What Are You Reading Now?

[Pelado]

Confession: never read a Steven king book.

I've watched movies based on his books, which is close enough.

[BigPiney]

I started the first book of Stephen King's the Dark Towers series (The Gunslinger) and it bored me to tears. I would start it, get bored and try again a couple months later. I finally slogged all the way through it because everyone I talk to says the rest of the series is fantastic. I had no real hope for the next book after finishing The Gunslinger.

With that said, I devoured books 2 and 3 and I am now hooked!

Awesome. Loved the series. There is some weird stuff in the latter books, but I really liked it.

[BigPiney]

Stephen King is a really easy read. I have really enjoyed almost every book of his that I have read.

The Stand is one of my favorite books.

[falafel]

Stephen King is a really easy read. I have really enjoyed almost every book of his that I have read.

The Stand is one of my favorite books.

IT is sooooooo long. Good, but damn it's long.

I liked The Long Walk.

[chrisrenrut]

IT is sooooooo long. Good, but damn it's long.

I liked The Long Walk.

Misery was my favorite as a teenager. And his short stories in Skeleton Crew are great. His more recent 11/22/63 is fantastic.

[wuapinmon]

I have a friend who is a professor at Heritage University in Washington. She is an American Indian and I asked her once for a good novel by an American Indian author. A couple of weeks later she sent me Two Old Women by Velma Wallis, an Alaskan Native author. It was 139 pages long and reads like a Jack London novel. I sat down to read it on Sunday and finished it in one sitting. It's an easy and good read. I enjoyed the story's parabolic teaching people about respecting your elders and their wisdom, via a tale of survival in such a harsh environment in winter. If anyone would like to read it, as it's out of print, message me your address and I'll send it to the first person to respond.

[BigPiney]

Misery was my favorite as a teenager. And his short stories in Skeleton Crew are great. His more recent 11/22/63 is fantastic.

11/22/63 would be the one I recommend for JL. That or The Long Walk.

[happyone]

I am reading a book on WW1 and the background stuff about the Ottoman empire is fascinating (those sultans were crazy). I am woefully ignorant of this part of world history. Anyone have a recommendation for a good book?

Sorry it's taken so long to give some recs. I haven't read a lot of Ottoman history, mainly what comes up in other topics I'm reading. I am currently reading The Ottoman Empire: 1300-1650
. It is a history of the first 350 yrs of the Empire (1300-1650). While I have picked up a lot, it is a bit dry and reads like a text book (probably a 3-3.5 star read on GR) - which makes sense, since the author is professor of Turkish at a University in Britain

I also have Osman's Dream checked out and I'll read it sometime in the next month or so.

I haven't read Ottoman Centuries, but it has been recommended to me and is on my TBR list. It supposed to be pretty good.

Going back to John Norwich, he wrote a lot on the history of the Mediterranean basin, so the Ottomans were major figures in his work.

Byzantium: The Decline and Fall: The third volume of his trilogy on the Byzantine Empiremm much of it covers the relations/wars between the Ottoman/Turkish and the Byzantine, from the aftermath of Battle of Manzikert in 1071 to the fall of Constantinople.

The Four Princes: Suleiman the Magnificent is one of the princes in his and according to Norwich, most of the actions of the other 3 were in response to him.

History of Venice: The Ottomans also figure prominently in this one

I hope this helps

[Jeff Lebowski]

Thanks!

[Mormon Red Death]

There's a tragic character who is somewhat likeable though he says and thinks a lot of indecorous stuff about the left, homeless, etc. He winds up being quite wonderful and tragic. But redemption is one of my favorite themes.

Of course this remarkable novel didn't make it on the NY Times ten best or even the Notable Books. That's not unusual for books I like. I don't think the NYT has even reviewed Sapiens. But I didn't read many of those NY Times honored books either. Every year I punish myself listening to that narcissistic echo chamber year's best podcast they do, and read the articles. Sometimes I find something interesting. That's how a found Asymmetry, which I quite liked. But usually I just think, "nope, nope nope...."

Did you read Homo Deus? Imo it's better than sapiens. It's blowing my mind

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[Jeff Lebowski]

Did you read Homo Deus? Imo it's better than sapiens. It's blowing my mind

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Better than sapiens is not a difficult bar to clear. I hated that book.

[creekster]

Better than sapiens is not a difficult bar to clear. I hated that book.

Why did you hate it? I am almost done with it and have my thoughts, but am very curious why you disliked it.

[PaloAltoCougar]

Why did you hate it? I am almost done with it and have my thoughts, but am very curious why you disliked it.

There were portions that I found fascinating and thought-provoking. I didn't care for some of his conclusions and predictions (esp. in Homo Deus), but overall I enjoyed the book.

[SeattleUte]

There were portions that I found fascinating and thought-provoking. I didn't care for some of his conclusions and predictions (esp. in Homo Deus), but overall I enjoyed the book.

Unlike some of you, I enjoy having my "faith" tested. I didn't agree with possibly as much as half of Sapiens and Homo Deus, but found it all hugely entertaining throughout.

I also thought it was super balanced. For example, he gives capitalism its due, while delivering some well-deserved criticisms. Still, he recognizes that if you like the odds of all your children surviving to adulthood, that famine and major wars have been eradicated, and your ipad, thank capitalism (and re no wars, nukes). Some of his points are original and controversial for everyone, but obviously true. For example, he elucidates that we all descend from colonialists and empires of some sort. Nobody is virgin in that sense. Human cultures have been progressively stitched together through layer upon layer of colonialism and empires, and mass murder of animals of all kinds including but not limited to humans. So essentially every civilization is built on large quantities of blood, but this has resulted in a fusion that we call modernity and liberal humanism. His description of how liberal humanism was on its ass through most of the twentieth century then carried the day gave me chills--the greatest "religious wars" of all time, between the three schismed branches of humanism--socialist, evolutionary, and liberal. But part of what I don't agree with is that liberal humanism has sowed the seeds of its own self-destruction, with its emphasis on the individual and worship of humans. Still, it was very entertaining to absorb his views. He's among other things a very elegant troll. He elucidates the original sin that we all carry in ways that to me was not overly sentimental or hypocritical.

The upshot is that few people like Harari without reservation. Note that he's never in the NYT ten best or notable books. This is especially true for profoundly religious people like the woke and Mormons such as Mitt Romney.

Also, I like dark stuff. To stare into the abyss.

[SeattleUte]

To fully get Harari, I think it helps to be already quite educated about Sapiens. For example, if you're weak on Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire you might miss some of his more subtle points. He's a fantastic writer but covers a lot of territory in relatively few words.