Currently Reading / Just Read (Books/stories/whatever)

[Luet]

I have a horrible memory for such things, so I have to rely on goodreads (not entirely sure it's accurate) to answer your question. I can say for sure that I have read Foundation's Edge but have no idea if I've read the others. Are they as good as the original trilogy? Worth a read? I love the whole story of the Mule, I think that's my favorite part.

[neo-dragon]

To be honest, I haven't read the originals in some time so I can't really comment on if the new books are better, but I would say that they are all worth reading. The only thing is that by the time Asimov wrote the later books he had decided to incorporate his Robot stories and some of his other works into the same continuity. So if you're not familiar with those other works some things sort of come out of left field, but it all still makes sense.

[Luet]

I think the only thing that I have read of his Robot books is I, Robot. But I'll probably try the prequels at some point. I think my brother owns them and has recommended them to me before.

[Platypi007]

I haven't read any of the Robot books, but I've read Pebble in the Sky, which is part of the Empire series, which he also worked into the universe of his books.

Of his non-foundation universe books I've read The Gods Themselves and Nightfall, which I already mentioned. I think I've read Nemesis, too, but I can't remember. I remember the plot but I don't know if I read it or read the plot description before... If I read it it would have been when I was in high school.

[neo-dragon]

I've read all of the Foundation, Robot, and Empire novels, "The Gods Themselves", and "Nemesis". I plan to read "The End of Eternity" after I finish re-reading "Dune Messiah".

[Noodle]

Just read yet another collection of short stories from Phillip K. Dick. This was the "Minority Report" collection. I've loved PKD for a long time and I'm slowly working my way through his entire catalog. Highly suggested for all of you.

Also read through "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" and "The Girl Who Played With Fire." Will be picking up the final book in that series soon.

Right now I'm reading "When You Are Engulfed in Flames" by David Sedaris. Hilarious.

[Dobie]

To be honest, I haven't read the originals in some time so I can't really comment on if the new books are better, but I would say that they are all worth reading. The only thing is that by the time Asimov wrote the later books he had decided to incorporate his Robot stories and some of his other works into the same continuity. So if you're not familiar with those other works some things sort of come out of left field, but it all still makes sense.

That doesn't really happen until Foundation and Earth.

[Platypi007]

I've not actually read any PKD and I need to.

[HectorVictorious]

i know it seems lame i'm talking about an enderverse book, but i just finish SotG and am waiting for EiE to arrive from shipping to my house. After i'm finished with that, does anybody have any suggestions of anting i should read while i wait for 'Shadows in Flight'?

PS i've already read pretty much all of Asimov's works (but ive only read the first of the foundation series)

[neo-dragon]

To be honest, I haven't read the originals in some time so I can't really comment on if the new books are better, but I would say that they are all worth reading. The only thing is that by the time Asimov wrote the later books he had decided to incorporate his Robot stories and some of his other works into the same continuity. So if you're not familiar with those other works some things sort of come out of left field, but it all still makes sense.

That doesn't really happen until Foundation and Earth.

And the prequels. I'd say only "Foundation's Edge" is free of it.

[Noodle]

If and when you read PKD you need to come prepared to have your mind messed with. Probably start with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep. Especially if you've seen "Blade Runner" It's similar, but at the same time different. PKD has lots of stories that have been made into movies, but of the ones I've read the story and seen the movie it's obvious that he is difficult to translate onto the screen.

[neo-dragon]

I've read "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" and "The Man on the High Castle" and I really wasn't impressed by either (even though I like Blade Runner, the film). They sort of turned me off to PKD.

[locke]

i know it seems lame i'm talking about an enderverse book, but i just finish SotG and am waiting for EiE to arrive from shipping to my house. After i'm finished with that, does anybody have any suggestions of anting i should read while i wait for 'Shadows in Flight'?

PS i've already read pretty much all of Asimov's works (but ive only read the first of the foundation series)

You might enjoy some Anne McCaffrey/Pern. Dragonflight or Dragonsong would be good ones to start with.

Another might be Charles Stross' Merchant Prince series.

If you like funny books, Terry Pratchett's discworld. start with Guards Guards and do the Vimes series of books. or pick Small Gods.

Snow Crash is absurdly entertaining, as well.

[Platypi007]

If you like darker fantasy stuff you might want to check out some Gaiman. I recommend Neverwhere, also American Gods is good. Or you can get a dose of Gaiman and Prachett and read Good Omens which I enjoyed very much, as well. :)

[steph]

Halfway through Les Mis. The show is in 12 days. I have to find time to read at least 50 pages a day. Which can I say is a LOT harder than it sounds? 1 page of Les Mis should count for at least 5 pages of normal reading. Besides, 3 young kids makes it hard to find quiet time long enough to sit down and read. And when I do find the time, I'm usually so tired that it's hard to stay awake. Especially when Hugo doesn't stay on topic.

[Platypi007]

Yeah, I've attempted Les Mis but haven't made it through. I like the musical, though. :D

[steph]

I'm looking forward to seeing the musical again. I haven't seen it since high school. I also think it will be a whole lot more amazing after having read the book, since I'll REALLY understand everything that's going on and why.

[Noodle]

I read the abridged version of Les Mis back in High School. It's one that I've always wanted to revisit and this time read the full version. Great story.

[VelvetElvis]

i know it seems lame i'm talking about an enderverse book, but i just finish SotG and am waiting for EiE to arrive from shipping to my house. After i'm finished with that, does anybody have any suggestions of anting i should read while i wait for 'Shadows in Flight'?

