What are you reading? (Literature)

Akumu

So I looked at the last ten pages, and did a search, but nothing turned up, so I figured I'd start one of these.

I'm interested in finding some new books to read and expanding my horizons.

So this thread is to post about what you're currently reading, what it's about, and what you think of it.

Right now I'm reading The Stand by Stephen King, the uncut edition.
Blurb:A biological weapon in the form of a superflu has destroyed the world except for a small percentage who are immune to it. This leads to an apocalyptic confrontation between two groups of survivors.
My thoughts: I'm only about 100 pages in, but so far it has lived up to the hype. I recommend to anyone with a lot of time on their hands. This book clocks in at 1150 pages, so it is a behemoth. Prepare for a long read and a lot of exposition.

DartG

http://apforums.net/showthread.php?t=19855&highlight=graphic+novels

Animesoccer

I read the stand. It's pretty good, even if half the book is character description. I'm reading Hamlet for AP LIT and Sherlock Holmes for personal reading

Akumu

XD I literally typed "What are you reading" into the search bar and it said no results found.
Alrighty mods. Merge em if ya wanna.

@Animesoccer:

I read the stand. It's pretty good, even if half the book is character description. I'm reading Hamlet for AP LIT and Sherlock Holmes for personal reading

Yup, but that's Stephen King for ya.
We read Hamlet last semester in AP LIT! We just finished up Frankenstein, and are about to start Dorian Gray.

Which Holmes tales?

Animesoccer

I read "A Study in Scarlet" and an finishing "The Sign of Four" You get to read Dorian Gray for English? Lucky, I read it for my book club, but I would love to discuss it in class. I don't like AP Lit books as much as previous years. Last year in AP English Composition we read some pretty good pieces of Lit, even though we weren't even suppose to read novels in that class.

Akumu

Yeah we read a lot more books in Comp last year than we have this year in Lit…. not sure why....
I'm guessing you're a senior as well?

I'd also recommend Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. I read it for an outside reading project, and just loved it. Horribly tragic but nonetheless great. Tess of the D-Ubervilles by Hardy is next up on my personal reading list.
^^That way this post o' mine is somewhat on topic.....

Animesoccer

Yea, I'm a senior.

I've had so much homework this year, I have had hardly any time for free reading. I read Brave New World in Lit. I really liked that one and recommend it if you liked 1984. It offers a different perspective. Last year I read my sister's keeper and I really enjoyed it. I started A Clock Work Orange but never finished it. If you like sci fi, I recommend anything from Micheal Chrichton.

eerie

I'm reading Battle Royale by Koushun Takami. It's okay so far.

tarrin4ever

A Dream of Eagles by Jack Whyte.

Absolutely amazing series of books, with a real authentic flair given the amount of author research that went into it. Set in Ancient Britain in the time of the withdrawals of the Roman Armies. If anyone saw that King Arthur movie with Clive Owen, it's kinda like that. Except really really good (unlike the movie).

I'm currently on book 7, Uther.

Though I wouldn't suggest it to younger readers, the book tends to get pretty racy at times. Mmmm…

Steven D. Teach

Trying to wrap up Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I love it, but I swear he's nuts to have actually sat down and written in such a style–it's almost Biblical--well, with more scalping and raping.

IrishLuigi

Wuthering Heights.

Best. Book. Ever. Seriously.

Sakonosolo

I have to read Persuasion by Jane Austen for my British Literature class. It's incredibly boring so far and extremely hard to follow. I might check out that Wuthering Heights.

Twisted Vixen

I loved Wuthering Heights. Too bad you're stuck reading Persuasion. That's probably the most blah of Jane Austen's books.

Darkstorm

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. Not bad, but no Jingo or Fifth Elephant.

Crossword

Rama II. It's…not very good.

Cream-of-Chicken

I was reading Dan Brown's Angels & Demons, but…I can't seem to focus on it.

