What are you currently reading?

I'm reading three things at the moment.

Plato's The Republic which I'm reading for my Classics course, it's very interesting and quite complicated. It's basically Plato's idea of a Just city, but it's all hypothetical, he's not saying that any of it should actually be tried or that it would work. He's also trying to prove that being just is better for an individual than being injust.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy. I've wanted to read after John Irving described it as one of his favourite novels. He said it's a story about a man who makes a such a big mistake that nothing he can do can make up for it. That idea of redemption being impossible is something that appeals to me. The mistake that the man makes is that he sells his wife. That's not a spoiler as it happens in the first chapter. I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

The Castle by Franz Kafka.
I've only just started it so I can't say very much about it. It's a boy a man called K. who is struggling against the system. The system is represented by the Castle, it's quite grim, but it's not without humour, although it's not laugh out loud humour.
 
Currently reading:

I've got a lot on my current list. I've started the Harry Potter series, finally, after so many of my friends asked me to. Though to be honest, it was the last three movies that finally pushed me to it. I'm still on the first book, pg. 200. It is definitely a children's book, but I like it.

I've also started Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami. Another book that was suggested to me. But I think the newest book I'm reading that has 'really' caught my attention is Joe Abercrombie's The First Law trilogy. I've just started The Blade Itself and I'm only on page 10 and have fallen for it. I did some research, short, and it turns out George R.R Martin thought highly of it. I love writing like this, truly the best.

I'm also reading some of Felix Gilman's work, Olympus by Dan Simmons (and am hoping to read more of his work).

Recently Finished:

Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffery, Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring by J. R.R Tolkien, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, The DragonKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul, and A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

 
i am currently reading neal peart's book ghost rider. its his book talking about his cross country motorcycle trip he took after the death of his wife and daughter, whom died a matter of months apart. its a fairly big book, i been reading it little by little since august, i take it with me on my trips to races so i have something to read in the hotels i stay in.
 
I'm actually reading The Great Gatsby right now. Just got it yesterday(Wednesday) from my English teacher. I have a test on it tomorrow(Friday). Wish me luck. I'm only about 20 pages in, and it's almost midnight. Have to have it finished and be ready for school within the next 7 hours. Looks like I'm pulling an all nighter. :)
 
I'm going through the Harry Potter series right now. On Half-Blood Prince right now.
 
well, i'm currently reading "good omens" by neil gaimen and terry pratchett. a friend recommended it to me and, so far, it's okay. it's pretty funny, albeit a bit too wordy for me. it's not something i find myself hooked on, too.
 
'Un Lun Dun' by China Mieville, which is a rather quirky book indeed. Two girls are taken from our London into an alternate world and a city which isn't quite our London: a world with a doughnut shaped sun, whose centre sits in our sky; a world in which everyone wears formal uniforms, which are in fact that world's general attire; with man-eating giraffes and pet milk cartons; 'binjas' - yes, that's bin ninjas; and 'The Smog,' a conscious gas cloud which attacks city members, causing fires, absorbing information bu burning it and creating Smombies/Smog-zombies.

Yes, it's very weird, but quite unique and interesting to read. The story itself isn't exactly original, but the world, people and ideas which fill that world create a fresh experiece.
 
I just started reading the e-book version of "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" and I must say I love the epistolary styling of the writing; this is such a well paced book and I felt that a lot of the characters were multi-faceted and they reminded me of people I've come across during high school and most recently in college. So right now, I've gotten fairly far. Basically, for those who aren't familiar with Stephen Chbosky's novel, it covers the musings of a regular 15 year old boy who's just starting high school. He's writing to this (as of now, I suspect) unnamed person about his family and basically what he observes within his own peer group and within the peer group of others within this concentric circle of sorts. It's interesting because he's understandable no matter what gender reads this book, I mean even as a girl, I found myself relating to the mix of emotions he expressed about starting high school: trepidation, excitement, shyness--a mixture of confusing feelings really. This is easily one of those "not-put-down-able" books. I put "Wicked"/"Son of a Witch" on hold for this so it MUST be good because that aforementioned novel is just epic all on its own. I'll write a separate entry for "Wicked..." once I finish this novel. All in all though, Chbosky's outdone himself.
 
Riotous Assembly by Tom Sharpe
It is about South Africa when it was still very white dominated. The local police chief gets a call from an eminent white lady saying she has murdered her cook and would like to be arrested. This kicks off a massive game between the police and her, the police trying to prove it wasn't murder and her saying it was. Naturally because the police could not allow such a scandal. It is very funny and Sharpe has a great understanding of language

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
It is the hobbit
 
Infinite Jest - terrible plot (is there one?), arrogant writing style with 100 pages of notes at the end; most of these notes are completely pointless and are just there as filler/to show overly done research. Why everyone keeps recommending this book is beyond me. I'm half way through and will only finish as a matter of principle to say: this book can now go in the bin :/
 
After watching the show for a the last two seasons, I finally decided to pick up the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I'm still in the early beginning of A Game of Thrones, but so far I'm loving it just as much as I love the show. I definitely like the style of writing and all the different character point of views throughout.
 
