What books are you reading right now?

[WillyBrandt]

And what is next on your list, and what are your "bathroom books" right now?

I'm reading:

Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison
Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy by William Barrett

Both are highly, highly recommended

Next up:

The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow

Bathroom Reading:

The Ultimate Book of Cocktails
These United States

[Martin Eden]

1. Wealth and Democracy The Great Unraveling

by Kevin Phillips and Paul Krugman, respectively.

All of my previous "reading for pleasure" venues have been replaced by efforts to educate myself and provide ammunition against the BFEE.

[wryter2000]

4. Me, too

I write romance novels and really ought to be reading in that genre. But I can't stop educating myself on the impending destruction of our country. (How about that...someone ducking romance novels!)

Anyway, I'm reading David Stockman's 1986 book about deficit creation, titled The Triumph of Politics: Why the Reagan Revolution Failed. I had to buy it used.

It's absolutely astonishing, and it lays out the groundwork for the utter fiscal disaster we're facing now. I wasn't at all surprised to read a Bushie quoted as saying "Reagan showed us deficits weren't so bad." They would think that, the idiots.

[DS1]

2. Drawing on the right side of the brain

:-)

[Mercurius]

3. Well...

I've read a few Dominick Dunne books lately.

Alan Dershowitz's The Case for Israel.

But now, unfortunately, I'm reading textbooks. :-)

[welshTerrier2]

5. 2 books

Dude, Where's My Country (just started)
ASP.NET for Dummies

[WillyBrandt]

9. I hate ASP

...just sayin

[welshTerrier2]

32. why ??

ASP's been berry berry good to me ...

it looks like .Net is a much improved environment though ... you can write code in just about any compiled language ... and no more jibberish pages the way you had with classic asp ... you can separate the code from the presentation ...

i haven't done much with .net yet but it seems like a great environment ...

[holeinboatoutatsea]

6. The Da Vinci Code

Just started.

[UCLA02]

7. Right now? "Civil Procedure: Cases and Materials"

Law school really cuts into leisure reading, but I make time to squeeze in a chapter of Al Franken's book to help keep me sane.

[PhishWithLemon99]

8. Winning Back America by Howard Dean

next up is...

Bushwhached by Molly Ivins
Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them by Al Franken
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

[asjr]

10. Back into fiction with

"The Arraingnment" by Steve Martini. Love his writing. He gets me from the first page.

[bermudat]

11. The Great Unraveling, by Krugman

Finished The Negro President. It's about the policies of the slave owning southerners and how they held disproportionate power over American policies until the Civil War. Did you know the reason Washington DC is our capitol is because slave owning legislators kept having their slaves run off when the capitol was in Philadelphia and New York? So in one of the many compromises made to appease the slave owners, the capitol was moved to the south.

[kath]

62. They made too damn many compromises to appease the slave owners

Didn't know about that one. Thanks!

[pretzel4gore]

12. just started Jane Eyre...

and 'Irrational Man' is one of those bedside pile that sit around for months before either/or(?) so you're commendation caught my eye! just fini'd 'gullivers travels' which, though it's not a modern book (as is also true of the Bronte sisters' work; but their writing truly astonishes when you consider they're just 'harlequin romances' in effect)
I recently read Al Franken's book, and didn't like it much, seemed too cavalier, though title alone was worth $45. :-)
ot: I discovered that Paul O'Neil's revelation that Geeb* planned to attack Iraq etc from 1st days of the bushwack residency is connected to a book he co-wrote with someone; sorta Paul telling the stone killers 'haha... just doin some money grubbing here guys'
Jane Eyre starts with the lil heroine being falsely accused etc and her life disadvantage from being 'took in' by family that tolerates her out of its superiority etc... as i grew up in foster homes i looking forward to it.

[rasputin1952]

13. Just finished...

"Lies, and the Lying Liars That Tell them", Franken. (I know, I'm behind everyone else).

Started: "Had Enough?", Carville. Got to tell you, James is PISSED, and he has some really GREAT ideas on how to win the next election!

Half way through: "The Art of War", Sun-tzu. (For the 2nd time in 25+ years).

A lot of light reading in between the heavies, the most important being Nat. Geo. mag and books I have.

O8)

[baldguy]

14. The Island Of The Day Before by Umberto Eco.

[terrya]

15. What I'm reading right now:

"The Swimming Pool Library" by Alan Hollingsworth

"Democracy in America" by Alexis D'Toqueville


Next up:

"Don Quixote" by Cervantes

"The Great Unraveling" by Paul Krugman

Bathroom reading:

"The Bush Haters Handbook"

"The Gay Book of Lists"

[NoPasaran]

16. "Castles of Steel" by Robert Massie

When I'm done with it I hope to find the strength to go back to The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party by Michael Holt. I hope to finish it before I need the large print edition

[MGKrebs]

17. Borrowed a copy of the RFK biography by

Shlesinger, and it's HUGE, so everything else is on hold so I can return it in the next yera or two. It's fascinating. They were talking about a lot of the same things in the late 50's and early 60's that we are now. The parallels to the McCarthy hearings are spooky.

