What are you currently reading?

**Yves** · 06-12-2013

Originally Posted by wideopenears

Slaughterhouse Five-

First time! Can you believe it?

Vonnegut's best imo! That and Cat's Cradle...

**-=RTFR666=-** · 06-12-2013

Just finished Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, now starting on Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts.

**wideopenears** · 06-12-2013

Originally Posted by Yves

Vonnegut's best imo! That and Cat's Cradle...

Finished it, and loved it! Surprised that I had missed it for so long......I saw a copy of Timequake in a used bookstore, may pick that up...right now I'm reading a bunch of new poetry.

**Big Ears** · 06-13-2013

Originally Posted by Yves

Vonnegut's best imo! That and Cat's Cradle...

Is Cat's Cradle worth reading?

**Yves** · 06-13-2013

Originally Posted by Big Ears

Is Cat's Cradle worth reading?

It's one of his early works. Without giving away too much of the plot, it's kind of like a spoof on the arms race. The (fictional) co-inventor of the atom bomb had designed a product that turns water into solid state at room temperature. His kids have inherited the formula,which has been kept top secrect for many years...

**Yodelgoat** · 06-13-2013

Again, I cant seem to leave the Astrophysics alone - Michio Kaku - Physics of the impossible, talks about the sci-fi creations that may or may not be possible, such as Force Fields, LightSabre, invisibility cloaks etc... I haven't gotten very far, but it is amazing how some things may one day be commonplace. Of course, almost everything requires huge sources of power that are just not available at this time, but he discusses in detail, what emerging technology might be used in the future to do these amazing things we read about in Sci-fi.

**Yves** · 06-13-2013

I believe that any science-fiction writer worth reading will base the technology used in the universe he creates on actual scientific knowledge or theory. In other words use what could theoritcally be plausible and extrapolate, don't just pull shit out of your ass. And please, don't use "magic" to explain everything away. That's my biggest beef with fantasy.

**Scott Bails** · 06-13-2013

Totally agree with you, Yves.

**wideopenears** · 06-13-2013

I've just started "The Recognitions" by William Gaddis. Verbose, he is...but fun, so far.

**No Pride** · 06-14-2013

Originally Posted by polmico

Great stuff. I read most of Vonnegut's work when I was about 16 or 17, in just a few months. I've gone back and revisited a few novels here and there, and they're still brilliant. Love his writing style.

I was on a Vonnegut kick about 15 years ago and read about 5 or 6 of his books. At the time, I felt that I had to stop; his view of the world is too dark and I found myself agreeing with him too often. It became a bit depressing, as funny as he often was. But I think I'm ready to go back and read some of ones I never got to. The very first one I read (and still my favorite) was "Breakfast of Champions" and the last one I read was "Hocus Pocus."

**KIPMEISTER** · 06-14-2013

Just started reading IRON MAN/TONY IOMMI My Journey Through HEAVEN & HELL with BLACK SABBATH, so far excellent read!

**SteveSly** · 06-15-2013

Originally Posted by -=RTFR666=-

Just finished Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential, now starting on Joe Hill's 20th Century Ghosts.

Loved Bourdain's book. It brought me right back to my days as a food service worker in my 20's. Lots of his stories were relatable to my experience.

Steve Sly

**spellbound** · 06-19-2013

Our Friends From Frolix 8 - Philip K. Dick

**BobM** · 06-19-2013

Just started Maurice Druon's "The Iron King". Translated from the French with an introduction by George RR Martin. Druon is a writer of historic fiction. This one is based on true facts, but with improvised dialogue relating what led up to the 100 years war. Martin calls it a true history rendition of his Game of Thrones.

Apparently there are 7 books in this series, but I don't think all of them are translated yet. This one is getting some publicity now because of Martin's increased fame and exposure. There was also apparently a French TV series based on these books too, but no English subtitles.

**Jerjo** · 06-19-2013

About to begin James SA Corey's Abaddon Gate. It's the third in the series, which is a rip-roaring and pretty gritty space opera.

**Lopez** · 06-23-2013

Recently I read the first book of the Hunger Games. (I have not seen the movie yet.) I found the use of the present tense annoying and distracting. Overall I liked the story, but I have no desire to read the second and third in the series. Should I?

