What'cha Reading?

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Hecatoncheires

Hecatoncheires

un jour je serai de retour près de toi
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You're all a bunch of writer-types, right? That means you're probably reading at least one book just now (and if you're not, step it up cos you should be).

So, let's hear about it. What books are you reading just now?

To start shit off, I'm on...
  • 'High Rise', by J. G. Ballard - I'd heard great things about this thing, and with the movie adaption starring Tom Hiddleston coming out soon I figured I should check it out. At about the halfway mark, I can definitely say that this is my kinda book. Dystopian satire of class structure, with the occupants of an uber-modern high rise apartment block slowly retreating from the outside world as their society within the high rise devolves into a tribalistic culture divided by social class. I'm getting a faint ring of Silent Hill 2 from it, as well; the high rise is almost implied to be an entity in and of itself, twisting and manipulating the residents.
  • 'The Rise And Fall Of The Third Reich', by William Shirer - My knowledge of World War Two and the build up to it is mostly centered on Britain (since that's where I'm from) and Russia (since that's what I focused a lot of my Masters on), so its somewhat lacking on the German front. I've been trying to bridge this gap, starting with this book here. It's pop history; Shirer was a journalist rather than a professional historian and it shows in his writing, but he's extremely readable and has clearly done his research. Some of his views are a bit... dated to put it nicely (his views on homosexuals are pretty fucking reprehensible, and he should have kept them out of his book for the sake of professionalism if nothing else), but if you factor in the limitations of the book its a good launching point for some studiousness.

That's me, what about yourselves?

Debates will result in me banning you from General Chat forever.
 
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I have quite a few books that I'm reading.

1.) The Kanin Chronicles - Crappy little YA romance series that I started reading a few weeks ago, but kept mysefl in the middle of the final book because I'm afraid of how it will end. (The author has a bad habit of ripping the couple I'm cheering for apart and throwing in multiple men to woo the protagonist.) I'll probably finish it up soon. At least once I harden my heart for the inevitable break up.

2.) Bazaar of Bad Dreams- I've been steadily reading this a story at a time. I ended up getting side tracked because I've had cravings to read 'Children of the Corn' and 'Autopsy Four'.

3.) The Girl on the Train- Started this one because it was under a list of books similar to Gone Girl. I've only gotten into the first chapter and nothing good so far other than a woman's observation about the life going on outside the train on her way home, and her stalkerish fascination with a couple she sees daily. Hoping it turns out better in later chapters.
 
I coworker found out I'd never read the Golden Compass and lent me her copy. I'm only two chapters in.
 
New Years Falcon said:
I coworker found out I'd never read the Golden Compass and lent me her copy. I'm only two chapters in.
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That's Phillip Pullman, right? It got released as 'Northern Lights' over here.

Great book, even better trilogy. Got a lot of love for that series.
 
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I'm busy studying for midterms so I'm not reading but I plan on rereading Harry Potter and I have The Help to read, too, as well as another book from the library I only just remembered I need to pick up...
 
Books
  • Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman - Gaiman's currently my favorite author and I mean to buy The Anansi Boys after I finish this one. *cries* I've been progressing really slowly with this one, you know? Never found the time to remember to sit down and continue it, though I enjoyed reading what little I have gotten through currently.
  • Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami - welp, I have a physical copy that I lent to my bestfriend and haven't gotten back... In a while, lol. I haven't really gotten back into reading it, so it's... On hold?

Hmm, I guess I should add the manga I'm currently reading, too.

Manga
  • Song of the Long March by Da Xia - a Chinese historical manhua that I've just started on. It seems like a classical betrayal and revenge story, starring a Chinese princess in the Tang dynasty. Its description is actually "Chang An in the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907): The demon star is passing through the sky, calamity is about to befall the Tang Dynasty—because of a woman." and that's what caught my interest. Despite featuring princesses, I've heard good things about it in reviews. A politically savvy, tactical-minded princess focused on making her traitorous relative's life hell after he murdered her family, set in the Tang dynasty. Should be a fun ride.
  • Akatsuki no Yona by Kusanagi Mizuho - I've already watched the anime and it was pretty stellar for me. Supposedly the manga's got more in-depth looks into the world and the characters (well, mangas are always that compared to anime adaptations, yeah?) so I took a look into it. Liked it enough to continue it though with slow progress.
 
