What Book(s) Are You Reading Now? (2009 version)

[Atreyu]

Exactly What It Says On The Tin (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin) :) - what are you reading right now? And what did you think of it/them? What do you hope to read in the near future?

For me right now - study books. >_<

Earlier in the year however, I was reading:

* Wicked: The Life And Times Of The Wicked Witch Of The West by Gregory Maguire
Interesting novel. I had heard a lot of buzz for it (plus the musical which I haven't seen) so I got hold of it with a voucher I got for Xmas. I must admit however I expected it to follow the original Wizard of Oz storyline more than it did. But still, interesting novel which I would recommend.

* The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Oh man, what a great and touching story. I stayed up all night reading ti right through - I couldn't put it down. Very touching, very sad story. :(



Not sure what I'll read next - I might try and see if I can pick up the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik (Napoleonic Europe! With Dragons!!!) as I've heard good stuff about it.

A mate is reading Twilight - I wanted to stay clear but he reckons it isn't such a bad read so who knows.

[Ilias Nytrau]

What I'm reading is shown on my Goodreads page, as well as what I have listed to read next, but I'll tell you anyway.

I'm reading four books right now.

Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
So far, so good. I've liked what I've read of Jim Butcher so far - the Dresden files is an easy read compared to the other three books, but I definitely am enjoying it.

Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
The Sword of Truth series - well, Stone of Tears is the second book, I haven't actually started it yet, but will in short order. I liked the first book, so I expect this one might be, at least, just as good.

Anathem by Neal Stephenson
I've been told by many people I know that Stephenson is an author worth taking a look at. Now, it was his other books (like... Snow Crash) that were recommended to me. Since this book was only released last summer (I think) I don't know anyone else that's read it. All I'm going to say is it's a long book, page-wise, and it does require a bit of focus. I like the writing though, and it might encourage me to pick up more of Stephenson's work.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathan Safran Foer
What an odd book! It's quite interesting, and the quirks draw you in. That's really all I have to say about it for now, but I'm sure the whole book will be just as satisfying. I might read more of this author, too.


***


There are... lots of books I intend to read. I'll keep working on the two series I'm reading through, as well as reading other things that stand alone. I'll be reading Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson next, seeing as it's waiting on hold for me at the library.

[Droo]

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Johnathan Safran Foer


Same here. My progress with this book has been woeful, and that's thanks entirely to my Battlestar Galactica obsession! :shakefist

Wait a minute, I mean :love

[Lykaios]

El Testamento Maya, which roughly would translate into The Mayan Testament but which English title is actually Domain by Steven Alten.

Talks about the end of days and the symbolism behind the 21st of Dec of 2012, not even a quarter into the book but so far so good.

[Dasquian]

I just finished Assassin's Apprentice (Book 1 of the Farseer Trilogy) by Robin Hobb.

Now I'm finally starting A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin.

I also still have Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close on the go, too.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I just finished Kitty and the Silver Bullet (http://www.amazon.com/Kitty-Silver-Bullet-Norville-Book/dp/0446618756/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1236633112&sr=8-1) by Carrie Vaughn and I'm reading the next book Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand (http://www.amazon.com/Kitty-Dead-Mans-Hand-Norville/dp/0446199532/ref=pd_sim_b_2). :yum I read the former in less than a day (Sat night - Sunday morning). I was RAVENOUS for a book! :cat

[Jozua Cure]

I'm reading "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown, following on from reading the "Da Vinci Code". Clever and extremely page-turnable!

Next, I want to read "The Time Traveller's Wife", but I recently bought the two books to complete the "A Series of Unfortunate Events" series, so those might be read first. Lemony Snicket is quite brilliant!

Oh, and I've read "Wicked" too! I've also read "SOn of a Witch", which is the sequel, which is pretty intoxicating, and a little confusing. But nonetheless, when you finish everything becomes much clearer. I definitely recommend those two books.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm about halfway through A Game of Thrones now and loving it. Why didn't I read this series earlier?

[Mandy with an I]

Just got "Watchmen" in the mail (yay, love getting books in like, a day!).

