What are you reading?

Next genre up - Woman’s Fiction

The Devil Wears Prada

sitting at a tag sale, waiting on people, so picked up Henry V. not sure if i will “genre it”, or just have as a one off

Historical Fiction, was up next, so that works

I recently finished Silk Roads. It took me more than a year to work my way through it, which I think reflects my reading preferences more than the book, but it is a bit closer to a history text book than a light read. Fantastic history book especially for someone raised with traditional American centric teaching.

The author leads with the frustration of how most of the world history he learned growing up was so American/Euro-centric and the goal was do something a little different. I didn’t think he was doing a very good job of that for the first maybe 1/3 of the book (through early middle age? - which is also post of the reason it took me as long as it did) but that is partly a function of other things I already read coupled with a particular focus on southern Europe and North Africa.

I eventually understood the primary focus was on that region as a whole, which extended beyond the time period that my particular education had shifted to focus primarily on Western Europe and North America. I found the focus on that area through both world wars, the discussion about the rise of American influence while Great Britain’s influence was diminishing particularly interesting.

Well written, if a bit dry/textbook-ish.

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I remember those books.

My mother bought the full Encyclopaedia Britannica set in the 1970s. We used it all the time pre-internet (80s and 90s) for reading and school work.

She still has the set at home now.

Picked up “Live and Let Die” from my family library. Old paperback (cover is ripped off, taped back on) in its 15th printing. Wow, a big change so far from the movie that was made 25+ years later.

Started The Overstory by Richard Powers, for book club. Not quite 10% in. So far I like it.

Actuary sighting! (Well, wannabe actuary sighting.)

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Currently listening to the second book in Inheritance Game but put this in my queue. I’d forgotten all about a friend’s recommendation for this a while ago.

Really? I don’t remember that.

The Olivia chapter. I won’t be surprised if she dumps that plan though.

I really liked Part 1 but found the back half to be a bit of a grind.

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Finished a couple fairly short Murakami books: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and Hard-Boiled Wonderland, and started on A Wild Sheep Chase.

“Colorless…” was another great one. Much lighter on the surrealism than some others, but very engaging.

Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into “Hard-Boiled…”. The fantasy / surrealism elements felt very much like Murakami while the characters did not. He’s a master at creating characters that you absolutely fall in love with, even if you aren’t always sure why. I found myself not caring about any of them in this one. The reviews on this one are very divided with many people saying it’s their favorite while many others put it bottom tier.

May try one of the longer ones next.

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Finished.
Sheesh, what pulp fiction. Movie is far more interesting and exciting.
I mean, bad guy found coins of a pirate, and is selling them in the market. But, oooh, for the Soviets!! And that wasn’t all that fleshed out in the book. Seemed the bad guy was just doing it on his own. Was there a kickback to the Soviets? I mean, how else do you sell a bunch of stuff that technically isn’t yours? And how do you keep a bunch of people away from your trove while you smuggle it into the USA?
Nice references to a bunch of racist stereotypes.
Not enough fancy gadgets, either.

I read the first and third books you mentioned but have not read Wonderland. I enjoyed the two I read. A Wild Sheep Chase was very entertaining.

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Just an FYI, I finished this and gave it a solid “meh” rating. Very YA, so depends how you feel about that kind of book. And sadly the actuarial science stuff didn’t come up other than once or twice the rest of the book. I will not be reading the second and third books in this series.

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I just finished Brandon Sanderson’s secret project #2 - enjoyed it, really liked the concept.

Now I’m off to start reading the Dark Tower series.

Well, bummer.

Should finish The Overstory today. Not sure what’s next.

Anybody else like reading Fan Fiction stories?

Just curious.

Brothers Karamazov for the nth time

it’s my fave

from the very beginning, one just wants the old man to get murdered ASAP and it takes a very long time before you get there. he is extremely tiresome and the least surprising murder victim ever… and I’m just at the bit where Rakitin is mentioning to Alyosha that everybody is expecting Dmitry to murder the old man

If you’ve never read it, I highly recommend. That you know the old man will be murdered is not a spoiler, just FYI, but also, it doesn’t really matter if you know who did it. The purpose is not to be a murder mystery.

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