Thread: What are you reading?

Right now I'm reading Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood. I've been on a Brandon Sanderson kick otherwise: just finished Alloy of Steel, which is a Mistborn sequel set in a Western/Steampunk era of that world's future, and a while ago I finished the Graphic Audio production of Elantris (9/10 zombies and royal intrigue, 1/10 Dragon Ball Z). In a way Sanderson's works are really derivative, but they're derivative of a rather unusual mash-up of influences. The Mistborn series, for instance, was certainly fantasy, but it was a closer relation to Full Metal Alchemist than Tolkien.

I also wrapped up a BBC radio play, The Water Babies, last night, and it was pretty cool--a straight up fairy tale in a Dickensian setting (protagonist is a child chimney sweep). I'm thinking the next audiobook on my plate will be Ringworld. I just started the Murakami, but the new Stephen King is probably up after that. I may sprinkle some postmodern philosophy in the midst of all that, as I've really been enjoying the articles over on the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy and, to a lesser extent, Wikipedia.

Im currently reading the second book in the Codex Alera by Jim Butcher titled Academ's Fury. This series is easier to read than lotr or ASOIF but it is also still quite entertaining. Im really in to fantasy books. Trying to think of some recommendations to put on my christmas list, anywone want to fire me some?

The above mentioned Brandon Sanderson is about the best thing going in fantasy right now, at least until Rothfuss finishes The Kingkiller Chronicles. Either Elantris or the Mistborn trilogy would be a good place to start.

Originally Posted by Saturos

I just finished Inheritance, and it was fucking great.

It was very amazing! I'm sad the series is over. If only they had done justice with the movie, we'd still have a little part of it left.


I am currently reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. It's about the Mormon faith. My friend at school was reading it, so I asked to borrow it when he finished. It is actually pretty interesting. After that I am going to dive into the Alex Rider series again. I recently discovered a few weeks ago that there has been 2 or so new books since I last read them.

As of now, I'm reading this thread. haha Just fooling around, anyways, I'm reading "Touch Me Not" by Jose Rizal.

Right now I'm in the middle of the dark tower series by stephen king. It's pretty.... EPIC

Acacia by David Anthony Durham. I wanted something similar to the a song of ice and fire series, it's not as good yet but I've only just started reading.

A few things at the moment.

Started yesterday This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Same feel as The Great Gatsby which is wonderful. The decadence and excess of the 20s is done perfectly, as always.

Oliver Twist by Dickens... Dickens is my favorite author but really struggling with this one. About half way through and the plot is still boring and predictable. Dickens has a thing for little perfect orphan boys. The mary sue of victorian era literature.

and finished that stupid eragon book - inheritance. regrettably started the series and had to find out how it ended. the whole series felt like an exercise in "stuff in as many fantasy story tropes as possible" and this book was no different. The ending was so contrived and forced I spent hours vomiting black bile and bone.

This book is brilliant. It sort of intellectualizes a lot of Buddhist ideas as well even though it comes from a person who wasn't educated in Buddhism. There are of course some parts which aren't in line with Buddhism.

I've been re-reading a lot of things lately. For the past few days I re-read the novel "Santa and Pete" by Christopher Moore and Pamela Johnson, which is a really interesting look at the historical origins of various Christmas traditions and how traditions and cultures move from place to place. I'm also in the middle of re-reading "House of Leaves" by Mark Z. Danielewski. Although it's still a delicious mindfuck, it's kinda disappointing re-reading because I know what's coming up. Still fun to read, though.

right now: "analysing institutional strategies for environmental policy integration: the case of EU enterprise policy" by Julia Hertin & Frans Berkhout

Mein Kampf- Adolf Hitler

Inspiring stuff.

I finally read The Kite Runner. Pretty good, slightly stereotypical but very interesting nonetheless.

I just finished the final book in the Fablehaven series. Yeah I have a thing for Fantasies. Tomorrow I am gonna start Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel.

