Author Topic: What are you READING right now?  (Read 762380 times)

arebelspy

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #900 on: January 30, 2017, 04:38:41 PM »
Wow, I've read it many times and never thought of that.

Makes the scene where he wakes up and the teacher is sitting there make sense, too--something completely innocent that he saw as creepy because of his view on the world.

I still don't think it's "correct," but it's a neat theory.  Thanks for the thought!  :)
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turketron

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #901 on: January 31, 2017, 06:50:34 AM »
Just finished Babylon's Ashes, the most recent (6th) book in the Expanse series. Goddamn these books are so much fun. I can't wait to see how the later books/seasons look on the TV show. I know this is the Books thread but everyone should watch The Expanse tv series!

MasterStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #902 on: January 31, 2017, 06:58:10 AM »
Finally checked out Hillbilly Elegy after being on the waiting list for 3 months. So far a great and eye opening read.

I get the feeling I might have run across the author growing up since our school districts were in the same sports conference. 

Bardo

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #903 on: January 31, 2017, 11:30:25 AM »
War and Peace, for I think the fourth time.  I've always loved it, and re-reading it is like returning to an old friend. 

Luke Warm

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #904 on: January 31, 2017, 01:44:38 PM »
ENDER'S GAME

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #905 on: January 31, 2017, 02:11:13 PM »
ENDER'S GAME

One of my favorites.

If you like military sci-fi, I would suggest these
  • Starship Troopers : Heinlien (the movie was awful, book is awesome)
  • Old Mans War : John Scalzi
  • Startide Rising: David Brin (this one is complex, I am re-reading this about the 20th time. Each time, I find new stuff which I missed previously)

Luke Warm

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #906 on: January 31, 2017, 02:16:59 PM »
ENDER'S GAME

One of my favorites.

If you like military sci-fi, I would suggest these
  • Starship Troopers : Heinlien (the movie was awful, book is awesome)
  • Old Mans War : John Scalzi
  • Startide Rising: David Brin (this one is complex, I am re-reading this about the 20th time. Each time, I find new stuff which I missed previously)

starship troopers was great. i haven't read the other two. i'll check them out.

plainjane

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #907 on: January 31, 2017, 02:23:19 PM »
Just finished _Six Wakes_ by Mur Lafferty.

A murder mystery set on a space ship crewed by 6 clones who just woke up and discovered they had all just been murdered. 

SF mysteries are often tough because of the competing genre expectations, but I think Lafferty does a really good job here.  And the ramifications of there being clones and clone technology in the world was well thought out and added to characterization. 

Luke Warm

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #908 on: January 31, 2017, 02:53:58 PM »
i also just finished 'the physician' by noah gordon. i think it's the first in a series.

Thinkum

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #909 on: February 03, 2017, 03:58:36 PM »
Redshirts by John Scalzi. Hilarious book. Set on a starship it echoes Star Trek and is a spoof of the show and others like it.

scantee

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #910 on: February 03, 2017, 08:29:42 PM »
The Making of the Atomic Bomb by Richard Rhodes. At nearly 800 pages, this one should take me a bit to get through. Very interesting though, so far, although I'm only 50 pages on.

Poundwise

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #911 on: February 04, 2017, 12:50:55 PM »
Moominvalley in November. Read the other Moomin books first, and maybe read To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf before reading this one.  One of my favorite books for children, and it holds up for adult reading.

brooklynguy

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #912 on: March 23, 2017, 10:21:58 AM »
I'm in the middle of reading Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari.

It's a cross-disciplinary examination of who we (that is, the planet's single remaining human species) are and how we came to be.  It's filled with fascinating insights and has a strong mustachian undercurrent.  One recurring theme is that humankind's perpetual search for an easier (and better) life paradoxically often unwittingly resulted in a more difficult (and worse) life.  The author argues that the same "luxury trap" that causes most members of our current generation to succumb to false promises of a better life by jumping on (and staying on) the consumerist treadmill also operated as a force of change that shaped the history of our species in dramatic ways (such as humankind's shift from foraging to agriculture, a Faustian bargain in which members of our species sacrificed health, leisure and security for perceived benefits that in fact never arrived).

Many of these ideas are not new, but the author, using a fresh perspective, ties them together in novel (and often provocative) ways.

