Re: What Are You Reading?

[NotAliceInHerWonderland]

Wow Kalon you and Reffy have something in common xD

[Kalon Ordona II]

This is to say Reffy likes Discworld as well?
If so, awesome! ^^

Anyone else read Discworld novels? Every single page is hilarious.

[Kathryn Lacey]

I haven't read Discworld, but I'd like to read it eventually. For my birthday, Misery gave me The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny, but I think I'm going to wait to read it until after I return from my visit with him in January.

At the moment, I've decided it's time to read The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher since I'm in a role play that was inspired by the series. I'm currently on the first book, Storm Front.

[MoiraofWords]

Kalon, we went over how I also read Discworld . In fact, I just read The Unseen Academicals, the newest discworld novel ^^

Currently, I'm reading the sorceress of the alchemist series (the young adult ones i think...)

It passes the time.

[Kathryn Lacey]

Meh. Some young adult novels are pretty good. Just because they're geared toward "young adults," doesn't mean someone has to be embarrassed about it. In all honesty, saying it's just to pass the time sounds sort of like an excuse for why you-of-all-people would be reading a young adult novel. If you enjoy something, then you don't have to grant an excuse as to why you're reading it.

I read smutty romance novels sometimes. Not all are good, but at least 1/4 of the ones I've read weren't bad. I also recently read the Uglies series ((Uglies, Pretties, and Specials)) by Scott Westerfeld. I like that series a lot. I still need to read Extras, but it's not due back to my library until early December, so I'm reading the Dresden Files instead.

None of the books I read are just to pass the time. I don't read books unless they've peaked my interest in some way. I want to read the Alchemist series because it seems really interesting, and I think it's a little insulting to have someone say, "Oh... I'm reading this to pass the time." Reading a book for that as the predominant reason just means that you're wasting your own time with it.

Why can't people just admit that they're reading books because they enjoy them or at least felt some interest in reading them other than just to pass the time?

[MoiraofWords]

I do enjoy it. But it passes the time until I get more books.

It's never safe for me to read a book unless I have a few others in the house for when I finish the first. And I've only one book now.

And books pass time. Activities pass time. There's nothing wrong with suggesting an activity passes time.

I won't read anything that doesn't interest me that I have the option to choose.

[Kathryn Lacey]

Yes, but the way your entire post read, it struck me that you seemed almost embarrassed about what you were reading, and you had to have some lame excuse for why you were doing it - in this case, passing time.

It was insulting to me personally because even though I reading books passes the time, it's not like I'm only using them for that excuse. I understand that everyone is different, but it's like suggesting that reading in itself - something I spend copious amounts of my life doing - is only useful to pass the time, like it's not worth anything more than that.

Thanks for at least admitting you were enjoying it, rather than hiding behind "time passing."

[Gnossienne]

Kathryn, I think maybe you need to stop taking forum posts personally and accept the fact that other people have different opinions from your own. You seem incredibly insecure about how other people view your reading material, and there is no reason for you to feel that way. Nobody here is judging you as a person based on what you read, I am sure.

Right now I am reading Thinking in Pictures by Temple Grandin (an autistic animal scientist whom I met at a recent book signing) and Helping Children With Autism Learn. Both of these are related to a paper I am writing for my Psych practicum, but I tend to read such things for pleasure anyway.

Over the past couple weeks I have also read Possession by A.S. Byatt (loved it), The Virgin in the Garden by A.S. Byatt as well (it was okay), and Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee (did not enjoy this as much as I had hoped, based on the recommendations of friends). Having to take public transportation every day means I get to read more than I could otherwise.

[Kalon Ordona II]

Oh right! I totally forgot about that, Moiros!
Yay, so now we are THREE that read Discworld!

[Kathryn Lacey]

I'm not actually all that insecure. My insomnia pill was kicking in when I wrote that. It's really not a good idea for me to try to have any conversations when my brain is fuzzy from them. I think it was more me just trying to justify why it pissed me off, as stupid as that sounds.

Regardless, I still think it's incredibly obnoxious when people try to hide that they like something because of how they think other people will react, though. It's like they're trying to hide who they really are and what they really like just because they're afraid of what others will think.


I'm kind of on the fence about Storm Front. It's a neat premise, but the main character kind of annoys me on occasion. I'm not sure I appreciate the overly cheesy jokes in it, but that could partially be because none of those jokes are fresh. I've heard most of these cheesy one-liners before I ever read this book. The plot and my interest in the events are good enough for me to continue reading it. I hate not finishing books even if they're bad.

[Kalon Ordona II]

I know what you mean about not finishing books. It feels awful, even if the book isn't so great--or perhaps it is, but it's not my cup of tea. I've done that a few times. Sometimes I'll stop after reading the first book in a series; I did that with The Riddle-Master of Hed by Patricia A. McKillip. Didn't really appeal to me as much as I thought it might, so I stopped after the first book.

I did read the first Runelords book, by David Farland. The second book is one that I never finished. I don't really know why; I just stopped. The whole Runelords concept is pretty cool.

