What are you reading ?

Originally Posted by EvilManagedCare
Just read World War Z by Max Brooks. For those not familiar with the title, it's a collection of interviews following the zombie apocalypse. Interesting take on the genre and for the most part all the stories are compelling. The book examines all aspects of the Zombie War: psychological, sociological, geopolitical. I scoffed at this title for well over a year after my wife read it. But inspired by Season 3 of the Walking Dead I gave it a try and glad I did.

Originally Posted by Toff
Started World War Z last night. Its not bad at all but it is a bit dark. Tho, I can't stand horror movies so it may not bother you.

Good to hear some first-hand accounts of WWZ. I had been thinking about getting it, but now I'm definitely going to. Should I read Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide" first?

Originally Posted by Thrasher
You know, ever since I got my iPhone, I surf and email during my reading time instead. It's really sort of caused a lifestyle change. Not sure if it's for the better.

That is why I have a basic nook and kindle .. Reading time is reading time.

Does anybody know any good books on Sumerian mythology?

The Gilgamesh Epos ?

Sorry, no, I can't help much here.

You could try browsing Wikipedia articles and then look at the "literature" entries there. That's what I often do myself. Although I must admit that I haven't been buying many books on Archaeology and ancient cultures during the last few years.

What I once found is this book, however : http://www.amazon.de/Nimrud-Assyrian…=I2DZ6BSHMQ3YC

It looks like a good book to me.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Good to hear some first-hand accounts of WWZ. I had been thinking about getting it, but now I'm definitely going to. Should I read Brooks' "The Zombie Survival Guide" first?

I didn't read the survival guide. Personally, the guide didn't interest me, but IIRC it also got rave reviews and was a bestseller. You will enjoy WWZ either way I think.

I am looking for a novel which has lots of witty dialogues and blunt black humor, but is also accessible and straightforward. Nothing too profound. (Like Chuck Palahniuk) The witty and yet accessible dialogues and cool characters are very important. In other words, a novel that is similar to first two Tarantino movies, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Any recommendations?

I'm reading the Zombie Survival Guide right now and its just that, a survival guide. No story at all, more of a textbook. Its mildly entertaining but I'm at the point where I'm skimming and even skipping pages that I find boring. WWZ is much better IMO.

Originally Posted by Frozen Fireball
I am looking for a novel which has lots of witty dialogues and blunt black humor, but is also accessible and straightforward. Nothing too profound. (Like Chuck Palahniuk) The witty and yet accessible dialogues and cool characters are very important. In other words, a novel that is similar to first two Tarantino movies, Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Any recommendations?

Hm, do you know Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels ?
I can recommend Maurice And His Educated Rodents, that's a really good story, imho !

What I found not bad as well was the very first Skullduggery Pleasant novel, although it was a bit too much dialog-centric for my taste, and didn't contain good descriptions of the environments.
The dialogs as such, however, were not bad, and the overall story wasn't bad, either.

Hm, do you know Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels ?

Only by name. But now I will definitely check them out.
And also skullduggery Pleasant looks very interesting according to what I read about it in goodreads. I usually don't care about environment descriptions very much, so it's definitely my cup of tea. Thanks for the recommendations.

Iain M. Banks' The Player of Games, his second novel set in the Culture universe. I'm about halfway through and it's an awesome read so far.

Originally Posted by txa1265

Originally Posted by Thrasher
You know, ever since I got my iPhone, I surf and email during my reading time instead. It's really sort of caused a lifestyle change. Not sure if it's for the better.

That is why I have a basic nook and kindle .. Reading time is reading time.

Quoted for truth. Also cf. A Tale of Two eRaders.

I'm about to get a dedicated eReader myself but can't decide which one: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or Nook Touch Glowlight. Really, really good display vs. physical page turn buttons, epub support and extensibility.

Originally Posted by Arhu
Iain M. Banks' The Player of Games, his second novel set in the Culture universe. I'm about halfway through and it's an awesome read so far.


Quoted for truth. Also cf. A Tale of Two eRaders.

