Some good reads this year so far (I'm on my 14th book of the year):

Black Like You by Strausbaugh
Points in Time by Bowles
Husserl: A Guide for the Perplexed
Cartoon History of the Universe III by Gonick

Want to read:

The Great Warming by Fagan
The Black Swan by Taleb

Sadly I think the only book I've read so far this year is Exiles: The Ruins of Ambrai by Melanie Rawn. It's basically about magical communists. It also has some male/female role reversal going on. I'll be reading the sequel in a few weeks when I'm done with school.

I've been planning on rereading the Chronicles of Narnia, but I had the same plans when the last movie came out so we'll see what happens.

I've been checking George R. R. Martin's website at least weekly he needs to finish A Dance With Dragons already.

i have actually just finished reading catcher in the rye and yeah, i have the same reaction. im not at all smitten by the book. I've seen and read many people's reaction, and I just dont understand all the hype. Though it wasn't a waste of time, as it was an ok read for me. but i didn't quite feel for the character and the story.

same goes with 1984, though perhaps because my motivation for reading the book is because Daria mentioned liking george orwell. Didn't finish 1984 though.

Some people say its because of the caulfield's teen angst that made it so popular and so relatable to many generations. maybe we're just not that angst-y?

I find The Graduate to be something I can relate to WAY more than Caulfield. He didn't seem to have teen angst, he just seemed to be an idiot who was trying to impress everyone around him. The main character in The Graduate, though- he is just so apathetic to everything. Everyone seems false (I guess you could say Caulfield felt the same way, calling everyone "phoneys"), and he was just sick of education and the education system.

I recently finished Something Happened! by the guy who wrote Catch 22. It was incredibly arduous, boring and snooze-inducing, but I guess worth it.

I'm now re-reading (for the millionth time) The Day Of The Triffids, and have also recently gone through The Time Traveler's Wife (again).

Selina, you REALLY need to finish 1984 to appreciate why everyone goes on about it- trust me!

Hey, I actually know what Catcher in the Rye is now! *hums* Rosenbergs, H-Bomb, Sugar Ray, Panmunjom
Brando, "The King and I", and "The Catcher in the Rye"...

Reading.. right.. uhh.../spam.

I'm making myself read more. Well, not making myself; I like reading. I'm just forcing myself to choose reading over, say, Xbox or Television.

I just finished Michael Marshall Smith's Only Forward, a most excellent surreal science-fiction.

Before that, I read The Catcher In The Rye, which I - apparently like most people here - didn't find as awesome and relevant as I'd been led to believe I would.

At the moment the internet is sending me Last Call by Tim Powers, King Rat by China Miéville and Apathy and Other Small Victories by Paul Neilan. The first because it is listed as inspiration for the role-playing game Unknown Armies, the second because I enjoyed his Perdido Street Station and the last because I needed something to bring my order over £15 for free delivery, and after a lot of leaping from list of favourite books to list of favourite books, I decided this one had the best title.

Except, I've just been looking through Amazon lists again and I've discovered Haruki Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, which the list maker describes as "This is what you get if you mix 'The Matrix' with some unicorns." Guys, I think I need to read this book.

Two-Minute Mysteries Collection by Donald J. Sobol, because I haven't really read a book since maybe the first three months of this school year... Not the type of book I would usually go for, but I'm terrible at finishing books, these mysteries are a page long, it was on my book shelf, and it fits in my back pack.

haha, Daria, i'll take your word for it.

with regards to the graduate. i've been meaning to watch the movie version of the book, but now that you've mentioned it. Is the movie any better than the book, or is the book much more worthy?

i've also been planning to read time traveler's wife for a quite a while.

Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant. In English. Not the class, the language,

Ooo. Finished A tale of two cities (I still hate Dickens....) and Lord of the Flies (which I actually thought was pretty good) for English class.

On my own time, though, I've finished reading Sofie's World. Made my head hurt a bit at parts but nonetheless was a worthy read.

I thought The Catcher in the Rye was pretty interesting. Salinger is good at writing a voice and making a character. It seemed kind of random at some points, and annoying, but I think overall I liked it. I sympathized with Holden a lot of the time, and I think I liked him because he had some compassion and empathy. If he didn't I don't think I would've liked him as much. But, I did see something in him I liked, even if he overdid it. It seems, for some reason, like a really different type of book. Like one that wouldn't necessarily be considered classic, for some reason. But it was good.

