Reading anything?

[SPazzo]

I'm reading Michael Crichton's State of Fear.  I finished reading Next a week or so ago.

[ER]

Speak Russian In 30 Days.

I want to tell this guy named Andrei off in his native language.

[Joe the Destroyer]

Completed Life, the Universe, and Everything and started So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish.  I've decided after I've finished the HHGTTG series that I'll start reading Farewell to Arms by Hemmingway.  Yeah, strange shift, I know.   

[BoyScoutKevin]

Christian fiction for Christians and non-Christians who might not read fiction.

Specifically, Ted Dekker's "The Lost Book Series." At least six books in the series.

Chaos
Infidel
Renegade
Chaos
Lunatic
Elyon

At least the first four in the series have been adapted into graphic novel format, and I've been the second and third in the series.

While Christian and Christianity are never mentioned in the series, the parallels to Christianity are quite obvious, at least in the ones I've read.

But, I should have known what I was reading, when I saw it was published by Thomas Nelson Publishers, who are a big Christian publishing house, publishing both Christian non-fiction and fiction.

He apparently has another series, using some of the same characters, his "Circle Trilogy," which is now a quadrilogy, with the publication of at least a fourth book.

Black
Red
White
Green

The "Left Behind series" by Tim LaHaye, John S. Lyman, and Jerry B. Jenkins has also been adapted into a graphic novel series, but Dekker is a much better author than those three. But, none of them are as good as C. S. Lewis, but we'll probably never see his like again.

I've got another graphic novel series I've read at about the same time, but we'll take up that one at a later date.

[Joe the Destroyer]

Still reading So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish.  I'm having a hard time finishing it.  It's just so.......boring.  I guess I'm part of that small percentage that doesn't like the book, but I loved the first three.  This one is driving me nuts.  It just doesn't have the feeling that the first one did.  After reading some reviews for Mostly Harmless, I'm afraid to even start that one. 

[BoyScoutKevin]

About a decade ago, Cross Generation Comics published a series of six original comics. The company may no longer be extant, as their website is no longer extant, but the comics were . . .

Mystic for those who like stories about magic and mysticism.

Sigil for those who like "pure" science fiction.

Meridian for those who like romantic fairy-tale fantasy.

The First for those who like stories about larger than life gods.

Crux for those who like both apocalyptic science fiction and fantasy.

Sojourn for those who like high fantasy with a Tolkien-esque twist.

I've read the first fourteen chapters of "Sigil," which I didn't like at all, but then I mostly prefer fantasy to science fiction.

I also read the first seven chapters of "Meridian," which I liked better, but like many stories, it fell into the trap of making the villains more interesting than the heroes.For example: most of the enemy soldiers are mere boys. Some of them not even out of their mid teens yet. And I think it also goes to the fact that villains are drawn as being more complex and complicated, than the heroes, who come across as being more simple. Not simple minded, but simple in almost every other way.

Something else about "Meridian." It was written to appeal to teen-age girls.

I'm interested in finishing "Meridian" and reading the other four series, to see if I like them better or not than the two I've already read.

[3mnkids]

Just finished the Princess of landover~Terry Brooks~  and I gotta say Im a little disappointed. It just didnt do it for me like  magic kingdom for sale, the black unicorn and wizard at large did. Granted I read those years ago but this addition just felt out of place to me.

Im starting on.. Devices and desires by K.J. Parker now. So far, so good.

[indianasmith]

I just finished Dinesh D'Souza's WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT CHRISTIANITY.

He does a magnificent job of responding to the wave of assaults on the faith in recent years by the likes of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins . . . . intelligent, logical, and appealing far more to reason than to Scripture, this is one of the best defenses of Christianity I have ever read.

[Allhallowsday]

I just finished HELLRAISERS by Robert Sellers.  It was an entertaining and enlightening read.  I bought it for my alcoholic brother who is now so incapacitated by his own drinking, he can't get out and get his own booze.  He wanted it and I know he will love it, but it is disgusting, sad, and disturbing... and quite amusing. 

[BoyScoutKevin]

Actually, yes.

Groo

Sergio Aragone's Groo

About two decades ago, it was a series of comics published by Marvel Comics. Then about a decade later, it was repackaged and republished by Dark Horse Comics, which is the format I read.

Groo is the stupidest man in the world, but he continually gets the better of people who are smarter than him, which is everybody, because he is the stupidest man in the world.

It also features his enemies, friends, and relatives. Some of whom are one and the same. Also his faithful dog Rufferto, who might be the only creature in the world more stupid than Groo, as the dog continually misinterprets Groo's actions.

Two of the most interesting characters, other than Groo and Rufferto, are the Minstrel, who always speaks in rhyme and the Sage, who started out speaking normally, but as the series progressed, began to speak in adages.

There are at least 18 books in the series. Of which I have read 5. 14 which include a letter of the alphabet in the title and 4 other titles.

It started out as a rather lighthearted series, but as it progressed it became darker in tone, as it dealt with subjects of death, war, and ecological disasters by the score.

But, that is not the only reason it is not for children. While there is no bad language or sex, there is a surprising amount of nudity and semi-nudity in the series. Most of which, again surprisingly, is male. It is also violent, as Groo loves nothing more than charging into a fray, slaying both friend and foe, with his trusty swords. And while most of the violence is of the comedic nature, it is still there.

A number of years ago, there was suppose to be a movie version with Chris Farley as Groo, but that idea ended with Farley's death. And while I regret his premature death, he'd be wrong for the character.

[Newt]

I'm just starting in on White Night by Jim Butcher.  Then I have The Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman and And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer waiting.  After those I will likely try for something 'heavier'.

[El Misfit]

pride and pred, and zombies

[SkullBat308]

[Mofo Rising]

An excellent book! If you are at all interested in chemistry, or material science, or just curious about what the world around you is made of, this is a great book. It's full of big, beautiful pictures of each element, along with a quick discussion of its properties and applications. Plus, it's pretty funny.

If you like that, I also recommend Theo Gray's Mad Science.



That one is full of actual experiments you can perform at home, but only if you have a really good machine shop set-up. If you don't, it still has bunch of pretty pictures and practical information.

[AndyC]

Still reading Slade's "Ripper." Thanks to the Christmas holidays, I got half the book read in a couple of days. As always, Slade combines horror, psycho thriller, mystery, police procedural and real history. This one has a killer who makes a Jolly Roger out of his victims by painting crossbones on the chest and skinning the face. And the investigation requires extensive study into the occult and Jack the Ripper, and a number of real historic people connected to both. Fascinating stuff. The research that goes into these books is amazing.