I'm about to get a dedicated eReader myself but can't decide which one: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or Nook Touch Glowlight. Really, really good display vs. physical page turn buttons, epub support and extensibility.

Probably my favourite culture novel, just amazing!

Originally Posted by Arhu

I'm about to get a dedicated eReader myself but can't decide which one: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite or Nook Touch Glowlight. Really, really good display vs. physical page turn buttons, epub support and extensibility.

As always, it is more about the ecosystem than the hardware … And there it is all about Kindle. We have both, and I use the kindle more and more … Better deals, better overall pricing, and more self published folks use it.

Also BN has been totally screwing the old fictionwise / eReader customers as they prepare to shut the services down for good …

I need a recommendation on what to read next between:

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
The Plague - Albert Camus
The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
East of Eden - John Steinbeck

edit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012…l-herta-muller

Originally Posted by bloodlover
I need a recommendation on what to read next between:

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
The Plague - Albert Camus
The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
East of Eden - John Steinbeck

edit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012…l-herta-muller

Tough call … but IMP most are quick enough reads that you can stack them up one after the next

Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors. I bought Jailbird when it came out ('79) and had read everything of his within a year or so of that. And going back to it again and again - and now through the eyes and minds of my kids - gives me different perspective each time.

Camus was a high school fave - I have fond memories of sitting on Cape Cod reading The Plague. Awesome book.

I like the rest, but didn't like Heart of Darkness as much re-reading it several years ago as I did when I first read it.

It's not the device that's preventing me from reading. It's the content that's available on the web that is more engaging than the books I have queued up. At least for now…

Originally Posted by txa1265
As always, it is more about the ecosystem than the hardware … And there it is all about Kindle.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. But what about basic ergonomics in regard to actual reading? Which would you rather recommend: very good display with good lighting but touch-only navigation; or a device with slightly (?) less good display with physical page-turn buttons and a more natural feeling grip? Does one even matter in comparison to the other?

Note that I can't check out any of those readers over here, all I can do is read reviews …

Originally Posted by Thrasher
It's not the device that's preventing me from reading. It's the content that's available on the web that is more engaging than the books I have queued up. At least for now…

That'll pass, I guess …

Originally Posted by bloodlover
I need a recommendation on what to read next between:

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast at Tiffany's - Truman Capote
The Plague - Albert Camus
The Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri
Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
East of Eden - John Steinbeck

edit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012…l-herta-muller

Definitely Slaughterhouse 5. I read that as a senior in High School and then went on a Vonnegut reading spree. My favorite line: "Get out of the road, you dumb motherf*cker!" You have to understand, literature I had read to that point had no profanity at all, so being 17 years old I thought it was a wonderful breath of fresh air.

Currently reading "the Kraken wakes" by John Wyndham. Its pretty good.

I'd never really heard of him till a couple of months back, when I picked up a copy of "the Chrysalids" in a charity shop and got totally sucked into it. When I finished I went on a bit of a mission to check out his other books! They tend to be fairly short reads, not great on characters particularly, but really big on ideas, imagination and plot.

Its a bit of a cliche, but if you fancy giving one a try I'd suggest "day of the triffids" - I'd seen some tv shows based on it and I therefore expected the book to be a cheese-fest (killer plants! run!), but its a surprisingly subtle book that really gets you biting your nails and doesn't go in the direction you think it will.

Originally Posted by Arhu
Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. But what about basic ergonomics in regard to actual reading? Which would you rather recommend: very good display with good lighting but touch-only navigation; or a device with slightly (?) less good display with physical page-turn buttons and a more natural feeling grip? Does one even matter in comparison to the other?

I find both the Nook and Kindle very easy to use, with great comfort and since the displays are both 6" E-Ink Pearl that is a non-issue. The touch on the Nook is an infrared boundary around the outside, so it isn't a capacitive layer. Both have buttons, neither are back-lit. Unless you get the Kindle PaperWhite or Nook Glow … and of those I would recommend the Kindle again - testing it out I found it superior in display quality.

I'm current reading Twilight