What are you reading currently?

[Cams 7]

I've seen the what are you listening to, what video game are you playing, etc.... so.... why not try a what are you reading now thread?

I recently got into reading books more on my spare time (at lunch at work for example). Glad I did too.

Maybe we can include recent reads, and what is on our list to read next.

Currently reading: Aquariums of Pyongyang - Real life accounts of a man who was placed in a "gulag" in North Korea and escaped and defected to S. Korea. Quite interesting so far, only into the second chapter. I really shows you how "different" their culture is there!

Last read: Hyperspace - Michio Kaku. Probably saw him on Discovery channel. Book was a good presentation on what it would take to travel deep into space, possibilities of the existence of wormholes, other dimenions, how we may one day understand how our universe came to be, etc.

Next in line: Not too sure yet. Will likely be science related - a number of titles I want to read by Kaku, Brian Greene, and Richard Dawkins (read Climbing Mount Improbable and The God Delusion - another great read).

Not into fiction obviously!!!

[wrangler 157]

Simon R. Green, Jim Butcher, the Internal Revenue Code

[Law Goalie 147]

Canadian literature: all of it. And all the criticism I can stomach, though most of it is appallingly bad. I'm trying to read historically, but I'm having to take breaks to read little bits of Stephen Leacock and Irving Layton (aka the guy who taught Leonard Cohen how to write) to keep myself from burning down libraries: I can't believe the sheer volume of irredeemable crap that isn't worth the bear piss on the trees that were cut down in order to print it, but even more incredible is the amount of absolutely brilliant stuff that is criminally neglected. James De Mille's Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, for instance: herniatingly funny, written by one of the most intelligent people on the continent in his day and age, and it's practically unread. You could tour most universities without finding anyone who'd heard of it, let alone read it.

[Powerfibers 8]

The Book Thief. A quick read, but almost don't want it to end.

[wrangler 157]

For funny and clever, P.G. Wodehouse, a master of the well-turned phrase.

[Law Goalie 147]

For funny and clever, P.G. Wodehouse, a master of the well-turned phrase.

This. Immediately. All of you.

[willharris7 4]

I have been reading Harlan Coben's Myron Bolitar series. Well written murder mysteries with a sports theme.

[cooperalls 4]

I just started the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, it's good so far.

Cams, I read a graphic novel called Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle. It was interesting. It doesn't really concentrate on the issues that are most often connected with North Korea (human rights, famine, development of nuclear weaponry, etc.) but it seemed like a pretty honest viewpoint of a westerner dealing with North Korean bureaucracy in a work environment, and his take on some of the social differences between cultures.

[Jason Harris 31]

ModSquadHockey......

I generally read news websites, graphic novels from the library, or some of the magazines we subscribe to if I find the time. When I read novels, I tend to like thrillers, but I try to limit myself so I don't stay up until 3:00 am turning the pages!

[Chadd 916]

Last few books have been music industry autobiographies. Slash and Sammy Hagar. Plus the usual Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts and Clive Cussler stuff to take up time sitting in airports and hotels.

[ktang 34]

Starship Troopers. I first read it going through officers' training. I got my son to read it, too.

[wrangler 157]

If you like Heinlein, you need to read his older stuff; you might start with Citizen of the Galaxy.

For real wordsmiths, in addition to Wodehouse, there are Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and Jack Vance, to name a few.

[Cams 7]

I just started the Steve Jobs biography by Walter Isaacson, it's good so far.

Cams, I read a graphic novel called Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle. It was interesting. It doesn't really concentrate on the issues that are most often connected with North Korea (human rights, famine, development of nuclear weaponry, etc.) but it seemed like a pretty honest viewpoint of a westerner dealing with North Korean bureaucracy in a work environment, and his take on some of the social differences between cultures.

I heard about that one. Aquariums (so for) is a first hand account of life there in the Kim Il-sung era, and it's quite intriguing for sure!

I want to try to get my hands a book called Flatland, which was referenced in the Hyperspace book I just finished.

Last few books have been music industry autobiographies. Slash and Sammy Hagar. Plus the usual Dale Brown, Stephen Coonts and Clive Cussler stuff to take up time sitting in airports and hotels.

By chance, have you read the one done my Bret Michaels (I think), called Sex, Drugs, Rock 'n Roll, and more Sex and Drugs? I think that would be an interesting read, since that is the music I still (ashamedly???) love today!

[Law Goalie 147]

Cams, definitely find yourself a copy of Flatland: it's an extremely amusing book, and a very quick read.

For real wordsmiths, in addition to Wodehouse, there are Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and Jack Vance, to name a few.

I'd definitely put Leacock and Tom Sharpe in with them, though Sharpe is more properly a satirist than a humourist, closer to a South African Jonathan Swift. Riotous Assembly and Indecent Exposure are probably the two greatest literary attacks on apartheid I've ever read: he manages to make the National Party and its affiliated tools look absolutely ridiculous and incompetently vile, which is even better than making them look merely evil. John Kennedy Toole's Confederacy of Dunces belongs in there as well, though that's significantly more benign than Sharpe. George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series should probably be there, but like T.C. Haliburton's Clockmaker series, it's a little hard to get into for 21st century readers, at least in my experience, where Leacock is still a fairly unproblematic read. A lot of people consider James Harriet to be a slight comic novelist, but I think he's every inch a pastoral Wodehouse: just doing for the vet on his rounds in the country what Wodehouse did for the London dilettante.

