What are you reading?

Some Guy wrote: Alice wrote: The Arsenic Century: How Victorian Britain was Poisoned at Home, Work, and Play by James C. Whorton.  It's quite fascinating. For a second there I was wondering how this Whorton guy managed to poison Britain so thoroughly. Then I read it again and felt stupid. lol

Blood Fire Death-The Swedish Metal History  \m/

I didn't think much of Cather in the Rye when I read it a few years back. I started Slaughterhouse-5 but stopped for some reason. Must try that one again.

Just finished the newest Dark Tower... The Wind Through the Keyhole.... That makes  all 8 Dark Tower books in about 6 weeks.

Okay, so I started The Lovely Bones while waiting for parents to turn up at a teacher-parent meeting and issued it from the school library the next day on the assumption that since the first 2 pages had caught me in the moment and I had kept reading, that the same moment would take me when I got home, however, it has been over a week and I've only made it as far as the 5th or 6th page - it waits on my night table for me to make more effort.

I drove to Hamilton on Friday with a fellow teacher for a Music-teaching course and after lunch we got lost in the non-negotiable streets of Hamilton (where the hell are all your damn road signs?), so I said lets just skip the last lecture and go to this awesome 2nd hand bookshop that I used to frequent. This was a mutually agreed upon term. Inside, I - naturally - went to the Science-Fiction and Fantasy section seeking out first editions, but instead chose some paperbacks by Robert Heinlein and Little, Big by John Crowley which has been a must-read of mine for many years now. After Carrie had cursed me for enticing her into a 2nd-hand bookshop (sounds like someone else I know :P), strolled down to the cash-register, handed over her cash, and then excused herself for a toilet break, I took some time to browse the music section whereby I found Beecham Remembered by Humphrey Proctor-Gregg who was a musician who played under Beecham's baton for some years.

Arriving back at my beach-side abode, I sat down with Beecham Remembered and started reading in front of the TV, discovering how my favourite conductor of Frederick Delius' music was once a national institution of England's music scene, taking concerts all over the world, conducting all major composers as well as debuting and revitalising many since forgotten composers. No one has ever equaled the recording achievements that he bestowed upon the music of Delius, or spoke with such passion about why we should hold Mozart above all others as the greatest composer ever. I continue to read with much joy.

Since the day in Hamilton had required much driving (albeit, unintentional), I decided to head to bed early in the evening and take Little, Big with me - The Lovely Bones eyeing me suspiciously from the side drawer. It is rare for a book to grab me instantly and keep me reading through the share joy of the written language that appears on each page. I do not remember the feeling of wanting to continue reading since a very long time ago, and this is putting aside the Philip K. Dick books that I have enjoyed reading for many years now; John Crowley's prose in this story blinds me to the considerations of how thick the novel is and how long that thickness may take me to traverse. I may only enjoy this for the share joy of reading and the wonderful images that are conjured up in my mind if the story itself is less to rave about, but if that be the only joy, then it will be enough to sustain me.


Edited by Warstub - 05/12/2012 at 18:23

I am reading Overthrow by Stephen Kinzer. It is an excellent overview of many nations we have been directly involved in overthrowing leaders (often democratically elected leaders). Generally it has been in the name of special interests and false information. I didn't know the U.S. has been in the business of regime change for over 100 years. I highly recommend the book; though, I am only 2/3 of the way through.

The Lovely Bones wasn't exactly a fabulous book. I remember reading it, but not much else about it. Apart from the ending, which really was an effort in "how dumb and unbelievable an ending can this be/ get?" Apparently quite a lot, given how ridiculous it gets.

I stopped reading The Lovely Bones and returned it to the school library. I'm reading Pig-Heart Boy now because it's been recommended as an early teen novel to study in class.

Warstub wrote: Raindancer wrote: I just started reading 'the name of the rose' which I always wanted to read. So far it's great. I've always wanted to read that book as well. Let me know how you get on.

I finished it a couple weeks ago but just remembered I still have to answer that post.

First, this book is long. About 1/3 of the time it's a story about two monks trying to identify a serial killer in an abbey. That part of the book is fun to read. It's exciting and sometimes scary. The other 2/3 those same monks are debating with others about some theological stuff I don't give a fuck about. Probably I just don't get what the author wants to tell me but I found those passages often boring.

Confessions of an Economic Hitman, and Cryptonomicon

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@Gilles what's your thoughts on Illuminatus!  I think I wanna read it next.


Edited by Gravel - 08/06/2012 at 21:11