What are we all reading?

[Mekka]

I read that recently for the first time. Completely agree on how terrifyingly spooky it is.

The stage play is one of the best things I've seen at th theatre too. Just as terrifying. I saw it once in Manchester and once in it's more or less permanent home in the West End. If you like the book I'd definitely recommend seeing the play.

I'm a bit worried about the film adaptation though. Not sure how Radcliffe will shape up in the main role. Or how they'll do the suspense. Let's hope my worries are misplaced.

[judgefloyd]

Now reading Black Orchid, (5th Dr story in case you didn't know)  which I've never seen.  It's good so far. Adric is just as annoying in print as he was in the show; I'm not sure if that's a testament to the writer's powers or to Adric's annoyingness power.  So far it's quite interesting.
 Also reading a German detective book about two physicists - consider me booked in for suspense and physics-related metaphors about Life.

[Mekka]

Just finished the latest Donna Leon to be published in paperback.  As good and enjoyable as all the rest.  Always makes me want to book a flight to Venice though :-(

Just started Glory, Glory, Man Utd in the 90's, The Players' Stories.  It's been interesting up to now.  It's a series of very candid interviews with players from the 90's.  Some interesting stuff I'd not heard before.  It hasn';t really changed my opinion on any of the players or the manager they all discuss.  It is an interesting look at a club going through change.

[Edwardian Cricketer]

Just finished The Sword of Maiden's Tears and am about to start The Cup of Morning Shadows. These are part of what should have been the Twelve Treasures series by Rosemary Edghill. Unfortunately, there are only three, the third being The Cloak of Night and Daggers. What I have is the three books in an omnibus edition from Science Fiction Book Club (http://www.sfbc.com/) called The Empty Crown. I don't know if the author lost interest in writing all twelve of if the publisher lost interest in publishing all twelve. Either way, it's been since 1997 that the last book was written so it's doubtful that the other nine will ever materialize.

This is the second time I will have read these, the first time about 1999/2000. There's a lot I'd forgotten. Vividly described, well-painted narrative. Fully fleshed-out believable characters. Incredible story. Intricately woven plot threads, tied up neatly so one is not totally at a loss at the end of the third book. You're not left really needing the fourth book and so on.

[Mekka]

Currently reading Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell (Gerald's brother).  It's his writings of living in Cyprus in the late 1950's as the island's troubles were beginning.  So far it;s giving a different view than those I heard whilst on the island.  It's very interesting.

[Edwardian Cricketer]

After reading The Cup of Morning Shadows, I was just about done with Melior and Ruth and the gang. I was actually bored and ready for it to be over. Then I started The Cloak of Night and Daggers. Much better. I know I've read these once before but I've forgotten so much that I might as well not have. These are all part of The Empty Crown by Rosemary Edghill. What's truly entertaining in this last book is that the author puts herself in the book as a character and part of it takes place at a sci-fi convention.

Also reading what is supposed to be a literary classic, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita. All I'll say is "interesting." Not that far into the book, so we'll see how it progresses. And have "Don't stand so close to me" running through my head.

[judgefloyd]

Lolita is a brilliant book. Nowhere near as naughty as its reputation suggests, but really well written and often very funny.
  Me, I've just started a book called The Snowman by Jo Nesbo - it's a Norwegian thriller involving a serial killer and snow. Looks okay so far. I'm a bit jack of serial killers but someone loaned me a pile of such books and I feel irrationally obliged to read them.

Online, I've been spending far too much time reading Christopher Hitchens, who makes a lot of good points, but shows off a bit too much, and the genius blog 'things bogans like'

[Edwardian Cricketer]

Reading The Robots of Death by Terrance Dicks. Easily one of my favorites from this era of Doctor Who. I love the Doctor trying to explain the "bigger on the inside" to Leela with the 2 boxes. I've USED that in doing the same thing for a 8 year old who was watching for the first time. She didn't get it either. . .
There's a misprint or just an outright oops at one point in the book, though. At the end of a chapter, a character had been killed. At the beginning of the next he was apparently sitting in the room with everybody else. And another character makes the statement that the first had been murdered.