[Kathryn Lacey]

I see nothing wrong with not continuing with a series if the first or second book doesn't strike your fancy. I mean, I don't feel bad not finishing a series if that's the way it is - unless all of the books are bound in one volume because it feels like I'm not finishing the book if that's the case. Of course, I like to continue with series even if the first book wasn't amazing because sometimes the series gets better as the writer has more experience. That's what I'll probably do with the Dresden Files. If after the first few, it's still not up to par, I probably won't finish the series. I think there are supposed to be quite a few books in it, so yeah. XD

[Gnossienne]

The way I see it, my time on this earth is limited and I'd rather spend it reading books I actually like!

[Bad Kitty]

Oh right! I totally forgot about that, Moiros!
Yay, so now we are THREE that read Discworld!

Four!

I'm wondering when the Orcs will turn up in Ankh-Morpork with their own cultural graffiti and late-night food shops. Also, it's nice to see that Granny's pet priest, Mightily Oats, is still doing his rounds in Uberwald. It's not often we get an update on the fate of old characters.

I can definitely believe that he named the double-headed Battleaxe he got at the end of Carpe Jugulum 'Forgiveness' though. It's a totally badass Holy Symbol.

My current read is 'God of Chaos' by Tom Bradbury. I'm about four pages in since I finished reading Unseen Academicals less than an hour ago.

[Kathryn Lacey]

Facts are that there will never be any one book that everyone who reads it will enjoy. There will always be those who like it and those who dislike it. If I read a book that it turns out I dislike, the fact that I read it ensures that I can still discuss the pros and cons of the book with others who may or may not have enjoyed it. Besides, sometimes, the end of a book is just so damn good that it makes up for the rest of the book being crappy. If I was simply to place the book back on the shelf without finishing it, I would never know if it got better or not.

Plus... when I was little, I saw this episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? in which this kid's babysitter made him read a book, and he was transported into said book, and he couldn't escape until he'd read the entire thing. I wonder if perhaps that has influenced my desire to always finish a book? Who know?

Storm Front is a bit better now that I'm almost halfway finished, and I am certainly hooked.

[Bugg Superstar]

As I am interested in philosophy I've been reading alot of great philosophical works lately. Currently I am reading Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche. A great book, with very interesting viewpoints. The language is also great, even in the translated version that I am reading. I wish I knew how to read german though, I have heard Nietzsche is regarded as one of the greatest german writers in terms of language.

[6billionghosts]

I'm reading a book about a local county's history. Lots of underground films, stars that came from here, etc. Very rich and wonderful.

[MoiraofWords]

Now I'm reading Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman and its about wine based sourcery. Kinda interesting so far.

[BarnyardLovin]

I just finished reading The Cole Protocol by Tobias S. Buckell. First halo novel I`ve ever read and it was actually pretty decent. Now its on to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury.

My dad raves about the Discworld series. I`ll probably start reading it soon.

[Mydnyte Syn]

I am reading Stephen King's Under the Dome

[BarnyardLovin]

How is that book anyway?

[Ragter the junior greeter]

Right now I am reading Anne Rice's 'Interview with the Vampire' because I saw the movie on TV and was a bit interested in how the two are different.

Turns out, they're quite a bit different.

[Guest]

I'm reading a LIFE magazing called: "2000-2009: The Decade That Change The World." Just thought it would be interesting to see everything put together in a single little magazine. I was a bit young still when the decade started, so refreshing the events at the beginning seems a smart thing to do...

[Cosmic Wavelength]

I finished reading Thirst No. 1 by Chistopher Pike not to long ago.

[ImmortalSin]

I finished reading Skinned by Robin Wasserman yesterday, in preparation for the second book in the trilogy Crashed. I've powered through over half of it today and it's been pretty good so far. Fingers crossed the rest of it is as good.

[Blackrock]

Hmmm, interesting thread, very interesting

Currently, I'm reading a series of novels by A. and B. Strugatsky - Prisoners of Power (The Inhabited Island), Beetle in the Anthill, The Waves Extinguish the Wind. They are all very deep and philosophical, delving into different problems of human society. It's startling how relevant they still are today, considering how long ago they were written (the first one was published in 1969). Overall, eastern sci-fi, no - literature as a whole, at its best.

Also, I wholeheartedly recommend Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber (The Great Book of Amber is just all ten books combined into one). They are all very good books, with intriguing characters and an interesting plot. His writing style is also very engaging, probably one my favourite. Two thumbs up from me.

[Kathryn Lacey]

I actually started The Great Book of Amber a couple of days ago. It's a busy time of year, so I'm at least ensuring that I read one full chapter each day. I'm sure I'll get a lot more reading done while I'm flying and while I'm at the airport and such. It's really... interesting so far. I had kind of expected it to be immediately set in a fantasy world, but it's set in a modern world at the moment. I'm kind of wondering if it won't be a sort of Narnia type thing where people travel between two worlds... or maybe the main character and his siblings are from Amber and they traveled to this world...

Guess I won't know unless I keep reading. ^^_^^

[Guest]

What is this Great Book of Amber?

[Kathryn Lacey]

The Great Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny is one book that contains all ten books of the Amber Chronicles. Beyond what I've said about the story itself ((at least the first book which is called Nine Princes in Amber)) I really have no idea what else it's about. I know it's part of the fantasy genre. ^^_^^

[MoiraofWords]

I recently read a compilation of some of Zelzany's works recently... some were good, whereas some I felt weren't as such. But that is opinion of course.

Currently I'm reading Fool Moon ^^, but I should be done with it within a day. And then onto the third ^^

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