Literature that you're enjoying ....

[Kamikazee]

So for the last few weeks I haven't really posted much, I've been busy, what more can I say. While I've checked in almost daily to see how things are going, I've been the proverbial stalker, watching from afar ....

So, the story of this thread goes something like this ....

I've always been interested in reading, when I got my teeth into a book I couldn't be distracted. During my teenage years it was mostly Science Fiction, specifically the Star Wars expanded universe. At university I never really read that much, a few books here and there, but nothing significant. I started back up again towards my last few months at the Royal College, mostly science fiction. Then I decided to expand my mind and start taking in more. For the last two and a bit years I've churned through a decent amount of literature. Playing a game of catch up compared to what my better half has read. I'm mainly reading classic lit and modern lit at the moment, along with some philosophy.

The first book to really kick start my desire to embark on this quest to devour every word I could find, was `Meditations` by Marcus Aurelius. A book that I would highly recommend to everyone. Whenever I go anywhere with work, or on holidays, I take my penguin classics edition with me.

Since that early November day in 2009, I have always had a book open, and a backlog of books on my coffee table screaming to be opened. To be explored. I've read more literature of value since graduating the college, then I did in my life beforehand.

Though, one differentiating clause needs to be inserted, there is reading, and then there is reading. To quote 'Educating Rita', "Devouring pulp fiction is not being well-read". This is a concerning trend, when you can walk into a book store and there is an entire section devoted to 'Paranormal Romance'. Apparently they sell toilet paper in book stores now.

While I am in the middle of finishing up Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy, the books on the top the 'to read' pile that I have with me, are `Lolita`, and Marquez with `Love in the Time of Cholera` and `One Hundred Years of Solitude`. Once finished, I have a large collection of books at home, desperately awaiting to be posted to me. Last year I compiled together ten different 'top 100' lists of classical literature, and have been slowly making my way through it. In doing so I have read some great stories, grown and discovered more to life; to the dismay of the culture that goes with the organisation to which I'm employed by. You get weird looks and stigmatised when spending the spare time you have buried in a book, or pushing for a broader intellect, let alone having a different opinion.

I recently finished reading `Monoculture` by F.S. Michaels, which is another great read on how a single story and culture can blend into every single aspect of our lives, taking over and changing the way we think and act.

Last year I started reading Henry Thoreau's works, and will start reading Ralph Waldo Emerson's when it turns up in the mail, and I really enjoy Ernest Hemingway. Randomly, John Milton contributed more words to the English language than any other author, including Shakespeare. I've read Paradise Lost and Regained, and have beautiful editions of Dante's Divine Comedy whose words are awaiting to be read, and brought to life.

I have so much more to read, and so much more to learn. I am looking forward to a moment soon, to see the expression on my colleagues faces when I turn up to work with Karl Marx's `Communist Manifesto`.

To conclude this monologue, the literature I have read in the last two years, both classic and modern, has changed my life. I understand more about life and the significance it holds, more about the existence of the self, expression and that words have greater meaning. While it can be attributed to general maturity, but I drink significantly less than i used too, I don't put up with all the meaningless garbage that my friends were generating and pandering about, and I have a clearer vision of what it means to be me.

So what books are you reading? what would you like to read? What books have you really enjoyed ....

[Renzokuken]

A book i recently read was ' Alone' by james phelan It was the greatest book i had read all last year as it had the massive twist in the end that would make you re read some of the chapters again to understand what happen he currently has 2 more books that continue on which i yet have to read >.<

[Mr_Bombadil]

"One Hundred Years of Solitude"
i love that book so much

[Brunowa]

I'm a massive fan of biography's/autobiography's... always super insprirational and I find this is where you can learn loads regarding life, and different perspectives and challenges in life.

Lance Armstrong's 'Its Not About the Bike' is absolutely amazing... written in 2005 I think, talking through how he was given 30% chance to live due to cancer, a year later he wins the tour de france and wins 7 consecutively thereafter.

When I'm up for some entertainment I enjoy Thrillers with a good intense/mysteric storyline.

Thirdly, I read business and emotional intelligence books, as this is my field of work.

