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What Books are You Reading Right Now?

Sitting "at the ready" in the queue of my Kindle (& also loaded into my iPhone & iPad) are: "Contest" (Matthew Reilly - a new author I'm trying out); "Atlantis" (Andy McDermott - another new author I'm trying out); "The Sicilian" (Mario Puzo - essentially a sequel to "The Godfather" & featuring Michael Corleone while he's stil in Sicily after he shot NYPD Captain McCluskey); "Hannibal Rising" (Thomas Harris - another Hannibal Lector novel); "Micro" (Michael Crichton - this one was released posthumously & was started by Crichton, but finished by Robert Preston); "A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity" (Bill O'Reilly - need I say any more?).

I also recently read "Who Goes There" (John Campbell - the basis for the movie "The Thing"). If you're a fan of the (1982) Kurt Russell movie & the latest "prequel" (from 2011), then this is a must read. The original 1951 movie "The Thing From Another World" (also based on Campbell's novel) didn't remain true to the book's version of the monster - they made it a vegetable-like creature; nor did they use the characters identified in the book. The other two movies follow both the true nature of the monster (an entity that mimics/assimilates any/all life forms it encounters) & the bulk of the characters described in the book.

I also recently read the three latest Michael Crichton novels "State of Fear", "Next" & "Pirate Lattitudes". Crichton is one of my favorite authors.

For all you older folks (like me), as a child of the 50's & a staunch member of the "hippie generation", I recommend Tom Robbins - his novels are absolutely terrific! Another one of my favorite authors.
 
On the Road
By Jack Kerouac

Not what I expected. I thought it would be story about Hobos travelling around the States, hitching rides and jumping freight cars. Instead it's a dull story about immature wasters avoiding any responsibility in life and acting like teenagers (when in fact the characters are in their late 20s). Not terribly impressed and having to force myself to keep reading. It's not the "American Classic" that it's said to be.
 
Im reading the entire Robert Crais (Elvis Cole and Joe Pike) series from front to back. Then onto all off Harlan Coben books

Easy Reads, bit of humour. Detective, Crime
 
Mob: Stories of Death and Betrayal From Organized Crime
Clint Willis

The Mafia. La Cosa Nostra. The underground, and often not-so-underground, organization and syndicate of criminal activity that has been a part of American history for the past century. Forget television and movies, hear the true stories of the inner workings of his chaotic, violent, and surprisingly human world, a world of respect, tradition, and honor.
 
I'm in the middle of "Game of Thrones". I like the show so much I decided to start reading the series, and so far I'm not disappointed. I'm also working my way through the "Dune" series and recently finished "Children of Dune". I picked up "House of Leaves" again, after putting it down about 11 years ago. The writing style is very strange and, to me, a little irritating. Forcing the reader to turn the book upside down or sideways, or hold it up to a mirror, in order to read the print is too gimmicky. Cool story though.
 
GreenTea said:
On the Road
By Jack Kerouac

Not what I expected. I thought it would be story about Hobos travelling around the States, hitching rides and jumping freight cars. Instead it's a dull story about immature wasters avoiding any responsibility in life and acting like teenagers (when in fact the characters are in their late 20s). Not terribly impressed and having to force myself to keep reading. It's not the "American Classic" that it's said to be.
Click to expand...

Did you read the preface? It is an autobiography. (Sal...they had libel in those days) is Jack Kerouac...main avatar of "Beat" generation. Beat's later inspired the hippie movement. A lot of the characters in that book influenced American Literature. John Clellon Holmes,Borroughs,Ginsberg to name a few.Not the best book I have ever read,but not one to wipe your arse with either.
 
I am almost finished with this. Good book!

51yg6-RJ4IL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
 
Pr0digal_son said:
Did you read the preface? It is an autobiography. (Sal...they had libel in those days) is Jack Kerouac...main avatar of "Beat" generation. Beat's later inspired the hippie movement. A lot of the characters in that book influenced American Literature. John Clellon Holmes,Borroughs,Ginsberg to name a few.Not the best book I have ever read,but not one to wipe your arse with either.
Click to expand...

Indeed I did, and also read several "scholarly critiques" after I finished it, to try and understand why so many people praise it is a great novel. Best I can say is that it must have been a real shocker in the 50's when it first came out. Sex, drugs, theft, immoral behaviour... but by today's standards it is a dull story.





As of today I'm reading:


The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran

by Hooman Majd

ayatollah.jpg
 
Got my daughter the Harry Potter books for her birthday and thought I'd have a look at them myself to see what all the fuss was about. Not what you'd call stunning literature but I had to read them all and they're very entertaining for kids.

Since then everything I have read is about small business accounting and learning photoshop :P Who has time to read for leisure!
 
I gave up reading in the sixties. Old Yeller and Big Red were the last two stories I read.
I do occasionally study though ;)
Right now I'm studying Koi Kichi 2 and Greg Harrisons Clinical Avian medicine and surgery.
Next up is Metallurgy Fundamentals by Daniel Brandt.
 
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