what are you reading?

[Josh]

Recently finished Suttree, by Cormac McCarthy, First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong, by James R. Hansen, One Man's Wilderness (50th Anniversary Ed.) by Dick Proenneke.

Currently reading Fighters in the Shadows: A New History of the French Resistance by Robert Gildea and Kim, by Kipling.

[renfield]

Finna dig into this shortly

[giantchris]

It's been awhile since i've dropped in this thread but I know a lot of you guys like fantasy/sci fi so I wanted to share.

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/38608575-the-quantum-magician
^^^^
This is an excellent and fun book.

https://www.marthawells.com/murderbot.htm
^^^^
Despite the incredibly stupid name the Murderbot diaries is one of the best new sci-fi series I've read, EXTREMELY entertaining and very funny.  Lots of good action and the main character is basically a security android who becomes self aware who becomes obsessed with soap operas and watching schlocky TV and is trying to hide being self-aware so he doesn't get erased. 

[renfield]

Thanks man

[renfield]

Stephenson's latest is one of his best. What a fuckin ride. Unfortunately it is also his most self-referential and so you should read The Baroque Cycle, Cryptonomicon, and Reamde first.

[RAGER]

I used to read non stop. Usually a Yale books going. Then about 8 years ago I abruptly stopped. Until now. No idea why I haven't read this already but I'm just finishing Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. Fucking love it.

Not sure you'd enjoy it much if you've never worked in a kitch or you're not into food.

[Pissy]

Rob Halford- Confess (audiobook).  It's pretty good.

[neighbor664]

The Steve Gorman book "Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of the Black Crowes" is a really great rock memoir.

[Pissy]

I might pick that up. I like listening to him talk.

Got Jeff Tweedy's How To Write One Song.  So far it reads like a self starter inspiration, but not very far into it.  Also got his memiors with Wilco Let's Go (So We Can Get Back).  Haven't started it yet. 

[Baron]

Adrift - Steven Callahan

[Pissy]

Reading Stephen King's It now.  I'd never read... um It before.  It's a slog getting through the character development and man, the introspective details he's so famous for, I'm all get on with it. 

[Adam]

Huh, never knew this forum, let alone thread, existed. Looks dead so I guess I might quickly forget it ever existed....but n the meantime, guess I will contribute.

Reading the The Dog Stars by Peter Heller. The 3rd book I have read from him, all of which are good. This one is a pre-pandemic book but about a flu that wipes out civilization, minus a few lone survivors. Similar in theme to his post=pandemic books I have read (The Guide, The River). Unique writing style, like he's generally a poet who started writing novels or something...I know that makes it sound crappy, but it definitely isn't.

[renfield]

just finished The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

I keep starting books without having finished others, a recent habit. I started these all before Ministry:
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson <-- normally I devour his books but this one's pretty weak in my opinion
Worm on a Hook by Vern
Pacific Edge by Kim Stanley Robinson

[Pissy]

Just finished Steve Gorman's Life and Death Of The Black Crowes.  Enjoyed it.  Listened to the audiobook while reading the Kindle and the Big Brother aspect would pick up where I left off of the other.  Kinda cool and alarming at tge same time. 

Anyways, hearing him speak about all that stuff gets across the feeling of the tumultuousness very well.  To the point that his tell all can come off as something close to but not quite petty.  Bitchy I guess. 

But I never had to deal with the Robinson brothers either.  I did meet Johnny Colt once.  Seemed like a good guy. 

I think the high point for me was to hear hom tell of Jimmy Page getting turned down for offering to help Rich write some stuff.  Dude was all "No thanks, me and Chris have tons of stuff.  No need to have Jimmy Page contribute anything ".   

[Adam]

Finished The Dog Stars, probably my least favorite of the novels I have now read from Peter Heller. Decent book, for sure, and maybe if I read it prior to The River and The Guide I would have enjoyed it more. But those other books followed the same writing style, story type, and are improved versions...so going backwards might not have been the best approach.

Just started The Escape by David Baldacci. 3rd book of a series with the John Puller character and storyline. Straight up popcorn novel, but I have enjoyed the 2 books prior to this.

[Adam]

just finished The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

I keep starting books without having finished others, a recent habit. I started these all before Ministry:
The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson <-- normally I devour his books but this one's pretty weak in my opinion
Worm on a Hook by Vern
Pacific Edge by Kim Stanley Robinson

The moment I open another book, I will never return to the book I had been reading.

[Adam]

Now onto some non-fiction, The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer by Dean Jobb.

[Adam]

The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream was fair, wouldn't recommend it. Now reading The Atomic Anna, by Rachel Barenbaum. I read another book of hers earlier this year, A Bend in the Stars, which I enjoyed a lot more than I expected to, so have high hopes for this one, which is her most recent novel.

[Adam]

Atomic Anna was good, but not as enjoyable as A Bend in the Stars.

Now reading a book my sister must have given to me maybe 15 years ago that I never got to, The Skull Mantra by Eliot Pattison. It's been a way slower read than I expected it to be, even as I read it it feels like it should read much faster than it is.

[Adam]

Finally made it through The Skull Mantras, which while I did enjoy it was an incredibly slow read. Now onto The Force by Don Winslow.