What Are You Reading

[Lancealot]

Somewhere along the line I became too lazy or A.D.D. to read, so now I listen...I'm a good listener and my commute is about an hour so it works out pretty well. Just finished listening to David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day and before that The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

I ussually keep one book and one audio book going. I like to listen when I'm cleaning or driving back and forth to work.

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Since this thread is ever growing...

I flew up to Seattle yesterday so pulled out a book to re-read. It's called 'Cracking the Code' by Peter Hendrickson. I flew back today and continued to read. It's the fascinating truth about taxation in America.
Here is one of the great quotes in the book, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” -James Madison

It is hard to argue with that!

-dixon cannon

 

[Matthew Dalton]

I just finished "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" not long before it. I enjoyed both immensely.

Now I will read "The Phantom of the Opera" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." After that I will read ‚ÄúLes Mis?©rables Volume One.‚Äù

Funny, I bought all of these books because they were phasing out that brand of classics and they were on special. It didn't occur to me that they were all mostly based in France or featured French characters heavily.

 

[Fred G.]

Somewhere along the line I became too lazy or A.D.D. to read, so now I listen...I'm a good listener and my commute is about an hour so it works out pretty well. Just finished listening to David Sedaris, Me Talk Pretty One Day and before that The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova.

I had a six-month stretch in which I had a weekly commute of about 3 1/2 hours... I found audio books to be great... I listened to the Da Vinci Code, Fly Boys, and a few others.

I read Me Talk Pretty One Day the old-fashioned way, though... not rated G, but some really funny stuff.

I like these "what are ya reading" threads for some ideas, I have a long list from the last time we had one... unfortunately I am a slow reader, still working on "Wheels for the World", about Ford Motor Company and the beginning of the automobile industry. I read for leisure not speed, the only aggravation is so much to read, so little time! Just too busy with other things...

 

[LizzieMaine]

I've just gotten my copy of "Walt and Skeezix -- 1923-24," the second volume in an ambitious project to reprint the first thirty years of Frank King's original "Gasoline Alley" comic strips. It was a long wait for this volume, but well worth it -- it's just as lovely and gentle a book as the first, continuing the story of nervous Midwestern bachelor Walt Wallet and his foundling son Skeezix. As the first comic strip in which the characters grew and aged with the passing years, "Gasoline Alley" offers the reader a unique opportunity to experience in real time a glimpse of day-to-day life in the 1920s, and King's talents as both an artist and a storyteller are absolutely transfixing.

I've only just started the new volume, and I'm already thinking about how long I'll have to wait for the *next* volume, due out next summer!

 

[Etienne]

Currently reading several books: Once Upon a Town, by Bob Greene The Chronicles of Fairacre, by Miss Read, and Forgiven Forever by Hector MacLeod. (Sorry, my underlining tool is acting up and I can't seem to underline the titles.)

 

[ClassicIsBetter]

I read a lot, though I am taking a small break at the moment. I am usually reading several books at once with a line books waiting to be read.

At the moment: The Introvert Advantage, The Companion Bible

Waiting to be read: Showdown - Ted Dekker, Nicholas Nickleby, Oliver Twist, Tale of Two Cities (had a Charles Dickens sale going on) Chronicles of Narnia.

For all you book lovers, check out "The Little Guide to your Well-Read Life" by Steve Leveen. It's an appreciation of book-reading, with lots of guidelines about choosing books to read, etc. Very enjoyable read.

 

[book_lover]

Two books at the moment: Five quarters of the orange by Joanna Harris (author of Chocolat), and Consider Phlebus by Iain M Banks (Iain Banks doing his sci-fi bit. I love a bit of sci-fi or fantasy). Before these, Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. He's soooo good. Before that, The Illuminatus Trilogy - took me an age to read this one!

Someone mentioned Isabelle Allende. I read a lovely book by her about the Amazon, and an undiscovered world/species there. I love the way the story suddenly introduces an element of fantasy without it ever being made an issue of - in an otherwise fairly "realistic" narrative.

