What Are You Reading?

In addition to the main question...

What is the book about (yes, we could google it, but this is the lounge and we're lazy!)?

What is your impression of it at the moment?

Would you recommend it to a friend?

BONUS: How many books do you usually read at a time?

I just finished "Tetrarch" by Ian Irvine, it's the second in a series. It's complicated, but basically it's about a war between three different species. Sci-fi, they use crystals to power things. I liked it. I would recommend it to someone who likes sci-fi, but not many of my friends do.

Usually I try to stick to one book at a time, but if one's boring, I'll read something light as well. For example when I was trying to get through Clockwork Orange, which hurt my brain a little, I was also reading another book that was easy to get through (but I can't for the life of me remember what it was). I liked Clockwork Orange, once I got used to it.

Well, I just finished reading Oliver Twist today.  

In case someone doesn't know, it's the story of a tragically unlucky orphan who ends up in the hands of a these despicable thieves before being temporarily rescued by much nicer people.  And repeat.

I loved it.  The ending was beautiful and it was really funny at times.  I read it in just a few days, which is really unusual for me, but I just couldn't put it down.

I have been recommending it to my friends.

I stick to one at a time.  Otherwise, I just end up reading the one I'm enjoying the most and never finish the others.

Answering my own questions...

I am currently reading two books, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia. The form of the former is quite strange. However, it is, oddly enough, an easy read as it appears as though the author wants you to interpret ideas a certain way and so tells you. If you are interested in philosophy, this might be a good book for you. Nevertheless, be aware that the book reads a bit like Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In other words, the characters are more or less pawns for the author's ideas. In regard to the other book, I am not far along enough to give an honest impression. I guess if you are as fascinated by Russia as I am, then you will probably like it. 

As for the bonus question...it depends on the books. I can usually "safely" manage about two at a time. In order for me to do this, one is usually fiction, while the other is nonfiction, as I have selected now. The exception is when it comes to memoirs, in which case they serve as both my fiction and nonfiction. 

Right now...

The Marriage Masquerade by Cheryl Anne Porter.  It is a light Regency Romance.

Not the best I've read.  Definitely not a "can't put it down" book.  In fact, I've been reading it for over a week (I'm usually a book devourer) - I'd rather just go straight to bed.  It has a decent plot, but the characters lack depth and reality, and the prose is a bit tedious.

I would not recommend it.  I would recommend anything by Amanda Quick, Julia Quinn, or Mary Balogh in this genre.

I usually only read one book at a time, except for the rare occasion when I misplace one and start another.  But, these days, with small children, I only read for a few minutes before bed (or longer if I can't put it down).  When I was on bed rest I read two books a day.

Original Post by happyfish22:

I just finished "Tetrarch" by Ian Irvine, it's the second in a series. It's complicated, but basically it's about a war between three different species. Sci-fi, they use crystals to power things. I liked it. I would recommend it to someone who likes sci-fi, but not many of my friends do.

Usually I try to stick to one book at a time, but if one's boring, I'll read something light as well. For example when I was trying to get through Clockwork Orange, which hurt my brain a little, I was also reading another book that was easy to get through (but I can't for the life of me remember what it was). I liked Clockwork Orange, once I got used to it.

Yeah, I felt the same way when I first started reading A Clockwork Orange. However, unlike William Gibson's Neuromancer, the meaning of the words eventually became clear to me. It is now one of my favorite books. 

Original Post by elfpower:

Well, I just finished reading Oliver Twist today.  

In case someone doesn't know, it's the story of a tragically unlucky orphan who ends up in the hands of a these despicable thieves before being temporarily rescued by much nicer people.  And repeat.

I loved it.  The ending was beautiful and it was really funny at times.  I read it in just a few days, which is really unusual for me, but I just couldn't put it down.

I have been recommending it to my friends.

I stick to one at a time.  Otherwise, I just end up reading the one I'm enjoying the most and never finish the others.

Have you read any other books by Charles Dickens? If so, what were they and what did you think of them?

I'm reading Helter Skelter.

It's an account of the Manson murders, from the perspective of Vincent Bugliosi, who was the prosecutor in Charles Manson's trial.

It's rather disturbing!  I've always been interested in serial killers (in a non-romantic way, that is) though, so I'm also a bit intrigued.

I would only recommend it to someone who is as sick and twisted as I am.  Not to someone easily rattled.  The crime scene photographs from both the Tate and Labianca murders are DISTURBING, not to mention some of the creepy photographs of the Family members...

I usually try to stick with one book at a time, but sometimes I will have 2 or 3 on the go at once.

