What Are You Reading?

[pdillon]

I really like the Travis McGee books. I definitely will read all of them. I haven't read many of MacDonald's other books. I enjoyed The Executioners which was adapted to the movies as Cape Fear. The book is much darker than the film in terms of the main character Sam Bowden and why Max Cady is out to get him.

The Travis McGee books also feature murderous psychopaths!

You are right on about using Overdrive. I read most of my books on loan from the library.

Currently I'm reading a Georges Simenon book called Maigret's Holiday. Also a loaner from the library. The Maigret books are quiet enjoyable and I'm looking forward to reading many more of them!

My library supports Libby which I like more than Overdrive. Love Travis McGee! (also a lot of Elvis Cole, Harry Bosch, and Elmore Leonard from the library).

A little hack: if you have a kindle and have trouble finishing a book during the loan period, you can put it into airplane mode. The book will be returned to the next patron but you can finish reading it.

Currently finishing Bernard Cornwell's Enemy of God, the second in his Warlord Chronicles trilogy. This is a gritty telling of the Arthurian saga. Highly recommended!

 

[2Vu5_T]

 

[DBT]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[2Vu5_T]

 

[ZaphodZ]

 

[cryhavoc]

I'm currently reading Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. I decided to read it again after I finished The Name of the Rose, also by Umberto Eco.

I haven't read this book in a few years and am enjoying it but I've been so busy I'm only getting to read it in small increments. Hopefully I get to finish it soon.

 

[Whilliam]

Sharyl Attkisson's "Slanted." Vince Flynn's "Kill Shot."

Also, Ira Levin's "A Kiss Before Dying," which reads like a novelization of the screenplay in which a young Robert Wagner murders a young Joanne Woodward. "An American Tragedy" wannabe from the 'fifties.

Next up: "Street Without Joy" by Bernard Fall.

 

[JWCowboy]

Currently finishing Bernard Cornwell's Enemy of God, the second in his Warlord Chronicles trilogy. This is a gritty telling of the Arthurian saga. Highly recommended!

I discovered Cornwell about 20 years ago via the Warlord Chronicles, which led me to his Sharpe series, which led me down the Napoleonic fiction rabbit hole..first C.S. Forester's Hornblower series, then Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, then George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series.

A wealth of reading that I discovered through one author. Brilliant stuff....

 

[2Vu5_T]

 

[JWCowboy]

Recently finished my first two of 2021.

I'm a bona fide King fan, and have been slowly working my way through his canon for several years now. This early one from 1980 is a gem that holds up well.

This one is "Alright, Alright, Alright" - of course I had to say that. Safe to say this book is not exactly high art. McConaughey's memoir proved to me that he is truly his character Wooderson. That wasn't just a persona, it's who he really is. I've always thought he would be a fun guy to have a beer with and watch a football game. The best thing I can say about his book is that it was a very quick read

 

[The Knize]

Just finished the Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu. I did not love every page of it. There is a lot of "talking," and I suppose a lot of philosophy, but doesn't good sci-fi always overtly or implicitly have a lot of philosophy? I have to say, highly recommended and probably "essential" to the sci-fi genre. Overall, great stuff.

 

[2Vu5_T]

 

[Geordon]

Just finished the Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu. I did not love every page of it. There is a lot of "talking," and I suppose a lot of philosophy, but doesn't good sci-fi always overtly or implicitly have a lot of philosophy? I have to say, highly recommended and probably "essential" to the sci-fi genre. Overall, great stuff.

I'm working my way through The Three-Body Problem audiobook right now, myself. I have to say, it's one of the heavier books that have partaken of in a long time. Lots of cultural references that are not especially common in the Western world are used to set the stage. I'm really enjoying that aspect of it.

 

[cryhavoc]

I discovered Cornwell about 20 years ago via the Warlord Chronicles, which led me to his Sharpe series, which led me down the Napoleonic fiction rabbit hole..first C.S. Forester's Hornblower series, then Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, then George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series.

A wealth of reading that I discovered through one author. Brilliant stuff....

