What are you currently reading?

[avatar! | 1,927]

13 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Blah.  Nonstop, boring proselytizing, theorizing, moralizing.  Now I know why I gave up on it as a kid.

It's interesting just how influential the book is, but like you, I could not get into it. Admittedly when the book came out there really wasn't anything like it, and so today we're more likely to think "power suits? mechs? that's not new!" but of course Heinlein basically is the father of mechs. and back then it was new. Still, the book with it's plusses and minuses just bored me. Probably does not help that I strongly disagree with much of Heinlein's militaristic philosophy. Well, I slowly did get through it, but I would never read it again. Stranger in a Strange Land is so much better.

Also, I HIGHLY recommend reading The Forever War -- it's basically Joe Haldeman's response to Heinlein. Interestingly enough both Haldeman and Heinlein were in the military, and both have very different viewpoints. I tend to agree with Haldeman, and arguably even more importantly, The Forever War is just a wonderful read -- it's in my opinion what Starship Troopers should have been

[Reed Rothchild | 9,909]

I love The Forever War.  Probably in my top 25.

[avatar! | 1,927]

25 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I love The Forever War.  Probably in my top 25.

One of my favorites too!

Okay, what are your top 25?

[Reed Rothchild | 9,909]

31 minutes ago, avatar! said:

One of my favorites too!

Okay, what are your top 25?

I'd have to think about.  If I say The Shining and The Stand I'm going by stuff 25+ years ago 

[avatar! | 1,927]

2 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I'd have to think about.  If I say The Shining and The Stand I'm going by stuff 25+ years ago 

Fair, I know our changes and sensibilities definitely change. Still, feel free to list what in your mind are your favorites, even if you haven't read them in a good while

[Reed Rothchild | 9,909]

21 minutes ago, avatar! said:

Fair, I know our changes and sensibilities definitely change. Still, feel free to list what in your mind are your favorites, even if you haven't read them in a good while

Just taking a swag attempt off the top of my head

• Slaughterhouse Five
• Catch 22
• Animal Farm
• 1984
• A Bridge to Terabithia
• The Witches
• The Wind in the Willows
• The Lord of the Flies
• Of Mice and Men
• The Shining
• Misery
• The Stand
• The Silence of the Lambs
• Let the Right One In
• A Song of Ice and Fire
• The Lord of the Rings
• Mistborn
• Hyperion
• The Terror (reading now, but serious candidate)
• Snow Crash
• The Forever War
• The Wasp Factory
• The Books of Blood
• American Psycho
• Masters of Doom

All well known stuff, but it's my true list

[Tabonga | 2,531]

25 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

I'd have to think about.  If I say The Shining and The Stand I'm going by stuff 25+ years ago 

  if you haven't read it you might want to give this a go - similar in some ways to The Stand it puts a much different  (and darker) spin on things.

 

0

Edited March 25 by Tabonga

[avatar! | 1,927]

2 minutes ago, Reed Rothchild said:

Just taking a swag attempt off the top of my head

• Slaughterhouse Five
• Catch 22
• Animal Farm
• 1984
• A Bridge to Terabithia
• The Witches
• The Wind in the Willows
• The Lord of the Flies
• Of Mice and Men
• The Shining
• Misery
• The Stand
• The Silence of the Lambs
• Let the Right One In
• A Song of Ice and Fire
• The Lord of the Rings
• Mistborn
• Hyperion
• The Terror (reading now, but serious candidate)
• Snow Crash
• The Forever War
• The Wasp Factory
• The Books of Blood
• American Psycho
• Masters of Doom

All well known stuff, but it's my true list

Have you read The Night Circus? I just started it, so far so good. We'll see what I think the farther in I get

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_Circus

[Reed Rothchild | 9,909]

I will add both to the list

[Tabonga | 2,531]

 

I just finished "Ellie Jordan - Ghost Trapper" - the first in a series about a small group that deals with spirits in haunted houses.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1500977004?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tpbk_0&storeType=ebooks 

A quick and fast paced read - 230 pages or so.

[T-Pac | 7,835]

Finished reading Stories by O. Henry, a collection of the author’s short works written between 1900 and 1910.

Spoiler

O. Henry’s fiction is defined by its twist-endings, which to my knowledge are often panned by literary critics for being “low-brow”. But I think dismissing the medium of short stories and the trope of twist endings discredits their value as fun, casual entertainment. And even still - that takes nothing away from the powerful themes and often very moving plotlines that O. Henry crafts. For example - “The Gift of the Magi” wouldn't be half as successful if it weren’t for its format. The brevity of these works and the punch of their climaxes only serve to distill O. Henry’s messages into exceedingly approachable packages. 

