What are you reading now?

[klr]

I'm reading a collection of short stories by Roald Dahl. I had no idea he wrote anything besides kid's books. Either way, as famous as he is, I've never read anything at all by him. So far I'm really enjoying this book. He's got a great sense of humor, and there's always an unexpected twist at the end of each story. What's interesting is that the stories conclude well enough, but there's a lot left unsaid or unexplained. In one story, for instance, the main character finds out he's been cheated, tricked into giving up his daughter's hand in marriage from a bet he thought was a sure thing. He gets very very angry, we gather from his wife's admonishments to watch his temper...but that's it. That's the end. We don't know if he killed the guy who tried to cheat him or what. I suppose Dahl felt it was either irrelevant, or better left to the reader's imagination

They filmed a lot of them in a TV show - Tales of the Unexpected. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_of_the_Unexpected_(TV_series)

Well worth getting hold of if you are into that kind of thing - especially the early seasons.

The one about *** CENSORED *** was particularly good.

I could actually tell you who the episode in question was about, but then the surprise would be gone, wouldn't it?

[Taryn]

I've been reading a series of books by Naomi Novik called the Temeraire series. It's all about dragons during the Napoleonic wars..........sounds weird but they are really good.

http://www.temeraire.org/index.cgi

[The Mad Hatter]

Well I'm sure if you were as tall as Napoleon you'd think there were dragons everywhere too.

[JimC]

I've been reading a series of books by Naomi Novik called the Temeraire series. It's all about dragons during the Napoleonic wars..........sounds weird but they are really good.

http://www.temeraire.org/index.cgi

I've read them too - I agree, weird but good is a fair description.

[Pappa]

New Scientist #2744

[JimC]

New Scientist #2744

Won't get that till tomorrow in the colonies...

(I claim my purchases of New Scientist every year for a tax rebate, as a necessary tool of the trade for a science teacher. I think gin should also be in this category...)

[Pappa]

New Scientist #2744

Won't get that till tomorrow in the colonies...

(I claim my purchases every year for a tax rebate, as a necessary tool of the trade for a science teacher. I think gin should also be in this category...)

Actually, it's the week before's that I'm reading. I seem to have a backlog of New Scientists and books.... I blame the iPhone. Ever since I got the damn thing I can't stop fiddling with it. It encroaches on my reading time.

[JimC]

Pappa wrote:

Ever since I got the damn thing I can't stop fiddling with it.

The curse of every man-child ever born...

[Pappa]

Pappa wrote:

Ever since I got the damn thing I can't stop fiddling with it.

The curse of every man-child ever born...

Why would god provide man with such a pleasantly addictive toy, and then tell him to leave it alone or it'll drop off and make his hands go hairy?

[tattuchu]

I'm reading by George: A Novel from Wesley Stace (also known as the singer John Wesley-Harding). It's about a ventriloquist, as told from the dummy's point of view. Although of course the dummy doesn't like to be referred to as a dummy. Anyway, I'm halfway through the book, and I'm finding it an enjoyable read.

[Bella Fortuna]

Currently reading:



And I just got the 4 books I got with some Xmas gift cards, so I have a few things to move on to.

[leo-rcc]

Currently reading:

I really enjoy his shows on Discovery channel.

[The Mad Hatter]

Book title... so many jokes! *Choke*

[JimC]

Book title... so many jokes! *Choke*

How Deep in the Throat was the bone?

