What Are You Reading 2013?

[korme]

On amazon.com about to buy my first Chuck Klosterman book, unsure of which one to purchase.

It's between Fargo Rock City (2001) - "a humorous memoir/history on the phenomenon of glam metal", Killing Yourself to Live (2005) - "a road narrative focused on the relationship between rock music, mortality, and romantic love", Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs (2003) - "a best-selling collection of pop culture essays", Chuck Klosterman IV (2006) - " a collection of articles, previously published columns, and a semi-autobiographical novella", and Eating the Dinosaur (2009) - "a collection of previously unpublished essays"

I think it's between Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs (his best-seller) or Eating the Dinosaur. I'm a little worried about the former because I fear it's dated (some 2003 reviews lament that most of his references were already walking the line of dating themselves). The reviews of Eating the Dinosaur interested me the most.

Also, probably going to purchase "Not Taco Bell Material" by Adam Carolla. I liked his first book, "In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks" and generally enjoy Carolla on his podcast, so this will be an easy toilet reader.

Anything else to recommend? I was also looking toward Malcolm Gladwell, I've only read one of his books ("Outliers"). Any suggestions?

[mckerney]

I recently read Eating the Dinosaur, very good and worth it for What We Talk About When We Talk About Ralph Sampson alone.

EDIT: The other sports essay from Eating the Dinosaur can be read on ESPN.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=klosterman/091019

[Glengoyne]

After polishing off the Wheel of Time, I've just today started "The Warded Man" Peter Brett.

I'm also working through the Jack Reacher series. Enjoyable but it isn't living up to my expectations to date. I'll add that anyone who likes the Reacher and Mitch Rapp(Vince Flynn) books should look into the Jonathan Grave series by John Gilstrap. Ohh as I typed that, I just noticed that he's got a new book out in that series. Good Stuff.

[Chief Rum]

I'm also working through the Jack Reacher series. Enjoyable but it isn't living up to my expectations to date. I'll add that anyone who likes the Reacher and Mitch Rapp(Vince Flynn) books should look into the Jonathan Grave series by John Gilstrap. Ohh as I typed that, I just noticed that he's got a new book out in that series. Good Stuff.

I'll check out Gilstrap.

Along the same lines, I had heard Robert Crais' Elvis Cole/Joe Pike series was a good fit as well, as Pike is similar to Reacher. So I just read the most recent paperback in the series, Taken. I did indeed enjoy it, although I think Reacher is a better character than Pike, at least based on that book.

I am currently reading The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Not bad so far. Has a Dark Tower feel to it, a little bit.

[Pyser]

I think it's between Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs (his best-seller) or Eating the Dinosaur. I'm a little worried about the former because I fear it's dated (some 2003 reviews lament that most of his references were already walking the line of dating themselves). The reviews of Eating the Dinosaur interested me the most.
Any suggestions?

do not read sex drugs and cocoa puffs. VERY dated. i just read it a few months ago. unless you want to read entire stories about the real world cast of like 1997 or so.

i enjoyed killing yourself to live, but my favorite klosterman is Downtown Owl. its just a fiction book in a small ND town. i loved it.

[britrock88]

do not read sex drugs and cocoa puffs. VERY dated. i just read it a few months ago. unless you want to read entire stories about the real world cast of like 1997 or so.

i enjoyed killing yourself to live, but my favorite klosterman is Downtown Owl. its just a fiction book in a small ND town. i loved it.

I should look into Klosterman's books more now that I'm in ND, I think...

[korme]

do not read sex drugs and cocoa puffs. VERY dated. i just read it a few months ago. unless you want to read entire stories about the real world cast of like 1997 or so.

i enjoyed killing yourself to live, but my favorite klosterman is Downtown Owl. its just a fiction book in a small ND town. i loved it.

The only reason I didn't offer up Downtown Owl as a possibility is that I have never read any fiction from Klosterman. I just ordered Eating the Dinosaur, maybe I'll give Downtown Owl a whirl down the road.

[MacroGuru]

Just finished American Sniper, it's a decent read. I liked Chris' thoughts on the war and everything and his the interjections of his wife at times telling you her thought process.

[Landshark44]

Just read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.... Thumbs up, I liked it a bunch..

Also read another by her, Dark Places, also very good.

Read "the Racketeer" by Grisham. Good read.

"Replay", by Ken Grimwood, as recommended in the 2012 reading thread. Fantastic Book...

Currently reading 11/22/63 by King. I like that one too...

Didn't like- "Desperation" by King. Or "Zero Day" by Baldacci.

[Jas_lov]

Just finished The Numbers Game by Alan Schwartz and 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill. Both were well done.

Currently reading 11/22/63, halfway through and it's pretty good so far. Also just started Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

[Solecismic]

Just read "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn.... Thumbs up, I liked it a bunch..

Also read another by her, Dark Places, also very good.

Read "the Racketeer" by Grisham. Good read.

"Replay", by Ken Grimwood, as recommended in the 2012 reading thread. Fantastic Book...

Currently reading 11/22/63 by King. I like that one too...

Didn't like- "Desperation" by King. Or "Zero Day" by Baldacci.

We have very similar tastes. I loved the dark humor in Gone Girl, and have Dark Places on the nightstand, waiting. And while I don't usually like King, I thought 11/22/63 was excellent.

