Well, not exactly right now... Right now you're probably reading this post. Although possibly, what are you reading at the moment? Hmm... that's not right either.

What book are you currently in the process of reading and / or of having just read??

Erm.... Let's just assume you get the point, shall we? Oh yeah, and tell us something about it.
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I am almost finished a book called "The Pirates in an Adventure with Communists" which is kind of silly and funny, about some pirates who meet Marx and travel from England to France, and try to foil a plot to discredit the newly formed Communist groups.

The verdict: Very cute. 7/10

Sounds interesting!

Currently I'm reading "Behind a Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott", which is pretty much what the title suggests: it delves into the much darker books she wrote under a pseudonym.....

P.S. I like your signature

I've been reading two books at once which I don't normally like to do but reading Harry Potter is like going home for me. I started with Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and when I get bored with that I read a few chapters of Order of the Pheonix.

I'm too busy reading political blogs to get much literature in these days. The last book I read was Going Postal by Terry Pratchett. The book I read immediately before that was Beware of Cat by Vincent Wyckoff. Beware of Cat is a bit like All Creatures Great and Small except the professional anecdotes are about a letter carrier in Minneapolis rather than a veterinarian in Scotland.

The odd thing is that I'd gone my whole life (more than 60 years!) without reading a book about a mailman and then I read two in a row. Odd that. Of course the two books couldn't have been less alike.

Carol

The driver's manual-I have to retake the test! (I let my licence expire due to social security card problems)

I'm partway through Stephen Fry's "The Ode Less Travelled: Unlocking The Poet Within". As the title suggests, it aims to teach the reader how to write poetry for fun. I'm really enjoying it: I already feel more comfortable with poetry than I did, and he's a very gentle teacher.

It reminds me of a question I had in my mind about one of Garak's speeches in The Wire: Andy's delivery made me wonder if Robert Wolfe had written the speech in blank verse. (I got the opportunity to ask Mr. Wolfe about that, and he replied with a little poem! He said he hadn't thought of it, but if he had, he probably would have.)

thanks.

Pulled it off a south park episode.

"The City of Ember" by Jeanne DuPrau

Currently reading John Barrowman's book Anything Goes, and some slightly random book on the case for impeaching Bush. Can't remember the exact title.

I just finished reading Stephanie Meyer's Twilight and I'm off to the book store tomorrow to get New Moon and Eclipse. I also want to read her newest book, The Host.

What did you think of Twilight? Someone else I know was just reading that....

Well, let's put it this way: I came home from the book store with it at around 3:30 p.m. By 4 a.m. the next morning, I was finished. I could not put the thing down! It was funny, scary, romantic, all the things I love in a book. I totally loved all the characters. I know it was written primarily for teens, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Harry Potter was written for kids too, but I've read and re-read them about 5 times. I guess I'm still that much of a kid. Or maybe just want a do-over of my teen years. LOL! I recommend it for reading, Annie.

Ooh, sounds intriguing--thanks! I love finding new books to read.....

Just finished a couple in the last few weeks -- mostly mysteries. "Nefertiti" by Drake, an Amarna period Egyptian mystery. "Sister Pelagia and the White Bulldog" by Akunin, that I picked up when a local bookstore was having a "buy 3, get the 4th free" (seemed a perfect way to try some new authors, how could I resist?). Reread Roosevelt's "Murder in the Chateau".

Also skimmed through a Julia Quinn romance that our daughter left here one day. Nice light quick reading.

Nothing heavy, but I do have a pair of books on samurai and geisha next in line, although I'm not likely to have a lot of time for reading in the next few weeks.

Ooh that sounds cool. (Any good?) I love reading about the Amarna period -- so fascinating!! And there's some great theories about Akhenaten and Nefertiti floating around.

I thought it started out just a bit slow, but rich in detail -- and then suddenly I couldn't put it down. Very sneaky politically. The investigator is more caught up in events and a couple steps behind what's going on, for reasons that actually make sense, considering the high-powered machinations going on, than some I've read.



I love reading about the period too, fact and fiction.

Have you read any of Robinson's Lord Meren mysteries? I couldn't put those down either, and I would love to see more of them.

- Sharon


Oh, and I'm now hooked on Julia Quinn. Kid gave me another one, and now I have to see what happens with the rest of the Bridgerton family.

- Sharon

Haven't actually, no. Most of the stuff I've ever read or seen about ancient Egypt has been non-fiction and documentaries etc. But shall keep both eyes open to see.

