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Thread: What are you reading?

  1. #541
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    i just plowed through the hunger games books (i read mockingjay in two sittings; one yesterday, one today). holy shit. i can see why they turned into such a big deal.

  2. #542
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    Not reading, listening to Serial. Don't tell me what happens!!!

  3. #543
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    Has anyone tried to start a ETS book club?

  4. #544
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    Quote Originally Posted by icecream View Post
    Has anyone tried to start a ETS book club?
    I was just thinking about that! I'd certainly be on board. We can pick a new book at the beginning of the month, and then share our reviews.

    And for my 2015 reading, I just read:


    I'm currently reading:

  5. #545
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    Quote Originally Posted by icecream View Post
    Has anyone tried to start a ETS book club?
    I'd be down, even if I had to buy it. And, I'm a cheap bastard.
    Really though I could crush a random book a month unless I was totally not into it.

  6. #546
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    Currently audiobooking:

    It's OK so far; I loved Oryx and Crake but I'm not really sure this should have extended to a trilogy.
    Too many SF trilogies right now.

  7. #547
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    So the plan is to read it before watching the movie


  8. #548
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    It's the third time I've picked up Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace. I'm actually getting through it this time. I'm not sure what to expect except for something very new and apparently very brainy and it's intimidating because I'm not sure I'll understand the subtleties or "get it". So far it's definitely interesting, the writing style and the content (I refrain from using story line because I'm still only a fifth of the way through this brick of a book so I'm not sure if these story lines are actually lines at all. It sometimes feels like channel surfing.)

  9. #549
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    ^^ Good luck, that one's been staring at me from my bookshelves for a long, long time.

    Currently reading because it's soon to be a miniseries on Masterpiece and it, too, has been staring at me from my bookshelves, unread:

    Last edited by allegro; 01-23-2015 at 09:34 PM.

  10. #550
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pillfred View Post
    I'd be down, even if I had to buy it. And, I'm a cheap bastard.
    Really though I could crush a random book a month unless I was totally not into it.
    Quote Originally Posted by leo3375 View Post
    I was just thinking about that! I'd certainly be on board. We can pick a new book at the beginning of the month, and then share our reviews.
    I wonder how many others would be interested?

  11. #551
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    Quote Originally Posted by icecream View Post
    Has anyone tried to start a ETS book club?
    Yes, we did try it, a few times.

    One book was Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and another time we tried it again with Martel's "Life of Pi."

    Both times, it seems the failure was due to people not READING the book, so we couldn't discuss it. A few of us would read the assigned chapter for the given period, then it would be extended because some hadn't gotten the book, yet ("didn't have time" even though we warned people for weeks), then it would get extended again ("didn't have time to read"), then some people didn't like the chosen book after they started reading it and wanted to pick another book, meanwhile those of us who were actually reading the book tried to discuss it, book club style, but by now people were at such different paces it was like "WARNING, SPOILER" which was stupid so we gave up.

    I never actually finished either book.
    Last edited by allegro; 01-24-2015 at 04:52 AM.

  12. #552
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    On Writing by Stephen King and Morrissey's Autobiography, finally.

  13. #553
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    Quote Originally Posted by allegro View Post
    Yes, we did try it, a few times.

    One book was Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and another time we tried it again with Martel's "Life of Pi."

    Both times, it seems the failure was due to people not READING the book, so we couldn't discuss it. A few of us would read the assigned chapter for the given period, then it would be extended because some hadn't gotten the book, yet ("didn't have time" even though we warned people for weeks), then it would get extended again ("didn't have time to read"), then some people didn't like the chosen book after they started reading it and wanted to pick another book, meanwhile those of us who were actually reading the book tried to discuss it, book club style, but by now people were at such different paces it was like "WARNING, SPOILER" which was stupid so we gave up.

    I never actually finished either book.
    Actually, I found the "Life of Pi" Book Club attempt. (I had changed my login to "Eat Me" at that point.)

    And here is our lame attempt at "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."
    Last edited by allegro; 01-27-2015 at 12:01 PM.

