What book is everyone reading at the moment? Part 2.

[Magrat]

A year or so ago, Rincewind and I did one of those "how many great classics have you read? quizzes and it got me started on a project. I compiled a list of The Best Literature (tm) from various sources. I made sure it included non-Western and translated stuff as well. Only novels, though. Obviously I took out what I had already read from those lists.

I ended up with 600 books.

I'm around 14 percent through right now, 87 books read I think? I'd have to check. The last one I read was The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene.

I alternate with history etc which is what I usually read so right now I'm reading The Castle in the Wars of the Roses by Dan Spencer.

I'm keeping a little blog of what I've read on the Lengthly Literary List and my thoughts because I'll never remember 600 books lol

Ffo ****.

[xterra]

That is an admirable project! Good for you!

I "keep score"of my reading on a spreadsheet. For various reasons, I rarely read physical books, preferring e-books on my Samsung 10" tablet.

I track only those books I download from libraries. I have access to three libraries, so that gives me a wide selection.

Since 2016, I have read 767 books, 40% non-fiction. This does include books I have read more than once, so I'll estimate that unique titles account for about 700 of the 767.


Keep reading!

[Magrat]

I use goodreads to keep track of what I've read. I couldn't possibly remember if I didn't. I have a spreadsheet for the Lengthy Literary List also.

I've read 1096 books since December 2011.

Ffo ****.

[wasapi]

Originally Posted by Magrat

I use goodreads to keep track of what I've read. I couldn't possibly remember if I didn't. I have a spreadsheet for the Lengthy Literary List also.

I've read 1096 books since December 2011.

Ffo ****.

About how long does it take you usually to read a book?

[Magrat]

Originally Posted by wasapi

About how long does it take you usually to read a book?

Depends on the book. Some take less than a day, some take a week.

Ffo ****.

[Trebuchet]

I'm reading none. I need to.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Magrat

A year or so ago, Rincewind and I did one of those "how many great classics have you read? quizzes and it got me started on a project. I compiled a list of The Best Literature (tm) from various sources. I made sure it included non-Western and translated stuff as well. Only novels, though. Obviously I took out what I had already read from those lists.

I ended up with 600 books.

I'm around 14 percent through right now, 87 books read I think? I'd have to check. The last one I read was The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene.

I alternate with history etc which is what I usually read so right now I'm reading The Castle in the Wars of the Roses by Dan Spencer.

I'm keeping a little blog of what I've read on the Lengthly Literary List and my thoughts because I'll never remember 600 books lol

Ffo ****.

Could you share that list?

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Magrat

I use goodreads to keep track of what I've read. I couldn't possibly remember if I didn't. I have a spreadsheet for the Lengthy Literary List also.

I've read 1096 books since December 2011.

Ffo ****.

Yeah this thread isn't really for me - I'd be posting a new book every day, sometimes 2.

Never thought of using Goodreads to keep track - I only found out during the pandemic that Amazon Kindle keeps tracks of number of books read and the titles but not in a very user-friendly manner when you are getting up in the hundreds of books per years.

ETA: Didn't know but you can find a better way to see your books - according to that since Dec 2010 I've read 2326 titles - those are my Kindle books. That seems about right. Did notice I had a significant uptick during the first year of the pandemic and that seems to be the new average so it's around 300 books a year now.

[Darat]

Originally Posted by Trebuchet

I'm reading none. I need to.

Does not compute.

I cannot think of a single time in my life when I wasn't reading a book, I've always got at least one book open that I'm currently reading. I remember my other half giving up on me when one night I was puking my guts up into the toilet and I was still reading. Vomiting doesn't take up all your attention!

[Magrat]

I can't seem to share the list without also sharing my real name and email so. Sorry

Ffo ****.

[Magrat]

Originally Posted by Trebuchet

I'm reading none. I need to.

I taught myself to read when I was like 4 or 5 and I've not stopped yet. I listen to audiobooks while I embroider. We don't have TV or streaming or anything because rincewind and I don't use it. The kids have streaming services but they watch in their bedrooms.

My ex husband was one of those people who always has the TV on, no matter what is playing or anything. The noise gives me such a headache.

Ffo ****.

[Magrat]

Originally Posted by Darat

Yeah this thread isn't really for me - I'd be posting a new book every day, sometimes 2.

Never thought of using Goodreads to keep track - I only found out during the pandemic that Amazon Kindle keeps tracks of number of books read and the titles but not in a very user-friendly manner when you are getting up in the hundreds of books per years.

ETA: Didn't know but you can find a better way to see your books - according to that since Dec 2010 I've read 2326 titles - those are my Kindle books. That seems about right. Did notice I had a significant uptick during the first year of the pandemic and that seems to be the new average so it's around 300 books a year now.

I'd never remember what I have read without GoodReads.

Ffo ****.

[Scorpion]

I am reading ' The materials of the artist' by Max Doerner. it says on the cover it is the the most valuable book in existence on the craft of painting. I am inclined to agree.