[Dasquian Belargic]

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson, though I have A Clash of Kings (the second in the A Song of Ice and Fire series) coming in the post so I'll probably switch over to that once it arrives. Gardens.. is the first in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series and it's proving to be a little more difficult to get into than I was expecting. Still interesting, but not as engaging as A Game of Thrones was.

I also bought what I guess will be the first Star Wars EU books I've ever read: Darth Bane: Path of Destruction and Darth Bane: Rule of Two.

[Peter McCoy]

I still haven't finished Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen. Thats mainly due to watching Battlestar Galactica when I would have normally read, and also being too tired of an evening to do anything at all.

I'm quite near the end so it shouldn't take me long. Then I can get cracking on my Iain M Banks sci fi novels.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

The Sonambulist

Interesting so far. :)

[Crusader]

The fifth dune book: Heretics of Dune
I hope it is better than the 4th since the last one bored me to death.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Onto Deadhouse Gates, the second Malazan Book of the Fallen novel. The world this guy has created is so huuuuuge... he must have spent forever plotting out maps and cultures and whatnot.

I wasn't planning on reading this yet, but the package of books I ordered hasn't arrived so I had to go buy something else to keep me occupied :uhoh

[Lykaios]

I just finished 'SW THE FATE OF THE JEDI: OUTCAST' quite an enjoyable read and now am not sure what to read next >.<

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher should be in my hands soon. :D Trying to get The Somnambulist read before hubby gets home with it!

[Charley]

* The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Oh man, what a great and touching story. I stayed up all night reading ti right through - I couldn't put it down. Very touching, very sad story. :(

I read this last year. It's a very gripping book, and very emotional too. I recommend it.

Right now I'm reading Anthony Bourdain's "The Nasty Bits", as well as browsing through a half dozen cookbooks. I need to get more novels.

I also read "Eat Me" by Kenny Shopsin, which is enough of a testimonial of a restauranteur to stand apart from the recipes inside. Very interesting in a philosophical way I guess.

On deck is Tacitus and his "Annals of Imperial Rome" because I have always loved his writings.

[J'ktal Anajii]

Starting on Fool by Christopher Moore, myself.

[stevenvdb]

I'm seriously backlogged... but the last book I ordered was this one. :

http://www.subterraneanpress.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=martin07&Category_Code=PRE&Product_Count=24

Except for a few well-known "old school" authors, like Ursula K Le Guin or JRR Tolkien, I can't honestly say i'm a particularly well-weathered fantasist, but this look interesting, if nothing else to see what the contributing authors, who I know much better and are my main draw, manage to work out of Vance's world. :)

[JediBeldarine]

Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind
The Sword of Truth series - well, Stone of Tears is the second book, I haven't actually started it yet, but will in short order. I liked the first book, so I expect this one might be, at least, just as good.


Goodkind was good for about four or five books but I lost interest after a while. I think he's up to eight or nine now and I can't seem to work up the interest again.

Right now I'm reading Narcissus in Chains from Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. Very, very different from Twilight... but I love it. Twilight is good if you want romance but if you want a kick butt, awesome heroine... Blake is it :).

Jen

[Fidavar Veir]

I haven't taken the chance to read more of the Anita Blake novels, but I have to say I did like what I have read. I will not and I repeat will not ever touch any Stephanie Meyer book of my own volition. Dares and challenges, however, are accepted.

I slacked off for a <strike>bit</strike> forever and a half, so I'm not done Anathem yet, but it's good.

I picked up the tome that is the entire work of Bone from the library today and will be working through that very soon. Yes, I have not read a single stitch of Bone yet. Eat me.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'm reading a Star Wars book!

Darth Bane: Rule of Two

It's pretty good :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Just finished Stephen Fry In America and put up a mini-review on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1653632

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I'm re-reading all my Jim Butcher books. :love

[Ilias Nytrau]

I'm on White Night right now. Almost done it. Small Favor is up next. It'll be the fourth Dresden book I've read this week. :lol

[Lilaena De'Ville]

White Night is one of my favorites. Small Favor is GREAT! I love Toot-toot

To be honest they just get better and better. Turn Coat was awesome.

