What are you reading?

[BeaStKid]

Cos it sure can get tiring after a while. I quit reading SF when I crossed my teens (which wasn't very long ago )

 

*goes and digs up one book*

One can never get tired of SF!!!

 

Meh? Reading LTMP 28

[S.L. Lewis]

I'm reading The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less by Barry Schwartz.

 

I just finished Permanent Partners by Betty Berzon.

 

It's odd, anything I read away from the computer tends to be some sort of study of something verses anything with a "plot" and "characters"

I've noticed that. But, I can't talk because I have a habit of doing the same.

 

 

Actually, he joined just yesterday...

 

I know, I was just teasing. I'm cute and cuddly.

[BeaStKid]

I'm cute and cuddly.

That you are...

[GaryK]

I've never been good at staying on topic. So pardon me for going OT and mentioning once again what a pleasant experience being part of this community is.

 

[S.L. Lewis]

That you are...

 

Thank you. *cuddles before bouncing off to do things*

 

I've never been good at staying on topic. So pardon me for going OT and mentioning once again what a pleasant experience being part of this community is.

 

 

 

It's okay, and we like you being here. *hugs* Welcome and I hope you have more fun. Any thing you would like to recommend for a good read?

[GaryK]

Thanks Rose.

 

In terms of authors on GA just look at my signature for authors I recommend. However keep in mind there is so much more I want to read here but there's just not enough time.

 

I also mentioned Josh Aterovis. If you like detective stories with lots of action and superb character development then please read his books. Start with Bleeding Hearts as it's the first book and introduces you to many of the main characters that appear throughout all his books. Disclaimer: I host his website gratis, but that's only because I enjoy his work so much and he was really in a bad spot with his former website host.

 

It's a bit old, but I really enjoyed listening to, The Night Listener, by Armistead Maupin. He narrated the audiobook himself and did a great job of it. It's based on a supposedly true story (that's been largely proven false) of a young boy dying of AIDS who wrote a book about his life story that most professional authors would be jealous of, which makes it all the more interesting to me. I enjoy audiobooks because I spend a good deal of time in bed due to medical problems and it's so much easier to listen to books in bed than read them. When I read them my arms tend to go to sleep.

 

Finally, if you're a history fan, especially WWII, then the best book I've read recently was, What Stalin Knew: The Enigma of Barbarossa. When it comes to WWII books I prefer ones that get into a great deal of detail regarding conversations and relationships. It helps give me a better insight into the things that really happened. There is so much WWII non-fiction that does a disservice to that awful period in time.

 

I have a beta-reading deadline to meet so please pardon me for my atypical brevity. Yeah, I know. Don't say it. If this was brief you're shuddering at what happens when I really get on a roll.

 

Thanks again for the welcome Rose. It's much appreciated. And a warm welcome to you, too.

Edited February 28, 2008 by GaryInMiami

[S.L. Lewis]

Thanks Rose.

 

In terms of authors on GA just look at my signature for authors I recommend. However keep in mind there is so much more I want to read here but there's just not enough time.

 

I also mentioned Josh Aterovis. If you like detective stories with lots of action and superb character development then please read his books. Start with Bleeding Hearts as it's the first book and introduces you to many of the main characters that appear throughout all his books. Disclaimer: I host his website gratis, but that's only because I enjoy his work so much and he was really in a bad spot with his former website host.

 

It's a bit old, but I really enjoyed listening to, The Night Listener, by Armistead Maupin. He narrated the audiobook himself and did a great job of it. It's based on a supposedly true story (that's been largely proven false) of a young boy dying of AIDS who wrote a book about his life story that most professional authors would be jealous of, which makes it all the more interesting to me. I enjoy audiobooks because I spend a good deal of time in bed due to medical problems and it's so much easier to listen to books in bed than read them. When I read them my arms tend to go to sleep.

 

Finally, if you're a history fan, especially WWII, then the best book I've read recently was, What Stalin Knew: The Enigma of Barbarossa. When it comes to WWII books I prefer ones that get into a great deal of detail regarding conversations and relationships. It helps give me a better insight into the things that really happened. There is so much WWII non-fiction that does a disservice to that awful period in time.

 

I have a beta-reading deadline to meet so please pardon me for my atypical brevity. Yeah, I know. Don't say it. If this was brief you're shuddering at what happens when I really get on a roll.