Apart from a Terry Pratchett book from time to time I'm (trying) reading the "His Dark Materials" series at the moment. It was a gift by one of my cousins. But I really can't get into it. I don't like any of the characters. And especially that girl....I could get a baseball bat and..... I don't know. I have read 200 pages (in 5 months!) or so but it's a slow read. And it's so "stiff". Or maybe that's the translation?
Does it get better? I really hate abandoning a book but this....

Oh but if you want to read something interesting: "Historical metaphors and mythical realities", by Marshall Sahlins. It's about the death of Captain Cook, what led to it, but from the perspective of the native people (or at least the author thinks so). I had to read it for uni. Enjoyed it a lot although it's sometimes very theorhetically.

Ulli

Rereading 'Wicked' by Gregory Maguire, as well as starting 'Warrior-King: The Case for Impeaching George W. Bush' which looks to be interesting even if it is 5 years old....

Are you reading "The Golden Compass"? I did not like it that much myself and I did read it in English. It does drag, but the last quarter in Bolvangar is pretty good. I loved "The Subtle Knife" the second book of the triology. More things are being explained and it's more fast paced than the other books. "The Amber Spyglas" is a bit weird and it started to drag again towards the middle of the book. I kept reading, as I did like the second book, thought it would get better again and wanted to know the plot of the whole series. Gah. I don't understand the hype around "His Dark Materials", the story elements of physics, theology and philosophy are interesting, but the story itself.. wasn't a great page-turner.

Okay, I have to admit, I've finally gotten around to reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and I'm really enjoying it.

I've also read some of the Irene Adler tales, and Millet's Holmes in Minnesota books (along with Rafferty).

Bring on Sherlock Holmes, complete with friends and adversaries!

- Sharon

Anybody read "By Schism Rent Asunder" yet???

Intricate, intriguing. I zipped through it in a weekend and loved it.

Hubby and I have been contemplating what we figure has to happen in the next book....

- Sharon

Right now, I'm reading the Forum. LOL Sorry, couldn't resist! My current book is " The Anatomy of Motive" by John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. It's a nonfiction book about the criminal mind. It's also far scarier than any Stephen King novel I've ever read! He he, should check for spelling errors before hitting send!

Destiny part two.

I'm currently reading Star Trek: Destiny Book Two: Mere Mortals.

I'm really enjoying this trilogy so far, even though I'm only a bit into the second book so far. I love that it is incorporating characters from TNG, DS9, and Voyager, as well as bringing in new characters. It's also really well written, which sadly isn't always the case for Star Trek books, I've discovered!

I'm currently rereading some of my favorite parts of Bujold's Vorkosigan series. I love her characters and that universe, and she writes so amazingly! A real master of every genre.

- Sharon

I'm currently reading, "The Selected Poems of Oscar Wilde". The Sphinx is my favorite of his.

Today it's the poetry of Pablo Neruda. "Stones of the Sky" and "The Sea and the Bells" are two of my favorite collections for contemplation. I also love some of "The Captain's Verses."

- Sharon

OMG someone else who likes Oscar Wilde's writing.

But my current book is a bit more profane.
Diana Gabaldon: An Echo in the Bone.

I just finished "The Painted Man" also published as "The Warded Man" by Peter V. Brett.
Its just a fantasy story but it made me go to bed early to have some time of reading. I like to discover the other world the author discribes, diverse cultures, hints of a very different past, lots of daemons rising at nighttime - but where do they come from?
I don't like waiting until spring for the second volume.

You read Diana Gabaldon? I've only met two people who do! Wow! Small world indeed! I've loved Oscar Wilde since high school. We read the Canterville Ghost in 10th grade and I was hooked! I am also quite an admirer of Lord Byron, Percy Shelley and Thomas Moore.

So here I will find people who share my passion for well told stories. And this way I will be inspired to find other authors.
I am using an easy-reader version of The Canterville Ghost for my teaching. It is something that catches the attention of most non-readers or pupils who have no clue as to why they are expected to learn English. This way they realize that they can have fun.

I admit that reading a book by Diana Gabaldon replaces some time at the gym. I don't think I have read any other books that have as many pages. But it never gets boring. I am quite a fan of Claire and Jamie.

It's amazing that I came onto this forum to chat about Sid with people who won't roll their eyes and groan,yet I've discovered people who share my interests in other things as well.

Claire and Jamie can be quite addictive, can't they? I love thick novels, if they are well written. I read all of Robert Ludlum's novels before he passed away.

