mega thread What book are you reading?

[Dreambiscuit 9,575]

God Made the Violet Too: Life of Leonie, Sister of St. Therese.

What a great book! It clarifies so many details of Leonie’s life and personality, and delivers a rich documented biography of a kind, generous and devoted individual, who is now following on the path of her sister and parents toward her own canonization.

[donutmasterjoe 201]

I started reading Jurassic Park a few days ago. Want to read it completely before watching the first movie, which I didn't watch since I was ten or so. I'm enjoying the reading so far.

Edited May 19 by donutmasterjoe

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,967]

The Ideology of Democratism by Emily B. Finley.

It discusses Democracy (referred to as Democratism by the author) as a pseudo-religion that is willing to undermine the people's will in order to bring about what ought to be the people's will. That is, Democratism as being the opposite of what people would usually think of as Democracy.

[Shiny Silvermoon 3,614]

Spoiler

The integral of The Lord Of The Rings contained in one book! All three books in just one! Look at this THICK boy! It's french-translated and features maps and informations regarding the Hobbits! 

[Otaku-sempai 419]

My wife found a used copy of Alan Moore's novel Jerusalem. But it's been slow going. 

[ComanderZhabikKlavik 2,776]

Niccolo Machiavelli "The Prince".

 

[Fluttershutter 2,388]

After working my way through The Stormlight Archive(great but sooo long) this new Mistborn stuff just flies along.

[Tropical Melody 5,965]

Chindi by Jack McDevitt. Nearly finished!

 

 

[Dreambiscuit 9,575]

The Incorruptibles, by Joan Carroll Cruz. This is a really interesting book documenting the phenomenon of  incorruption of the bodies of many Catholic Saints even years after their death, despite harsh burial conditions, and how they differ from prepared mummies and naturally preserved bodies. A very interesting read.

[Denim&Venöm 18,578]

The Chase by Clive Cussler

Its a story that takes place in 1906, about a wealthy detective and his network of agents from Chicago, Denver and San Fransisco combing the still wild west in pursuit of a ruthless bank robber that uses all manner of disguises and train systems to escape his heists. And gun down each and every witness while he's at it. 

You wouldn't think gritty western heists and film noir style detectives would match up well, but this story makes it work. A bridging of two genres, two time periods in a fast paced (at the time) tech thriller. 

This is the type of book that'd make an excellent mini series. Do check it out. 

[Tropical Melody 5,965]

Philip K Dick - Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep 

 

[Arrlong28 664]

1001 nights, writer unknown. If you like fairytales, look for the original uncensored version.

[Starlight Serenade 2,943]

I have amassed a short list of political/historical books that I am planning to read after my finals are over in the middle of the week:

"Red Carpet (Hollywood, China, and the global battle for cultural supremacy)" by Erich Schwartzel

"The impossible state(North Korea, past and future)" by Victor Cha

"A History of Russia" by Riasanovsky and Steinberg - (Note: I noted in a previous post here that I was reading it months back, but had to stop for grad classes.)

"The beautiful country and the middle kingdom" (America and china, 1776 to the present) by John Pomfret

 

Now here are some of the LGBT+ novels that I was recently recommended online and planning to read soon as well. These two books are large collections of short stories by various LGBT+ authors:

"Color outside the Lines" by Sangu Mandanna

"All Out" by Saundra Mitchell

 

Another LGBT+ book that I recently completed was a novel called "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo. It was a good and interesting read.

[Tropical Melody 5,965]

A Fire Upon The Deep - Vernor Vinge, 1992.

 

[Crash_xox 259]

Does Hamlet count? I have to finish reading it soon because we're gonna preform it 3 months later.

[Starlight Serenade 2,943]

On 2024-07-01 at 8:06 PM, Starlight Serenade said:

I have amassed a short list of political/historical books that I am planning to read after my finals are over in the middle of the week:

"Red Carpet (Hollywood, China, and the global battle for cultural supremacy)" by Erich Schwartzel

"The impossible state(North Korea, past and future)" by Victor Cha

"A History of Russia" by Riasanovsky and Steinberg - (Note: I noted in a previous post here that I was reading it months back, but had to stop for grad classes.)

