I've had a lot going on recently that has distracted me from the blog, but I figured it was time to share what I've been reading over the past few weeks, since the first time I did that was a couple of years ago. So, here you go:
Get Capone, by Jonathan Eig. A nonfiction book about Al Capone's rise to power in 1920's and 30's Chicago, and the attempts by the government to take him down. I found the depictions of the Chicago of that era to be very interesting, and the next time I'm there, I'd like to visit more of the major landmarks and establishments from that time period. A little slow in parts, but quite thoroughly researched and documented, and a book I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in the subject matter.
Mysteries of the Middle Ages, by Thomas Cahill. I'm only partway through this, but I'm not sure where the "mysteries" in this book are, as it mostly discusses important personalities of the time period and how certain institutions and concepts (universities, courtly love, the emergence of reason, etc.) came to be. But even though I don't think the title is all that accurate, it is still a well-written and highly entertaining book. I haven't read anything by Cahill before and don't know much about him as a result, but if his other history works are as clever and engrossing as this one, I will certainly give them a try.
The Dogs of War, by Frederick Forsyth. I've been on a nonfiction kick lately, but I did get a chance to read this novel about mercenaries in Africa as well. Drawing heavily (very, very heavily) on his experiences in Nigeria during the Biafra conflict, Forsyth's novel is unique in how much detail he puts into it, separating it from novels with similar subject matter. The characterization isn't always very strong, and the major characters can be borderline cliched, but it was still a highly entertaining novel and made me want to check out some of his others, such as The Day of the Jackal.
I have other books "on deck" as well, the first of which is The Happiest Days of Our Lives, the most recent one from Wil Wheaton.
Showing posts with label novels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label novels. Show all posts
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Thursday, December 18, 2008
What I'm Reading
Here's what I'm reading right now, for those who are interested:
Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan. This is a Future Noir story in the mold of Blade Runner or Neuromancer, which for me is a very good thing. It makes use of the classic SF "one weird idea" approach where there is one unusual concept, social institution, or technology that plays a major role in the story (even if the book isn't about it per se). Here, the idea is sleeving, or moving one's consciousness between physical bodies in order to travel between planets or even live forever. The implications of this technology are quite important to the novel, but I won't give them away here. Overall, I'm pleased with this book and will probably want to read the rest of the series (this is the first book of a trilogy), though it seems like it will end up being about 100-150 pages longer than it needs to be.
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I've been working on this beast of a novel for a very long time -- over ten years, as a matter of fact. I read it for a while and then leave it for something else; I enjoy it a lot when I'm in the mood for Hugo's obsessive detail and narrative meanderings, but sometimes (okay, most of the time) I want something more to the point. Plus, I'm already quite familiar with the story, having seen the stage play once, the musical twice, and listended to the original cast recording I don't know how many times. I'm not reading this one to learn what happens; I'm reading this one for the language. I'm quite a ways through, so my goal is to finish it by the end of January.
Successful Writing at Work (Concise Edition), Philip C. Kolin. This was the textbook for my class that ended two weeks ago. We didn't get through all of it in the seven weeks of the course, so I'm finishing it now. It's pretty good as books on writing go; even though it's the "Concise Edition", it still manages to cover topics in sufficient depth. It makes me wonder what the "Verbose Edition" is like.
Once I finish these, there's a lot more on deck, including The Last of the Mohicans, The Elements of Technical Writing, and Naomi Novik's Temeraire series.
Altered Carbon, by Richard K. Morgan. This is a Future Noir story in the mold of Blade Runner or Neuromancer, which for me is a very good thing. It makes use of the classic SF "one weird idea" approach where there is one unusual concept, social institution, or technology that plays a major role in the story (even if the book isn't about it per se). Here, the idea is sleeving, or moving one's consciousness between physical bodies in order to travel between planets or even live forever. The implications of this technology are quite important to the novel, but I won't give them away here. Overall, I'm pleased with this book and will probably want to read the rest of the series (this is the first book of a trilogy), though it seems like it will end up being about 100-150 pages longer than it needs to be.
Les Miserables, by Victor Hugo. I've been working on this beast of a novel for a very long time -- over ten years, as a matter of fact. I read it for a while and then leave it for something else; I enjoy it a lot when I'm in the mood for Hugo's obsessive detail and narrative meanderings, but sometimes (okay, most of the time) I want something more to the point. Plus, I'm already quite familiar with the story, having seen the stage play once, the musical twice, and listended to the original cast recording I don't know how many times. I'm not reading this one to learn what happens; I'm reading this one for the language. I'm quite a ways through, so my goal is to finish it by the end of January.
Successful Writing at Work (Concise Edition), Philip C. Kolin. This was the textbook for my class that ended two weeks ago. We didn't get through all of it in the seven weeks of the course, so I'm finishing it now. It's pretty good as books on writing go; even though it's the "Concise Edition", it still manages to cover topics in sufficient depth. It makes me wonder what the "Verbose Edition" is like.
Once I finish these, there's a lot more on deck, including The Last of the Mohicans, The Elements of Technical Writing, and Naomi Novik's Temeraire series.
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