What are you currently reading?

[Deleted]

This thread seems to have been dormant for a while but I thought I would wake it up.

I mentioned in another post that I am currently reading "1000 Years of Annoying the French" by Stephen Clarke who is a brilliant author on the French / British relationship. I don't think he's so well known but his series of 'Merde" novels might ring some bells.

Highly recommended.

[devil-may-care]

At the moment, I'm reading "Devil's Food" by Kerry Greenwood - a Corinna Chapman mystery. I absolutely love Kerry Greenwood! Especially her Phryne Fisher series. All based in Australia.

I'll soon be reading "Faceless Killers" by Henning Mankell for the mystery reader's group that I run at our local library. Can't wait to see how the Swedish Mankell handles the mystery genre. They've made a television series using this series of books. Wallander with Kenneth Branagh. I've specifically not watched it yet. I want to read the novels first.

[pie]

I'm currently reading the user manual for the wrist blood pressure monitor I just bought, whilst trying in vain (no pun intended) to stop my sides from splitting. I love Engrish. For example...

Please read "safety issues" before using this product, in order to right using.

This product cannot be clashed or fallen.

Don't measure blood pressure during vehicle running.

It can not be used for baby or person who can not be right to express their willing.

If "E r r" appears on the screen, measurement can't carry on.

Problem: Body or wrist have a excessive action during measurement.
Troubleshooting: Keep quiet, and re-measure.

Problem: Can not measure, or blood pressure is different every time, or the value is too high or too low.
Troubleshooting: Tie the wristband again according to manual. Take a rest for 4-5 minutes and relax mind. Make sure the wristband and heart are at the same high level during measurement. Don't talk or move during measurement. The result maybe not right if the user has serious heart problem. (Not right??! )

Problem: The value of the pressure which measured at home is not the same as the one measured in hospital or has much difference.
Troubleshooting: Because of the measurement environment. Because of the physical and psychological problem of user. Note down your result and go see the doctor.

I think Jeremy wrote this whilst being jetlagged and hungover.

[pie]

Problem: blood pressure reading is 231/174.
Troubleshooting: user may be immortal and it has won free iPad.

[Wyvern]

A friend randomly sent me a copy of Biggles and the Secret Mission the other day. I've never read any Biggles before and I'm absolutely loving it - though I'm finding that it's impossible to read it a) without slash goggles or b) without recasting Biggles, Ginger and Algy as Clarkson, Hammond and May (especially as I've read to a point where Biggles has come up with an excellent and complicated plan that seems to have gone quite wrong, Algy has got lost in a mangrove swamp and Ginger's been up all night trying to fix Oliver their downed flying boat).

However, it does have flying boats, and this makes me happier than you can possibly imagine ;D

[SiljeMari]

I am reading a book written of Norwegian author Knut Hamsun at the moment. I think "Growth of the Soil" is the english title.. According to Wikipedia, at least ;D It's written in old-fashioned Norwegian, kind of a mix between Norwegian and Danish. So it's a bit hard to read and understand, but I quite like the story

I didn't bring it with me home for the holiday, so while I'm home I think I'm going to start reading Atonement by Ian McEwan. I fell asleep when I watched the movie a few years ago, so I never got to know how it ended. Now I want to read the book, and then watch the movie again. And I'll try to stay awake this time! ;D

[aeromanda]

I have been reading "The ABC's of Reloading" because I want to learn how to reload the casings of the bullets that I use and save some serious $$. But I think I'm going to take a partial break from that because today I got "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir" by Steven Tyler. I can't wait to read it!

[antonia]

Aeromanda
Can I come to your bit of the world to shoot stuff.I am dieing to have a go and there aren't any clubs.

[devil-may-care]

May 6, 2011 19:44:08 GMT aeromanda said:

I have been reading "The ABC's of Reloading" because I want to learn how to reload the casings of the bullets that I use and save some serious $$. But I think I'm going to take a partial break from that because today I got "Does The Noise In My Head Bother You? A Rock 'N' Roll Memoir" by Steven Tyler. I can't wait to read it!

When I saw the Tyler book at the bookstore the other day, I thought of you, Aeromanda! ;D I assumed you knew about it and was probably already 3/4 of the way through it!! ;D ;D

[aeromanda]

Aeromanda
Can I come to your bit of the world to shoot stuff.I am dieing to have a go and there aren't any clubs.

