What Are You Currently Reading?

[Lamp Post]

I can't believe we don't have this thread, I went through all the threads looking for it.  Brought back such memories, too.  :D  Tell me if I, however, missed it.

 

So, pretty self explainatory.  What are you currently reading?  'Tis appreciated if you'd also say whether or not you'd recommend/not recommend the book, too, so everyone can expand their reading list.  :D 

 

I'm curretly reading:

 - Symphony of Ages Seires -- Elizabeth Haydon.  They're great.  I'm adoring them.

 - The Messenger -- Markus Zusak.  'Tis lovely.  Very down-to-Earth, great writing style, fast moving without too much action. 

 - The Gates -- John Connolly.  Only a few pages into it.  'Tis beyond amazing, though.  I love this author.

 

[EndOfTheEarth]

Slowly making my way through Lilith's Brood by Octavia Butler.

It's...okay. It doesn't show humans as being a particularly redeemable species, and the majoirity of the main characters were suffering from post-apocalyptic asshole syndrome. Fortunately, Octavia broke the story into three parts, so everyone except the main character has been exported to Earth by the end of this section, meaning that maybe group two will be nicer.

[Contradiction]

Read Stardust. Then decided that, as long as I've read three of Gaiman's books this week, I might as well reread American Gods, since I've been meaning to. So I'm reading that...

[nathan_p]

Atlas Shrugged again.

 

Makes much more sense the second time.

 

I may be a masochist.

[Contradiction]

The Man Who Was Thursday, by G.K. Chesterton.

I only picked it up because Good Omens is dedicated to the author.

 

I'm on page forty or something, and it's brilliant. It's one of those books where, after only having read a couple of pages, I know I'm going to like the whole damn thing.

[Doomy]

Just finished Room.

 

If you guys have a few hours, I HIGHLY recommend it.

[nathan_p]

The Fountainhead.

 

Definitely a masochist.

 

But Ayn Rand is real fuckin easy to read after the first time. This guy's good, that guy's bad, here's some scenery porn.

[EndOfTheEarth]

Eh. I'm not so fond of the description paragraphs. "Ekphrasis" translates directly into "EndOf thows the book at the wall"

 

I figure that unless it's plot relevant (ex: Verne describes the layout of the Nautilus) or mood setting (which can be done in three lines), it's pointless. It isn't going to change the characters, it isn't going to change the plot, and it isn't going to make the book any more enjoyable.

[Omega]

Chronicles of Narnia. Again.

[EndOfTheEarth]

Beowulf.

Ever wonder why modern authors pummel you with Mary-Sue characters, irrelevant backstory, and imagery that is both long and worthless? I'll tell you: They're trying to emulate Old English Literature.

In brief, Beowulf is about as redeemable as Maximum Ride: the only way to get something out of it is to read too far into the text.

 

Also, the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, the great philosopher, introspectionist, and logician.

I pointed out a quote in class today that suggested that he failed in philosophy, introspection, logic, or all three at once.

 

I'm waiting on five free-time books from BN...and the literature for this semester isn't looking too good thus far.

[nathan_p]

Beowulf can fuck right off :\ It's historically interesting, but frankly I'd rather read a Stephen King novel than suffer through reading an old translation of that bullshit aloud. 

 

However, in the context of 'ridiculous action-movie horseshit' I really don't mind Beowulf.

 

Ben Franklin was kind of funny and a total fucking flirt. 

[EndOfTheEarth]

Ben Franklin set up the US Embassy to France in a brothel.

[MusicInTheWind]

The Marbury Lens by Andrew Smith. It's alright so far. I'm still waiting for things to get going. I mean, the plot probably has started but I might not notice it because it's kinda boring.

 

Just finished The Tempest by Shakespeare in English. It wasn't as horrible as Romeo and Juliet and I didn't actually want all the characters to die by the end. I see this as a good thing. I mean, I just wanted everyone to die in Romeo and Juliet. They were all so stupid.