Just finished reading the sequel to this book, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.  The author uses the same big picture, cross-disciplinary approach with which he examined our species' history in the first book to now predict where we might be heading in the future.  Once again, I detected a strong mustachian undercurrent.  In fact, the entire enterprise can be thought of as a broadening of the scope of mustachianism (which, at its heart, is about improvement through conscious, deliberate choice) from the individual level to the species level -- as the author says in the book's final pages:

Quote from: Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
This book traces the origins of our present-day conditioning in order to loosen its grip and enable us to think in far more imaginative ways about our future.  Instead of narrowing our horizons by forecasting a single definitive scenario, the book aims to broaden our horizons and make us aware of a much wider spectrum of options.

SpeedReader

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #913 on: March 26, 2017, 07:40:22 PM »
Citizens:  A Chronicle of the French Revolution

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #914 on: March 26, 2017, 07:54:49 PM »
Found this today

http://compellingsciencefiction.com/

There are five editions with five stories each (all free)

Just finished the last one, very very good. If you like sci-fi, cannot beat this price!!!

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #915 on: March 28, 2017, 08:06:34 PM »
One American Robin by e.a. mann

Great book. I read it here when he posted about the free download.

SaskyStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #916 on: March 28, 2017, 09:49:32 PM »
Forever Odd by Dean Koontz

If you like suspense with a twist of quirkiness, I would recommend the Odd Thomas series.

biglawinvestor

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #917 on: March 30, 2017, 02:57:45 PM »
I recently finished reading The Overtaxed Investor by Phil Demuth. I thought it was really good. His idea about ideally having a no dividend index fund really struck a note with me since it's one of the tax drags of my portfolio that it currently spits out dividends during my high income earning years (when I have no such need for the dividends) and I have to pay taxes on those dividends (which I might not have to pay if I retire early).

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #918 on: April 01, 2017, 06:46:32 AM »
One American Robin by e.a. mann

Great book. I read it here when he posted about the free download.

Good so far - I'm about​ quarter through.  And yes, I also got it from here when posted.

What I found interesting was that the author is male but he very successfully had a female protagonist.

SingleMomDebt

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #919 on: April 01, 2017, 07:23:28 AM »
"The Moonlight Palace" by Liz Rosenberg. 1920s Singapore, poverty, last sultan, and bravery. I am much enjoying it.

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #920 on: April 03, 2017, 09:21:33 AM »
I just finished reading One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, a short story compiled by Sam Keith from the journals/photographs of Richard Proenneke. Even if you aren't into the outdoors (and if you aren't you should work on it), you have to admit that Dick Proenneke understood the pillars of Mustachianism years before the internet, MMM, or the like (his cabin was built in ~1968):

Quote
"Needs? I guess that is what bothers so many folks. They keep expanding their needs until they are dependent on too many things and too many other people. I don't understand economics, and I suppose the country would be in a real mess if people suddenly cut out a lot of things they don't need. I wonder how many things in the average American home could be eliminated if the question were asked, ""Must I really have this?"" I guess most of the extras are chalked up to comfort or saving time.

Funny thing about comfort- one man's comfort is another man's misery. Most people don't work hard enough physically anymore, and comfort is not easy to find. It is surprising how comfortable a hard bunk can be after you come down off a mountain."

Additionally, the man was a virtuoso with woodworking, and to this day his hand-crafted wood cabin, furniture, and tools remain preserved as a testament to fine craftsmanship. Virtually tour his cabin at https://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/historyculture/proenneke-cabin-virtual-tour.htm

VeggieGirl

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #921 on: April 03, 2017, 09:57:42 AM »
I just finished reading One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey, a short story compiled by Sam Keith from the journals/photographs of Richard Proenneke. Even if you aren't into the outdoors (and if you aren't you should work on it), you have to admit that Dick Proenneke understood the pillars of Mustachianism years before the internet, MMM, or the like (his cabin was built in ~1968):

Quote
"Needs? I guess that is what bothers so many folks. They keep expanding their needs until they are dependent on too many things and too many other people. I don't understand economics, and I suppose the country would be in a real mess if people suddenly cut out a lot of things they don't need. I wonder how many things in the average American home could be eliminated if the question were asked, ""Must I really have this?"" I guess most of the extras are chalked up to comfort or saving time.

Funny thing about comfort- one man's comfort is another man's misery. Most people don't work hard enough physically anymore, and comfort is not easy to find. It is surprising how comfortable a hard bunk can be after you come down off a mountain."