I used to read Grisham, but stopped after the mediocre football book and the self-indulgent Christmas story. Is he back?

[Landshark44]

"The Racketeer" was pretty good... Grisham lost me along the way, as well.

His last couple of efforts have been good reads, though. I just finished "The Litigators", too, and it kept my interest. The Racketeer reminded me of "The Partner" which I really liked....

If you haven't read "Replay" and you liked 11/22/63, make it the next book on your list....

[Landshark44]

Anybody notice in 11/22/63,

An early character using a reference, unappropriate for the time period? I haven't finished the book, yet... but it's bugging me

Something about "Carter, and liver pills"....

[BYU 14]

The Black Prince of Baseball - The story of Hal Chase

Has always been one of the more fascinating characters of early 20th century baseball to me and the artist has done a very thorough job digging into the psyche of a very twisted man.

[mckerney]

Finished Storm Front after hearing Day[9] recommend the Dresden Files, will have to pick up the second book before too long.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm excited about my current book list, though it's been slow going getting through it...been extraordinarily busy lately.

Currently reading The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson. I loved what he did with the Wheel of Time and couldn't get through the Mistborn trilogy fast enough. I'm not all THAT excited about an epic series that isn't already finished - between Game of Thrones and finally finishing the Wheel of Time, I don't need ANOTHER - but Sanderson is amazing and I can't get enough of his work. I'm not far into the book, but I'm already well hooked.

Finished David Weber's latest effort in the Safehold series, Midst Toil and Tribulation. I'm still really enjoying the series, but it's starting to get a little Jordan-ey in that the book is long, but not much of actual note happened. The series seems to be gearing up for major things to happen, so it's holding me over, but things better start happening soon.

Also read Jim Butcher's recent Dresden Files book Cold Days, and his short story compilation book Odd Jobs. Both were fantastic. Harry Dresden is a great character and I love that each book in the series (we're at I think 13 total now) ramps up the action and intensity, and somehow does it without getting campy or absurd. Well, it definitely gets absurd, but in limited quantities and almost always in a fun tongue-in-cheek way.

A friend also convinced me to take a look at The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf. I'm going to do some more research before I jump in wholeheartedly, but I think I'm coming around on the paleo idea. His writing style is pretty good, mixing pop culture and humor references in to keep the science portion of things interesting. I'm not finished yet (this one's the bathroom reader), so we'll see if I still agree by the end of the book.

Coming up I have The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof and Redshirts by John Scalzi. I've heard nothing but rave reviews about The Blind Assassin, though my roommate (who is female) can't stand Atwood because of her extreme feminism. She hasn't read The Blind Assassin, however. Eight Men Out covers the Black Sox Scandal, and I've heard good things. Scalzi is a Sci-Fi writer who I'm quite fond of, and I'm eager to read his latest offering about a kid who gets his dream position as an ensign on a starship...but he's given a red shirt. And when he starts to realize what happens to all the crew with red shirts who go on away missions...

[Vince, Pt. II]

Finished Storm Front after hearing Day[9] recommend the Dresden Files, will have to pick up the second book before too long.

The Dresden Files are awesome. Butcher does a great job of blending fantasy and mythology into the present day.

His other major work, the Codex Alera, is an interesting fantasy epic (six novels). Slightly different take on magic with some likable characters...but it doesn't really do anything exceptional to make it stand out. I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm easy to please.

[saldana]

Coming up I have The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, Eight Men Out by Eliot Asinof and Redshirts by John Scalzi.

Eight Men Out is awesome...it launched a total obsession for me about the Black Sox back in the late 90s.

Having a Kindle has really amped up my reading, even more so thanks to the PixelofInk thread that has so far been a goldmine

I just finished up The Mongoliad: Book 1 by Greg Bear and Neal Stephenson...thought it was excellent and will be getting the next one soon

Currently reading In Pursuit of Platinum by Vic Robbie...its a WWII based suspense novel that is very well written and quite gripping...his chapters are short...only 5 or 6 minutes each so the rapid fire changes in location and characters makes it very hard to put down, because you want to get back to the people that you just left...he also is amazing at his settings...the story is set in 1940 France, and he doesnt just build a sense of the landscape, but also of the people as they are fleeing in front of the advance of the Germans.

more mainstream, i finished up World War Z, and Threat Vector (the latest Tom Clancy, whom i read every time he puts something out, even that horrible piece of Red Rabbit crap)...it is getting a little bit hard to accept some of his plot devices lately, mainly that no one notices that the president's son is in all the place that black ops are occuring around the world, but i am always impressed at how much depth there is in his "evil schemes"...i end up wondering how much of it is actually possible

[Jas_lov]

Finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I wouldn't have lasted two days what this guy went through. And he's still alive! Not surprised to read that they're making it into a movie. I think it'd be tough to play Louie in the movie with all the weight he lost.

Also finished 11/22/63 by King. Pretty good story and I like the concept. I plan on starting Hearts in Atlantis soon as I've heard it's good.

Halfway through The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Very good so far, I love crime novels.

Also about 200 pages in A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin trying to get ahead of the GoT tv series. I always read 3-4 books at a time so it takes me a while to finish one, but I like the mix of reading different types of books.

[rowech]

Finished Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I wouldn't have lasted two days what this guy went through. And he's still alive! Not surprised to read that they're making it into a movie. I think it'd be tough to play Louie in the movie with all the weight he lost.

