Monday, July 18, 2005

What are you reading?

So, I finished re-reading The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (review), and it was as good as I remember. Just a good fun, quick book. I've now moved on to re-reading Life, the Universe and Everything. After that, I might continue re-reading the Hitchhicker books (although they get worse after this) or I might move on to the next book in the Saga of the Seven Suns that I've been reading, which I recently picked up at the library.

So what's everyone else reading?* Any recommendations?* Or anyone have anything to input about the books I mentioned?




* Besides Harry Potter

Posted by

24 comments:

Ace Cowboy said...

I posted a little bit on this on Slack today...but have you read the other, other Salinger works? Yesterday I read Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters for the third time, and I love it more each time I do. I really recommend either that or Franny & Zooey if you haven't read 'em before.

Melissa McEwan said...

I'm reading Kazuo Ishiguro's new one.

Anonymous said...

Ace, I've never read any of those.

Shakes, who's that?

Ace Cowboy said...

Shakes, that guy is really having a good season for the White Sox. Does he write novels too?

JR, pick up Raise High (or read it online). It's fantastic stuff.

PaulNoonan said...

Raise High is good shit.

Have you read Douglas Adams' other Series, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, and The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul?

Good stuff.

As for Salinger, I like "Nine Stories" a whole lot, especially the finale, "Teddy."

Anonymous said...

I almost read Dirk Gently a long time ago, but I can't remember why I didn't.

Chase McInerney said...

Um, I just finished Tom Wolfe's "The Right Stuff." An oldie but goodie.

Scott G said...

I am finally reading Battle Cry of Freedom. Occasionally I crack open the Qu-ran or Bible, but my main focus is Battle Cry

Melissa McEwan said...

Ishiguro wrote Remains of the Day. That's probably the one you've heard of, anyway.

Anonymous said...

Oh, ok

maurinsky said...

John, I picked up this amazing book today, it's called Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - you should probably do your part to help this author out by buying it and reading it!

; )

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I heard the author of that could really use the money.

Anonymous said...

Of course I'm not reading Harry Potter. It's already Monday, I was done with that on Saturday. Then I finished the latest Preston-Child thriller, Dance of Death. They write good, adventure-thrillers. I think I gave you or Keri a couple of their books - Relic and Reliquery.

42 said...

I finished "The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" while in Yurp last week. I haven't read any of them in ages (despite the HHGTTG homage on my blog). yeah, the books do get worse towards then end, as if Adams sorta gave up and got mean. Then I read a Swedish crime novel (in English, not Swedish; Henning Mankell, "The Dogs of Riga" which was pretty good), and started "Birds Without Wings" by Louis de Bernieres which I think is supposed to be chick lit, but the selection of English books in Regensburg germany was a little limited so WTF.

sumo said...

I can't get enough of the Mongol Invasion.

maurinsky said...

I have some serious recommendations now.

Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer. About the violent history of Mormonism, and tangentially about the danger of fundamentalism, no matter what the faith.

Running With Scissors and Dry by Augusten Burroughs. Both are memoirs, the first about Burroughs uniquely screwy childhood, the second about his experience with alcoholism. Both are very entertaining.

MDC said...

Recommendations:
The Librarian by Larry Beinhart
Home Land by Sam Lipsyte

Anonymous said...

Ok, I agree with everything you say, now will you go away?

Just kidding, everyone is welcome here, even people who are wrong about everything.

Visual Basic sucks. I think I have a post about that somewhere.

Anonymous said...

I am sure a liberal of your statue has read all of Al Franken's books, right?

Anonymous said...

No, I haven't actually. I don't read too much non-fiction.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I don't have a statue.

Anonymous said...

I haven't heard of James Patterson's Prey series although I read his Cross series and the others that intermingle in and like them.

PS -- Al Franken's books are worth it! Especially since you are so fond of Hannity :)

Anonymous said...

What I was saying on your post was that I thought it was John Sanford that wrote the Prey series. Someone else said it was Patterson.

I'm sure I would enjoy Franken, I just don't even think to pick up any non fiction. I think my mom has something of his.

Iain McEwan said...

Just finished reading The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Nightime by Mark Haddon. It's an interesting novel, told from the perspective of an autistic teenager. Not sugary or sappy, just plain funny.

By the way, John, I see you like Orson Scott Card. Don't kow if you're into comic books or not, but he's been writing the new Ultimate Iron Man for Marvel. Thought you might like to know.

Also, have you read his new novel? Magic Street, I think it's called. Debated buying it but it didn't look as though there were any space battles or aliens in it, so I desisted.