What Are You Reading?

[onlydarksets]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

Just curious, how fast do you guys read?

I've never been a speed-reader by any means. Sometimes it takes me forever to get through a book. Have you ever read a book in one sitting? The fastest books I ever got through were "The Deep" by Peter Benchley, and Michael Crichton's "Sphere" and "Congo". I got finished with those in about 3 or 4 days.

These days, with a 4-year old, a 12-month old, and another one on the way, the times when I could waste the day away on a book are long gone.

I was about to post the exact same thing. I haven't read a book in ages.

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

Just curious, how fast do you guys read?

I've never been a speed-reader by any means. Sometimes it takes me forever to get through a book. Have you ever read a book in one sitting? The fastest books I ever got through were "The Deep" by Peter Benchley, and Michael Crichton's "Sphere" and "Congo". I got finished with those in about 3 or 4 days.

These days, with a 4-year old, a 12-month old, and another one on the way, the times when I could waste the day away on a book are long gone.

It depends, recently it seems like I've had ADD. (I can't even get myself to beat Assassin's Creed, wtf?!) But right around a book a week, depending on the book. I started the 1200 page monster that is The Stand in the winter and didn't finish it because of the semester. (I don't read books other than school books during the semester)

[70Chip]

If you read Burr I will committ to re-reading it because that would be a killer thread. It could go on for weeks. I have close friends with whom I have nothing in common except the fact that we have read these historical novels. Understand, this is not Gordon Wood type history. This is dramafication based on fact. For instance, we know that T.R. and W.R.H. met at The White House. No one knows exactly what was said. In "Empire" Vidal creates a terribly plausible scenario-and it rules. In the first book, he takes on Burr as Protagonist rather than as "guy who shot Hamilton". Enjoy.

I just remembered this SS. Let's get reading on Gore Vidal people.

[jdlea]

I just bought Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon (creator of Homicide and The Wire)

[That Guy]

homicide had 5 good seasons, and that's a great book. local too.

i liked empire too.

[mredskins]

A 600 pager takes me about a month now with a wife and a three month old. I have never left a book unfinished, even it sucks I feel to guilty. Weird.

[12thMan]

Anybody read Fight Club, Chuck Palahnuik.

He's one helluva writer. The book is very entertaining.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

Anybody read Fight Club, Chuck Palahnuik.

He's one helluva writer. The book is very entertaining.

Fight Club is the book that turned me into a reader. I've read all his books up until Rant, his newest, which I was about 100 pages into when I moved last summer. I think that I need to start that one over.

I really liked them all, but Fight Club, Diary, and Lullaby really stood out to me. Also, the movie version of Choke is coming out this August and it looks pretty interesting.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by ArtMonkDrillz

Fight Club is the book that turned me into a reader. I've read all his books up until Rant, his newest, which I was about 100 pages into when I moved last summer. I think that I need to start that one over.

I really liked them all, but Fight Club, Diary, and Lullaby really stood out to me. Also, the movie version of Choke is coming out this August and it looks pretty interesting.

It really is a great book and I'm not even into fiction. I think Diary will be next followed by Choke. I can't imagine what Choke would be like on screen. Seriously rated R.

[ArtMonkDrillz]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

It really is a great book and I'm not even into fiction. I think Diary will be next followed by Choke. I can't imagine what Choke would be like on screen. Seriously rated R.

Choke will no doubt be rated R and dark as all hell. One things that already annoys me about the trailer (which you can find on youtube) and articles that I've read about the movie is that they making it seem like Victor is a sex addict, which wasn't the case in the book. He used to go to their meetings to pick up addicted women, but I gathered it was because he was pretty lazy about it. I still think it will be one of the best dark comedies in years.
Then again, I read that book 5 or 6 years ago, so I may have to re-read it before the movie comes out.

Also, I started Rant over again and it has been much better than I thought the first time through. It's written as an oral history, so it's bascially a bunch of segments of interviews about this guy, Rant Casey. The cool thing is that Palahniuk has to create the voices of all these different interviewees and give their side of the story. I think it really shows his range as a writer.

And lastly, mredskins is right, Haunted was really good, but VERY twisted. Don't read it if you have a weak stomach or are easily offended.

[itvnetop]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

Anybody read Fight Club, Chuck Palahnuik.

He's one helluva writer. The book is very entertaining.

Palahniuk rules. "Choke" is being released as a movie in September.

I'm almost done reading his "Stranger Than Fiction" essays.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by itvnetop

Palahniuk rules. "Choke" is being released as a movie in September.

I'm almost done reading his "Stranger Than Fiction" essays.

So I'm riding Metro one morning and read this line about Chloe:

Chloe had pornographic movies, if I was interested. Amyl nitrate. Lubricants.
Normal times, I'd be sporting an erection. Our Choloe, however, is a skeleton dipped in yellow wax.

Boy I did I burst out laughing right there on the train.

[mredskins]

don't sleep on chuck P's Haunted. the first story in it will seriously make you very uncomfortable!

[djnemo65]

Just finished Atonement...what a beautiful novel (the movie sucks btw). Am now reading Thomas Moore's short stories. I am also trying to read Philip K Dick's The Man in the High Castle, but the Japanese ruling over California is difficult for me to countenance, even as historical fiction.

[RobH4413]

I'm about a quarter of the way through "The Political Brain".

It's kind of interesting... but he is really left leaning. Still... neat read so far.

"The Political Brain is a ground-breaking investigation into the role of emotion in determining the political life of the nation by Drew Westen, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University. Westen shows how politicians can capture the hearts and minds of the electorate through examples of what candidates have said—or could have said—in debates, speeches, and ads.

The Political Brain shows how a different view of the mind and brain leads to a different way of talking with voters about issues that have tied the tongues of Democrats for much of forty years—such as abortion, guns, taxes, and race. You can’t change the structure of the brain. But you can change the way you appeal to it."