The 2nd "What are you reading now" thread

[ChubbMuff]

Read the first two of the (original) series. I like it but when I recommended it to a mate he couldn't finish it citing the episodic nature of the book and inability to empathise with the characters. I can see his point but find the series (so far) unique to anything else.

Sorry man, are you talking about Hyperion or Foundation?

 

[Ocha905]

Sorry man, are you talking about Hyperion or Foundation?

Foundation. Sorry should've been clearer.

 

[ChubbMuff]

Foundation. Sorry should've been clearer.

Righto! Can sorta see what your mate means, I have actually put it down after about 5 chapters. I often do that with books if they don't initially grab me and come back to them if absence makes the heart grow fonder so to speak. Was finding some of the politicking a bit dull but was getting my interest piqued by one of the stories. Pretty sure I'll try it again. Haven't read heaps of the old classics yet (Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein etc) but will keep trying them. Loved The City and the Stars by Clarke.

 

[BEaston]

Foundation. Sorry should've been clearer.

Agree with your mate. I enjoyed the first one or two chapters but then it got a bit tedious for me. I can see what Asimov was doing though which was interesting, I guess just the way he did it didn't grab me.

 

[Baudelaire]

'The Double' by Dostoyevsky. My second time reading this and really enjoying it.

 

[Allan Shorty]

'The Double' by Dostoyevsky. My second time reading this and really enjoying it.

Where would you recommend starting with the Russians ? I have read a fair bit of Russian poetry, tried Nabokov but he was too smart for me, thought that bulgakov was overrated, but never been game for Tolstoy or doestoevsky. Where should I start as an easy way in ?

 

[BEaston]

Just finished Game of Thrones. Enjoyed it.

Now on to A Clash of Kings!!

 

[Kakkle]

 

[Allan Shorty]

Great cover. The book is ok I reckon not much more than that. Worth reading regardless.

 

[Baudelaire]

Where would you recommend starting with the Russians ? I have read a fair bit of Russian poetry, tried Nabokov but he was too smart for me, thought that bulgakov was overrated, but never been game for Tolstoy or doestoevsky. Where should I start as an easy way in ?

Personally I recommend 'The Double' by Dostoyevsky. But I know a lot of people say 'The Idiot' by Dostoyevsky is a great starting point.

 

[Kakkle]

Great cover. The book is ok I reckon not much more than that. Worth reading regardless.

Yeah I'm about 70 pages in so far. I like it though, it's totally my style of writing. I also enjoy reading books where you know the setting quite well.

 

[Ocha905]

Smashing through Orwells 'Homage to Catalonia'. Didn't know much about the Spanish Civil War but I'm fascinated now.

 

[Ocha905]

Where would you recommend starting with the Russians ? I have read a fair bit of Russian poetry, tried Nabokov but he was too smart for me, thought that bulgakov was overrated, but never been game for Tolstoy or doestoevsky. Where should I start as an easy way in ?

Just read some short stories and a play by Gogol which I really enjoyed and would recommend. I loved Master and Margarita though so...

 

[Allan Shorty]

I have read Gogol short stories. The nose etc. Enjoyed them too. If you are into the Spanish civil war then Laurie lee's short memoir 'a Moment of war' is worth tracking down. He walks through Spain at that time with a violin. Very poetic very romantic almost druggy. Not political.

 

[Kakkle]

Yeah I'm about 70 pages in so far. I like it though, it's totally my style of writing. I also enjoy reading books where you know the setting quite well.

Dug it. 7/10

Purchased a copy of Imperial Bedrooms straight away which is set 25 years later.

6/10

Polished this off in 3 days. Addictive reading, but I have a few issues with the story/novel it self. The pacing is way to slow for a novel that is relatively quite short, and at times I thought was quite poorly written. I do think it's written with it being a best seller in mind though, however doing so, in a literacy sense it's still got a few short comings due to that.

 

[RolandF1]

Smashing through Orwells 'Homage to Catalonia'. Didn't know much about the Spanish Civil War but I'm fascinated now.

Orwell can write about anything and it'll be fascinating.


Currently reading:

'Be Cool' by Elmore Leonard
'Betting on the Muse' by Charles Bukowski, which is pretty odd for me because I never read poetry.

 

[Ocha905]

I have read Gogol short stories. The nose etc. Enjoyed them too. If you are into the Spanish civil war then Laurie lee's short memoir 'a Moment of war' is worth tracking down. He walks through Spain at that time with a violin. Very poetic very romantic almost druggy. Not political.

Thanks heaps I've ordered it now it sounds great. Now starting Red Plenty by Francis Spuffield on good recommendations- sounds weird though not sure if it's fiction or non fiction based on introduction.

 

[Ocha905]

Dug it. 7/10

Purchased a copy of Imperial Bedrooms straight away which is set 25 years later.

6/10

Polished this off in 3 days. Addictive reading, but I have a few issues with the story/novel it self. The pacing is way to slow for a novel that is relatively quite short, and at times I thought was quite poorly written. I do think it's written with it being a best seller in mind though, however doing so, in a literacy sense it's still got a few short comings due to that.

I, like most, have read Gone Girl and thought it was very entertaining as long as I didn't try to find plot holes. A previous housemate has read all her works and thought Sharp Objects was good and the most disturbing.

 

[chugginon]

An elderly man waiting in a bakery I was at put a book on the table so he could go and put his bread/rolls etc in a bag. I noticed him reading it while drinking a coffee in said bakery just earlier. He seemed like an approachable fella so I asked him about it. He said it was 'One Hundred Years Of Solitude' and that it was his favourite book that he as read "a few times". Anyway, got my hand on a copy and I looking forward to start it soon.

Will look for this one Thanks . But so many on here to look for

 

[Dagless]

Finally found time to smash through I, Claudius by Robert Graves. Think it was pretty fantastic at the start, started to somewhat drag around the Tiberius era and felt somewhat rushed at the end maybe? Was still pretty great overall, 8/10.

Using travel time to get some classics under my belt, currently Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky.

Bulgakov is amazing btw regarding previous Russian conversation. Gogol is a good place to start.

'Even if you have nothing to write, at least write that today I wrote nothing.'

 

[chugginon]

I haven't had time to read though all this lately. But what do people who read the Russian authors like about them ? And where to start with one ? I know a couple of the names

 

[Kakkle]

Knocked this off in a day. Short read at 169 pages. Slightly unnerving at times, but just way too short. Enjoyed it none the less.

 

[Allan Shorty]

Just read 'neuromancer' by gibson. Then 'the city and the City' by China mieville and now his 'embassy town'. I will be well done with sci fi / fantasy by the end of this. 'The city and the city' I highly recommend. Neuromancer is astonishing.

 

[Grogg]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman.

Very, very hard to put down.

 

[Severe]

Oxford dictionary. I'm doing around 14 pages a day.