[Edwardian Cricketer]

Reading Heat Wave by Richard Castle. Okay, this is an interesting situation. Castle is a TV show starring Nathan Fillion as author Richard Castle. In the series, he tags along with police detective Kate Beckett, played by Stana Katic. Castle is researching for his new series about a female detective named Nikki Heat. Nikki Heat, in his book, is having to tolerate Jameson Rook, a journalist, who is tagging along, doing research for magazines.

Reading Heat Wave is like watching an episode of Castle. I think it's supposed to be though because of the way the whole series is set up. I can't help but hear Castle's voice in Rook and Beckett's voice in Heat.

And the story in the book plays out as if Castle had written it after having been involved in the "actual" case as he followed along with Beckett. There are even 2 male detectives in the book, one Hispanic and the other Caucasian, just like in the precinct where Beckett works.

This is treated like it's a book by a real author, though. There's even an interview with Richard Castle by the publisher at the back of the book.

Took me a second to catch the Castle - Rook reference, for which I felt decidedly stupid.

[Ian]

I'm currently working through the latest Honor Harrington books by David Weber. After that I think I might read Power of the Daleks.

[Nick off of Twitter]

My impending finals are curtailing my reading for the moment, but I'm actually enjoying The Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language by David Crystal, which is most definitely not dry and dull and probably a must for anybody who speaks or is learning English. Once I have the time, I'm dying to get stuck into some of the academic media/cultural studies works on Doctor Who, as well as some books on Heroes, Hero Worship and Fan Cultures.

Two great books I read earlier this year and would strongly recommend are:

Adventures on the Wheels of Steel by Dave Haslam - a history of DJs and DJing including looks at different eras (disco, Northern Soul, 80s Soul Weekernders), styles (early rock 'n' roll bantering, mods, hip-hop scratching and mixology) and even the average mobile DJ and those who specialise in single artist tribute nights. There are even some surprising interviewees, including Who fandom's own Ian Levine, who was a big player in the Northern Soul scene.

The Nineties: What the f**k was that all about by John Robb - a great look at mostly music, but also other cultural aspects of the 1990s. As a musician and music critic, Robb is able to comment objectively, informally and positively on virtually every development of the 90s music scene: grunge, Britpop, rave, Bigbeat, stadium indie, drum 'n' bass, lo-fi, pop punk, nu metal, trip hop and Asian sounds...as well as chapters on football, casuals and watching the fall of the Berlin Wall.

[Henry Gordon Jago]

I've finally bought and started reading Chicks Dig Time Lords.  Enjoying it as much as everyone else seems to have so far.  It's my bathroom book at the moment.  Essay collections always seem custom-made for that purpose. 

[Edwardian Cricketer]

Almost done with The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein. Funny, I've read it before some years ago but I don't remember any of it. I love these characters, though. Truly brilliant.

[Henry Gordon Jago]

Great book.  You've read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress as well, I take it?

[Edwardian Cricketer]

@ Henry Gordon Jago - No, I haven't read that one yet but there's a lot of Heinlein to read. I've only read 4 or 5 of his works. I just finished The Cat Who Walks Through Walls and still don't remember any of it even though I know I've read it before. Hated the ending. And I have it on good authority that cats most certainly do not say "blert". None of my do.
The only other Lazarus Long related book I've read was To Sail Beyond the Sunset, unless Friday was one of those and I just don't remember. So far my favorite Heinlein book is still Job: A Comedy of Justice.

I'm starting The Sands of Time by Justin Richards. I'm reading it on a Barnes and Noble Nook Color in pdf. New experience, reading on portable device like this. I typically don't like to read books on a computer, not even a laptop, but this is different. Sorta cool, sorta not. Maybe just takes some time getting used to.