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The New Coffee Room

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  3. What are you reading now?

What are you reading now?

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  • Aqua LetiferA Offline
    Aqua LetiferA Offline
    Aqua Letifer
    wrote on last edited by Aqua Letifer
    #394

    Heavy dope by C.S. Lewis. I picked this up mostly just because it contains The Nameless Isle. It's in alliterative verse, which, badass.

    Screen Shot 2021-11-13 at 6.28.27 PM.png

    Here's how it starts:

    In a spring season I sailed away
    Early at evening of an April night.
    Master mariner of the men was I,
    Eighteen in all. And every day
    We had weather at will. White-topped the seas
    Rolled, and the rigging rang like music
    While fast and fair the unfettered wind
    Followed. Sometimes fine-sprinkling rain
    Over our ship scudding sparkled for a moment
    And was gone in a glance; then gleaming white
    Of cloud-castles was unclosed, and the blue
    Of bottomless heaven, over the blowing waves
    Blessed us returning.

    --"cloud-castles" is a kenning, which I appreciate. It's a construction well-known in Anglo-Saxon languages, and were often used in conjunction with this form. Ol' C.S. is keepin' it OG here.

    Please love yourself.

    1 Reply Last reply
    • Catseye3C Offline
      Catseye3C Offline
      Catseye3
      wrote on last edited by
      #395

      Not me, but I'm sending this along for those who like to read about music and musicians and music history.

      e9033bab-fb94-4e6f-adff-e54b2ca5eca2-image.png

      Amazon: "From the beloved host and creator of NPR’s All Songs Considered and Tiny Desk Concerts comes an essential oral history of modern music, told in the voices of iconic and up-and-coming musicians, including Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page, Michael Stipe, Carrie Brownstein, Smokey Robinson, and Jeff Tweedy, among others—published in association with NPR Music.

      "NPR’s renowned music authority Bob Boilen posed this question to some of today’s best-loved musical legends and rising stars. In Your Song Changed My Life, Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), St. Vincent, Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Cat Power, David Byrne (Talking Heads), Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Jenny Lewis, Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney), Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), Trey Anastasio (Phish), Jackson Browne, Valerie June, Philip Glass, James Blake, and other artists reflect on pivotal moments that inspired their work.

      "A diverse collection of personal experiences, both ordinary and extraordinary, Your Song Changed My Life illustrates the ways in which music is revived, restored, and revolutionized. It is also a testament to the power of music in our lives, and an inspiration for future artists and music lovers."

      https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0124MOQRY?_bbid=19778944&tag=bookbubemail1-20

      Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace. – Mike Ditka

      1 Reply Last reply
      • bachophileB Offline
        bachophileB Offline
        bachophile
        wrote on last edited by
        #396

        Nemesis games. (Expanse #5)

        I had a hiatus after #4 and now returned to the series.

        1 Reply Last reply
        • George KG George K referenced this topic on
        • George KG George K

          I love Reynolds' work. His "Revelation Space" series - at least 5 books and novellas is a fantastic universe with multiple intertwined stories.

          However, not all his books fall into that universe (actually most don't) and have nothing to do with each other.

          So I started this today.

          Like all of his books, the prose is dense, (When's the last time you heard "cinquefoil" used in a sci-fi book?) the seeds of the story are sewn and you don't know what will come of anything told in the first few pages.

          image.jpeg

          George KG Offline
          George KG Offline
          George K
          wrote on last edited by
          #397

          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

          image.jpeg

          Finally finished it the other day.

          What a ride!

          Totally unrelated to Reynolds' other works and sets up a totally different "universe." Set millions of years (yes, millions) in the future, where humanity has evolved into many related "species," it deals with an ambush, homicide, and the relationship of several races of sentient beings, not all of them human.

          Starts out a bit slow, and you really don't understand what's going on until about ⅓ of the book. The first half is, as I said slow. But, once the piece fall into place, it really takes off.

