Quick survey: What are you reading today?

jtb1951 · #1 06-26-2007, 12:00 AM

Hi, everyone!
I'm fishing for responses from as many of our members as possible! Very simply, what book (or books) are you in the midst of reading? I want to make this as non-threatening as possible for those who normally might be a little reluctant to post, so just a title and author is great as a response. (If you wish to be more verbose, try to keep it to under five pages

) Please join in; we are family (in a manner of speaking

)

I'll start: Map of Dreams by M. Rickert

Ego diligo libri!

John.

spiston · #2 06-26-2007, 12:22 AM

Rainbow of Desire by Augusto Boal

Strawberry Curls · #3 06-26-2007, 12:54 AM

Just started "In Pale Battalions" by Robert Goddard. Just finished "Full Dark House" by Christopher Fowler. This is the first of a series of books about two detectives named Bryant and May and it bounces back in forth in time between 1940 and the blitz of London and the present. Sounds batty but it is beautifully written and I can't wait to get my hands on the other books in the series.

In my car I am listening to "The Moor" as I always have a book on tape while I drive and nothing is better than listening to the Russell novels.

vicki · #4 06-26-2007, 02:03 AM

Wow--impressive reads!

Current nightly read with the kids: Rules by Cynthia Lord (Newbery Honor Book this year)
---it's about a 12yo girl and how her little brother's autism impacts her home and social life and her coming of age. Excellent so far (2/3 done)

My current read: Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug
---this one is about web usability and making navigation as effortless as possible. It's very readable and based in common sense. I'm hoping this one will help me refine the VBC's organization as we go along. I'm also helping several non-profit groups with their online communications, so I hope I'll learn some stuff from the book that will benefit them.

Incidentally, if you have suggestions about the organization or navigation of the VBC or LRK's site, please don't hesitate to let me know. Some stuff we may not be able to change for technical reasons, but you may have good suggestions that we can easily implement.

redsun · #5 06-26-2007, 02:31 AM

"Eldest" by Christopher Paolini. Finished "Eragon" a couple of nights ago.

vicki · #6 06-26-2007, 03:12 AM

Are those good? Paolini came to a signing here a couple of years ago and it's a good thing the fire marshal didn't attend. The store was so stuffed with his fans that you could barely move.

Christina · #7 06-26-2007, 03:40 AM

On the Paolini books, I really liked them all, but I HATED the movie! I was so waiting for that movie... it could have been so wonderful... but noooooo, they ruined it <wah!> I walked out half way through muttering under my breath… I think I continued to muttering for several days if memory serves.

On the current being read or just finished pile:
• The Dead Beat, Marilyn Johnson (GREAT HILARIOUS BOOK, just finished)
• Red Sea, Emily Benedek (An Advance Copy, author's first novel, just finished. I would be happy with the money spent if I had bought this rather than getting it for free. I recommend it.)
• Ominvore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan (GREAT, GREAT book! Cannot believe I have waited this long to read it. Not a fast read, for full benefit, it must be studied and savored, IMHO)
• Medicine for Mountaineering & other wilderness activities, edited by James A. Wilkerson,MD (A bit of a disappointment, not as much oriented towards high altitude as I expected, more just on emergency medicine)
• My Weeds, Sara Stein (Quite delightful, esp when to tired to expend much energy)
• Antler Dust, Mark Stevens (author's 1st novel, and pretty good, with a few accuracy slip-ups but nothing serious thus far)
• A Beginner's Guide to Tibetan Buddhism, Bruce Newman (Very good beginner's guide, and as to me reading it... one can never, never study the fundamentals too many times.)

Good Grief! Am I really reading ALL that?!?

<sigh!> Unfortunately, yes.

Must be a pathological ;-)

Extreme Need-to-read-itis exacerbated by book-a-holism

Christina

Christina · #8 06-26-2007, 03:47 AM

I forgot one:
The History of Last Night's Dream, Rodger Kamenetz
(Another advance copy, about dreamwork by the author of one of my very favorite books of all time The Jew in the Lotus and its follow up Stalking Elijah which is good but no wheres near TJITL IMHO. This book strikes me as being quite important, but it's no easy read, and I admit I have skipped around in it a lot and am now starting over determined to read from page 1 to the end and see if I can make more coherent sense of it. Dreamwork is an interest of mine.)

kitling130 · #9 06-26-2007, 06:22 AM

I usually start several books at the same time (for practical reasons like one is a paperback while the other is a large heavy hardcover). However I'm not making much progress since I'm studying for the MCAT.

So the current list:

Always by Nicola Griffith. Third in a great series. Check out all of her books, especially if you like interesting facts mixed into the story.

Requiem for the Devil by Jeri Smith-Ready

Marks of Our Brother by Jane Lindskold

Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Book 1 is Darkangel

vicki · #10 06-26-2007, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Ominvore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan

I've heard great things about this one--must add it to the teetering TBR stack.

kitling, what kind of stuff does Nicola Griffith write?

Quote:

Darkangel Trilogy by Meredith Ann Pierce. Book 1 is Darkangel

We discussed this trilogy in Readerville, and I really enjoyed it until toward the end, when I thought it not only went off the rails but also flew out of the asteroid belt. But a lot of participants adored the end and couldn't see it happening any other way. The opinions about that were really polarized, which was interesting. I'll be interested to hear how it strikes you.