Also finished 11/22/63 by King. Pretty good story and I like the concept. I plan on starting Hearts in Atlantis soon as I've heard it's good.

Halfway through The Alienist by Caleb Carr. Very good so far, I love crime novels.

Also about 200 pages in A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin trying to get ahead of the GoT tv series. I always read 3-4 books at a time so it takes me a while to finish one, but I like the mix of reading different types of books.

The Alienist is such a fantastic book. The sequel is just as good. (lot of people feel it's better although I don't) It amazes me how little Carr has written similar to those two books.

[cougarfreak]

Just finished Nine Dragons by Micheal Connelly. I like his crime novels a lot. I think I"m going to dive into the Mistborn Trilogy next.

[Scoobz0202]

Can somebody give me the low down on Terry Pratchett's Discworld series? I was curious to check it out and I see this series is huge. I've read kind of differing opinions on whether to start at the beginning or start elsewhere. Help.

[RomaGoth]

Still working through the Wheel of Time series (re-reading from the beginning and at book 7 now). Eventually want to move on to the fire and ice series.

[Buccaneer]

Got two new baseball books coming up: The Summer of 1968 and Big Hair and Plastic Grass (baseball in the 1970s).

[sabotai]

I've finally started on the Wheel of Time series as well as Acacia: The War with the Mein (book 1 of a trilogy)

On the non-fiction front, I've been reading The Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia 1600-1947 and I just started Medieval Russia 980-1584.

[path12]

Can somebody give me the low down on Terry Pratchett's Discworld series? I was curious to check it out and I see this series is huge. I've read kind of differing opinions on whether to start at the beginning or start elsewhere. Help.

There is a chart somewhere online (sorry, don't have a chance to check right now) that lists the books in the order for each main branch (there is a branch books about the town guards for instance, and another where Death is the main character)

I tried to start at the beginning but found the first book kind of a slog (which I've heard elsewhere as well), so then tried out the first of the Death books, Mort and really enjoyed that as well as the one after it.

[MacroGuru]

Been on a Sci-Fi kick lately and have pulled some down from pixelofink.com but right now I am reading The Spider and The Fly and it is decent so far.

Finished The Forever War which was a solid read. Read Encrypted, which was horrendous and I couldn't get into.

Next up to read will be All About Coffee, Medicine Men: Extreme Appalachian Doctoring and Memoirs of a Gas Station.

[path12]

Currently reading Wolf Hall by Hillary something-or-other. Novel featuring Thomas Cromwell in the time of the War of the Roses. Liking it so far.

[terpkristin]

Can somebody give me the low down on Terry Pratchett's Discworld series? I was curious to check it out and I see this series is huge. I've read kind of differing opinions on whether to start at the beginning or start elsewhere. Help.

Depends what you want.
http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/the-discworld-reading-order-guide-20.jpg

Via The L-Space Web: Discworld Reading Order Guides (http://www.lspace.org/books/reading-order-guides/)
Start at any of the oranges. For those, I'd read synopses and see which one suits your current mood. :)

/tk

[path12]

That's the chart I was talking about!

[Scoobz0202]

Thanks guys. Will look into it.

[Drake]

Started reading the Wool series by Hugh Howey. Surprisingly enjoyable.

On another note: is there anyone here who knows anything about radio technology -- like short-wave and things -- who would be willing to read my latest novel and make sure I didn't make any major gaffes? Bonus points if you know how this translates to deep space radio communication (or maybe I should just tag this post "Hey, terpkristen!!!")

In any event, PM me if you're interested.

ETA: Even if you don't know anything about radio and just want to rubberneck, feel free to PM also. One can never get enough feedback.

[terpkristin]

Started reading the Wool series by Hugh Howey. Surprisingly enjoyable.

I'm actually going to read Wool books 1-5 (as part of the Omnibus) with the Sword & Laser book club this month. It's been in my queue for awhile, so I'm pretty excited.

Also, I'll drop you a PM. ;)

/tk

[Buccaneer]

I get the feeling that if baseball players had antennas sticking out of their heads and wielded 8-foot long magical swords instead of bats, folks here would relate better to them.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Knocked a bunch of books out since my last update...

The Baseball Codes was a fun little book about the unwritten rules of baseball. I was well aware of nearly every "rule" they mentioned, but the book was worth it for the anecdotes alone.

Redshirts was a hilarious and quick read. If you're at all familiar with Star Trek you'll love it, and even if you aren't it's enjoyable.

Eight Men Out was a fantastic read. It was pretty amazing to read not only about the series, but of the aftermath and its effect on baseball.

Taking a cue from my girlfriend, I read Demian by Herman Hesse and was impressed. This style of book (coming of age without much in the way of action or adventure) is not at all my cup of tea, but I blew through it and enjoyed it a lot.

The Blind Assassin is in the backseat of my car, bookmarked at page 60. Just isn't grabbing me. I'll eventually get it done, but I started it before all of these other books, and I'm in no hurry to get back to it.

Really though, I came here to write about one book: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger. The book came recommended by a friend while we browsed a used bookstore. The writing is phenomenal, the story is engaging and it's hard to put down - I was up until 3 AM finishing it last night, and I wake up at 5:30 AM. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. There is some spirituality/religion in it, but I'm a card carrying agnostic who wants nothing to do with church, and it didn't bother me in the least. A beautiful story.