My recommendation of the year though has to be David Mitchell. Especially Cloud Atlas - WHAT a book

 

[Feraud]

I must recommend The Maltese Falcon!
After having seen the 1941 Bogey film so many times I decided to read the book. Wow! I am really impressed. My assumption was John Huston improved upon decent source material. That is definitely not the case here! Huston stuck very close to the story and I understand why. The dialouge in the film is used directly as written in the story. The story reads very well. It is crime novel written with the perfect balance of elegant and everyday prose. It does not try to be "hard boiled", nor does Hammett sugar coat the unsavory aspects of certain characters. I notice the references to sex and foul language are referred to obliquely if not completely gone from the film.
This is a very enjoyable read.

 

[Viper Man]

!

The World of Duke Ellington by Stanley Dance.

 

[Shaul-Ike Cohen]

Spin-off

Here's a spin-off thread on Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett.

 

[Lauren]

*An Elegant Madness- High Society in Regency England by Venetia Murray
* With the Old Breed: at Peleliu and Okinawa by F.B. Sledge

 

[Caledonia]

Don't I wish I could have two weeks on a beach somewhere and just read! Soon to read, when our wonderful postie Kevin delivers:

On the Road - Kerouac
The Great Gatsby

 

[prof500]

Rex Stout

Right now I'm reading Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe books - very fun reads. The mysteries themselves are alright, but it's the characters of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin that really make the books funny and interesting.

I just re-discovered Rex Stout! Much better than I expected.

I also thought the Jim Butcher supernatural mysteries were fun, mentioned in another post. It reminds me of the "Vampire Files" series by P.N. Elrod, about a young detective who also happens to be a vampire, in 1938 Chicago.

 

[ClassicIsBetter]

I must recommend The Maltese Falcon!
After having seen the 1941 Bogey film so many times I decided to read the book. Wow! I am really impressed. My assumption was John Huston improved upon decent source material. That is definitely not the case here! Huston stuck very close to the story and I understand why. The dialouge in the film is used directly as written in the story. The story reads very well. It is crime novel written with the perfect balance of elegant and everyday prose. It does not try to be "hard boiled", nor does Hammett sugar coat the unsavory aspects of certain characters. I notice the references to sex and foul language are referred to obliquely if not completely gone from the film.
This is a very enjoyable read.

I hate to admit that I have not seen the movie or read the book. I should be ashamed! I must see it now after reading so many postive reviews on it. The recommended movies I have seen have been excellent. This forum has added a deeper sense of enjoyment to my life.

Anyone remember that old Twilight Zone episode where a banker survived a nuclear holocaust and was the only survivor of a world that forbade the reading of any literature? Had all the time in the world to read, found heaven in a library, only to step on his glasses and was unable to read any of it? Actually I don't know if that was funny or not...

 

[Feraud]

I hate to admit that I have not seen the movie or read the book. I should be ashamed! I must see it now after reading so many postive reviews on it. The recommended movies I have seen have been excellent. This forum has added a deeper sense of enjoyment to my life.

Anyone remember that old Twilight Zone episode where a banker survived a nuclear holocaust and was the only survivor of a world that forbade the reading of any literature? Had all the time in the world to read, found heaven in a library, only to step on his glasses and was unable to read any of it? Actually I don't know if that was funny or not...

Let me suggest you read the book and see the movie. In whatever order you prefer.

That was a great Twilight Zone episode! Burgess Meredith starred.

 

[ClassicIsBetter]

Burgess Meredith? As in, Grumpy Old Men and the Rocky series? Wow, somehow I didn't make that connection... [huh]

 

[Feraud]

I am not sure about Grumpy Old Men but I do mean "Mickey" himself from Rocky! Let us not forget Burgess was in Of Mice And Men, The Story of GI Joe, and quite a few Twilight Zone episodes.
Good stuff.

 

[Mike K.]

Just picked up Hemmingway's "The Green Hills of Africa"
Also, I've been casually reading my way through Darwin's "Origin of Species"
Of course these are in addition to the latest National Geographics to arrive in the mail.

 

[airfrogusmc]

Just finishing Flags of our Fathers and will start John Deans book
Conservatives Without Conscience probably next week....