I'm onto the Codex Alera now, in my re-reading. Captain's Fury, at the moment.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Just finished Lolita. It's been a while since I read one of the 'classics' and I think I enjoyed this more without an essay or seminar deadline looming over my head. Typical! :lol

Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter and Cloak of Deception arrived this morning, so on to those next. I'm working my way through the Star Wars timeline :D

[Y'roth Helghast]

I'm rereading Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman. Gawsh, that book makes me giggle.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Currently reading Olympos by Dan Simmons

[Lilaena De'Ville]

^^^^ Great book!

[Ilias Nytrau]

White Night is one of my favorites. Small Favor is GREAT! I love Toot-toot

To be honest they just get better and better. Turn Coat was awesome.

I'm onto the Codex Alera now, in my re-reading. Captain's Fury, at the moment.

They do keep getting better and better. Just finished Small Favor. I'm waiting on Turn Coat to be available to me through the library, so right now I'm reading The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I finished up re-reading Princep's Fury by Jim Butcher (augh can't wait til Novemberish when the next one is published!) and have started Seize the Night by Dean Koontz. Not a re-read, this is a first time through.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

^^^^ Great book!

It took me a bit to get into Ilium but once I actually got into the meat of the story, I couldn't set it down! Olympos has picked up right where the other left off!

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Yeah, they're both fantastic. :D

[Dasquian Belargic]

Reading Cloak of Deception, which is kind of a prelude to The Phantom Menace, I guess. It's alright. The writing isn't as good as the Darth Bane books, though.

[Wyl Staedtler]

omg you guys, I have a $105 dollar fine at the library. I am the worst book borrower ever. >_<


However, The Baron In the Trees is fantastic so far.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I just finished Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.. which is about a criminal who becomes the food taster for the ruler of the realm, basically, and has to learn how to identify (surprise surprise) the presence of poisons. Not bad, but nothing spectacular either.

Now reading, The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks.. which I gather is about a young assassin.

I'm just flitting about between fantasy series' at the minute really, trying to find one that grabs me.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Anderkant die Stilte and The Blue Door by Andre Brink. :love

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I'm re-reading A Game of Thrones. Maybe by the time I finish the books already out there might be a new one from Mr. Martin? :uhoh I better not hold my breath...

[Dasquian Belargic]

About half way through A Clash of Kings right now. Just ordered A Storm of Swords (or rather, the two volumes of that, since they decided it should be split in two here to avoid the book looking ABSOLUTELY HUGE)

Is it terribly predictable of me that I think the Lannister's are the best? ^_^;

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Just whatever you do don't go into the thread about the series in The Book Barn on SA. Or do. :p In a few weeks/months you'll be just as miserable as everyone else, waiting for the 5th book to come out.

BUT, the series is phenomenal.

And, yes, its not surprising you like the Lannisters the best, you horrible person you. ;) Jaime is a sort of Vega character, isn't he. :p

[Ilias Nytrau]

Finally got my hands on 'Turn Coat' by Jim Butcher. I'm liking it as much as the rest of the series (which is a LOT)... and I'm sad that I'll have to wait until next year for another one.

Life kept getting in the way, but I finally finished 'Anathem' by Neal Stephenson. I would definitely recommend it, with a fair warning that is... well, mathematically-heavy science fiction and a big, long book. Stephenson is definitely a great author, from what I can glean from reading this book. It's the first one I've read by him and I will be reading more in the future.

Otherwise, I'm reading a lot of Cloud/Townsend non-fiction that most of you probably aren't interested in. :p

[Dasquian Belargic]

Just whatever you do don't go into the thread about the series in The Book Barn on SA. Or do. :p In a few weeks/months you'll be just as miserable as everyone else, waiting for the 5th book to come out.

BUT, the series is phenomenal.

And, yes, its not surprising you like the Lannisters the best, you horrible person you. ;) Jaime is a sort of Vega character, isn't he. :p

I guess I won't be hurrying through the next two books then :ohno

Jaime and Vega are quite similar yes.. perhaps that's where the appeal is :mischief Tyrion is probably still my favourite really. I like reading just to find out whether all of his plotting will come to fruition!

[Darth Phantom]

The Hobbit. I try to read it at least once a year, along with the Lord of the Rings.