It has extensive chapters on the techniques of the old masters, I can hardly imagine how the author could have amassed such information. It must have been the work of years of research. It also goes into detail about preparing surfaces for painting on, and the use of modern oil paints, among other materials..

[Roboramma]

I'm currently reading a short story collection by Alastair Reynolds. This is after having read his excellent novella Slow Bullets and prior to that his novel Revelation Space. Those were both excellent, a sort of slowly revealed compelling sci-fi mystery with a gripping plot in both cases.
The short story collection is good so far, but I'm only just close to finishing the first story.

Recently read Eliezer Yudkowsky's Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, which I think people on here would probably enjoy. It's sort of a "assume everything in Harry Potter's world actually worked that way, how can you make actually make sense" kind of exercise, along with Harry being a genius who tries to use his understanding of science to research how magic works. It also reminded me a bit of Andy Weir's books in the highly competent and intelligent people trying to solve problems (and depicting this in ways that make sense and the reader can somewhat participate in). Pretty fun, but also just great gripping fiction and he does a good job with the characters. It might help if you've read some Harry Potter, but I only read the first 3 or so books, and that was 20 years ago so I don't remember all that much (wasn't a big fan really, but I remember thinking they were okay at the time).

[The Don]

A friend gave me a copy of Tom Clancy's Executive Orders. I'm a couple of hours and around 200 pages in.

It's utter drivel, but I find it really difficult to stop reading a book once I've started

[JimOfAllTrades]

I've been working my way through The Uplift Universe books by David Brin. I liked the first three books in this series quite a bit, I think it's one of the best series I've read in a while. The third book, The Uplift War, is my favorite, but all three are good.

I'm now reading the second series of three books. These are written about 10 years after the first three. They pick up the story about the dolphin crewed starship from book two of the first series. This is the ship that had started all the fuss when they accidently stumbled on what may be old spaceships and actual remains from the race that presumably started the practice of Uplift and set the mold for civilization in the Five Galaxies at least two billion years ago.

The first book in this set is Brightness Reef, which I didn't care for. It just dragged on way too much.

The next book in the second trilogy is Infinity's Shore and I finished that a few nights ago. Much better! It's a very similar style to the previous book and picks up immediately where the previous one ended. But for me it just seemed there weren't all long character expositions that didn't seem to add much to the story. It still has character expositions and great character development, but I thought it was all much better at telling the story. I liked this one quite a bit.

I've started the last book in the series Heaven's Reach and so far it's holding up well. I'll check back when I finish it.

[JimOfAllTrades]

Originally Posted by Roboramma

I'm currently reading a short story collection by Alastair Reynolds. This is after having read his excellent novella Slow Bullets and prior to that his novel Revelation Space. Those were both excellent, a sort of slowly revealed compelling sci-fi mystery with a gripping plot in both cases.
The short story collection is good so far, but I'm only just close to finishing the first story.

I've heard about Reynolds and wanted to read some of his stuff but haven't. I think now I'll try some. Thanks for the reminder.

[JimOfAllTrades]

Deleted: Duplicate

[Disbelief]

I'm reading Hidden, book 5 in the Alex Verus universe. I'm enjoying it, especially the fact that he doesn't have power creep but utilizes his limited skills in a variety of ways.

[El Greco]

Fresh out of the Department of "WTF are these things you're reading":

"The big conservation lie" by John Mbaria & Mordecai Ogada: If you are at least a little interested in habitat and wildlife conservation you should read this, even though in many cases you can't really know what is true and what is slander. And even though there are no serious solutions proposed other than "let's go back to our roots", it still offers a lot of food for thought.

"White Hunters :The Golden Age of African Safaris" by Brian Herne: I'm no hunter and don't like hunting but this is so much more than a history of hunting in Africa. A whole army of colorful characters, many of them famous royals, politicians, actors, businessmen etc parade through its pages and the stories told are those of bloody wars, amazing feats of courage and foolishness, fortunes made and lost and above all, the magical wildlife of Africa. Well researched and written by someone who met many of his protagonists.

[catsmate]

Just started Denning's Warlock Holmes series with A Study in Brimstone.

[JimOfAllTrades]

I've been working my way through The Uplift Universe books by David Brin. I liked the first three books in this series quite a bit, I think it's one of the best series I've read in a while.

I just finished the second series of three books. These are written about 10 years after the first three. They pick up the story about the dolphin crewed starship from book two of the first series. This is the ship that had started all the fuss when they accidently stumbled on what may be old spaceships and actual remains from the race that presumably started the practice of Uplift and set the mold for civilization in the Five Galaxies at least two billion years ago.

The first book in this set is Brightness Reef, which I didn't care for. It just dragged on way too much.

The next book in the second trilogy is Infinity's Shore. Much better! Better at telling the story and moving the plot along. I liked this one quite a bit.

I've finished the last book in the series Heaven's Reach. It follows directly on from the previous book and continues the stories of those characters and introduces a couple of more. The stories of the various characters split, recombine, take off and eventually involve all the Five Galaxies. Like the previous books, impressive world building, some genuinely different and interesting alien races, and overall good characters. Like the first series, I thought this last book was also the best of the set.

