What book are you reading?

know1 · January 2014

Currently reading "The Alchemist", "Payment in Blood" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"

PJ_Soul · January 2014

Jarhead by Anthony Swofford. It's very good! Yes, they made that Jake Gyllenhaal movie from it. The book is better (they changed a lot of details in the movie I think to make the author more of a hero, or at least less of a drunk (the author is the main character - the book is an autobiography of Swofford's time in the Marines as a sniper, through the Gulf War). Anyway, enjoying the book. Very interesting perspective and Swofford is a good writer. It's his true story, but he writes it in the style of a novel, really. Very cool.

kw18 · January 2014

kw18 said:
Now I'm wrapping up this:

If you're at all interested in the brain or how strokes can affect someone, you should absolutely pick this up. It's a quick and fascinating read.

Finished this book up a couple days ago. Toward the middle it felt like she was padding it, but then it wrapped up nicely. Great book for anyone who is curious about the brain, or has a loved one who has suffered a stroke.

Now I'm reading this:

This is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I always loved how grounded the show felt despite being set mostly in space. This is a pretty good read so far, explaining the sciencey things in detail the show didn't want to take the time for because it was more concerned with little stuff like characters, storyline and drama. :-P

smarchee · January 2014

PJ_Soul said:
Jarhead by Anthony Swofford. It's very good! Yes, they made that Jake Gyllenhaal movie from it. The book is better (they changed a lot of details in the movie I think to make the author more of a hero, or at least less of a drunk (the author is the main character - the book is an autobiography of Swofford's time in the Marines as a sniper, through the Gulf War). Anyway, enjoying the book. Very interesting perspective and Swofford is a good writer. It's his true story, but he writes it in the style of a novel, really. Very cool.

I've read that, it was a good read

jervin007 · January 2014

Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.

F Me In The Brain · January 2014

jervin007 said:
Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.

I loved TWOK, thought it was wildly imaginative.

23scidoo · January 2014

''The ocean at the end of the lane'' by Neil Gaiman

afroannnie · January 2014

afroannnie said:
Finished up Dreamcatcher (1st book of 2014)...not my favorite Stephen King book, but there were some interesting parts.
Now reading:

Finished up this..honestly it wasn't my fave Vonnegut book...

Just started this:

jervin007 · January 2014

F Me In The Brain said:

jervin007 said:
Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.
I loved TWOK, thought it was wildly imaginative.

Dont' get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. Very creative and great character development, but very slow at times. Really not a lot of action until the last 100 pages, in a 1200 page paperback book. However, now that Kaladin, Dalinar, shallan, and szeth have found their roles in the story I really look forward to the next book. I am curious to see what happens with some of the secondary characters that had a chapter or two in the book.

Now I just have to finish the wheel of time series. Been working on that for twenty years. Now that its finally finished I am trying to read the whole thing. Kept forgetting characters and the intricacies of the plot in the years between book releases.

dankind · January 2014

afroannnie said:

afroannnie said:
Finished up Dreamcatcher (1st book of 2014)...not my favorite Stephen King book, but there were some interesting parts.
Now reading:
Finished up this..honestly it wasn't my fave Vonnegut book...

Not one of my favorites either. But even his stinkers (Slapstick, Deadeye Dick) are better than most books out there, imho.

F Me In The Brain · January 2014

jervin007 said:

F Me In The Brain said:

jervin007 said:
Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.
I loved TWOK, thought it was wildly imaginative.
Dont' get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. Very creative and great character development, but very slow at times. Really not a lot of action until the last 100 pages, in a 1200 page paperback book. However, now that Kaladin, Dalinar, shallan, and szeth have found their roles in the story I really look forward to the next book. I am curious to see what happens with some of the secondary characters that had a chapter or two in the book.

Now I just have to finish the wheel of time series. Been working on that for twenty years. Now that its finally finished I am trying to read the whole thing. Kept forgetting characters and the intricacies of the plot in the years between book releases.

Nice, I read all but the last 3 or 4 of them in a row. Ran out of them to read and haven't gone back to read the others, although they are in my 'to read' pile.

afroannnie · January 2014

dankind said:

afroannnie said:

afroannnie said:
Finished up Dreamcatcher (1st book of 2014)...not my favorite Stephen King book, but there were some interesting parts.
Now reading:
Finished up this..honestly it wasn't my fave Vonnegut book...
Not one of my favorites either. But even his stinkers (Slapstick, Deadeye Dick) are better than most books out there, imho.

I agree. I read Galapagos recently and I thought that book was much better. I think possibly for God Bless you Mr. Rosewater some of the satire didn't translate from '65 until now...

I finished a Stroke of Insight. I agree with my hubby's review. It's definitely an interesting book from many perspectives. It's interesting to understand the thought process that occurs during and after a stroke from a neuroanatomist. She also lends helpful advice in living a happier life. Although, at the end the repetitiveness about the benefits of the right brain seemed like she was padding the book. I do think it could be very helpful for anyone with a loved one that has suffered a stroke.

