Literature What are you currently reading?

[Lou]

Starsight
by Brandon Sanderson.
Book two of what I think is a trilogy. I read Book One last year and I had to wait a long time for this one. but its a regular old Science Fiction Space Battle type of book.

I got this book out of the library as soon as they allowed curbside pickup. First hardcover I've read this year. I've become a total e-book convert. (Whining teenage voice) Hardcovers are soooo inconvenient.

 

[Lou]

I have only read the first two chapters of Animal Liberation. It is a very thought provoking book by Peter Singer, who was once an omnivore until a friend of his convinced him to become vegan. Animal Farming, Animal Testing, Animal Entertainment and all other forms of Animal Cruelty are a no-no. We should Choose Animal Compassion Over The Animal Within instead.

The e-book I am currently binge reading is The Road. It is a very sad/depressing book but a good-read anyway. A boy and a man are engrossed in a never-ending journey trying to stay alive in an "apocalyptic" world characterised by wintry weather, dead bodies, food scarcity and cannibals.

I read Animal Liberation so long ago I barely remember it. But my recollection is that is was inspiring.

I don't think Peter Singer is vegan. or vegan now.
Here is what he says, "Singer describes himself as a flexible vegan. He writes, "That is, I'm vegan when it's not too difficult to be vegan, but I'm not rigid about this, if I'm traveling for example."
-Wikipedia.

Hey. I like that. I'm more "flexible" than I used to be. Maybe I should go with that label. If it's good enough for Mr. Singer.....

I started Singer's Practical Ethics but never finished it.. I think I might put that back on my list. For the past 6 months, I've had trouble with my attention span. But I think I'm getting better.

I think ethics is the funnest branch of philosophy. Nothing better than a good old college classroom discussion on some branch of ethics. (Or a 2 AM drug-inspired dissection of utilitarianism. )

I read The Road too, and I really liked it. There is a film adaption of the book. I didn't see the movie right away and forgot a lot of the plot points but I've been told that the film adaption is very faithful. The movie is very good whether you've read the book or not. And I don't understand why it didn't win any important awards.

 

[HappyRoxy]

I am currently reading A Good Death by Margaret Rice. It's a non-fiction book, written as a guide to palliative care.

 

[Chryssie]

I have finished the third book in the series I was reading which is called "Golden Age." It covers the 80's, 90's and the 2000's. Since the book was published in 2015, her look into the years of 2016 to 2018 were purely speculative. It was an interesting journey through several generations of the fictional Langdon family touching on many historical events.
I now have "The Hate U Give" to read. I saw the movie and it was really good and the book will have more detail. It is a very relevant story of a young African American girl caught between 2 worlds.

 

[PTree15]

I have finished the third book in the series I was reading which is called "Golden Age." It covers the 80's, 90's and the 2000's. Since the book was published in 2015, her look into the years of 2016 to 2018 were purely speculative. It was an interesting journey through several generations of the fictional Langdon family touching on many historical events.
I now have "The Hate U Give" to read. I saw the movie and it was really good and the book will have more detail. It is a very relevant story of a young African American girl caught between 2 worlds.

My nephew just added The Hate U Give to his digital movie collection, which I have access to. I might have to watch that one.

 

[Sax]

I started The Name of the Wind, but never finished it. I don't remember why. But yeah, it was one of the top Fantasy Picks the year it came out. Let me know how you liked it. Maybe i should give it a second chance. I think its part of a series.

I really enjoyed it. Roughly 1/4 of the way through the story gets pretty bleak and seems to lose momentum so I can see how someone would move on to another book at that point. It turns into a really fast engaging read after that. There's no resolution at the end though...guess I'll have to read part two and wait for the third book to be released.

I ordered part 2 today, along with A Gentleman in Moscow since you liked it so much

 

[Chryssie]

I read the whole book "The Hate U Give" today. It had me in tears even though I knew the story. I think this book should be required reading in every school. The story is very relevant and I think very realistic. It is a Black Lives Matter story. The movie did a good job sticking to the plot too.

