What books are you reading?

[Bob Russell]

I recently finished Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (from the Portable Harvard Classics), and On Intelligence by Palm founder Jeff Hawkins. They were both really fantastic. Also recently finished Michael Connelly's Black Ice, which was a solid and fun read about a mystery from a policeman's perspective with murder, drug smugglers, and some adventures in Mexico.

Oh.. and I'm currently reading American General by Tommy Franks, Journal of John Woolman (who started off much of the movement against slavery in America) also from Portable Harvard Classics, and A Brief History of Nearly Everything (which is a laymans very nice multi-year effort to take science and make it interesting). All three of these are also turning out to be great choices.

But I wish I could get through a good book as fast as I can watch a good movie!

[Francesco]

Currently I'm reading a lot of books simultaneously. Usually I don't do that, but it's working quite alright for me:
- Complete digital photography. I love to take pictures, and this book is helping me to improve their quality. I recommend it a lot.
- Cartas desde el infierno (letters from hell), by Ramón Sampedro. The sea inside, by Amenábar is a movie you definitely have to see. It's about the struggle of Ramón Sampedro, a tetraplegic, to end his life with diginity. His arguments are exposed in this book with amazing lucidness.
- Digital photography hacks. Looks like I'm really into photography lately. O'Reilly Hacks series are really cool compendiums of "messing-arounds"... to be handled with care. Well, I tried an XP hack from a pre-SP II edition, which resulted in total havoc (my computer would just not boot!) Now I can't help seeing my Mind Hacks book without a distrustful look.
- Internet Oracle "bestof" digest. Great for waisting your time: http://cgi.cs.indiana.edu/~oracle/bestofs.cgi
- L'étranger, by Camus. Great book for an intermediate-French student. Well, great book in any case. Reading it in French has forced me to read it slowly and carefully... I'm enjoying it a lot!
- Zen mind, beginners mind, by D T Suzuki. I'm trying to grasp a little of Zen. I guess I'll have this feeling I don't understand one thing until, suddenly... well, I don't know. In fact is a very interesting reading.
- War of the worlds. Sorry, but the movie is rubbish. From beginning to end. The book is fine, I expected a little more, though. Maybe is the fault of the guy in charge of the special effects.

[sUnShInE]

Harry Potter, of course

[cbarnett]

Yeah, I read the HP book pretty quickly (though I didn't devour it in hours like a lot seemed to - what a waste of something that takes years to write - savour it!!). I just finished David Feintuch's Seafort book Voices of Hope (book 5 in the Seafort series... I love 'em, but the main character's almost as tragic as Thomas Covanent).

Now might be a good time to revisit GRR Martin's works so I'm prepared for the new books release

Craig.

[volwrath]

Everyone says GRRM is the best, but Ive never been able to get into his books. Hobb either. Now Feist OTOH...

[cbarnett]

The Song of Ice and Fire series is excellent, IMHO. I loved Hobb's Assassin trilogy. I've got the other two trilogies as well, ready to read, but I've got a lot of other stuff to get through first before I get to them

Now started Feintuch's 6th Seafort book - Patriarch's Hope. I'm feeling a bit masochistic at the moment (also needed for GGRM's books ). Woot!

Craig.

[Team7]

I just got finished reading Black Company by Glen Cook. It was excelent but a little hard to get used to his writing style. It is a story of mercinaries written from the bad guy stand point. Really makes you think about what evil really is.

[Alexander Turcic]

Did you read all the books of the series? I stopped with book six or so, where the Company was still going South to Taglios.

The first three books were definitey Cook's best.

[Team7]

I have only read the first one so far. Why did you quit reading them? did they get old?

[Alexander Turcic]

Unfortunately yes, like most fantasy sagas that never come to an end (Wheel of Time...). I'd say read the first three books and you'll be happy. After these don't waste your time for more.

[cbarnett]

Finished the Seafort book....now I'm trying out the Dune prequels while waiting for GRRM.... House Atreides down, well into House Harkonnen... I'm on fire!!!