 

Thanks again for the welcome Rose. It's much appreciated. And a warm welcome to you, too.

 

Thank, love. Such a sweet thing.

Anyways, such wonderful suggestions for us who enjoy reading. And I can understand about listening to book being easier than reading. I personally have carpal tunnel so I end up with a wrist brace on more often then not and it's hard to hold a book. I've discovered a pillow on my lap or in front of me to prop the book on works wonders.

And on the discussion of carpa tunnel, I have read this article about carpal tunnel. It's straight to the point, gives you plenty of details and it doesn't use big huge words that confuse the little people. Well, not a lot of big, huge words. Just some.

[GaryK]

I personally have carpal tunnel...

Thanks Rose. That was one of the better articles I've read about CT and I think it's on-topic for this thread. I still remember that first shooting pain going up my arm. I made the mistake of going the surgical route. At the time we had one of the best hand surgeons here in Miami so surgery seemed like a good idea. Also there were no medications recognized at that time to help treat CT. This was back in 1991. Unfortunately surgery was a huge mistake. One that I did not repeat on my other hand. For me regular chiropractic adjustments works wonders. To this day my right hand, the one that didn't have surgery, is much better than my left hand; almost normal in fact. I have no feeling in the fingertips of my left hand and the hand constantly has that pins-and-needles feeling. I can only imagine how much worse it would be were it not for the regular adjustments. I'm blessed that my physician is open-minded enough to accept that there is a valid place in the medical world for chiropractors. It also helps that Medicare is very liberal when it comes to paying for chiropractic treatments.

[Tristan Thinks]

I personally have carpal tunnel so I end up with a wrist brace on more often then not and it's hard to hold a book. I've discovered a pillow on my lap or in front of me to prop the book on works wonders.ell, not a lot of big, huge words. Just some.

This made me giggle - I don't suffer from CT but I was getting fed up of holding a book in bed. I decided to invent a device to do it for me

 

There's a sleek adjustable curved arm behind the headboard that hangs over the bed. It can be rotated so it lies against the wall when not in use.

 

Attached to this is a gripper and a solid wire that the book is hung over so it faces the pillow (book opened on the middle page and the wire runs along the page joins). Then the front and back leaves of the book are opened and held behind clear perspex plastic arms about 5cm (2 inch) wide that extend from top to bottom of the pages and placed roughly in the middle. They are slightly beveled (chamfered) on the long edges so pages will slide over easily.

 

It allows me to suspend the book above my head at a comfortable reading distance with my head and neck fully relaxed, and I can reach up and use my fingers to slide a page from the the right and tuck it behind the left retainer without creasing the pages.

 

It took a while to get it perfect, but it was worth it

[S.L. Lewis]

Thanks Rose. That was one of the better articles I've read about CT and I think it's on-topic for this thread. I still remember that first shooting pain going up my arm. I made the mistake of going the surgical route. At the time we had one of the best hand surgeons here in Miami so surgery seemed like a good idea. Also there were no medications recognized at that time to help treat CT. This was back in 1991. Unfortunately surgery was a huge mistake. One that I did not repeat on my other hand. For me regular chiropractic adjustments works wonders. To this day my right hand, the one that didn't have surgery, is much better than my left hand; almost normal in fact. I have no feeling in the fingertips of my left hand and the hand constantly has that pins-and-needles feeling. I can only imagine how much worse it would be were it not for the regular adjustments. I'm blessed that my physician is open-minded enough to accept that there is a valid place in the medical world for chiropractors. It also helps that Medicare is very liberal when it comes to paying for chiropractic treatments.

 

Like I said when I introduced this thread, this is for any and all articles and books that you have found interesting. Mabye I'll start a thread on limitations that people have in relation to their writing and getting things out.

Anyways, I'm sorry the surgery didn't work out well for you. I was thinking of physical therapy myself, but first I have to talk to my doctor, get it diagnosed properly and then get my insurance to approve it.

Anyways, now that I'm off topic, I have some more recomendations for here.

First is 'Webster's Pocket Quotation Dictionary of the English Language.' You'd be surprised at how many plot bunnies have sprung up from reading the various quotes in it. Like they say, inspiration can come from anywhere.