And I think a key to the approachability of his stories is a mastery of archetypes. O. Henry instantly transports you to a defined place and time, surrounded by people you know, thanks to his reliance on stock characterization. Yet he still expertly develops those characters into their own personalities once he’s eased the reader into the comfort of a base familiarity. One of my favorite stories introduces a wild-west ruffian who scoffs at his old partner-in-crime for going soft after getting married and settling down, but O. Henry toys with our expectations of such an archetype by ultimately reversing the two principal characters’ roles. Another story even manages to imbue and develop familiar personalities to dollar bills as the plot evolves from their perspective.

Anticipating the climactic twist at the end of each story could easily spoil the surprises in theory, but O. Henry always leads toward a satisfyingly appropriate conclusion without betraying so much information along the way as to make the ending predictable. There’s such a range between tragedy and comedy that you never know if these characters will come-out for the better or the worse when all is said and done. I’d certainly say that I came out for the better by picking up this book, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend some O. Henry shorts to anyone looking for some light, fun reading.

[T-Pac]
 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,909]

Just finished D-Day by Stephen Ambrose, 25 years after adding it to the booklog.

Funnily enough, I read Citizen Soldiers long ago, I got to Band of Brothers 10 years, and just now did D-Day.

So I did the Overlord/Easy Company stories in reverse order, in a sense.  Whatever works I guess.

[Daniel_Doyce | 491]

4 hours ago, T-Pac said:

Finished reading Stories by O. Henry, a collection of the author’s short works written between 1900 and 1910.

  Hide contents

O. Henry’s fiction is defined by its twist-endings, which to my knowledge are often panned by literary critics for being “low-brow”. But I think dismissing the medium of short stories and the trope of twist endings discredits their value as fun, casual entertainment. And even still - that takes nothing away from the powerful themes and often very moving plotlines that O. Henry crafts. For example - “The Gift of the Magi” wouldn't be half as successful if it weren’t for its format. The brevity of these works and the punch of their climaxes only serve to distill O. Henry’s messages into exceedingly approachable packages. 

And I think a key to the approachability of his stories is a mastery of archetypes. O. Henry instantly transports you to a defined place and time, surrounded by people you know, thanks to his reliance on stock characterization. Yet he still expertly develops those characters into their own personalities once he’s eased the reader into the comfort of a base familiarity. One of my favorite stories introduces a wild-west ruffian who scoffs at his old partner-in-crime for going soft after getting married and settling down, but O. Henry toys with our expectations of such an archetype by ultimately reversing the two principal characters’ roles. Another story even manages to imbue and develop familiar personalities to dollar bills as the plot evolves from their perspective.

Anticipating the climactic twist at the end of each story could easily spoil the surprises in theory, but O. Henry always leads toward a satisfyingly appropriate conclusion without betraying so much information along the way as to make the ending predictable. There’s such a range between tragedy and comedy that you never know if these characters will come-out for the better or the worse when all is said and done. I’d certainly say that I came out for the better by picking up this book, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend some O. Henry shorts to anyone looking for some light, fun reading.

 

He had a very specific niche, but did it spectacularly. Although I admit I once bought a compilation of his complete works, and stopped about halfway through since it was getting a bit tedious.

I did walk by the drugstore he owned or just worked at (forgot which exactly) for about 6 years of my professional career, whenever I'd go to lunch on the main drag in his hometown. There was a place that served massive fried burritos and I'd get double steak with a huge side of rice and beans that would absolutely destroy my GI tract for the rest of the afternoon.

Edited April 30 by Daniel_Doyce
quotin'

[T-Pac | 7,835]

On 4/30/2024 at 12:04 PM, Daniel_Doyce said:

He had a very specific niche, but did it spectacularly. Although I admit I once bought a compilation of his complete works, and stopped about halfway through since it was getting a bit tedious.

Yeah - I probably would've lost steam on his short stories, too, if I hadn't been reading them bit-by-bit on my lunch-breaks at work. I think that was the ideal way to enjoy them without burning-out.

[T-Pac]

[T-Pac | 7,835]

Finished reading Le Morte D’Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory and William Caxton’s late-1400s compilation and translation of various earlier French texts chronicling the adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Spoiler

Given that the story is sourced from different accounts, it’s interesting to note the tonal shifts that take place from section to section. There’s almost a biblical quality to a large portion of it, where the intent of the narrative leans more heavily into a dry documentation of events rather than trying to communicate dramatically as you’d expect from a fantasy-heavy epic. The segmentation is also apparent in the variety of “olde English” phrases used throughout the book. I had to rewire my brain to parse some fun but obtuse archaic prose every time I sat down to read - but it was worth the effort over the course of 900+ pages covering the entire lifespan of Arthur, Launcelot, Galahad, and all sorts of legendary knights.