I have a new book to read! A friend in England sent me a book from my Amazon wishlist for Christmas! Yes, I've already opened it. Starting tonight, I'll be reading-- World War Z: An Oral History Of The Zombie War by Max Brooks! I've already read the Zombie Survival Guide. She knows me so well! Drat, we don't have a zombie smiley.

I'm currently wondering what to read next...

I read a lot more these days since I'm now commuting to work each day by bus and light rail. I received a few books for Christmas which was very nice, but I fell asleep on the train when reading one my sister gave me. I have a hunch that one will remain unfinished. It was a self-improvement book too which means I shall remain unimproved.

My son gave me two Terry Pratchett novels: Night Watch and Thud. I didn't tell him I'd already read both of them having checked them out in hard cover from the library. It's never a hardship to reread a Pratchett novel and I'm happy to have my own copies on my bookshelf.

Carol

Michael Pollan
Omnivour's Dilemma

Is Night Watch one of those about the Watch at Ankh Morpork?

Yes. It includes time travel which isn't a typical feature of the Disk World novels.

Carol

Ah. Luv-em.

I just started "The Android's Dream" by John Scalzer, which kind of reminds me a bit of Douglas Adams' Dirk Gentley novels. Fun.

At my daughter's suggestion, I just read "The Hunger Games" and its sequel, "Catching Fire," by Suzanne Collins. Classified as YA, but great for adults. I thought they were fantastic. A SF distopia with plenty of action but also really well-developed characters and a very detailed and believable world. Also, lots of angst. I couldn't put either of them down for a moment. Luckily, I was sick with a cold and it was the weekend. I got to spend two-and-a-half days in bed, and when I got over sleeping non-stop, I was able to read and read to my heart's content. The tough part, now, is waiting for the third and last installment, due out in August.

Just finished the last book in the series, "Mockingjay." Wow. Very intense. I couldn't get anything useful done for the time it took me to finish it, all of a day and a half. It's dark and quite violent, but the violence definitely serves the story. I'd have to put this series among my current favorites. Has anyone else read this/these?

Since I'm off school for the semester, I'm doing a little light reading and catching up on the Debbie Macomber books mom's been collecting around the house. I just finished The Manning Brides and just bought 1022 Evergreen Place (but left it on the counter so I have to get it tomorrow when I go to work).

The last heavy thing I really enjoyed was In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar.

I realized I didn't really say anything about the plot of Hunger Games, so in case anyone is wondering if they'd be interested in it, here's a synopsis.

In a future America, there is one central Capital city, where the residents live in luxury, enjoying wonderful food and quirky fashions. The Capital is supported by twelve Districts which provide all the goods. Each District specializes in a certain kind of goods -- forestry/wood, or coal, or electronics, etc. The people in the Districts are under the Capital's rule and live in poverty, like serfs.

Seventy-five years ago, the Districts, or one of them, attempted a revolution, which failed. As punishment and as a reminder of the power of the Capital, once a year each District must choose two children who are sent to the Capital to participate in the Hunger Games -- a survival battle to the death, where the 24 children face each other in a carefully designed environment from which only one can survive. These Games are televised and aired by the one television channel, and the children are prepared by stylists who provide costumes, make-up and coaching for interviews, etc.

It sounds like a thousand things you've read or seen before, but the author does a fantastic job, and the result is a riveting and unflinching look at many issues relevant to our world today. The story is told from the first-person POV of a girl from District 12.

The characters are fresh, the plot keeps you turning the pages, there's lots of action, plus a very large helping of emotional issues and primo angst. *Great* angst.

The movie is already in the works, but I know that will reduce it to a teen action flick, which the books are so much more than. (sentence structure fail)

Just finished "Juliet, naked" by Nick Hornby. Good as any book by him.

Working on Perelandra by C.S. Lewis. It's the second of his space trilogy. Interesting stuff. Sometimes I feel like it's way over my head.

One of the gals I work with has been very highly recommending this to me. I may have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation too.

- Sharon


I've just discovered Fiona Buckley's Ursula Blanchard mysteries. I enjoyed the first one I read ("To Ruin a Queen") and now I've picked up "Queen of Ambition" and hoping I like it.

I was disappointed in a recent author I read -- the first book was a good read, but by the third book, when the villain of each piece had tried to do in the heroine in the same way, and essentially for the same reason, it felt like she was reusing the same plot without bothering to disguise it very much....

- Sharon

I just got the DS9 book [u]Zero Sum Game[u] (with the bearded JULIAN on the cover)

Ditto.

I think I'm about halfway through -- quite enjoyable so far although I'm not reading very fast.

I've got that, too. But I still need to read some books which cover the events before Zero Sum Game before I start reading.