I read all of it except for the opening paragraph today - not because it was THAT good, but because I was sick and didn't feel like doing much else. It's been a while since I've done that. The book I finished just before that I read pretty fast too - Our Man in Havana, by Graham Greene. I loved it.

Oh, and I forgot to say. Does anyone see any similarity in Holden and the narrator in Notes from Underground by Dostoevsky? Something about them both being such desperate, depressed outcasts, relating their tales... At least Catcher had a happier ending! But Holden was really reminding me of that guy.

p.s.: sorry if I picked up salinger's style in the first paragraph, it was just in my head...

actually catcher for me is a good book and there were a good amount of points i really liked in the book, like the part when he was talking about authors, how he described his roommate and all. and in the latter part with phoebe. i just didn't find the book as exceptional as others would find it but it was good read overall. not a book i'll go crazy about. and yes, i think the character holden was very much well written.and the way the book was written was refreshing for me.

You should try The Hessian - It's a book I read for my American History class, it's only about 150 pages and it's very good (a bit sad though).

If you enjoy things similar to gonzo journalism you should try reading Nickeled and Dimed -- it's all about this woman and her experience living off of minimum (or less) wages and how it affects everything else. It sounds a bit dry but it's really very interesting.

I'd also try reading Candide - that was one of my favorite books.

Miyamoto Musashi's book of five rings occasionally - it was brought up in iRC.
Very good books about the way of the sword and the way of the samurai, but all of it applies to normal, every-day life if you think about it the right way.

I am re-reading The Day Of The Triffids and the 3rd Douglas Adams book in the series of five. Mmm... English Sci-Fi.

Choice. A couple of my favourites there.

I'm re-reading Danny Wallace's 'Yes Man' at the mo, and I'm charging right through it. It's a real heart-warmer, and actually makes me laugh out loud - proper big gut-laughs too.

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak.
My Philosophy and Ethics teacher was reading it when we went to Krakow and recommended it.

I've just finished Jack the Ripper's Black Magic Rituals by Ivor Edwards

It takes the reader on a step by step journey towards a water tight motive for the murders and also reaveals the Rippers identity.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is fasinated by the Jack the Ripper murders

HELP!

I need book recommendations out the wazoo; I just got a job where I sit behind a card table for four to eight hours a day. I brought Faulkner today but it just made my brain hurt.

I suggest going through all five books in the Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. I've done so recently and they are just as brilliant as when I first read them- So Long And Thanks For All The Fish especially. Or! You could teach yourself a new language. I bought Teach Yourself Lithuanian yesterday

I like the word Lithuanian.

Liiiithuuuanian.

mmmm.

I was very silly. I know I'm a biblioholic and I went and took myself to a book sale. On the positive side - 4 dollars got me 4 totes full of books (around 50 ot 60) and on the negative side I don't seem to do much with my evenings anymore.
Currently reading The Edge of Space by C. J. Cherryh. I like her books but trying to think as her aliens do tends to leave me a bit of a headache. Fair enough.

I'm reading Shamanka. I've read it once before, but it is a wonderfully intriguing read.

I'm reading 'Seven Types of Ambiguity' by Elliot Perlman, it's really hard to describe it. The first part of the book (it's in 7 parts) is written as if the psychiatrist of this guy is talking to 'you', as the guys ex-girlfriend (from 9 years ago), and the guy is currently going out with the prostitute 'your' husband frequents... to give you an idea of how hard to describe it is!

The Amulet of Samarkand (woah, was expecting that to come up on spell check) by Jonathan Stroud. It's pretty good so far, so this might actually be a book I finish reading.

I'm sort of reading King Rat by China Miéville. I say sort of, 'cause I haven't really gotten into it yet.

I've just ordered Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World along with the new fourth edition Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide.

The last thing I read was Apathy and other Small Victories which I really did not get on with at all. I didn't like the writing style and I couldn't empathise with any of the characters. Finishing it was a chore and maybe that's why I haven't been inspired to get on with King Rat.

I am quickly flipping back and forth between "hmm... can I really afford to get new D&D books?" and "Fourth Edition. Squeee." Notice the lack of exclamation marks. That squeee is deadpan but no less meaningful for it.

I'm on three things:

Woken Furies by Richard Morgan (again) - post-cyberpunky thriller with a more thoughtful tone than the previous novels in the series.

My own novel - which is naturally completely wonderful I'm editing, which involves reading it very slowly and then fiddling when anything doesn't sound right. Many years of writing formally take a little while to deprogram.