The many disparate adventures contained here don’t exactly paint a cohesive, flowing narrative like The Once and Future King - but what Le Morte D’Arthur lacks in engaging literary convention, it more than makes up for in comprehensiveness. You get everything from Merlin and the sword in the stone, to Morgan Le Fey’s curses, to the search for the Holy Grail, to the exploits of Sir Tristram outside of England, and everything in-between. But even still, there’s a consistent underpinning of power dynamics and shifting alliances throughout the whole book, almost like a medieval version of Dragon Ball Z where the narrative mainly concerns itself with who the strongest knights are and how they compare to each other. Consequently, my favorite part of these chronicles was the quest for the Sangreal, where that dynamic actually shifts to focus on who the holiest knights were, and how they strove for a seemingly unachievable level of purity in order to see God Himself.

It was a seriously fascinating read, and considering how much I love medieval fantasy in the first place - I’m glad I dedicated the time to finishing such a thorough rendition of the legendary Knights of the Round Table.

[T-Pac]
 

[avatar! | 1,927]

6 hours ago, T-Pac said:

Finished reading Le Morte D’Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory and William Caxton’s late-1400s compilation and translation of various earlier French texts chronicling the adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

  Hide contents

Given that the story is sourced from different accounts, it’s interesting to note the tonal shifts that take place from section to section. There’s almost a biblical quality to a large portion of it, where the intent of the narrative leans more heavily into a dry documentation of events rather than trying to communicate dramatically as you’d expect from a fantasy-heavy epic. The segmentation is also apparent in the variety of “olde English” phrases used throughout the book. I had to rewire my brain to parse some fun but obtuse archaic prose every time I sat down to read - but it was worth the effort over the course of 900+ pages covering the entire lifespan of Arthur, Launcelot, Galahad, and all sorts of legendary knights.

The many disparate adventures contained here don’t exactly paint a cohesive, flowing narrative like The Once and Future King - but what Le Morte D’Arthur lacks in engaging literary convention, it more than makes up for in comprehensiveness. You get everything from Merlin and the sword in the stone, to Morgan Le Fey’s curses, to the search for the Holy Grail, to the exploits of Sir Tristram outside of England, and everything in-between. But even still, there’s a consistent underpinning of power dynamics and shifting alliances throughout the whole book, almost like a medieval version of Dragon Ball Z where the narrative mainly concerns itself with who the strongest knights are and how they compare to each other. Consequently, my favorite part of these chronicles was the quest for the Sangreal, where that dynamic actually shifts to focus on who the holiest knights were, and how they strove for a seemingly unachievable level of purity in order to see God Himself.

It was a seriously fascinating read, and considering how much I love medieval fantasy in the first place - I’m glad I dedicated the time to finishing such a thorough rendition of the legendary Knights of the Round Table.

[T-Pac]
 

T-Pac, I wish we could just get together at a nice coffee shop and sit down and talk about books and video games! Have you read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? If you enjoyed Morte D'Arthur you will absolutely enjoy Green Knight, perhaps even more. The other work that I consider canonical for that period and genre is Spencer's The Faerie Queene. Faerie Queene definitely is a long and very symbolic work that will likely require a lot of notes to fully understand the meaning behind it, but again, if you enjoy that kind of classical work it's absolutely worth reading, at least once! My favorite work from Medieval Europe has to be The Canterbury Tales. That said, Faerie Queene was published in 1590, so it is in most ways easier to read than Canterbury Tales, especially if you're aiming to read it in Middle English -- and more power to you if you do

[Code Monkey | 2,122]

I just finished reading this, it was good.

 

[T-Pac | 7,835]

16 hours ago, avatar! said:

T-Pac, I wish we could just get together at a nice coffee shop and sit down and talk about books and video games! Have you read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight? If you enjoyed Morte D'Arthur you will absolutely enjoy Green Knight, perhaps even more. The other work that I consider canonical for that period and genre is Spencer's The Faerie Queene. Faerie Queene definitely is a long and very symbolic work that will likely require a lot of notes to fully understand the meaning behind it, but again, if you enjoy that kind of classical work it's absolutely worth reading, at least once! My favorite work from Medieval Europe has to be The Canterbury Tales. That said, Faerie Queene was published in 1590, so it is in most ways easier to read than Canterbury Tales, especially if you're aiming to read it in Middle English -- and more power to you if you do

Likewise!

