What Books Are on Your Reading List?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around participants sharing their current reading lists, focusing on a mix of fiction and nonfiction, while excluding textbooks. The conversation includes various literary genres, personal preferences, and reflections on specific works.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants are reading classic literature, such as "The Count of Monte Cristo" and "Don Quixote," while expressing their long-standing interest in these works.
  • One participant mentions dissatisfaction with "Don Quixote," suggesting it may be boring, while others share their mixed feelings about classic literature.
  • Several participants highlight their interest in nonfiction, with titles like "The Rebel Sell" and "Betrayal of Trust" being discussed.
  • There are mentions of various authors and works, including Dostoevsky's "Crime and Punishment," with differing opinions on its merit compared to "The Brothers Karamazov."
  • Some participants express a preference for reading textbooks or nonfiction over fiction, while others share their enjoyment of specific fiction series, such as "Wheel of Time."
  • One participant notes their struggle with attention span, leading to reading multiple books simultaneously, including "Don Quixote" and magazines.
  • There are references to personal experiences with reading, including the impact of cultural events on reading choices, such as a Cervantes festival in Guanajuato.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of preferences and opinions on the books they are reading, with no clear consensus on the value of specific titles or genres. Disagreement exists regarding the enjoyment of "Don Quixote" and the merits of different classic novels.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention their reading habits, such as a tendency to read nonfiction or textbooks, which may influence their engagement with fiction. Additionally, there are references to personal circumstances affecting reading time and choices.

Who May Find This Useful

Readers interested in diverse literary recommendations, discussions on classic and contemporary literature, and insights into personal reading habits may find this thread valuable.

G01
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So, what's everybody currently reading, textbooks excluded?

Currently I'm working on The Count of Monte Cristo.
After this I want to start Don Quioxte.

Both of these books, I've been wanting to read for a long time. I'm glad I'm finally getting to them. The new Michael Crighton book is on my list as well.
So what are you guys reading?
 
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i read don qioxote, i didn't like it very much.

in my stack right now are plato's dialogues, beginning culture theory, futureshock and count of monte cristo. I'm half way done with plato, 1/10th into future shock and none way into the others.

if classic lit is your thing read david copperfield by dickens and crime and punishment by dostoyevsky
 
Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler.

Inbetween these great texts, Aerodynamics. (But I just read this for the pictures).

I don't read outside of textbooks. I just watch movies instead.
 
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ice109 said:
i read don qioxote, i didn't like it very much.

in my stack right now are plato's dialogues, beginning culture theory, futureshock and count of monte cristo. I'm half way done with plato, 1/10th into future shock and none way into the others.

if classic lit is your thing read david copperfield by dickens and crime and punishment by dostoyevsky

I would like to read another Dicken's novel. I was thinking about "Nicholas Nickleby." Did you read this? If so would you recommend "Copperfield" over it?
 
"The Rebel Sell" by Joseph Heath & Andrew Potter is my main read right now, I've also got John Rawls "Lectures on the History of Moral Philosophy" and "Sixty Million Frenchmen can't be wrong" on the table. That last one isn't by Rawls, it's by two virtually unknown Canadian authors.

After The Rebel Sell I'll probably have to read something else in the genre, it's really sucking me in. I'm thinking maybe something by Thomas Frank, or Thorstein Veblen, if I can find it.
 
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ice109 said:
if classic lit is your thing read david copperfield by dickens and crime and punishment by dostoyevsky
I always thought The Brothers Karamazov was so much better than Crime and Punishment. And of course, Notes from Underground is my all time favorite Dostoevsky.
 
Rereading Burton Mack, The Christian Myth: Origins, Logic, and Legacy.
 
I am working on the third book (volume 5) of Isacc Azimov's The Golden Years of Science Fiction: Third Series" . http://www.locusmag.com/index/t2.html" is the second book on that page.

I started Don Quioxte But did not finish it. Not sure why, generally once I start a book I finish it come hell or high water. Don't recall why I did not continue.
 
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Smurf said:
I always thought The Brothers Karamazov was so much better than Crime and Punishment. And of course, Notes from Underground is my all time favorite Dostoevsky.
haven't read brothers yet and notes was good but i definitely like characters more than straight rambling.
G01 said:
I would like to read another Dicken's novel. I was thinking about "Nicholas Nickleby." Did you read this? If so would you recommend "Copperfield" over it?
haven't read yet but copperfield was definitely really good.
Integral said:
I am working on the third book (volume 5) of Isacc Azimov's The Golden Years of Science Fiction: Third Series" . http://www.locusmag.com/index/t2.html" is the second book on that page.

I started Don Quioxte But did not finish it. Not sure why, generally once I start a book I finish it come hell or high water. Don't recall why I did not continue.
maybe because it's very boring?
 
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  • #10
ice109 said:
...

maybe because it's very boring?

That didn't stop me reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series!
 
  • #11
Integral said:
That didn't stop me reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series!

Amen to that! I'm currently reading Crossroads at Twilight, which is #10 in the Wheel of Time series.

Next on the list is Crime and Punishment; I bought a copy a year ago and it's time to finally get to it (don't worry though, I read The Brothers Karamasov last year).

