What are you reading now?

Just finished "A Billion Wicked Thoughts".  It's an analysis of human sexuality using internet data mining and search query analysis.  I thought it was fascinating.  

We are a strange, complicated species...

Haven't started yet, but I saw my best friend at a Bert Kreischer show at the Admiral Twin (drive in theater in Tulsa) last weekend and he lent me three of Anthony Bourdain's books.

Working on the sequel to this:

Peter Zeihan's "The Accidental Superpower"

which is this:

Peter Zeihan's "The Absent Superpower"

which is fascinating. I'd strongly recommend reading them both in sequence.  We're in for a chaotic couple of decades...

Almost finished with The Fabulous Trashwagon.  

The Elder Empire series by Will Wight.

I highly recommend any of his work.

Just finished the action park biography written by gene mulvihills kid. Definitely a good read if you know anything about said action park. 

Reading the latest Harry Dresden book by Jim Butcher.

I really like the series, WHEN HE WRITES A BOOK it moves quickly, and the entire concept appeals to me. I like how folklore, myths and legend are interwoven into the story.

Jim is a pretty down to earth guy, too. I've not had more than passing interactions with him, but his success doesn't seem to have gone to his head.

 

I have been reading the Star Kingdom series by Lindsay Buroker, there is a good bit of humor. I decided to read something funny and light during these times.

Brett_Murphy (Forum Patrón) said:

Reading the latest Harry Dresden book by Jim Butcher.

I really like the series, WHEN HE WRITES A BOOK it moves quickly, and the entire concept appeals to me. I like how folklore, myths and legend are interwoven into the story.

Jim is a pretty down to earth guy, too. I've not had more than passing interactions with him, but his success doesn't seem to have gone to his head.

 

He released a new book? 

Damn, I'm buying it

Great, another Dresden book!  I've always been a reader, but during Covid I'm really plowing through the books, so I really appreciate everyone's recommendations.  So far, in addition to the Dresden books I've gotten turned on to the James Rollins' Sigma Force series and Steve Berry's Cotton Malone books, so I've got lots of reading ahead.  If anyone is interested in westerns that are not formula shoot-em-ups and are extremely well researched and written I recommend anything by Johnny D. Boggs.  I'm also catching up on J. A. Jance's mysteries that take place in Cochise County. AZ because my wife is from Bisbee (the county seat), we were married in Bisbee, and we spend a week in Cochise County every year, so I know the area well.  Also just finished Montezuma's Ferrari, so I need to finish off Burt's books, too.

I am back onto Robert Rankin. Specifically the 10?11? Part Brentford trilogy, but also the offshoot Brentford books, to end with Hollow Chocolate Bunnies of the Apocalypse, and the Toyminator.

The Brentford books are a long time favorite of mine, I read through the series once or twice a year just for laughs.

Rankin has built a universe of 1980s England, with myths, magic, pubs, allotment sheds and darts, not to mention the occasional Morris Minor. All of the books kind of tie together, even the Brentford "non trilogy" books, featuring Neville the part time barman at the Flying Swam, John Omalley and Jim Pooley, the protagonists of the universe, professor Slocombe, Norman Hartnell (not to be confused with the other Norman Hartnell, and eventually Hugo Rune.

The stories span the ages, from Victorian to near future, without ever really going anywhere.

Giner said:

In many ways, I enjoy reading novels. Such, you know, where there is a little bit of the detective and there is a certain intrigue in the plot with the main characters. I recently ordered something like this from [a fabulous canoe source] they wrote this piece beautifully exclusively for me

Does the main character paddle a canoe? 

Man, I have NO IDEA why this particular thread is such a spam magnet.

The Dresden book was apparently too long to publish in one go, so the story ends right in the middle of things, but allegedly the next book will be out later this year.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Brett_Murphy (Forum Patrón) said:

The Dresden book was apparently too long to publish in one go, so the story ends right in the middle of things, but allegedly the next book will be out later this year.

I'll believe it when I see it.

I saw September as the release date of the 2nd one on Amazon.

