Author Topic: Now reading... (Read 254471 times)

Mystique · « **Reply #280 on:** April 18, 2009, 01:27:08 pm »

Quote from: Lucy on April 18, 2009, 12:51:48 pm

That isn't boring.

xD I second that!

Luth · « **Reply #281 on:** April 18, 2009, 01:36:56 pm »

I'm reading "Tales of Mystery and Imagination", from E. A. Poe (who doesn't know the author?

), in English. I used to read a lot of books in English as a professional reader, but I quitted it so... I decided to read something really good in its own language, for not loosing the practice

Markus · « **Reply #282 on:** April 18, 2009, 04:26:11 pm »

Quote from: Lucy on April 18, 2009, 12:51:48 pm

That isn't boring.

How come that I knew that you'd say that?

Seriousl, it isn't boring; in fact it's quite touching - but it does get boring and annoying when you have to read it three times on each page. That's what I meant to say.

Cheers!

Markus

Persephone · « **Reply #283 on:** April 18, 2009, 05:30:29 pm »

I finished 2 books - one from Mika Waltari and second by Stef Penney. Both were wonderful.

Now I am reading a book which I got from V. (my bf) to my b-day. (He knew that I wanted that one

) It's new translation from contemporary Icelandic literature - Árni Thórarinsson "Tími nornarinnar" (In Czech it's The Witch Time, well it's easy to get from tími - time and nornarinnar like nornas... x) ). It's some detective story but ... it's not any typical cheap "crimi". The author works so strongly with descriptions of the atmosphere that it's like movies from Icelandic director Kormákur. So I like that a lot for now.

There are waiting another 2 books for me. Both are this year's edition. One Irish and one Czech ("samizdat" literature). Will write about that further.

Aluqak · « **Reply #284 on:** June 03, 2009, 04:02:49 pm »

Richard Dawkins --- The God Delusion.
Funny, very well written and a straight-to-the-jaw punch on the face of religious freaks. A very entertaining book, and very useful for folks looking for strong arguments against all the religious non-sense of our society. Highly recommended.

saphira · « **Reply #285 on:** June 08, 2009, 11:40:22 am »

Finished with Twilight saga in english... it's not really that bad as I thought.. the movie sucks big time since all that's really important was left out but the books are great! Really smth to read when you need smth that won't be hard and leave a heavy impact on you.. even thou it still left an impact on me.. idealism and stupid romanticism is back in my mind..

The One · « **Reply #286 on:** June 09, 2009, 04:50:21 am »

Shakespeare's "Macbeth" for English.
Man, I'd make this a graphic novel.

Luth · « **Reply #287 on:** June 15, 2009, 08:42:43 pm »

I'm finishing the second book from Stieg Larsson, "The Girl Who Played With Fire"... I'm terribly hooked on that saga

I have a strange feeling when reading it... as if I had to read "Johnsson" or "Niemann" at any moment... I don't know why

Markus · « **Reply #288 on:** June 21, 2009, 09:18:34 pm »

Apart from a textbook on solar observation I'm reading the Fever-series by Karen Marie Moning. In short it's about a young woman who discovers that she can see the Fae, mythical, powerful, alien and very dangerous creatures that are threatening to invade our world. Her sister has been murdered, and she makes this discovery in the search for her sister's murderer. She finds an ally, but what his actual goals are, on which side he really stands remains unclear.

I hate the fact that she separated the story into so many books; this makes the books too short for my taste and brings too many repetitions (for each book contains summary information from the earlier books so each book can be understood without knowing the earlier ones). But I like the story! It's full unexpected twists and turns and dares to be dark. Moning even dares - beware of spoiler! - to let the big bad thing happen that the heroine is struggling to prevent. Recommendable if you enjoy fantasy and aren't scared by some rather explicit sexual descriptions.

Cheers!

Markus

The One · « **Reply #289 on:** June 22, 2009, 12:58:05 am »

@Markus: Green sweaty alien sex?

Topic: I should be reading George Orwell's "1984", but I can't check it out of the school's library for obvious reasons. I think that whenever I can pass by a book shop, I'll get myself a copy. I mean, not only is this book summer reading, but really, I've wanted to read it. I've read Orwell before, and I liked it.

Markus · « **Reply #290 on:** June 22, 2009, 08:59:53 am »

Nah, not that kind, young One.

A certain kind of Fae has the ability to arouse women by its sheer presence to a level that would be thought impossible. It can kill this way if it wants to. The heroine starts undressing without thought under that influence. A typical passage is "A bra was on the museum-floor. It was mine." It gets more explicit than that, though.

