What are you all reading?

[Puffy]

Surrealist Collage in Text and Image - Elza Adamowicz
A Field Guide to Getting Lost - Rebecca Solnit
On Photography - Susan Sontag
The Practice of Everyday Life - Michel de Certeau

In terms of fiction recently finished J.G. Ballard's The Atrocity Exhibition, which alongside Crash (adapted to film by Cronenberg) must stand out as his masterpiece and my favourite piece of science fiction I've read. Seemed strongly influenced by Burroughs, probably why I liked it...

 

[snafupants]

I'm reading this thread.

You have to start somewhere I suppose.

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

Fortress in the Eye of Time - CJ Cherryh.

I'm making myself go through stuff that has been sitting on my shelf for (in some cases) years. This one has been there for 2 or 3. I'm not a huge fantasy fan but I like it so far.

 

[LarsMac]

I just found the boxes I packed all my old MAD magazines from the fifties and sixties.
I am reading them all.

 

[Cavallier]

Like IB I am making myself read the things I have before getting new things.

Currently I am reading Wordy Shipmates by Sarah Vowell. It's interesting in that it's a tongue in cheek look at the history of Winthrop, Rogers Williams, John Cotton, Anne Hutchinson, etc., etc. For those of you who have no idea who those people are suffice to say it's about a group of Puritans who shipped off to the New World and were coincidentally non-seperatists. However, it's a little to layman for me. Its fun but only really scattered with any history. Its filled with ruminations on the ironically built replica Mayflower turned kid's water park, the somehow appropriately built Casino on the site of one of history's attrocities, and the Brady Bunch who taught modern America it's colonial history. Sad really but also hilarious.

 

[Puffy]

* Juggling a lot of things at the moment, in particular Daniel Schreber's Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, a long first-person take on the authors experiences of dementia that was an influence on early psychology, including Freud and Jung. They were obviously psycho-analysing it, but he's describing a reality where all humanity has disappeared but for miracleised after-images of them, or 'fleetingly-improvised-men.' There's just him and a God that looks on corpses and communicates via miracle. Pretty compelling experiences, I've held back analysing him, just to soak in what he had to share.

* Also reading and re-reading Alexis Wright's Carpentaria. I think this has to be one of my favourite novels of the 21st century. It's a kind of oral epic. She's taken western traditions and adapted it to Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime storytelling. It's a history of a smalltown on the coast, and its relationship with the aboriginal peoples that surround it. Essentially hybridises both means of perception and relating to place, as a means of telling of the difficulties indigenous peoples have faced, and as a kind of warning of the damage caused to land by more extreme capitalist measures.

It won a pretty prestigious Australian literary prize at the time, so I'd be interested to know whether any of our friends from that region have heard of it. Wouldn't be surprised if it got taught in schools eventually...

 

[Agent Intellect]

"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson.

Awesome book.

 

[BluePantsMcgee]

The lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. One of the greater fantasy novels I read.

 

[Hayyel]

Inferno by Dan Brown

 

[TheScornedReflex]

Just started Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.

 

[Inappropriate Behavior]

The Nightingale's Song by Robert Timberg

Biogrophies John Poindexter, Ollie North, Bud McFarlane and Jim Webb leading up to the Iran-Contra scandal. It's been a pretty good look into the inner workings of various agencies.

But what I like most about it is what's on the cover:

On top

Advanced Uncorrected Reader's Proof From Simon and Shuster

and below

Do not quote for publication until verified with finished book. This copy is not for distribution to the public

I'm so tempted to quote it right now.

 

[kvothe27]

The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler by Robert Payne

 

[kvothe27]

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

 

[Nezaros]

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

 

[Wolf18]

Tales from the Spaceport Bar (anthology)

SW

 

[C.Hecker88]

I am currently reading The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for the thousandth time when I'm supposed to be doing some required reading for a history class next year :P

 

[Leven]

Under the Dome by Stephen King and Beyond the Shadows by Brent Weeks

 

[AnnaC]

Love and War by John Jakes; the second in the North and South trilogy.

 

[Happy]

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

One of my all time favourites.

At the moment I've been switching between The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson and Quiet: The Power of Introverts by Susan Cain.

Both are very good and its always a dilemma which one to read in the very little amount of free time I have.

I started reading Orphan Masters Son because I've been quite interested in North Korea ever since I visited the DMZ. It's a captivating story.

I started reading Quiet in order to understand the role of the introvert in today's society, which has been helping me find my place and been a rewarding read thus far. I got into it by watching Susan Cain's TED talk. Very interesting.

 

[r4ch3l]

Keep It Real Tel Aviv 2.0 by Ariel Weisbrod.
Already Dead by Denis Johnson.
Waiting on a Philip K. Dick bio I ordered last week.

 

[Smiley]

Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity by David Foster Wallace

 

[Double_V]

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.

+1

 

[Double_V]

"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson.

Awesome book.

Very good, and it's about time for a reread for me on that one.

 

[nightstreaking]

Everything and More: A Compact History of Infinity by David Foster Wallace

I'm reading Infinite Jest.

 

[Smiley]

I'm reading Infinite Jest.

Infinite Jest is definitely on my future reading list. So far, I've only read a handful of his essays and then this book I'm reading now.

 

[Nezaros]

"Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson.

Awesome book.

I need to reread that some time. Now I've been going through Industrial Society and Its Future, after which I plan to read Justine by Marquis de Sade.

 

[kvothe27]

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan


I'm such a sucker for fantasy and science fiction.


