What are you reading?

[CJSF]

I'm about 1/3 of the way through Firestorm, the next Anna Pigeon mystery by Nevada Barr. So far every book has had an overlarge, kind, oafish sort of minor character. Only in this book, she kills him off fairly early on. Anna herself is interesting. Endearingly annoying, I like to say.

CJSF

[AndreasJ]

I'm reading Sekter & hemliga sällskap ("Sects and Secret Societies") by Clas Svahn. This far it's interesting, but in parts annoyingly sensationalist: his description of the original Illuminati, while accurate in externals as far as I know, makes them sound more like something out of Pinky and the Brain than the 18th century. It's very obvious that Svahn is a journalist and not a historian. (ETA: He's also excessively "open-minded" about various CT historical claims.)

The 2nd part of the book is about secretive sects in the modern world, which perhaps fits Svahn's style better.

[Spoons]

I'm nearly finished Shantaram, a book by Gregory David Roberts. I started it ages ago, but put it down to read something else. I'm fickle like that. But I took it on my overseas holiday recently, and got stuck into it. So glad I did! It's a brilliant book, very nicely written. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone.

I see there's a film in development - I'm really looking forward to that one.

[Disinfo Agent]

Referring to another post, I own a copy of The Languages of Pao. I keep meaning to read it. If I decide to do an M.A. in Applied Linguistics (which is slightly likely) I will try to cite it somewhere.

FWIW, I've finished the book, and I liked it.

[AndreasJ]

Finished Sekter och hemliga sällskap. It's a good read from a purely stylistic viewpoint - Svahn's understated black humour amuses without ever quite crossing the line - but overall I'm disappointed. Too many perhapses, too little analysis (particularly in the earlier chapters on secret societies), too many sloppy mistakes ("Kool-aide" is not spelt that way, Hubbard did not write Battlefield Earth before starting Scientology), and a bibliography mostly consisting of newspaper articles.

[AndreasJ]

Started on Phantom Islands of the Atlantic earlier today; liking it this far.

[slang]

Re-reading Stephen King's "Dark Tower" books, or the "Gunslinger" books. It's been 20 years or so since I've first read the first of them, and somehow they mean a lot more to me now than they did then. Trying to figure out if it's my aging that makes me appreciate the books more, or my better understanding of English.

The Languages of Pao, by Jack Vance. I've been enjoying it quite a lot. I hope the ending doesn't disappoint me.

Interesting.. I've just started to hunt down some Vance books that I've read in my youth (Dutch translations, back then). This is one of the titles I remember, but not the book itself. Another name I remember is "Tschai", or some similar spelling. And a book about wizards, who could fly by some kind of metal mesh embedded in their body.. Maybe that title also had Pao in it, somehow? *punishes brain trying to remember*

[HenrikOlsen]

Just reread Zelazny's Auto-da-fe,after being reminded of it by the mention of bullfighting in another thread.
From his early short story phase where he was revolutionizing the use of language in science fiction.

[slang]

Oh great! Now I go to bed trying to remember that other bullfighting SF story, with the intelligent bulls cooperating with the rancher. Or something!

[AndreasJ]

Interesting.. I've just started to hunt down some Vance books that I've read in my youth (Dutch translations, back then). This is one of the titles I remember, but not the book itself. Another name I remember is "Tschai", or some similar spelling.

Tschai is the titular planet of the Planet of Adventure series, which consists of City of the Chasch, Servants of the Wankh, The Dirdir, and The Pnume. I read the first one ages ago and wasn't much impressed, but I've been thinking of giving the series another try as I've read other stuff by Vance since and have liked them much better, so perhaps my tastes have evolved. In guess you'd call it a planetary romance.


The first two books are retitled The Chasch and The Wannek in the Vance Integral Edition.

[Disinfo Agent]

And a book about wizards, who could fly by some kind of metal mesh embedded in their body.. Maybe that title also had Pao in it, somehow? *punishes brain trying to remember*

That does sound like a scene in The Languages of Pao. But the book as a whole is not about wizards. The 'wizardry' is subsidiary in the story.

[AndreasJ]

Finished Phantom Islands. Entertaining, tho in need of a good copy editor*, and in some parts you can tell the author is well outside his field of expertise.


* The text at one point claims that Hereford is in France.

[Buttercup]

Have begun reading, in addition to 2 other books previously mentioned:

"Letters of a Russian Traveler, 1789 - 1790. An account of a young Russian gentleman's tour through Germany, Switzerland, France and England."

Found it while searching for a biography of Queen Louise of Prussia [1776 - 1810]. Immediately caught my interest. :-) It's beautifully bound in blue teal, mint condition, "translated and abridged" by Ms. Florence Jonas and published in 1957 by Columbia University Press.

http://www.answers.com/topic/nikolai...ovich-karamzin [1766 - 1826]

So far it's a fun and entertaining read.

[HenrikOlsen]

"Abridged" sounds ominous. I wonder what she cut out.

[Buttercup]

"Abridged" sounds ominous. I wonder what she cut out.