[Animavore]

I'm listening to an audiobook of Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine which is basically about Milton Friedman and his doctrine of capitalism.
The book is as shocking and apparently well researched. Unfortunately there are no references with the audiobook but according to Wiki at least 2 proponents of disaster capitalism complained about bias in her book and she owned the 2 of them and they said nothing more.
Like when I read John Pilger's books a few years ago I'm left thinking what a bunch of bastards American Conservatives are. In fact I should read more of this stuff because I forget at times. I think more documentaries of this stuff should be out there too. What they done in South America and Iran is unforgivable and then Americans wonder why people bash them (besides, of course, the Americans that are bashing them from the inside).
To think that they're just over-throwing governments and putting in dictators who will cut public funding and forgo nationalizing services so that foreign (read American and some European) businesses can come in and privatize everything with the promise of creating wealth in the long run only to suck the country dry before fucking off somewhere else ("like a cocaine junky they need to go off and find the next hit") is absolutely immoral and scary. They turned Chile, a country which had a peaceful democracy with a strong currency for 140 years before Pinochet, into a brutal dictatorial regime which became bankrupt in less than 20.
If you haven't read this book yet its well worth the read. I'm only half way through it but I suspect the worst is yet to come.

[Gawdzilla]

Just finished Stranger in a Strange Land. Now I'm reading The Mote in God's Eye.

[Don't Panic]

Just finished Stranger in a Strange Land

I read that recently, the extended version that came out in the nineties, it was good, read a load more Heinlein after that, re-reading a lot of the stuff I read as a teen, Moon is a harsh mistress, tunnel in the sky, time enough for love, the cat who could walk through walls, and a few I hadn't read before, Glory road, Starship troopers, got a few more on my Ipod still to read but have moved on to Frank Herbert for the moment, re reading all the Dune books, on Book 4 now, God emperor of Dune,

[AshtonBlack]

"Accelerando" by Charles Stross. It's a collection of short sci-fi stories dealing with a multi generational family.
Heavy Sci-fi. Starting roughly 10 years from now. 8/10. Brilliant Ideas.

[Ameri Boi]

I'm listening to an audiobook of Naomi Klein's The Shock Doctrine which is basically about Milton Friedman and his doctrine of capitalism.
The book is as shocking and apparently well researched. Unfortunately there are no references with the audiobook but according to Wiki at least 2 proponents of disaster capitalism complained about bias in her book and she owned the 2 of them and they said nothing more.
Like when I read John Pilger's books a few years ago I'm left thinking what a bunch of bastards American Conservatives are. In fact I should read more of this stuff because I forget at times. I think more documentaries of this stuff should be out there too. What they done in South America and Iran is unforgivable and then Americans wonder why people bash them (besides, of course, the Americans that are bashing them from the inside).
To think that they're just over-throwing governments and putting in dictators who will cut public funding and forgo nationalizing services so that foreign (read American and some European) businesses can come in and privatize everything with the promise of creating wealth in the long run only to suck the country dry before fucking off somewhere else ("like a cocaine junky they need to go off and find the next hit") is absolutely immoral and scary. They turned Chile, a country which had a peaceful democracy with a strong currency for 140 years before Pinochet, into a brutal dictatorial regime which became bankrupt in less than 20.
If you haven't read this book yet its well worth the read. I'm only half way through it but I suspect the worst is yet to come.

I bought it shortly after it came out(I love hardcovers), and I fell in love with it; reading it wherever I went, at school, bus stops, while walking, etc. I used to quote it often but other books took my fancy(plus I never finished the last chapter....a part of me doesn't want it to die)

[Ameri Boi]

[JimC]

I read it the year it came out, when I was doing an honours year in evolutionary biology...

Good to see it is still being read...

[Darkchilde]

I am reading Kathy Reichs' Deja Dead. This is the first book with forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, that sparked the show Bones. However, between the character in the book and the TV show there is a huge chasm.

[Lozzer]

I read it the year it came out, when I was doing an honours year in evolutionary biology...

Good to see it is still being read...

Really? Becayse I found it quite faggy.

I loved the first half but then it became really tedious reading. But I think that applies to all Dawkins' books

[leo-rcc]

I loved the first half but then it became really tedious reading. But I think that applies to all Dawkins' books

I tend to agree.

[Sisifo]

I loved the first half but then it became really tedious reading. But I think that applies to all Dawkins' books

I tend to agree.

Similar feeling, but with every chapter. He overstretches the lenght of the chapters spiraling around an idea already transmited in the first 2 pages. Good essayist, bad writer.