I also enjoyed Snow Crash. Do any of you know of and would you recommend any books like it?

 

[zxc]

The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan
The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan


I'm such a sucker for fantasy and science fiction.


I also enjoyed Snow Crash. Do any of you know of and would you recommend any books like it?

I am also reading WoT. I am a quarter through The Shadow Rising, book four.

 

[ShameFace]

DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Dr. Rick Strassman

 

[kvothe27]

I am also reading WoT. I am a quarter through The Shadow Rising, book four.

What do you think so far? Which of the four books is your favorite?

 

[pixieness]

I'm reading Flowers for Algernon.
It makes you question humankind's pursuit for intelligence.
I do recommend it.

 

[r4ch3l]

Daemon by Daniel Suarez.

Written by software developer; think many INTPs would appreciate it.
"Daemon and Freedom™ comprise a two-part novel about a distributed, persistent computer application, known as The Daemon, that begins to change the real world after the original programmer's death."

 

[Nezaros]

Currently on American Psycho. It's... interesting.

I also enjoyed Snow Crash. Do any of you know of and would you recommend any books like it?

I only got through a few chapters of Neuromancer by William Gibson before I realized I'm now disinterested in sci-fi novels, but I think it's what you're looking for.

 

[kvothe27]

The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

 

[jcr256]

Just finishing reading mine classic Cozy Chilling Bedtime Stories by P. Gibey. Love the reading all the time, have read it for 2times now yet still CATCHING MY HEART!!!

 

[Puffy]

Prometheus Rising - Robert Anton Wilson

I'd only read his book 'Coincidance' before, but I've started this today and it's pretty awesome so far... Largely on mind hacking.

Psychology and the Occult - Jung

 

[BigApplePi]

Prime Obsession*. I sit down with this book when I'm tired and read a few pages. I feel greatly relaxed ... puts me at peace with a neglected topic. This is great! But it's math. Now I'm not sure I will have to remember what it is saying to go on. So far so good. Good writer but will I be able to handle it?

*Bernard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved Problem in Mathematics

 

[kvothe27]

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

 

[Shut the Fe Up!]

I am currently three books (damn my short attention span!!):
The second Game of Thrones book - I know, I'm a little late on the scene
Eleanor of Aquitaine by Alison Weir - she was the wife of Henry II of England and ruled France
Pamela by Samuel Richardson - one of the first novels ever written

I have diverse interests and can't neglect one - have to do them all together, ha ha!

 

[kvothe27]

Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb


I'm really enjoying this book so far, especially the characterization.

 

[r4ch3l]

Re-reading Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts.
One of my favorite quotes:

“‘There is no believing in God,’ he declared, smiling again. ‘We either know God, or we do not.’

‘Well,” I laughed, ‘I certainly don’t know God, and frankly I’m inclined to think that God is impossible to believe in, at least most of the notions of God that I’ve come across.’

‘Oh, of course, naturally, God is impossible. That is the first proof that He exists.’

He was staring at me intently, his hand still resting warm on my arm. Be careful, I thought. You’re getting into a philosophical discussion with a man who’s famous for them. He’s testing you. It’s a test, and the water’s deep.

‘Let me get this straight — you’re saying that because something is impossible, it exists?’ I asked, pushing a canoe of thought out into the uncharted water of his ideas.

‘That is correct.’

‘Well, wouldn’t that mean that all the possible things don’t exist?’

‘Precisely!’ he said, smiling more widely. ‘I am delighted that you understand.’”


— Shantaram (Gregory David Roberts)

 

[kvothe27]

Daemon by Daniel Suarez

 

[Hadoblado]

The Master's Game by Robert S. de Ropp.

So far I'm sort of impressed by the clarity of the writing style, and the author's ability to present positions other than his own without straw-manning. It's a book I wish I'd read 10-15 years ago, as it could have saved me much time and effort, however it's not doing too much for me now.

 

[Ink]

I'm trying to finish the series about Genghis Khan by Conn Iggulden, I've found historical fiction to be great for some reason. Also, from what I've learned about the author he seems like an ESFJ, yet it doesn't make it less enjoyable or interesting in any way, the opposite really ...

 

[kvothe27]

Freedom by Daniel Suarez

 

[Echolalia]

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

The roommate passed that on to me the other day, a exchange of sorts for Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse. How's it?

Currently: Labyrinths by Jorge Borges--mental crack. Highly recommended to anyone wishing to have a perspective change from every story. May drive one to madness.

 

[kvothe27]

The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson

 

[Jennywocky]

"The California Voodoo Game" by Larry Niven and Stephen Barnes

 

[r4ch3l]

Swtiching back and forth between:

The Book of Disquiet (Fernando Pessoa) [<<<--particularly amazing so far; highly recommend]

Report to Greco (Nikos Kazantakis)

Viotlent Python: A Cookbook for Hackers, Forensic Analysts, Penetration Testers and Security Engineers (TJ O'Connor)

Currently: Labyrinths by Jorge Borges--mental crack. Highly recommended to anyone wishing to have a perspective change from every story. May drive one to madness.

One of my favorites.

I keep meaning to re-read and then follow up with The Unimaginable Mathematics of Borges' Library of Babel: William Goldbloom Bloch: 9780195334579: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qRJ0j9BZL.@@AMEPARAM@@51qRJ0j9BZL. My logic professor said it was both brilliant and entertaining.

 

[Pfness]

'On China' By Henry Kissinger.