[saldana]

i just finished up all three books in the Baker Street Brothers series...very quick reads, and very enjoyable

[ISiddiqui]

I'm ALMOST done with 11/22/63. It's a great premise (guy time travels to try to stop the JFK assassination), but as usual with Steven King, he drags it out ridiculously. I'm totally ready for the book to be over.

[Northwood_DK]

I'm ALMOST done with 11/22/63. It's a great premise (guy time travels to try to stop the JFK assassination), but as usual with Steven King, he drags it out ridiculously. I'm totally ready for the book to be over.

I enjoyed that book a lot but found the ending rushed.

[saldana]

I enjoyed that book a lot but found the ending rushed.

i agree...considering how long it took to get back to the future, it felt like he just got tired of writing it and slapped the ending together

[ISiddiqui]

Where I was really bored was the slow down in the week leading up to the climactic act and all the talk of:

His recovery from the Roth beating and his amnesia, such a @@ moment

[terpkristin]

I'm reading Among Others this month for the Sword & Laser book club. It's kind of an homage to being an awkward, SFF-loving teenager. It doesn't exactly have much "plot," it's basically written as a diary...and because of that, a lot of people in the club don't seem to like it. But I identify so well with the main character...and I really enjoy seeing Walton's feelings on society (and books!) through the eyes of the main character. I'm really loving it. And the audiobook is narrated by a woman doing a Welsh/English accent which is fun. I can see why this won the Nebula and Hugo (even if the Hugo is more or less a popularity contest).

I think S&L is going to read Redshirts next. I'm not really interested in it...only have a passing interest in Star Trek and would rather read something more...original. I've read two other Scalzi books (Fuzzy Nation and Old Man's War) and while they were fine/good enough to read and not just quit, I didn't think they were anything special.

/tk

[Vince, Pt. II]

Haven't read Fuzzy Nation, but I loved the heck out of Old Man's War. I think you'll enjoy Redshirts, even if you're not that interested in Star Trek - probably about as well as you liked Old Man's War.

Finished Twelve today by Nick McDonell. He was 17 when he wrote it. makes me feel like I probably should have already done something with my life. The book was good, although again, not my usual fare. Short, quick bursts of story in small chapters written from the perspective of different characters. It revolves around several rich High School students in the week between Christmas and New Years in New York City. The 'main' character is one of the kids who took a year off school to deal drugs.

[Schmidty]

I always go to Hendersons Books in Bellingham. I also buy fantasy stuff. I'm simple.

Right now I'm reading "The Crimson Sword". It was 2 bucks. I'm enjoying it. Not fancy. Who cares.

[Glengoyne]

Reading, or rather listening to Caleb Carr's "The Alienist".

It is about a forensic psychologist in 1896, though he isn't called that. He's called an Alienist.

It is like it is straight out of Criminal Minds, but with Teddy Roosevelt as the NYC police commissioner. It is all right so far. I'm about half way through, and it has certainly held my interest.

[Jas_lov]

I just finished The Alienist a few weeks ago. Very good book that they should make into an HBO miniseries. I dont think it'd fit into a 2 hour movie with how deep they go into the case.

Now reading Hearts in Atlantis, A Feast for Crows, and Brave New World.

[saldana]

I just finished The Alienist a few weeks ago. Very good book that they should make into an HBO miniseries. I dont think it'd fit into a 2 hour movie with how deep they go into the case.

Now reading Hearts in Atlantis, A Feast for Crows, and Brave New World.

looks like there is a second book in the series

The Angel of Darkness (Dr. Lazlo Kreizler): Caleb Carr: Amazon.com: Kindle Store (http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Darkness-Lazlo-Kreizler-ebook/dp/B003DYGNQA/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371136294&sr=1-3&keywords=the+alienist)

[rowech]

looks like there is a second book in the series

The Angel of Darkness (Dr. Lazlo Kreizler): Caleb Carr: Amazon.com: Kindle Store (http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Darkness-Lazlo-Kreizler-ebook/dp/B003DYGNQA/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1371136294&sr=1-3&keywords=the+alienist)

There is and it's told from a different character's perspective.

[Landshark44]

Anyone read anything good lately?

Just finished NOS4A2, horror by Joe Hill. It was ok at best...

I've been looking through the bestseller list on amazon, but nothing is really grabbing me. I'm off tonite and would love to download something great...

[HerRealName]

Two books by Donald Ray Pollock, Knockemstiff and The Devil All The Time.

I almost hesitate to recommend these books because the subject matter is so dark but some of the stories are sticking with me and making me think about them even a year later. Knockemstiff is a collection of roughly related short stories and the other is a true novel.

Again, these two books are not for everyone. Maybe try a sample first :)

[Landshark44]

thank you, i'll check them out...

[Landshark44]

downloading "the devil all the time", and pouring a scotch.. thanks for the recommend

[Autumn]

I just read Minotaur (http://www.amazon.com/Minotaur-ebook/dp/B00AQ1F8F0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378396571&sr=8-1&keywords=minotaur+pace), a sci-fi novel that was actually written by a friend of mine from high school. I recommend it both for that reason and because I thought it was a decent. It kept me turning pages, had some subtly done interesting world building.

[Landshark44]

Made it %75 thru "devil all the time" in one night. Great story. I'll finish tonight for sure. Thanks!!