 

[Sax]

I read Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines thriller trilogy. His books are always fast reads. Almost time for a new bookcase.

 

[Raven]

The Source - Open Your Mind. Change Your Life. - Dr Tara Swart.

 

[Chryssie]

I read Blake Crouch's Wayward Pines thriller trilogy. His books are always fast reads. Almost time for a new bookcase.

I liked that trilogy! Did you watch the TV series? I was frustrated by the adaptation.

Wayward Pines (TV Series 2015–2016) ⭐ 7.3 | Drama, Horror, Mystery

1h | 15

www.imdb.com

 

[Sax]

I liked that trilogy! Did you watch the TV series?

No I never saw it. Did they make any big changes or did it just generally fall short? Its so rare an adaptation turns out satisfying!

 

[Chryssie]

No I never saw it. Did they make any big changes or did it just generally fall short? Its so rare an adaptation turns out satisfying!

It has been a few years so my memory is not perfect but I know they did some major changes that I had issues with. I wish I could remember the specifics. The TV show didn't last that long either.

 

[Lou]

Starsight
by Brandon Sanderson.
Book two of what I think is a trilogy. I read Book One last year and I had to wait a long time for this one. but its a regular old Science Fiction Space Battle type of book.

I got this book out of the library as soon as they allowed curbside pickup. First hardcover I've read this year. I've become a total e-book convert. (Whining teenage voice) Hardcovers are soooo inconvenient.

Finished Starsight. Had to finish another book first and the first 100 pages were a little slow going, the rest of the book is a real page-turner. The first book in the trilogy was your basic space battle novel. But after one space battle to start off the book changes gears and becomes a spy novel. Although it ends with a space battle.
Then there is a cliff hanger of an ending. Aaargh. We have to wait a year or more for the next and final book.

 

[Chryssie]

I finally got book four in the Expanse series! This is a good sci-fi read and has been made into a TV series. I can't remember which cable outlet airs it though. I would have to find it streaming somewhere.

 

[Raven]

I liked that trilogy! Did you watch the TV series? I was frustrated by the adaptation.

Wayward Pines (TV Series 2015–2016) ⭐ 7.3 | Drama, Horror, Mystery

1h | 15

www.imdb.com

I watched that series too.

 

[Lou]

I finally got book four in the Expanse series! This is a good sci-fi read and has been made into a TV series. I can't remember which cable outlet airs it though. I would have to find it streaming somewhere.

I read the first and maybe the second book in the series and then put it down. I also watched a few episodes. It is good stuff but it didn't hold my interest. I like the books better (of course).

The show started on Sci Fi channel and then after 3 seasons they dropped it and Amazon Prime picked it up. You can watch seasons 1 - 4 on Prime.

I have four of the books on my Kindle. I hope to give them a second chance someday.

 

[Chryssie]

I have just finished reading another book by Gilbert King. I read two other books by him. They are historical books about the African American experience in the US. Very troubling stuff! This one is called "The Execution of Willie Francis" and takes place in 1946 in Louisiana. Very good book with disturbing information. It is about corruption, racism, injustice, and the death penalty. Educational and lots of legal stuff so not an easy read but worth it.
I have to read something "light" now!

 

[Sax]

I'm currently reading The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

I recently started the second book of this trilogy and I'm also reading Jared Diamond's Gun Germs and Steel.

 

[Lou]

I recently started the second book of this trilogy and I'm also reading Jared Diamond's Gun Germs and Steel.

I read Guns, Germs, and Steel a long time ago. It was one of those books where you learn something new on each page. By the way, National Geographic turned it into a 3-episode Television Documentary. I have it on my to- watch list. You can watch it for free on Hoopla, Amason, or YouTube.

 

[Chryssie]

I finally got a book from the library that I reserved. It is "River of Hidden Dreams" by Connie May Fowler. She is a Florida author and I read one of her more recent novels not long ago. This is another beautifully written book about Florida. This woman is an incredible writer! This book is told in first person by a woman with Native American ancestry. She is telling her story plus goes back to tell stories of her great-grandmother. I recommend this author. Not action thriller novels, but stories about people.