[trevor13478 1]

Searching for Bobby Orr, I'm about halfway through. Really different perspective at just how much he changed not only the game itself, but the entire culture of free agency and player agents. Very interesting and a highly recommend it, especially for those of us too young to have seen Bobby actually play. I think if there is one player in history who I wish I got to see play live, it's him. I gained so much respect for Bobby as a person with the off ice stuff that I never knew about him.

One that I bought, started, and never finished but hope to get back to soon is The Game, by Ken Dryden. From what I remember it seemed that like focused on a lot of the off ice stuff around the game as well.

And after seeing the movie, I'd like to read Moneyball eventually also.

Anyone have any other recommendations for sports books?

[pzilla3 0]

Good to Great by Jim Collins. I'm strictly a non-fiction guy.

[Cams 7]

trevor - read Bob Probert's book. Theo Fleury's is good too. Kind of sad that there was so much tragedy in their lives.

Law Goalie - I might try my local library for Flatland after I finish Aquariums, Chapters has none.

[Law Goalie 147]

There's always Abebooks.com -- it's an aggregate site for used book dealers worldwide.

[ktang 34]

If you like Heinlein, you need to read his older stuff; you might start with Citizen of the Galaxy.

For real wordsmiths, in addition to Wodehouse, there are Mark Twain, Oscar Wilde, and Jack Vance, to name a few.

OK, Citizen of the Galaxy will be next. Thanks!

[LeMagnifique66 0]

Yeah, Internal Revenue Code right about now... LOL

I'm not into fiction. A few authors of interest would be...

Lee Spetner, Duane Gish, Ken Ham, Henry Morris

[wrangler 157]

Cams, definitely find yourself a copy of Flatland: it's an extremely amusing book, and a very quick read.

I'd definitely put Leacock and Tom Sharpe in with them, though Sharpe is more properly a satirist than a humourist, closer to a South African Jonathan Swift. Riotous Assembly and Indecent Exposure are probably the two greatest literary attacks on apartheid I've ever read: he manages to make the National Party and its affiliated tools look absolutely ridiculous and incompetently vile, which is even better than making them look merely evil. John Kennedy Toole's Confederacy of Dunces belongs in there as well, though that's significantly more benign than Sharpe. George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman series should probably be there, but like T.C. Haliburton's Clockmaker series, it's a little hard to get into for 21st century readers, at least in my experience, where Leacock is still a fairly unproblematic read. A lot of people consider James Harriet to be a slight comic novelist, but I think he's every inch a pastoral Wodehouse: just doing for the vet on his rounds in the country what Wodehouse did for the London dilettante.

I'll take a look at some of those. Nonfiction has always been tough for me, though I didn't have any trouble with Slap Shot Original and The Code.

OK, Citizen of the Galaxy will be next. Thanks!

I started on Heinlein at 8 years old, and have about everything he's written.

trevor - read Bob Probert's book. Theo Fleury's is good too. Kind of sad that there was so much tragedy in their lives.

Law Goalie - I might try my local library for Flatland after I finish Aquariums, Chapters has none.

Edwin Abbott's Flatland shouldn't be hard to find, it's been around a long time; we had to read it for geometry class in high school, and I wouldn't be surprised if some teachers still use it.

Yeah, Internal Revenue Code right about now... LOL

I'm not into fiction. A few authors of interest would be...

Lee Spetner, Duane Gish, Ken Ham, Henry Morris

My clients and I agree that their tax returns should be prepared correctly.

[pelikano 1]

Searching for Bobby Orr, I'm about halfway through. Really different perspective at just how much he changed not only the game itself, but the entire culture of free agency and player agents. Very interesting and a highly recommend it, especially for those of us too young to have seen Bobby actually play. I think if there is one player in history who I wish I got to see play live, it's him. I gained so much respect for Bobby as a person with the off ice stuff that I never knew about him.

One that I bought, started, and never finished but hope to get back to soon is The Game, by Ken Dryden. From what I remember it seemed that like focused on a lot of the off ice stuff around the game as well.

Don't get me started on Orr. As a kid I watched him on TV and it was electrifying. It defined hockey for me. Though I hated the Bruins.

I read Dryden's book when it originally came out. That was so long ago that it's a blur now, but I remember that it was well written (you can bet he didn't need a ghost writer either) and quite humorous. I should pick up a copy and read it again.

I'm reading Number 9 Dream by the peerless David Mitchell. A novel.

Also reading 23 Things They Don't Tell you About CApitalism, by Ha-Joon Chang. Excellent tear-down of all the free market BS we have been served for the last forty years.

[Powerfibers 8]

There's always Abebooks.com -- it's an aggregate site for used book dealers worldwide.

Great source, use it all the time.

[Vinny_R 1]

I work in a jail so I love books about criminality. Last one I read was Tokyo Vice, written by Jake Adelstein. It's the real story of a reporter on the police beat in Japan messing with the Yakuza. It was also the first book I read in english so I'm a little proud about it. I read a lot about the bikers, because in Quebec we had a long history with them, big war when I was younger. I like to see how it work inside their organisations, help me understand how it works in jail too...

[skyscrape 5]

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Great book