[HerRealName]

That's a relief. I was concerned that you would be calling for an immediate banning for that recommendation. The scotch sounds like a perfect companion.

[Peregrine]

I'm currently deeply immersed into David Weber's Honor Harrington books - on number 5 I think.

[DaddyTorgo]

Right now I'm reading "The Fall of the House of Dixie"

Thinking after that I'm going to pickup a couple biographies of John Brown.

Or maybe the big Ron Chernow George Washington bio that I checked out via ebook.

[MacroGuru]

Wanted to toss this freebie site out there for Sci-Fi / Fantasy - links out to ebooks and such. A lot of unknowns, but I have a large collection of books to read now.

QuasarDragon (http://freesciencefantasy.blogspot.ca/)

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm currently deeply immersed into David Weber's Honor Harrington books - on number 5 I think.

Thoughts? I'm really enjoying his Safehold series, but a friend told me the Harrington books are pretty generic. I've been reluctant to pick them up because of it.

[Peregrine]

Well so far I'm quite enjoying them - they go into a lot of detail in the space combat, maybe a bit too much detail, so that can drag on a bit but otherwise I am really enjoying them. Of course I am a big Horatio Hornblower/Master and Commander fan and that is what the books are inspired by, just in a sci-fi environment.

The first two books are free on the Kindle store if you want to check them out and if you read ebooks.

[Landshark44]

Just finished...

Dr. Sleep (King)- it was ok, definitely not great
Sycamore Row (Grisham)- didn't like it
Heart-Shaped Box (Joe Hill)- thought it was really good
The Humans- (Matt Haig)- liked it a bunch

"The Humans" was the first book I've read by Haig. It's about an alien sent to earth to prevent a discovery humans are not ready for.... Good, fast, read...

[Schmidty]

Currently reading "Empire of Unreason", from the "Age of Unreason" series by Gregory Keyes. It's a very fun read, although I keep waiting for the first mention of Ben Franklin losing his hair.

[terpkristin]

A friend of mine decided that she didn't want to do NaNoWriMo this year but instead would do NaNoReadMo, basically read as much as she can with a list of books she wants to knock out.

I'm joining her, and have finished Boneshaker, a steampunk sci-if-ish book. It was ok, the plot was kind of weak and the ending unsatisfactory because Priest (the author) intends to get more into the sequels. I won't be reading them.

I've moved on to The Mongoliad Book 3 (meh series but I want to see the resolution at this point) and a new novel called Ancillary Justice (so far ok but needs to pick up soon).

/tk

[Peregrine]

I am reading the new Scott Lynch Locke Lamora book, Republic of Thieves.

[Chief Rum]

I am reading the new Scott Lynch Locke Lamora book, Republic of Thieves.

Long time coming. I hope Lynch is over the issues he was supposedly having. The first two books were great reads.

Let me know what you think. It's on my read list.

[Schmidty]

Yeah, I read the first Locke Lamora book a couple of years ago, and it was fun. Mafia fantasy is a great idea.

I'll check out the rest of the series after I'm done with what I'm currently reading.

[Desnudo]

I'm reading Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond who wrote guns! germs! and steel. The modern examples like Montana I found kind of tedious, but the story of what happened on Easter Island is very interesting. Diamond again does a good job of weaving in science while keeping the story going.

[korme]

Anybody have any good book suggestions on aviation?

My quasi-stepdad is big into flying - he owns a private plane himself, it's one of his passions. Thinking I should get him something related to that for X-Mas.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Probably out of your price range, but I've heard rave reviews of Sled Driver by Brian Shul. Flew over 200 combat missions in the Vietnam era, was shot down near the end of the war and was burned so badly they gave him next to no chance to live. He not only lived, but returned to full flight status and flew the SR-71.

For whatever reason, the book costs hundreds of dollars.

[korme]

I was at first mildly insulted by your beginning statement, but after a quick google search... $780 for a book? Good god.

[terpkristin]

I've asked a friend for a recommendation, but you might (in addition to a memoir or other type book) might get him a book for kick-ass paper airplanes. I'd totally dig it.

/tk

[Senator]

Just finished The Pursuit of Cool by Robb Skidmore. It's a story about a kid in late 1980's college. Many references that many would relate to here. Reminded me of Ready Player One a little.

Also read League of Denial and currently reading Sid Gillman: a Father of the Passing Game.

[Peregrine]

I'm reading The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer. Really interesting book and I recommend it - has some interesting things to say about the changes in America in the last few decades in terms of the middle class, jobs etc through interviews with people from various classes.

[Desnudo]

I finished Slow Getting Up: A Story of NFL Survival from the Bottom of the Pile by Nate Jackson. It exceeded my expectations as Nate is funny and really humanizes the sport. An easy read.

[Peregrine]

I found Stefan Fatsis's book A Few Seconds of Panic really interesting as well in its insight into the NFL - will have to check out your book as well Desnudo.

[terpkristin]

Anybody have any good book suggestions on aviation?

My quasi-stepdad is big into flying - he owns a private plane himself, it's one of his passions. Thinking I should get him something related to that for X-Mas.

The one my friend recommended to me was Moondog's Academy of the Air and Other Disasters:Amazon:Books (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/059509709X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1386905351&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40)

If you wanted something more serious, there are a few about the history of the 777 and about Boeing vs Airbus which look pretty cool.

