What are You Reading Now?

[MacMarty89]

Reading and smoking is an excellent combination.

 

[AppalachianPipe92]

Been meaning to read this for a long time now. Finally pulled the trigger. What a pleasant and informative read.

 

[username]

 

[Bengel]

 

[makhorkasmoker]

 

[beargreasediet]

Taking a 2nd crack at Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. And enjoying this thread, with an uncharacteristically sweet smoke.

 

[Hillcrest]

Taking a 2nd crack at Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. And enjoying this thread, with an uncharacteristically sweet smoke.

Tolkien had a brilliant mind. He may not be everyone's cup of tea but he had a deep mind and great talent. I love the fact that he and his friends couldn't find the types of stories they were looking for so they decided to write their own for their own entertainment.

 

[Briar Lee]

Here is the new thread.

It has been my lifelong belief that human nature is immutable and unchanging.

It’s only by public education, that we can lift ourselves from peering out of our caves into the darkness and live as rational children of the Lord.

The current book I’m reading reinforces my belief that human beings do not change more than any I’ve read recently.

Its named Pale Rider, the author is Laura Spinney, published in 2017, and it about the 1918 Spanish Flu and how it changed the world.

Pale Rider

In 1918, the Italian-Americans of New York, the Yupik of Alaska, and the Persians of Mashed had almost nothing in common except for a virus -- one that triggered the worst pandemic of modern times and had a decisive effect on twentieth-century history.The Spanish flu of 1918-1920 was one of the...

books.google.com

There is nothing new, under the sun.

In another century somebody will write a book about the Covid 19 epidemic that will read just about the same as Pale Rider.

 

[sablebrush52]

Sapiens

A short history of the human race.

 

[Tom Sawtooth]

 

[ukbob]

Barbarossa Through German Eyes- The Biggest Invasion in History by Jonathan Trigg.

 

[Parkland_Puffer]

A Song for a New Day

Nebula award winner written published in 2019 about a serious pandemic and it's effect on public gatherings and live music.

 

[giacomo]

This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends, by Nicole Perlroth. A truly frightening book about the cyberweapons arms race. Haven't finished yet but I'm having a hard time comprehending how deep people are poking around in our electronic devices.
Maybe I'm just naive.
Well, off to the "What are you drinking now thread" to find some inspiration, because I need one.

 

[mikethompson]

Not my copy, but I do like that cover art.

I might have read it many years ago, but decided to pick it up.

 

[Egg Shen]

Taking a 2nd crack at Tolkien’s The Silmarillion. And enjoying this thread, with an uncharacteristically sweet smoke.

Phew that was a tough one for me, but I was a teenager. Certainly not an easy read like Hobbit/LOTR.

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I realized I know almost nothing about this point in history in the middle east, and I wanted to charge that.

added to my list. I love history too. There obviously is so much history that is barely touched on in western education- I enjoy understanding how the world has taken shape. Thanks for sharing.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I just finished this one. It is so weird that Picasso got his hoard of friends and colleagues to stop this one from being published in his lifetime. It is written by his ex, and she does a great job of showing his genius and downplays his role as a womanizer. Or, at least she showed her willingness to share Picasso. Her at 18 and him at 61. So many people look at relationships from the past through their own tinted lenses, and criticize him. Picasso told everyone, the world, that he treated women like goddesses and doormats. He never made a claim to be monogamous. He had kids by many women, and treated all of his women and kids with respect and shared his wealth generously.

What I loved about this book was getting the behind the scene look at his ventures in other mediums after the war; printmaking and ceramics. So many craftsmen were willing help him, probably hoping that by getting closer to Picasso would seal their own names in history. 5/5, art and Picasso fans will really want to check this one out.

 

[TheIronMonkey]

View attachment 142398

Not my copy, but I do like that cover art.

I might have read it many years ago, but decided to pick it up.

Looks like a Tony Millionaire illustration.

 

[TheWhale13]

I got an impulse to read yesterday for the first time in a long while, so I went to the library and got myself a copy of notes from the underground. I just finished it, and I don't really know what to say, it was interesting, but I felt lost at times from his rambling. The first part had some fun thought-provoking parts. Looking forward to reading some of his other work, any recommendations?

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Another Picasso book, this one by Norman Mailer. I think that getting the backstory on Picasso as the young genius growing up and his first years in Paris really helps one understand how his style developed. I really enjoyed the book, but Norman Mailer's allusions to gayness between Picasso and his close friend was too much IMO. Two men can be friends, and one grieve the loss of that friend without there having been any sexual allusions. Just pulling shit out of thin air.
But, even so... it is still a really good book with a lot of insight, despite Norma's weirdnesses.

 

[Tom Sawtooth]

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I got an impulse to read yesterday for the first time in a long while, so I went to the library and got myself a copy of notes from the underground. I just finished it, and I don't really know what to say, it was interesting, but I felt lost at times from his rambling. The first part had some fun thought-provoking parts. Looking forward to reading some of his other work, any recommendations?

You should try The Brothers Karamazov & Crime and Punishment.

There is also The Idiot & Demons.

And few others but I digress.