The Dresden Files: Fool Moon by Jim Butcher - in audiobook form so I can listen to it at work. It's being read by James Masters (AKA Spike, the vampire from Buffy) and he is a brilliant reader. I'm really enjoying it. It's written in the style of a noir detective story, except magic takes the place of detection. It's all a bit daft, but takes itself seriously enough for it to be a damn good yarn.

Der Struwwelpeter by Dr. Heinrich Hoffmann. Best children's book ever.

Wow, never thought I'd double post in a reading thread.

Quantum : A Guide for the Perplexed by Jim Al-Khalili. About a Chapter into it, and it's awwwwesome. With pretty pictures and stuff. And cool experiments. And stuff. Yeah it's awwesome.

Yeah reading! Just put about eight books on hold at the library, but then I couldn't wait and picked up four more this morning. Currently starting Catch Me if You Can which is fun and short and that pleasant type of paperback which allows you to fold the cover under.

^ Never read Catch Me If You Can, but I saw the movie several times, and it makes my all-time-favorite-movie-list.

It is a good read--beachy without making you feel guilty. And short. Took me a little over two hours. Also devoured today was a bit of Tom Wolfe (Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine) which was, as always, frighteningly on-par with current society despite having been written in 76 and evil and funny and nicely illustrated. Which is what I ask of Wolfe, really.

Next up--brain-enriching with Faulkner or Fitzgerald, followed by whatever arrives at the library for me first.

Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey. Part of her Guardian, magic in modern day, set of books if people follow her work.
I'm also reading Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Apparently frightens adults while entertaining children. It's in the process of being turned into a movie. It'd be interesting to see how it turns out. Would they go the animated route, the way too much CGI route, or do something along the lines of Beetlejuice? I'm finding Coraline more entertaining than frightening but maybe I'm not deep enough into the book yet.

It's a mix of stop-motion and CGI. Sneak preview trailer thing can be found around about... here. Henry Selick, director of James and the Giant Peach and The Nightmare Before Christmas is in charge.

Since the school year has started, I'm once again forced to read daily against my will. Reading 1984. Don't know if I like it yet, I'm supposed to be page 100-something, I'm on like 20. But we have Edusoft today (Long annoying test we've been taking 3 times a year since third grade), so I have some catch-up time.

I finally finished Seven Types of Ambiguity by Elliot Perlman!

The first 2 parts are good, the last 2 parts are good but the 3 in the middle annoyed me a bit and made it such a slog to finish. It has a good story and it's told in an interesting way (from 7 different perspectives) but I'm not sure I would recommend it, if you want to read some Perlman go for 3 dollars

Read a few books whilst on holiday. The following, in fact:

'Blindness' by José Saramago. A Nobel prizewinner no less. Very good book, with a very odd prose style - very minimal on the punctuation front, with no quotation marks, and no character names. Difficult to get into at first, but after a while you begin to wonder why everyone doesn't write like this.

'Head-On' by Julian Cope. I love Copey. He's an utter spanner, but a charismatic and captivating one. I've always enjoyed interviews with him, and this book, which outlines the rise and fall of The Teardrop Explodes, turned out to be a reet good read, which I polished off inside a day.

'Friends Like These' by Danny Wallace. 'The Yes Man' is a great book, and whilst this isn't quite as good - the story of a man tracking down his old schoolmates is never going to be as interesting as the story of a man who can only say 'yes' - it's still great fun. I laughed out loud several times, especially during his encounter with ninjas in Tokyo.

'Good Omens' by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. If you haven't read this, you are a fool. End of. Probably my twenty-millionth time of reading, and I still love it to bits.

Currently between books. Plenty to choose from, though - wifey rips through books like a crazy person, so I'll pick up one of her cast-offs.

Don't judge me.

I've been avoiding Stephenie Meyer and Twilight series for a while now.

And I finally borrowed the first book from my friend last night.

And read the entire thing in about four hours.

... and skipped class because I read it all night pretty much (till 5 am, but I was out till like one...)...

.... ._. and I really enjoyed it...

._.

I feel dirty.

The Twilight series has a movie coming out I think. I'm pretty sure I saw a trailer for it at the cinema last night.

I'm reading a book of Saskatchewan ghost stories. Anyone remember where Tigersong lives? Maybe he lives near one of the haunted houses in the book.

...Twilight sucks. Unless you enjoy a 700 page book with very cliche characters and every page being about the same thing...

Currently reading God: The Failed Hypothesis. No opinion so far.

I'm reading Good Omens so InKy doesn't think I'm a fool.