/tk

[Vince, Pt. II]

I was at first mildly insulted by your beginning statement, but after a quick google search... $780 for a book? Good god.

Yeah, I didn't mean to be insulting. Probably should have explained why it was probably out of your price range :) Found the book when someone recommended a reddit post to me, still one of my favorite short reads of all time:

There were a lot of things we couldn't do in an SR-71, but we were the fastest guys on the block and loved reminding our fellow aviators of this fact. People often asked us if, because of this fact, it was fun to fly the jet. Fun would not be the first word I would use to describe flying this plane. Intense, maybe. Even cerebral. But there was one day in our Sled experience when we would have to say that it was pure fun to be the fastest guys out there, at least for a moment.

It occurred when Walt and I were flying our final training sortie. We needed 100 hours in the jet to complete our training and attain Mission Ready status. Somewhere over Colorado we had passed the century mark. We had made the turn in Arizona and the jet was performing flawlessly. My gauges were wired in the front seat and we were starting to feel pretty good about ourselves, not only because we would soon be flying real missions but because we had gained a great deal of confidence in the plane in the past ten months. Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet.

I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat. There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury. Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him. The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace.

We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot asked Center for a readout of his ground speed.

Center replied: "November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground."

Now the thing to understand about Center controllers, was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna, or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional, tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the "HoustonCenterVoice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the HoustonCenterControllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that... and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios.

Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed.

"Ah, Twin Beach: I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed."

Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren.

Then out of the blue, a Navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios.

"Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check."

Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a readout? Then I got it -- ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet.

And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion:

"Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground."

And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done -- in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now.

I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn. Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet.

Then, I heard it. The click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke:

"Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?"

There was no hesitation, and the reply came as if was an everyday request:

"Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground."

I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice:

"Ah, Center, much thanks. We're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money."

For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the HoustonCentervoice, when L.A. came back with,
"Roger that Aspen, Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one."

It all had lasted for just moments, but in that short, memorable sprint across the southwest, the Navy had been flamed, all mortal airplanes on freq were forced to bow before the King of Speed, and more importantly, Walter and I had crossed the threshold of being a crew. A fine day's work.

We never heard another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast. For just one day, it truly was fun being the fastest guys out there.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Back to being more on topic: lately I've been on a kick of re-reading 'classic' literature that I either missed out on or hated while I was in school. What I've tackled so far:

1984
Animal Farm
Fahrenheit 451
The Great Gatsby
Slaughterhouse-Five
A Clockwork Orange
Neuromancer

They were all fantastic in different ways. I would highly recommend revisiting these (or any book, really) as an adult if you didn't like them as a child - I've really enjoyed reading each of these books. In the non-classic vein...

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman was incredible. He was already one of my favorite authors, but he's officially made it to 'I want to own all of his work' status with me.

On the recommendation of a friend, I read The Scar by China Mieville. I had heard of Perdido Street Station and it was on my list of things I want to read eventually, but had never heard of The Scar. I was blown away. I read a lot - I can easily make it through a book in a day or two. I enjoyed this one so much I found myself savoring it, reading only small chunks at a time so it would last longer. Looking forward to exploring more of his work.

Currently on tap I have The Book Thief and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, with Catch-22, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Brave New World and Snow Crash waiting in the wings.

[Glengoyne]

Bumping this up as I'm not seeing a current thread, and don't want to actually summon the wherewithal to open up a 2014 thread in a manner suitable to the topic.

First, I'm in the middle of the third Locke Lamora novel, the Republic of Thieves. Good stuff, and I'm hoping it lives up to the first two.

Secondly I'm also working on Anthony Ryan's Blood Song. I'm really liking where this one is taking me. It looks like he is setting the stage for another fantasy epic work. Best debut since Rothfus, it maybe even better in some ways, as Rothfus was a bit over the top at points. In any case I heartilly recommend it.

[sabotai]

I am a few chapters into Mistborn: The Well of Ascension, book 2 of the Mistborn trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book. I usually take a break between books of a series, but I jumped right into book 2 of Mistborn. Elantris and The Way Of Kings are two other Brandon Sanderson books on my "to read" list.

Part of the enjoyment is that on Brandon Sanderson's website, he wrote chapter annotations for each chapter to give insight into his writing of the chapter and the book in general. It's like having a director's commentary track for the book. Really interesting stuff (especially since being a fantasy novelist is a total pipe dream of mine.)

[BishopMVP]

I am a few chapters into Mistborn: The Well of Ascension, book 2 of the Mistborn trilogy. I really enjoyed the first book. I usually take a break between books of a series, but I jumped right into book 2 of Mistborn. Elantris and The Way Of Kings are two other Brandon Sanderson books on my "to read" list.

Part of the enjoyment is that on Brandon Sanderson's website, he wrote chapter annotations for each chapter to give insight into his writing of the chapter and the book in general. It's like having a director's commentary track for the book. Really interesting stuff (especially since being a fantasy novelist is a total pipe dream of mine.)I finished reading the Mistborn trilogy recently - Vin's monologues got a little tedious at times, but pretty good. He also has a book set in a steampunk version of that world I liked, with a 5th book coming soon.

Elantris was his first novel, and it kinda showed. Definitely more simplistic than the Mistborn stuff, although he's still great at world-building. I haven't read The Way of Kings yet, but fyi it's supposed to be part of a 5-book series, and just had book #2 released.