Also, does anyone else feel that this teenage-competition-for-all-the marbles-or-death story has been done before? Stephen King did it about 40 years ago with his book The Long Walk, and there was a Japanese movie called Battle Royale that came out about 10 years ago (The first Hunger Games is 5 years old) that was almost the same thing. There are probably others.

**Scott Bails** · 06-23-2013

Originally Posted by Lopez

Recently I read the first book of the Hunger Games. (I have not seen the movie yet.) I found the use of the present tense annoying and distracting. Overall I liked the story, but I have no desire to read the second and third in the series. Should I?

Only you can answer that, really. Personally, I enjoyed all of them. I wouldn't give them an award or anything, but they were a quick read, and as a father of a "tween," I kinda felt it was my responsibility, anyway. My daughter is now on the 2nd book and loves it.

Originally Posted by Lopez

Also, does anyone else feel that this teenage-competition-for-all-the marbles-or-death story has been done before? Stephen King did it about 40 years ago with his book The Long Walk, and there was a Japanese movie called Battle Royale that came out about 10 years ago (The first Hunger Games is 5 years old) that was almost the same thing. There are probably others.

Well, no one said it was entirely original, and your comparisons were made by many when the trilogy first came out. I believe that what's different here is that the protagonist is female.

**BobM** · 06-24-2013

IMO the Hunger Games series was written for the same audience as Harry Potter. So read with that understanding I thought they were well done and worth reading. I especially liked the fatalistic aspect of them - things are not rosey and wonderful. The characters pretty much get emotially decimated (who wouldn't getting put into that situation) and come to accept what they are and make the best of it.

Besides, you can probably read one of those books in 2-3 days. Very quick read.

**No Pride** · 06-24-2013

Originally Posted by Lopez

Recently I read the first book of the Hunger Games. (I have not seen the movie yet.) I found the use of the present tense annoying and distracting. Overall I liked the story, but I have no desire to read the second and third in the series. Should I?

If you liked the first one, the second one was even better. I had mixed feelings about the third and final one, particularly how it ended. But if you've gotten through the first two, you're probably going to want to follow through to the end.

Originally Posted by BobM

IMO the Hunger Games series was written for the same audience as Harry Potter. So read with that understanding I thought they were well done and worth reading. I especially liked the fatalistic aspect of them - things are not rosey and wonderful. The characters pretty much get emotially decimated (who wouldn't getting put into that situation) and come to accept what they are and make the best of it.

I've never read any Harry Potter books (though I've seen some of the films), but I've heard that they're very well written. As for The Hunger Games Trilogy, I was slightly reluctant to jump in, probably because they're marketed as being for young adults, which made me think, "Twilight Saga, ugh!" But I didn't feel like I was reading stuff that was meant for younger people. Or maybe I'm just delusional about my level of maturity.

I actually got started when I forgot to bring a book with me on a tour and somebody in the band who had just finished the first book loaned it to me.

It's a story about oppression, revolution, how revolutionary freedom fighters can end up resembling the oppressors they were fighting against, the psychological casualties of war, etc. Not strikingly original subject material, but there are some fresh ideas contained within. All nitpicks aside, I enjoyed reading the entire trilogy.

**kid_runningfox** · 06-24-2013

Just finished:

Iain M. Banks - The Hydrogen Sonata. Absolutely stunning as ever. Can't believe he's gone.

Now reading:

Malcolm Brown - 1918: Year of Victory
Joseph L. Nogee and Robert H. Donaldson - Soviet Foreign Policy Since World War Two
Charles H. Fienstein, Peter Temin, Gianni Toniolo - The World Economy Between the Wars.

**Tangram** · 06-24-2013

After reading programming books for far too long, it's time I got back to reading somrthing else.

Reading two at the moment depending on my mood

Stalin and the Bomb by David Holloway
Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball by Norman L. Macht

**NogbadTheBad** · 06-24-2013

Just bought Terry Pratchett - Snuff. Is this the last Sam Vimes novel? Love all of the Night Watch books.

**VickiLynn** · 06-24-2013

I just started reading Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane. It's a very short novel, so I'll be done with it soon. I've only read 23 pages, but I'm getting sucked into the plot and empathizing with the characters already