Author Topic: What are you reading?  (Read 845971 times)

lowky

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Reply #1025 on: August 11, 2009, 01:09:44 AM
Currently about half way through rereading Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.


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Reply #1026 on: August 11, 2009, 01:22:49 PM
Finished If God Were Real (received as a LibraryThing Early Reviewers book) and letting review jell in my head right now.

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Reply #1027 on: August 19, 2009, 03:43:16 AM
Currently reading:

Dusky Ruth and other stories by AE Coppard (comp.)
Brooklyn Noir (anthology)
Dedalus Book of Surrealism Volume One: The Identity of Things (anthology)

Not much horror in there currently, although Coppard is author of a famous ghost story or two ("Adam & Eve & Pinch Me") and also had a penchant for local folklore, so something might turn up.



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Reply #1028 on: August 19, 2009, 03:00:32 PM
Currently reading: Caleb Carr's Killing Time.  It's the sort of sci-fi thriller (somebody has killed the President! but who?) that can draw you in very easily.  But I'm a couple of pages in and I'm not too impressed so far.  I really enjoyed The Alienist, and I was hoping for better.

I'll probably read it relatively quickly and be done with it soon.  Maybe it gets better.  I hope so.
« Last Edit: August 19, 2009, 03:02:39 PM by Boggled Coriander »

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Reply #1029 on: August 23, 2009, 09:34:10 PM
Finished If God Were Real (received as a LibraryThing Early Reviewers book) and letting review jell in my head right now.

If God Were Real is a stark challenge to Christians to consider whether they actually believe in God. The "new atheists" are writing bestselling books challening the existence of God, and many of their arguments revolve around the failures of Christianity. The author actually agrees with atheists that many Christians are not living up to their claims and asserts that there is not much Christ left in Christianity. He argues that the institutional system called Christianity should be abandoned in favor of the pursuit of a new Jesus Movement that actually resembles the movement of Christ followers that Jesus began. He challenges the reader to consider what life would be like if we actually lived as if we believed in God. Each chapter examines how a particular part of life might be different if God were real to us. The evidence shows that most Christians live as "practical atheists." Atheists and seekers are also challenged in this book to consider God in a new way and to embark on an adventure of discovery of the real God.

So read the description that prompted me to put in my request for this book from LibraryThing Early Reviewers.  I must not have read it closely enough because I still wasn't sure whether to expect an atheist book or a Christian one.  The title suggests that it was written by an atheist, but John Avant is a pastor who believes that Christians aren't living as if they really believed in what they profess.  A more fitting title would be If We Christians Believed God Is Real.

Avant begins with the assertion that most Christians are living as "practical atheists", as if God doesn't really matter in their lives.  He goes on to illustrate how people following the teachings of Jesus Christ probably would behave if they really believed -- reaching out to "the least of these" (see Matthew 25:40), bringing others into the fold, loving others as themselves -- rather than seeing their churches as members-only clubs, pouring excessive resources into influencing legislation, and working themselves into a froth over trivia like Harry Potter and Teletubbies.

I'd be surprised if Avant manages to convert a single atheist -- his "proof that God is Real" is mainly conveyed through stories of people who have sunk to the ultimate depths and managed to turn their lives around for the better -- but his book should serve as a mirror and a wake-up call for a large number of professed "Christians".

A further note: For resources, Avant uses a considerable number of books by authors both religious and atheist, and I added over half a dozen books to my reading list by the end of the first two chapters, evenly spread between believers and nonbelievers.  Now that I've finished the book, there are thirteen new titles on my list.  If nothing else, I have this to thank Avant for.

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Reply #1030 on: August 25, 2009, 05:40:44 PM
Going through the "Planet Builders" YA sci-fi series by Robyn Tallis, which is a pseudonym for several authors including Sherwood Smith, Debra Doyle, and James D. Macdonald, all of whom wrote installments.

http://www.locusmag.com/index/f62.htm#A2164

Right now on #3, "Rebel from Alphorion".