Compared to certain other fantasy writers it's absurd how much writing he churns out.

[terpkristin]

I finished reading the Mistborn trilogy recently - Vin's monologues got a little tedious at times, but pretty good. He also has a book set in a steampunk version of that world I liked, with a 5th book coming soon.
I haven't ready Alloy of Law yet, but I enjoyed the Mistborn trilogy. I have to agree about Vin's monologues. Alloy of Law is on the list for me to read this year (I'm trying to read-down my "already bought but haven't yet read list").

Elantris was his first novel, and it kinda showed. Definitely more simplistic than the Mistborn stuff, although he's still great at world-building.

I didn't care for Elantris, especially compared with Sanderson's other works. I think he actually wrote Warbreaker before Elantris, but Elantris actually got published first. That it was an early writing career novel showed, and you could REALLY obviously see his influences (which were heavy-handed at times).

I haven't read The Way of Kings yet, but fyi it's supposed to be part of a 5-book series, and just had book #2 released.
Way of Kings was the best book I read in 2012, hands down. Just a fantastic book (though I admit it started a little slow, I really got sucked in the more I read). The 2nd book (Words of Radiance is actually not out yet--it comes out March 4th in the US. I have it pre-ordered for my Kindle and am really looking forward to dropping everything when it comes out.

Compared to certain other fantasy writers it's absurd how much writing he churns out.
Yeah, his volume is insane. What I like about Sanderson, though, is his work with magic systems. In just about every book, he introduces (yet another) magic system. Some of his more experimental stuff comes out in his short stories, including Legend, where the main character apparently has multiple personalities, and he derives his "powers" from those personalities and The Emperor's Soul where magic is derived from art (and forgery). He's also just started a young adult series, Reckoners (Steelheart is the first, followed by a short story "Mitosis"), which is sorta superhero-y, kinda sci-fi/apocalyptic-ish...I enjoyed Steelheart, even if it wasn't my favorite thing he's done.

I'm really looking forward to Words of Radiance and am currently trying to decide if I should re-read Way of Kings before it comes out (or maybe I should just read through the tor.com re-read summaries).

On non-Sanderson things, I've just started listening to an audiobook which I'm reviewing for SFFAudio.com. The book is A New Beginning by Craig Brummer. It's a bit creepy, one of the main characters is named Kristin (spelled like I spell my name), she's a space ship system analyst (I'm a satellite systems engineer), and she sounds a lot like I used to be, before I became irreparably broken.

On a related note, if anybody wants to see my list of books I've purchased but not yet read (and trying to read almost exclusively from in 2014), the list is here (https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/3392444-terpkristin?shelf=tbr_2014). Or, if you use Goodreads and aren't friends with me over there yet, this is my profile, feel free to add me as a friend (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3392444-terpkristin)! :)

/tk

[SirFozzie]

The latest Safehold book just unlocked on my kindle.

Oh my.

Oh my.

OH MY.

[OldGiants]

First, I'm in the middle of the third Locke Lamora novel, the Republic of Thieves. Good stuff, and I'm hoping it lives up to the first two.



I finished LIES last month and started RED SAILS UNDER RED SKIES last night. Good stuff, so I'm with you in hoping the third book keeps up with the first two.

Before LIES, I finished Between Summer's Longing and Winter's End: The Story of a Crime by Leif G. W. Persson. This is the first of a trilogy about the assassination of Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme 30 years ago. A character named Backstrom, a minor detective in this novel, but the center of a series now, is the source material for the planned TV show starring Rainn Wilson this fall. Hard to find Persson books in the US, so I'm stymied at the moment from moving forward.

[Desnudo]

Ive been reading a lot of zombie fiction lately. It's been very hard to find something that equals World War Z. I think the Arisen series may even be better. It's like a combo of Clancy and Brooks with excellent pacing and characters.

Amazon.com: Arisen, Book One - Fortress Britain eBook: Glynn James, Michael Stephen Fuchs: Books (http://www.amazon.com/Arisen-Book-One-Fortress-Britain-ebook/dp/B008TQ0T8A/ref=la_B001S2PFYA_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1392729596&sr=1-4)

[MacroGuru]

J Kraft Mitchell who writes speculative fiction has a decent series out called The Nexus, you can get the first book in the series for Free from his blog today..

http://jkraftmitchell.com/

[DaddyTorgo]

"Gateway" by Frederick Pohl.

[sterlingice]

Back to being more on topic: lately I've been on a kick of re-reading 'classic' literature that I either missed out on or hated while I was in school. What I've tackled so far:

1984
Animal Farm
Fahrenheit 451
The Great Gatsby
Slaughterhouse-Five
A Clockwork Orange
Neuromancer

They were all fantastic in different ways. I would highly recommend revisiting these (or any book, really) as an adult if you didn't like them as a child - I've really enjoyed reading each of these books. In the non-classic vein...

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman was incredible. He was already one of my favorite authors, but he's officially made it to 'I want to own all of his work' status with me.

On the recommendation of a friend, I read The Scar by China Mieville. I had heard of Perdido Street Station and it was on my list of things I want to read eventually, but had never heard of The Scar. I was blown away. I read a lot - I can easily make it through a book in a day or two. I enjoyed this one so much I found myself savoring it, reading only small chunks at a time so it would last longer. Looking forward to exploring more of his work.

