** Official Currently Reading Thread ***

[Cosimo]

A Distant Mirror – Barbara Tuchman

Having just finished (The Charlemagne Pursuit) some light bedtime reading, it’s time again in immerse myself into something more serious. The book covers the extraordinary world of Western Europe in the calamitous fourteenth century, at the time of the Hundred Years War and the Black Death. The book promises to be an evocative portrait of English/French history at time.

 

[Egon]

I'm surprised by the number of people reading more than one book on the go. Can't do it personally.

 

[stinamoo]

*deleted*

 

[thesubstitute]

the legend I've never read any books by him, does he have many?

I'm reading....nothing. I've run out of books Might try and borrow something off a housemate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hawks

Was told that he copied Bill Bryson with the Fridge Hitchhiking idea, but I'm really enjoying it. Laughed out loud on the bus yesterday morning on way to work.

I'm surprised by the number of people reading more than one book on the go. Can't do it personally.

I had a habit of doing that, I seem to be pretty good at following multiple narratives (just like IM conversations). Try reading House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski and have two other books on the go

Have been on a break with reading lately though so I'm just starting with 1 book for now.

 

[Muban]

I'm surprised by the number of people reading more than one book on the go. Can't do it personally.

I can do this as long as the books are quite different. If I am reading Terry Pratchett I can read something like a historial biography, that way I can read whichever one I am in the mood for. I wouldn't want to try and read Pratchett and Robert Rankin at the same time, as I when I was in the mood for reading one I would also be in the mood for the other.

 

[Adsta]

I just finished reading The Painted Man by Peter V Brett. Its a really good idea great read imo.

I'm quite a slow reader so takes me time to get through some books

About to start on Magician's Apprentice by Trudi Canavan. I really liked the Black Magician series. So looking forward to this one

 

[Jekyll]

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini.

Can't wait for the 4th book.

ElliorR, what are the other books in the Dexter series?

 

[Shamikebab]

Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter in the Dark and Dexter by Design. In that order.

 

[Jekyll]

Darkly Dreaming Dexter, Dearly Devoted Dexter, Dexter in the Dark and Dexter by Design. In that order.

Thanks Shamikebab

 

[Egon]

Brisingr by Christopher Paolini.

Can't wait for the 4th book.

Really liked his 3 novels so far. Preferred Eldest to Brisingr though. However a very talented writer for his age !!

 

[kefkef]

The Last Argument of Kings - Joe Abercrombie

Book 3 of the 'First Law' trilogy, quite entertaining read, not as 'magical' as some in the SF&F genre, quite gritty and any magic is quite often violent and very seldomly used, some very good characters that make you laugh/cry when reading along and following their journey.

 

[Adsta]

The Last Argument of Kings - Joe Abercrombie

Book 3 of the 'First Law' trilogy, quite entertaining read, not as 'magical' as some in the SF&F genre, quite gritty and any magic is quite often violent and very seldomly used, some very good characters that make you laugh/cry when reading along and following their journey.

I finished reading the series a little while ago. Very addictive read I found.

Characters are very good. The first book "The Blade Itself" was the best out of the 3 though imo.

 

[stinamoo]

*deleted*

 

[Jekyll]

Really liked his 3 novels so far. Preferred Eldest to Brisingr though. However a very talented writer for his age !!

I prefered Brisingr to Eldest myself, though not by much.

 

[Cosimo]

I'm surprised by the number of people reading more than one book on the go. Can't do it personally.

I don't do this with novels but do with a novel and one or more non-fiction books.

 

[gurusan]

Just finished The Beach...really, really enjoyed it. I recommend it

 

[semi-pro waster]

I can do this as long as the books are quite different. If I am reading Terry Pratchett I can read something like a historial biography, that way I can read whichever one I am in the mood for. I wouldn't want to try and read Pratchett and Robert Rankin at the same time, as I when I was in the mood for reading one I would also be in the mood for the other.

That's much the same for me, I wouldn't tend to read two books of the same type often (although I have done in the past) because I might get details confused and have to go back to check up.

 

[gurusan]

Just bought another Alex Garland book, "Coma"....just finished reading it as well. It's a quick read and really quite bizarrely fascinating.

Now I'm reading:

Contact - Carl Sagan
The Audacity of Hope - Barack Obama

 

[Nix]

Niall Ferguson - The Ascent of Money

I've read a few of his other books when I was a student (Empire for example), so I know roughly to expect from Ferguson. I've also studied a lot around the nature of development, history, and economics, etc. as part of my degree so this book was really something I was quite interested in to begin with.

The book itself sets out to educate the reader on what money is, how we got to where we are today, and to allow the reader to assess contemporary issues for themselves. For example, it explains the evolution of credit, to the relationship between creditor and debtor, and explains the problems we have today. If you're interested in history, development, or economics/finances, this is for you. Very accessible.

8.5/10

 

[Phoen1x]

I tend to keep two or three books on the go.

At work in lunchtimes I am reading Haunted by Kelly Armstrong - it's in the middle of a series of books set in our world but with many supernatural inhabitants. Brilliant trashy lunchtime fayre, great fun and the perfect escape for an hour or so.

At home I am reading Churchill by Roy Jenkins. So far it is proving itself to be a very frank and open assesment of the great man of WW2. It starts in his childhood and I am so far just up to his first bye election win, I can certainly recommend it to anyone interested i nthis amazingly complex character. I have to say he isn't aprticularly likeable in a personal sense, but the scale of his ambition, and of course his leadership during the war are amazing.

I have just finished The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. A story of escape from a siberian gulag, and the walk across Siberia, the Gobi desert, Tibet and finally India to freedom. It is written as a personal account and put across as true, but there has been a lot of discussion and doubt over the last 50 years as to its authenticity. Regardsless, it is a great read and very inspirational.