The author has supposedly said there is one more book to come in the series (beside the couple of stories and one novella already published) but it's been over a decade and as far as I can see nothing has shown up. I'll definitely be reading it if it comes to be.

[Lennart Hyland]

Anyone here read Tolstoys War and Peace? I recently read that it is based on Napoleons invasion of Russia, a part of history I'm fascinated of. But in what way? Is it only an event in the background or does it contain any details about the battles, is Napoleon a character in the book?

Its a fairly big book so I would like to know before I give it a try

[Jack by the hedge]

It's an account of the war through the experience of a number of aristocratic families. It places these fictional characters among real people and in situations which give quite a good insight into historical events, for example, Borodino.

Different characters are used to explore different aspects of life and culture. I did find myself groaning inwardly each time I realised I was starting what would be another Princess Maria chapter, but overall it's a great story. The bewildering variations on names of characters is initially confusing but I eventually just let it wash over me and assumed I'd work out who was talking about whom eventually.

PS Napoleon is not a character in the book but his Russian opponent generals are. Oh and there's a discussion after the story concludes when Tolstoy awards himself another hundred or so pages to tell you how clever he is and how stupid historians are. I imagined he thought you'd be bound to read it just so you could tell yourself you'd read the whole book. Maybe that's just me.

[theprestige]

The Library at Mount Char.

Elevator pitch: "The Necromancer's House meets The Laundry Files."

[Lennart Hyland]

Trying some short stories by Tolstoy, The Death Of Ivan Ilyich and How Much Land Does a Man Need?

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by Jack by the hedge

It's an account of the war through the experience of a number of aristocratic families. It places these fictional characters among real people and in situations which give quite a good insight into historical events, for example, Borodino.

Different characters are used to explore different aspects of life and culture. I did find myself groaning inwardly each time I realised I was starting what would be another Princess Maria chapter, but overall it's a great story. The bewildering variations on names of characters is initially confusing but I eventually just let it wash over me and assumed I'd work out who was talking about whom eventually.

PS Napoleon is not a character in the book but his Russian opponent generals are. Oh and there's a discussion after the story concludes when Tolstoy awards himself another hundred or so pages to tell you how clever he is and how stupid historians are. I imagined he thought you'd be bound to read it just so you could tell yourself you'd read the whole book. Maybe that's just me.

Princess Mary turned out to be one of my favorite charecters.She grows on you.
And Napoleon is a charecter in the book, though a small one.

[Brainster]

Originally Posted by Lennart Hyland

Anyone here read Tolstoys War and Peace? I recently read that it is based on Napoleons invasion of Russia, a part of history I'm fascinated of. But in what way? Is it only an event in the background or does it contain any details about the battles, is Napoleon a character in the book?

Its a fairly big book so I would like to know before I give it a try

Told solely from the standpoint of the aristocratic Russians. I do not recall any actual battle descriptions or any actual physical appearances of Napoleon, although of course he is a central character in every other character's life. Here's the opening:

Quote:

“Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don’t tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist—I really believe he is Antichrist—I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my ‘faithful slave,’ as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see I have frightened you—sit down and tell me all the news.”

'nuff said. Highly recommend the read if you like Russian fiction and you can deal with the chapters where Tolstoy drifts into philosophy and history. One of many novels from this era that benefits from being abridged.

[catsmate]

Just grabbed the later books/stories in Jodi Taylor's Chronicles of St. Mary's series, about the misadventures of time travelling historians.
Not to be confused with the other Jodi Taylors....

[KDLarsen]

Just finished Safari from Hell, an account of a member of the Danish minority of Northern Schleswig, who was picked to crew a German blockade runner disguised as a Danish cargo ship in the early phase of WWI.

The mission was to supply SMS Königsberg trapped in the Rufiji River of Tanzania, where it was kept at bay by the Royal Navy, in the so-called Battle of the Rufiji Delta^WP.

Having made it to German East Africa/Tanzania, the blockade runner was caught up in the battle and eventually sunk, resulting in the subject of the book becoming part of von Lettow-Vorbeck's East Africa Campaign, where he eventually became a POW after trekking through most of the country.

[The Great Zaganza]

Capital and Ideology by
Thomas Piketty
,

[Lennart Hyland]

Originally Posted by dudalb

Princess Mary turned out to be one of my favorite charecters.She grows on you.
And Napoleon is a charecter in the book, though a small one.

Originally Posted by Brainster

Told solely from the standpoint of the aristocratic Russians. I do not recall any actual battle descriptions or any actual physical appearances of Napoleon, although of course he is a central character in every other character's life. Here's the opening:



'nuff said. Highly recommend the read if you like Russian fiction and you can deal with the chapters where Tolstoy drifts into philosophy and history. One of many novels from this era that benefits from being abridged.

Thanks for your comments guys! I will try the unabridged version maybe later this year. It seems to be quite a long book and I have a lot of other ones I want to try before