And thanks for the recommendations - I've been meaning to read Canterbury Tales, and those other two sound like excellent suggestions in the same vein as well. Time to see if my library has any of 'em!

[T-Pac]

[T-Pac | 7,835]

Finished Reading The Beauty of Everyday Things by Soetsu Yanagi.

Spoiler

When I picked this book up, I was expecting an interesting discourse on the evolution of functional design in all sorts of unassuming, essential items from microwave ovens to mittens. But instead, I got a series of essays lauding Japanese folk crafts - most notably ceramics, textiles, prints, and sculptures. Soetsu Yanagi is a museum curator with an overwhelming enthusiasm and almost spiritual respect for these handicrafts - almost to the point of disdain towards what would more readily be recognized as individualistic art. He asserts that the magnificence of woodblock prints, tea ceremony utensils, etc., lies in the marriage of utility, craft expertise, and the natural foundations of the work. He places a great emphasis on crafting to the strengths of the medium, so to speak - rather than defiantly forcing a standard of perfection that fights the natural process.
I respect Yanagi’s sentiments and admire his reverence for handicrafts, yet I can’t help but disagree with a lot of his philosophies on art, if only because his reflections border on an off-putting pretentiousness stemming from the blanket objectivity in many of his statements. 
But there are two ideas here that I definitely fall in-line with. First, Yanagi is ardent in the claim that analytical valuation of art is useless without an instinctual appreciation taking precedence. And second, he lauds patterns as a supremely appealing functional and decorative asset to handicrafts. This is because, as Yanagi views it, we perceive nature in patterns - so a good pattern reflects the beauty of nature in a way that appeals to our human disposition in viewing the world.
Although I may not share Yanagi’s aesthetic sensibilities as far as handicrafts are concerned, I can definitely learn from his love for underappreciated art and apply it to my own tastes and experiences. I’ve always praised utility, but now I hope to find the beauty in those unassuming objects which bring that utility to fruition. 

[T-Pac]

[T-Pac | 7,835]

Finished reading Confessions (397) by Saint Augustine. 

Spoiler

As the title implies, this book consists mainly of Saint Augustine’s reflections on the wrongs he’s done, past and present, as he implores God for forgiveness and the strength to lead a moral life. I don’t know what compelled him to publicly document his sins this way, but it reveals a level of honesty and strength of character that I could never hope to achieve (though I certainly aspire to). And I assume that touches on the impetus here - as a reader, I’m compelled to amend my own faults and emulate Augustine as an example of someone who, thanks to God’s intercession and his own resolve, evolved past his shortcomings into an incredibly holy and admirable man.

One of the more powerful assertions Augustine makes in regard to his conversion is that it wasn’t achieved by his own strength or by a victory of his own will, but by the strength of God working through him. Which, although it may not appeal to the pride of our own capabilities for change, proves the comforting and empowering truth that, even when we don’t feel strong enough to make ourselves better people, God is always strong enough to do so on our behalf (provided we’re willing to let Him).

Beyond the penitent content in Confessions, Augustine narrates his way through several philosophical topics as well, as they relate to his spiritual growth. For example, he refutes the existence of evil as some kind of opposing force to God’s goodness. And as far as I understand - the idea is that evil is nothing more than a lack of God in the first place. When we do wrong, we aren’t giving-in to the dark half of a binary power dynamic, but rather we’re willfully distancing ourselves from God’s goodness. And on the subject of distance from God, Augustine elaborates on His nature as a concept difficult to grasp in physical, corporeal terms. God fills His creation, for example - but not in the way of matter proportionally filling a vessel as we know it. It’s essentially beyond our grasp, as is the concept of God’s existence beyond time, a construct of His own making that He isn’t beholden to. Augustine even delves into several other tangential philosophical debates, like the function of memory and how the mind can somehow recall abstract concepts like forgetfulness that are completely contrary to their own retention. 

Saint Augustine dissects his own thoughts and rationale to the smallest minutiae - sometimes to the detriment of sanity, if I’m giving an honest assessment. I can’t help but feel his resulting penitential self-denial passes beyond God’s ideals, as Augustine seems to make concerted efforts to avoid even the most innocuous pleasures, like music - whereas I’m inclined to believe such innocent recreation is God’s gift for us to enjoy rather than abstain from, in constant fear of worldly snares pulling us away from His will. I also have concerns about Saint Augustine’s idea of truth and its interpretation. As he concludes Confessions with an extended reflection on the Creation account in Genesis, he insists on the validity of various understandings of God’s Word. In the context of his own examples, this claim holds up - but taken as a universally applicable concept, I believe there is a very real danger of false interpretations of God’s truth being misconstrued as correct. Jesus’s own words could be understood as a horrible perversion of their true meaning if taken out of context or interpreted completely literally, for example.

