What are you reading right now? Showing 2,151-2,200 of 2,326

[Jan]

just finished Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America, recommend, and just started Seveneves

[Tracy]

I finished GO SET A WATCHMAN.

[Richard]

Tracy wrote: "I finished GO SET A WATCHMAN."

And?

[Tracy]

Richard wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I finished GO SET A WATCHMAN."

And?"

It feels unedited. I'm glad I read it, as it probably gives another side to the kids' story, but TKAM is a much better book. The narration in particular could use a good scrubbing. The voice is not as good.

As to the racist stuff published about Atticus' harsher views, it seemed cherry-picked. His positions on race are more nuanced than MSM presented. I would say he was not presented as a raging card-carrying KKK member, with neither violence or hatred in his blood, but he was patronizing. I did a review, if you're interested in more detail.

[Richard]

KL: A History of the Nazi Concentration Camps - no idea what pulled me towards this but I'm 100 pages in and it's fascinating and horrifying in equal measure

[Jan]

My review of Seveneves I got a little long winded..... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Olivia "So many books--so little time.""]

Currently I'm reading The Gods of Newport by John Jakes, It's about a man and his daughter who want to break into Newport society. So far it has been very good.

[Tracy]

I am reading The Road To Purification: Hustlers, Hassles & Hash

Fast fun. Set in Egypt.

[Heather]

Reading The Handmaid's Tale; I think this may be one of the better books I've read in quite some time.

[Tracy]

Heather wrote: "Reading The Handmaid's Tale; I think this may be one of the better books I've read in quite some time."

Great book.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

The Coffee Trader is the name of the book I am reading right now. It's a historical novel, and so far I am liking it. It hasn't grabbed me by the throat and not let go, but it keeps drawing me back to it.

[Richard]

Consumed - half way in and I'm beyond hooked. Had a while off reading being way too busy at work and home but picked this up on a whim at the weekend and I've been swallowed by it since. If you know Cronenberg as a director you'll know what's coming - disease, sensuality, venereal issues, cannibalism, techno horror and lust, alienation

Better than jg ballad or delilo. This is a gorgeous slice of modern life and it's repugnant underbelly

[Jennifer]

I am re-reading The Silver Metal Lover. I might just spend the winter re-reading all the books I read 20-30 years ago. It will be fun.

[Jan]

just finished My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Richard]

A Brief History of Time - I fancied feeling cosmically insignificant so thought I'd finally read this. I now feel utterly redundant in the universe but fuck it's a beautiful feeling

[Jennifer]

I finished Xenogenesis. AMAZING. Now reading The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I'm reading The Waking Engine, and colour me impressed! I was expecting a fairly standard fantasy genre piece, but the writing is really elegant, and it's got some nice deep ideas in it. Plus, there's a gay male lead, without that fact being a major plot element, which is nice.

[Richard]

Ruby wrote: "I'm reading The Waking Engine, and colour me impressed! I was expecting a fairly standard fantasy genre piece, but the writing is really elegant, and it's got some nice deep ideas i..."

I loved the Netflix show Sense8 for that, gay and transgender leads in a perfectly normal way. They simply were the characters rather than the usual gay friend sidekicks

The worlds growing up. If I ever get any time to read I'll look out for this

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Richard wrote: "Ruby wrote: "I'm reading The Waking Engine, and colour me impressed! I was expecting a fairly standard fantasy genre piece, but the writing is really elegant, and it's got some nic..."

Oh cool - I've just started chromecasting, and I've seen that show and wasn't sure about it. Will give it a go now.

[Richard]

Ruby wrote: "Richard wrote: "Ruby wrote: "I'm reading The Waking Engine, and colour me impressed! I was expecting a fairly standard fantasy genre piece, but the writing is really elegant, and it..."

It's big silly high concept nonsense but the gay and transgender characters are simply gay and transgender, rather then high camp and shock value gay and transgender

Anansi Boys - not convinced just yet but hopeful

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Richard wrote: "Consumed - half way in and I'm beyond hooked. Had a while off reading being way too busy at work and home but picked this up on a whim at the weekend and I've been swallowed by it s..."

