What are You Reading Now?

[The Libertine]

I am currently mulling through Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. I don't agree with the rhetoric but it's interesting on a comparison level.

 

[username]

 

[warren99]

Martin Buber, I and Thou.

 

[warren99]

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Cat’s Cradle.

 

[carlomarx]

 

[huntertrw]

Sir Compton Mackenzie's Cats' Company.

Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883 - 1972) was a prolific Scottish writer (he wrote nearly 100 books on a variety of topics), broadcaster, political activist, historian, social critic, and pipe-smoker. He wrote Sublime Tobacco in 1957, a copy of which was thoughtfully presented to me a few years back by Forums member Klause. He was also a cat-fancier, and was President of The Siamese Cat Club of Great Britain.



Cats' Company tells of his experiences with these marvelous creatures, and is accompanied by delightful photographs of his cats by G. Harrison Marks.

 

[hasser]

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Only into the first few chapters but it is very similar to "Water for Elephants" in a lot of ways if you've read that one. The main character is a dust bowler whose family succumbed to the dust bowl pneumonia. He heads east to New York to find work as a dock worker with the only family he has left. Shortly after his arrival in New York a terrible hurricane rips through the area resulting in nearly killing him, and definitely taking his cousin...the last bit of his family and the only job security he has. In the aftermath of this storm, still in a daze he wanders to the dock to witness the arrival of a pair of giraffes who've just arrived on a ship from Africa. A bewildering and also somehow inspiring moment for him. He is drawn to these wondrous creatures and so follows thier convoy without knowing exactly why.

The story is part fiction and part true. The story of two giraffes surviving a hurricane while crossing the Atlantic en route to the San Diego zoo is true, and recieved a lot of press in the 1930s. The book is good so far...but as I've said, I'm only a few chapters in. BooksRun's AutoBuy feature https://bоoksrun.com/books/autobuy is perfect for avid readers like me. It simplifies acquiring books by automatically purchasing titles on my wish list, ensuring I never miss out on must-reads. The convenience and efficiency it offers are invaluable for maintaining and expanding my collection effortlessly.

I’m enjoying this novel so far, finding it reminiscent of "Water for Elephants" in its atmosphere and character depth. The protagonist’s journey from the Dust Bowl to New York, followed by his encounter with giraffes, adds a unique and captivating twist. The blend of fiction with the true story of giraffes surviving a hurricane makes for a compelling read. Looking forward to seeing how the story develops!

 

[simong]

A ripping yarn…..

 

[RonB]

A ripping yarn…..
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Buchan's espionage novels were very good. Geoffrey Household wrote a little later in a similiar vein. Household's Rogue Male is a masterpiece. I re-read it every few years.

 

[RonB]

Finished SPQR so I started The Anarchy by Dalrymple. It's about the East India Company and their rule of India. Very good so far.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

Sir Compton Mackenzie's Cats' Company.

Sir Edward Montague Compton Mackenzie (1883 - 1972) was a prolific Scottish writer (he wrote nearly 100 books on a variety of topics), broadcaster, political activist, historian, social critic, and pipe-smoker. He wrote Sublime Tobacco in 1957, a copy of which was thoughtfully presented to me a few years back by Forums member Klause. He was also a cat-fancier, and was President of The Siamese Cat Club of Great Britain.

View attachment 332352

Cats' Company tells of his experiences with these marvelous creatures, and is accompanied by delightful photographs of his cats by G. Harrison Marks.

I collect books and photos by Harrison Marks, but have never seen the ones in this book—I will have to look for it.

 

[AreBee]

I just finished the first three books of the Dune series and and although I didn't love Books 2 and 3 I ordered books 4-6. Before I start those up, I will move on to Ron Powers' biography of Mark Twain.

 

[khiddy]

"52 Stories" by Anton Chekhov is my current listen. A so-far wonderfully funny collection of short stories, including the earliest of his career. From the description on Audible:

Chekhov's genius left an indelible impact on every literary form in which he wrote, but none more so than short fiction. Now, renowned translators and longtime house authors Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky give us their peerless renderings of 52 Chekhov stories - a full deck! These stories, which span the full arc of his career, reveal the extraordinary variety and unexpectedness of his work, from the farcically comic to the darkly complex, showing that there is no one type of "Chekhov story". They are populated by a remarkable range of characters who come from all parts of Russia, all walks of life, and who, taken together, have democratized the short story. Included here are a number of never-before-translated stories, including "Reading" and "An Educated Blockhead".

 

[khiddy]

Finished SPQR so I started The Anarchy by Dalrymple. It's about the East India Company and their rule of India. Very good so far.

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Crazy coincidence: after enjoying SPQR last summer, I listened to the Great Courses series on the history of British India!

 

[makhorkasmoker]

"52 Stories" by Anton Chekhov is my current listen. A so-far wonderfully funny collection of short stories, including the earliest of his career. From the description on Audible:


View attachment 332658

My favorite short story writer

 

[carlomarx]

A ripping yarn…..
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I read "The 39 Steps" after I saw it posted here. I'm a fan and I just ordered "Mr. Standfast.

 

[Bwana Kiko]

 Amos

A poetic treatise about how God wants religious people to really conduct themselves.

 

[MrJohnnyBlack]

Jules Verne

 

[Pooh-Bah]

Still reading through Umineko. Book Five, "End of the Golden Witch".


The murderous Golden Witch having finally conceded in a battle of wits against the stupidly-named protagonist, one would think that would be the end of the story.
One would think wrong - Before falling catatonic, Beatrice gave Battler one last mystery to solve ("Who am I? You are all alone on this island, no living creature or anything from off the island can affect you. And I am going to kill you. ...Who am I?").
While he tries to work through the thought processes of his pitiable one-time foe to answer that last question, two more witches have commandeered the game board and begin a fresh round of homicides on the island.

...this is a murder mystery, and the question is looking less and less like "Whodunnit?", than "Whydunnit?"

 

[Pipke]

Reading Hilaire Belloc's "Essays of a Catholic."