Reading any good books?

[Mercutio]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Literary Converts by Joseph Pearce

sounds good.

Is that the book I see advertised all the time in the Ignatius Press catalog?

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Adam Bede, by George Eliot. It's going slower than most books; I haven't really gotten into it yet.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Is good. Pearce is a v. good author, and I imagine it is; does it have a picture of four photos, one of Chesterton, one of Waugh, one of a woman I don't know, and one of a man I don't know?

[Serenoli]

Reading A series of unfortunate events, and Cards on the table... Agatha Christie. Both very good.

[Spock]

Just finished "Act of War", by Dale Brown. Very well written, up to date information on the world situation plus good military facts left me with even more worry than I had before. A good read.

[The Telcontarion]

Originally Posted by Spock

Just finished "Act of War", by Dale Brown. Very well written, up to date information on the world situation plus good military facts left me with even more worry than I had before. A good read.

This is the summary of that book. I already know I don't like it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
From the corridors of power in Washington to the frontlines of the war on terror -- in Act of War, Dale Brown takes you to the heart of the action and introduces Jason Richter, his most exhilarating character to date.
Near Houston, an oil refinery belonging to one of the world's largest energy companies is destroyed by a "backpack" nuclear device -- just one of many attacks being perpetrated around the world by a group whose mission is to stop global corporations and government organizations from plundering the world's natural resources in the name of profit.

Jason Richter and his top-secret high-tech military unit, Task Force TALON, are called in to track down and defeat this new brand of international terrorism. Richter knows that the only way to snare his opponents is to beat them at their own game: Be unconventional, swift, and brutal.

If he fails, it won't be just the lives of his team that are lost, but America itself.

Sounds like propaganda to me.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Well, there's very little that isn't propaganda these days, Tel.

[Spock]

The Title of this topic is "Reading any good books lately". It is NOT 'books you want others to read'...and certainly not meant for attacks against those who post their opinions here.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

We're lucky this isn't in GM, else it would be locked now!

[Curubethion]

Finished Shadowmancer a while back...it was a bit of a short read, but I liked it. Cool themes of spiritual warfare and all that stuff. I would completely love to have the Sword of Maeynce!

Going through the Three Musketeers now...quite an interesting book, actually. Although a bit longish...

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

Is good. Pearce is a v. good author, and I imagine it is; does it have a picture of four photos, one of Chesterton, one of Waugh, one of a woman I don't know, and one of a man I don't know?

I think he did a bio of Tolkien too...

Ignatius Press has some great stuff...I bought two copies of Chesterton's Orthodoxy, one of them from Ignatius Press. Reading it now, about half-way through. Great Stuff

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Yeah, Tolkien: Man and Myth. He also edited Tolkien: A Celebration. I have both; quite good.

[IronParrot]

Not quite up to my desired reading routine this summer, but here's what I've covered:

Non-fiction:
Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - Richard P. Feynman
Unveiling the Edge of Time - John Gribbin

Fiction:
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson
Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh - Michael Chabon

And a bit of short fiction from Runaway by Alice Munro. Thinking of finally getting to Philip Pullman next... he's been on my shelf for some time now, waiting his turn.

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

I'll post my real list of books when I get back because I will have read them then. And then I will kick your butt, point and laugh at you.

So despite Hector's creative attempt to guess my reading list, here's what I have been reading the last three weeks. I managed to read everything I had packed but one book on environmental debate.

The Serpent Gift - Lene Kaaberbol
The People of the Fire - Michael and Kathleen Gear
Badger's Moon - Peter Tremayne
The Enchanted Castle - E. Nesbit
East - Edith Pattou
Classic Victorian & Edwardian Ghost Stories
The Girl with the Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier
Le Morte Darthur - Sir Thomas Malory
The Alexander Roman - Patrick de Rynck
Lirael - Garth Nix
Abhorsen - Garth Nix
Going Postal - Terry Pratchett
The Peoples of Middle-earth - C. Tolkien
Tales of Unease - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
A Natural History of Dragons and Unicorns - Paul and Karin Johnsgard
Power of Three - Dianne Wynne Jones

[Mercutio]

I'm afraid I abandoned Adam Bede in favor of Calvin and Hobbes auf Deutsch.

[Beren3000]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

The Girl with the Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier

I've recently finished that book, too! How did you like it?

P.S. Hope you enjoyed your holidays

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by Beren3000

I've recently finished that book, too! How did you like it?

It was okay. Nice portret of the time, made me glad I wasn't living then. But it was interesting to see whether I knew the paintings Vermeer worked on during the book. It wasn't what I usually like to read, so that colours my impression of it somewhat. But it was okay.

P.S. Hope you enjoyed your holidays

Thanks, I did.

[Curubethion]

Wormwood, by GP Taylor. A sort of sequel to Shadowmancer. It was a pretty good book, a bit gross in some parts (that scene with all the hands in the street... ) although some parts of the plot kind of got lost, e.g. the Plague.

[Beren3000]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

Nice portret of the time, made me glad I wasn't living then

Originally Posted by Eärniel

But it was interesting to see whether I knew the paintings Vermeer worked on during the book.

I know; everytime there was a description of a painting of his, I'd go to an online gallery and look for it.
I also liked the last line in the book: "A maid came free" I think it sums the book up nicely.

[azalea]

I'm reading a book called Low Man on the Totem Pole by a guy named H. Allen Smith. He was a reporter in the early part of the 20th century, and this book was written in 1941 as a kind of humorous collection of essays about his experiences "so far." My dad had recommended it since my husband is a reporter, and he thought we'd enjoy it.

One of the chapters is about the beginning of his career, at the age of 16, when he was reporting for his town's paper. He wrote a "ribald tale" called "Stranded on a Davenport" and showed it to his friend, who then passed it around school. Smith ended up having to go to court for "authorship and circulation of lewd, licentious, obscene, and lascivious literature." It was pretty funny to see what a big deal it was in the town where he lived.

[Beren3000]

Currently reading Lord of the Flies by William Golding; it's not very easy to get into, but when you do it's really worth it!