NationStates Jolt Archive

I should have taken my hurricane-enforced vacation from electricity to read through potential textbooks for my classes next term--I'm leaning toward the Norton Introduction to Poetry along with a collection or two of poems released in the last couple of years.

But instead, I finished up Che: A Revolutionary Life, a loooooong biography of Che Guevara, and worked on a couple of books of essays, Out of Eden by W. S. DiPiero and The Critical Tradition.

So what have you been working through, and why?

So what have you been working through, and why?

Current Obstetric & Gynecologic Diagnosis & Treatment (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838514014/qid=1130815606/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/026-4164049-7760434)

Why? Well, it should be pretty obvious why.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, The Partner, Runaway Jury, Freedom's Choice, The Inferno.

I normally read three books at the same time and try to finish at least two a week. After I finish The Partner and Runaway Jury (this afternoon) I've officially read every book in my home library at least twice.

Current Obstetric & Gynecologic Diagnosis & Treatment (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838514014/qid=1130815606/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/026-4164049-7760434)

Why? Well, it should be pretty obvious why.
Ah, but you forget--I've been incommunicado for more than a week, and unable to keep up. So is it med school? Unlikely that you'd be pregnant, I think. :D

I'm reading Russian Pulp, which is obviously about Russian crime novels, for reasons which I will never understand. I've never even finished an example of the stories that this book is about, and I'm not assigned to do so for a class, yet I am reading it anyway. Its the same impulse that used to make me read dictionaries and encyclopedias, but given a slightly less geeky use.
I'm also reading Closing Time, the inferior sequel to Catch-22.

EDIT: It should be noted that saying "inferior sequel to Catch-22" is like saying "quieter shotgun blast." Even when writing weak sequels Joseph Heller is pretty damn good.

Current Obstetric & Gynecologic Diagnosis & Treatment (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838514014/qid=1130815606/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/026-4164049-7760434)

Why? Well, it should be pretty obvious why.
I'm tossing up between three options:

1) You've decided to loose the testes and become a woman. But given your disdain for all things hetrosexual, I doubt that.

2) You're becomming a Gynocologist. But given your aversion to the genitalia of women....

3) You're fucked in the head.

Ah, but you forget--I've been incommunicado for more than a week, and unable to keep up. So is it med school? Unlikely that you'd be pregnant, I think. :D

I'm doing gyno for the rest of the year. Yay. Actually, yay! It's very interesting.

2) You're becomming a Gynocologist. But given your aversion to the genitalia of women....

My aversion is purely sexual. It does not extend to the medical.

My aversion is purely sexual. It does not extend to the medical.Waaaaaaaaaaaaait... Does this mean you'll be helping people to "breed"...?

I've got one more exam until the end of the semester. So that is my priority for now. Once the semester is over I really need to get hold of the books for a couple of papers I want to do in the summer semester.

They are language papers and I appear to be not at all gifted when it comes to learning a 2nd language, so I intend to work through as much as I can before the semester starts.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaait... Does this mean you'll be helping people to "breed"...?

Not people. Heterosexuals, mostly.

Not people. Heterosexuals, mostly.
BEST.... CALL... EV-ER!

BEST.... CALL... EV-ER!

The truth does tend to be noteworthy.

I"m reading "Citizen Soldiers" by Stephen Ambrose.
Its for an academic competition in school.
It isn't bad. Not too overly patiotic, which is good. I was worried I wouldn't be able to stomach it.

I'm reading Robert Jordan's new book in the Wheel of Time series, Knife of Dreams. Actully, I haven't gotten to it yet; it's been so long since one came out, I am re-reading the previous book first so I remember what's going on.

I'm reading Robert Jordan's new book in the Wheel of Time series, Knife of Dreams. Actully, I haven't gotten to it yet; it's been so long since one came out, I am re-reading the previous book first so I remember what's going on.
Would you please tell me what number the book is, or the name of the previous book, or better still both?

Thanks for that AllCoolNamesAreTaken. :D

Would you please tell me what number the book is, or the name of the previous book, or better still both?

