What are you reading? Books, articles or publications of any kind!

Norco Maniac

Is back!
Have been working my way through The Expanse series, then a friend on FB posted a painting that's title pivoted me to Alan Garner's The Owl Service that i read many years ago.

That's made me look at 1984, Animal Farm and Maus again.

Have also started re-reading my notes on grafting fruit trees, I'm consolidating my collection of potted trees since we're stuck in a rental for the moment.
 

ForkinGreat

Knows his Brassica oleracea
Similarly, my youngest insists I read "The Very Cranky Bear" twice a day. We've been stuck in this loop for a fortnight.

When the kids are either asleep or occupied I've been reading anything by Kurt Vonnegut Jnr. Slaughterhouse 5 is one of his best known works, but Cat's Cradle is another stand out in my opinion.

Pre-kids I read a lot of China Mieville books. Perdido Street Station and Iron Council are fantastic. He has created some pretty amazing, out there worlds. Though it takes some commitment to get through his books.

@Dales Cannon I reckon my book collection is very similar to yours. I intend on re-reading a lot of old favourite sci-fi and I really look forward to reading Pratchett with the kids once they're a little older.
have you read The City and The City ? Interesting concept & won a bunch of awards.
 

yuley95

soft-arse Yuley is on the lifts again
Similarly, my youngest insists I read "The Very Cranky Bear" twice a day. We've been stuck in this loop for a fortnight.

When the kids are either asleep or occupied I've been reading anything by Kurt Vonnegut Jnr. Slaughterhouse 5 is one of his best known works, but Cat's Cradle is another stand out in my opinion.

Pre-kids I read a lot of China Mieville books. Perdido Street Station and Iron Council are fantastic. He has created some pretty amazing, out there worlds. Though it takes some commitment to get through his books.

@Dales Cannon I reckon my book collection is very similar to yours. I intend on re-reading a lot of old favourite sci-fi and I really look forward to reading Pratchett with the kids once they're a little older.
Cats Cradle is probably my favourite book. I also re-read SlaughterHouse 5 recently and enjoyed it more the second time through (liked it the first time but liked it even more the second).

Haven’t been entirely blown away by anything for a while though i did really enjoy Boy Swallows Universe.

‘Sapien: A brief history of human kind’ was the last book i raved about and made friends read. It’s an amazing, objective and dispassionate look at where we sit on the food chain, how we evolved (through tools, language, shared stories etc) and what drives human behaviour.

For those stuck reading kids books - there’s hope. I once had to read the Cranky Bear etc but am currently reading my 8yo son ‘The Secret of the Night Train’. A really cool kids novel. We just finished the Hunger games trilogy too.

Loved reading my daughter ‘The phantom tollbooth’ at about the same age.
 

Labcanary

One potato, two potato, click
have you read The City and The City ? Interesting concept & won a bunch of awards.
Yes! It is very well written. A little different to his usual style, but very unique concept and well executed.
I find his books can be a bit slow to grab my attention, but once immersed in the story I can't stop reading.
 
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dirtdad

Wants to be special but is too shy
Yeah. After you recognise an entire book doesn't have a single adverb in it, it ruins others that do untill you forget about it. It's really bizarre. I recon it's one of the reasons king is as popular as he is.
JK Rowling loves adverbs. I didn't notice when I read Harry Potter books as a kid, but holy cow!

"Rereading the books with my kids is some small torture" said Harry begrudgingly.

I've had Dune on the bookshelf for a couple of years. But have to read a lot for work, so don't always want to pick up a book in the evening. Much prefer to get in the garage and potter around. With the latest movie out though, I really should read the book first.

The last book I read that really stood out was The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald can write.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
Pre-kids I read a lot of China Mieville books. Perdido Street Station and Iron Council are fantastic. He has created some pretty amazing, out there worlds. Though it takes some commitment to get through his books.
Love China Mieville, I've read most of his books - the Bas-Lag books and then all the stand alone novels (including the YA one), but haven't got to the shorter ones yet.

Currently working my way through William Gibson's novels. Up to Zero History, the 3rd book of the third trilogy.

Non-fiction I recently read Edward Snowden's book and slowly working my way through The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff.
 

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
Just counted. Excluding text books and uni stuff...

36 shelves, mostly double stacked. 40-60 books per shelf. Movers hated us. And they didn't like packing and moving books either.

My perceptions about a book change (mostly) as I get older. Some better, most worse. Certainly that is the case with Dune. Possibly tainted by a shit movie in between. Favourites are things like Shibumi by Trevanian and Magician by Feist. Any Pratchett any time. Obviously. Nicci French (two peoples) work worth a mention and if you like Roman history have a go at Lindsay Davies.