SOLD! I must have.. that.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Richard wrote: "Anansi Boys - not convinced just yet but hopeful "

Yeah, it's no American Gods. Lacks the depth.

[Richard]

Ruby wrote: "Richard wrote: "Consumed - half way in and I'm beyond hooked. Had a while off reading being way too busy at work and home but picked this up on a whim at the weekend and I've been s..."

Curious to hear your thoughts. It's very cronenberg

[Marc]

Close to finishing The First Bad Man--such a bizarrely fantastic story with one of the most unique voices I've read all year.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Have just finished The Waking Engine and loved it. Review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've just started One Foot Wrong which has an interesting voice, so we'll see how it pans out.

[Richard]

They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper

Oh wow. The man who made Withnail and I skewing Victorian England and writing in rage and humour about who Jack the Ripper really was and the cover up to keep him active

Very excited

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I finished One Foot Wrong which was good, but probably more of a 3.5 than a 4 on the Ruby Scale, I think. Interesting POV though. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've started on Railsea as it's been so long since I read any Mieville. It's nice to be "back"!

[Jennifer]

Richard wrote: "They All Love Jack: Busting the Ripper

Oh wow. The man who made Withnail and I skewing Victorian England and writing in rage and humour about who Jack the Ripper really was and the..."


Loved that film.

[Tracy]

I am reading The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter: fantastic writing.The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. It manages to be both over the top in imagery, yet it pulls you in. These are reworked "adult" fairy tales...you know the stories but you're not sure how they will end, much to Ms. Carter's credit. I'm almost finished with it. I found it from a list Salmon Rushdie recommended of lesser known masterpieces.

[Melissa]

Hey everyone! I'm new here. I just finished the first issue of a literary e-zine called Horror Hooligans: Girls Rock Horror Harder. It's a collection of horror-themed short stories and poetry written by female authors. Some stories were definitely better than others, but all in all, it was extremely fun to read!

Currently, I am reading The Stupidest Angel: A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror by Christopher Moore. It's labeled as the third installment of his Pine Cove books, but it works perfectly fine as a stand-alone novel. Moore's books are usually a huge hit or a complete miss with me. This one is definitely a hitter.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Melissa wrote: "Hey everyone! I'm new here. ..."

Welcome, Melissa :)

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Tracy wrote: "I found it from a list Salmon Rushdie recommended of lesser known masterpieces. ..."

I think we have a section for posting lists like that if you can find the link? I'm kinda curious now!

[Tracy]

Ruby wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I found it from a list Salmon Rushdie recommended of lesser known masterpieces. ..."

I think we have a section for posting lists like that if you can find the link? I'm kinda curious..."

Oh, sorry, Ruby..it was so long ago..let me try to google it? I'm pretty skeptical about finding it..

[Tracy]

Ruby wrote: "Tracy wrote: "I found it from a list Salmon Rushdie recommended of lesser known masterpieces. ..."

I think we have a section for posting lists like that if you can find the link? I'm kinda curious..."

This isn't the exact list, but it's kinda like?? You probably know some of them already.

http://theweek.com/articles/576408/sa...

[Jilly]

Melissa wrote: "Hey everyone! I'm new here. I just finished the first issue of a literary e-zine called Horror Hooligans: Girls Rock Horror Harder. It's a collection of horror-themed short stories ..."

The stupidest angel is definitely going on my to-read list!

I'm finally getting around to Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. I'm liking it -- the concept is certainly unique -- but I wish the photos looked like they made sense with the story. Without spoiling anything, the kids in most of the pictures are clearly late 19th or early 20th century, but they're supposed to be from the 30s and 40s?

...AND now you know about my OCD.

[Manab]

Reading Jitterbug Perfume. Should have believed the warnings. This book is crammed with beets. Beets in every second line. Sometimes, in every line.