Butcher is a great writer.....as long as it's The Dresden Files. The Codex Alera books were almost unreadable and I've tried to read the Cinder Spires a couple times now and can't get into it

Duma Key by Stephen King. I've read it before, I think it is still my favorite work of King's.

In reply to Antihero (Forum Supporter) :

 I loved the Codex Alera books and can't wait for the next in the Cinder Spires.  What didn't you like about them?

Currently reading the latest Neal Asher book The Human

Real good Sci Fi, there are at least a dozen books set in that universe.

NickD said:

Duma Key by Stephen King. I've read it before, I think it is still my favorite work of King's.

I liked that one, too.  Not sure why at all, but I enjoyed it.

History of the Adirondacks. 

I just reread "Rum Across the Border" about the northern border during prohibition.  My wife's grandmother lives a mile south of the border, she talked about guys pulling into the yard in a big Auburn, pull out guns and want something to eat.  All the men are out in the field, just feed them and they go.  Feds usually caught them at Keene Valley, all loaded down it couldn't make the hill, they drove up it backward; a lower gear.  Cops just sit on top looking for the ones going backwards .....

I reread "The Stand" right before this whole global pandemic thing started. That was a mistake, both because of the mindset it put me in and because it was King's "author's cut", where he put back in a bunch of stuff his editor took out. The editor had the right idea.

I just finished "Good Omens", which is making me want to buy all of Pratchett and Gaiman's books and plow through them all. I've been reading "Fortunately, the Milk" to my 3 year old for at least a year now and it's one of his favorite books.

cmcgregor (Forum Supporter) said:

I reread "The Stand" right before this whole global pandemic thing started. That was a mistake, both because of the mindset it put me in and because it was King's "author's cut", where he put back in a bunch of stuff his editor took out. The editor had the right idea.

I just finished "Good Omens", which is making me want to buy all of Pratchett and Gaiman's books and plow through them all. I've been reading "Fortunately, the Milk" to my 3 year old for at least a year now and it's one of his favorite books.

Right on both counts.

When I read the original version of The Stand, I was like, "Wow, you can tell right where the editor axed this book at a certain page count."  I even figured King was kind of pissed off about it and thought, "OK, shiny happy person, then I'll just bring the literal hand of God down to end this thing right here."

I was all excited to hear there was going to be an author's cut - I figured it would give King the chance to publish it with the carefully resolved ending the story really deserved.

NOPE NOPE NOPE.  An extra 200 pages of boring pointless crap in the middle and the same stupid last-10-pages deus ex machina ending.

Duke said:

cmcgregor (Forum Supporter) said:

I reread "The Stand" right before this whole global pandemic thing started. That was a mistake, both because of the mindset it put me in and because it was King's "author's cut", where he put back in a bunch of stuff his editor took out. The editor had the right idea.

I just finished "Good Omens", which is making me want to buy all of Pratchett and Gaiman's books and plow through them all. I've been reading "Fortunately, the Milk" to my 3 year old for at least a year now and it's one of his favorite books.

Right on both counts.

When I read the original version of The Stand, I was like, "Wow, you can tell right where the editor axed this book at a certain page count."  I even figured King was kind of pissed off about it and thought, "OK, shiny happy person, then I'll just bring the literal hand of God down to end this thing right here."

I was all excited to hear there was going to be an author's cut - I figured it would give King the chance to publish it with the carefully resolved ending the story really deserved.

NOPE NOPE NOPE.  An extra 200 pages of boring pointless crap in the middle and the same stupid last-10-pages deus ex machina ending.

 

That's an issue with King. He really struggles to end things in a satisfactory manner sometimes. I remember getting to the end of From A Buick 8 and being pretty disgusted with the ending. 

In reply to NickD :

No kidding. I was so disgusted with the ending of "Under the Dome" that I nearly swore off King entirely. I did read 11/22/63 and mostly enjoyed it, but I'm never going to trust him again.

In reply to Marjorie Suddard :

The Dark Tower series.

Although, to be fair, he warns you about it.