What are you reading?

Nar · Post by **Nar** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 2:57 pm

recently i'm reading terry pratchett

title ain't important - everything he wrote is very good (especially disc novels)

Julian · Post by **Julian** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:15 pm

@ Galuf. YES read the whole series, most defenatly worth it. One of the best series i have ever read, nothing has come close to Lagacy of the Drow though. The series is better than avatar series/war of the spider queen/cleric quintet and starlight and shadows. Don't get me wrong, all those series are great, but it happens i love bards, and Danilo fits my view nicely.

Volk · Post by **Volk** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:48 pm

I've found the time to read some shakespeare mostly 12th night, macbeth, hamlet, julius cesar, and so on, enjoyable books if you can undersand them.

Moonbiter · Post by **Moonbiter** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:58 pm

Always a couple of books going at the same time, and during my vacation I practically ate them up. 8 books in 3 weeks!

These fantasy books should not be missed:

"The Swan's War" series by Sean Russell

"The Book of Dead Days" by Marcus Sedgwick

"The Dresden Files" by Jim Butcher (Phillip Marlowe goes supernatural)

"The Briar King" by Greg Keyes

If you want the heebie-jeebies big time, here's a couple of nasty ones:

"Still Life With Crows" by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

"The Straw Men" by Michael Marshall

Apart from that I've finishes Antony Beevor's "Stalingrad" and a monster cookbook on seafood that some friends of mine wrote. And tonight I'm starting on a techno thriller named "The Footprints of God" by Greg Iles.

frogus23 · Post by **frogus23** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 6:05 pm

So sci-fi and fantasy is popular around here?

@Vicsun, I also love Hamlet, although I have only seen and not read it - you must have the wrong friends, I thought it was the most highly regarded Shakespeare of all?

The best book I have read recently was 'Fear and Trembling', by the Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard. It is an ethical and aesthetic prose analysis of the bible story of Abraham and Isaac, which concludes with some of Kierkegaard's famous concepts (which are fascinating and compelling IMO): Faith as an irrational 'movement' (he coined the term "leap of faith" AFAIK) which cannot be justified or motivated by reason, morality or aesthetics, but instead is paradoxically motivated by 'the absurd' (a concept Camus stole & revised)...

i.e. to have faith is to be motivated by a future which you know for certain is impossible.

It is extremly compelling, and relatively accessible as Kierkegaard goes (although he does not go very far that way at all), and gave me a much much greater appreciation for the story of Abraham, as well as for Leonard Cohen's 'Song for Isaac', which I believe was inspired by the book.

Robnark · Post by **Robnark** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 6:53 pm

Humphry Clinker by Tobias Smollett.

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:47 pm

[QUOTE=Julian]@ Galuf. YES read the whole series, most defenatly worth it. One of the best series i have ever read, nothing has come close to Lagacy of the Drow though. The series is better than avatar series/war of the spider queen/cleric quintet and starlight and shadows. Don't get me wrong, all those series are great, but it happens i love bards, and Danilo fits my view nicely.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the good word, man. Might want to get some of those for Christmas, or maybe even my birthday (2 days before Xmas; gotta love it).

And speaking of 'War of the Spider Queen,' how much would you suggest those? The idea that these are done by other authors makes me curious, although since I read that Phillip Athans (the person who wrote the first two Baldur's Gate novels, which were ABYSSMAL) wrote one of those, I really fealt like playing it cautious.

Let's see, how many support Hamlet in this thread? I've counted Vicsun (of course), myself, Georgi, fable, Volk, and frogus. My, quite a list so far.

fable · Post by **fable** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 7:59 pm

[QUOTE=frogus23]The best book I have read recently was 'Fear and Trembling', by the Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard. It is an ethical and aesthetic prose analysis of the bible story of Abraham and Isaac, which concludes with some of Kierkegaard's famous concepts (which are fascinating and compelling IMO): Faith as an irrational 'movement' (he coined the term "leap of faith" AFAIK) which cannot be justified or motivated by reason, morality or aesthetics, but instead is paradoxically motivated by 'the absurd' (a concept Camus stole & revised)...
[/QUOTE]

"The heart has its reasons of which reason knows nothing." Sounds like they both knew their Pascal.