I just finished Plexus by Henry Miller, which was phenomenal.

Good on ya. Hope you enjoy it. Sure you will.

Oh I did! And I have Smoke and Mirrors as a holiday gift to read too.

I can't get over the image of Death playing Jeopardy in a bar.

I went and got I Am Legend by Richard Matheson at the airport after remembering that I figured to buy it myself for Christmas after talking to Mata and Sues at the Oxford meet. So am reading thought it, not read a vampire book before but I quite like it. It's nice to read out loud actually- I didnt stumble over it so much as I do with some lit. Though his near constant smoking makes me want a fag >_> The film I quite enjoyed, and though there was a kinda darkness to it the book so far seems more so. Like, um. I dunno. Eventually I will also get around to seeing the other film versions of the book. One thing that really bugged me about the film though was the zombies being all CGI. Damnit I like my zombies being actors acting all zombiefied.


But I finished Up In A Heaval By Piers Anthony which was a fun read, the bloke makes bare word play jokes which I well likes. And am now on Man From Mundania. After figure I should go for A Spell for Chameleon which is the first book in the Xanth series, but that's just silly, right? Totally recommend them, like, if you are in a book store and see one have a read of the first few pages and see how it goes for you

Bloodmusic by Greg Bear. It's interesting? It's science fiction. It's hard to describe without actually giving away the plot.
Currently reading through John Butcher's non-Dresden files series. Waiting more or less patiently for the library to find me a copy of Princept's Fury. More or less medieval fantasy setting with the ruling class able to control the powers of nature to a limited extent.
There are a couple books from the library I picked up as they looked amusing/interesting but I've forgotten the titles. Sorry.

Currently re-reading Gene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun (collected volume). I don't tend to re-read at all but Ryn's been bugging me, i'm a bit strapped for cash so not buying at the mo, and I hadn't read it for about 8 years so figured it might do. I remember how much I enjoyed it the first time! Especially with such an odd lead character, a disgraced journeyman of the Guild of Seekers for Truth and Penitence... a torturer.

Next book on the rack is a crimbo pressie from Ryn, joining my collection of signed Neil Gaiman books- The Graveyard Book. I'm brimming with excitement at seeing how connected it is to The Witch's Headstone, a short story from Dark Alchemy which I got for crimbo last year. It's got the same lead charahter but with Gaiman that can mean little.

Reading is awesome! I have so much of it to do! I went to the library a few days ago and scooped up Hunter S. Thompson interviews (delicious interviews: he plays with the journalists mercilessly), a Capote book I haven't started yet and a book about Marquez that I can't recall the title of. Also last Sunday's Times, and The Politics of the Veil by Joan Scott. Also: bio labs and a Naguib Mahfouz book that I'm thoroughly enjoying. Also: Echo, by Francesca Lia Block, which was probably one of the most influential books on my writing style and which makes me feel like I'm home, in bed, with tea.

I may never stop reading today. Oh dear.

Books I read during vacation (which isn't quite over yet):

Finished the Brothers Karamazov - Dostoevsky.
The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner.
The Stars My Destination - Alfred Bester.
Smoke and Mirrors - Neil Gaiman.
Sourcery - Terry Pratchett.
We Can Build You - Philip K. Dick.

Currently on The Gay Science by Nietzsche and The Worthing Saga by Orson Scott Card since it is difficult to read Nietzsche in the same way as one reads a novel most of the time...

Reading so many books I'm not really making any progress in any of them, but here they are:
The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins
Just Six Numbers - Martin Rees
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card (re-reading it for this online book club)
Aesop's Fables (just skimming the book mostly, I thought the fables would be better/longer than they actually are)
The Elegant Universe - Brian Greene

We have a 5 day break from school, so I'll probably finish The God Delusion, Ender's Game, and get bored of Aesop's Fables. Just Six Numbers is relatively short, so might finish that too.

Found a brilliant trilogy brought purely on the strength of a good set of cover images - The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks. This has had me captivated for about a week now and I'm on book three. Each has an engaging rule of the art, as it were, quoted on the front:

The Way of the Shadows - The perfect killer has no friends, only targets
Shadows Edge - The perfect killer has no identity, but many faces
Beyond the Shadows - The perfect killer has no conscience, just objectives

Brand new author for me and I have high hopes.

I've just started Spares by Michael Marshall Smith. I really enjoyed his first novel, Only Forward and I'm hoping this one continues his brand of surreal science fiction.