And I own a copy of Don Quixote in Spanish from a visit to Guanajuato, Mexico which happens to be the Miguel Cervantes capital of the world (I know he was from Spain, but this city has a huge Cervantes festival every year). However, my Spanish skills are so far gone from then, that it will probably never make it off the shelf.
 
  • #12
I am with Cyrus, I rarely read outside of textbooks. I want to say more, but I can't quite find the right word...
 
  • #13
I'm currently reading Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett.

On the textbook side, I'm reading Linear Algebra by Hoffman & Kunze
 
  • #14
This thread.

Previously, my reading included such heavy titles as the game guide for Tomb Raider Anniversary edition.
 
  • #15
That didn't stop me reading Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series!

:biggrin: I like that series. Can't wait for the last part and the 2 prequels :biggrin:

I'm currently actively reading Betrayal of Trust - The Collapse of Global Public Health by Laurie Garrett and inactively reading The Feynman Lectures on Physics: Volume I by Richard Feynman.

Once I finish one of them, I'm going to start reading the Demon-Haunted World - Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan.

What strikes me is that I have completely stopped reading fiction (besides Wheel of Time) and only read nonfiction.

Also, Wheel of Time :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

Ok, I've abused the emotions enough for today :biggrin:
 
  • #16
Empire of the Stars - Arthur I. Miller

I rarely read fiction. But I've been meaning to continue reading Sherlock Holmes...two novels and a bunch of short stories left. I stopped at end The Adventure of the Final Problem.
 
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  • #17
Just finished reading Robert Ludlum's "The Hades Factor", boy that man sure knows how to keep one from going to bed.
Right now I have started reading a collection of Leo Tolstoy's famous short stories, and I must say they are quite thought provoking.
 
  • #18
I'm reading "Vermeer's Camera" as me and my friend are going to re-create his painting style. Like cyrus however I read little outside of textbooks.
 
  • #19
Man and Superman, by G.B. Shaw.
 
  • #20
Right now I've got Crime & Punishment, The Stand, and Lies My Teacher Told Me. They're all exceedingly excellent if anybody wants to know. The last one is nonfiction :smile:
 
  • #21
neutrino said:
Empire of the Stars - Arthur I. Miller

I rarely read fiction. But I've been meaning to continue reading Sherlock Holmes...two novels and a bunch of short stories left. I stopped at end The Adventure of the Final Problem.

I love Sherlock Holmes. When I get time I want to be able to get to read the complete Sherlock Holmes collection!
 
  • #22
cyrusabdollahi said:
Playboy, Penthouse, Hustler.

Inbetween these great texts, Aerodynamics. (But I just read this for the pictures).

I don't read outside of textbooks. I just watch movies instead.

HAHA! Couldnt agree with you more man. Although I did just finish Shogun by James Clavell... have to get the rest of the series...
 
  • #23
G01 said:
So what are you guys reading?

gravity's rainbow by thomas pynchon. & then i'll probably have to re-read it a couple more times from what I've read about the book.
 
  • #24
I have a very short attention span so I'm always going back and forth between a couple of books... which means that it takes me forever to actually finish a single book :bugeye: ... unless it's like a regular novel that I can read in a few days. I'm taking Don Quijote with me next week while I go to NY for a month of film school, though I doubt I'll have time to read too much. I read the first few chapters and it's pretty enjoyable; spanish hasn't changed as drastically as english in the past couple of hundred years so it's a pretty smooth read.

But I can't wait for the new (and last! :cry:) Harry Potter book to come out! I'm so sad; I hope it's the longest book in the history of literature so it never ends. I don't know what I'll do when HP ends! it's so sad!

and my MAD and Discover magazines of course.
 
  • #25
Moridin said:
Once I finish one of them, I'm going to start reading the Demon-Haunted World - Science as a Candle in the Dark by Carl Sagan.


Good book. Sagan is a very passionate science guy.

Currently, Evolutionary Dynamics: Exploring the Equations of Life, The God Delusion (is it me or once you read one Dawkins book, you almost read them all? He sure likes to repeat his main points a lot...), and some Marvel comic books.
 
  • #26
I concur on the Sherlock Holmes. Looking forward to the last book of the WoT, HP and Ayla series as well.
 
  • #27
I just finished reading complete Sherlock Holmes collection for the third time.
Also went through O.Henry collected works again, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni and witing for the 7th Potter book.
 
  • #28
shramana said:
I just finished reading complete Sherlock Holmes collection for the third time.
Also went through O.Henry collected works again, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni and witing for the 7th Potter book.

I know I'm definitely in the minority here, but I only read one of the Potter books. I never really got into them, even though I do like fantasy/scifi. I don't really know why they don't appeal to me.
 
  • #29
:eek::eek: blasphemer! :biggrin:
I'm so into them. The only book that isn't as good as the rest is the 5th one (order of the phoenix). it's ok, but not much happens for a book that weighs more than its average reader. and I don't know what the hell jk rowling was thinking with that dragon ball z fight at the end.
and you got to start from the first, I don't know which one you read but it won't make a lot of sense if you don't know who's who and what's what.

though I tottally understand— I can't STAND lord of the rings and Hemingway books. I really don't know what people see in those.

nice signature by the way :smile::smile:

EDIT: nooooo you got rid of the awesomest signature on PF! :cry:
 
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  • #30
blasphemer!:biggrin:

I love The Lord of the Rings!
 

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