Next, I'm going on a tanget about hauntings and the supernatural. I have three sites for New Orleans for now. They are as following:

Prairie Ghosts

Hollow Hill

New Orleans Tours

[PlugInMatty]

just finished reading 'Who Killed Channel Nine?' by Gerald Stone.

 

Australian forumers in particular would be familiar with this book and the can of worms it opened, but I thought it actually lived up to the hype.

[S.L. Lewis]

just finished reading 'Who Killed Channel Nine?' by Gerald Stone.

 

Australian forumers in particular would be familiar with this book and the can of worms it opened, but I thought it actually lived up to the hype.

 

 

First of all, welcome to GA and I hope your time here is a wonderful one.

Second of all, what's it all about? For those who can't seem to find it. Just curious.

[Mikie]

I'm currently reading the first of two books by Josh Aterovis. He writes the Killian Kendall Mystery Series.

 

These are republished books. The first time around he was self-published. His books received enough critical acclaim, and good enough sales, that he was offered a publishing deal. There was a great deal of rewriting in the second set of books. So even if you read the first set of books I recommend reading the second set of books.

 

I guess the genre is best described as murder/mystery/detective/relationships.

 

The first book is, Bleeding Hearts. The second book is, Reap the Whirlwind.

 

While the plots are all different (duh!) there is superb character continuity from book to book, and that makes for an interesting read because it gives you incentive to develop feelings for the characters. Much like some of the stories here on GA.

 

In the interest of full disclosure I host his website.

 

So I accidentally read one of Josh Aterovis's back stories for the Killian Kendall Mystery Series, and I fell in love with the characters. I really want to read Bleeding Hearts but the last time I was on his website, it was like $50 for a used copy because it was out of print, but I guess now because it's republished, it's a lot lower on Amazon.com. So now I might get the chance to finally read the books.

[AFriendlyFace]

I've noticed that. But, I can't talk because I have a habit of doing the same.

You've noticed me reading those books? **looks around suspiciously**

 

 

Tonight I'm reading "Carrots and Celery" over at Nifty. I heard it about in one of the recent threads in the Lounge, and it drew me in quickly because so far it seems like such a light, feel-good story. I like that occasionally

[S.L. Lewis]

You've noticed me reading those books? **looks around suspiciously**

 

 

Tonight I'm reading "Carrots and Celery" over at Nifty. I heard it about in one of the recent threads in the Lounge, and it drew me in quickly because so far it seems like such a light, feel-good story. I like that occasionally

 

That's my look, stop trying to steal it.

Anyways, yeah, I started reading that story. Let me tell you, I love long stories, I just have to break up reading it into sections, otherwise I have a habit of hating it afterwards. That and I start to mentally edit the sucker.

[PlugInMatty]

First of all, welcome to GA and I hope your time here is a wonderful one.

Second of all, what's it all about? For those who can't seem to find it. Just curious.

 

Who Killed Channel Nine? is a non-fiction piece about the events leading to the demise of Australia's #1 television network, Channel Nine. Resisting temptation to simply recount events like inferior non-fiction pieces, Gerald Stone has very cleverly taken public figures and cast them as heroes and villains in the saga, creating a narrative in which the characters literally jump off the page.

 

For example, the character of John Alexander (the real life boss of PBL) is portrayed as a slash-and-burn corporate executive whos lack of knowledge and contempt for television were directly responsible for Nine's downfall. His budget cuts decimated the news and current affairs division, while his arrogant demeanour resulted in the loss of various key staff to Nine's main rival, Channel Seven. From the moment he first appears, you know John Alexander is the villain.

 

Alternately, the character of Kerry Packer is portrayed as a very ambiguous character. An arrogant, impulsive man with voyueristic flair and a penchant for lavish expenditure, Kerry Packer drifts effortlessly between hero and villain as he goes about the business of running Australia's #1 network. He is both the problem and its solution in a larger-than-life bundle of media savvy. What you never doubt, however, is that his heart is in the right place. He is the television romantic to Alexander's soul-less corporate. The book arguably loses a lot of its lustre when Packer passes away at its midway point.

 

A multitude of public figures play supporting roles in this stories, not least of which was Eddie McGuire, the tv star turned executive whos stewardship saw Channel Nine lose its dominance as Australia's #1 network. Taking prominence from the moment of Kerry Packer's death, the character of Eddie is never fully developed by Gerald Stone, and the narrative suffers somewhat because of this. I find McGuire's character to be little more than a one-dimensional fall guy, which is particularly bizarre as he in the most prominent celebrity cast in this story.

