What are you currently reading?

[headcrash]

Currently working on the Townsend bio and "Fall of Giants" by Ken Follett.
Received as Christmas gifts:
"The Trials of Lenny Bruce"
"The John Lennon Letters" which looks to be fascinating for a Beatle fan like myself
"Kurt Vonnegut: Letters". While I've always been kind of ambivalent regarding Vonnegut's novels, the correspondence I've read I've found more interesting so I'm looking forward to getting into this.

[East New York]

The Trials of Frances Howard by David Lindley. This is a compelling account of the infamous Jacobean scandal; Lindley is not an apologist for Howard, but he does an admirable job in challenging the historical opinion of her character.

[PeterG]

Which David Lindley?

[Scott Bails]

Which David Lindley?

The author.

[firth5th]

I'm reading The Call of the Wild and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn concurrently.

[willyswing]

Who I Am-Pete Townshend

[kid_runningfox]

I'm now into Jon Ronson's The Men Who Stare at Goats. It's pretty awesome: weird, frightening, and hysterical in turns, or all at the same time.

This was also turned into a TV series that aired on Channel 4 here in the UK around 2004-5 called 'The Crazy Rulers of the World,' where Ronson personally interviewed many of the leading protagonists of the book. It's worth finding online (it's probably on Youtube) both for the batshit mad subject matter and for the fact that Ronson's voice is extremely camp, whcih just adds to the general air of extreme surreality

[Jerjo]

JK Rowling's "Casual Vacancy".

[Superfly]

Currently I'm reading 'The Real Frank Zappa Book' by Frank. So far so good...pretty funny stuff.

[notallwhowander]

This was also turned into a TV series that aired on Channel 4 here in the UK around 2004-5called 'The Crazy Rulers of the World,' where Ronson personally interviewed many of the leading protagonists of the book. It's worth finding online (it's probably on Youtube) both for the batshit mad subject matter and for the fact that Ronson's voice is extremely camp, whcih just adds to the general air of extreme sureality

Thanks for the tip-off! I'm going to look that up now.

[per anporth]

Just finished Denis Johnson's The Name of the World...

...& just started M John Harrison's Empty Space, the concluding (I believe) part of a trilogy, which was preceded by Light & Nova Swing.

[East New York]

Which David Lindley?

The author.

LOL! The Uni of Leeds professor.

[Duncan Glenday]

Thanks for the tip-off! I'm going to look that up now.

Let us know if you find it.

(Yah - I'm too lazy to do it myself )

[notallwhowander]

Let us know if you find it.

(Yah - I'm too lazy to do it myself )

Here's part one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3pMTJCXMnc

(I didn't want to embed the vid, in the hope things will stay on topic.)

From what I've seen so far it tracks well with the book. It's interesting to actually see and hear these folks say these things.

[hippypants]

Who I Am-Pete Townshend

I was curious about this one. How do you like it so far? I was curious about his upbringing.

[No Pride]

Currently I'm reading 'The Real Frank Zappa Book' by Frank. So far so good...pretty funny stuff.

I love it! I've read it twice and would read it a third time if I could remember who I loaned it to 10 or so years ago.

[Iszil]

Nothing at the moment but I want to start with the "Foundation" saga, by Asimov.

[kid_runningfox]

Nothing at the moment but I want to start with the "Foundation" saga, by Asimov.

Great series, but I'd suggest sticking with the original three books and avoiding the later series of Foundation books Asimov published in the early 80s (though to be fair, I recall that Foundation's Edge wasn't bad). Some of those later books, especially the ones where Asimov specifically associates himelf with the character of Hari Seldon, are true stinkers.

[notallwhowander]

I've started up an oldie (published in 1925) called Tros of Samothrace by Talbot Mundy. It's a first-century swashbuckler pitting Tros, a disposed Mediterranean prince, against the tyrannic Julius Caesar as Caesar seeks to conquer Brittan. It's all very manly and freedom-loving. The characters don't have much depth, but the point is adventure. Fun so far.

[walt]

In Patagonia-Bruce Chatwin

[philsunset]

The last book I finished was The Parade's Gone By.... by Kevin Brownlow. Currently reading American Silent Film by William K. Everson. These are probably the two highest regarded books on silent film. I'm really enjoying reading them and have learned a lot on a subject that interests me very much.

[polmico]

Bukowski's Post Office was awesome. Now reading Salinger'sNine Stories.

[Reid]

The Fabric Of The Cosmos-Brian Greene
The Origin Of Consciousness-Julian Jaynes

[spellbound]

People's History of the United States - Howard Zinn

[Superfly]

I love it! I've read it twice and would read it a third time if I could remember who I loaned it to 10 or so years ago.

Just finished it. I loved it as well. Hell, it was worth reading just for his statement at the PMRC hearings. As a long time fan of Frank, this book only made me love him more. Although, I wish the chapter on "Road Stories" had been a lot longer, the book still is Highly recommended.