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Reply #1031 on: August 27, 2009, 03:48:23 PM
Currently reading: Caleb Carr's Killing Time.  It's the sort of sci-fi thriller (somebody has killed the President! but who?) that can draw you in very easily.  But I'm a couple of pages in and I'm not too impressed so far.  I really enjoyed The Alienist, and I was hoping for better.

I'll probably read it relatively quickly and be done with it soon.  Maybe it gets better.  I hope so.

I'm done.  My post-mortem: it's got some interesting ideas, and I was amused by all the historical hoaxes. St. Paul admitted fabricating everything Jesus said!  Modern humans existed millions of years ago!  The George Washington assassination!

But I was never sure if Caleb Carr was trying to parody bad sci-fi techno-thriller writing, or if he was being sincere.  It's never a good sign when I don't know if something is meant to be a joke or not.

And what's with the one female character being this totally beautiful be-catsuited chick who falls deeply and madly in love with the viewpoint character at first sight for no particular reason, despite the fact that she already works and lives with a bunch of intelligent, non-creepy unattached men with no apparent sexual tension?  I don't appreciate being told that there's a sexy woman in the story that I, the reader, am supposed to be attracted to.  And I'm a heterosexual man.

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Reply #1032 on: September 02, 2009, 12:14:21 AM
Just picked up from library: Ingathering: The Complete People Stories by Zenna Henderson.  Reading "Come On Wagon" from The Anything Box reminded me that I've still never read of "The People" which is apparently what she is best known and admired for.  So I figured I'm long overdue to check it out. 

I've also got her other anthology Holding Wonder on order from the library.

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Reply #1033 on: September 02, 2009, 01:49:36 AM
I recently finished 'Elantris' and as a result moved Brandon Sanderson onto my relatively short list of authors I'll pick up anything by without even reading the book jacket. Excellent!

Also, 'Green' by Jay Lake. Very good. Must check out more of his stuff.

Trying to get through Ken McLeod's learningthe world. It's a little slow reading for somre reason, but is full of interesting ideas, so I will soldier on and assume i'll get more into it.



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Reply #1034 on: September 02, 2009, 04:37:45 PM
I recently finished 'Elantris' and as a result moved Brandon Sanderson onto my relatively short list of authors I'll pick up anything by without even reading the book jacket. Excellent!

Also, 'Green' by Jay Lake. Very good. Must check out more of his stuff.

Trying to get through Ken McLeod's learningthe world. It's a little slow reading for somre reason, but is full of interesting ideas, so I will soldier on and assume i'll get more into it.
Care to characterize Sanderson's writing?  I've been tempted to give him a try, but I've heard a lot of very far-flung reviews on his stuff, but I don't whose word to take, as I think a lot of people's opinions are very strongly influenced, in one direction or another, by his involvement with the Jordan estate.



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Reply #1035 on: September 02, 2009, 04:50:11 PM
Quote
And what's with the one female character being this totally beautiful be-catsuited chick who falls deeply and madly in love with the viewpoint character at first sight for no particular reason, despite the fact that she already works and lives with a bunch of intelligent, non-creepy unattached men with no apparent sexual tension?  I don't appreciate being told that there's a sexy woman in the story that I, the reader, am supposed to be attracted to.  And I'm a heterosexual man.

Without having read any Carr, the above sounds like the book must be intended as a parody.  Yes, I could expect all kinds of goofiness (ideas from book noted in previous post not quoted) from a techno thriller (which is why I don't read them), but this last bit seems so spot-on it HAS to be parody (which either says something about me, my expectations of techno thrillers or my expectations about writers).



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Reply #1036 on: September 02, 2009, 07:26:00 PM
(hi, i'm back on the net after a month's absence. it's good to be home.)

Most recent book was frankenstein, for school unfortunately. Been very busy lately :O



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Reply #1037 on: September 02, 2009, 08:12:11 PM
(hi, i'm back on the net after a month's absence. it's good to be home.)