  14. #554
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ryan View Post
    On Writing by Stephen King
    That book taught me things about writing that I still use all the time and things about life that I still try to keep in mind all the time. Absolutely fantastic.

  15. #555
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    Laugh all you want. I'm not finding it overtly religious at all. (More like psychology with a sprinkling of religion.) He has some interesting theories, though.


  16. #556
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  17. #557
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    I finished The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway recently. Although very short it was a great read. Recommend it for sure.

    I also read Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. It was OK, a bit thin but enjoyable.

    Probably going to move onto a Noam Chomsky next.

  18. #558
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    Oh man, Infinite Jest is surprisingly easy to read. I mean, getting over the 100 page bump of "What am I reading what am i reading what am i reading" It's become clear sailing. Some of the academia type parts where I'm tempted to skim, I usually have to play a role (which can be kind of fun in a "this is an exercise in acting" kind of way) in which I say "Ok, I will pretend I know and enjoy everything about *thing in the chapter that he's being super analytical about*" Just so I can convince myself to read it carefully and in the end there's always something interesting in what ACTUALLY interests me in this "content not applicable to me" section, which is the structure- the actual writing.

    I feel so weird saying this but I think I've just learned how to read a little bit better because of this book.

    P.S. That said, this book- after picking it up twice without much luck- has made it's way into my life at an appropriate time. Just because it's talking about something that I've only been recently articulating in the privacy of my journals. The whole aspect of living where I'm dissecting my own impulses, realizing that while some impulses (reading, art, searching for meaningful work/job) are constructive and creative but that's all very much linked the impulse that drives me to do things that could be viewed as "destructive" (if taken to an extreme) like drinking or binging on internet entertainment. Ugh, there's so much I'd like to put into words but seems so silly writing it down in this post, haha!
    Last edited by halloween; 02-01-2015 at 11:50 PM.

  19. #559
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    So it sounds like the book club is a bad idea, oh well. I'll start Opera's.

    Decided it's time to get into Bukowski and figure out what he is about. Read part of Hollywood on the plane. Pretty funny so far. Won't have a full judgement of his writing till I have read one or two more of his books.

    Also started Inherent Vice after seeing the film. Its been ok, hard to get into though.
    Last edited by icecream; 02-02-2015 at 01:35 PM.

  20. #560
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    Best Bukowskis for me: Post Office, Factotum.
    Didn't like Hollywood or Pulp much.

  21. #561
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    Quote Originally Posted by aggroculture View Post
    Best Bukowskis for me: Post Office, Factotum.
    Didn't like Hollywood or Pulp much.
    How he the changes the names slightly for some characters in Hollywood bothers me. Seems a bit cheesy. I heard Post Office was awesome, probably check that you next.

  22. #562
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    @halloween - Infinite Jest sounds interesting. May look into it.

    Bukowski wise a lot of people say Ham on Rye is a good place to start and it is a great book. Post Office was my first look at Buk and it's a great novel, it would be my recommendation. Poetry wise Last Night of the Earth Poems is the way to go.

  23. #563
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    Notes of a dirty old man, and portions from a wine stained notebook, are good as well.

  24. #564
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    Just finished Darkness at Noon. Started it on a whim after discovering it in the the volunteer's library. Fucking Christ was it good. Now I want to check out all of Koestler's works. Anyone else read this delight?

  25. #565
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  26. #566
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    I just finished:


    I finally started:

  27. #567
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    I've decided to give up on the idea of reading A Suitable Boy and give it to a charity shop. There are so many people introduced in the first chapter, my memory just isn't capable of that information retention

  28. #568
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    Told myself I'd read this awhile back and am finally getting to it.
    Last edited by Dra508; 03-02-2015 at 11:07 AM.

  29. #569
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dra508 View Post


    Told myself I'd read this awhile back and am finally getting to it.
    Yay! I'm at page 29; I keep stopping to Google people and events. At this rate, I'll be done by next year.

  30. #570
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    Quote Originally Posted by allegro View Post
    Yay! I'm at page 29; I keep stopping to Google people and events. At this rate, I'll be done by next year.
    No way! So synchronized. You're period is coming on the 8th - FYI

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