Damn, I may have to pull out the Sharpe's series again!

 

[pdillon]

I discovered Cornwell about 20 years ago via the Warlord Chronicles, which led me to his Sharpe series, which led me down the Napoleonic fiction rabbit hole..first C.S. Forester's Hornblower series, then Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series, then George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series.

A wealth of reading that I discovered through one author. Brilliant stuff....

Damn, I may have to pull out the Sharpe's series again!

Excellent! Was planning on picking up Sharpe. Glad to know it is recommended!

 

[pdillon]

Just finished the Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu. I did not love every page of it. There is a lot of "talking," and I suppose a lot of philosophy, but doesn't good sci-fi always overtly or implicitly have a lot of philosophy? I have to say, highly recommended and probably "essential" to the sci-fi genre. Overall, great stuff.

I'm working my way through The Three-Body Problem audiobook right now, myself. I have to say, it's one of the heavier books that have partaken of in a long time. Lots of cultural references that are not especially common in the Western world are used to set the stage. I'm really enjoying that aspect of it.

Rememberance of Earth's Past is essential reading IMHO. For those unfamiliar with the series, the basic premise is that an advanced alien race from an inhospitable planet is coming to invade earth and will arrive in 400 years. An HBO series was in the works with showrunners of Game of Thrones but it is now delayed after one of them, I think a producer, was recently murdered.

I'm not an ardent audiobook listener and I don't think 3BP would be the best for that format. I think I might get lost with all the Chinese names, but like I said I might not be the best judge. I think each book in the series is better than the previous. I actively disliked the VR subplot in 3BP(curious if I would feel the same way on a reread but I found it pretentious), but I was already sold by the story near the beginning of the book about the guy who starts seeing a timer countdown in his vision. The set piece at the end (of 3BP) is awesome.

 

[The Knize]

Good notes on the Three-Body Problem. BTW, the series, as pdillon subtly indicates, is really named Rememberance of Earth's Past.

I, too, listened on Audible. The names may well have been more confusing as a result, but I did not think it was too bad. I would not consider these difficult books, per se. I do not think the concepts are so difficult to follow. Some of the references, maybe so. I do wish I had listened more carefully to certain parts, but I think I was all caught up after a while even when I got a bit lost. I also agree that certain part of the book are likely to really grab the reader. I am guessing, sometimes different parts for different readers. "Wildly imaginative," as one reviewer said.

I suppose I also felt that some of the themes were similar to Enders Game, but not in such a way that it would take away from 3BP. I unabashedly loved EG. I suppose I would say that these overlapping themes are well worth exploring in multiple writings.

I think the dark forest theory is profound, for instance.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Recently finished my first two of 2021.

View attachment 1214284

I'm a bona fide King fan, and have been slowly working my way through his canon for several years now. This early one from 1980 is a gem that holds up well.

View attachment 1214295

This one is "Alright, Alright, Alright" - of course I had to say that. Safe to say this book is not exactly high art. McConaughey's memoir proved to me that he is truly his character Wooderson. That wasn't just a persona, it's who he really is. I've always thought he would be a fun guy to have a beer with and watch a football game. The best thing I can say about his book is that it was a very quick read

I’m a SK fan also. It was Fire-Starter that got me hooked on his books. The Tommyknockers was another offering I quite enjoyed. So many good ones from such a prolific writer. On Writing was a non fiction effort, an insight into his process, good reading if your a fan.

 

[JWCowboy]

Just finished the Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu. I did not love every page of it. There is a lot of "talking," and I suppose a lot of philosophy, but doesn't good sci-fi always overtly or implicitly have a lot of philosophy? I have to say, highly recommended and probably "essential" to the sci-fi genre. Overall, great stuff.

My Brother recently sent me his copy of the first one after finishing it, I'll have to move it further up towards the top of my "to read" pile....

 

[ByMyBeard]

Interesting notes on 3BP. I believe I saw that it is being made into a TV series as well, so it's likely to gain even more popularity.