"The beautiful country and the middle kingdom" (America and china, 1776 to the present) by John Pomfret

 

Now here are some of the LGBT+ novels that I was recently recommended online and planning to read soon as well. These two books are large collections of short stories by various LGBT+ authors:

"Color outside the Lines" by Sangu Mandanna

"All Out" by Saundra Mitchell

 

Another LGBT+ book that I recently completed was a novel called "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" by Malinda Lo. It was a good and interesting read.

7/9/2024 Update:

Quick reviews on what I have read so far:

"Color outside the Lines" and "All Out" had fascinating fictional LGBT+ short stories that were unique. They remind me of why representation in literature is important. Some stories gave me more understanding on the plights of other sexualities. Great perspectives and varieties in different cultures and scenarios for stories. Both collections introduced me to more LGBT+ authors which makes me more excited to read down the line. There was also the first version of the previous book I mentioned here "Last Night at the Telegraph Club" as a short story in the collections, which was pretty cool as it was different than the final version. I recommend checking these out.

***The next several books below gave me a lot of perspective on other real world countries.

"Red Carpet" was pretty interesting. It gave lots of great perspective and examples on the influence China has on Hollywood and how it came to be. I enjoyed hearing the personal accounts of Chinese people trying to live in a place where their own government constantly censors what they consider is "safe" for the public viewing. Hearing some of these mandates and selective choices made by their country in regards to cenorship was disappointing at times to read. I had no idea that "Kung Fu Panda" really threw Chinese officials for a loop as they thought they were outsmarted by how ingenious it presented their national animal, the Panda and Chinese values. They thought the Americans were up to something and were questioning the producer if there were any ulterior motives.  I thought it was crazy how that specific movie was a motivating factor in why they passed huge legislation for the increased production of Chinese animated films to compete with other countries. That and the introduction of Disneyland, big blockbuster hits/franchises, and much more. The story of the monk at the monastery in the middle of nowhere that told them that he's watched Kung Fu Panda and loved it was funny. There was another quote that really hit me as well, but that's a bit more political at this time. Definitely recommend checking it out.

"A History of Russia" - great overview and in depth look at Russian history. There was much more to review, but way too much to write at the moment. I still recommend checking it out if you would like to learn more about Russia's history and some perspective on where they come from and their rationality on certain things. 

"The Impossible State" - comprehensive examination of North Korea’s history, culture, and politics, particularly under the rule of the Kim dynasty. The author, Victor Cha, was the former Director for Asian Affairs at the NSC and worked as an advisor to the president from 2004 to 2007. What really stood out to me were the personal accounts of human rights violations and much more behind the scenes that is not reported in the news. It was heart breaking and devastating to read. I cannot emphasis how bad it was nor could I ever write some of that stuff here. Victor Cha provides an excellent background and behind the scenes look at American foreign policy towards NK as well. Cha provides a comprehensive list of sources/references, which allows for more thorough analysis and discussion. Highly recommend checking this out if you want to learn more about North Korea.

*Currently in the middle of reading "The beautiful country and the middle kingdom" (America and china, 1776 to the present) by John Pomfret* - Though I can give a short review. Pomfret provides an extensive history of the intricate and influential relationship between the United States and China, from 1776 to the present day(hence the title). The book explores the cultural exchange, trade, and periods of conflict between the two nations, highlighting the deep historical ties and the cycles of mutual fascination and antagonism. So far it has provided a interesting comparison between Americans and Chinese experiences in both countries and how they influenced each other's growth. I am reminded of the rich and complex relationship between both countries and how it shares that overlap in topic with "Red Carpet" which I read earlier.

 

I keep getting reminded that whenever I get into reading, I really get into binging books XD

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9 by Starlight Serenade

[Sir Hugsalot 9,189]

I am currently reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I love how the novel is constructed as instead of one storyline going forward, it's 7 pilgrims who go towards planet Hyperion for their journey to mythical creature known as The Shrike telling their stories about how were they chosen for the pilgrimage in the first place.

