what are you reading

Well, due to a bunch of school related stuff I had to read, I didn't get around to starting Song of Susannah until recently. I'm about a third of the way through right now. Have to say, it's pretty interesting.
 
welsh said:
Hey Ratty-

You did see the link with the Lovecraft stories on-line, right? I printed up at the Mountains of Madness and Shadow over Innsmouth to read. Creepy stuff.

Kind of in a Cthulhu mood.
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The link? Where? In the General Gaming Forum? I haven't read Shadow over Innsmouth, so let me at it! :D
 
Damn, I can't believe that so many people are wasting their precious time reading Lovecraft. He might have a great imagination, but his style sucks from here to... well, to there.
And why does it take you guys so long? From what I seem to remember from older threads, reading Lovecraft is all most of you seem to do, while his complete works can be read in, say, a week - maybe a little longer if you're illiterate.

Same for Sander: weren't you reading that philosophy book a year ago as well? I seem to remember that you and Kharn were talking about it back then... I mean, how long does it take you guys to actually finish a book anyway?

Friedrich Nietzsche's "Umwertung aller Werte" took me less than five days, and that book is about the size of the Bible. And get this: I actually understood him as well. :D

And just last month I read 9 Gore Vidals, including "Burr", "Empire" and "Creation". Am I good or what? 8)
 
Same for Sander: weren't you reading that philosophy book a year ago as well? I seem to remember that you and Kharn were talking about it back then... I mean, how long does it take you guys to actually finish a book anyway?
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I've started the book about four months ago, but I've been reading loads of stuff in between, including Crime and Punishment, Europe: A History (which is a really really long read) and books for school (like Mulisch' masterpiece, can't remember the name).
Of course, my reading is errattic. I can read a book in five days (I did so with Crime and Punishment), but take months and months to read one book because I barely ever pick it up. It depends on what I'm doing and whether I'm in a "reading mood".

PS: ALmost forgot to mention it, I've just finished Adams' complete Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy series. :D (By the way, someone mentioned one of his books, the name is Restaurant at the End of the Universe).
 
Currently reading:
- Jordans Wheel of Time series, for about the 3rd or 4th time
- Some Dragonlance books, which are boring me to tears (and when you're reading the Wheel of Time series and not bored, that's saying something)
- super-interesting uni textbooks, with incredibly exciting titles, like "Crime and Punishment: An Australian Textbook in Criminology" :(

Cool to see people reading Lovecraft as well, just make sure you read Shadow Out of Time and Pickmans Model as well as the ones listed here. :D
 
I'm reading this every day!

http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum
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.

One of the most intresting things around these days with intresting conversations. (Ohh, feel the kid sucking up! :p) No honestly there is always something going on. Unlike most of the forums I know, this one is animated. And has intresting things in it. :P You should go check it out sometime!
 
King of Creation said:
Well, due to a bunch of school related stuff I had to read, I didn't get around to starting Song of Susannah until recently. I'm about a third of the way through right now. Have to say, it's pretty interesting.
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There are some definite surpises in it. I'm looking forward to seeing how SK is going to wrap it all up.
 
Volkov said:
Currently reading:
- Jordans Wheel of Time series, for about the 3rd or 4th time
- Some Dragonlance books, which are boring me to tears (and when you're reading the Wheel of Time series and not bored, that's saying something)
- super-interesting uni textbooks, with incredibly exciting titles, like "Crime and Punishment: An Australian Textbook in Criminology" :(

Cool to see people reading Lovecraft as well, just make sure you read Shadow Out of Time and Pickmans Model as well as the ones listed here. :D
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Interesting point regarding the Dragonlance books, I actually got to know Tracy Hickman back when Chronicles first came out (Man, does that date me or what), and he came off as a very friendly, down to earth guy. He explained how DL (the books) was being written in conjunction with D&D modules, so they would "play out" the book as they wrote it.

I think it's interesting now how when I was a kid, reading those books, how they sucked me in, and when I go back to read them, they do seem written for the younger set.

Now the Legends books sucked me in, and I thoroughly enjoyed those.
 
Malkavian said:
I really liked Desperation. I think it's one of King's best.

Didn't make it through The Talisman.
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Desperation is definitely a good read, especially the insight into what actually occured in the mine vs. the legend.

How far into Talisman did you get? I would say it picks up in second 1/2 of the book.
 
Not too far. I own it, maybe I'll give it another shot after I finish a few other things.
 
Sander said:
Reading: Dostoevsky, The Idiot
Brilliant. I'd read Crime and Punishment before, but this book has really showed me Dostoevsky's greatness. I'm going to re-read Crime and Punishment as well.
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So we have another convert yet? I also agree that the Idiot is Dostoyevsky's best work. Crime and Punishment was too gloomy, The Karamazov Brothers was too social. I read The Player but I still don't know what the hell is that about.
 
"Americans: what do they think, what do they want, what are they capable off?"

By Greet De Keyser and Miel Dekeyser



Not that I have much time to read in it, though. I progress about five pages a week...
 
Is it a pretty anti-American book, a pro-American book, or a middle-man book that presents the facts then draws out a theory, or multiple theories at the end?
 
It's a book written by Belgian reporters who worked in the USA. Miel Dekeyser did it for a damn, damn long time, and now Greet De Keyser is the settled USA-reporter for the Flemish television.

So, the book covers about sixty odd years of experience as a Belgian reporter in the US of A.

Basically, I think the book is trying to give an overview of how Belgians have seen Americans throughout the decades, starting from WWII. It also tries to give Flemish an insight as to how and why Americans... think and operate so differently from us.

I can't really tell if it's an anti-american book or not, because - as I've already said- I haven't really had the time to really advance into the book. I'm at page 40 or so right now...

Although it does seem like the older writer is rather disillusioned in American thinking...

I'll tell you all about it when I finally finish it.
 
The thing about Lovecraft was that he wasn't widely read in his time. Besides publishing in Weird Tales, he didn't get very much published until after he was dead. I also agree with Alec, the style is hard.

That said, a lot of Lovecraft's influence was on other writers. In his time he corresponded with Howard (who gave us Conan) and Block (who gave us Psycho). More, his influence continues from Campbell, to King, to Lumley. I just read a collection of modern Cthulhu stories that were ok.

Those interested in alternative religions should check out Harlan Ellison's Deathbird Stories. The last one of those, The Death Bird, put the spooks into me. Also The Whimper of Whipped Dogs is considered one of the best of the last centuries horror and mystery readings- can be found in that collection.

Another interesting read on alternative religions is Neil Gaimon's American Gods, which got some good recognition from the Horror Writers Association but mixed at Amazon.

Interview with a Vampire is such a better book than the Vampire Lestat. Rice should have quit when she was ahead but went commercial.

Malky, I agree that the Talisman is a long read and slow in the middle, but it was pretty good if you are interested in the Dark Tower stories. But I agree, Desperation was a lot of fun. Loved that cop.
 
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