KoD is book 11. The previous one (10, of course) is Crossroads of Twilight.

Just finished Desire of the Everlasting Hills, by Thomas Cahill

Started, Journey to the center of the earth, by Jules Verne (little fun break)

Eyewitness to America, edited by David Colbert is next. A collection of writings covering the impressions of three hundred writers, from 1692 Salem witch trials through 1994 e-mail from Bill Gates.

Anything by Niel gaiman, I've been intending to read for a while. Will soon

I'm currently reading to Kill and Take Possesion, a scholarly researched book (academic, not religious) on ancient Jewish law extrapolated from stories in the Hebrew Bible. very interesting stuff.

Anything by Niel gaiman, I've been intending to read for a while. Will soon

I'm currently reading to Kill and Take Possesion, a scholarly researched book (academic, not religious) on ancient Jewish law extrapolated from stories in the Hebrew Bible. very interesting stuff.
Sounds good. I might see if I can pick up a copy.

I'm currently reading Caleb Carrs "The lessons of terror", and I find it interesting in the way it sheds light on both the military and the psychological side of the many aspects of terror employed by the military, guerillas and actual terrorists over the centuries.
It's a non-fiction book, so if I keep reading it it has to be good ;)

Also, I'm reading Thomas Brussig's "Helden wie wir" http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0374169837/qid=1130830535/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-2352155-3304752?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 which is one of the funniest books I read this year. Even if you are not into German history at all, give it a try. Such a brilliant satyre...

nothing...
I lost fun in reading books

I'm reading 1984. I have to type a 5 page essay on it for monday. Thankfully I am just before the half way point in the book:rolleyes:. Then for the next book I will probably read A Brave New World and have to write a longer essay on it. Then I will probably read Jennifer Government over Xmas break because my friend read it and said it was really good.

I'm doing my pre-doctoral thingy, or whatever you call it in English, so I'm plowing through a list of books on a topic of my own choosing: the role of British culture in the formation of national identity in New Zealand and its dependencies. :p

Thus I'm currently reading Tokelau: A Historical Ethnography, by J. Huntsman & A. Hooper. Next on my list is Inventing New Zealand: Everyday Myths of Pakeha Identity, by Claudia Bell.

Currently, Im about to start Mary Shelly's Frankenstien.

Never read it.

I read American Gods by Neil Gaiman and 1984 by George Orwell.

I'm halfway through "Killing Rain" by Barry Eisler. Itst he fourth in his John Rain series, pretty good.

I usually average a book a week, both fiction and non-fiction.

I'm reading the 50th anniversary edition of The Roosevelt Myth by John T. Flynn.

KoD is book 11. The previous one (10, of course) is Crossroads of Twilight.

You mean Robert Jordan is nearly finished!!!! (well the WoT anyway).

I've only ever read the first book, but i'm still oddly excitied by the prospect of the WoT ending...

And here's me thinking the Belgariad and the Mallorian were dragged out...

Anyway right now i'm reading book 3 of the Saga of the Seven Suns by Kevin J Anderson (pure pulp but oddly compelling) and A book about the Zulu war.

I should have taken my hurricane-enforced vacation from electricity to read through potential textbooks for my classes next term--I'm leaning toward the Norton Introduction to Poetry along with a collection or two of poems released in the last couple of years.

But instead, I finished up Che: A Revolutionary Life, a loooooong biography of Che Guevara, and worked on a couple of books of essays, Out of Eden by W. S. DiPiero and The Critical Tradition.

So what have you been working through, and why?
Recent books I recommend:

A Deepness In The Sky, Vernor Vinge

The Seven Brothers Trilogy by Curt Benjamin (it's kind of like the typical ancient-saga fiction stuff, but with a unique Asian twist...instead of knights, you get samurai)

Fray (graphic novel), written by Joss Whedon

about a dozen half-read or just-started books, including Gormenghast, The Amber Spyglass (again), a biography of Gandhi, biography of Che, and a whole bunch of others i can't even remember the names of right now...

dyslexic = slow reader = easily lose interest in books :(

You mean Robert Jordan is nearly finished!!!! (well the WoT anyway).
I've only ever read the first book, but i'm still oddly excitied by the prospect of the WoT ending...