I love how this book tries to remain somewhat scientifically accurate (for example by taking into account that interstellar travel takes a lot of time and time tends to flow differently depending on location. Hyperion itself is the weirdest planet I've ever heard about with "fun" things like tesla trees that occasionally zap everything around them, effectively causing large fires. The apparent "villains" - Ousters, humans who ventured away from "original" human civilization and grew in zero-G environments evolved into beings anatomically different from humans as obviously their bodies needed to withstand different challenges to regular human beings.

I also really appreciate the prose, which is rich, with lots of new words I get to learn. There was a lot of care put into it which makes wording of the book alone incredibly entertaining c: 

[StarHeart333 1,763]

I'm reading Darkly dreaming of Dexter

Edited July 9 by Reiki Knight 13

[Otaku-sempai 419]

22 minutes ago, Sir Hugsalot said:

I am currently reading Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I love how the novel is constructed as instead of one storyline going forward, it's 7 pilgrims who go towards planet Hyperion for their journey to mythical creature known as The Shrike telling their stories about how were they chosen for the pilgrimage in the first place.

I love how this book tries to remain somewhat scientifically accurate (for example by taking into account that interstellar travel takes a lot of time and time tends to flow differently depending on location. Hyperion itself is the weirdest planet I've ever heard about with "fun" things like tesla trees that occasionally zap everything around them, effectively causing large fires. The apparent "villains" - Ousters, humans who ventured away from "original" human civilization and grew in zero-G environments evolved into beings anatomically different from humans as obviously their bodies needed to withstand different challenges to regular human beings.

I also really appreciate the prose, which is rich, with lots of new words I get to learn. There was a lot of care put into it which makes wording of the book alone incredibly entertaining c: 

So...The Canterbury Tales on an alien world? 

[Luna the Great of all the Russias 2,967]

I am reading Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn's The Menace of the Herd or Procrustes at Large.

He discusses the herdist mentality where man is increasingly reduced to a mere quantitative entity; notions of equality and democracy reduces man to the lowest common denominator, and are contrary to the notion of liberty. Some of what he writes reminds me of ideas from other intellectuals, such as Guénon's idea of modernity being the reduction of everything to quantity (as opposed to elevation to quality); de Jouvenel's idea of the high-low middle mechanism, and that liberty is an aristocratic value; and Spengler's distinction between culture and civilization.

[Sir Hugsalot 9,189]

On 2024-07-09 at 6:00 PM, Otaku-sempai said:

So...The Canterbury Tales on an alien world? 

Pretty much that. To be honest I did not get to read The Canterbury Tales myself, but it is one comparison that appears in a lot of reviews of Hyperion. Seeing how common it is I presume that it's simply true  

Overall definitely a book worthy of reading. 

[Fluttershutter 2,388]

2 hours ago, Sir Hugsalot said:

Pretty much that. To be honest I did not get to read The Canterbury Tales myself, but it is one comparison that appears in a lot of reviews of Hyperion. Seeing how common it is I presume that it's simply true  

Overall definitely a book worthy of reading. 

Yeah, the format was based on The Canterbury Tales. I loved Hyperion but the sequel wasn't nearly as good. Tell us what you think of it.

Then I think the other two books, which happen further in the future, are great too.

[Finding_Marty 720]

Still looking for time to finish this amazing book. It is my 2nd attempt since I stopped reading this in the middle and then I felt like I want to read it from the begging. It's quite amazing how far we've come with the medicine and how it looked like only 150 years ago. Got some other Jürgen's books (The triumpf of the surgery) but I feel like I am really bad with time organazing... Anyway, the book tells the story how the surgeries looked like before antimicrobals and general anasthesia were discovered or it acctually describes the events when it is being discovered and how it effects the world. This book is a blast and I can recommend it to everyone, no matter if you are interested in medicine or not

[Usual Crypty 4,684]

Well, Dante's La Divina Comedia with illustrations of Dore.

Actually I have two copies, one is fancy album version, second one is very old book from library which probably does not exist anymore, much more handy to read in a bed.

The hard reading. I enjoyed it at first, but farther - harder.

[Finding_Marty 720]

I sometimes feel like a barbarian because I have never read Dante's Divine Comedy and I can imagine it's not easy. My guess is you need to be focused and have some knowledge about the medieval world to enjoy it...