On hold is a bio of Benjamin Franklin and a couple of other lighter things.

[terrya]

18. The Walter Issacson bio, right?

That's on my to read list, also.

Let us know what you think, ok?

Thanks
Terry

[MGKrebs]

19. Actually the one I got is by H.W. Brands.

After browsing through both at the bookstore, I just liked the style of this one. It was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. (It's from 2000).

[Jeep29]

20. On Killing

by Lt Col Dave Grossman. Addresses how we learn to kill and the psycological cost of having killed. Thought it might come in handy soon.

[greatauntoftriplets]

21. Current reading.

"On the Blanket", Tim Pat Coogan's history of the IRA "dirty protest" in the late 1970s-early 1980s.

[solinvictus]

52. Pat Coogan

I'm reading his history of the IRA.I picked it up used locally for $4.

[mitchum]

22. Just finished "Will You Miss Me When I'm Gone?" history of...

the Carter Family
"Temples of Sound"
"John Wesley: A Biography"
"Dopefiend" Donald Goines (RIP)
off to the library in just a little bit...

[WillyBrandt]

23. literary kick

[citizen snips]

24. "The Emerging Democratic Majority".

That is what I am currently reading.

[jonnyblitz]

25. "Bushwacked" by Molly Ivins and "Peoples History" by Zinn

I always read two, sometimes three books at once.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

37. I'm re-reading People's History too

:hi:

[greatauntoftriplets]

45. I have the Peoples' History on my desk -- right to my left (so appropriate

to re-read, as well.

[CanuckAmok]

73. I just finished "The 20th Century", which is Peoples' History,

truncated.

I really like Mr. Zinn. Heard about him on DU, no less.

[Brother Buzz]

26. Grapes of Wrath

I've read it twice in my lifetime, but a couple of threads at DU mentioned it (thanks DemoTex), so I started reading it again. Steinbeck hit a home run! Tight writing. I find it interesting that even though I've read it, I am getting so much out of it, and on so many different levels. Some books are worth reading more than once and Grapes of Wrath is one of them.

[RebelOne]

27. The Face by Dean Koontz

[ellie]

28. I finally got my hands

on "Benjamin Franklin" by Walter Isaacson. It has been out at the library for months.

I am also reading "Thieves in High Places," by Jim Hightower.

And of course, "The Bush Haters Handbook." I had to stop after the A's as it was pissing me off too much!

[Lars39]

29. Timequake by Vonnegut

The Negroe's Civil War, by McPherson, and some Gloria Steinhem. :)

[Breezy du Nord]

30. "The Promise" by Chaim Potok

I read "The Chosen" in 8th grade and I haven't gotten to the sequel until now.

[Flaxbee]

31. Middlemarch by George Eliot,

Fox Evil by Minette Walters, Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King, and some other book on the Italian Renaissance.

[WWW]

33. I am rereading Blindness by Jose Saramago,

I think it is my generation's Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco

[populistmom]

34. Actually

I'm reading The Greatest Sedition Is Silence by William Rivers Pitt. I bought it a few months back but I was so busy with school stuff (and life stuff), I didn't get a chance to read it. So far, it's pretty good. Really, it's very good. :)

[beyurslf]

35. A couple

Madame Secretary

Ben Frnaklin: An American Life

[dudeness]

36. two excellent books

Bush in Babylon...by Tariq Ali

Dreaming War...by Gore Vidal

[SiobhanClancy]

38. The Troubles~Tim Pat Coogan n/t

[greatauntoftriplets]

46. That is such a good book, Siobhan.

I am reading Coogan's "On the Blanket" right now. Have you read his book "Wherever Green is Worn"? It is a study of the Irish diaspora, worldwide. I highly recommend it.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

39. My damn friend got me into historical romance novels again. DAMNIT

This is what bored house wives read. But then she got me the first book in a series for Christmas, and now I can't stop. Am I alone when I say I love them, but I hate to love them?
Duckie

[populistmom]

40. Bored housewives

Well, I neglected to mention my personal penchant these days for Victorian era erotic anthologies. However, I freely admit to being a bored housewife. I have a feeling I'm likely going to remain a bored housewife for some time to come. :(

[kath]

63. hmmm, "Victorian era erotic anthologies" -- sounds interesting!

Are they very erotic? Titles please?

(from a bored housewife who can't "get any", and needs to get her erotic thrills vicariously...)