Back when I was in high school (like 12 years ago) I was reading WoT, and go SO pissed because it took so long for the next book to come out. So I swore off Jordan after book 6, and didn't pick it back up until I was in the hospiital for three months last year. I had pleanty of time, so I went through 1-10 at that time, and couldn't wait til book 11 came out this month. Of course, now it'll be 3 or 4 years before book 12, so I will go back to hating him for being so slow, and I will forget everything, and have to start re-reading the whole series a few months before the final book comes out.

Current Obstetric & Gynecologic Diagnosis & Treatment (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838514014/qid=1130815606/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/026-4164049-7760434)

Why? Well, it should be pretty obvious why.
For the pictures? Wait, that doesn't make sense. Unless, Fass has gone hetero!

Ugh, i've had enough reading what with having exams to study for. I think i'll leave it for a couple of weeks.

I'm reading Retreat, Hell! by W.E.B. Griffin because it seemed to be the only interesting book on sale at the train station newsstand.

Re-reading Weber's Harrington series, cause I'm bored, and getting Gaiman's latest over the weekend.

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
An excellent book. I picked up a copy for 50p (about 90 cents, for the Americans out there) from a book sale. Be sure to check out her new highly critical biography of Mao Zedong.

Cooperativity Theory in Biochemistry- Steady-State and Equilibrium Systems-- for school

A Commotion in the Blood and Chaos-- for fun. The first is about the history of immunology, techniques, things like that-- very cool book, the second, well, the name says it all-- not ad but not too far into it either

C. S. Lewis' Out of the Silent Planet and W. E. B. DuBois' The Souls of Black Folk because I like authors whose names are only given in initials. And because they're required for classes.

I should have taken my hurricane-enforced vacation from electricity to read through potential textbooks for my classes next term--I'm leaning toward the Norton Introduction to Poetry along with a collection or two of poems released in the last couple of years.

But instead, I finished up Che: A Revolutionary Life, a loooooong biography of Che Guevara, and worked on a couple of books of essays, Out of Eden by W. S. DiPiero and The Critical Tradition.

So what have you been working through, and why?

All of Conan Doyle's Holmes stories
and Sun Tzu's "Art of War" are set for rereads...

And I just finished my upteenth reading of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

I'm doing gyno for the rest of the year. Yay. Actually, yay! It's very interesting.
what year of medical school are you in?

dan harrington on hold'em vol 1&2

gotta get them read before i go on vacation on monday. 10 days of sun, booze and poker!

Game of Thrones right now (re-reading the Song of Fire and Ice series before Feast for Crows. Before that, I was reading Pale Blue Dot for fun and an Organic Chem book for pain (er... Chemistry Certification)

Currently reading: The Hunt For Red October by Tom Clancy. After seeing RPs that drew some comparisons to the genre he essentially began, I decided to read the book that started it all. Within just the first two chapters, I saw what all the fuss was about.

I've been reading Pressure Point by Dick Couch, though that one took a little while longer for me to get into and it's now been stymied by Clancy. I'll most likely get back to reading it though.

On my future reading list is The War That Never Was by Michael A. Palmer, based on the recommendations of two NS roleplayers I've gamed with. I'm now awaiting the book so I can begin reading it.

I've also read Battle Born by Dale Brown, which started off as a very dense read, heavily technical in many places and it was a labour to read until around the second half of the 555 page book. Not my favourite book I've ever read. Other recent books I've read include All Quiet On The Western Front (re-read), and other books I've bought to enhance my military RPing.

Mein Kampf, The Communist Manifesto and The Nazi Dictatorship: Problems and Perspectives of Interpretation

my "fun" book club is on holiday till after november

but we are currently doing The Shadow of the Winds

Not read much in a while - except scholarly books for seminars etc.
Keep buying the buggers though. I've got 11 or 12 I've not read, but that doesn't stop me buying more. Once I've graduated (July, hopefully), I'm going on a reading binge! :)
Last book I bought was A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich. For 99p. It'll probably get read by this time next year.

