What are you reading.

[Colster]

Do people still read?

The internet has suppressed many simple joys. Why invest in reading a whole book, when YouTube can encapsulate it within a 5 minute video.

Regardless, I still love reading, the smell of books, the serenity of book shops and libraries.

My favourite authors are:

Terry Pratchett
Tom Holt
Piers Anthony
John Brosnan

Biographical follows the fiction, with varying success. Some entertaining people, write some very boring books. Whereas, some wonderful biographies come from simple honesty and detail.

I have vowed not to but any new books this year, as I have too many still needing to be read.

 

[beingnobody]

The Hidden Messages of Water (for the umph time)

 

[TheRealCallie]

The forum

 

[Viridian]

Do people still read?

My favourite authors are:

Terry Pratchett
Tom Holt
Piers Anthony
John Brosnan

If you could suggest one book from this group of your favorite authors, what would it be?

Only Piers Anthony I've read is Cthon, which was strange and surreal but can't remember much of. Something about a labyrinthine garnet mine/prison and a troubling feminine entity that attaches itself to the protagonist.

Not much of a reader but I just picked up The Scarlet Letter.
Antiquated and verbose prose. Something bad is going to happen... Hester Prynne should just jump ship from these busy body hellfire and damnation Puritans, join the Quakers before whatever is going to happen, happens.

 

[Colster]

If you could suggest one book from this group of your favorite authors, what would it be?

Only Piers Anthony I've read is Cthon, which was strange and surreal but can't remember much of. Something about a labyrinthine garnet mine/prison and a troubling feminine entity that attaches itself to the protagonist.

Not much of a reader but I just picked up The Scarlet Letter.
Antiquated and verbose prose. Something bad is going to happen... Hester Prynne should just jump ship from these busy body hellfire and damnation Puritans, join the Quakers before whatever is going to happen, happens.

 

[Colster]

Of my favourite authors, I instinctively want to recommend Pratchett, as he has the greatest body of work, and several different genres that intertwine within the whole. I would hope that somewhere amongst this, others would find fun and enlightenment.

However, my personal favourite read is: Damned & Fancy (John Brosnan). It is darkly humorous, a little dated in it's themes and delivery, but so wonderfully uncomplicated and uncompromising. It's the book hero's would read, if they could read.

 

[Colster]

Oh, Pier Anthony 's On A Pale Horse, is an enjoyable read. It's sort of Blade Runner meets Weekend at Bernie's.

 

[xephier102]

The forum

Funny but also true. I'm to anxious to read books these days. So I've always kinda settled on "I don't read". But I've probably read several novels worth of forum posts over the years.

 

[TheRealCallie]

Funny but also true. I'm to anxious to read books these days. So I've always kinda settled on "I don't read". But I've probably read several novels worth of forum posts over the years.

Meh, I'm too busy to read actual books. I used to read them, but that was another life, it seems. lol

 

[Colster]

I obviously spend too much time in the throne room, during morning constitutional.

 

[xephier102]

The Hidden Messages of Water (for the umph time)

I don't mean to make fun, but, does nobody else see this? I mean, sure you've aged a bit since the HP movies, but you're a dead ringer for Snape.

 

[xephier102]

I obviously spend too much time in the throne room, during morning constitutional.

I almost never crap in the morning. My body hates me, so I always need to take a dump directly before a shower.

 

[Colster]

I almost never crap in the morning. My body hates me, so I always need to take a dump directly before a shower.

read anything by Jeffrey Archer, nothing else can be as honeysuckle.

 

[ewomack]

I also can't get enough books. I spend way too much time reading, but I would like to spend even more. It provides an escape like nothing else. I read just about everything, but focus a lot on history, philosophy, cosmology and illuminated manuscript facsimiles. Just last week, I finished the 29th book in the American Presidents series, which runs from Washington to W. Bush. Though the book was on Coolidge, who was actually the 30th president, Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms but he only gets a single book, so the series volumes remain off by one afterwards. Very soon, I'll start the Herbert Hoover volume and I'm planning on finishing the entire series in order. Only about a dozen more to go. Through this reading I've learned far more about American History and politics than I ever learned at any school. School, at least public school, only teaches the very thin surface of things. You have to read further and deeper to see more than that almost useless surface. Though I also have a Master's Degree, it's in a technical field so I didn't experience a more literary Master's program, so perhaps that experience would have changed my mind, or maybe not.