I have recently conquered the fifth book in the Wheel of Time Series, The Fires of Heaven, and now I'm starting the sixth book, The Lord of Chaos. Another nine books to go before the series is completed. I'm just speeding through theses books now.
 
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson, which I picked up yesterday! ^_^ Elantris was absolutely fantastic - one of the only books in the past few years which I could not and would not put down for anything. I had to read the last 200 or so pages in one go!

Warbreaker is excellent so far. ^_^ Sanderson has a knack for painting a vivid world and filling it with strong characters who come to life from the very first page. Sometimes I struggle to really see what's being described in a book - I have to read a page two or three times before I see a world as vividly as I like - but the way Sanderson communicates just works for me. :)

His standalone novels have drawn me in more than the Mistwalker series, so even if you've read part of his more famous work and didn't like it, they're worth a read. :) Equally, if you've read and liked Mistwalker, these are fantastic examples of how a perfectly paced story and complex world can be fit into one book. ;)
 
I am currently trying to get through R.A. Salvator's book "The Dark Elf Trilogy" After that going on and reading more of R.A. Salvator's books not sure which one next, whatever one is next for Drizzt!

But the Dark Elf Trilogy is an amazing book for those that like Fantasy stuff. It has a lot of things I never expected..It is just so awesome.
 
I have read through quite a few books recently. :gasp:

First and foremost, Warbreaker, mentioned in my last post. I've finished it now and can confirm that it is splended! I want to return to the world and characters! :sad3:

Alongside that, I read through The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas in preparation for my PGCE (teacher's training course), followed by The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Both were great and so I'm looking forward to the possibility of teaching them. :)

At the moment, I'm reading Skellig by David Almond, another book on my reading list for the PGCE. I wasn't too sure about it for the first third, but the rest has been beautiful and quite gripping! The imagery and characters are wonderful. :) There's so much to talk about!

After this, I'm going to read the last book on the literature list, Holes.

Alongside all of these I'm reading Learning to Teach English in the Secondary School. :)

I'm not sure which fantasty book to read. :hmmm: I can't decide! :ness: Gormenghast? Little, Big? Hexwood? Elric?

Perhaps I'll read through some Shakespeare! I'm very keen to finish Hamlet and re-read MacBeth. I haven't read that since I was 13/14! :grin:
 
Mistborn book 2 by Brandon Sanderson! ;) The first book was just absolutely excellent! It's quite possibly my favourite book to date and I actually long to re-read it already! :lew: But I'm marginally more keen to discover what happens next. ;)

The second book has been good so far, though not quite as enjoyable. I can't fault Brandon Sanderson, though. Basically, his characters are showing their flaws. 'What happens next' (after book 1) is very realistic as opposed to ideal. I haven't been put off. I view these flaws as part of the journey. The characters must learn to love these little, irritating quirks, and I have faith that they will.

A couple of days ago, I also read through Holes which was actually quite fantastic! I am looking forward to the possibility of teaching all the books on my list. I do need to read a few more chapters on Teaching English in the Secondary School.

After Mistborn book 2, I'm gonna tackle book 3, then Wise Man's Fear, which I half read during Uni but never finished. The author Patrick Rothfuss is another masterman of fantasy writing! The Name of the Wind captured me as much as Mistborn. =)
 
Having finally finished The Wheel of Time series, I've moved on to Trudi Canavan's Kyralia novels, and am reading the prequel to The Black Magician trilogy (which I read about six years ago and can barely remember) Magician's Apprentice. I had to force myself to put it down last night. Whilst Canavan's novels all seem to follow the same kind of pattern with the same sort of characters, the way she writes it is captivating; it's very hard to put down and makes for wonderfully easy reading, which is exactly what I need right now, having forced myself to slog through Robert Jordan's often stifling efforts at prose...
 
I'm reading an extremely trashy book, following the trashy 'Fifty Shades' style trend. The book is called 'Diary of a Submissive', and is so far, well.... very sexually explicit. It's told by a girl named Sophie, and is meant to be a true story. I am yet to decide if I actually think it's real or not. :facepaw:

The cover is basically a photoshopped Twilight cover too.
 
The Ambassador's Mission

Literally just bought this off the Kindle Store on the train home, having finished The High Lord in about three days; I'd forgotten how engrossing Trudi Canavan's writing style can be. Reading the Black Magician trilogy coming off Magician's Apprentice, which covers the formation of the Guild etc in a little more depth some five-hundred years previous, gave me a new perspective on things, and I am REALLY looking forward to seeing what the Traitor Spy trilogy has to offer, given that it uses the same protagonists set about 20 years later :yay:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top