Just finished
In Harm's Way - Doug Stanton (about USS Indianapolis)
The Last True Story I'll Ever Tell - John Crawford

Reading
Jennifer Government - Max Barry

On the list
The Rest of Left Behind series
Killing Pablo - Mark Bowden

For classes:

Rise of the Vulcans : the history of Bush's war cabinet by James Mann
The American Age : United States Foreign Policy At Home And Abroad : 1750 To Present by Walter LaFeber
Comparative politics today : a world view edited by Gabriel A. Almond et al.
There are no children here : the story of two boys growing up in the other America by Alex Kotlowitz
The Bill of Rights : original meaning and current understanding edited by Eugene W. Hickok, Jr

And just for fun:

A translation of Lao Tzu's Tao te ching and Wang Pi's commentary by Paul J. Lin
What is property; an inquiry into the principle of right and of government by P. J. Proudhon, translated from the French by Benjamin R. Tucker

Let's see...I am currently reading:

The Two Towers by Tolkein
The BarryTown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle
Desolation Angels by Jack Kerouac
Linux: The Textbook
and (with my kids)
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

I was born without the ability to read one book at a time.

So what have you been working through, and why?

"John," by Cynthia Lennon. One of the best accounts of the Beatles that I've ever read.

"A People's Tragedy" and "Natasha's Dance" by Orlando Figes for my History A-Level, as well as "The Rise and Fall of the British Empire" by D.H. Lawrence, just because it's interesting, and "Equal Rites" by Terry Pratchett for pure enjoyment, and to take my mind off other things just before I go to sleep so I actually sleep as opposed to waking up at 3 in the morning from stress-induced nightmares.:rolleyes:

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Best book I have ever read, and I have read kinda lot.

This is the third time with this book, and like in the second time, I keep finding these new aspects, new levels, new points of view. It's incredible, and I surely recommend it to everyone with open mind.

No need to be a fantasy-liker, even. Just try it, and it'll take you.

"A People's Tragedy" and "Natasha's Dance" by Orlando Figes for my History A-Level, as well as "The Rise and Fall of the British Empire" by D.H. Lawrence, just because it's interesting, and "Equal Rites" by Terry Pratchett for pure enjoyment, and to take my mind off other things just before I go to sleep so I actually sleep as opposed to waking up at 3 in the morning from stress-induced nightmares.:rolleyes:
A People's Tragedy is a bloody good book for the Russian history A Level...you might want to try Robert Service's 'Russia: A History' - I think that's what it's called. Pretty much got me through that course :)

Well, now I'm at Uni, I'm reading many of the classics, particularly sci-fi ones for one of my modules. The books on my Uni shelf include:

1984 - George Orwell

War of the Worlds - H G Wells

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep - Philip K Dick

Plus a few more general ones:

The Pale Horseman - Bernard Cornwell (Actually signed!)

Never Surrender - Michael Dobbs (A brilliant part fiction part fact account of the early days of Churchills premiership in 1940)

1421: The Year China Discovered America. by Gavin Menzies
Rats by (I forgot and I'd have to get up and look so haha)
Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card
Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Cthulu 2001 by Many people
Eamon de Valera: The Man who Was Ireland
I think that's it.

Unless I happen to spot something interesting.

Shardik, Our Inner Ape (not about evolution/ID (not really anyway)) and Giovanni's Room.

what year of medical school are you in?

We don't count the same way as Anglo-Saxon countries do, so the year is irrelevant, and I don't know how I would convert to a system that would make sense to you.

I'm reading the 50th anniversary edition of The Roosevelt Myth by John T. Flynn.

