This is the open thread about open threads. So, what books have yall read lately?
Most recently here, I read:
_Glasshouse_ by Charles Stross
_Karma Girl_ and _Hot Mama_ by Jennifer Estep
_Radio Freefall_ by Matthew Jarpe
All were excellent, and I may get around to reviewing them sometime. The first is sci-fi, about a history professor (sorta) who gets his memory erased and proceeds from there. The second and third are superhero books, set in Bigtime. The author (and I think the books) I found out about via Girls Read Comics, and they are superhero action / romance / psychology. The last was a book which I spotted that had an absolutely beautiful cover. I ended up reading a chapter in the bookstore and had to get it. It's sci-fi and follows a musician named Aqualung (I caught the reference immediately! Thanks dad!), a computer programmer (sorta) and a band as they battle the evils of politics, censorship and lots of other stuff! Really tough to explain that one in a single line, but it was a good book and had some interesting ideas about artificial intelligences, communications distances and heterogeneity of society.
Addendum: So, I said it was the open thread about open threads, but it ended up being an open thread about books! Feel free to hijack it to talk about other stuff, like what open threads you've read recently that you found interesting. :)
4 comments:
I reclaimed my copy of The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle from Josh so I could read it again. Got through most of it while traveling around for job interviews the last couple weeks. It was already my favorite of Haruki Murakami's novels, and I liked it even better on the second read. It's sort of hard to explain what it's about (the plot is very surreal and I think I still haven't connected all the pieces) but I do recommend it very highly.
I wasn't consciously thinking of this before I started reading the book (the second time), but it was actually perfect timing since the protagonist starts out in a similar situation to mine: that is, he's recently quit his job and is looking for work (and more generally a direction in life), and at basically the same age. So I was able to relate to him a lot more now than I could five years ago when I first read it.
Meanwhile I discovered that Murakami has a new book out called After Dark which looks interesting, so I'm going to read that next if I can find a copy. (Last bookstore I checked didn't have it.)
I very much appreciate the Aqualung reference. Let's hope he treats kids a little...um..."better" than the protagonist of the song...
I wonder if After Dark has flying toasters on the cover?
Travis: So, how are things on the interview front? Which companies/employers did you visit?
In terms of books, I am still in the middle of the third book in the Taladas trilogy. I have about 120 pages left, so I'll be done reasonably soon even at my slow pace. Then I'll start the new Drizzt book.
Yesterday I ordered two books from Amazon: one book that was supposed to come out in 07 that I have now found has been delayed from Feb 08 to May 08. The other one, Dragons of the Hourglass Mage, is the final book in the Los Chronicles series and is still in line for a July release.
I'm reading Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich--and Cheat Everybody Else, by David Cay Johnston. I heard about the latter book on NPR -- the author was on and the interview was really really good...It's a challenging read for me, since I don't usually read books that deal with taxes, money, etc. The former book was a Christmas gift, and so far is very good. I just haven't had much reading time lately. Also I am slowly reading Take Heart: Catholic Writers On Hope in Our Time, edited by Ben Birnbaum. Another Christmas gift -- I am reading it slowly, savoring each essay and the different perspectives on hope w.r.t. current issues in the Church and the world. Then I am also listening to Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith, by Anne Lamott. I have read it before, but when I saw it on tape read by the author I snarfed it up and have been enjoying it all over again. I really love Anne Lamott's stories, her writing, and especially the way her wacko sense of humor and her humble faith are interwoven throughout the stories. She is a very genuine person and direct, never preaching, just relating her experiences (including what goes on in her head!)
I recently finished _Red Seas Under Red Skies_, (by Scott Lynch; it's the second Locke Lamora book), which was fabulous.
Also read _How to Buy a House in California_, 11th ed, published by Nolo Press. If you're thinking of buying a house, it's a fantastic resource. Very much the "lays out all the trade-offs" useful book.
Post a Comment