Absolutely antonia! And if you will pretend to ignore the gigantic mess that is my house, you could bunk at my place and we'll go to my range together. ;D

When I saw the Tyler book at the bookstore the other day, I thought of you, Aeromanda! ;D I assumed you knew about it and was probably already 3/4 of the way through it!! ;D ;D

LOL. I should be that far along by now. I did know about the book because it was originally supposed to come out last September. I had preordered it on Amazon so when I read on my "Steven Tyler" google alert that it was coming out in May I assumed it would show up on my door step soon. But when it didn't after about two days past the release date I checked my order status at Amazon and when I saw no current orders I ordered it. I guess they must have canceled the preorder when it didn't come out last year.

[aeromanda]

Well folks, believe it or not I put down the Steven Tyler book after reading only about 100 pages. The beginning is interesting when he talks about growing up. But then all he talks about is drugs and what it is like to be high and I was getting board. I think I'll give it another go later. But right now I have so many books I want to read that I have no time to be bored.

I started a book called "The Lampshade". It is a true story. The author is a journalist and he was sent a lampshade by a friend who bought it at a yard sale. He was told that it was made out of "Jew skin" during WWII. The man sent it to the journalist thinking he could investigate it which is what he did. He had it DNA tested and it did turn out to be human. And that is as far as I have gotten. Now, I am a horror fan and I love Stephen King and all the grisly stuff. But this book has been a true horror story so far. I was only able to read 3 chapters before I had to put it down and take a break. That said, it is incredibly well written and the topic is something that I think everyone should educate themselves about so that we never forget and it never happens again!

[devil-may-care]

I can remember studying WWII in junior high. I was in the honors group. _{Please, no clapping.} Anyway, we were allowed to delve much more deep into certain topics we found interesting. The horrors perpetuated on the Jews was one of the topics. I remember reading about the atrocities, especially the 'lampshade' one. It was totally horrific!

But I agree with you, aeromanda. The fictional horror stories never compare to the real life ones!!

[antonia]

I have lots of real horror books(my macarbe fascination)the creepiest one I've every read was about Ed Gein.There was a sick dude.At the moment I'm reading 'The Black House' by Stephen King again.The best one from him I think is The Shining..a classic.

[devil-may-care]

I read "It" during my sophmore high school finals. One of his finest in my opinion. I've not been completely enthralled by some of his latest books. Well, I say latest - from the mid 90's through to about 5 yrs ago. He went through some sort of transition with his topics and writing style.

Actually, I went to the same university as Stephen. I also worked with some of his boxed papers he has at the special collections department of the university library when I worked there.

As is said about many famous people, he leads a very ordinary life in the community. Although he has been known to buy out a screen/room at the movie theater to have a private viewing. Guess that's one of the perks. ;D ;D

[eolise]

I really should get those books of James one day!
I'm currently reading books that my friend of New Zealand sent me. I can keep them until he visits my country, so that he has a good reason to visit me ... besides other factors of course. ;D
"The Road Goes Ever On and On"
"West of the Mountains, East of the Sea"
"There and Back Again"

[SiljeMari]

Look what arrived in my mail earlier this week!!! ;D ;D



Sorry for the copyright thing, it's the photo I used in my blog

I'm half way through it already, and it's quite good. Not so much about being The Stig yet, but I hope there's more later. Now it has been mostly about racing and his time in the army. But still good reading though! I like his way of writing.
Someone else who have read it?

[eolise]

Ohhhhh cool, Silje Mari!! I should def get a book of TG or well yea, of James...

[aeromanda]

I just finished reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I started it on Monday and I just finished it this afternoon and I am not a fast reader. It was excellent! I highly recommend it! It is set in Mississippi in the 1960's and is about a woman who decides to write a book about the black women who serve white families as domestics. Much of it is told from the perspective of the black women. It was very well written and quite enthralling.

[meimichan]

Lies My Teacher Told Me by James Loewen

Might be required reading if you are American and like me also learned nothing of note except how to sleep with your eyes open in an American history class, although I'd recommend it to anyone interested. The focus is on how American history is taught stateside...or isn't taught, which is more the case. Fascinating read so far.

