What are you reading now?

[gooner]

Anyone read this?

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0802223362/ref=cm_cr_dp_2_1/102-3648414-1564959?v=glance&s=books&n=507846&vi=customer-reviews

Its reviews a certainly entertaining.

[Sigur]

Finished World According to Garp and now finishing off "Neither Here Nor There" by Bill Bryson. Then onto "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" by Mark Haddon.

Although someone got me "Da Vinci Code" (Dan Brown), and she said it was really good. So dunno which I'll start next. Her last recommendation was good....

Next will probably be "Owen Meany" by Irving.

[Sigur]

I've just finished that, what did you make of it?

Personally I quite enjoyed it, the start and end were fantastic. Little bit nasty in the middle where he's describing the best ways to kill and then eat a fish raw though

Not sure what to make of the end though. I'm left believing neither tale, the main one purely for the .
.

I missed this post. Yeah, great book. The ending caught me off guard, and I am think the second story where you replace the animals with his family members much more. I can hardly remember the book now, and I only finished before Easter.....or was it after.....:S

[Olympichero]

I just read another Grisham book and this week have been reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand

I couldnt get into Life of Pi at all, the start (first 50 or so pages I think) was so slow and dull I couldnt be bothered to read the rest.

[Sigur]

It starts of slowly, as most books do in my opinion, but its really good once you're into it.

Have read Catcher in the Rye?

[Ish]

I've been reading loads recently. Books I've recently include:

Errr... a whole load of Philip K. Dick novels and short stories. Lots of them. Once I started I couldn't stop.
Atonement
Rubicon
The Pragmatic Programmer
The Lovely Bones
Stasiland
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Survival of the Fittest

[nickgodfrey]

I've read a couple of e-books recently:

Paying it Forward
The Tale of the Golden Eagle

Both really excellent short stories who I would recommend to anyone with a passing interest in Science Fiction.

Both can be got through www.fictionwise.com for free

[Nijo]

I also went through a Philip K. Dick phase - they were in the airport bookshop and make really good travel books. The Man in the High Castle <-- read that.

Right now I'm reading The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, which is really good although some of the Italian history is a bit beyond me. Like reading Dante's Inferno without the accompanying notes

Oh, and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is an excellent read... just don't take it as seriously as the amazon reviewers. Jeez it's just a book.

[dug]

I've read a few books recently,

Vernon God Little - D B C Pierre - Very good

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time - Mark Haddon - also very good

The Song Of Susannah - Stephen King - gripping but I can't shake the feeling that the last book will be a complete let-down like every single other Stephen King story ever

One Conciousness; An Analysis Of Bill Hick's Comedy - I can't remember the author - Not a bad book, full of fascinating bits of information but the author missed the point of some of Bill's comments and jokes

Currently reading: Kingdom of Fear - Hunter S Thompson
Archaeological Anomolies: Small Artifacts - William R Corliss

[dataDave]

I'm reading 'Spliffs' that I picked up for a fiver.

Bloody interesting actually, it shows pictures of hashish production and stuff and also has a chapter dedicated to rolling big phlat Js with diagrams and instructions. This would be ideal for Snowman who is constantly asking me how to roll everytime I see him on mIRC.

It also shows tons of various types of Amsterdam weed with mini reviews. It's making my mouth water and winding me up at the same time. I must live there.

I need a smoke baaaaaad.

[Grey Area]

The Song Of Susannah - Stephen King - gripping but I can't shake the feeling that the last book will be a complete let-down like every single other Stephen King story ever

yeah just finished this. cant help feeling he has a hell of a lot to do in the last book. still, cant wait. been following it for about 12 years now. anyone know when the last one is released?

[bowser123]

Have read Catcher in the Rye?

Not asking my directly I know, but Rye is one of the most frustrating books I've ever read. Because it's wrote from the eyes of Holden (the teenage boy) all the characteristics of your average teenager are shown and it gets quite annoying. All the guy does is say "Sunofabitchhh" and generally mope around, he is so moany it's unbelievable. It's quite a nice book but I found it impossible to empathise, never mind warm, to Holden. Annoying little git.
The other thing that disappointed me was that it was relatively sterile in terms of it's shock value. I initially read it because it was supposed to be some book that really effects people and was apparently on a banned books list. I know it was the book that Mark Chapman was reading when he killed Lennon and the Russian spy stories around the book, but I couldn't see why it was controversial.

As for what I've read recently, same as you guys mostly. Curious Dog was ace and not long ago I read Pullmans Dark Materials (excellent).
Girl Interrupted was interesting, especially as it was a true story. The film deviates in some major parts to the book, but both are interesting. It's similar to One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest, but this time on a all female ward of teenagers.

Currently reading the excellent Enders Game after it was recommended by my boss. It's at heart a Sci-Fi Alien Invasion story but 3/4 of the 1st book (it's a 4 book saga) is purely down to the main characters training, Ender.

Two that I've ordered that look good are I, Lucifer and Ghostwritten . I, Lucifer is a take on God and The Devil. God sends The Devil back to Earth for a second chance as an author. This author then proceeds to rewrite the bible as the Devil being misunderstood and a friend to humanity, God as the real bad guy.
Ghostwritten sounds a little like Magnolia or Donnie Darko in it's story telling style. All the actions of the characters have a knock on cause and effect and you find out how the actions of one person effect a total stranger. Apparently each chapter is dedicated to a seperate character.

[bowser123]

One other thing does anybody know of anything similar in style to Orwells 1984? I've read A bRave New World by Huxley and enjoyed it, can't see anything similar though. Any recommendations?
Or maybe what else of Orwells to read? I've done 1984 and Animal Farm.

[nips]

I've just got my hands on a copy of: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garc?a M?rquez. Supposed to be good.

I think I may read Of Mice and Men after that. You can read it in a day, but every time is great

Have any of you read anything by Hubert Selby Junior? I really enjoyed Requiem For A Dream, and I know someone who has enjoyed another of his books, I think I may have to invest.

[Sigur]

Not asking my directly I know, but Rye is one of the most frustrating books I've ever read. Because it's wrote from the eyes of Holden (the teenage boy) all the characteristics of your average teenager are shown and it gets quite annoying. All the guy does is say "Sunofabitchhh" and generally mope around, he is so moany it's unbelievable. It's quite a nice book but I found it impossible to empathise, never mind warm, to Holden. Annoying little git.

I first read it when I was around 16 I think, and that's probably the reason I loved it. I sort of empathised with Holden, and everytime he said goddamit it cracked me up.