Tower_Master · Post by **Tower_Master** » Wed Nov 17, 2004 9:46 pm

"Dracula" - the original, unabridged Bram Stoker version. Definately a MUST read.

Georgi · Post by **Georgi** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 3:55 am

[QUOTE=frogus23]@Vicsun, I also love Hamlet, although I have only seen and not read it[/QUOTE]

Like any of Shakespeare's plays, it's designed to be seen, and I think they are better seen than read, really. Although I have seen some pretty naff adaptations, come to think of it...

@TM Dracula bored me stiff, I have to say.

Arrylium · Post by **Arrylium** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 3:58 am

I'm not reading anything at the moment but my all time favourite book would have to be The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster. Most people haven't heard of it.

frogus23 · Post by **frogus23** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 4:56 am

I've read the Phantom Tollbooth, indeed it is freaky-deek. Gave me nightmares as a young child.

I thought Dracula was fantastic...I loved his attempt to kill Dracula with a spade as he slept in his coffin - it terrified me

EDIT: Also currently reading Crime & Punishment, although it will have to wait for me to cram some more academic stuff for my Cambridge interview...I think Raskolnikov is just going to give himself up to the police (but DONT TELL ME!). I absolutely love it - similar in ways, but Dostoevsky beats the hell out of D:ckens. C&P has equally sharp & pessimistic social commentary, but also very deep and insightful psychology of characters, and moral dillemas happening left, right and centre - it is interesting on a universal level as well as having extremely fascinating and believable (though charicatured) characters. I am reading the old Garrett translation, far superior IMO to a more recent one I had a go at in Penguin classic..

Just got a new Kierkegaard 'The Sickness Unto Death', apparently the one that inspires peoples claims for him as the 'father' of existentialism, along with his 'Conept of Dread'.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:12 am

I'm once again reading the Fountains of Paradise from Arthur C Clarke... Thats a wonderfull book.

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:27 am

Reading "A History of the Modern World" by R. R. Palmer, Joel Colton and Lloyd Kramer at the moment. Both for my study and out of pure historical interest.

I'm trying to get hold of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Should be an interresting read.

Zobie · Post by **Zobie** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 5:32 am

Totally Agree

[QUOTE=Rob-hin]I'm currently reading Robin Hobb.
She's a totally awsome writer that rules all of fantasy in my (an many others')opinion.

If I ever write a book, her style is how I wish I could write it.

She tells te story form a main character's point of view. This way she really lets you know the character and how he feels. Emotions are very important in her books. As the main character grows up, you grow up with him. His life is an emotional rollercoaster that I love to ride. She makes me feel sad when he's sad and she makes me feel happy when he is happy.

I can really recommend her writing.[/QUOTE]

So can I . I am now halfway through my second trilogy of hers and have already bought the third trilogy ready to read when i have finished.

I have loved fantasy most my life , but she has a wonderful way of making you live her writing.

I can't respond to this without mentioning the Shannara books by Terry Brooks , Elfstones of Shannara , what a great read and also the Belgarion series by david eddings.

Yeltsu · Post by **Yeltsu** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:27 am

For those of you who have trouble finding time to read between school (jobs) playing games, social lives and whatever. I have a great tactic.

When I go to bed at night, I read a chapter, or a few pages.

Also (this is dead serious

) every time I am alone at home and I have to go to the toilet for some ,eeh, big buisiness, I bring a book, the toilet is the est place to read EVER

Actually, my entire family does that.

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:41 am

You're not related to me now, are ya?

Yeltsu · Post by **Yeltsu** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:48 am

I kinda doubt it, but who knows? Maybe there is a secret community who spends all their free time reading on the toilet, and telling others to do the same? And suppose there is, then it would be reasonable to think that they would have bases in both Holland and Norway.

Sytze · Post by **Sytze** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:05 am

ROFL

I can already see it, a cult dedicated to preserving their main goal; 'reading on the toilet'. I might even sign up. All for the good cause, you know.
Well, enough hijacking for now.

Luis Antonio · Post by **Luis Antonio** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 9:22 am

[QUOTE=Asriel]Also (this is dead serious

) every time I am alone at home and I have to go to the toilet for some ,eeh, big buisiness, I bring a book, the toilet is the est place to read EVER

[/QUOTE]

There aint nothing better to fill the void you open inside than that