Currently on tap I have The Book Thief and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, with Catch-22, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Brave New World and Snow Crash waiting in the wings.

Ha! This looks pretty similar to some of what I've been doing over the past couple of years.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - currently
Picture of Dorian Gray - Last couple of years
Brave New World - Last couple of years
Catch-22 - Considering as I haven't read since high school
The Graveyard Book - Didn't read but did read American Gods last year
1984 - Last couple of years
Animal Farm - Last couple of years
Fahrenheit 451 - Haven't read since high school, maybe I should
The Great Gatsby - Last year
Slaughterhouse-Five - On list to read
A Clockwork Orange - On list to read
Neuromancer - Last year

I have some other books mixed in, tho, as that's a lot of classic scifi. I tend to rotate through different genres. Looking at my list, the last few have been classic scifi, noir mystery, comedy, war novel, victorian scifi, modern action novel, dickens, noir mystery, non-fiction. I do books on CD during my commute, mainly. But now that I'm carpooling with my wife, we have to agree and I think it drives her nuts that I don't want to spend the next 3 or 4 months plowing through a series and I'd rather mix it up.

SI

[Pyser]

very funny. i did gatsby, animal farm, and 1984 recently too. you guys on goodreads?

[sterlingice]

very funny. i did gatsby, animal farm, and 1984 recently too. you guys on goodreads?

My wife is but I'm not. What really gets me is that Colbert's 3 books he read (Gatsby, Catcher in the Rye, Farewell to Arms) were just a few months after I read each

SI

[terpkristin]

you guys on goodreads?

I am, guess my username :D

I'm currently reading the sequel to Way of Kings, Words of Radiance. I'm loving it, I just wish I had more time to read. I'm both listening to the audiobook and reading the Kindle edition, working through whichever is more convenient for my situation. My thumbs have been acting up lately, so it's been mostly audio. Sadly, audio is slower for me...

I read a good bit of stuff and try to write reviews at GR. I also do reviews for SFF Audio, when I'm not ridiculously stressed out over various things...

/tk

P.S. terpkristin - Ashburn, VA (688 books) (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3392444-terpkristin)

[Desnudo]

My Father, The Drug Lord - An Excerpt from Tony Dokoupil’s Memoir, The Last Pirate - Esquire (http://www.esquire.com/blogs/news/my-father-the-drug-lord?spr_id=1456_50929340)

[sabotai]

Finished books 2 and 3 of the Mistborn trilogy. I thought they both were really slow in the middle. If the trilogy is an indication, Sanderson seems to do beginnings and endings very well, but it kinda gets bogged down in the middle. Still, an enjoyable trilogy.

Books I plan to read next.

Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Key
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercombie
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

I am very behind on reading fantasy. Spent the last decade or more not reading much of the genre.

Non-Fiction books on my to read list

Autumn In the Heavenly Kingdom
The Franco-Prussian War
City of Fortune: How Venice Ruled the Seas
Shanghai 1937: Stalingrad on the Yangtze

Edit: Goodreads profile which I update like once every 3 years..... https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/991029-jason-wood

[mckerney]

I am, guess my username :D

I'm currently reading the sequel to Way of Kings, Words of Radiance. I'm loving it, I just wish I had more time to read. I'm both listening to the audiobook and reading the Kindle edition, working through whichever is more convenient for my situation. My thumbs have been acting up lately, so it's been mostly audio. Sadly, audio is slower for me...

I read a good bit of stuff and try to write reviews at GR. I also do reviews for SFF Audio, when I'm not ridiculously stressed out over various things...

/tk

P.S. terpkristin - Ashburn, VA (688 books) (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3392444-terpkristin)

I just picked up Way of Kings after seeing Chris Kluwe recommend Words of Radiance on Twitter. Also had a copy of Six Gun Tarot finally arrive last week after ordering it back in November.

[Peregrine]

Currently reading The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart. Highly recommended if you are interested in all the various ways humans have found to make alcohol out of almost anything possible. Quite funny also.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Finished books 2 and 3 of the Mistborn trilogy. I thought they both were really slow in the middle. If the trilogy is an indication, Sanderson seems to do beginnings and endings very well, but it kinda gets bogged down in the middle.

I think I may overrate Sanderson because he's so good at endings and so many of my favorite authors are notably lacking in that department.

[ISiddiqui]

Finished "Maphead" by Ken Jennings (the Jeopardy guy) - fantastic read about maps. Jennings is quite the humorous writer and it is great to read about a topic where the author is just as excited about it as the reader (likely) is.

Started reading Roberto Bolano's 2666, his last masterpiece. It's living up to its reputation so far (page... 45ish out of 800+ :D)

[Honolulu_Blue]

I've been "reading" (listening) to "Pandemic" by Scott Sigler. It's the third part of a trilogy. I've really enjoyed all three books.

You can download the first two books: "Infected" and "Contagious" as free podcasts. The author does the readings himself. He's not great at it, but I grew to enjoy it. And, it's free.

The third book just came out in January and I grabbed it off Audible. I really enjoy the reader and it's been a fun ride.

The books can be a bit gross at times, but it's good science fiction fare based in modern times and though it involves alien technology and what not, much of what happens is pretty well grounded in science/biology.

Without these books to listen to over the last 3-4 months, I fear my sidewalks would have never been shoveled and my dog gone un-walked during the deep freeze.