          Very enjoyable science fiction.

          Oh, and he uses big words too....

          He has a novella with the main protagonists in it. I'm queuing that up next - just for the sake of completeness.

          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

          1 Reply Last reply
          • kluursK Online
            kluursK Online
            kluurs
            wrote on last edited by
            #398

            Speaking of suns...

            Just read one that's been on my shelf for a while...

            ac85efc2-8fa4-496c-9ff8-5272817981c6-image.png

            1 Reply Last reply
            • George KG Offline
              George KG Offline
              George K
              wrote on last edited by
              #399

              As I've mentioned, I've become enthralled with Alastair Reynolds' books.

              He is an astrophysicist who said, "Maybe I can make a career of writing science fiction."

              He wrote three books in the "Revelation Space" universe - a trilogy that spawned some other short stories and other novels not in the series, but in the same "universe."

              So much science fiction is popcorn. Reynolds' works are steak.

              You gotta pay attention. He uses weird words. His stories have foreshadowing that, if you're NOT paying attention, you'll miss.

              So, last week I started the addition to the Revelation Space trilogy - "Inhibitor Phase." He said it could be a standalone book, but, nah, you gotta know what the hell is going on to reap the benefits.

              Of all Reynolds' books, this is one of the easiest reads. Very linear (for the most part) and a classic adventure tale.

              If you like science fiction, check out Reynolds' works. I recommend, if you want to get into the RS stories, starting with the short story/novella "The Great Wall of Mars." All the other tales hinge on what's explained here.

              image.jpeg

              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

              George KG 1 Reply Last reply
              • JollyJ Offline
                JollyJ Offline
                Jolly
                wrote on last edited by
                #400

                alt text

                Combine UDT and the first Force Recon, and you have the SEALS.

                “Cry havoc and let slip the DOGE of war!”

                Those who cheered as J-6 American prisoners were locked in solitary for 18 months without trial, now suddenly fight tooth and nail for foreign terrorists’ "due process". — Buck Sexton

                1 Reply Last reply
                • George KG George K

                  As I've mentioned, I've become enthralled with Alastair Reynolds' books.

                  He is an astrophysicist who said, "Maybe I can make a career of writing science fiction."

                  He wrote three books in the "Revelation Space" universe - a trilogy that spawned some other short stories and other novels not in the series, but in the same "universe."

                  So much science fiction is popcorn. Reynolds' works are steak.

                  You gotta pay attention. He uses weird words. His stories have foreshadowing that, if you're NOT paying attention, you'll miss.

                  So, last week I started the addition to the Revelation Space trilogy - "Inhibitor Phase." He said it could be a standalone book, but, nah, you gotta know what the hell is going on to reap the benefits.

                  Of all Reynolds' books, this is one of the easiest reads. Very linear (for the most part) and a classic adventure tale.

                  If you like science fiction, check out Reynolds' works. I recommend, if you want to get into the RS stories, starting with the short story/novella "The Great Wall of Mars." All the other tales hinge on what's explained here.

                  image.jpeg

                  George KG Offline
                  George KG Offline
                  George K
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #401

                  @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                  As I've mentioned, I've become enthralled with Alastair Reynolds' books.

                  Loved this book. It's probably the most accessible of Reynold's "Revelation Space" universe. It could be a standalone, but it relies on the preceding three books, albeit not in a way that you NEED to know the backstory. Enough is explained to make it easy to follow.

