What Are You Reading Right Now?

I'm reading this thread.

omg lol.

School starts soon so I rather not read anything right now cause I only have time for like a half hour worth of reading. If I was to pick something to read..it'd be Flowers for Algernon...again.

I don't read very much. Mainly because I never feel like taking the time. I've been thinking about reading 1984 though. From what I've heard of it, it seems like a book I'd like.

I just read The Things They Carried and I now am reading Moneyball. After that I have to read the most boring book ever, Brave New World.

I'm re-reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger for the second time... After this I plan on re reading the Hitchhiker's series.

1984 and Brave New World are similar books, both describing an anti-utopian future. I liked Brave New World more, because it seemed more realistic. 1984's future was one of Communism, the Party elite controlled by the Party, the Proletarians living meaningless lives, all working to support a war with no end. Brave New World however showed how people are grown in test tubes (using imagery similar to the cloning facilities from Star Wars II) and subjected to different stimuli to transform them into whatever caste the planners decide.

I enjoy the Dune Saga very much. I can't get past number 5, and I dunno why. I have read Brian Herberts Dune works, and I enjoy them very much. Their easier to get into. I hope he decides to do Paul of Dune.

I just finished reading the 6th harry potter for the second time. I have 5 or so books to read for a class before school starts: The god of small things, the rise of silas lapham, the grapes of wrath, on writing well, and some short stories from a textbook.

After being inspired by this thread, I have started to re-read the Sword of Truth series... again.

Starkist wrote:1984 and Brave New World are similar books, both describing an anti-utopian future. I liked Brave New World more, because it seemed more realistic. 1984's future was one of Communism, the Party elite controlled by the Party, the Proletarians living meaningless lives, all working to support a war with no end. Brave New World however showed how people are grown in test tubes (using imagery similar to the cloning facilities from Star Wars II) and subjected to different stimuli to transform them into whatever caste the planners decide.

1984 and Brave New World can be seen as opposite sides of the spectrum...since in 1984, pleasure is seen as what makes us human and in Brave New World pain is. I did an essay on this is I think. Lawl. Well, it's interesting. There's also supposed to be a third book in the "trinity" of anti-utopia goodness called "We" I think...written by a Russian guy or something? I don't remember, it's not very well known but it's supposed to at least hold a candle to the other two.

The world is more like Brave New World over here and probably more like 1984 in the Middle East, right now.

I love them both to death...omfg.

I normally don't read books, but my best friend's mom/my second aunt gave me Erotica Vampirica. Freaky shtick in that.

I also just finished the Book of Mormon and I am going to start reading the Bible from start to finish.

Lilith, I think the third anti-utopia may have been Milton's Paradise Lost. I'm not certain though.

Jigglysaint wrote:I also just finished the Book of Mormon and I am going to start reading the Bible from start to finish.

Good luck with that. I always start phailing when you get to that one book where they just list inventories of stuff, and then forget everything.

And no it wasn't Paradise Lost, wtf.

Just a shot in the dark. I remembered reading an essay where Paradise Lost, 1984, and Brave New World were all mentioned. Figured it could have been about the anti-utopia trinity.

EDIT: Found it. Dug out my copy of 1984, there's an essay in back about the anti-utopias. You were right, the third one is Zamyatin's We. It also mentions Jack London's The Iron Heel as the earliest modern anti-utopia.

Paradise Lost deals with the fall of Satan at the creation of the world... somewhat different than an anti-utopian future.

Amazing how easy it is to confuse books you've never read, isn't it?

You should read them.

Them? I've read 1984 and Brave New World. It's We and Paradise Lost I've never read. Quite simply they aren't very high on my list of priorities, they aren't exactly Foundation, are they?

Axel wrote:Jack London's The Iron Heel

EDIT: I might be thinking of It Can't Happen Here. Meh, both are relevant.

I just finished the new Harry Potter while I was on my cruise.... I almost cryed... AND I'M A FLIPPING GUY.

KRY wrote:I just finished the new Harry Potter while I was on my cruise.... I almost cryed... AND I'M A FLIPPING GUY.

Finished the puppetmasters, started Zechariah Sitchin's 12th Planet.
You know those fake newspapers in the check-out line with headlines like: 'Woman gives birth to alien baby!' Think that, but novelized. heh. Oh, and the author BELIEVES everything he's writing. Very interesting actually. Right now he's trying to convince me that the ancient sumerian gods were actually extremely technologically advanced aliens hellbent on enslaving humanity. Good stuff.

Darth Marsden wrote:You wimp. Suck it up!

And go discuss it in the appropiate thread. There's one in General Entertainment, Here.

I'm onto the second of the Sword of Truth series. Can't remember the title at the moment, it's upstairs and I'm lazy, but it's probably something like Blood of the Stone. Meh. Heard one Fantasy novel title, heard 'em all.

The Stone of Tears, and it's the best series EVER. Terry Goodkind is beyond normal fantasy, in my opinion.

I've read the first four Dune novels in less than four weeks now... grabbing Heretics at the library tomorrow.

Beldaran wrote:The Stone of Tears, and it's the best series EVER. Terry Goodkind is beyond normal fantasy, in my opinion.

I've read all of the Wheel of Time books, excepting the prequels, and generally enjoyed them. I think Jordan was running out of ideas in the last book or two, just trying to figure out how he's going to tie all the threads together. Hopefully in the next book, something will actually happen.

EDIT: oooh, I just checked and "Knife of Dreams" will be out October 11.

I'm reading Tales of Averoigne by Clark Ashton Smith. He was one of the group of horror writers that H.P. Lovecraft belonged to. Also reading some Harry Potter fan fiction...HP6 left me wanting more.

I'll agree there, fcf. Didn't really like Sword of Truth at all, loaded with cliches and his heroes are good only when compared to his villains. Jordan seems to be slowly fading, books getting slower, more disjointed, and less fun. Crossroads of Twilight was completely pointless, like he just needed to set up the next book.

Anyway I finally picked up a new book. Was at Barnes and Noble and saw a big stack of classics and grabbed a few. Currently working on The Prince, by Nicolo Machiaveli. The man was a genius.

Beldaran wrote:The Stone of Tears, and it's the best series EVER. Terry Goodkind is beyond normal fantasy, in my opinion.

I've picked up Ender's Game again. Oh dear lord, I cannot put this book down. It's in my left hand right now, open to page 152. I still can't believe how much Ender Wiggin simply pwns the best of the best out of the water. Something to consider.

Britannianhero4 wrote:I've picked up Ender's Game again. Oh dear lord, I cannot put this book down. It's in my left hand right now, open to page 152. I still can't believe how much Ender Wiggin simply pwns the best of the best out of the water. Something to consider.

I love that book. Ive read it at least 20 times.