[Skittles]

41. I just ordered two books from Buzzflash.com

Dude, where's my country and the I Hate Republicans Reader. Looking forward to reading both of them.

[cedahlia]

42. The Greatest Sedition is Silence

I'm about halfway through and must say it's one of the best books I've read in a long time. Bought it and the following last week with my B&N gift card...

The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irivng (This one's next on deck...I'm a big fan of Irvings but have yet to read this one.)

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them by Al Franken (I'm expecting this to be a fun and interesting read.)

Wifey by Judy Blume (Blume is also one of my favorites...this is one I lent to a friend and never saw again, so I'm replenishing my collection.)

Winning Back America by Howard Dean (A quick read, and a good tool for those considering Dean as their choice for the primary.)

[carols]

44. The Hotel New Hampshire is one of my favorite books of all time

You will absolutely love it. I think it is Irving's best!
Carol

[cedahlia]

48. Cider House and Widow for One Year are my faves so far

But the girl who rang me up at B&N said how great Hotel was, too. I'm excited to get started reading it!

[JanMichael]

43. Just started "Homage to Catalonia" by Orwell.

Next up "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair.

Yes, I know, I read lots of over the top Progressive/Socialist/Leftist literature.

[bikebloke]

47. The Sword and the Cross, by Fergus Fleming

French imperial attempts in the Sahara a century ago.

Next: Bushwhacked.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

49. well...

I'm Reading:

The Universe in a Nutshell, by Stephen Hawking

- Good read. However Hawking tends to assume alot of knowledge, so some of it went over my head. I'd recommend it.

Next Up:

either:

Blinded by the Right, by David Brock or,
Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. - I know! I can't believe I haven't read it either.

Bathroom Reading

None. It gets to cold in my bathroom to linger for long.

[dudeness]

56. brocks book is a good read..

you will definately enjoy it..

[nostamj]

50. just finished Da Vinci Code

opened it Friday night, finished it Saturday night.

loved it on many many level. educational and entertaining. HIGHEST recommendation.

also reading Kander & Ebb "Colored Lights"

and books on self-employment, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Flash, etc.

and still working my way through Blumenthal's excellent "The Clinton Wars"

[carols]

51. Is Da Vinci Code better than Angels and Demons?

I think it is by the same author. I picked up Da Vinci Code at Barnes 'n' Nobles today, but when I saw it was by the same guy, I put it back down as I just couldn't get through Angels and Demons. Fascinating plot, but I just didn't like his writing style. I was looking for something to read tomorrow as I have jury duty - wound up with a Michael Crichton book called "Prey." I have always been disappointed with the endings to Crichton's stories. It's like they are always fascinating right up to the last chapter and then they just kind of lay there like a blow fish in a canary cage. Nevertheless, they are at least predictably entertaining and something that can be read while being interrupted numerous times.
Carol

[MissMarple]

78. I thought A&D faded at the end. Disappointing. Prey is light, but very

interesting. It's probably good for jury duty, but you may want backup if you read fast. And I hope The Da Vinci Code is better than Angels and Demons since I bought the hardback instead of waiting for the paperback.

But for now I'm reading The Liberal Tradition in America by Louis Hartz. It is a stretch for me but very interesting. Ha, all Americans are liberals. Let's tell Ann Coulter and watch her froth at the mouth, the anti-democratic little twit.

[SeveneightyWhoa]

53. These:

"History Of The English Language" (textbook for an english course)
"The Vanishing Country" by Mel Hurtig, a Canadian nationalist whom I've come to admire
"Winning Modern Wars" by Wes Clark

[Pithlet]

54. I just finished The Bromeliad Trilogy

By Terry Pratchett. I absolutely adored it. I haven't started anything else yet. I'm not sure when I'll have time to read anything soon.

[Norbert]

55. Two biographies

1. Benjamin Franklin by Edmund Morgan

2. William McKinley by Kevin Phillips

I picked up both at the library, the latter was a 162 page even I should knock off in a couple of days. Why McKinley? Outside of a few events I know very little about him.

[ScreamingMeemie]

57. Gable and Lombard, Dude Where's My Country...

Bathroom reading: Farmer's Almanac

Next up: Probably Dr. Seuss tomorrow morning.

[Bertha Venation]

58. fiction right now

Scott Turow, Reversible Errors

Next, finally: Susan MacDougal, The Woman Who Wouldn't Talk -- after two false starts.

[NightTrain]

59. The Little Potatoes and How They Grew

:P

[GoddessOfGuinness]

60. Jeff Shaara's "Rise to Rebellion"

Good read so far... :-)

[Lindsey]

61. The Da Vinci Code

Dude, Where's my Country?, The Bonesetters Daughter (for a book club I'm in). I'm almost done with The Da Vinci Code - the premise is quite intriguing.