Most recent book was frankenstein, for school unfortunately. Been very busy lately :O

What'd you think of it? I read it back in HS, but have been listening BJ Harrison narrating it over at the Classic Tales Podcast. I'm liking it much more this time around.


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Reply #1038 on: September 02, 2009, 11:24:08 PM
I have George R R Martin's 2-volume Dreamsongs lined up for my holidays. Looking forward to it.


Talia

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Reply #1039 on: September 03, 2009, 02:50:37 AM
I recently finished 'Elantris' and as a result moved Brandon Sanderson onto my relatively short list of authors I'll pick up anything by without even reading the book jacket. Excellent!

Also, 'Green' by Jay Lake. Very good. Must check out more of his stuff.

Trying to get through Ken McLeod's learningthe world. It's a little slow reading for somre reason, but is full of interesting ideas, so I will soldier on and assume i'll get more into it.
Care to characterize Sanderson's writing?  I've been tempted to give him a try, but I've heard a lot of very far-flung reviews on his stuff, but I don't whose word to take, as I think a lot of people's opinions are very strongly influenced, in one direction or another, by his involvement with the Jordan estate.

Epic fantasy. Character driven without going EXTENSIVELY in depth about them. Easy reads - lots of action, banter between characters, etc. Some REALLY great world building, which I suppose you could argue is the only "outstanding" thing about his books. Really imaginative magic system in the Mistborn trilogy, very interesting world setup in 'Elantris.'

If you're looking to be challenged,  I'm not sure its what you're looking for, but if you're looking for really really fun, engaging reads with plenty of imaginative touches, then yeah.



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Reply #1040 on: September 03, 2009, 01:48:38 PM
(hi, i'm back on the net after a month's absence. it's good to be home.)

Most recent book was frankenstein, for school unfortunately. Been very busy lately :O

What'd you think of it? I read it back in HS, but have been listening BJ Harrison narrating it over at the Classic Tales Podcast. I'm liking it much more this time around.

I enjoyed the Recorded Books edition read by George Guidall about three years ago.

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Reply #1041 on: September 03, 2009, 05:28:10 PM
Sonni Cooper, "Black Fire" (an ooooooold star trek novel)

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Reply #1042 on: September 04, 2009, 11:29:05 PM
i enjoyed frankenstien, but i wasn't really sure how to view it... as a major undertaking or an easier read, so i was in that limbo for a while. it's also very flowery and elaborate in prose, massively overdoing it when it comes to describing the good doctor's emotions, but other than that not bad. the sort of book i'd prefer in audio form, because it would move a little slower



lowky

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Reply #1043 on: September 05, 2009, 12:23:04 AM
i enjoyed frankenstien, but i wasn't really sure how to view it... as a major undertaking or an easier read, so i was in that limbo for a while. it's also very flowery and elaborate in prose, massively overdoing it when it comes to describing the good doctor's emotions, but other than that not bad. the sort of book i'd prefer in audio form, because it would move a little slower

If I remember right, first time I read it I was about 8 or 9 and the Librarian thought I was too young, didn't want to let me check it out.  After my mom said she had no objection Librarian only agreed to it, if I would write a book report on it.  I think I mentioned the themes of with out morals/ethics science leads to monsterous things.  I will say Librarian never stopped me from reading anything i wanted after that.  Nothing like having free reign of the library when in 4th grade.  I read Dracula shortly after Frankenstein.  I really should read Frankenstein again, From things I know now, the story idea basically came from a weekend of drugs, alcohol, and ghost stories, somewhat fueled out of the boredom of a rainy weekend where Mary Wollenstonecraft, Percy Shelly, and Lord Byron couldn't go outside to do originally planned activities.  Curious how that would affect my interpretation of it now.