All that being said - Confessions has given me a great sense of respect for Saint Augustine, his philosophies, and his conversion. And I’m compelled to follow his example to lead a good, spiritually-facing life myself - as I assume was his intention for readers of these candid reflections. I know I’ll never be Saint Augustine, but this book inspires some confidence that if I’m open to God’s intercession, I can at least come close. 

[T-Pac]

[SamSpade | 7]

The Regulators by Stephen King. I plan on reading Desperation again afterwards since they are connected. 

[Tabonga | 2,531]

 I just dived into this today:

It is the latest entry in a long running urban fantasy series - one of my favorites (of which I have many).

[Kguillemette | 1,593]

 

Certainly enjoyed it. Really good hook and narrative. Very colorful characters and intriguing blend of mystery and high school romance. I came into this one cold at a thrift store, read the first page and was immediately drawn in. Nice light reading, but certainly a bit of a downer as the title suggests. John Green seems to be a pretty famous author, as Fault in Our Stars is one of the best selling books of all time apparently. Might give that one a try sometime.

I ordered Blood of Elves as a fan of the Witcher netflix show. Im excited to start the Witcher Saga! In the meantime I've been reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I'm about 20% of the way in and am liking it very much.

 

[T-Pac | 7,835]

Finished reading The Ox-Bow Incident (1940) by Walter Van Tilburg Clark.

Spoiler

I’m not usually one for Westerns, but this book ended up captivating me in spite of its slow start. A town of cattle-herders are rallied into a misguided triple-lynching over the murder of their fellow driver and the theft of his stock. The action itself is rather minimal, but where the story really takes shape is through the motivations guiding the characters’ decisions. I see it largely as a commentary on mob-mentality and how social paradigms can influence one’s behavior against their better judgment. For example, the majority of the men involved in the lynching were doubtful at best concerning the “justice” of their actions - yet they urged themselves into compliance to save-face, fearing to oppose the (seemingly) popular sentiment lest they be labeled cowardly. Or worse … un-manly. 

Granted - many characters did believe their vengeance was right, but the fabricated reasoning they used to justify it against their collective consciences not only led to three innocent men being hanged, but also two suicides and at least one mental breakdown after the fact. I identified heavily with Davies’ lamentations on his own guilt in the matter, despite his outward efforts against the mob - because he believed a greater conscience like his own bore greater blame in the matter. Particularly, he thought his cowardice in holding back at the pivotal hanging moment left his hands as blood-stained as the rest - reflecting on the “sin of omission” and how doing nothing can condemn as easily as it can exonerate.

The Ox-Bow Incident is full of similar, elusive ideas that have previously run through my head many times, but that I’ve never seen elaborated in words before. Like how a worry’s weight diminishes with space and sunlight, or how someone can be the target of others’ ill-will for no other reason than their own blessings. But on top of that, this novel shines through its characters. Clark populates the town with so many complex, well-painted citizens that, unfortunately, most of them remain underutilized through the book’s brevity. That being said, I appreciate the short length of The Ox-Bow Incident - not only for lending potency to its messages, but for allowing me the space to mull them over on my own, now that I’ve finished the narrative.

[T-Pac]
 

[T-Pac | 7,835]

Finished reading Make Something Wonderful (2023), a collection of speeches, interviews, and correspondences from Steve Jobs throughout his career.

Spoiler

I’ve never known much about Steve Jobs, but I admire his work and see him as a great visionary in his field. And I think the reason for that is, rather than settling to try and improve the way we already do things, he consistently broke new ground by finding a better way altogether. The secret to that success, as far as I could glean from this book, was his attitude toward the future, and how we should strive for progress far ahead of its time.

An interesting note that has stuck with me from Jobs’ reflections is how he views the fusion of work and life as an ideal. I’ve struggled with the truth of this myself, weighing the satisfaction of pouring your life into a career you love with the arguably healthier balance of separating your work from yourself to a degree. But in any case - I can stand behind Jobs’ assertions to pursue what you are passionate about, and to find success in it by surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you - not only to grow and improve, but to more effectively collaborate and “make something wonderful”.

[T-Pac]