Additionally, the man was a virtuoso with woodworking, and to this day his hand-crafted wood cabin, furniture, and tools remain preserved as a testament to fine craftsmanship. Virtually tour his cabin at https://www.nps.gov/lacl/learn/historyculture/proenneke-cabin-virtual-tour.htm

I'll have to see if the library has the book, I've only seen the PBS series on it. I always watch it whenever it comes on, so amazing what he built by himself. I agree, he's like the original MMM. :-)

Tyson

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #922 on: April 03, 2017, 02:14:00 PM »
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman.

In many ways this is like reading a poetry version of Walden.  Clearly both authors read and were influenced by the Stoics. 

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #923 on: April 03, 2017, 09:03:13 PM »
^^^ Regarding previous posts.

There's a Spanish saying that goes, "Para dormir lo que hace falta es cansancio." Which loosely translated to English reads, "To sleep, all you need is to be tired."

My father always used this saying, remembering how as a young teen, he would work on the sugar cane fields and after 10hrs. of cutting down sugar canes, all he needed was a hot plate of food and a floor. No need for a comfortable bed or anything like that to go to sleep.  He told me many times that if I ever had trouble going to sleep, it was a sign I hadn't worked enough that day.

Awesome story and I believe the sentiment behind it.

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #924 on: April 06, 2017, 03:19:47 PM »
I just finished reading 'Silence' by Shusaku Endo. It's about the Japanese persecution of Christians during the sixteen hundreds. Thought provoking book.

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #925 on: April 06, 2017, 09:22:44 PM »
I'm on a roll, and just finished reading another book.

The Emporer's Soul by Brandon Sanderson.
I typically like to switch between fiction and non-fiction books when reading, and this was a quick fantasy novella that I very much enjoyed. I also liked that it was not part of a series, as I feel there are 100s of fantasy/Sci-fi book series out there and I just wanted one read.

Sherriscott

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #926 on: April 06, 2017, 10:53:08 PM »
My reading list is a bit different because I read online books on a mobile app called as "Wattpad". So my books will be new to you, but they are awesome. Currently I am reading Dark and the other book is The Boy I Admire From Afar.

KES

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #927 on: April 21, 2017, 01:29:03 PM »
Food is Your Best Medicine, by Dr. Henry Bieler. Wow. Book is pretty old, but still, wow. He's famous for his Bieler Broth of zucchini, string beans, and celery.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #928 on: April 21, 2017, 01:42:14 PM »
Found this today

http://compellingsciencefiction.com/

There are five editions with five stories each (all free)

Just finished the last one, very very good. If you like sci-fi, cannot beat this price!!!

The sixth edition is out. Very good. Hard core sci-fi.

Vindicated

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #929 on: April 21, 2017, 02:14:49 PM »
I'm on a roll, and just finished reading another book.

The Emporer's Soul by Brandon Sanderson.
I typically like to switch between fiction and non-fiction books when reading, and this was a quick fantasy novella that I very much enjoyed. I also liked that it was not part of a series, as I feel there are 100s of fantasy/Sci-fi book series out there and I just wanted one read.

"The Emporer's Soul" is part of the "Cosmere", which is the universe in which many of his other books takes place.  It's also located on the same planet as the book "Elantris", which is my personal favorite of his. 

I recommend reading every Sanderson book you can get your hands on! I believe I've now read everything he's published, except for his young fiction series "Alcatraz".

----

I just recently finished "When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi.  It's an autobiography written by an amazing man, in his final year of life, after being diagnosed with cancer.  He had an MS in English Lit, and a Doctor of Neurosurgery.  Definitely a unique perspective on the meaning of life.
« Last Edit: April 21, 2017, 02:18:30 PM by Vindicated »

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #930 on: May 15, 2017, 03:41:15 PM »
Now I'm reading It usually begins with Ayn Rand, by Jerome Tuccille. So far it has been an enjoyable background and history into the Libertarian party.

Mac_MacGyver

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #931 on: May 17, 2017, 06:41:19 PM »
The Tower of Basel, it is about the Bank of International Settlements. So far an excellent read.

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #932 on: May 18, 2017, 10:21:30 AM »
"Genghis: Lord of the Bow" It's about the Khan of Khans. From the library.

BuffaloStache

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #933 on: May 18, 2017, 07:17:03 PM »
"Genghis: Lord of the Bow" It's about the Khan of Khans. From the library.