PS i've already read pretty much all of Asimov's works (but ive only read the first of the foundation series)

You might enjoy some Anne McCaffrey/Pern. Dragonflight or Dragonsong would be good ones to start with.

Another might be Charles Stross' Merchant Prince series.

If you like funny books, Terry Pratchett's discworld. start with Guards Guards and do the Vimes series of books. or pick Small Gods.

Snow Crash is absurdly entertaining, as well.

I'm going to second this, especially the McCaffrey. You are just a year or so older than I was when I discovered Pern, and I was in love.

Terry Prachett is good, too, but I found the Merchant Prince book that I read to be tiresome. It was recommended to me by a male friend, though, so maybe it's more popular with the y chromosome set.

[CezeN]

Legal Court cases for my Psychology and Law class. Classes haven't even officially started, yet the professor emailed us to just start reading.

1. Patient-psychotherapist privilege:

Plunkett v. Ginsburg, No. A94A2012, Ga. Ct. App., 217 Ga. App. 20, Feb. 17, 1995.

Payne v. Sherrer, No. A95A0435, Ga. Court of Appeals, 217 Ga. App. 761, July 10,1995.

Official Code of Georgia Annotated, O.C.G.A. §§ 43-39-16, 24-9-21 (see also 24-9-22).

Jaffee v. Redmond, No. 95-266, U.S. Supreme Court, 518 U.S. 1, June 13, 1996.

Sims v. State, No. 40313, Ga. Supreme Court, 251 Ga. 877, January 4, 1984.

Mrozinski v. Pogue, No. A92A1044, Ga. Ct. App., 205 Ga. App. 731, Sept. 11, 1992

Ugh.

[Gravity Defier]

Continuing with my post-apocalyptic YA trend, I'm currently on Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari. After this, I need to take a break from this genre (and will with some MP Haddix - history with a sci-fi twist) because I had nightmares about this very sort of thing two nights in a row recently.


I'll also hopefully be getting Lev Grossman's latest magician book soon; my library system didn't own it, so I told the Collections person and it's now on order with me first in line. More arctic fox sex? Hells yes.

[Jayelle]

I'm on a YA trend as well, reading Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. Just finished the third one, City of Glass.
It was actually more well written then I expected. There were a few eye-rolling twilightesque moments, but the plot went in unexpected directions.

[Caspian]

"More well written"? Oh Jan.

[Noodle]

"More well written"? Oh Jan.

Yeah, everybody knows it's supposed to be "Even more welly written."

[Dr. Mobius]

"More well written"? Oh Jan.

Yeah, everybody knows it's supposed to be "Even more welly written."

"Even most welly writed." Go hard or go home, slackers.

[Noodle]

I was going to say something along those lines but it made my head hurt and I couldn't follow through.

[Jayelle]

Oh, bite me everyone.

[Dr. Mobius]

I'd rather not. You'd probably taste a bit weird after the diet of newbies you've had over the years.

[CezeN]

Poetry in my English Lit class.
I don't know why I have this problem, but it's so hard to follow with all the figurative language. That on top of it being from 200 years ago. Ugh.

[Luet]

I've been on kind of a "history of slavery in America" kick. It started with my rereading of Roots. Then, I went on to read The Help before seeing the movie. Then, I read "Kindred" by Octavia Butler (my first book of hers and a rec by neo, I think). And now I'm reading "The Warmth of Other Suns: the Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson.

[neo-dragon]

How did you like "Kindred"? Do you plan on reading more of Butler's stuff? Her other works are more sci-fi but they all focus on themes of race, identity, community, and sexuality rather than actual hard science.

I just finished "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K, Le Guin. I've been meaning to read it for some time since it's supposed to be one of the great sci-fi classics. In a way, it reminded me of Butler, but I didn't find it to be nearly as engaging or just plain readable as her books. I can see why people praise it as an important work since it's probably one of the first sci-fi novels to tackle the themes of gender identity and sexuality as it does, but I just couldn't get into it.

On a side note, Le Guin actually invented the ansible (in a literary sense, of course), and OSC does give her a little nod for it in EG when someone mentions that the term "ansible" came from "some old science fiction book". She also mentions relativistic time dilation.

[Luet]

I did like "Kindred". The only thing that bothered me a bit was that it felt like it ended abruptly. Even though you knew how it was going to end from the beginning of the book, when it came, I felt like she didn't give you time to absorb it or something.

I'd like to read some more of her books. I prefer sci fi (over fantasy), so let me know what you'd suggest.

All I remember of "The Left Hand of Darkness" is that I didn't like it. I read it a LONG time ago because it was "classic". The only other thing that I remember reading of hers was "The Lathe of Heaven", which I loved. I'd like to read it again. The made-for-tv-movie was descent, too.

[steph]

I finished Les Miserable!!

I wasn't sure I was going to get in done on time, but I did it with several hours to spare!!

[neo-dragon]

I'd like to read some more of her books. I prefer sci fi (over fantasy), so let me know what you'd suggest.

Butler's work is pretty much all on the soft side of the sci-fi scale if not bordering on contemporary fantasy in some cases. Her most sci-fi series is the "Xenogenisis" trilogy, conveniently published in a single volume under the title Lilith's Brood.

Her other major series consisting of 4 books is called the "Patternist" series. Also collected in a single volume: Seed to Harvest

I'd recommend those for a start.

[starlooker]

Finally reading The Hunger Games. So far, so good.

(I had a 13-year old client inform me that I absolutely HAD to promise her I would read it, because it's SOOOO good. I'd already meant to, and we went to a bookstore last night, and so here I am.)