MiniLuffy

The last book I read was "Ликвидирайте Генерала" by Христо Калчев. It's a story about two gangsters, complete anti-heroes, rejected by society and forced to take the path of outlaws, who were given a mission by the CIA to sweep a famous Bulgarian general (the book is based on real events), in an act to disorganise everyone and hide the real goals set by the Russian government. What a marvelous read and I even found the sequels online, but not having the book in front of you is such a discomfort, so I'm looking for the actual printed books.

I barely read anything but children's books that I'm forced to read by my school and I have to say, this book was really something. Not to mention the fact that I didn't have any expectations for it at all in the beginning. Time well spent. I wonder if it's translated in English?

This thread is pretty pointless without quality argumentation as to WHY you're reading a certain book, in my opinion. What good does "oh it's alright" or "meh, pretty boring" do to the undecided reader? Isn't this thread supposed to be stimulating??

Tyndel

@Darkstorm:

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett. Not bad, but no Jingo or Fifth Elephant.

Do you have Unseen Academicals and do you recommend it? Because I've nothing to read right now.

SMUDGE

Romeo & Juliet…...just in case Brennens interested.

Darkstorm

@Tyndel:

Do you have Unseen Academicals and do you recommend it? Because I've nothing to read right now.

It's fairly good. Not one of his best, though I enjoyed it enough while I was reading it.

Tyndel

Thanks, I wait for the paperback then.

CalMc123

I'm currently reading The Great Gatsby - wonderful book.

Animesoccer

I liked the Great Gatsby. What's the worst book anyone has ever had to read for a class?

Cyan D. Funk

I'm reading One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and the Silmarillion. Next I have to find a copy of Paradise Lost so my brain can explode.

@Animesoccer:

What's the worst book anyone has ever had to read for a class?

This book called The Maze. Long story short, it made me hate hang gliders and condors.

BBTEACH

I am rereading Candied by Voltaire and Think by Simon Blackburn for my Philosophy class. Think is pretty good it is dense but readable. Candied is amazing I suggest everyone should read it.

The Best books I ever had to read for school: To Kill a Mockingbird,Lord of the Flies, The Stranger by Camus,Candied, All quite on the Western Front Hamlet and King Lear.

Worst Books: Bless me Ultima(terrible couldn't give two shits about the characters),Great Gatsby(never got into it), American Psycho(read this for a free read with a group of friends Jounior year Seriously a vile and disgusting book made me nauseous) and of course Inherit the Wind(I hate this book more than I hate Avatar)

Sakonosolo

@Animesoccer:

What's the worst book anyone has ever had to read for a class?

Persuasion.

I forgot to mention what I'm reading for myself. I think it was last year, I bought a collection of books printed by Arkham House of Lovecraft stories. I've already read all of them but am reading them again. I'm currently on the story "The Whisperer in Darkness" which I'm glad I'll finish before the HPLHS movie comes out. If anyone's interested you can get them here or on Amazon. They're $30 each but I think it's well worth it.

Edit: I need to get that Miscellaneous Writings. Though I'd like to know everything that's in it.

Akumu

@CalMc123:

I'm currently reading The Great Gatsby - wonderful book.

I love that book! The ending is so…perfect.

@Animesoccer:

What's the worst book anyone has ever had to read for a class?

Great Expectations. I hate Dickens, and this is the most pointless novel I have ever seen. Moby Dick is up on my hate list too, but it does have a saving grace in Queequeg.

@BBTEACH:

The Best books I ever had to read for school: To Kill a Mockingbird,Lord of the Flies, The Stranger by Camus,Candied, All quite on the Western Front Hamlet and King Lear.

Worst Books: Bless me Ultima(terrible couldn't give two shits about the characters),Great Gatsby(never got into it), American Psycho(read this for a free read with a group of friends Jounior year Seriously a vile and disgusting book made me nauseous) and of course Inherit the Wind(I hate this book more than I hate Avatar)

Lord of the Flies is amazing. A nice short read that leaves a lasting impact.
American Psycho is on my list to read, after The Exorcist and The Little Stranger. I live the horror/thriller genre, so American Psycho is right up my street. In fact I've probably read or even written worse.

Sakonosolo

I never read Lord of the Flies. A few of my favorite books I've read for school are To Kill a Mockingbird and Of Mice and Men. I think we're reading Silas Marner later in the year but I'm not sure. It sounds pretty good.