I plan on starting to read this book next:

Who Princess · January 2014

Based on ya'll's reviews, I think I need to check out Stroke of Insight. My MIL had a TIA in October and I'd like to learn more about strokes.

kw18 · January 2014

kw18 said:

Now I'm reading this:

This is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I always loved how grounded the show felt despite being set mostly in space. This is a pretty good read so far, explaining the sciencey things in detail the show didn't want to take the time for because it was more concerned with little stuff like characters, storyline and drama. :-P

Not a bad read, with great explanations connecting what was shown on the show and real world science.

Now I'm diving back into the Barsoom series ...

kw18 · January 2014

Who Princess said:
Based on ya'll's reviews, I think I need to check out Stroke of Insight. My MIL had a TIA in October and I'd like to learn more about strokes.

It's a good book for general interest, no doubt, but it really is geared toward those with loved ones who have experienced a stroke. I recommend for you.

Newch91 · January 2014

Just read this. How many of you have dealt with these before? #1 is most common for me. 7 also. I'm waiting for 12.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/book-lover_n_4562002.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

19 Quirky Conundrums Only Book Lovers Understand

1. Finding a comfortable reading position is a never-ending quest. Chair or bed? Side or back? In a box? With a fox?

2. On airplanes, you hesitantly flick on the overhead light while everyone else is napping.

3. Paper cuts may look like minor injuries, but the pain can be excruciating.

4. Walking and reading at the same time requires hand-eye coordination only professional athletes have been endowed with.

5. What on earth are you supposed to do with the jacket on a hardcover while you're reading it? Keep it on and risk damaging it? Take it off and store it in a weird nook, never to find it again?

6. Deciding what to read is a choice that presents you with an embarrassment of riches.

7. The typeface and page length of a book can seriously impact your reading experience, sometimes for the worse (sans-serif font is a huge no-no).

8. A book can be composed of the worst drivel you've ever laid eyes on, you're still afflicted with major guilt when you banish it to the "I Will Never Ever Ever Finish This. Like, Ever." shelf.

9. You lament time that you've wasted in the past; all of those hours scouring celebrity Twitters could have been put towards finally reading Moby Dick!

10. Some people count down the minutes until their lunch hour; you count down the minutes until Jeffery Eugenides or Donna Tartt releases their next book (roughly 5 million for Tartt, but who's counting?!)

11. Finishing a book you loved is like saying goodbye to a good friend. You've been through so much together! And while you may see each other again, it won't be quite the same.

12. Forget finding roommates; the most stressful thing about moving is figuring out a way to transport boxes upon boxes of heavy books.

13. You're constantly rethinking your bookshelf strategy. Should you color-coordinate, or take a more practical approach, such as publication date or alphabetization? Or, if you're feeling ambitious, should you tackle the autobiographical bookshelf, à la Rob Gordon from High Fidelity?

14. Your mood is directly impacted by the mood of the book that you're reading; your friends have learned to avoid you during Dostoyevsky months or Bret Easton Ellis weeks.

15. You take found books home like abandoned puppies, chirping, "Can we keep it?!" That'd be well and good if it didn't happen once a day.

16. One does not simply walk by a bookstore. One must poke around, at the very least, and one usually ends up filling one's tote bag with more books than one can carry.

17. "I don't read" is a relationship death knell, akin to "I loathe my mother" or "I enjoy upsetting kittens."

18. You may or may not own two (or three or four) copies of a beloved book. You can't help it, the redesigned covers are irresistible!

19. Laundry day and other important obligations get completely overlooked when you're in the middle of a great, un-put-downable book. "Same shirt Saturday"? Sorry you're not sorry.

SD48277 · January 2014

^^^ I can identify with many on that list. #17 is the relationship deal-breaker.

kw18 · January 2014

Newch91 said:
Just read this. How many of you have dealt with these before? #1 is most common for me. 7 also. I'm waiting for 12.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/book-lover_n_4562002.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

19 Quirky Conundrums Only Book Lovers Understand
....

Absolutely agree with all these!

Who Princess · January 2014

I've gone through #11 a few times recently. Books I've enjoyed so much I hated for them to end. :(

F Me In The Brain · January 2014

Great list, most of them were applicable for me.
#8 is something I wish I could get past.
#12 --- as I moved from CA to NJ I gave away boxes and boxes and boxes of books. Knew I would be living in an APT for 6 months while we looked for a house and it killed me to do it but I managed to find good homes with interested readers for hundreds and hundreds of books. Have to admit that I ended up taking a few hundred to my local library and left for them to book sale them or shelve them. (Hoping most got put on shelves)
Now that I have a house & plenty of room I have already exceeded the bookshelves that we have so some sort of plan needs to be enacted. I cannot 'e-read' --- guess I am like the vinyl folks on Lost Dogs. I am wondering what I will do with all of my 'friends' now.
Big readers -- how do you store your books?

What book are you reading?

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