Basically, the whole story is much like Lovecraftian lore. The Fae are more tangible, though. They can disguise themselves as human and will then pass as human for most human eyes, with just a few exceptions. And some of them interact with humans. There is a maze of political games among the Fae, and some include certain powerful humans in their plans. As I said it's a nice reading; too bad that Moning has chopped it into too short books, presumnigly just to be able to sell more copies.

Cheers!

Markus

Aluqak · « **Reply #291 on:** June 22, 2009, 01:04:41 pm »

mmm.... sounds like a good travelling book to me. I'll try to check it out during my next trip.

Loke · « **Reply #292 on:** July 02, 2009, 02:37:36 am »

Tales of Canterbury , could the Decameron get any better?? IT CAN!!

yo yo yo

saphira · « **Reply #293 on:** July 21, 2009, 11:32:21 am »

Finished reading:
- Katherine McMahon: The Alchemist's Daughter
- Paulo Coelho: O demonio e a senhorita Prym
- Valerio Massimo Manfredi: Lo scudo di Talos
- Patrick Suskind: Das Parfum

Now reading:
V. M. Manfredi: L'impero dei draghi

Mystique · « **Reply #294 on:** July 21, 2009, 02:37:53 pm »

@saph: is coelho really good? cuz like I have this book, the witch of portobello, bought it quite some time ago, thought it might be interesting, but then I heard all this people say how boring coelho is and how pretentious he sounds and all, and then I started putting it off, I was like I'm gonna read it after I'm done with this, and then something else came up, so I never got to read it...I probably will sometime, maybe after I'm done with what I'm reading at the moment...I was just wondering...what you (and if anyone else read him too) thought about him....

Luth · « **Reply #295 on:** July 22, 2009, 07:46:06 am »

I'm reading "Ensayo sobre la ceguera" ("Blindness" in the English version), from José Saramago, for second time. The most terrible reading, the the one I like the most... Someday I've to dare to watch the movie (I've heard it's not bad)

Lucy · « **Reply #296 on:** July 22, 2009, 09:10:37 am »

Mysti, I like Coelho.

I envy the ease, the lightness how he writes, and I like his style. I even like the things he says about life, I think he's mostly right. Sometimes I feel that he's trying to convince me, and that he's too much, or too heavy... but I still like him. Try to read the "alchemist" (I don't know the exact title). If you don't like mysterious-overdecorated-oriental-touchy literature, then you probably won't like him. But still I think he's worth a reading.

Aluqak · « **Reply #297 on:** July 22, 2009, 10:40:50 am »

I used to like a lot Coelho when I was younger, Misty. My fave was and still is The Alchemist (yep, that's the right title Lucy

). However, with time his books become redundant and quiet cheesy. So, I would say, give it a try, but some moderation is advised. Have a nice reading Misty

Oh... now (trying to) read (and to get rid of) "... y si habla mal de España es español" (... and if he talks badly about Spain, he's a Spaniard) by Fernando Sánchez Dragó. I don't like the style and misanthropic views exposed in this book, but somehow I'm still sticked to it. I would be very surprised if I finish it.

Mystique · « **Reply #298 on:** July 22, 2009, 11:46:09 am »

@Lucy: mysterious, overdecorated, touchy you say

I should like him then.

k then, thank you guys for sharing your opinions with me - I'll go with what I have at home first, and then I'll borrow The Alchemist from the library.

[edit]: I'm half way done with The Witch of Portobello. I might as well finish it today. I dunno, the book is captivating, I can't deny that, and you just can't stop reading it once you've started. However, I think he's pushing the philosophy too hard. Sometimes it's just, as Lucy said, too much. The book could work without that as well. As for his style...well...I must say it is kind of odd for me, but that's mostly because I'm so used to romantic writers (e.g. O. Wilde, E.A. Poe etc.); I simply like their style better. But it is simple and fluent (I agree with you on this too, Lucy), which makes the book pretty readable.

All in all, Coelho is not as bad as I've been told, but he's not something too special either. Just a decent read.

saphira · « **Reply #299 on:** July 22, 2009, 05:45:32 pm »

@Misty: Sorry for a late reply. I see everyone else already told you what I would and what you later discovered yourself. I like the way he explains life and relations with nature and other people but at the same time I hate this "God" attitude. God will do that, god will punish you for that, devil is trying to make you whatever... That was what disturbed me most in the Miss Prym book. That was the first book I got from him to read and maybe I'll read some more. He's not that bad or anything but it's just not my cup of tea. I really need to be in a mood for such books or they make me feel mad.

Now I'm enjoying last 100 pages of Manfredi's "Imperium of dragons".. I love such historical books with a story that makes me feel

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Author Topic: Now reading... (Read 254471 times)