                  Continuing my dive into the Revelation Space universe, I spent an hour this morning reading this: a short story that sort of wraps up where the universe is headed, while leaving enough threads there for future expansion.

                  image.jpeg

                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • George KG Offline
                    George KG Offline
                    George K
                    wrote on last edited by George K
                    #402

                    Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                    It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

                    image.jpeg

                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                    LuFins DadL George KG 3 Replies Last reply
                    • George KG George K

                      Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                      It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

                      image.jpeg

                      LuFins DadL Offline
                      LuFins DadL Offline
                      LuFins Dad
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #403

                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                      Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                      It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

                      image.jpeg

                      I listen on Audible and hadn’t realized they switched writers. That explains a bit, though…

                      I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

                      The Brad

                      George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                      • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                        @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                        Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                        It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

                        image.jpeg

                        I listen on Audible and hadn’t realized they switched writers. That explains a bit, though…

                        I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

                        George KG Offline
                        George KG Offline
                        George K
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #404

                        @lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

                        I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

                        As I said, I'm going to reserve the last three books for a binge. Should be a fun ride, amirite?

                        "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                        The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                        LuFins DadL 1 Reply Last reply
                        • George KG George K

                          @lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

                          I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

                          As I said, I'm going to reserve the last three books for a binge. Should be a fun ride, amirite?

                          LuFins DadL Offline
                          LuFins DadL Offline
                          LuFins Dad
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #405

                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                          @lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

                          I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

                          As I said, I'm going to reserve the last three books for a binge. Should be a fun ride, amirite?

                          Did you read 7-8 at all?

                          The Brad

                          George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                          • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                            @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                            @lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

                            I just finished the prologue of Leviathan Falls. Holy **#%

                            As I said, I'm going to reserve the last three books for a binge. Should be a fun ride, amirite?

                            Did you read 7-8 at all?

                            George KG Offline
                            George KG Offline
                            George K
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #406

                            @lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

                            Did you read 7-8 at all?

                            I read 7, but it was SO long ago that I don't remember much. For the sake of continuity, it'll be a fun ride to do all three.

                            I frequently do the same thing with TV shows as a new season comes out - binge the preceding season to get into it.

                            I'm retired, and I've got the time!

                            "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                            The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                            1 Reply Last reply
                            • George KG George K

                              Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                              It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

                              image.jpeg

                              George KG Offline
                              George KG Offline
                              George K
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #407

                              @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                              "Bobiverse" books my Taylor.

                              OK, I'm about 350 (out of 800) pages into this. Very VERY popcorn.

                              But, I noticed something with this book that I hadn't noticed with the others.

                              Remember, the premise is that that there are dozens, hundreds, or even more "clones" of "Bob" - the protagonist of the first book. Each of them is a computer-saved individual, identical in most ways to the source. Yet, each copy has a slightly different personality. Some call themselves, "Bob." Others call themselves "Bill" or "Will (Riker)". Slightly different personalities, each.

                              A major sub theme of this book is that, now 20 generations out, the "copies" of "Bob" are not copies - they have individual personalities, goals and ethics.

                              But, I digress...

                              So, in this book, although it's all first-person, each chapter is told by a different "Bob." And...the timelines are not necessarily consecutive.

                              "Reading" the book as opposed to "Listening" to the book is a totally different (and better) experience, because, although each chapter identifies the "Bob" whose perspective it is, and the date, this is the kind of stuff that gets lost, very easily, in an audio version.

                              But, the popcorn's been good this weekend.

                              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • kluursK Online
                                kluursK Online
                                kluurs
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #408

                                I'm still in the middle of this one - but an excellent book discussing a wide range of issue related to some of what is happening in the world today with tribalism and the challenges of effective communication. This is on my recommended pile. It has the benefit of not being written by a journalist but rather a qualified researcher.

                                6c83d8be-a555-440b-b3b8-bff9aaa02762-image.png

                                1 Reply Last reply
                                • George KG George K

                                  Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books my Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                                  It's good, but for popcorn, I prefer John Scalzi.

                                  image.jpeg

                                  George KG Offline
                                  George KG Offline
                                  George K
                                  wrote on last edited by George K
                                  #409

                                  @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                  Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books by Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                                  Finished this AM. A totally fun read. A good story which ends well, but leaves the door open for future adventures.

                                  So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising." Probably going to binge through this and the final two books.