I have time for non class related reading when not rping? Noooo.

Current class readings.
The Golden Ass by Apuleius
Textbooks I'm sure none of you want to know what those are.
 
Dont read much, but the last book I vent thru a cople months ago, was Double Sin, by Agatha Christie. I love a good detective/thriller novel, and her Poirot character is realy captivating.
 
Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini.
Kim by Rudyard Kipling.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (1877 Malleson ed.) by Jules Verne.

This is actually the first time I'm reading Verne and it seems his strength as a writer came from his ideas rather than his prose. The Malleson English translation is supposedly the most faithful adaptation, and while I am enjoying it overall, it can read a bit dry, and the characters come off fairly cartoonish, in particular the narrator. What little I've glimpsed of the Griffith and Farran version seems to be better written, but I doubt it would change my opinion very much. Still, I'm only on Ch. 18 (out of a total of forty-five; this itself is an issue, as the titular 'journey' is only now beginning in my current chapter!), and there have been some nice passages detailing Germany and Iceland.
 
Ghost Hunter. It is the last book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series.
Also slowly reading the K Project mangas and The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester.
I want to read Lord of the Flies next, but that will depend if I have the money to buy another book.
 
Lots of books! : ) I love anything by V.C. Andrews; and have all of her older books. Some of her new series are a bit... different. But I'm also fascinated with the Embrace Series by Jessica Shirvington. From Embrace, all the way to Empower, I love Violet Eden, the main character, she's got so much power and strength. She can be tortured for hours and be fine the next day, and the hunting of Exiles is really intense.

I'm also reading Kay Hooper, A Deadly Web, about disappearing psychics. :) I love to read, and really am not too picky about what I have to work with.
 
I'm currently rereading my war and strategy books to refresh my memory for roleplay plotting.

So, I'm reading Sun Tzu's Art of War currently, and will be reading Clauswitz's The Prince and On War soon.
 
I'm reading a lot for school, a lot of classic English Literature.

Right now I'm reading Henry Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene'.

A Christian Allegorical Epic poem that reads like an epic D&D campaign where the main character is a paladin-like character.

I recommend it for people interested in fantasy.
 
The Silver Paladin said:
I'm reading a lot for school, a lot of classic English Literature.

Right now I'm reading Henry Spenser's 'The Faerie Queene'.

A Christian Allegorical Epic poem that reads like an epic D&D campaign where the main character is a paladin-like character.

I recommend it for people interested in fantasy.
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Get some Alfred Lord Tennyson in your life, my friend. That's his whole bag.
 
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ShatteredSkies said:
I'm currently rereading my war and strategy books to refresh my memory for roleplay plotting.

So, I'm reading Sun Tzu's Art of War currently, and will be reading Clauswitz's The Prince and On War soon.
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>Reading political books
>Not reading Machiavelli

Step. It. Up.
 
The 5th Wave- Holy shit. This book is AMAZING.
"The human race stands on the brink of extinction as a series of alien attacks decimate the planet, causing earthquakes, tsunamis and disease."

Can't. Deal. With. All. The. Twists.
 
Just finished Armor by John Steakley. Part of the pile of books I got for Christmas. Really hooked me early on, barely put it down. Books in the same vein as Starship Troopers like that are my faves.

Currently reading Armored. A compilation of short stories (including a REALLY short one by Dan Abnett) about, you guessed it, POWER ARMOR IN THE FUUUUTURE. Most have been good, but compilations tend to lose my interest sporadically because all it takes is one boring story to drag it down.

My wife just bought me a book yesterday, The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski. It's the first novel that introduces Geralt of Rivia, yeah, that Geralt, the Witcher. Apparently the Witcher book I got for the holidays (Blood of Elves) is the second novel, not the first like I thought.

Still have to finish Day of the Triffids and Neuromancer that are still half-done on my tablet.
 
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