Craig (also looking at updating his PDA - X50v looking _real_ tempting at the moment)

[derekweb]

the last bits of books read (including ebooks)

Phules Company series. (Buddy of mine in the Army got me started on them. EXCELLENT read for a quasi military setup with a ton of humor. And of course, the hero sticking it to the system, AND to the enemy). ROFLMAO!

Harry Potter book 6. Plan to reread that entire series. Right before going to the movies for watching Ep 4. ROFL. But need to find an ebook on Book 6. Got the other 5, just need 6. And I don't want to waste my days doing OCR and corrections / proof reading! LOL.

A Hymn Before Battle (book 1)
Gust Front (book 2) ... Both are by John Ringo, also available at www.baen.com/library ... EXCELLENT reads. Far more realistic in terms of military set up. Wonderful alternate universe, a bit reminiscent of Starship Troopers. But only vaguely. It's 'present day', and lots of things going BOOM. Oh, and power suits/armor. /grin/ Carrying Rail Guns.

I just finished Gust Front about 2 days ago, and haven't yet settled on my next target. I'll find one soon enough. My wife has her own personal library, in paperbook format, and that's with 5 boxes still unloaded. /sigh/ /laughs/

[Bob Russell]

Originally Posted by derekweb

the last bits of books read (including ebooks)

Phules Company series.

A Hymn Before Battle (book 1)
Gust Front (book 2) ... Both are by John Ringo, ... EXCELLENT reads

Thanks for the tips. I downloaded the Ringo books a few days ago and may give them a try sometime even though I'm not a big SciFi reader anymore. First, some others.

As for my reading, I just finished the Journal of John Woolman, another book in the Harvard Classics series, which I'm now reading from front to back (or wherever I give up). Next up is something by William Penn, I think. I'm using the Portable Harvard Classics which has many books in eReader format, and those plus more in txt format. He's adding them as he completes them, and it's a great project. <I'm hoping Hacker still has some interest in his "enhanced" version of the same which he's been working on in the past, and will provide it in some formats like rtf, html, iSilo, eReader, Plucker, etc. Hint. Hint. Not sure if it's still active because it sounds like he's got a very full plate of exciting projects besides that.>

Also finished A Brief History of Nearly Everything, by Bryson I think. Was excellent and was a science-based survey with creation of the universe, makeup of the universe, creation and makeup of the the earth, same for life and humans. And many interesting notes that remind you of how fragile life and our current environment is in the midst of space collisions, activity and turmoil under the surface of the earth, ice ages, etc. Well worth reading, even though it might get you skimming portions because of the length.

In addition to the next Harvard Classics book, I'm going to read Ender's Game, which a lot of sources seem to feel is the best scifi book ever. Like I said, I'm not usually a big scifi fan, but best ever... gotta give it a try.

I'd also like to read Orbitsville. By Bob Shaw maybe? Highly recommended to me as a perfect "escape from reality" book. Can't find it in electronic form anywhere, though, with is a bummer. Actually out of print also, I think. If anyone knows if it is available somewhere in ebook form, please let me know.

[Team7]

Bob that Breif History of Nearly Everything sounds great. I read a Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking and it was amazing. I really want to read another science book like it because I am really interested in time travel and all the dimensions and stuff. It really blows your mind.

[Bob Russell]

Originally Posted by Team7

Bob that Breif History of Nearly Everything sounds great. I read a Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking and it was amazing. I really want to read another science book like it because I am really interested in time travel and all the dimensions and stuff. It really blows your mind.

If you like science and science history, it's fantastic. About big bang, and atoms and particles all the way up to life. And the best part is that is sort of chronicles the whole discovery process and the human interest stories behind it.

But nothing but brief mention of extra dimensions or string theory. Nothing at all about time travel or worm holes or stuff like that. I still think you'll like it.

I'll have to check out Hawking's book. I am jealous of those students that got to study under him. He's supposed to be an incredible teacher. Or was that Feyhmann? Shows how much I know about science!