 

I guess the other thing that disappointed about this book was the lack of conclusions it drew. If you're gonna pose a question in your title, you're under obligation to answer it with your narrative. Stone never does this. He casts his key characters in a very black and white manner and retains a fast pace throughout, but he fails to draw a definitive conclusion as to who was responsible.

 

Or perhaps this was a deliberate move...

 

Who Killed Channel Nine? is the modern-day murder mystery of who felled Australia's premier media empire. It has all the makings of a dramatic conclusion, but gets hamstrung by the reality of its true conclusion. No single person was responsible for its death, because Channel Nine ultimately killed itself.

Edited March 8, 2008 by PlugInMatty

[Tiff]

So I accidentally read one of Josh Aterovis's back stories for the Killian Kendall Mystery Series, and I fell in love with the characters. I really want to read Bleeding Hearts but the last time I was on his website, it was like $50 for a used copy because it was out of print, but I guess now because it's republished, it's a lot lower on Amazon.com. So now I might get the chance to finally read the books.

 

I read his stuff a long time ago on Nifty. It was a really good mystery/thriller, which I always love to read.

 

Tonight I'm reading "Carrots and Celery" over at Nifty. I heard it about in one of the recent threads in the Lounge, and it drew me in quickly because so far it seems like such a light, feel-good story. I like that occasionally

I remember that thread about that story. Isn't it super long? But now that you mention it being such a light, feel-good piece, I kind of want to read it now. Note to self: search the archives for it.

 

I just finished reading Devil in the White City. It was about the Chicago World Fair and how it changed the scope of American architecture, but at the same time, there was a Doctor who used the world fair to kill lots of women and children. He created a house with secret passages, a soundproof vault, a kiln that could burn up to 3000 degrees. It was insane and gross- reading the descriptions of the bodies/flesh. Or how the women disappeared without a trace. Again, thriller, murder mysteries, are enjoyable reads, finding out the ending, etc.

 

Even better was that it was a true story.

[S.L. Lewis]

I just finished reading Devil in the White City. It was about the Chicago World Fair and how it changed the scope of American architecture, but at the same time, there was a Doctor who used the world fair to kill lots of women and children. He created a house with secret passages, a soundproof vault, a kiln that could burn up to 3000 degrees. It was insane and gross- reading the descriptions of the bodies/flesh. Or how the women disappeared without a trace. Again, thriller, murder mysteries, are enjoyable reads, finding out the ending, etc.

 

Even better was that it was a true story.

 

Wow. *drools* Really, it sounds very, very fasinating and good.

[S.L. Lewis]

Okay, so I know I should edit my last post, but I want to bring this to attention again.

So, I was walking in the library, waiting for the computer to become free when suddenly a book catches my eye. At first, I thought it said "The Black Dahlia" which just happens to be one of my favorite real life murder mysteries. It wasn't. It was The Red Dahlia by Lynda LaPlante, a Anna Travis Mystery.

Now, normally, I don't like mysteries that have straight themes or thoughts. If I'm reading something that has straight couples, no matter how underplayed, I'll stick with other books. But this one caught my attention as I read the cover. And I quote:

 

When the body of a young girl is found dumped on the banks of the Thames, even the police are shocked by the brutality of her murder: horrifically mutilated, severed in half and drained of blood, her corpse is an obcious mirror image of the famours Black Dahlia murder in 1940s Los Angeles.

Now Detective Inspector Anna Travers must race against time to catch this copy cate killer dubbed "The Red Dahlia" after the flower his victim wore in her hair. But there are no suspects, and a media frenzy is spialing out of control. Anna turns to her mentor, the brillian and volatile Detective Chief Inspector James Langton, but the frictions of their romatic relationship are complicating the case.

Then a second girl is found, her death again mirroring the Black Dahlian and as Anna and Langton close in on the prime suspect, they uncover a shocking web of sadistic sexual evil.

 

It nearly made me scream in happiness at finding such a wonderful murder mystery. The book it self is split into sections and chapters, not every section starting on a chapter. The sections are days and the days end at 35. I do have to say, this is a wonderful book.

