I am currently reading some fiction (for myself) and some textbooks (to prepare my PhD proposal).
Fiction: I'm reading Yann Martel's "
Beatrice and Virgil," and I really like it. Sadly, however, a lot of reviewers call this a really poor book, but I disagree. The book shows how malleable the idea of "sanctity of life" is. Are we prepared to extend this idea to non-human animals, too? Are we at all prepared to think of ourselves as animals? For being an animal is believed to be such a lowly thing. We are, after all, civilized beings--civilized beings who have created countless ways to destroy lives with the press of a button.
Reviewers claim that Martel compares the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany to the treatment of animals and that this is highly offensive and cheap. This is utterly sad. This comparison is not at all offensive. On the contrary, it is necessary. We destroy animal lives with impunity, and we kill humans who we believe act like animals. Overall, a timely book about historiography, in general.
On the other hand, I'm brushing up on college-level
Sociology for my proposal. I'm reading contemporary summaries of classical sociology, which is very interesting, as these are mainly presented in the form of interpretations.