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The Yosemite Bear wrote:The Vampire Genevive omnibus - Jack Yeovil (Kim Stanley)

You mean Kim Newman. Kim Stanley Robinson is a different, and much more boring, writer.

I'm trying to get through some classic fantasy series, such as Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, Black Company, Elric, Shadow and Claw (New Urth series?) and Dying Earth. Unfortunately, I tend to read only the first book in a series, then decide to put off the sequel for something else, so I've not made much progress beyond a bunch of "Book 1"s. Unless you count the second Mercy Thompson book, which I have somehow ended up halfway through after picking it up for a restroom break.

Cairber wrote:Anyone read Caesar: Life of a Colossus; did you like it?

The book by Goldsworthy ? Yes, and yes. It's been some time since I read it, but I remember it as being detailed, but nevertheless fascinating to read (although the end was predictable ). Thanas as the resident historian can surely comment on the scientific quality of the book.

I'm reading the books I got for xmas instead of trying to make a dent on the stuff I've got to write for uni. These books consist of:

Is It Just Me or Has the Shit Hit the Fan? - by Steve Lowe and Alan McArthur, the guys who wrote another book I own called Is It Just Me or is Everything Shit?. It's described as "your hilarious new guide to unremitting global misery."

Demons and The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

Also, my massive Lovecraft Necronomicon compilation thingy when I'm in the mood.

Just finished Frankie Boyles My Shit Life So Far and now starting on Unseen Academicals.

Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz. It explores a journalist traveling around the south to figure out why the Civil War is still such a huge deal in a country that usually has almost no interest in history. Its very goo. I'm not far in, but he has already interviewed hardcore battle reenactors (who actually seemed like very cool, apolitical dudes.) and some crazy Confederate supporter types in the Sons of the Confederacy and (scary) Children of the Confederacy.

Just finished Under the Dome by King. Pretty good book. Enjoyed it.

Currently reading:
Popski's Private Army by Vladimir Peniakoff himself, which I found in a second hand bookstore and was fucking chuffed to get for 11.50.

I also just picked up at a book clearance sale to expand my rapidly growing military/history library:

Band of Brothers and D-Day by Ambrose (I'm nearing a complete collection of his now)
Target Basra by Mike Rossiter
One Bullet Away by Nathaniel Fick (the Nathaniel Fick who was a central cast member in Generation Kill).
Apache Dawn by Damien Lewis
and
Mission: Black List #1 by Eric Maddox.

So that's me sorted for a while.

Cairber wrote:Anyone read Caesar: Life of a Colossus; did you like it?

It was a nice overview of the guy's life, but I don't think Thanas would think very highly of it. For amateurs like us who just have an interest, it's a good one. I should probably re-read it, after I finish The Reagan Diaries.

Right now I am reading Chrestomanci series by Dianna Wynne Jones (probably best known for Howl's Moving Castle), starting with Charmed Life. They were recommended to me by a student as being very "Harry Potter-like". I am enjoying them so far; very fast read, kiddie tale but well written.

Then I think I am going to check out that Caesar book; seems like it's a pretty good choice for someone like myself (not a lot of knowledge about the time period beyond high school/college courses taken).

Just finished up Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford, and am currently working on Bonk by Mary Roach and The Wilderness Warrior by Douglas Brinkley. After I finish Bonk, I'm thinking of starting in on Dry Store Room No. 1: The Secret Life of the Natural History Museum by Richard Fortey.

Just finished First Lord's Fury, book 6 of the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. He says that's the final one of the series, but I wish he'd revisit that world again. He has said that if he did it would be either much earlier in the timeline, or later, but he wouldn't revisit those particular characters again. Which is fine by me

On my stack now is refinishing Under the Dome by Stephen King, although I have sort of lost interest in the 1,061 page tome. Also Quofum by Alan Dean Foster, set in the Humanx universe, and Divine Misdemeanors by Laurel K. Hamilton. I'm hoping I won't have to skip over pages and pages of badly written "porn" in order to find the plot on that one.

