What are you reading today DU? I'm reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

[applegrove]

It was recommended as a "Heather's Pick" at Chapters in Ontario (sorta an oprah like rec). Pretty good so far. Especially for people who want to know what it is like to be a doctor as the main characters are all doctors in Ethiopia.

[seabeyond]

1. out of the blue.... joann ross. nt

[GirlAfire]

2. I am Reading...

..."The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing"

Love it!

[dana_b]

3. "Black Hawk - Autobiography"

edited by Donald Jackson. I was interesdted in his story after reading "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee".

[foxfeet]

33. You might enjoy "That Dark and Bloody River"

by Allan W. Eckert. It's the history of the European settlement of the Ohio River Valley and the conflicts with the various Native Nations (particularly the Shawnee) who already lived there. It's well-documented, with copious notes.

[dana_b]

36. thanks!

I'll look to see if our local bookstore has it. They have a great section on US and Native History.

[MilesColtrane]

4. I'm halfway through, "A Heartbreaking Story of Staggering Genius".

Eggars has chops. No doubt about it.

[applegrove]

5. I loved that book. I learnt alot from it.

[Brickbat]

6. I just plowed through three police procedurals and now I'm a little paranoid.

[Indi Guy]

16. Interesting...

Got any examples of what creeps you out?

[Brickbat]

27. I'm OK reading about high-powered lawyers or money-grubbing wives turning into killers, but I get

wigged out over antisocial rural killers. And one of the books had one of those.

Also, I'm an enumerator for the census, going to a lot of rural and seasonal homes this week. So, paranoid.

[one_voice]

7. I just finished

Roadside Crosses..Jeffery Deaver. I read Game Change at the same time. I haven't decided what to read next.

[applegrove]

13. I read Game Change a couple of months ago. I enjoyed it. It was a quick read.

[mycatfred]

8. The Clan of the Cave Bear

Don't judge me. . .

[applegrove]

9. I didn't love that book as much as my officemate at the time. She was a real

fan of the whole series.

[mycatfred]

14. It's a unique series

But Jean Auel has the habit of over-explaining details on occasion. It can get rather difficult to follow at times, but over all I do enjoy the books.

[JitterbugPerfume]

48. I liked it

I read the series several years ago

[velvet]

10. Salman Rushdie - "The Enchantress of Florence"

It's okay, I'll finish it, but it's kinda forced. I enjoyed "The Moor's Last Sigh" a lot more, it flowed more smoothly and the wordplay was a delight.

[applegrove]

12. I have the enchatress. I' ve never read rushdie

before so I have no expectations.

[alfredo]

17. I'm reading Rushdie's "The Moor's Last Sigh." Read his "Shalimar The Clown."

That's one of my favorites.

Explore the works of Orhan Pamuk.

[vixengrl]

19. "Shalimar the Clown" was like, my favorite--the story of

the destruction of the town Shalimar and Boonyi came from (that one terrible episode), and the way the different people bore up, (like the bravery of Firdaus) moved me, a great deal (okay, that part had me misty-eyed as so much terrible destruction took place--like the deaths of the children of the dancing-master). And also, how India discovers and embraces her identity as also the child of her mother, embracing her mixed Kashmiri ancestry and became a woman able to stand up to the extremism of Shalimar--it is a great arc. How is "The Mooor's Last Sigh"? On a par?

[alfredo]

30. I've just started, but some physical problems have prevented me from

giving full attention.

I've read "Satanic Verses" twice. Got a lot more out of it the second time.

[velvet]

22. thank you

I will, and I'll seek out Orhan Pamuk.

[alfredo]

31. "The White Castle", "My Name is Red" have been my favorites.

I just finished "Memories of my Melancholy Whores" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Wasn't sure if I'd like it, but got sucked in. I ended up liking it very much.

Margaret Atwood is fantastic. "Oryx and Crake" and the follow up "The Year of the Flood" are worth your money and time.

This book: "The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus" is part of a series on myth.

http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/a/margaret-atwood/canongate-myth-series.htm

The Short History of Myth by Karen Armstrong is the intro to this series. Read all of them.

[velvet]

32. Here's a nice coincidence

Tonight on a book show on tv they discussed Orhan Pamuk's "The Museum of Innocence". I wouldn't have paid much attention but for your mention of him up-thread, I was doing some work on the computer at the time, but I downed tools and watched. Of the five writers on the panel three found the book "a struggle" and "a challenge" while two were thoroughly into it. All agreed, however, that the ending was satisfying.

[alfredo]

34. You have to be committed. I haven't read "The Museum of Innocence" so

I can't comment. I'd recommend the ones above, plus "The Black Book."

Amazon has reviews of his works. They seem to be fair in their assessments.

His work is dense with details. It is rich with many visual details, like the movie "Barton Fink." Every image tells a story.


BTW, If you've never seen Barton Fink, I recommend it. Pay attention to the visual clues. (text illustration)

[alfredo]

35. Changed my mind, going with "The Snow Leopard" by Peter Matthiessen.

Not ready to commit myself to Rushdie at this point.