Started it last night, I think I'll finish tonight. I do read really fast though. A somewhat useful skill at times, at least whenever my dad brought home the newly-released Harry Potter books-my parents and I loved them. If you were the first one to read that book(as my dad usually was) and let it out of your sight briefly, it was swiped. ;D

[eolise]

I had planned on going and read a bit more in my 'May on Motors' book. That book, a puzzlebook and Richard's 'On the Edge' were lying under my pillow. I opened Richard's book to have another look at the pictures. Id started reading it for a couple of pages a few weeks ago, but decided to read James' book first. However, my eye fell on pictures of Mindy today and I read the text under those pics. Then my eyes went to read a couple of sentences on the left page and before I even noticed it, I had read a couple of pages. Followed by more pages. Followed by even more pages. I just couldnt stip somehow!! I kept reading until where Richard is being transferred to Bristol and where Mindy stops talking about what she has endured while Richard was in hospital.... And now I cant sleep. A book has never ever drawn my attention and concebtration as much as this book has. I saw every sentence, every word in my head. I could see, feel and think as Mindy did. It, well, it was if I was there, in that hospital room all the time following Mindy, watching her do the things she did etc. I now have a nervous feeling and my hearts was raised, it's now a bit lower luckely. I mean, I NEVER knew all this, about that Richard didnt recognize Mindy etc. Wow.... Mindy is such a strong, lovely woman. I now only imagine what she has gone through.. I think I wouldnt have been so strong if the same happened to a dear one of me.. My dog Kaiya just ran away from my bed, because she got annoyed by my feet moving constantely. They move whenever Im nervous or stressed.. It wasnt a good idea really, from me to decide to open this book.....

[pesepheny18]

I know how you feel Nat, that book is so moving that alot of my pages are tear stained and I remember staying up til 3am reading because I just couldnt put it down and when I did I couldnt sleep even though I was mentally and emotionally exhausted that I end up crying myself to sleep. Richard so very lucky to be alive and have recovered so well and that he is so very lucky to have such a strong woman like Mindy.

I havent read my May on Motors book either, should do that. Im not sleeping very well so I think I need to start reading at night or put on one of James' audio books - I havent listened to James May's 20th Century......to lull me to sleep or keep me wide awake lol.

[eolise]

lol, well I think JM's twentiest century isnt going to make you said and listening to his voice will make sleepy I bet.

If I still were capable of crying, my book would have looked now as if it has layn under the shower But meds have prevented me from crying - Ive become less emotional for my own sake.

[eolise]

Last night, I read this. The photo is very blurry, can you guess what book it is. Yes, it's to either one of the TG3 related.

[missburlo]

May 14, 2009 0:21:50 GMT katherine said:

'The Selfish Gene' by Richard Dawkins.

Ooh, I have just bought that for kindle.

Here are the books that I received for Christmas.
They are:-

- How to Land an A330 Airbus: by some author you probably haven't heard of
- I, Partridge: by Mr Alan Partridge
- Old Dog and Duck; The Secret Meaning of Pub Names
- Samuel Pepys; Biography and extracts from his diary
- Inns, Ales and Drinking Customs of Old England - 2 of my favourite subjects, Old England and Inns. Marvellous

Attachments:

[rx7]

Just finished the House of 7 Gables by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Not a bad read. I love Jurassic Park though. Michael Crichton was an awesome author.

[antonia]

I've just began the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe that my OH bought me for christmas.
I considered etting a Kindle but I couldn't bring myself to do it.I like books you can turn the page on.
I have a copy of 'To kill a mocking bird' I've had since I was 9 and it has been dropped in water so the hard cover is warped and many,many bent pages and smells really old but I love it.

[katinthewinter]

Moab Is My Washpot by Stephen Fry.

[devil-may-care]

Jan 4, 2012 19:53:10 GMT antonia said:

I've just began the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe that my OH bought me for christmas.
I considered etting a Kindle but I couldn't bring myself to do it.I like books you can turn the page on.
I have a copy of 'To kill a mocking bird' I've had since I was 9 and it has been dropped in water so the hard cover is warped and many,many bent pages and smells really old but I love it.

Two of my favorites! Poe and Mockingbird! MOH has an iPad and reads on it. I'm with you though. I really want that book in my hands. The feel of the cover fabric, the smell of the pages, maps, endpapers - just everything you don't get with a screen! ;D

[meimichan]

The Harry Potter series. Already done with books 1 and 2, starting book 3.

Well, to be really honest, I'm currently cooking, cleaning, and playing a video game, but when I've been reading, it's been Harry Potter.

[SiljeMari]

Now, I'm at the end of Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux. It's the novel the musical is based upon. I am completely in love with the movie and the story, so I just had to read the book

Nat, I have also read On The Edge, and I felt almost the same way as you. I remember I couldn't think about anything else while I was working, and I used every chance I had to read a few sentences or pages. The book really touched me, and I found myself crying several times, both of sadness and joy..