What Are You Reading

[Nick D]

Finn and Hengest: The Fragment and the Episode, by JRR Tolkien, edited by Alan Bliss.

 

[KY Gentleman]

I've been rediscovering my high school collection of early Ellery Queen mysteries -- when I was in my teens, I was a huge fan of these, and re-reading them thirty years later they're still very entertaining. No gore, no exaggerated violence, no sex, just a crime presented as an intellectual puzzle to be solved logically and methodically. Right now I'm finishing "The French Powder Mystery," from 1930, which benefits from a great period setting in a large department store. I've long since forgotten the solution from my first reading, and have yet to figure it out!

I re-read an old "Three Investigators" mystery from many years ago recently.
One of my nephews will be reading on that level in a short while and I wanted to be sure I was recommending a suitable book. Those old mystery series were a lot of fun!

 

[LocktownDog]

This Side Of Paradise - F Scott Fitzgerald

 

[Doctor Strange]

Kirby: King of Comics, Mark Evanier's wonderful new biography/art book on comics giant Jack Kirby.

With Kirby's influence being so ominpresent in today's superhero movies - and all manner of modern storytelling - this book is long overdue. Highly recommended to both old-line Marvelites and anybody curious about how a poor kid from the lower east side became the most prolific and significant creator of 20th century America's four-color mythos.

 

[Feraud]

It has been a hectic couple of months at work and with my son graduating from 8th. grade. Now that school is over and he is all set for high school I need to catch up on my reading.
My "to read" list has gotten too long.

 

[ADHD librarian]

Darles Chickins

Was going camping and realised I'd forgotten to pack a book, so I grabbed a penguin Great Expectations as for some reason I have never got around to reading it.

I am enjoying it immensely.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

When I was young, I realized there were a lot of great classics I had not read. Some I did read as required in school, some I read on my own. Some I loved, many left me underwhelmed.

I decided, finally, when I was busy, busy, in my 40's, that, when I retired, I would get around to reading the classics.

At this point, I have given up on The Brothers Karamazov, which I started three times and never got very far. Ditto War and Peace -- after 50 pages, I had several dozen names and even more nicknames written on a piece of paper and gave up on that book. Crime and Punishment made me feel like I was going mad along with the main character, so stopped reading it. Others didn't hold my interest long enough for me to put the book down and pick it up again.

Have not been so drawn to what one male book reviewer has called the "girly" novels, so many of them seem like soaps, which I don't like. A friend of mine has persuaded me to try a Jane Austen novel "for the beauty of the language."

Now, I am reading Moby Dick. I know the story of course, having read the Classics Comics version (anybody here besides me remember those things?) and saw the 1956 movie with Gregory Peck as Capt. Ahab. But, I am now enjoying the real thing.

It makes sense that a gal who likes Godzilla and monster storie and movies would take to Moby Dick.

karol

 

[K.D. Lightner]

When I was young, I realized there were a lot of great classics I had not read. Some I did read as required in school, some I read on my own. Some I loved, many left me underwhelmed.

I decided, finally, when I was busy, busy, in my 40's, that, when I retired, I would get around to reading the classics.

At this point, I have given up on The Brothers Karamazov, which I started three times and never got very far. Ditto War and Peace -- after 50 pages, I had several dozen names and even more nicknames written on a piece of paper and gave up on that book. Crime and Punishment made me feel like I was going mad along with the main character, so stopped reading it. Others didn't hold my interest long enough for me to put the book down and pick it up again.

Have not been so drawn to what one male book reviewer has called the "girly" novels, so many of them seem like soaps, which I don't like. A friend of mine has persuaded me to try a Jane Austen novel "for the beauty of the language."

Now, I am reading Moby Dick. I know the story of course, having read the Classics Comics version (anybody here besides me remember those things?) and saw the 1956 movie with Gregory Peck as Capt. Ahab. But, I am now enjoying the real thing.

It makes sense that a gal who likes Godzilla and monster stories and movies would take to Moby Dick.

karol

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Sorry, didn't mean to post twice but seemed like it didn't go through, so hit it again....

kdl

 

[Charlie Noodles]

When I was young, I realized there were a lot of great classics I had not read. Some I did read as required in school, some I read on my own. Some I loved, many left me underwhelmed.

I did, am still doing, the same. Have you tried reading many classic short stories? A collection of Poe's or similar might suit you better.

I don't mind a lengthy book. But it's funny how often the shorter stories will stick with you longer.

You can still edit the posts. One could edit it down to a 'please delete'.

 

[K.D. Lightner]

Charlie -- Thanks for the suggestion. Will have to research and see who has written short stories.I do like reading them; you are correct, those stories can and do stick with you longer than the big novels.

I've read Thomas Wolfe, almost all Arthur C. Clarke short stories, also Stephen King. Some classic short stories -- Faulkner, Hemingway, Chekov, O'Henry, Saki, Poe, Lovecraft, tons of ghost stories, short mysteries, etc.

I was a drama major in college and so have read lots of classic plays: Shakespeare, Greek, O'Neil, Williams, Chekov, Moliere, Shaw, Miller, Wilder, a number of modern plays, also Restoration comedies and even (ugh) tragedies.

Want to be bored out of your mind? Read Dryden's Alamanzor and Almahide, or The Conquest of Granada Parts I and II!) . On the other hand, knowing some Restoration plays has made me very popular at charades parties -- try charading the above play in 3 minutes!

Like short stories, you sometimes get more out of a play and it takes very little time to read one.

karol

 

[Smithy]

Splatt if you like Theroux pick up Kowloon Tong. It's a novel rather than a strict travelogue but good and a real joy for anyone who has been to or spent some time in pre-handover Hong Kong.

 

[dollydaydream]

In The Miso Soup - Ryu Murakami

 

[splatt]

Splatt if you like Theroux pick up Kowloon Tong. It's a novel rather than a strict travelogue but good and a real joy for anyone who has been to or spent some time in pre-handover Hong Kong.

Thanks for the tip Smithy

 

[AmateisGal]

Forever by Peter Hamill.

 

[Kilted_Surveyor]

The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova.

 

[Caroline]

Pie Any Means Necessary

Sorry not trying to be political. I started reading this little jem again after Doran's mentioning of a French intellectual I wasn't familiar with. I was trying to remember this guy's name.

"When I discover a new shade of grey I feel ecstatic"

Long Live the Entarteur!

 

[Leutnant]

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

 

[Spiffy]

I finally gave in and read the first two Twilight books. I know, I'm deeply ashamed!lol

I've also been working my way through a huge box of vintage suspense/horror novels by Barbara Michaels and Elizabeth Peters that one of my neighbors was going to throw away!! I can't bear to see books in the trash, so I rescued them.

 

[Feraud]

After a break from reading I am back in the groove.
Started reading Touch of Evil: Orson Welles, Director (Rutgers Films in Print, Vol. 3) last night.