Let me know how this one is- I'd love to read a good book on Genghis Khan

Warlord1986

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #934 on: May 19, 2017, 08:50:07 AM »
"Genghis: Lord of the Bow" It's about the Khan of Khans. From the library.

Let me know how this one is- I'd love to read a good book on Genghis Khan

It's the second in a series. The first one was also at the library, although I was foolish and supported my local bookstore. Whomp whomp. My financial misadventures aside, it's a good series! There are some parts of  the first book that made me roll my eyes, but it was pretty good overall, and I'm enjoying the second even more. Definitely worth checking out.

Jana

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #935 on: May 19, 2017, 09:16:32 AM »
Drain the Swamp by Congressman Ken buck

EverCurious

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #936 on: May 20, 2017, 02:42:47 PM »
The Book of Sith by Daniel Wallace. (In-universe, written by characters such as Darth Malgus, Darth Bane, Darth Plagueis, and Darth Sidious.)

Very enlightening read into the order of the Sith, the reason for the Rule of Two and stuff. I'm a Star Wars fan. What can I say? lol

jengod

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #937 on: May 20, 2017, 05:28:16 PM »
Blood, Bones & Butter: The Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton -- half dark and half lyrical food writing.

Has anyone one read the memoirs of Doose (?) the famous blogger? It's like that, but with more oregano.

Mac_MacGyver

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #938 on: June 01, 2017, 07:44:20 PM »
I decided last night to once again read Lord of the Rings. Great book. I decided on it over Hetty  which is a good read as well, she was Mustachian in a millionaire (hundreds of) sort of way.

CowboyAndIndian

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #939 on: June 01, 2017, 11:13:42 PM »
New edition of Compelling Science Fiction

http://compellingsciencefiction.com/issue7.html


Alim Nassor

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #940 on: June 02, 2017, 03:23:55 AM »
Sometimes I decide I need a little more culture, so I reach for classic authors I should have read in my younger days.  I just finished "The Gambler" by Dostovesky.

aetherie

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #941 on: June 02, 2017, 11:32:07 AM »
"The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell.

Was recommended to me by my mom, who reads a LOT of books and says she places this one in her top 5 ever. I'm only 2 chapters in so we'll see.

Orvell

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #942 on: June 02, 2017, 11:40:01 AM »
Currently on book 2 of "The Rivers of London" series - very fun and entertaining urban fantasy.
Started in on the first of the Witches series of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books.
Am waiting for the 3rd "Expanse" book to come in from the library.
Future reads will be: Elysium, Everfair, Parable of the Sower, Good Kings Bad Kings.

Malaysia41

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #943 on: June 02, 2017, 11:49:55 AM »
Just finished 'Dark Money' by Jane Meyer. Every American needs to read this.

Koogie

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #944 on: June 02, 2017, 12:41:02 PM »
Currently on book 2 of "The Rivers of London" series - very fun and entertaining urban fantasy.

+1     Enjoyed the first one (just read it when we were in London on holiday.  Picked it up used in Hay on Wye).   Finding the second one not quite as good (Soho)

LaineyAZ

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #945 on: June 02, 2017, 04:50:02 PM »
Just finished 'Dark Money' by Jane Meyer. Every American needs to read this.

+1   Both gerrymandering and the flood of money from the Koch brothers and their cohorts is sinking our democracy.

Alim Nassor

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #946 on: June 02, 2017, 05:35:52 PM »
Just finished 'Dark Money' by Jane Meyer. Every American needs to read this.

+1   Both gerrymandering and the flood of money from the Koch brothers and their cohorts is sinking our democracy.

But Soros's and his cohorts money is as pure as the driven snow, right?

LaineyAZ

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #947 on: June 03, 2017, 09:17:52 AM »
Alim,
The amount of $ from the right dwarfs the amounts donated by Soros and others on the left.  Read Dark Money.

Mikila

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #948 on: June 03, 2017, 07:06:03 PM »
Assassin's Apprentice:  very engaging.

Noodle

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Re: What are you READING right now?
« Reply #949 on: June 04, 2017, 11:19:18 AM »
"Mycroft Holmes" by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anna Waterhouse, and "A Thread Across the Ocean" by John Steele Gordon (history of the Transatlantic Cable). Both well-written and engaging, despite not being books I would naturally pick up on my own.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!