"What book are ye reading ritemeow?"

Ishiguru is amazing! All his books are simply jaw dropping... Im pretty sure I bawled my eyes out multiple times after Never Let Me Go. Actually, after most of his books... 

Mentioned above was The Sparrow, I really like that one too- I love when Science Fiction blends with Elements of religion and Belief. I liked that aspect of Hyperion as well . 

I'm about 1/4 into Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer. Excellent so far! 

Denali’s Howl by Andy Hall.

Trevor Kerberwrote:

Just finished East of Eden. All I can say is that it's fantastic.

I'm currently 500 pages in and I concur! 

Have you read anything by Wallace Stegner? If not, try Angle of Repose. It's outstanding.

The Way of the Hermit: My Incredible 40 Years Living in the Wilderness - Ken Smith

Ken, no Stegner for me yet, but I added Angle of Repose to the list. 

I restarted Moby Dick after three previous failed attempts. I'm happy to say that it's going well and I've set a new highpoint. Maybe this time I'll redpoint it ;) I think that I'm a more conditioned reader now than I was then, and it's helped a lot. 

I also have Stone Desert by Childs in my pack as a book to read by headlamp under the stars while camping. So far, it's been a great way to ease myself into sleep.

Armageddon in retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut. Short stories published after his death. Just finished his timequake book. Always an interesting guy to read. 

Looking for recommendations. What title to start with from, Paul Theroux? Have to read any yet.

Happy Isles of Oceania is my favorite.

Mike Twrote:

Looking for recommendations. What title to start with from, Paul Theroux? Have to read any yet.

Old Patagonian express is my personal favorite, followed by riding the iron rooster 

Day of Battle. Horrific WWII. Compelling none the less. 

Grapes of Wrath 

Breakfast of Champions.

I've read a few Kurt Vonnegut novels and loved them but this one, although written in the early '70's, is hitting just a bit too apropos for me and I'm finding it so depressing!

But it is really good and I've only 50 pages left so I'll see it through to the end today!

Returning for the third year to my summer attempts at finishing the six original Dune books! I'm about two-thirds of the way through God-Emperor right now and hope to at least finish it, if not make it through Heretics, by the end of August.

Quinn McLaughlinwrote:

Returning for the third year to my summer attempts at finishing the six original Dune books! I'm about two-thirds of the way through God-Emperor right now and hope to at least finish it, if not make it through Heretics, by the end of August.

I've only read the first one and loved it! You'll have to let me know  what you think of the next five!

And I finished Breakfast of Champions. So very good but so scary that it was written 50 years ago but could have been written three months ago!

Quinn McLaughlinwrote:

Returning for the third year to my summer attempts at finishing the six original Dune books! I'm about two-thirds of the way through God-Emperor right now and hope to at least finish it, if not make it through Heretics, by the end of August.

How are you doing? Heretics and Chapterhouse get FUNKY. Hopefully you're having fun with them in year 3. 

I FINALLY finished Moby Dick. I believe this was my 3rd or 4th attempt, and it took two months of effort ~10 pages per night before bed. I think it's about whaling.

It really is a great book, but it took some discipline. There were lots of human condition sections and text-painting sections that were worth it, interspersed with an ocean of discussion about EVERY possible intricacy of whaling.

The Trial is next, I think.

Trevor Kerberwrote:

I FINALLY finished Moby Dick. I believe this was my 3rd or 4th attempt, and it took two months of effort ~10 pages per night before bed. I think it's about whaling.

It really is a great book, but it took some discipline. There were lots of human condition sections and text-painting sections that were worth it, interspersed with an ocean of discussion about EVERY possible intricacy of whaling.

I loved Moby Dick.

I grew up on Cape Cod. I fell in love with the story as soon as he started writing about Nantucket and New Bedford. So many whaling harpoons and things in my home town as decorations on the walls in restaurants. I loved the humor of the inn with queequeg in the beginning. I didn’t know I wanted to go whaling until I read that book. So many memorable moments. Sharks following the boats, the feeling of sperm whale oil on your hands, amazing.

On recent reading, I just started rereading Blood Meridian now that I understand Spanish 

Cory Nwrote:

On recent reading, I just started rereading Blood Meridian now that I understand Spanish 

Oh man!  That book hit HARD!  And I'm sure that I only "got" about 10% of the meanings that he was going for.

Still loved it and read it in two days.

I need to reread it as well.  So love all the novels of his that I have read.

Just finished Malcolm Brown, Imperial War Museum Book of 1918: Year of Victory (1999).  He makes extensive use of the first-person accounts and often quotes them at length.  Written from a British perspective, though there are some German and American voices.  Nice contrast to Fussell's classic book on WWI, The Great War and Modern Memory (1975).

A fools progress by Edward Abbey.

Trevor Kerberwrote:

How are you doing? Heretics and Chapterhouse get FUNKY. Hopefully you're having fun with them in year 3. 

Finished God-Emperor but didn’t bring Heretics on my August backpacking trips. Now I’m back at college and sidetracking hard into schoolwork, so I think the final two entries in the series will have to wait at least until Christmas. I did enjoy God-Emperor, but it felt a little underwhelming (as in, it’s simply a very-good book instead of an outstanding one).

I also read Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver last month, which was legitimately incredible. One of the best contemporary novels I’ve read in a long time, and one that I just devoured.