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Reply #1044 on: September 05, 2009, 01:55:38 AM
i enjoyed frankenstien, but i wasn't really sure how to view it... as a major undertaking or an easier read, so i was in that limbo for a while. it's also very flowery and elaborate in prose, massively overdoing it when it comes to describing the good doctor's emotions, but other than that not bad. the sort of book i'd prefer in audio form, because it would move a little slower

If I remember right, first time I read it I was about 8 or 9 and the Librarian thought I was too young, didn't want to let me check it out.  After my mom said she had no objection Librarian only agreed to it, if I would write a book report on it.  I think I mentioned the themes of with out morals/ethics science leads to monsterous things.  I will say Librarian never stopped me from reading anything i wanted after that.  Nothing like having free reign of the library when in 4th grade.  I read Dracula shortly after Frankenstein.  I really should read Frankenstein again, From things I know now, the story idea basically came from a weekend of drugs, alcohol, and ghost stories, somewhat fueled out of the boredom of a rainy weekend where Mary Wollenstonecraft, Percy Shelly, and Lord Byron couldn't go outside to do originally planned activities.  Curious how that would affect my interpretation of it now.


I recently read that there was a 4th person in that group who wrote a vampire story that pre-dated Dracula.  I returned the book I read about it in to the library, so I can't tell you what the story was.  The book was "Different Engines : How Science Drives Fiction and Fiction Drives Science" by Mark Brake and Neil Hook.  It covered a lot of territory in a few pages and the title kind of tells you what it was about. 



lowky

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Reply #1045 on: September 05, 2009, 02:00:51 AM
i enjoyed frankenstien, but i wasn't really sure how to view it... as a major undertaking or an easier read, so i was in that limbo for a while. it's also very flowery and elaborate in prose, massively overdoing it when it comes to describing the good doctor's emotions, but other than that not bad. the sort of book i'd prefer in audio form, because it would move a little slower

If I remember right, first time I read it I was about 8 or 9 and the Librarian thought I was too young, didn't want to let me check it out.  After my mom said she had no objection Librarian only agreed to it, if I would write a book report on it.  I think I mentioned the themes of with out morals/ethics science leads to monsterous things.  I will say Librarian never stopped me from reading anything i wanted after that.  Nothing like having free reign of the library when in 4th grade.  I read Dracula shortly after Frankenstein.  I really should read Frankenstein again, From things I know now, the story idea basically came from a weekend of drugs, alcohol, and ghost stories, somewhat fueled out of the boredom of a rainy weekend where Mary Wollenstonecraft, Percy Shelly, and Lord Byron couldn't go outside to do originally planned activities.  Curious how that would affect my interpretation of it now.


I recently read that there was a 4th person in that group who wrote a vampire story that pre-dated Dracula.  I returned the book I read about it in to the library, so I can't tell you what the story was.  The book was "Different Engines : How Science Drives Fiction and Fiction Drives Science" by Mark Brake and Neil Hook.  It covered a lot of territory in a few pages and the title kind of tells you what it was about. 

From the Wikipedia article
Quote
Byron managed to write just a fragment based on the vampire legends he heard while travelling the Balkans, and from this John Polidori created The Vampyre (1819), the progenitor of the romantic vampire literary genre. Thus, two legendary horror tales originated from this one circumstance.[citation needed]


Sandikal

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Reply #1046 on: September 05, 2009, 02:26:17 AM
That's it.



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Reply #1047 on: September 05, 2009, 10:14:08 PM
the version i've got has an introduction explaining the genesis of the novel.



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Reply #1048 on: September 10, 2009, 03:51:19 PM
There's a movie called Gothic that depicts the drug-fueled weekend Percy and Mary Shelly and Lord Byron spent together. I've been meaning to rewatch in its entirety (I only saw snippets when I was in HS). Being almost done with Frankenstein would probably be a good time :)


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Reply #1049 on: September 10, 2009, 05:01:23 PM
And "Stress of Her Regard" by Tim Powers takes the poem fragment by Byron and, I think, some of the historical details of that week with the Shelleys and turns it into a whole speculative-history novel.  That's Powers' usual MO, though; take a random weird historical event and spin a story out of it.

I've never outright loved any of his books, but they're usually fun, especially if you're a history buff and can catch the in-jokes.