What are you currently reading?

[Cato]

Here's a list of all the books I read in 2013, and quick reviews of my top ten favorites!

Keen-eyed readers might notice a certain GMGer's novel in the list!

Huzzah for "anonymousish"!

Glad to see that Why Begins With W made the cut!   

Don't forget Parts II and III are now available, so that you can discover the rest of the story!

Dial Emma for Murder

http://www.amazon.com/Dial-Emma-Murder-Killers-Capsule/dp/0989406504/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389360195&sr=1-1&keywords=dial+emma+for+murder

and Hex High School

http://www.amazon.com/Hex-High-School-Courses-Capsule/dp/0989406520/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389360099&sr=1-1&keywords=hex+high+school

[Karl Henning]

A Harry Potter for the rest of us.

[Brian]

Glad to see that Why Begins With W made the cut!   

Don't forget Parts II and III are now available, so that you can discover the rest of the story!

Dial Emma for Murder
and Hex High School

Do not fear! They are on the list for 2014!

[The Six]

Just got done with this gem. Don't want to spoil anything, but the polar pinkie at the end was unexpected!

[Geo Dude]

[Jaakko Keskinen]

I need to read Bleak House

Same here.

Speaking of Dickens, I'm currently rereading Nickleby. While it has my favorite dickens character, Ralph Nickleby, I really hate most of the ending, especially when Nicholas like nobly renounces an opportunity to marry Madeline Bray and gain her inheritance for himself yet later unbeliavable coincidence allows him to "honourably" marry Madeline and steal her inheritance to himself. I know this was victorian times when women often had no right to have money etc. and I am not exactly a feminist but I still absolutely loathe that ending and in typical Dickens fashion all good characters gain happiness and bad ones gain misery. I loathe that too.

However, the part of the ending where Ralph learns the terrible truth about Smike and convincing psychological torment he undergoes redeems some of the ending. I have read that most of the critics consider Ralph Nickleby cardboard cutout villain. I don't agree with that, I think he is extremely complex character, very humane villain who clearly struggles with his conscience and his end really makes me feel sad for him. People usually like more one of the secondary villains, Wackford Squeers. While I enjoy him too, I consider Ralph and Sir Mulberry Hawk much more interesting characters. Hawk is also often called cardcarrying villain, even worse than Ralph but I find his obsession with Kate fascinating and he has strong charisma a la James Steerforth, Harthouse and Henry Gowan. However I agree that third secondary villain, Arthur Gride is pretty feeble figure. Only time I find him even remotely convincing is the scene where he talks with Newman Noggs and offers him some "golden water".

All in all, Nickleby is a great work but it has some serious flaws.

Funny how much I talk about Dickens in this topic considering that I don't outright adore him (like Dostoyevsky, Dumas sr., Victor Hugo, Shakespeare or R.L. Stevenson) but have instead a complex love-hate relationship with his books.

[stingo]

Since I picked up a Kindle Paperwhite, I've begun reading again on a more regular basis. I belong to a book club locally and my choice for them was A Game Of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I'm about halfway through it (and have seen the first episode of the series) and I am liking it so far. For my own reading I decided to give Hugh Howey's Wool series a try. I've only just started but it seems like it will be a good read. For lighter fare, I've finished The Colour Of Magic, The Light Fantastic and Equal Rites from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Mort, the next book in the series is sitting waiting on my Kindle in case I'd like a diversion from the other two.

[toledobass]

Just started this tonight:
[asin]0826417736[/asin]

[Bogey]

Just looked it up....very cool. There is a show that does this as well....cannot remember what it is called.  Hold on.

[Bogey]

Called Classic Albums, Alan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8GwEX7nn6o

[ibanezmonster]

Amanda McKittrick Ros was an 1890s writer so bad that Tolkein and CS Lewis had contests with their friends to see who could read aloud the longest without bursting into laughter.

I probably would have been terrible at that game... couldn't even finish that excerpt without laughing.

[toledobass]

Thanks Bogey! 

Called Classic Albums, Alan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8GwEX7nn6o

[Geo Dude]

[Artem]

I enjoyed Bernhard and Sciascia's books a lot. Didn't like the "Dinner" all that much, because it felt too exagerated.

[Florestan]

Some books on the modern history of Romania (roughly 1750 to 1950). Interestingly how, despite the time span of 2 centuries and a half, the same problems are nowadays still waiting for a convenient and definitive solution. 

[kishnevi]

Some books on the modern history of Romania (roughly 1750 to 1950). Interestingly how, despite the time span of 2 centuries and a half, the same problems are nowadays still waiting for a convenient and definitive solution. 

cele mai multe lucrurile se schimba mai mult ele rămân aceleași

As Talleyrand would have said, if he had been from Romania and not France.

[milk]

How do you find Miller these days? Some things wear less well over time than others, so I'm curious. When I was in my twenties, no one author buoyed my sprits or opened my outlook as much as Miller. So I feel he has a special place in my heart. However, I found in recent years that when I look up quotes or passages from Miller, they fall flat. I had an argument with a friend who said he was overrated. Now I'm not sure I disagree. They only thing I could say is, he can't be that bad if he was admired by the likes of Orwell.

[stingo]

Concurrently reading three (which is very unusual for me...)

A Game of Thrones - George R. R. Martin
Wool - Hugh Howey
Mort - Terry Pratchett

[lisa needs braces]

Just got done with this gem. Don't want to spoil anything, but the polar pinkie at the end was unexpected!

Oh.My.God. LOL. 

[Florestan]

cele mai multe lucrurile se schimba mai mult ele rămân aceleași

This time you got it wrong, the above phrase has no meaning. 

A Romanian Talleyrand would have said:

Cu cât lucrurile se schimbă mai mult, cu atât ele rămân la fel.