What are you currently reading?

[Lopez]

I've just started (or restarted as I read it about 25 years ago) Freak Show, a horror anthology edited by F. Paul Wilson. It's not the typical bunch of unrelated stories. These, by different authors, follow an oddities emporium as it travels around the country in search of pieces of a machine that will change the world in the favor of freaks. I can't remember what the machine is or does, but the pieces defy logic in description, such as a sort of triangle with as many as 16 sides depending on how you look at it and even though it is metallic and shiny, it is fuzzy to the touch and vibrates. In the first chapter, a fisherman in the bayou uses it as a lure. The book has similar characters, but more bizarre, as in the movie Freaks, but they are on a mission.

[markwoll]

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Almost fininshed. chilling, prescient.

[IncogNeato]

I should probably read more. Whenever I try, I get so sleepy I fall out. I usually just end up listening to music.

[Yodelgoat]

For Pink Floyd I really enjoyed Nick Mason’s book “Inside Out – A Personal History Of Pink Floyd”

For Genesis both Phil Collins and Mike Rutherford’s books are great reads. “Chapter and Verse” is a band history and pretty good although rather generic.

Zeppelin – Of course “Hammer Of The Gods” is considered a classic.

Tull – I thought “Jethro Tull – A History Of The Band 1968 to 2001” was quite good.

Excellent - I'll do them all. Ive had my nose in astrophysics for a while and getting away to that Yes book was really a fun read. I'm finding out that natural cosmological curiosity is a heavy lift. I almost talked myself into going back to school to pursue a degree in something smart. But I am too old and to much of a wuss to take on any real work. Reading about different aspects of physics is interesting, but nowhere near actually being able to do it.

Now I'm going to know for myself how Phil ruined Genesis.

[interbellum]

Just started to re-read the Blue Rose Trilogy by Peter Straub, starting with Koko, which I first read in 1989.
https://weathereye.wordpress.com/200...-peter-straub/
The first time I discoverd Straub was through Full Circle, the soundtrack of the film by Colin Towns. The movie was based on Straub's story.

[Jerjo]

Currently reading Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin. It's the second in his series of books about a Scottish detective. I used to read a lot of mysteries but hadn't for years. It's a shame because Rankin is bloody good.

[rickawakeman]

Just finished Jack Vance's "Dragon Masters"/"Last Castle." I love me my Vance.

[aith01]

Currently reading Seveneves by Neal Stephenson, and also A Wizard, A True Star: Todd Rundgren in the Studio by Paul Myers. Both are interesting, but the Myers book is very informative on the studio engineering/production aspect of Rundgren's career.

I've just started (or restarted as I read it about 25 years ago) Freak Show, a horror anthology edited by F. Paul Wilson. It's not the typical bunch of unrelated stories. These, by different authors, follow an oddities emporium as it travels around the country in search of pieces of a machine that will change the world in the favor of freaks. I can't remember what the machine is or does, but the pieces defy logic in description, such as a sort of triangle with as many as 16 sides depending on how you look at it and even though it is metallic and shiny, it is fuzzy to the touch and vibrates. In the first chapter, a fisherman in the bayou uses it as a lure. The book has similar characters, but more bizarre, as in the movie Freaks, but they are on a mission.

That sounds quite interesting! Thanks for sharing. I'm looking it up.

[spellbound]

Just starting Void Star by Zachary Mason, futuristic sci-fi

and A Life In Parts by Bryan Cranston, autobiography.

[rapidfirerob]

Agents Of Fortune: The Blue Oyster Cult Story- Martin Popoff Great fun for a fan like me.

[markwoll]

I am taking another pass at "This Is Your Brain On Music" by Daniel Levitin.
Not being a musician and not up on music theory, it get dense pretty fast.
Interesting none the less.

[rickawakeman]

Just started Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle-Book One:Taliesin. I truly enjoyed TM White's "Once and Future King" so am looking forward to getting into this 6 part series (I have found all volumes used except "Avalon.")

[MudShark22]

Just started Stephen Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle-Book One:Taliesin. I truly enjoyed TM White's "Once and Future King" so am looking forward to getting into this 6 part series (I have found all volumes used except "Avalon.")

I enjoyed the 1st two in the series but fell away afterwards. Interested in hearing how you like it.

[yamishogun]

Currently reading Hide and Seek by Ian Rankin. It's the second in his series of books about a Scottish detective. I used to read a lot of mysteries but hadn't for years. It's a shame because Rankin is bloody good.

I once read a book on how mysteries and detective stories changed over the past century, although don't remember the title as I checked it out at the library. One chapter mentioned a very clever (aren't they all) Irish detective series that I wanted to try but can't remember that name either. I tried to find it on Amazon only to find that there have been a lot of Irish detectives!

I think he was somewhat like Sherlock Holmes. Do you or anyone else know of a stand out Irish detective like this?

[SteveSly]

Just starting Void Star by Zachary Mason, futuristic sci-fi

and A Life In Parts by Bryan Cranston, autobiography.

I read the Cranston book and enjoyed it.

[SteveSly]

Agents Of Fortune: The Blue Oyster Cult Story- Martin Popoff Great fun for a fan like me.

Apparently this is an updated version of "Blue Oyster Cult - Secrets Revealed" which he wrote in 2005 and updated in 2009. I read the original and the updated version. I may have to get this new version too.

[Lopez]

Anyone familiar with The Time of the Hawklords by Michael Moorcock and Michael Butterworth? I found the paperback from 1976 in the Brattle Bookshop in Boston today. Paid a bit more than the cover price of $1.50, but figured I'd take a chance. There's a cartoon Dave Brock on the cover with Nik Turner and his horn. From the blurb on the cover, "A devastated Earth vibrates to the sound of the last great rock concert on Earth. Is it the music of life—or death?"

[wideopenears]

^^read it years ago, before I even found a Hawkwind album, actually!

[Yves]

The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Almost fininshed. chilling, prescient.

Along with Oryx & Crake, Atwood's best work imo...

[kid_runningfox]

Thomas Frank - Listen Liberal: Or, Whatever Happened to the Party of the People?

A depressingly accurate deconstruction of the dire condition of the Democratic Party (of which Hillary Clinton was a particularly glaring symptom) on the eve of the 2016 election and how it got there.

[Rune Blackwings]

Supernatural Serial Killers

[SteveSly]

I am now reading "The Murder Of Sonny Liston".

[Lopez]

Just finished Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers by Charlie Louvin. Wonderful stuff. Written as if it were transcribed from Charlie talking into a tape recorder, bad grammar, cuss words, and all. Fascinating stuff. Gives Gram Parsons a lot of credit for introducing the Louvins to the rock and roll crowd.

[Lopez]

After reading a couple of hard-boiled crime novels (The Enchanted Isle by James Cain and Resume Speed by Lawrence Block), I'm back to musicians' biographies. Loved Charlie Louvin's book (see above) so much, I've started Close Harmony, The Story of the Louvin Brothers by Charles Wolfe. It's an expansion of the booklet that comes with the Bear Family's set of all the commercial recordings of the Louvins issued about 20 years ago. Wish I had a spare $180 or so to buy it. Man, I love the Bear Family catalogue, but they are so expensive.

[Scott Bails]

Andy Weir has posted online the first chapter to Artemis, his follow-up to The Martian.