I've also read books in Spanish, French and Japanese. I also study Arabic, but I still have quite a ways to go with that language before reading anything substantial. I also love bookstores and I'm hoping that they don't go extinct. Sadly, countless smaller bookstores have closed in my area over the past five years and the Barnes and Noble stores now contain just as many toys and trinkets as books. I hope people keep reading, because only a book can really contain a large, complex and multifaceted argument. It's very hard to whittle any 800 page book down to even a 2-hour film without leaving out vast details. People need to read now more than ever, because public information has become more and more simplified over the past 10 years, arguably filtered down into near platitudes. Keep reading books, please.

 

[xephier102]

I also can't get enough books. I spend way too much time reading, but I would like to spend even more. It provides an escape like nothing else. I read just about everything, but focus a lot on history, philosophy, cosmology and illuminated manuscript facsimiles. Just last week, I finished the 29th book in the American Presidents series, which runs from Washington to W. Bush. Though the book was on Coolidge, who was actually the 30th president, Grover Cleveland served two non-consecutive terms but he only gets a single book, so the series volumes remain off by one afterwards. Very soon, I'll start the Herbert Hoover volume and I'm planning on finishing the entire series in order. Only about a dozen more to go. Through this reading I've learned far more about American History and politics than I ever learned at any school. School, at least public school, only teaches the very thin surface of things. You have to read further and deeper to see more than that almost useless surface. Though I also have a Master's Degree, it's in a technical field so I didn't experience a more literary Master's program, so perhaps that experience would have changed my mind, or maybe not.

I've also read books in Spanish, French and Japanese. I also study Arabic, but I still have quite a ways to go with that language before reading anything substantial. I also love bookstores and I'm hoping that they don't go extinct. Sadly, countless smaller bookstores have closed in my area over the past five years and the Barnes and Noble stores now contain just as many toys and trinkets as books. I hope people keep reading, because only a book can really contain a large, complex and multifaceted argument. It's very hard to whittle any 800 page book down to even a 2-hour film without leaving out vast details. People need to read now more than ever, because public information has become more and more simplified over the past 10 years, arguably filtered down into near platitudes. Keep reading books, please.

I agree with the argument, but I can't force myself to read. Too much anxiety. Besides, it's so much easier to watch a movie, also more pleasing to the eyes. Also, depending on the movie, it'd be a bit bland in text form. Like Avengers infinity war, lol. I think anxiety is really building up across society in general though. I'm noticing a lot of youtubers have begun talking like auctioneers because people are too impatient to watch them at regular speed.. That's all people want now, is the bullet point information, but none of the details..

 

[M_also_lonely]

I have been reading about temples.

 

[Sarah G]

I read a lot. I like classic literature, Christian, Buddhist, self help.
I'm not fussed for the 'smell of books'.
Scribd works for me as it also has audiobooks (great when tired or busy).

 

[user 148069]

Reading Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero currently

 

[Colster]

Reading Terry Pratchett's The Last Hero currently

I miss Terry so very much. His books are utterly brilliant, and offer such unbound escapism.

 

[idaniel]

I read a lot of factual text from short articles. As a kid I would flip through the almanac and encyclopedia for fun. Unfortunately my memory isn't so great, so it doesn't always stick. As expected, the internet is my downfall. I go down so many rabbit holes.

I used to be into HP Lovecraft back in the 90s. Now he has become fashionable. I would like to get into other short horror/fantasy fiction as well. I have the King in Yellow in pdf format, but haven't started it. I heard about that book after watching the True Detective series.

I am another that loves the feel/smell of old books. I work at a small university, and a few times I have wandered the library on my break just to thumb through old books for the feel and smell. And the illustrations. I love all kinds of illustrations. All kinds. I love to look at everything from biology diagrams to pictures of fairies dancing in the moonlight in juvenile fiction. I really dislike my current job, and have considered applying to work at the library just so I can be surrounded by books.