Should have mentioned classics too, some days are Dickens. Love a bit of Twain etc. Good story, good literature. Don't care I am a slut.
Tale of Two Cities is one of my all-time favs. Oliver Twist is a hellova read, but a bit heart wrenching - apparently the Queen requested an audience with Dickens after she read it and asked if that's what life was truly like in the real/common world. I love the way Dickens writes but I get a bit tired of his penchant for deus ex machina and the constant ironic/serendipitous links between characters.
 

johnny

I'll tells ya!
Staff member
Love China Mieville, I've read most of his books - the Bas-Lag books and then all the stand alone novels (including the YA one), but haven't got to the shorter ones yet.

Currently working my way through William Gibson's novels. Up to Zero History, the 3rd book of the third trilogy.

Non-fiction I recently read Edward Snowden's book and slowly working my way through The Age of Surveillance Capitalism by Shoshana Zuboff.
I have Surveillance Capitalism sitting unread on my shelf mocking me by its existence. Most of my friends in that game all tell me to ignore the book and read a much shorter article she wrote that covers the thesis of the book without all the tangents she apparently explores. I've also seen a pretty interesting critique along the lines of "What Zuboff calls surveillance capitalism is already known to most as just simple capitalism...".

I should just shutup and read it.
 

Norco Maniac

Is back!
I've had Dune on the bookshelf for a couple of years. But have to read a lot for work, so don't always want to pick up a book in the evening. Much prefer to get in the garage and potter around. With the latest movie out though, I really should read the book first.
I first read Dune when i was 14, it was on my parent's bookshelf. Again at 23, when i got the 6 book set on sale. I should dive in again, it's been 30-odd years.

I thought they did a really good job with the movie.
 

droenn

Fat Man's XC President
I have Surveillance Capitalism sitting unread on my shelf mocking me by its existence. Most of my friends in that game all tell me to ignore the book and read a much shorter article she wrote that covers the thesis of the book without all the tangents she apparently explores. I've also seen a pretty interesting critique along the lines of "What Zuboff calls surveillance capitalism is already known to most as just simple capitalism...".

I should just shutup and read it.
Its a bit of a slog tbh, I've not picked it up in a while haha. But its ok to come back to and read a bit here and there.

She gets criticised for mainly focusing on Google too, but its by no means the only book on this subject.

A much more digestable book I read recently was "Privacy is Power" by Carissa Veliz, but its more slated towards privacy in general rather than profiting off our data.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
I first read Dune when i was 14, it was on my parent's bookshelf. Again at 23, when i got the 6 book set on sale. I should dive in again, it's been 30-odd years.

I thought they did a really good job with the movie.
New one of the one with Sting? I haven't seen the new one but thought the other was shit.
 

DougalStrachan

Likes Dirt
Just read thru Dune again a few months ago but kept getting distracted by wanting the book to progress to the bits I liked, so it was annoying, also working my way through Pratchett 'cos he's awesome. Chuck in a couple of Lee Childs type 'holiday books' for brainless reading, plus I have about 5 books from Christmas to get thru. Also want to read through the Ursula Le Guin Earthsea stuff and Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear books again when I find where I've hidden them........
 

rockmoose

his flabber is totally gastered
Just read thru Dune again a few months ago but kept getting distracted by wanting the book to progress to the bits I liked, so it was annoying, also working my way through Pratchett 'cos he's awesome. Chuck in a couple of Lee Childs type 'holiday books' for brainless reading, plus I have about 5 books from Christmas to get thru. Also want to read through the Ursula Le Guin Earthsea stuff and Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear books again when I find where I've hidden them........
Good thinking. I might revisit Clan of the Cave Bear. Love me a capable cave woman.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Have been working my way through The Expanse series, then a friend on FB posted a painting that's title pivoted me to Alan Garner's The Owl Service that i read many years ago.

That's made me look at 1984, Animal Farm and Maus again.

Have also started re-reading my notes on grafting fruit trees, I'm consolidating my collection of potted trees since we're stuck in a rental for the moment.
You seem to like long complex epics - read the Mars trilogy by Kim Stanley Robinson?
 

Hools

Likes Dirt
Anything sci-fi or fantasy, mainly space opera. I read to forget the world and can’t do non-fiction
I really like Iain M Banks, favourite of his is The Algebraist. Keep coming back to it.
I have a stash of paperback books in the cupboard but unfortunately my kindle gets the nod these days for convenience purposes and the fact a bedside light is more shit my kids can pull over
Iain M Banks. Excession is my favourite, have re read so many times.
 

tubby74

Likes Bikes and Dirt
working my way through the last vol8ume of the lightbringer series by brent weeks. as much as i enjoy it, 1200 pages a volume can really drag out and I find myself wanting to split it in 3 and read something else in the middle. i keep volumes of jeremy clarksons columns on hand for that, nice short 4 page rambles at a time. and a jack brabham biography, funny reading about how many speedways and tracks sydney used to have, seems like they were as common as footie clubs
 
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