An explanation is given. From Ms. Jonas:

"Actually, Karamzin wrote more than is presented here. The selection of material has not been easy. In order to preserve the smooth flow of Karamzin's writing I have avoided the use of deletion marks. In most cases I have included entire letters, but I have also omitted letters or retained only excerpts. Karamzin visited and described many churches, monuments and other sights of interest to travelers. He also poured forth his feelings in lengthy sentimental passages. In the belief that this tends to become repetitious and might therefore prove cloying to the modern reader, I have chosen only those selections which I feel reveal, most interestingly, both Karamzin's literary ability, and particular interests and the social and intellectual atmosphere of his time."

[Tinaa]

Ghost Brigade, by John Scalzi.

I liked that one. The first, Old Man's War, was the best I think!

[jamesabrown]

Shrink Rap, by Robert Parker.

[CJSF]

I'm about to start Endangered Species, the next Anna Pigeon mystery by Nevada Barr. I had to wait a bit because her books have suddenly become fairly popular with the library patrons here. I've noticed in her books, Barr has a very high regard for eyewitness testimony. It's possible Anna has a photographic memory for what she sees, but overall it reads somewhat like what many UFO as ET proponents say about eyewitness testimony - that it is unfiltered truth and a primary source of evidence. Besides that, and her (Barr's) love of off-beat and slightly immoral characters that are NOT the bad guy (or gal), the books have been quite enjoyable so far.

CJSF

[AndreasJ]

Finally got round to finishing The Horse, the Wheel, and Language. Taking up from my earlier comments, the later chapters, focusing on the archaeological side, where indeed better than the earlier ones.

Next up is Global nedkylning ("Global Cooling") by Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist, a book on Holocene climate change.

[Gillianren]

I've been reading A Short History of Film, I forget who by, which has delighted me by discussing film outside of Hollywood. I mean, it starts in the United States, but that's only sense. However, before we get to the advent of sound, it talks about silent film in any country which produced film at the time. It also discusses the (very limited) studios which made films for, by, and about black people.

[dethfire]

Reading Shogun. I think it will take me a bit

[grant hutchison]

Reading Shogun. I think it will take me a bit

James Clavell? Wow, that's a blast from the past.
I read Shōgun when it first came out, then went back to King Rat and Tai-Pan. I looked at Noble House, but wasn't so interested in the near-current-day setting, so never read it. I recall preferring Tai-Pan to Shōgun, and King Rat most of all (I believe it was semi-autobiographical).

Grant Hutchison

[Graybeard6]

Gillian: Can you provide more information about the book? So far, my favorite book on film is Adventures in the Film Trade by William Goldman. Especially the chapter on why Robert Duval is a "movie actor," and not a "movie star."
I've just started Robert A. Heinlein, In Dialogue with His Century: Volume 1, Learning Curve, 1907-1948 (quite a title, no?)
Dinner's on; more later.

[Gillianren]

Fortunately, our library has a wonderful website so I don't have to go looking for the physical book right now. (Well, not true. They used to have a wonderful website. Now, they have a functional one.)

The book in question is A Short History of Film, by Wheeler W. Dixon. The blurb on the library's website is as follows.

The history of internaitonal cinema is now available in a concise, conviently sized, and affordable volume. Succinct yet comprehensive, A Short History of Film provides an accessible overview of the major movements, directors, studios, and genres from the 1880s to the present. More than 250 rare stills and illustrations accompany the text, bringing readers face to face with many of the key players and films that have marked the industry.

And, yes, those typos are the system's. I probably ought to file an error report, but they just might be tired of hearing from me. It's about 400 pages, plus a glossary of film terms and an index. I ought to read the Goldman at some point, but this is more comprehensive and less detailed.

[jamesabrown]

Finished Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan. Skimmed it, really. This one has to be least interesting book in the series. But I'm down to only one more book before The Gathering Storm is released in paperback in October, and then it's only a short while until November 4, when the penultimate novel in the Wheel of Time series, Towers of Midnight, will be published, which I am highly anticipating.

Also, I'm re-reading Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, which is quite possibly my favorite novel. My taste for this was re-whetted due to the terrific mini-series aired over the last two months.

[AndreasJ]

I admire your stamina.

[Gillianren]

Also, I'm re-reading Pillars of the Earth, by Ken Follett, which is quite possibly my favorite novel. My taste for this was re-whetted due to the terrific mini-series aired over the last two months.

I am very excited to discover that Netflix is streaming it instantly, especially since the box thingy which lets you stream to your TV is in the mail. I read it for my banned books contract in college and fell in love.

[gzhpcu]

Am reading "Severed" by Gilmore, one of the best books on the infamous L.A. "Black Dahlia Murder" case.

[Spoons]

...especially since the box thingy which lets you stream to your TV....

Tech wizard!

Am reading "Severed" by Gilmore, one of the best books on the infamous L.A. "Black Dahlia Murder" case.

Have you read a few of them, or you've read that reported, that it's one of the best ones? If you think it's a good one I might have to get that. For some reason those grim non-fiction books seem to attract me.

[Gillianren]

Tech wizard!

Why do you think I don't already own one of the three gaming systems which would let me stream the Netflix?