[frodo]

As a kiddy it was all fantasy novels for me. I liked Tolkien , Eddings, Julien May, all the 50's writers like Asimov and Phillip k Dick. Then as a natural progression from that as all those escapism style books have a history as the background of the stories I had a crossover period of authors like Anne Rices vampire books which are fantasy weaved into real world history. Then into historical stories like Colleen McCullochs' Masters of Rome series.

I don't mind the odd bio on ppl I find interesting. One that comes to mind was on a scientist named Richard Fynman ( spelling could be wrong) I think the authors name was Bennett . The guy was a freak . Understood how the world works like nobody else has. Well worth checking out.

Currently trying to fight my way through the history of religion by a nun named Karen something or the other and the colony by grace kranskin.

The rise of the Internet though has slackened my pace from a book a day to one over a period of months.

[INKoRP]

I'm more of a sci-fi reader. I think I would have read almost EVERY book by Robert Heinlein by now (kind of avoided the short stories, too much of a tease.. and a few here and there by authors like Larry Niven, Orson Scott Card.

Currently searching for another author along the Niven/Heinlein lines to devour, Card is close but not 100% what I'm after.

Also... do you guys prefer actual books or ebooks? Most of what I read nowadays was on my PSP (homebrew ebook reader 'Bookr' great piece of software). Since that's died I now use Moon Reader on my S2.

[frodo]

Ps let me know what your thoughts on Dante are from the pov of a story , not as a piece of art. It's something I have always meant to read and have not got around to.

Pss which royal college?

[frodo]

Ah Heinlein..... He's the other 50's dude I was tryin to remember. Thx inky. Have you tried Phillip k Dick( I was going to say have you tried Dick but it just didn't sound right)?

[Noobitor]

When younger I thrived on Sci/fantasy and swept through more than a few series over the years , but now days its more History and Mythology that draws me in.

Currently Reading
Mary Queen of Scots - Alison Weir
The Templars - Piers Paul Read
Helen of Troy - Bettany Hughs

After reading J. R. R. Tolkien. stuff like The Once and Future King - T. H. White , I got interested in the source of these stories ,like holinshed's chronicles , cronicles of the picts , and other Old Scottish and Irish stuff that survived through the ages and pillageings .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annals_of_the_Four_Masters

Funny thing with history is so many different versions of some events , which makes for really interesting reading.

The internet has really changed the world with access to really old books as now we can read stuff online or DL for later reading books that once only existed in hard copy ,hidden away in a museum or university archive in another country and in another lanuage but are now translated and there for any and every one of us .

Though I love hardcopy, I must have a few years worth of reading in digital formats in front of me by now , it keeps getting better as time goes on and more new/old/ancient books are scanned and available for Download.

A ereader or tablet with long battery life will be next on my wish list

Cheers

[INKoRP]

[booGz]

If you want to read a book that will really change the way you think about life, I highly recomend a book called Stay of Execution by Stewart Alsop.

I wont post any spoilers here -- I'll leave you to find a copy and read this one yourself.

[Kamikazee]

Brunowa, My partners just finished 'Its not about the bike' and she loved it. When I need a break from the classics I'll be diving into that one. Regarding your work in EI, last week I finished Daniel Goleman's 'Emotional Intelligence', which I found fantastic - actually being able to apply terms and greater understanding to concepts and thoughts I already had.

iNKoRP, how did you find Orson Scott Card? I've got 'Enders Game' on order.

Frodo, I'll let you know about Dante, though, that probably won't be until later in the year. I've got a few Philip K Dick stories on order too, but so far it is only 'Ubik' and 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?'

I've had the eBook argument so many times, but for me, you can't replace the smell of a book, or how the pages feel.

[INKoRP]

Enders Game was brilliant, it was very Heinlein-esque. Told a great story. I read the next book and a half after it but I kind of lost insterest. (Got a bit dull)

[Brunowa]

Kami, I'm actually halfway through Daniel Golemans Emotional Intelligence as we speak!

[Kimahri]

1 Book that I thought was just amazing was "The Midnight Express" by Billy Hayes, It's taken from a True story and goes very deep into it's detail.
another 1 of my fav books was "Angels & Demons" by Dan Brown (the movie was like watching playschool compared to reading the book)