For those who read Patricia Cornwell, this book is for you. As it says on the back:

For those who love mysteries but wish that Patricia Cornwell had a dirtier mind

this book is for you.

[Andy2008]

Does anybody read " A Secret Edge " by Robin Reardon....

Very Compelling , interesting and worth to read ...

The storyline talk about a Jason , teenager boy confuse by his sexual . He flir with a girls, hanging out and teach his friend how to ask them out , but the thing is in his dream every night was boy and that made him worry... until he meet Raj , the other India student and fall in love madly with him ...

The matter of " Coming out of Age " is not new, but the way author told the story very easy to relate with anybody here , very sensitive , funny and delivery all the emotion of the character to reader ...The love between to person who difference background , culture and the boundary the have to get over it ...

[S.L. Lewis]

Does anybody read " A Secret Edge " by Robin Reardon....

Very Compelling , interesting and worth to read ...

The storyline talk about a Jason , teenager boy confuse by his sexual . He flir with a girls, hanging out and teach his friend how to ask them out , but the thing is in his dream every night was boy and that made him worry... until he meet Raj , the other India student and fall in love madly with him ...

The matter of " Coming out of Age " is not new, but the way author told the story very easy to relate with anybody here , very sensitive , funny and delivery all the emotion of the character to reader ...The love between to person who difference background , culture and the boundary the have to get over it ...

 

 

wow, it does sound interesting. Thank you for posting this for us. I'll have to look for it soon.

[Michael H]

I'm reading SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts. This novel does not gay genre but it does have a prominent gay character. Highly recommended. If anyone wants I can post a paragraph from this book. It's a real tear jerker.

 

Also, I have recently reviewed The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson by Robert Hofler. My review can be found on on this age of the Amazon.com catalog: Rofler REVIEW

 

Anyone who hasn't read The Phoenix by Ruth Sims can read my review on this page of the AMZ catalog: Ruth Sims Review

 

Michael

[S.L. Lewis]

I'm reading SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts. This novel does not gay genre but it does have a prominent gay character. Highly recommended. If anyone wants I can post a paragraph from this book. It's a real tear jerker.

 

Also, I have recently reviewed The Man Who Invented Rock Hudson: The Pretty Boys and Dirty Deals of Henry Willson by Robert Hofler. My review can be found on on this age of the Amazon.com catalog: Rofler REVIEW

 

Anyone who hasn't read The Phoenix by Ruth Sims can read my review on this page of the AMZ catalog: Ruth Sims Review

 

Michael

 

Oh, they all sound wonderful.

You can, just don't forget to put it in quotes. It sounds like a good book to pick up and read. Thank you for the new books.

[sumbloke]

I've generally got lots of recreational books on the go. Current or just completed:

The Structure of Typed Programming Languages (Foundations of Computing) by David A. Schmidt

OK, this is pretty geeky but I've got interested in type theory and language design so I'm having fun with it.

 

Anarchy, State and Utopia by Robert Nozick

This is a re-read and I'm enjoying it even more this time. Nozick makes a serious attempt to justify minarchism/libertarianism whatever you want to call it and to show that while an absolutely minimal state is justified nothing more is. He's wrong - on his own terms but thie book is worth reading because he isn't a cavalier laissez-faire warrior but a serious and sympathetic philosopher.

 

Voices by Ursula Le Guin

As you'd expect a beautiful and reflective masterpiece that is partly about the relationship of memory to consciousness; story telling and the power of myth; difference and friendship. As someone said, Le Guin's chidren's books are more serious and better written than many adult books.

 

Persian Fire by Tom Holt

Great fun. I wish I could say I prefer Herodotus but I can't. If you'd like to know what ancient history in the eastern aegean was about this will give you the low down.

 

And I'm still reading Blue Jeans Buddha - just a page or two now and then and it's very sustaining. I'm an optimist about my own generation anyway, and when I read this book I know I'm right.

 

Jakob

[Procyon]

I'm reading SHANTARAM by Gregory David Roberts. This novel does not gay genre but it does have a prominent gay character. Highly recommended. If anyone wants I can post a paragraph from this book. It's a real tear jerker.

 

Yeah, Shantaram was a page-turner, although it got a bit too long-winded towards the end. Definitely worth reading though, especially if one has been to India.