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Original Post by happyfish22:

I just finished "Tetrarch" by Ian Irvine, it's the second in a series. It's complicated, but basically it's about a war between three different species. Sci-fi, they use crystals to power things. I liked it. I would recommend it to someone who likes sci-fi, but not many of my friends do.

Usually I try to stick to one book at a time, but if one's boring, I'll read something light as well. For example when I was trying to get through Clockwork Orange, which hurt my brain a little, I was also reading another book that was easy to get through (but I can't for the life of me remember what it was). I liked Clockwork Orange, once I got used to it.

Yeah, I felt the same way when I first started reading A Clockwork Orange. However, unlike William Gibson's Neuromancer, the meaning of the words eventually became clear to me. It is now one of my favorite books. 

 I watched the movie and it was a bit of a let-down, even though I read about it beforehand and knew what they would be leaving out. I really enjoyed the book though, once I got into it. I liked the dark atmosphere. It was a really thought-provoking novel.

Original Post by brtaylor:

I'm reading Helter Skelter.

It's an account of the Manson murders, from the perspective of Vincent Bugliosi, who was the prosecutor in Charles Manson's trial.

It's rather disturbing!  I've always been interested in serial killers (in a non-romantic way, that is) though, so I'm also a bit intrigued.

I would only recommend it to someone who is as sick and twisted as I am.  Not to someone easily rattled.  The crime scene photographs from both the Tate and Labianca murders are DISTURBING, not to mention some of the creepy photographs of the Family members...

I usually try to stick with one book at a time, but sometimes I will have 2 or 3 on the go at once.

 

I have been wanting to read that forever! I don't know if you have watched any television programs about the Manson murders, but if you have...do they make the book any less interesting? I guess what I am trying to ask is, how in-depth is the book? I still want to read it, however, only if it has something new to offer beyond the basics.

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Original Post by elfpower:

Well, I just finished reading Oliver Twist today.  

In case someone doesn't know, it's the story of a tragically unlucky orphan who ends up in the hands of a these despicable thieves before being temporarily rescued by much nicer people.  And repeat.

I loved it.  The ending was beautiful and it was really funny at times.  I read it in just a few days, which is really unusual for me, but I just couldn't put it down.

I have been recommending it to my friends.

I stick to one at a time.  Otherwise, I just end up reading the one I'm enjoying the most and never finish the others.

Have you read any other books by Charles Dickens? If so, what were they and what did you think of them?

 I know I'm not the person you asked about this, but I've read a lot of Dickens and enjoy him immensely so I couldn't resist.  :)

A Tale of Two Cities, Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol are favs outside of Oliver Twist.

Original Post by happyfish22:

 I watched the movie and it was a bit of a let-down, even though I read about it beforehand and knew what they would be leaving out. I really enjoyed the book though, once I got into it. I liked the dark atmosphere. It was a really thought-provoking novel.

I have yet to see the movie, but my friend really liked it. Does it leave out the more obscene details, or just substance in general? I have been told that it is pretty graphic, but I am not sure.

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Have you read any other books by Charles Dickens? If so, what were they and what did you think of them?

I've only read Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, which I read when I was around 13 and I think I would probably enjoy it much more now.  I remember at the time I was really busy so I'd go for like 2 weeks without reading it at all and totally forget everything that happened.  I think I'll be giving it another go.  Do you like his books?

I just really wanted to read something by Dickens after watching all the Masterpiece Theatre/BBC productions of his works this summer.  They're incredible.  I'll be picking up David Copperfield next, I think.

Oh and a Christmas Carol, which of course I loved.  How could I not?

Original Post by lilsammi23:

 I know I'm not the person you asked about this, but I've read a lot of Dickens and enjoy him immensely so I couldn't resist.  :)

A Tale of Two Cities, Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House, Great Expectations, and A Christmas Carol are favs outside of Oliver Twist.

I have A Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations, neither of which I have read. After listening to a podcast about spontaneous combustion, I really want to read Bleak House!

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Original Post by brtaylor:

I'm reading Helter Skelter.

It's an account of the Manson murders, from the perspective of Vincent Bugliosi, who was the prosecutor in Charles Manson's trial.

It's rather disturbing!  I've always been interested in serial killers (in a non-romantic way, that is) though, so I'm also a bit intrigued.

I would only recommend it to someone who is as sick and twisted as I am.  Not to someone easily rattled.  The crime scene photographs from both the Tate and Labianca murders are DISTURBING, not to mention some of the creepy photographs of the Family members...

I usually try to stick with one book at a time, but sometimes I will have 2 or 3 on the go at once.

