What book is everyone reading at the moment?

[Chris Haynes]

I am now reading Queen Bee Moms and Kingpin Dads. Anyone who has kids would could appreciate this!

I used to volunteer more at the school, but now not so much. Part of it has to do with the auction from Hades... a situation that gave me my standard line "I do not work well with others" !

 

[sackett]

The Moor's Last Sigh, by Salman Rushdie.

He keeps the pages turning.

 

[Arkan_Wolfshade]

The Science of Good and Evil : Why People Cheat, Gossip, Care, Share, and Follow the Golden Rule by M. Shermer

 

[headscratcher4]

The Fourth Crusade and a novel about murder in Venice called Alibi.

 

[elaine]

Dirty Job by Christopher Moore

 

[KilgoreTrout]

Berserk by Tim Lebbon - it's about some sort of military cover-up of zombie/vampire things. I don't think I'll be finishing it, but who knows?

 

[Wudang]

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova. Historians on the trail of vampires. A beautifully paced story and a curiously gentle book.

 

[Jon.]

The Encyclopedia of World Mythology by Arthur Cotterell and Rachel Storm.

 

[Aurelian]

The Quiet American by Graham Greene

 

[Meffy]

"Foods the Indians Gave Us: How to Plant, Harvest, and Cook the Natural Indian Way" by Wilma and R. Vernon Hays.

Native Americans, they mean. It was published in the early 1970s. I've been doing a little gardening, have some Native American blood in my ancestry (Powhatan Confederation), and am interested in "Indian" folk ways, so my mate brought this home from the library.

This year I've made a very small garden at the edge of our yard using boring, pedestrian row planting -- hybrid sweet corn, plus pumpkins and a couple bell pepper plants. But I might try a more old-fashioned way of planting next year. Not out of any mystical appeal; that's so much hogwash. Just 'cos.

 

[milesalpha]

For fun, the current book is Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett.
For meat, the current book is Hitler: Nemesis by Dr. Ian Kershaw

 

[Minkster]

Just finished Evolution's Captain, short bio/commentary re FitzRoy, captain of Darwin's Beagle. Relatively light read for the subject, but interesting. I'm sure there are more "in depth" bios of FitzRoy, but I think this one was fine. Just reading a quick mystery for light enjoyment now, then will move on the "The Golden Game" a history of baseball in California, while simultaneously boning up on my avocation with a book called "The Simplicity of Dressage."

On the same subject....

I'm currently reading "This Thing of Darkness" by Harry Thompson which is a novel based (extremely closely) on historical fact, recounting the Beagle voyage captained by FitzRoy of course, and closely tracks the scientific arguments and eventual realisation by Darwin that God doesn't exist.

I'm on the last chapter and have to say its the best book I have ever read. Whilst remaining true to the historical timeline, it is fascinating, explores the science and discovery in a subtle but effective way and is a real page-turner.

I recommend anyone interested in Darwin, Natural Selection, The Beagles voyage or Robery FitzRoy to read it. In fact, even if you just enjoy a really well paced novel I suggest you read it.

Dave

 

[epepke]

I just finished The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett. Very good. This seems to be sold as a childrens' book, but it's typical of his work and comparable in quality to Small Gods.

I'm starting on Look to Windward by Iain M. Banks and General Relativity by P.A.M. Dirac.

 

[Bikewer]

I'm about halfway though Greg Bear's new one, Quantico. Unlike Bear's many cutting-edge science-fiction novels, this reads more like a techno-thriller, set in the near future with the greatly-emasculated FBI trying to deal with domestic bioterrorists while war in the Middle East is on the front burner of the still-bickering Homeland Defense agencies.
It's a rather bleak forecast of what the world might look like in ten years or so.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Wrestling At The Chase: The Inside Story of Sam Muchnick and the Legends Of Professional Wrestling by Larry Matysik

 

[TruthSeeker]

I've just finished Edgar Allan Poe's and Arthur Conan Doyle's detective mysteries for my book club on Monday.

Next, we are reading Jane Eyre and two spin-offs: Wide Sargasso Sea and The Eyre Affair.

 

[Bikewer]

Scrutinizer: We bought that book for our kid for Xmas; he's always been a big pro wrestling fan.
I remember watching Wrestling at the Chase religiously as a kid; Joe Garagiola hamming it up with the wrestlers, and always promoting "Booshee Bavalian" beer, as Kinje Shibuya used to say.

 

[Chris Haynes]

I am presently reading Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid They'd Ask) : The Secrets to Surviving Your Child's Sexual Development from Birth to the Teens .

Fortunately it is written with enough humor to get me over the parts I cringe over.

 

[canadarocks]

Book Club Books

I just finished "Thomas Paine and the Promise of America" by Harvey Kaye and it make me want to read "Common Sense" by the man himself. Going to start on "Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins. I'm not sure about this last one as the author may a bit of a woo based on his other books he wrote (Shapeshifting and Psychonavigation). Does anyone have more insight?

 

[antihippy]

I'm reading "The Adventures of Shelock Holmes" at present. I don't read many crime stories but as I got the book cheap I thought I should.

just finished "Learning the World" by Ken Macleod and before that "The Peleponnesian War" by Donald Kagan - from which it seems dreadfully obvious that we never learn from our mistakes.