                                  iu.jpeg

                                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                  George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                                  • George KG George K

                                    @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                    Someone, was it @LuFins-Dad ?, asked if I've read the latest of the "Bobiverse" books by Taylor. I hadn't, and though it's not as thought-provoking as Reynolds' stuff, it's a fun read. This is, like all of Taylor's stuff, Popcorn. About 10% through today, and exactly what I'd expect.

                                    Finished this AM. A totally fun read. A good story which ends well, but leaves the door open for future adventures.

                                    So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising." Probably going to binge through this and the final two books.

                                    iu.jpeg

                                    George KG Offline
                                    George KG Offline
                                    George K
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #410

                                    @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                    So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising."

                                    On re-read, it was...okay.

                                    It's very much a "let's set this up for the final chapter(s) of the story" type of book. It's very much like the 4th book of the series. Somewhat filled with, well, "filler" material which could have been easily omitted for the sake of the story.

                                    But, when you gotta write a book, you gotta write a book.

                                    So, I read the first half, and skimmed through the second.

                                    Now, the penultimate book, at least so far, is a HELL of a ride. I'm only about ⅓ of the way through, and thoroughly enjoying. I hope to finish it this week.

                                    alt text

                                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                    LuFins DadL 1 Reply Last reply
                                    • George KG George K

                                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                      So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising."

                                      On re-read, it was...okay.

                                      It's very much a "let's set this up for the final chapter(s) of the story" type of book. It's very much like the 4th book of the series. Somewhat filled with, well, "filler" material which could have been easily omitted for the sake of the story.

                                      But, when you gotta write a book, you gotta write a book.

                                      So, I read the first half, and skimmed through the second.

                                      Now, the penultimate book, at least so far, is a HELL of a ride. I'm only about ⅓ of the way through, and thoroughly enjoying. I hope to finish it this week.

                                      alt text

                                      LuFins DadL Offline
                                      LuFins DadL Offline
                                      LuFins Dad
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #411

                                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                      @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                      So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising."

                                      On re-read, it was...okay.

                                      It's very much a "let's set this up for the final chapter(s) of the story" type of book. It's very much like the 4th book of the series. Somewhat filled with, well, "filler" material which could have been easily omitted for the sake of the story.

                                      But, when you gotta write a book, you gotta write a book.

                                      So, I read the first half, and skimmed through the second.

                                      Now, the penultimate book, at least so far, is a HELL of a ride. I'm only about ⅓ of the way through, and thoroughly enjoying. I hope to finish it this week.

                                      alt text

                                      How did you like that opener?

                                      Just finished Leviathan Falls…

                                      The Brad

                                      George KG bachophileB 2 Replies Last reply
                                      • RenaudaR Offline
                                        RenaudaR Offline
                                        Renauda
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #412
                                        This post is deleted!
                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • LuFins DadL LuFins Dad

                                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                          @george-k said in What are you reading now?:

                                          So, today I started my re-read of "Persepolis Rising."

                                          On re-read, it was...okay.

                                          It's very much a "let's set this up for the final chapter(s) of the story" type of book. It's very much like the 4th book of the series. Somewhat filled with, well, "filler" material which could have been easily omitted for the sake of the story.

                                          But, when you gotta write a book, you gotta write a book.

                                          So, I read the first half, and skimmed through the second.

                                          Now, the penultimate book, at least so far, is a HELL of a ride. I'm only about ⅓ of the way through, and thoroughly enjoying. I hope to finish it this week.

                                          alt text

                                          How did you like that opener?

                                          Just finished Leviathan Falls…

                                          George KG Offline
                                          George KG Offline
                                          George K
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #413

                                          @lufins-dad said in What are you reading now?:

                                          How did you like that opener?

                                          Yah. All that phoniness from Duarte seeping through into Holden's psyche.

                                          Very good. It's much MUCH better than the previous book.

                                          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

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