What are you reading?

[patrickdron]

finished reading Kill Your Friends by John Niven

[TOOLsynesthesia]

I'm reading When You Are Engulfed In Flames by David Sedaris (and it is HILARIOUS!).

[Regan]

[UNShim]

The Sookie Stackhouse Novels in which the show True Blood is based. I'm currently on the fifth book (Dead as a Doornail). I can't put them down. So glad they are only $7.99

[siberianknight]

I am reading Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paula Marshall. It's part of my college work, but I'm actually enjoying it. The speech is just a little hard to follow sometimes.

[patrickdron]

finished reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer of Twlight fame.

[theanarchypoet]

Just finished reading The Dark Tower series by Stephen King aka. god

and to all the koontz fans out their just admit it he's the wanna be stephen king
I mean hes not even second place in horror any more that spot now belongs to Clive Barker

[Zach]

Just finished Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, and now I'm working on James Morrow's The Philosopher's Apprentice and Neil Bernstein, PhD's There When He Needs You: How to Be an Available, Involved, and Emotionally Connected Father to Your Son.

[Odd One]

^^^ Wow, that sounds like some heavy reading!!

How was the father / son book? I have a son & I'm wondering if it would be a good read for me in terms of evaluating my parenting skills. I took him to see Sick Puppies last Saturday so I think I'm going pretty good

I'm reading (actually re-reading) Animal, Vegatable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. I highly recommned it. It has changed the way my family thinks about food. Where we get it & what we are eating. It's about a familiy's pledge to eat as much locally produced food & to grow their own (plant & animal) food for one year. It isn't preachy at all, it's a beautiful & insrping story. It will change the way you think about food too!

[Zach]

[Odd One]

Thanks Zach. I’m very impressed, what a great subject for your PHD especially in these times when we appear to be in crisis surrounding the raising of our boys. I'm sure we could have a separate thread to discuss that as I'm sure you have a lot of insight in that area. I love debate (respectful of course) & believe that if we all employed a little critical thinking, we could mend the fences & divisions in our society.

I don't have a real deep philosophical bent that I'm using to raise Sam. I want him to be a kind, thoughtful person with my moral beliefs but I'm non religious so he isn't getting any theist indoctrination. He can figure out his own belief system once he is old enough to grapple with those concepts himself.

I'll check out your blog this evening & will take your top 3 recommendations & give them a read. I'm always looking for new books to read & this subject is one I have a vested interest in.

Thanks again for the reply & recommendations

[Zach]

No problem at all! I'd be happy to discuss anything related to the topic (or relevant ones like child development, parenting strategies, behaviour management, academic formation, et cetera) with you. Shoot me a PM whenever you get a minute, and we can get some good discussion going.

Take care,
Zach

[Odd One]

Hey Zach. I'd love to get a ood discussion going, soorry it took me a couple of days to get back. Work & familiy takin' up my time again!

I'll PM you over the weekend, I have a couple of things I'd like to get your opinion on,

Later,
Mark

[N.E.G]

Sounds like an interesting subject for your PHD. Not really at the stage in my life where I need to think about it at the moment (21, single and focused on my studies), but it's an interesting topic regardless.

As for current reads:
On War - Clausewitz
A Drink Before the War - Dennis Lehane
The Great Book of Amber - Roger Zelazny

Lehane holds the position, in my mind at least, as having written one of the most frightening villains/stories in existence. (Darkness Take My Hand)

Zelazny is an amazing author and I highly recommend at least the first five books in the Amber series. I found that when I read the first book I literally didn't put it down until I'd finished it. Engaging and evocative it remains my favorite series and one which I've read many times.

On War is hard to plow through and is the only book which I've given serious study to in a long while. If you don't know about it, a Prussian military tactician breaks down war and its reasons/causes/attributes from his view. Very very good if a trifle dry at times. The manuscript is available online, but I recommend getting a print copy so that you can make notes. It's not really suitable for a casual read.

Phew. Other than those it's just textbooks, and Tribes by Seth Godin. But that's a bedtime read anyways so it doesn't count.

[Zach]

[Regan]

Uh... A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn
It's long, boring and wordy. Ah, APUSH...

[N.E.G]

Well, for me a bedtime read is something I've read often and don't really need to read anymore. A well loved classic that I could probably story-tell if I choose to. "Tribes" is about the new age of marketing and I highly recommend it.

And I'd be interested in what other people read before bed. Share, Zach, share!

[Zach]

Well, before bedtime is usually the only chance I get to read some fiction. Right now, I'm reading Morrow's The Philosopher's Apprentice as my bedtime book. While it has some strong ethical considerations on which the reader will ponder, it is a well-developed story used to convey those considerations in a less-dense, much more enjoyable manner.

One of my favourite bedtime books is Catcher in the Rye. I also really enjoy The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

[N.E.G]

I don't know if we can be friends now, Zach. I hated Catcher in the Rye. I haven't read The Perks of Being a Wallflower yet, although several people have recommended it to me. I keep meaning to, but other books sing their siren songs and I just haven't picked it up yet.

Before class tomorrow I'll go check out The Philosohper's Apprentice at my local Borders. I'll get back to you with my thoughts.

[Zach]