[Dasquian Belargic]

The Great Dune Trilogy - just found where I'd packed this so I thought I'd get back to reading it. I'm just on Dune at the moment, but having watched the movies recently (thanks Raz :D) I am really getting back into the Dune mythos right now.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I just finished Into the Storm (http://www.amazon.com/Into-Storm-Destroyermen-Book-I/dp/B002ECEUWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253474372&sr=1-1) by Taylor Anderson (great book!) and Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

Anathem (http://www.amazon.com/Anathem-Neal-Stephenson/dp/006147410X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253474348&sr=8-1) is the best book I've read in quite a while. I highly recommend it.

[Dasquian Belargic]

That has been on my list of 'to read' books for so long now >_< too long

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Its really fantastic. Long and dense, but well worth the effort you'll go through reading it. Not that its a hard to read or understand book, its just... weighty? Chock full of philosophy and logic and adventure. The world building is superb, too.

[Verse Dawnstrider]

A good friend just sent me like 10 books by Brain Keene, I started with The Rising

[Droo]

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. His use of language is so lush I can almost taste it. :love

[General Dan]

The Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus :D

He's such a muckraker

[Ilias Nytrau]

I just finished Into the Storm (http://www.amazon.com/Into-Storm-Destroyermen-Book-I/dp/B002ECEUWQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253474372&sr=1-1) by Taylor Anderson (great book!) and Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

Anathem (http://www.amazon.com/Anathem-Neal-Stephenson/dp/006147410X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253474348&sr=8-1) is the best book I've read in quite a while. I highly recommend it.

Yes, yes it is... worth every moment spent reading it. I shall be adding it to my collection when I can.

I've plowed through several books since I last posted in this thread. I'm working on Jim Butcher's Codex Alera series. I've read both Bridget Jones books, all of Cecilia Ahern's books to date and caught myself up on Nicholas Sparks.

Read The Children of Men by P.D. James and I will say that I liked the movie, but the book was much, much better (as per usual).

There's some others, I'm certain.... but I can't remember what they are.

Right now, I'm reading Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist... Also known as Let The Right One In - a vampire novel, which was made into a movie, released last year... around the same time as *shudder* Twilight. I've seen the movie and liked it. The book is turning out quite well, too.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Depending on which room in the house I happen to be in, I'm reading:

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Eyes Of the Emperor by Graham Salisbury

Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

The Covenant by James A. Michener

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Out of Afrika by Isak Dinesen

[Droo]

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I've wanted to read this for ages. Whatever room of the house you read this in, go there and lock the door so you can finish it first and tell me what you think. :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Children of Dune

...somehow, still not bored of Arrakis and House Atreides.

[Ilias Nytrau]

There's no 'somehow' about it, girl. You just aren't bored of them, yet. Neither would I be.

Finished: Let Me In by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Now Reading: Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson

[Dasquian Belargic]

I finished Fool Moon and now I'm onto Grave Peril by Jim Butcher. Wasn't as impressed with the second in the series as the first. Let's see if it's going to get any better with the third...

Grave Peril was okay. I decided to take a break from Jim Butcher for now. Just about finished reading Michael A Stackpoles A Secret Journal (which has been fun) and then I will be picking up I, Jedi - which I just bought for £1.04 on Ebay :D

[stevenvdb]

Just started reading Merles Door - Lessons From a Freethinking Dog. Intended to give it as a present to our neighbors kid, who've we've babysat for on occasion and whos birthday is coming up, but I have some free time on my hands, so..

[Nya Halcyon]

SW Imperial Commando: 501st

Book is much too short for my liking.... love it.


Other than that I'm reading Black Beauty to my daughter :p

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Anyone get the new Wheel of Time book yet?

[Morgan Evanar]

Reading Kitchen Confidential
Bourdain is very entertaining.

[Dasquian Belargic]

At work: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.

At home: Star Wars - Cloak of Deception by James Luceno.

^_^;

[Peter McCoy]

Picked up Necronomicon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0575081562/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=471057153&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0380751925&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=0VEK4V9AY1YGT876KMSR) by H.P. Lovecraft. It's leatherbound and has a cool map of Arkham on the inside cover, and opens and closes with two poems penned by Lovecraft.