Akumu

Of Mice and Men is probably my favorite Steinbeck novel. I had to read East of Eden this year. I wouldn't recommend it unless you like being annoyed 99% of the time.

Animesoccer

I think The Awakening was one of the worst. I hated the cliche metaphor. Also, Guliver's travels was was too long and dull for my sophmore self. Good idea, but unexciting. Iv'e liked most book I have read, even the books most people don't like (All Quiet on the western front and Catcher in the Rye)

AlienIncubus

Dante's Inferno, so far its good

Flux

I've grown real fond of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stachouse Adventures Novels, I'm up to the tenth book in the series now, (i think) it's called Dead and Gone.

@AlienIncubus:

Dante's Inferno, so far its good

My friend agrees, he wanted to check it out of the library, but it was already out :(

AlienIncubus

@Flux:

My friend agrees, he wanted to check it out of the library, but it was already out :(

When it comes back, GET IT! You definitely wont regret.

Akumu

@AlienIncubus:

Dante's Inferno, so far its good

You should read the rest of the Divine Comedy then. Pugatorio is so-so, but Paradiso is fantastic, at least as good as the Inferno.

If you like those, I would recommend Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained by Milton if you haven't read them.

While I'm on the topic of Epic poetry, The Aeneid by Virgil (yes, the same as in The Inferno) is awesome. The of course you have Homer's epics which are just so-so in my opinion.

But yeah, I love Epic Poetry. Anyone have any suggestions on other epics I should read?

Flux

^ We're studying Epic Poetry, sorta at the minute, we're going through Metamorphosises(?) in Latin.

I like Nisus and Euryalus, and then there's Ceyx and Alcyene, though I'm sure you've probably read those.

Akumu

Actually, I haven't read any of those! Thanks for giving me something else to read over spring break!

wolfwood

Right now i'm reading Peter the great-His life and his world by Robert K Massie.

Hiroy

Are "The Last Olympian" books any good?

kmohyudin

Da Vinci Code… Its better then the movie...

IrishLuigi

@kmohyudin:

Da Vinci Code… Its better then the movie...

kmohyudin

@IrishLuigi:

[qimg]http://moderateinthemiddle.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/no-shit-sherlock.jpg[/qimg]

None whatsoever

AlienIncubus

@Hiroy:

Are "The Last Olympian" books any good?

You mean the "Percy Jackson & and the Olympians" book series? Yea. I finished all of them and their pretty good actually.

MagiciteKefka

Currently reading: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, and it's remarkably good. Probably one of the best i've ever read, and that's saying alot.

IrishLuigi

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter.

Yeeeeees

shen_ron

Stephen Bogart - Bogart. In search of my father.

Squaztina

Mary Shelley-Frankenstein or The modern Prometheus

Kinda depressing, but I have never thought that it has so many things behind the story. It's nice to analyse it.

I like Wuthering Heights too, somehow I couldn't put it down until I read it till the end.

Akumu

Now I'm on The Gashleycrumb Tinies: Or After the Outing by Edward Gorey.

Here's an excerpt.
"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh"
The book is bloody brilliant, plus it has pictures!!
Check it out from your local library if you don't want to by it, for this is one of the few books I will label: A MUST READ.

It's just: WOW

Herodadotus

@Uzumaki_D_Kenichi:

Now I'm on The Gashleycrumb Tinies: Or After the Outing by Edward Gorey.

Here's an excerpt.
"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh"
The book is bloody brilliant, plus it has pictures!!
Check it out from your local library if you don't want to by it, for this is one of the few books I will label: A MUST READ.

It's just: WOW

I love that book!

Oh, well I'm currently reading: "A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich" Not a bad book, even though everyone else I know seems to hate it.

Dumhuvud

I'm currently reading The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

After that I'll probably read 1984.

LaCaSiNa

I just finished The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty. It was a good positive surprise seeing as I was expecting it to suck.

Right now I'm reading Stephen King's Lisey's Story for the second time, now in Finnish. I also finally started Howl's Moving Castle.