[Melissa]

Ruby wrote: "Melissa wrote: "Hey everyone! I'm new here. ..."

Welcome, Melissa :)"

Thanks Ruby!

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Tracy wrote: "This isn't the exact list, but it's kinda like?? You probably know some of them already. ..."

It's nice to see Riddley Walker on there. One of my all-time faves.

[Marc]

That's a pretty great list, Tracy!

Jilly, if you can get past your OCD, the series actually gets better with the second and final books (I just finished Library of Souls).

[Jilly]

Good to know. I think I'll be fine--the story itself is really fun--I'm just that annoying person who reads a book and is like "but that's not how things WERE. :)

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I finished Railsea today and loved it. Review here if you're interested: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've started on Total Chaos but totally by accident. I was intending to read the first page or so to get a feel for whether I was in the mood for it or not, and before i knew it, I was on page 35. I'm not saying it was riveting or anything, just that I kinda vagued out!

Now I'm deciding whether to just keep going with it (it's fairly short) or to go straight onto what I really feel like reading right now - American Elsewhere. I just wish the latter wasn't so damn long, and thus such a big commitment.

[Whitney]

I haven't read any Mieville in a long time. Railsea is now definitely at the top of the Mieville list.

I've got a couple good ones on the go. Ana Kai Tangata: Tales of the Outer the Other the Damned and the Doomed is a book of weird horror short fiction with unique and really well drawn settings and characters. It was originally given to me by a friend of the author, and I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to struggle for nice things to say but ended up loving it.

The other is A Brief History of Seven Killings, which so far is living up to the hype.

[Jilly]

Whitney, I'd love to know what you think about "A Brief History" once you've finished it. Someone I was talking to compared it to Ulysses and I immediately became terrified of it...or more just terrified that I'd be unable to get much out of it without a college professor teaching it ;)

[Whitney]

Jilly wrote: "Whitney, I'd love to know what you think about "A Brief History" once you've finished it. Someone I was talking to compared it to Ulysses and I immediately became terrified of it...or more just ter..."

It's a book that takes some effort, but definitely not Ulysses level of effort. There are a lot of characters, but the list in the beginning helps keep them straight. Many of them speak in Jamaican patois, which isn't that hard to understand in context. The narrators also speak in stream of consciousness, but one that stays focused on the story rather than drifting all over the place in a Joycean fugue of obscure cultural and personal references.

You are getting bits of an unfolding story from the different characters / chapters, so it does require paying attention to details. Finally, a little bit of background on Jamaican politics and the events leading up to the Smile Jamaica concert help, but I don't think you need much more than what can be gleaned from a few Wikipedia pages. There is a lot of violence, but none of it gratuitous.

All that being said, I've only read 10% of the book.

[Jilly]

That all sounds very interesting--and much more manageable than Ulysses.

Seriously, comparisons to that, or Finnegan's Wake, usually send me running for the hills. I'm willing to work a little for a book, but not so hard that my brain bleeds and spills out my ears...

[Whitney]

I think reviewers like to compare things to Ulysses to make themselves feel smarter :-) A Brief History is a very accessible book, it's just not one that can be lightly skimmed.

[Jilly]

Phew. Going on my to-read shelf ASAP!

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

Whitney wrote: "I think reviewers like to compare things to Ulysses to make themselves feel smarter :-) A Brief History is a very accessible book, it's just not one that can be lightly skimmed."

Yeah - I bought myself a copy for my birthday, but I know it's going to be a big commitment, so I'm getting a couple of others out of the way first. Might handle that one over christmas/new years I'm thinking!

[[deleted user]]

Sand by Robert Drewe

A gap filler.

[Ruby , Mistress of Chaos]

I've finished Total Chaos, but yet to write a review, partly because of what happened in Paris over the weekend. Some of the points I wanted to write about are just a bit too close to the bone right now.

I've started American Elsewhere which I got totally immersed in, right off the bat. I knew there was something that was drawing me to that book! It's a good for one for snuggling into - like vintage Stephen King or Clive Barker.