What are you reading?

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by Snowlilly, Aug 21, 2012.

  1. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    My current reads are

    Paperback -

    Four Stories to the End by Zoran Zivkovic (short stories, magic realism). I have finished three of the stories.

    AUDIOBOOK

    A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup, narrated by Beth Chalmers. Only 14 letters of the alphabet covered, the poisons are Arsenic, Belladonna, Cyanide, Digitalis, Eserine, Hemlock, Monkshead, Nicotine, Opium, Phosphorus, Ricin, Strychnine, Thallium and Veranol.

    I am only up to D. It is very interesting but it is taking me a while to get though because every time a real life case is mention I tend to look that case up on the internet to find out more about it. Many of Christie's stories are based on real life crime and occasionally a real life crime has been based on a Christie novel.

    eBOOK

    Mrs Kelly: The Astonishing Life of Ned Kelly's Mother by Grantlee Kiera.

    There is quite a bit of information in this book that has not been covered in other books - especially when it come to the family rather than the events. However despite the title this author actually talks more about Ned Kelly than his mother.

    Also, though this book is meant to be factual, I think the author is stating as facts something's that nobody can know for sure. 43% though at the moment.
     
  2. Kai "the spy"

    Kai "the spy" Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2011
    Location:
    Home
    Alan Grant's DC Universe novel "Last Sons", starring three of my absolute favorite characters, Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Lobo.
     
  3. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada
    Finished Lion by Saroo Brierley. I picked this up earlier but ended up seeing the movie first, which only made me want to read the book even more. Beautiful movie, and a great story.

    Now reading, Time Ships by Stephen Baxter, the official sequel to H.G Wells' The Time Machine.
     
  4. Smellincoffee

    Smellincoffee Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 20, 2005
    Location:
    Heart of Dixie
    I Contain Multitudes, Ed Yong

    About the symbiotic relationship between mankind and our microbes..
     
  5. trekkiedane

    trekkiedane Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2005
    Location:
    Getting there -but slowly.
    Currently (re-)reading the first volume of Inge Eriksens 'Space Without Time' quadrilogy; 'The Whore from Gomorrah' (where 'whore' is a highly technical job and Gomorrah is a Brothel on the moon).

    Just before beginning to read that, I (also re-)read Fred Hoyles 'The Black Cloud' -for some special reason I don't recall at the moment, only know there was a reason when I started it (beyond it being a good read).

    Also finished Stephen Frys 'Moab is my Washpot' (the first part of his autobiography, and also a good read).

    Greg Bears 'Blood Music', I'd had around for -proverbially- ever, so I'm pleased that I've also gotten around to reading that.

    'Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand' by Samuel R. Delany is the first half of an unfinished two-volume space opera - I kinda liked how it ends open...

    I think I might have failed to mention that I also finished Arkady and Boris Strugatskys 'Roadside Picnic' (brilliant book!) - and then gave the book foreward to my nephew.

    ...and ever so often I look at my shelf of Iain Banks ... but mostly I end up reading some Iain M. Banks.
     
  6. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    I really should read some more Ian Banks books. I have only read The Crow Road and The Wasp Factory.

    I first read The Black Cloud about 40 years ago and re-read it about 20 years ago. A couple of years ago I listen to the audio version of it. Excellent book.
     
  7. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    H
    Saroo grew up in the suburb next to mine. His story received a great deal of attention in Tasmania, as did the movie. I remember waiting eagerly for the book to be released.
     
  8. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada
    It was a beatiful movie and a great story. When I first heard where he was adopted, my thoughts went to you. Neat to hear that it was actually quite close. I can only imagine that there was a lot of press in town.
     
  9. Stephen!

    Stephen! Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2008
    I'm catching up with the Rise of the Federation novels. Currently on "Tower of Babel"
     
  10. Smellincoffee

    Smellincoffee Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 20, 2005
    Location:
    Heart of Dixie
    Just finished the Canterbury Tales, which I've been slogging through for months. Medieval women were all kinds of trouble.

    Moving in to..The Mexican Frontier, maybe, which is about the American Southwest/northern Mexico in the 20 years between Mexican independence and the US invasion.
     
  11. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    He actually mentions my suburb in the book. The area of Calcutta he roamed around after getting off the train was Howrah (and it also the name of the railway station and the bridge). My suburb is also called Howrah and Saroo went to Howrah Primary School. As far as I know these are the only two places in the world called Howrah and Saroo thinks it was an incredible coincidence.
     
  12. trekkiedane

    trekkiedane Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 12, 2005
    Location:
    Getting there -but slowly.
    I really liked "The Bridge", which is the only one besides "The Wasp Factory" I've read; sorta fantasy'ish and with themes and scenes reminiscent of Ms work -if you know what I mean...
     
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  13. Danoz

    Danoz Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2006
    Location:
    New York, NY
    I just finished Wool and have already jumped straight into "Shift." Really good stuff.
     
  14. Owain Taggart

    Owain Taggart Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 30, 2009
    Location:
    Northern Ontario, Canada

    Well, I'd maybe call it more of a destiny ;)
     
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  15. Tora Ziyal

    Tora Ziyal Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 27, 2010
    Just reread The Chosen by Chaim Potok on the 50th anniversary of its publication. Still as good a read as I remembered, and I understood more of it this time.
     
  16. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    At the moment my reads are

    Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance by Gyles Brandreth, narrated by Bill Wallis. It is also known as Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders. It has Oscar Wilde investigating the murder of a young man with a little bit of help from Arthur Conan Doyle. I am not sure if I am enjoying the book enough to consider reading any more books in this series.

    My paperback read is Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story by Michael Rosen. I am only up to letter B.

    And I am still continuing with Mrs Kelly as my eBook read. Just over half way though it.
     
    Last edited: May 4, 2017
  17. Ghost07

    Ghost07 Vice Admiral In Memoriam

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2003
    Location:
    upstate NY
    Cell, by Stephen King
     
  18. Smellincoffee

    Smellincoffee Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    May 20, 2005
    Location:
    Heart of Dixie
    El Narco, about the drug wars spanning Mexico to Columbia, and the US government's role in aiding and abetting them.
     
  19. Miss Chicken

    Miss Chicken Little three legged cat with attitude Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2001
    Location:
    Howrah, Hobart, Tasmania
    I finished listening to the Oscar Wilde mystery. Found boring enough for me to return it to Audible for a refund. It is only the fourth book I have returned in about two and a half years.

    After this disappointing book I decided I needed to listen to a book from The Golden Age of Science Fiction and I have settled on City at World's End by Edmond Hamilton, narrated by Arthur Vincet. A small city has been hit by a super atomic bomb and the explosion has sent it and inhabitants into the distant future.
     
    Last edited: May 6, 2017
  20. Velocity

    Velocity Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 19, 2001
    Location:
    In the back of beyond
    Cold Reign by Faith Hunter