 

I have been wanting to read that forever! I don't know if you have watched any television programs about the Manson murders, but if you have...do they make the book any less interesting? I guess what I am trying to ask is, how in-depth is the book? I still want to read it, however, only if it has something new to offer beyond the basics.

 I haven't watched any television programs about it, so I don't know what sort of knowledge base you'd be starting out with.  However, I've found it to be rather detailed so far.  He is basically sharing everything he learned from the research he conducted.  I mean, it even has some accounts of conversations he had with witnesses, members of the Family, Manson himself, etc. and has a pretty good account of things that occurred during the trial as well.

Hope that helps!

I'm reading My Antonia by Willa Cather. It's a really great book, I wouldn't be surprised if many of you have read it.

The narrator Jim Burden loses both of his parents at age 10 and moves from Virginia to Nebraska to live with his grandparents. There he meets a Bohemian family; the daughter is Antonia. Although she's five years older than him, they become, and remain, friends. It basically tells the story of Jim's life. I'm enjoying it.

I should add, I'm reading it for class, and at this moment I'm posting on CC as a method to avoid writing a paper on it =)

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Original Post by happyfish22:

 I watched the movie and it was a bit of a let-down, even though I read about it beforehand and knew what they would be leaving out. I really enjoyed the book though, once I got into it. I liked the dark atmosphere. It was a really thought-provoking novel.

I have yet to see the movie, but my friend really liked it. Does it leave out the more obscene details, or just substance in general? I have been told that it is pretty graphic, but I am not sure.

The movie A Clockwork Orange is a classic.  I highly recommend it.  I loved it and the book.

Original Post by puh8suwrux:

Right now...

The Marriage Masquerade by Cheryl Anne Porter.  It is a light Regency Romance.

Not the best I've read.  Definitely not a "can't put it down" book.  In fact, I've been reading it for over a week (I'm usually a book devourer) - I'd rather just go straight to bed.  It has a decent plot, but the characters lack depth and reality, and the prose is a bit tedious.

I would not recommend it.  I would recommend anything by Amanda Quick, Julia Quinn, or Mary Balogh in this genre.

I usually only read one book at a time, except for the rare occasion when I misplace one and start another.  But, these days, with small children, I only read for a few minutes before bed (or longer if I can't put it down).  When I was on bed rest I read two books a day.

Even if I was confined to a bed, I doubt that I could make it through two books in a single day. I don't have the discipline for it, unfortunately. Yay puzzles! :D

Original Post by elfpower:

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Original Post by happyfish22:

 I watched the movie and it was a bit of a let-down, even though I read about it beforehand and knew what they would be leaving out. I really enjoyed the book though, once I got into it. I liked the dark atmosphere. It was a really thought-provoking novel.

I have yet to see the movie, but my friend really liked it. Does it leave out the more obscene details, or just substance in general? I have been told that it is pretty graphic, but I am not sure.

The movie A Clockwork Orange is a classic.  I highly recommend it.  I loved it and the book.

 I don't like the way the movie ended. It is pretty graphic, espeically for the time it was made, and I did like it, but the book is much better.

Currently I'm reading A Certain Chemistry by Mil Millington, I've literally just started it, so I really can't say what it's about, but I LOVED Things My Girlfriend and I Have Argued About by the same author.  I'm also reading E.L. Doctorow's The Waterworks, When You are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris, and Ian Fleming's Dr. No.  I have about five more books on my bookshelf to get through before I can let myself enter a book store again :)

Whether I would recommend a book to a friend or not always depends on what I know of that friend and their reading habits.  Many I would recommend to one friend, but possibly not to another... etc.

Original Post by vincent_louis:

Answering my own questions...

I am currently reading two books, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and Natasha's Dance: A Cultural History of Russia. The form of the former is quite strange. However, it is, oddly enough, an easy read as it appears as though the author wants you to interpret ideas a certain way and so tells you. If you are interested in philosophy, this might be a good book for you. Nevertheless, be aware that the book reads a bit like Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In other words, the characters are more or less pawns for the author's ideas. In regard to the other book, I am not far along enough to give an honest impression. I guess if you are as fascinated by Russia as I am, then you will probably like it. 

As for the bonus question...it depends on the books. I can usually "safely" manage about two at a time. In order for me to do this, one is usually fiction, while the other is nonfiction, as I have selected now. The exception is when it comes to memoirs, in which case they serve as both my fiction and nonfiction. 

 I loved the Unbearable Lightness of Being.

At the moment I do not have time for reading-for pleasure , I am currently reading Fundamental Accounting Principles, thrilling stuff. When I'm done that one, I plan to read The Other Hand by Chris Cleave.