[devilgrrl]

64. Ian Fleming - From Russia with Love

and in the process of reading 'An American Tragedy' but Theodore Dreiser, 'Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them' by Al Franken.

Next up Jim Thompson's 'Pop. 1280' and 'Deliverance' by James Dickey.

[CanuckAmok]

70. My Grand-dad was a friend of Fleming's...

BTW, my Grand-dad said Fleming was a pompous ass, but then, so was my Grand-dad, so I take that with a grain of salt.

[devilgrrl]

74. He's also a sexist, racist ass.

But even so, I enjoy reading these Bond books, they're a lot of fun. :-)

[mwdem]

65. "Under the Banner of Heaven"

a story of violent faith. by Jon Krakauer. Just started this, about the Mormom faith and the murder and violence within it. It even touches the Elizabeth Smart story. Very interesting and very disturbing.

[devilgrrl]

66. Excellent book!

And yes, very disturbing. :scared:

[mwdem]

67. just started it, can't put it down..

it should be on everyone's reading list.

[CanuckAmok]

68. "Diary", by Chuck Pahluniak (who wrote "Fight Club").

Next up is something by Al Franken or Howard Zinn, or a biography on either Emma Goldman or Smedley Butler. I try to alternate between fiction and non-fiction.

[arikara]

69. 1. Mad Cow USA

which can be downloaded free from http://www.prwatch.org/books/mcusa.pdf
(just finished. an important book for everyone. Interesting and easy to read)

2. Bastards and Boneheads by Will Ferguson - a book about Canadian leaders. The author says that the shapers of history are either Bastards or Boneheads. Bastards, whether they are right or wrong, succeed. They are ruthless, but they are active. Boneheads are inept, indignant, and they fail. "Bastards screw Canada. Boneheads just screw up. Pierre Trudeau was a Bastard, John Diefenbaker, a Bonehead. Mulroney was both a Bastard and a Bonehead, the final verdict is Bonehead. There are degrees of bastardability and boneheadedness.
(just started but is good so far)

3. Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq by Stauber and Rampton. How the Iraq war was sold to the American public through professional P.R. strategies.
(next on the pile)

4. Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. The author spent three years studying the history of fast food, the business practices of its major chains and the nexus of agribusiness and chemical concerns behind it. Schlosser makes a powerful argument against an industry that exploits its workers, destroys the environment and creates an obese society in the relentless pursuit of profit. We learn about the chemical factories in New Jersey that manufacture fast foods' realistic and delicious flavors, and tour the filthy, Dickensian hell-hole of a modern meatpacking plant, where each year one in every three of its migrant workers can expect to suffer a serious injury. Most troubling, Schlosser argues that the influence of the meatpacking lobby on Congress largely prevents federal agencies from regulating the industry that Upton Sinclair first exposed nearly a century ago in The Jungle. This is in many ways a disturbing book, about much more than the already well-known public health implications of addictive, fattening and potentially disease-carrying foods. Beyond revealing what is actually in those burgers and fries, it shows why their cheap prices do not reflect their true human costs.
(another one just started, interesting and eye opening)

And for the most fun...

5. The Vinyl Cafe Diaries by Stuart McLean. All of the Vinyl Cafe books are funny so if you can find a copy of one in the US of A, pick it up, you won't regret it. The best sort of Canadian humor.
(just finished, loved it, highly recommended for good laughing out loud)

And I hate to admit it, but I always have a copy of Soap Opera Digest in my bathroom. I like the short little articles; and sometimes I wonder about myself...

[TheMightyFavog]

71. I'm reading

Patrick O'Brian's H.M.S. Surprise. I got the next two books in the series for christmas, so I have a lot to get caught up on!

[Insider]

72. Terrorism and America by Philip Heymann

and then his next one Terrorism, Freedom and Security: Winning Without War

[liberalitch]

75. Twain....

The damned human race
and a book of Rumi's poetry

[noonwitch]

76. "Had Enough" by James Carville

It was a Christmas present from my sister. I gave her the DVD to "Bowling for Columbine". We think alike on politics.

She has a three year old daughter. If you ask the child who is stupid, she will reply "President Bush". If you ask her why he is stupid she will tell you it's because he "pollutes the water, he won't help poor people and he blows up peoples' houses". Smart kid.

[afraid_of_the_dark]

77. Just finished "The Club Dumas"

by Arturo Perez-Reverte. I didn't realize until I started reading it that this was the book that Johnny Depp's movie "The Ninth Gate" is based off of. Of course, the book is MUCH better - the story is more intricate, and the ending isn't quite as weird as the movie's ending.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

79. Brave New World (nt)

[afraid_of_the_dark]

81. That's an excellent book.

[buddhamama]

80. Bertrand Russell

Human Society in Ethics and Politics

re-reading The Kin of Ata Are Waiting For You- Dorothy Bryant