during times you normally wouldn’t be able to. I listen during my commute all the time. Plus some narrators (like Neil Gaimon reading his own books) are a real treat. I’ve been a member since just after Audible launched. I’m grandfathered into a plan paying less than $14 a month for 2 credits I can use on anything. I’d give up all streaming services before I’d give up Audible.
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I’ve got one little Kindle trick but not sure if it’s supported everywhere. If you library supports an app like overdrive, you can actually browse and take a book out via the app and read it via your Kindle without actually visiting the library. Same library rules apply like 14 days to read etc but its worked well for me.Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...2
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Not much use to me. The typical rate for speaking (and consequently Audible) is between 150 and 300 words per minute. My normal reading speed is about 3000 words per minute. Now, what do I do with my brain during the 90% to 95% of the time when no new words are coming into my ears? Basically, I get distracted and begin thinking about something else. By the time the next word comes along, I've lost track of what the narrator is talking about. I get nothing from speech. If I can't read it, I can't understand it.SimoneSpinozzi said:Honestly i've bought into Audible.<snip>--Pete
Bon Vivant and Raconteur2 -
Hm... somehow can't get to audiobooks... Lots of people listen to them while driving, but to me I'm too much focused on driving to listen to something else that music... While at home I again either I read and focus on or do something else, that would destrack me from listening. So I definitely prefere reading.
Said that, I'm somehow 'serial reader' :-) Just finished whole collection of Jack Reacher books by Lee Cild and now started Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan...3 -
Well, it's a Stickley Morris chair (with various extra pads where this old body needs them) and they are generally quite comfortable.Marc said:Pooh<\/a> said:<\/div> @pwmeek<\/a> Anathem<\/a> was quite a surprise for me - I really wasn't sure where it was going for something a full third of the already weighty tome before it then took off for me. Glad I invested my time in it though.<\/div><\/blockquote>LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.
<\/a>
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
","bodyRaw":"
Pooh<\/a> said:<\/div>@pwmeekAnathem<\/a> was quite a surprise for me - I really wasn't sure where it was going for something a full third of the already weighty tome before it then took off for me. Glad I invested my time in it though.<\/div><\/blockquote>LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.
<\/a>
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
","format":"Wysiwyg","dateInserted":"2019-09-26T17:10:36+00:00","insertUser":{"userID":185,"name":"pwmeek","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031733\/uploads\/userpics\/688\/nX54KEPKQOT5Y.jpg","dateLastActive":"2019-09-26T17:22:41+00:00"},"url":"https:\/\/community.fing.com\/discussion\/comment\/4514#Comment_4514","embedType":"quote"}"> https://community.fing.com/discussion/comment/4514#Comment_4514Really looks comfortable. Perhaps our next thread should be “show us your man/woman cave”?
The table beyond the chair was made by a friend from some discarded pallets which turned out under inspection to be mostly quarter-sawn white oak, matching the chair perfectly. I think he did a fantastic job of matching the style and finish as well.
I'd be happy to make a 360 pan shot of my cave, or perhaps burrow would be a better description, as it is the smallest bedroom in a tiny apartment. Cramming in a tenth of all the things I can't seem to live without has been an interesting exercise.--Pete
Bon Vivant and Raconteur1 -
Well, it's a Stickley Morris chair (with various extra pads where this old body needs them) and they are generally quite comfortable.Marc said:Pooh<\/a> said:<\/div> @pwmeek<\/a> Anathem<\/a> was quite a surprise for me - I really wasn't sure where it was going for something a full third of the already weighty tome before it then took off for me. Glad I invested my time in it though.<\/div><\/blockquote>LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.
<\/a>
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
","bodyRaw":"
Pooh<\/a> said:<\/div>@pwmeekAnathem<\/a> was quite a surprise for me - I really wasn't sure where it was going for something a full third of the already weighty tome before it then took off for me. Glad I invested my time in it though.<\/div><\/blockquote>LOL - No weighty tomes for me. I do all my reading with the Kindle App on an iPad. In fact, I don't even lift the iPad anymore with this reading stand.
<\/a>
I'm gradually replacing or duplicating as many as possible of my 20k books to Kindle. 1600 so far; only another 18 thousand to go. The trouble is, a lot of those books aren't available as Kindle books. At least not yet.