Broomstick, if you like Hamilton and Butcher you might also enjoy Patricia Briggs's "Mercy Thompson" series. Also, thanks for reminding me to get Quofum, and Transcendence when it is out in paperback.

Also, I've started delving into the Liber Chaotica. Fun stuff.

Already read the "Mercy Thompson" series and I am eagerly awaiting the next book.

At the moment I'm reading.....

Emperor:The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden
Jeremy Clarkson:Driven to Distraction. Not one of his best
The Take by Martina Cole, just for something different

To read

Vulcan 607 by Rowland White
Russia by Jonathon Dimbleby
Standard of Power:The Royal Navy in the 20th Century by Dan Van der Vat
Hitlers British Slaves by Sean Longdon

Atlas Shrugged. :Hides from the imminent SD.net attack:

Sam Or I wrote:Atlas Shrugged. :Hides from the imminent SD.net attack:

Let us know if you can make it through the last 50 or 60 pages. Spoiler

OK I've nearly wrapped up The Crow Road, I'm now starting on Faithful Ruslan (Georgi Vladimov) and The Road to Wigan Pier (George Orwell).

Homeland by R.A. Salvatore, first of the Drizzt novels. Yes, I'm into escapism lately.

Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. The thing that's interesting to me, and a little confounding, even a little bit fun, is that he all but admits up front that he's going to alter certain details, correct what he calls his life's "errata". The interesting/fun/confounding part is trying to figure out what he's changed, what he's exaggerated and what he hasn't. I'm probably doing a horrible job at it, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

Next up on the list is a series of pop physics books:
Cosmos by Sagan
A Brief History of Time by Hawking
Einstein's Universe by Caldwell.

I managed to get all three for free from a friend's late father's library when they cleaned out their old storage space. They couldn't keep everything and so I took some of the books. (They're older copies, but that's okay)

There are more behind that as well but I won't take the time to type them all out. I will say that I have new books coming in from my Christmas money. It's a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's work and a three volume set about Lincoln (2 books of his writings and one about him by other authors) from Library of America.

Speaking of which, has anyone else read anything printed by Library of America? When I discovered them, my wishlist suddenly ballooned. "I want to read that and that and that..." You get the idea. Next on the list from them will be Mark Twain's complete works, though I'll have to wait a little while for those since there's six volumes.

I've also found another book I want to get as a reference that I thought I'd let ya'll know about, in case you weren't aware of it. It's called, "Our Nation's Archive". I wasn't able to buy it this time around, but it's rather large collection of documents. It several inches thick and written in small but readable type. From just a quick thumb through, I know it included at least one of the Declarations of secession, the Emancipation Proclamation. I'm not sure of what it all contains, but it might be a handy reference for debates.

US Army field manuals 7-10 and 7-20. I find all the military handbooks interesting.

therese raquin. It's pretty damn depressing

The Spartan wrote:Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. The thing that's interesting to me, and a little confounding, even a little bit fun, is that he all but admits up front that he's going to alter certain details, correct what he calls his life's "errata". The interesting/fun/confounding part is trying to figure out what he's changed, what he's exaggerated and what he hasn't. I'm probably doing a horrible job at it, but I'm enjoying it nonetheless.

Next up on the list is a series of pop physics books:
Cosmos by Sagan
A Brief History of Time by Hawking
Einstein's Universe by Caldwell.

I managed to get all three for free from a friend's late father's library when they cleaned out their old storage space. They couldn't keep everything and so I took some of the books. (They're older copies, but that's okay)

Check out Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. It's in Penguin Classics down here in Oz for 10 bucks so you can't go wrong.

I'm reading the First Gaunts Ghosts omnibus by Dan Abnett.

weemadando wrote:Check out Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. It's in Penguin Classics down here in Oz for 10 bucks so you can't go wrong.

Added to the wish list. Thanks for the recommendation.

Just finished My Shit Life So Far, Frankie says at the end that he intends to get out of the buisiness in the next year, which is pretty shit.

Just got aload of 40k/WHF book, as well as the first His Majesties Dragons book, which I hear good things about.