[velvet]

21. applegrove, I'll be interested to know what you think when you read it

[azmouse]

11. "Rocket Men" by Craig Nelson

[unpossibles]

15. I just finished "Number 9 Dream"

by David Mitchell, author of "Cloud Atlas."

He may truly be my favorite author right now - I've devoured 4 of his books, reread one, and want more. Great ideas, really amazing phrasing.... Hard to classify. I suppose it could fall under mystery or sci fi, but really they are none of the above. They're about life and humanity, and if one of them throws in a sentient computer or a ghost, they're still about humanity.

[vixengrl]

18. Shortly , I'll be finished with "The Brief Wondrous Life of

Oscar Wao", but I don't want to be, because it looks like the brother dies--and honestly, I'm identifying with him, because I was a really nerdy genre-bookish type, too, growing up, except I had game because I was like Oscar's personality with Beli's bod. For like, the couple months it counted in my youth to let me know I could pull. I don't want to see Oscar finished, even if it's going that way. But this really is a magnificently well-written book if you want to check it out, and also the footnotes that document the history of the DR are informative and help the reader understand a part of the world this book takes place in.

When I'm done it, I'll have a better review.

[Petrushka]

20. Cry Wolf: A Political Fable --- by Paul Lake

http://www.amazon.com/Cry-Wolf-Political-Paul-Lake/dp/1933771429/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272949231&sr=1-1

[VenusRising]

23. I just finished The Shack.

It was recommended and lent to me, so I felt obligated to read it. Otherwise, I would have never ever chosen to read that book, especially since the recent death of my husband.

I am really looking forward to the new Southern Vampire Series novel by Charlaine Harris. It comes out today. :bounce:

[Heidi]

24. "You Are Not A Gadget: A Manifesto," by Jaron Lanier.

Excellent, excellent framework for how we can shape technology to fit culture's needs, instead of the other way around.

http://www.jaronlanier.com/gadgetcurrency.html

http://www.jaronlanier.com/gadgetwebresources.html

[Sisaruus]

25. Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges

[Dr Morbius]

26. The Affinity Bridge, by George Mann

You've perhaps heard of the sci/fi subgenre "cyberpunk"? Well, this is "steampunk." A Victorian-era England with robots and zombies and Sir Maurice Newbury investigating for her majesty. A fun book, so far, three or four chapters in.

[Dr Morbius]

53. Finished. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a six.

Nothing special, but an entertaining read.

[weaver.terrence]

28. What are you reading today DU? I'm reading Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

I’m onto “The Shack” by William P. Young. I quite like it.

[applegrove]

44. I have it too. I'm looking forward to reading it.

[rurallib]

29. "Lost Christianities" by Bart Ehrman

This last year for me has been an odyssey to get a kind of a handle on the real history of religions and atheism. Ehrman has been a great source.
See I was raised Catholic and what I was taught was far from reality.

[bikebloke]

37. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall

So far, so good.

[Fire Walk With Me]

38. I've just begun a book of Paul Theroux's short stories.

[seaglass]

39. Erotica mostly, I'm going through a menage a trois phase. There is

some really poorly written stuff out there :-)

[lazarus]

40. The Portable Atheist

a collection of writings compiled by Christopher Hitchens.

Also, I just got the complete works of HP Lovecraft, and I've started on that.

[Kali]

41. besides DU, the manual for my cell phone

supposedly it is also a(n?) mp3 player but I can't figure out how to load music on to it and the instructions are no help whatsoever.

[YankeyMCC]

42. The Plauge by Albert Camus

I've never read an description of a spring day so bleak and dark before. I'll say this the man (or the combination of Mr Camus and the translator Stuart Gilbert) has/have a considerable talent with words.

[Skittles]

43. The Cold Moon (Jeffery Deaver)

[hippywife]

45. Just finished The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad.

A look inside Afghanistan through the eyes and lives of a single family. Quick, easy, and interesting read. Non-fiction.

We really need to get the hell outta there.

:hi:

[alfredo]

46. Ethiopia is an incredible culture. If you ever get the chance

travel there. Check out Axum, Lalibela and surrounding areas.





purported home of the Ark of the Covenent - Axum




The real treasures of Ethiopia

[applegrove]

50. I saw a movie on the Blue Nile. Was really interesting.

[alfredo]

51. It's an ancient culture. It could very well be the cradle of humanity.

[jobycom]

47. "Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years." Dairmaid MacCulloch

It's a synthesis of the latest research on the development of Christianity, starting with ancient Greek philosophy and early Judaic history.

Good history, so far.

[JitterbugPerfume]

49. The Gang that Wouldn't Write Straight

Wolfe , Didion, Thompson ,Capote and the new journalism revolution by Marc Weingarten,

I just bought it yesterday , so I am not very deep into it since I also bought 10 lb of asparagus for the freezer and a bunch of stuff to plant in my yard. Im tired!

[EvolveOrConvolve]

52. Jim Collins' "Good to Great"

Excellent book.

[LibertyLover]

54. Witching Culture by Sabina Magliocco

about the neo-pagan movement in the US and The Lady Queen: The Notorious Reign of Joanna I, Queen of Naples, Jerusalem and Sicily by Nancy Goldstone.

[Odin2005]

55. "Atypical: Life with Asperger's in 20 1/3 Chapters"