Books to read, 2006

[featherynscale]

triadruid, as always, reminds me that if I don't make a list, I'll never freaking remember.

My goal this year is to increase the ratio of non-fiction to fiction books that actually get read, and also to continue to move towards having read all of the books in the house.

To-Read: Fiction
- Re-read Wheel of Time Series, Robert Jordan (we own it!)
- Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman (when triadruid finishes it) (we own it)
- Life of Pi, Yann Martel (we own it)
- Siddhartha, Herman Hesse (have to get a copy)
- Finnegan's Wake, James Joyce (have to get one)
- Perdido Street Station, China Mieville (need to get)
- Promethea series (borrow from gamera_spinning)

To-Read: Nonfiction
- Metamagical Themas, Douglas Hofstedter (we own it, and have for years. Has anyone read it? No.)
- Zero: Biography of a Dangerous Idea (we own it)
- Training Trances (we own it)
- Generation Hex (have to get a copy)
- The Laughing Jesus (in the book club queue)
- The Hidden Messages in Water (in the book club queue)
- Chance, Amir Aczel (in the book club queue)
- The Shadow Club, Roberto Casati (in the book club queue)
- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Mary Roach (need to get)
- Strategies for Success

Also, taking suggestions: What have you read lately that was of interest? I'm interested in pretty much any fiction that isn't a romance or a western (with preference for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and alternate history), and any non-fiction about math, science, philosophy, psychology/sociology, ethnography, religion, magic, language or non-military history. Thanks!

Comments

Re: books

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

I have read all of Metamagical Themas. It's the only books of his that I've read all of. I've read about 80% of GEB...

As for alternate history, I recently read 1632 by Eric Flint and was rather pleased.

If you have the chance to read the Exordium Series by Sherwood Smith and Dave Trowbridge, I'd recommend it. The first book is Phoenix in Flight. You can read much more about it here.

Re: books

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I also read about 80% of Godel, Escher, Bach, and then had to stop. :( I might try it again someday.

Also, re: Flint, I think those are the ones I keep looking at in the library -- is 1632 the first one?

I haven't heard of the others, but will check them out. Thanks!

Re: books

[wolfieboy.livejournal.com]

Yes, 1632 is the first one. 1633 is the second with 1634: The Galileo Option being the third. Then there are a couple of short story collections and I don't know what order they go in. I'm currently looking in used bookstores for 1633. I suspect that some of the book is a bit fast and loose but it works very well anyway.

You might have some problems finding the Exordium series since it's not in print. We actually have a loaning set but you'll have to come visit to borrow them. :)

Looking for something else, I did find Wrapt in Crystal by Sharon Shinn. I enjoyed that one greatly and it's one of the better books I read in 2005. Lots of exploration of identity and religion all wrapped up in a murder mystery. I wrote some about it here and I expect to write more about parts of that book. I just haven't yet.

I also give some book recs here. It includes a quote that I rather like:

Ecstasy! In common parlance ecstasy is fun. But ecstasy is not fun. Your very soul is seized and shaken until it tingles. After all, who will choose to feel undiluted awe? The unknowing vulgar abuse the word; we must recapture its full and terrifying sense.
— R. Gordon Wasson

Hopefully you didn't mind that I commented a few different times in this entry. It's about books!

Re: books

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm willing to talk about books until I pass out, so not a problem there. :)

Also on the list of things I don't mind is authors playing fast and loose with history. Last year, I read J. Gregory Keyes' Age of Unreason series, which features Ben Franklin as an alchemist pitted against a stark raving mad Isaac Newton and also against hordes of alchemical demons. At one point, a comet obliterates London, if that gives you any idea of the sort of liberties I'm willing to take with history.

Will check the other recs, thanks!