What's that about?

currently I'm reading nietzsches "beyond good and evil" and I just finished marx's "capital"

Regular re-reads currently in the bathroom for re-reading:

The Face of War, by John Keegan
On The Origins of War by Donald Kagan

Highly recommended short reads:

Jeff Cooper, The Art of the Rifle
Hyperspace, by Kaku

Reads that I do to kill time and keep my brain numb:

Artillery Circular N (Published by the US Army)
Small Arms of the World by Ezell
Sierra Reloading Manual (the math section concerning ballistics)

Current Obstetric & Gynecologic Diagnosis & Treatment (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0838514014/qid=1130815606/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_8_1/026-4164049-7760434)

Why? Well, it should be pretty obvious why.

Hooray! :)

I'm currently reading Molecular Endocrinology (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0121112322/qid=1131152144/sr=1-11/ref=sr_1_11/104-8915806-4080706?v=glance&s=books)

I have "1776" sitting at home. Anyone read it? Liked it?
I love David McCoullouge (sp?). I read his book on the Johnstown flood, and I'm thinking about reading his biography of Adams, which my aunt loved.

I just finished Wolves Eat Dogs (an Arkady Renko story) by Martin Cruz Smith. It was good, but not as good as the earlier ones, like Gorky Park & Red Square.

I'm currently reading The System of the World by Neal Stephenson. It's book three of the Baroque Cycle & I'm enjoying it (& the whole series) very much.

I'm reading Pride and Prejudice, but Jane Eyre kicks it's butt! I need to read Wuthering Heights, but they don't have any copies of it in this lame city.

I read Martin Cruz Smith's bokk set in Cuba (Title?) I liked it, well researched.

So what have you been working through, and why?

At the moment, I'm struggling through "The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life" by Erving Goffman. I should really just start reading it again from the beginning, since I started reading it three months ago and hardly even look at it now. I read a few pages every now and then, but by now I've forgotten what went before.

I read Martin Cruz Smith's bokk set in Cuba (Title?) I liked it, well researched.

Havana Bay, I'm pretty sure it was. Yeah, I liked that one too. Very enjoyable. To the best of my knowledge, he's written five books about Arkady Renko; Gorky Park, Polar Star, Red Square, Havana Bay & Wolves Eat Dogs. I thought Wolves Eat Dogs was the weakest.

What's that about?

Franklin Roosevelt, how he was a fascist, a liar, and a fraud.

Havana Bay, I'm pretty sure it was. Yeah, I liked that one too. Very enjoyable. To the best of my knowledge, he's written five books about Arkady Renko; Gorky Park, Polar Star, Red Square, Havana Bay & Wolves Eat Dogs. I thought Wolves Eat Dogs was the weakest.
Sounds right:) I gotta read Gorky Park.

Franklin Roosevelt, how he was a fascist, a liar, and a fraud.

Ah a book on the anti-Roosevelt Thesis. It blames him for Pearl Harbor too, correct?

Sounds good. I might see if I can pick up a copy.Well, I wouldn't reccomend it for 'light' reading (To Kill and Take Possesion, I mean). It's actually required for a religion class I'm taking. And it's best to have some background in Bible. That said, it is written in an engaging style, and presents quite ineresting trends and conclusions. So yeah, go for it.

I should have taken my hurricane-enforced vacation from electricity to read through potential textbooks for my classes next term--I'm leaning toward the Norton Introduction to Poetry along with a collection or two of poems released in the last couple of years.

But instead, I finished up Che: A Revolutionary Life, a loooooong biography of Che Guevara, and worked on a couple of books of essays, Out of Eden by W. S. DiPiero and The Critical Tradition.

So what have you been working through, and why?


I read the Norton one when I did my BA. I also found a book called Metre, Rhythm and Verse Form by Philip Hobsbaum was quite helpful, as it runs through most of the types of structure of verse through history, how to notate them, and put definitions on the various attributes of verse technique.

At the moment, I'm trying to get time to read the Bourne trilogy, as I think I'm the only person out there who hasn't read them yet! :rolleyes:

After reading what everyone else is reading, I feel lowbrow about putting my list. Oh well we can't all be deep all the time.

Finish book 4 of Cirque de Freak: Vampire Mountain. Darren Shan (?)
Finish Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl

Reading Love Bites by Lysay Sands




Is Pride and Prejudice old enough to be up on the net? Maybe I am wrong.