Finished that Hitler-

-Onwards to TERRA NOSTRA

Somewhat daunting

Wrapped up Norwegian Wood and Ringworld on the same day this week, then moved on to Stephen King's 11/22/63 and started Altered Carbon on audio, but the latter doesn't sound too promising based on the opening.

Started, but dropped due to boredom.

Originally Posted by Taosaur

Wrapped up Norwegian Wood and Ringworld on the same day this week, then moved on to Stephen King's 11/22/63 and started Altered Carbon on audio, but the latter doesn't sound too promising based on the opening.

I finished Norwegian Wood recently too, I really enjoyed it. Have you read anything else by Haruki Murakami? I've also read Kafka on the Shore and After Dark.

I'm currently reading A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I got the complete Sherlock collection for £5 on amazon. Also reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Originally Posted by LbV

I recently finished Norwegian Wood and really enjoyed it, how are you liking it so far? Have you read anything else by Haruki Murakmi?

NW is one of my favorite Murakami novels, try The Elephant Vanishes, it is a collection of some of his short stories.

Right now I'm reading The Tell-Tale Brain by VS Ramachandran; its a culmination of his work in neuroscience in the past couple decades. I'm also skimming through a book I got for xmas, The Collected works of William James.

Originally Posted by LbV

I finished Norwegian Wood recently too, I really enjoyed it. Have you read anything else by Haruki Murakami? I've also read Kafka on the Shore and After Dark.

I actually traded in the Altered Carbon audiobook for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle this morning, and apparently I've started the audiobook before, because I remembered the whole first 2-3 scenes, but I don't know where it's going, so I must not have gotten far beyond that point. But yeah, I've also read KotS and listened to Dance, Dance, Dance. Norwegian Wood was really good, but I think D,D,D is still my favorite. KotS was an interesting ride, but I think my experience of it was colored by just having read Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveller..., which to this day is my favorite novel and pretty much the peak of absurdist magical realism. KotS looked a bit tame and contrived in its wake, though again, still a good read.

Of all his stuff I've read, KotS seemed the most like a Tom Robbins book, and I'm not a fan of Tom Robbins. Wind-up Bird has that same flavor, though a lot more atmosphere than the couple of Robbins books I've started and one I've read (Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas). I'm thinking it won't be one of my favorites.

ETA: 1Q84 is on my reader ready to go, but got displaced by first Norwegian Wood, then the new Stephen King (which is widely reported as his best in a decade or so, and definitely has my attention).

Originally Posted by stormcrow

NW is one of my favorite Murakami novels, try The Elephant Vanishes, it is a collection of some of his short stories.

Originally Posted by Taosaur

I actually traded in the Altered Carbon audiobook for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle this morning, and apparently I've started the audiobook before, because I remembered the whole first 2-3 scenes, but I don't know where it's going, so I must not have gotten far beyond that point. But yeah, I've also read KotS and listened to Dance, Dance, Dance. Norwegian Wood was really good, but I think D,D,D is still my favorite. KotS was an interesting ride, but I think my experience of it was colored by just having read Italo Calvino's If on a Winter's Night a Traveller..., which to this day is my favorite novel and pretty much the peak of absurdist magical realism. KotS looked a bit tame and contrived in its wake, though again, still a good read.

I have really gotten into Murakami's style and I recieved Dance, Dance, Dance, Hard-Boiled Wonder and the End of the World and South of the Border, West of the Sun for christmas. So I have a lot to keep me going. I'll have to look up If on a Winter's Night a Traveller, sounds like it could be my kind of thing.

I've also got Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, Nausea by Jean-Paul Satree, the Watchmen graphic novel and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer to read, books just tend to pile up for me. I buy/recieve them faster than I can read them.

You might want to start with something else by Calvino, or Traveler may just be incomprehensible. For novels, The Baron in the Trees won't blow your mind, but it's a good starting point. Cosmicomics and T-zero (short stories about the origins of the universe told in the first person) would probably be the best preparation.