What book are you reading?

[hb06]

In paperback my last book was the Life of Pi. Great read. As an exercise, reading the original War of the Worlds by HG Wells on my Cell Phone reader. I am about half way through and can hardly wait to get from cell page to cell page. I just read a few 'pages' when I can when out and about.

[Proco]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Dec 12 2006, 03:15 PM) [snapback]361069[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Proco @ Dec 12 2006, 11:51 AM) [snapback]360925[/snapback]

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth[/b]

How'd you like that? I have it but never started.[/b][/quote]
For the most part I enjoyed it. It wasn't quite what I expected when I checked out the back cover. Rather than an examination of what Charles Lindbergh would have done if he had run for President and won in 1940, it centers on the author's family living in a Jewish ghetto in Newark, NJ. The fear and uncertainty that they go through is really compelling and made it much more enjoyable for me.

My only quibble was the way he ended it. It was a little too tidy and verged on deus ex machina. But it was a fun read (or listen, considering the way I "read" it).

[daniel]

I just picked up El albergue de las mujeres tristes by Marcela Serrano at the library. Picked it up more or less at random. I'd never heard of the author before.

[bigdaddy]

Genetic Programming IV: Routine Human-Competitive Machine Intelligence by Koza, et al. Actually going through the whole series. Textbooks on techniques for breeding computer programs using evolution-inspired methods.

Also just did Marly and Me and Steven King's Cell.

[dragonfly]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bigdaddy @ Dec, 03:55 PM) [snapback]361217[/snapback]</div>

Genetic Programming IV: Routine Human-Competitive Machine Intelligence by Koza, et al. Actually going through the whole series. Textbooks on techniques for breeding computer programs using evolution-inspired methods.
[/b]

Hey cool! I did a bit of work for a proposal using genetic algorithms last year. Neat stuff!

[Jeannie]

Reading a novel by Christopher Moore - "A Dirty Job". The owner of a second-hand store in San Francisco is designated to collect the souls of people who are dying so that the souls can go to a new owner. Bizarre, but very funny.

Proco - I read "The Plot Against America" last year about this time - I thought it was excellent.

[davebrownbass]

I'm reading "Enough" by Juan Williams
I'm also reading "There Are No Shortcuts" by Rafe Esquith

[meshell]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeannie @ Dec 12 2006, 07:45 PM) [snapback]361254[/snapback]</div>

Reading a novel by Christopher Moore - "A Dirty Job". The owner of a second-hand store in San Francisco is designated to collect the souls of people who are dying so that the souls can go to a new owner. Bizarre, but very funny.

[/b]

i love christopher moore!!! i am reading 'brother odd' by dean koontz, 'lisey's story' by stephen king, and 'island of the sequined love nun' by christopher moore.

[Michgal007]

"A short history of nearly everything" by Bill Bryson
"Our Inner Ape" by Frans de Waal

I don't like reading books though.

[daniel]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jeannie @ Dec 12 2006, 04:45 PM) [snapback]361254[/snapback]</div>

Reading a novel by Christopher Moore - "A Dirty Job". The owner of a second-hand store in San Francisco is designated to collect the souls of people who are dying so that the souls can go to a new owner. Bizarre, but very funny.
[/b]

Your description of the plot reminds me of Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol.

For those who do not know the book: An impoverished landowner buys slaves who have died but not yet been reported as dead, so that he can use them as colateral and borrow much more money from the bank than his land would be worth with no slaves (souls) to work it. Pretty clever scheme, really.