What Are You Reading

[FedoraGent]

Books I'm reading

1. The Great Earthquake and Firestorms of 1906 by Philip L. Fradkin
2. Bing Crosby: A Pocketful of Dreams - the Early Years 1903 - 1940. Just Finished.
3. Technical Geek books that no one would be interested in. This would be 3 to 5.

I have on order the William Powell: The Life and Films biography by Roger Bryant.

Jon

 

[Rosie]

Guys, how do you choose which books you are going to read next? Suggestions from people? The little amazon suggestion thingy? Browsing the aisles? Pulling books off your own shelves? Do tell.

 

[FedoraGent]

Guys, how do you choose which books you are going to read next? Suggestions from people? The little amazon suggestion thingy? Browsing the aisles? Pulling books off your own shelves? Do tell.

For me, of course suggestions are great but nothing beats browsing through the aisles by yourself or with a friend. Often, I'll be out somewhere and we'll go ahead and speak about books and such and sometimes I get ideas for that. Sometimes I'll be at a friends house and he or she will say "read this" and if it catches my fancy then more than likely I will read it. I don't look at the Amazon thingy and sometimes I get suggestions from the newspaper.

Jon

 

[carebear]

Don't just go to fancy big name book stores. Go to quality used bookstores. Ask the staff what they've been reading, tell them the kind of stuff you like and they'll probably have suggestions of other authors you'd enjoy. Cruise through regularly (weekly) and see what's new on the shelves.

When you do go to the big chains, hit the new arrivals for each section and make mental notes to keep your eyes open for reviews in the paper(s) and online. You can always buy them used later for much less.

Check out the websites of authors you like, most that put any effort into them will refernce what they're reading and authors they find inspired them. If you like one of an author;s books, try more. If they change genres, follow them. You may find you can enjoy stuff out of your comfort zone.

I'm not a NYTimes addict but I do go in to Barnes on Sunday and leaf through the book review section.

If you are a member of an online forum, start a thread like this once in a while. If you post on a topic and the info came from a book, cite it and give a brief opinion. Someone is almost certain to say "if you liked that, you'll love this" or respomd with a cite of their own.

Ya gotta open yourself to the world of books that surrounds you daily.......

 

[Fleur De Guerre]

I recently re-signed up to the local library, which is pretty lame but has a few things! I am currently on book 2 of Emperor by Conn Iggulden, a series about Julius Caesar's (fictional) life, as well as a Bernard Cornwell book about Arthur. I also picked up some Ruth Rendell and the author of my favourite books of all time, George R R Martin's early work Fevre Dream. I've also started Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, though I am thinking it might be hard going.

Next things to pick up, when I have some money are the Prestige by Christopher Priest, whcih I want to read before the forthcoming film comes out, and I'd like to try a few more of James Ellroy's books, like the Black Dahlia one.

 

["Doc" Devereux]

I've also started Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson, though I am thinking it might be hard going.

Only in very small patches, and it's well worth the effort. I loved it.

 

[RedPop4]

At the moment I have a few things going.

Confessions of St. Augustine.
The Imitation of Christ Thomas a Kempis
God in the Dock by C. S. Lewis
I've been struggling through some of these for a long time, now. Picking them up to read when I can draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag myself off of the Web.

I just started Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose, I'm through four chapters, and I'm enthralled.

 

[Jay]

Currently rereading "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac and a book on Luftwaffe fighter tactics whose name escapes me at this moment.

 

[Samsa]

Am currently making my way through Jane Eyre. I'm also forever poking at various volumes of poetry. Right now it's the selected poems of Pablo Neruda.

 

[Haversack]

I've currently got four books going:

The Lights on at Signpost by George MacDonald Fraser.
Soul Music by Terry Pratchett.
A Captain From Castile by Samuel Shellabarger.
The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain.

Since a substantial part of my pleasure-reading time is on the train, large hardbacks like the Shellabarger are precluded. Old paperbacks like the Pratchett however keep getting reread there.

Haversack.

 

[Michael Best]

right now I got Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion by Alan Flusser. Very interesting

 

[Caledonia]

Rosie: Gorgeous new avatar!

How to choose?

1 Note everything interesting in the Lounge and put it on the "to read" list. Personally I know I won't, but the archive reference is amazing and I will get through a lot of it over the years.

2 I just made an oath yesterday that I will not buy any more books, dvds, or associated material until everything on my bookshelves has been read, seen, etc. I'm talking 90% probably not fully realised here. Which is shocking!

3 After that... Go with what attracts you, with an eye to expanding your awareness.

And, contrary to (1) above, avoid the FL! It just digs you in sooooo deep you can't ever get out! Ahem. That was a little joke just in case anybody was wondering.....

 

[mysterygal]

I just know I"m spelling that wrong [/SIZE] have always intrigued me

 

[Hemingway Jones]

I am reading "Brideshead Revisited" and enjoying it very much, but with all of the work I am taking home these days, I don't get to it as often as I would like.

 

[skwerl-hat]

classics!

i have an insatiable love of the classics, right now im rereading Goethes
Faust and the Sorrows Of Young Werther:eusa_clap

 

[jamespowers]

i have an insatiable love of the classics, right now im rereading Goethes
Faust and the Sorrows Of Young Werther:eusa_clap

Faust. Now there was a real story with quite an interesting ending. :eusa_clap

Regards,

J

 

[skwerl-hat]

hey im not the only one who knows of it!
how about that ending! i was in awe at how descriptive it was

 

[jamespowers]

hey im not the only one who knows of it!
how about that ending! i was in awe at how descriptive it was

I don't think I would want to be standing close by is all I know.

Regards,

J

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Me too, I love her characters, even though the some of it is a bit morbid, but, forensics ( ) have always intrigued me

Shouldn't worry about it, 'morbid' is a technical term when you get onto this subject!

 

[RedPop4]

I've also a Jeeves & Wooster comependium I need to get back to.