","format":"Wysiwyg","dateInserted":"2019-09-26T17:10:36+00:00","insertUser":{"userID":185,"name":"pwmeek","photoUrl":"https:\/\/us.v-cdn.net\/6031733\/uploads\/userpics\/688\/nX54KEPKQOT5Y.jpg","dateLastActive":"2019-09-26T17:22:41+00:00"},"url":"https:\/\/community.fing.com\/discussion\/comment\/4514#Comment_4514","embedType":"quote"}"> https://community.fing.com/discussion/comment/4514#Comment_4514Really looks comfortable. Perhaps our next thread should be “show us your man/woman cave”?
The table beyond the chair was made by a friend from some discarded pallets which turned out under inspection to be mostly quarter-sawn white oak, matching the chair perfectly. I think he did a fantastic job of matching the style and finish as well.
I'd be happy to make a 360 pan shot of my cave, or perhaps burrow would be a better description, as it is the smallest bedroom in a tiny apartment. Cramming in a tenth of all the things I can't seem to live without has been an interesting exercise.--Pete
Bon Vivant and Raconteur1 -
Mirekmal said:Hm... somehow can't get to audiobooks... Lots of people listen to them while driving, but to me I'm too much focused on driving to listen to something else that music... While at home I again either I read and focus on or do something else, that would destrack me from listening. So I definitely prefere reading.
Said that, I'm somehow 'serial reader' :-) Just finished whole collection of Jack Reacher books by Lee Cild and now started Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan...I could do audiobooks for sure.A recent change in our local radio station that I did not care for, encouraged me to try Podcasts. Now that's mostly what I listen to during my commute to and from work."There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain1 -
For me with Audiobooks, like Mirekmal, I have a hard time using, preferring reading over listening. Podcasts are different matter as they remind me of listening to a good talk radio show, though one with a really hyper-focused topic as I tend to listen to tech related ones.kltaylor said:Mirekmal said:Hm... somehow can't get to audiobooks... Lots of people listen to them while driving, but to me I'm too much focused on driving to listen to something else that music... While at home I again either I read and focus on or do something else, that would destrack me from listening. So I definitely prefere reading.
Said that, I'm somehow 'serial reader' :-) Just finished whole collection of Jack Reacher books by Lee Cild and now started Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan...I could do audiobooks for sure.A recent change in our local radio station that I did not care for, encouraged me to try Podcasts. Now that's mostly what I listen to during my commute to and from work.Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...2 -
Well, I have to confess that I, lately, am using audiobooks more than I am confortable enough to admit xD
I really prefer to read real old school printed books, the feeling es pretty awesome, more confortable (for me at least) than the electronic version.
But, for now, I spend a lot of time commuting (driving) soooo is the more effective way to pass the time will exercising the mind...
Now I am between the 1000th time of the 7th book of the Harry Potter saga and "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, from Neal deGrasse Tyson" both learning and relaxing at the same time.Keep looking up!3 -
For me with Audiobooks, like Mirekmal, I have a hard time using, preferring reading over listening. Podcasts are different matter as they remind me of listening to a good talk radio show, though one with a really hyper-focused topic as I tend to listen to tech related ones.
I need to look into audiobooks more since I'm close to reaching the end of my favorite podcast and have to wait for new ones as they are produced.Does anyone like True Crime stories/podcasts at all?"There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain2 -
Is that the name of the podcast or a genre? If not any examples of ones to listen to?kltaylor said:For me with Audiobooks, like Mirekmal, I have a hard time using, preferring reading over listening. Podcasts are different matter as they remind me of listening to a good talk radio show, though one with a really hyper-focused topic as I tend to listen to tech related ones.
I need to look into audiobooks more since I'm close to reaching the end of my favorite podcast and have to wait for new ones as they are produced.Does anyone like True Crime stories/podcasts at all?Thats Daphnee, she's a good dog...2 -
Marc said:
Is that the name of the podcast or a genre? If not any examples of ones to listen to?kltaylor said:For me with Audiobooks, like Mirekmal, I have a hard time using, preferring reading over listening. Podcasts are different matter as they remind me of listening to a good talk radio show, though one with a really hyper-focused topic as I tend to listen to tech related ones.
I need to look into audiobooks more since I'm close to reaching the end of my favorite podcast and have to wait for new ones as they are produced.Does anyone like True Crime stories/podcasts at all?The podcast that I love the most is titled Sword and Scale. A few reasons why I like it better than others is that it includes interviews, victim statements, 911 recordings, etc. It's literally investigative journalism at its finest.Another one that I am currently binge-listening to is Real Crime Profile, hosted by an ex-BSU FBI Agent, who also is the director for Criminal Minds and was once the prosecutor for New York. He discusses aspects and the 'science' behind criminal profiling, how it began and its progression through the years."There's a fine line between audacity and idiocy."
-Warden Anastasia Luccio, Captain1
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