Page 185 of 198
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:53 pm
by T. Foster
Falconer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:34 pm
The Past Through Tomorrow by Heinlein.
One of my favorite books - the first half, at least. IMO Heinlein was at his best in his short stories and most of my favorites are included here:
Lifeline
The Man Who Sold the Moon
Requiem
The Green Hills of Earth
Ordeal in Space
The Menace from Earth
Searchlight
Misfit
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 4:54 am
by rredmond
grodog wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 9:00 pm
Philotomy Jurament wrote: ↑Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:47 pm
Also just re-read
The Hobbit, again, which was very enjoyable. I'm thinking about doing my own arrangement of the dwarves' "Misty Mountains Cold" song.
That would be cool to hear!
Agreed, do it PJ! Did I see the YouTube posted here of the college a cappella dudes doing that in a sewer or something. Must go check...
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:42 am
by Flambeaux
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
Ember's End by S. D. Smith
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 4:05 pm
by ThirstyStirge
The rules of Mahjong. My god, what diabolical maniac invented this gordian knot of a game?!?
I can read Chinese, but that still doesn't help.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2021 6:25 pm
by benjoshua
I read the book
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria, and it was worthwhile. I enjoy his television show each Sunday, and his takes on world issues. My favorite of his books is,
The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad. Fareed is not the most eloquent writer, but he is easy to understand. He doesn't talk down to readers. Most importantly, he has great insights and he sees the world from a higher perspective than most. If you want to think more intelligently about this pandemic and where the world goes from here, this book is a great place to start.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:26 pm
by JasonZavoda
Flambeaux wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:42 am
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
Ember's End by S. D. Smith
The Third Policeman is better.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2021 8:49 am
by benjoshua
I read
The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth and Power by Deidre Mask. I never knew learning about addresses could be so interesting! It's amazing how important an address is for getting a job, a bank account, or an ID. I now realize addresses are not so much created to help people find their way as it is a way for the government to find us,... and tax us. I also learned one of the new ways innovators are addressing the world is with the "what3words" system. Every 3 meter by 3 meter plot of land on the planet has a 3 word address. If you don't know exactly where you are, and need emergency assistance, this locator is invaluable. The app is free. Fascinating!
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Sun Jan 17, 2021 4:09 pm
by The Spaniard
After reading and loving the Cornwell's Saxon stories, I picked up the first book in the Warlord trilogy, which has a early middle ages take on King Arthur. I usually love historical fiction, but I was disappointed after the first few chapters. I put it down for a while. Reading Return of the Shadow now for a Tolkien fix.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 2:28 pm
by DungeonMonkey
A collection of short stories and poetry by Clark Ashton Smith. I've not read him before and I'm enjoying it so far (though I have not made it to the poetry, which is not really my kind of thing as a rule).
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 4:57 pm
by JCBoney
JasonZavoda wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:26 pm
Flambeaux wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 11:42 am
The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi
Ember's End by S. D. Smith
The Third Policeman is better.
Sales for that book went through the roof when it was discovered to have been an inspiration for the TV show
LOST.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 6:36 pm
by benjoshua
I read
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was fascinating reading about how much Dr. Jekyll enjoyed the transformation into Hyde at first, how free he became only to discover that his transformation became unpredictable and then permanent. It was also fascinating as those around him witnessing one strange event and another, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. And once the truth was revealed, how horrified they were. There were five other short stories in this book, the best of which were
The Suicide Club and
The Body Snatcher. They were also tales of horror. All of these tales make one thing clear, the worst monsters were once humans like us.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 6:39 pm
by Flambeaux
Finished The Eighth Detective. Would not recommend.
Starting on Michael Walsh's Last Stands.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:27 pm
by rogatny
Just finished Pratt's Blue Star.
I was underwhelmed. Intellectually interesting, but a chore to read. A lot of world building - a sad, dystopian world of religious repression and classist bigotry. Some half-hearted political intrigue in which all sides involved seem equally awful. They all talk about sorcery and witchcraft way more than anyone actually does any. A completely unromantic romance in which the main characters feel stuck with each other because for one partner all the other options seem worse and for the other partner... because he feels bad about raping her?
And did I mention the rape? Because the book spends a long time talking about various characters raping various other characters, with both of our main characters under the near constant threat of being sexually assaulted, sold into prostitution, or otherwise violated.
I don't need every book I read to be a rip-roaring barn-burner of an adventure, but Blue Star, is oppressively dreary.
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:51 pm
by T. Foster
Wow. It's been a long time since I've read it (~15 years) but I don't remember it being like that at all
Re: What are you reading?
Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 11:37 pm
by JasonZavoda
rogatny wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:27 pm
Just finished Pratt's
Blue Star.
I was underwhelmed. Intellectually interesting, but a chore to read. A lot of world building - a sad, dystopian world of religious repression and classist bigotry. Some half-hearted political intrigue in which all sides involved seem equally awful. They all talk about sorcery and witchcraft way more than anyone actually does any. A completely unromantic romance in which the main characters feel stuck with each other because for one partner all the other options seem worse and for the other partner... because he feels bad about raping her?
And did I mention the rape? Because the book spends a long time talking about various characters raping various other characters, with both of our main characters under the near constant threat of being sexually assaulted, sold into prostitution, or otherwise violated.
I don't need every book I read to be a rip-roaring barn-burner of an adventure, but
Blue Star, is oppressively dreary.
Hadnt heard of this one. Im not a fan of solo Pratt (or solo De Camp) but loved the Harold Shea books. They seemed to complement each other. I remember Pratt's Well of the Unicorn as slow and mostly uninteresting.