It's a large collection (almost 900 pages) of short stories, all of which I have across my three Lovecraft books by Penguin Classics, but it's just a gorgeous book - I simply couldn't resist.

[Dasquian Belargic]

At work: The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler.

At home: Star Wars - Cloak of Deception by James Luceno.

^_^;

On the way to and from work / whilst falling asleep: Star Wars - Vector Prime (Audiobook) Chewieeeee :cry

Thankfully all the plots are veeeery different so I'm not getting confused.

Yet :uhoh

[Callista]

currently?

The Silmarillion & Fellowship of the Rings...at the same time.

I have to finish these and The Two Towers (along with some short works and essays) by Wednesday next week...oy!

(( Tolkien Lit. class = lots of reading xD ))

[Dasquian Belargic]

Ugggh the Silmarillion.

I suppose I should give Tolkien another chance. It's been a while since I tried to read either that or LOTR.

Just finished Vector Prime and I like the Yuuzhan Vong. Is that so wrong? :ohno

[Callista]

Still trudging through The Silmarillion (I really like it, but it takes concentration!) and now Return of the King. I listened to The Two Towers on CD (library ftw!) but I probably will read it since I was doing other things at the same time and don't think I fully absorbed it.

Also reading Earthsea Cycle: The Farthest Shore (book 3). If I enjoy what I read for class I might pick up the others -- my teacher said it's her favorite series.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson

[Atreyu]

Currently reading Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do (And What It Says About Us). Interesting read - I've now decided to become a late merger. :p


Not sure what I'll read next - I might try and see if I can pick up the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik (Napoleonic Europe! With Dragons!!!) as I've heard good stuff about it.
I'm FINALLY getting the 1st novel (for Xmas) - so it'll probably be a 2010 read for me now. |I

[Irridia Solensis]

Picked up the first couple of books of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series...in anticipation of the show due out next year, and also in an attempt to forget that I ever read any of Robert Jordan's books -__-

[Dasquian Belargic]

Good choice Irridia :D

Lannisters ftw :cool

[Carré Inirial]

:D

And I admit...finding out that Jason Momoa has been cast as Drogo made me go weak at the knees... >.>

[Dasquian Belargic]

Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister :3

[Chrysothemis]

A rather tasty morsel as well!

[Mandy with an I]

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

I read a sample of it on Amazon and I really like the writing style.I'm obsessed with the end of the world too....>_>;

[Wei Wu Wei]

Superheroes and Philosophy.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Enders Game :)

[Mandy with an I]

Day By Day Armageddon :love Hopefully I can pick up the next book in the series when I have a little bit more spending money.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

By Heresies Distressed - its really good. There's a lot of talking, but I love it. Politics ahoy!

[Callista]

I will be SO glad when I can read for pleasure...not that I didn't enjoy the Lord of the Rings, but having to read all of Tolkien's works in that short of time almost ruins it.

Just read The Earthsea Cycle The Farthest Shore in a day xD and then the Poetic Eddas and the Prose Edda (Norse poetry/theogony).

I think the library and I will become good friends next semester! And Jenny I'm coming to you for book reviews :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

You are? I guess I should get reviewing then? :uhoh

I'm reading "I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas" ( http://twitpic.com/uhr89 )

[Atreyu]

Just finished Temeraire (which I got for Xmas as mentioned earlier), just in time to scrape in as a 2009 read. :cool:

Awesome book - I've already ordered the next book in the series (bizarrely, the bookstore had the 3rd and 4th books available but not the 2nd :huh) but I'll have to wait a fortnight due to New Years causing everyone to shut down for a week.








I'll have to start a 2010 edition of this thread tomorrow. :lol

[Marcus Thornby]

I got a nice leather-bound copy of The Great Gatsby for Christmas, so I've been reading that on my breaks at work. Wonderful book.

[Carré Inirial]

Just finished "Black Ships" by Jo Graham - a loose retelling of the Aenid by Vergil. I really liked it - am looking forward to the next one in the series. Author has a good, solid style that kept me interested the entire time...could hardly put it down.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I am not sure waht to read now. My options are either Dark Tide II: Ruin or I, Jedi.