What you reading right now?

Interesting thread. Particularly because I usually start each class I teach by leaving a quote on the board for students to read before we begin - the kind of hopefully witty & thought-provolking thing that folks like me are supposed to do, I guess. Anyway, it's funny (to me) I used this one today:

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." ~ Mark Twain (Samuel L. Clemens)

Good stuff folks!
 
I hear ya....I've noticed a few things that were wrong...and I'm not really a gun-nut...usually Tom points them out to me. :foot:



I am now reading the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Anybody else read them?


Dan
 
Currently reading "Field of Swords" by Conn Iggulden. It's book three of four in a historical fiction series about Julius Caeser.

Andy
 
jonesjp@surry.net said:
I just finished the new Jack Reacher book Echo Burning. No plot spoilers coming, just a rant.

One character has an H&K p7m10, a variant of my favorite pistol, the p7m8. There are numerous references to carrying the pistol "cocked and locked", and engaging/disengaging the safety.

If you know the p7 series, you understand why this bugs me. The pistol has no hammer, and can't be carried cocked and locked. I know it seems minor, but this just drove me nuts. Why in the world would the author not at least look at the pistol? It was just lazy writing, and it bugged me each time he got it wrong. Like featuring a Dankur and talking about the up-swept reverse blade on it.

Thanks for listening. I feel better after ranting:)
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I hear you!! Nothing bugs me more then when I see something like that.I have read numerous times where the writer talked about putting the safety on or taking it of of a revolver. I mean come on take 15 min and look it up. Read one recently that kept making references to pulling the hammer back on a glock and taking the safety on and off it didn't quite ruin the book for me but every time I come across something like that it take me out of the story.
 
I just finished Dexter in the dark by Jeff Lindsay and i am now in the middle of reading Choke by Chuck Palahniuk.
 
I should mention...I'm trying to incorporate more "classical" fiction into my reading...

Started "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"...


Dang..

Just doesn't work when you're trying to concentrate/work and "read" (audiobook) at the same time...:foot:



But, on a positive note....I did manage to finish "1984" as well as "Brave New World" this last week. Great stuff!!


Dan
 
"Brisinger" by Christopher Paolini. If he can write like this as a kid it'll be interesting to see how he writes in 20 years.

"Eisnstein's Relativity and the Quantum Revolution: Modern Physics for Non-Scientist" Prof Richard Wolfson from The Teaching Company. My first jump into DVD courses; interesting so far but a bit slow. I used to accelerated courses.

Also reading "The Scourge of God" by S M Stirling.
 
I just read my second Jack Reacher novel, they are pretty good. I really liked "Die Trying". I am also a big fan of John D MacDonald - any of the Travis McGee series.
 
I'm reading "John Adams" again right now.

OldPhysics said:
A Russian text on plasma-based free electron lasers (rotten translation).

Classified national agency policy document (drier than burnt toast).

Zangwill's "Physics at Surfaces."

I've got to get a life. :mad:
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OldPhysics, I bow to you, if this book is really like this review I found:

"To investigate the surface energy anisotropy of carbon-adsorbed iron surfaces related to carbon nanotube growth we have performed self-consistent pseudopotential density-functional calculations. The iron particle’s equilibrium shape is obtained from the Wulff construction using the calculated surface energies."

My head hurts reading even the review!
 
Daniel Koster said:
I am now reading the Myron Bolitar series by Harlan Coben. Anybody else read them?


Dan
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The Wife and I have read them all. He's a pretty good writer. Reminds me a bit of Robert B.Parker.
I grew up in the area of NJ that a lot of his books take place in, so it is kind of cool knowing exactly what the areas he writes about look like in real life.

Currently, I am reading the new Lee Child Reacher novel. Started it last night; so far, so good.
 
By Gen'l Rupert Smith.Excellent over view of "modern" warfare and some very good questions about what can and can't be accomplished by the military - leaves a lot of questions in terms of now what ( at least so far).
Sorta burned my way thru the SciFi stuff - haven't found a bookseller to guide me into new authors. Really mis Spider Robinson's book reviews in Analog mag.But my must read anything new by them authors are:
C.J.Cheryh
Greg Bear
David Brin
Orson Scot Card
The original Dune series were great.
Heinlein was always going to stick you a sly one by making some forbidden/despised aspect of human behavior seem pretty much alright - just one per later book - but he obviously got a kick out of doing it.
Octavia Butler - another one whose gone - but she could definitely spin a tale that at the end of it - you'd put down the book and go "HUH?" One of the most original of all science fiction writers. Got her firearms right too.
 
Chiller2 said:
I hear you!! Nothing bugs me more then when I see something like that.I have read numerous times where the writer talked about putting the safety on or taking it of of a revolver. I mean come on take 15 min and look it up. Read one recently that kept making references to pulling the hammer back on a glock and taking the safety on and off it didn't quite ruin the book for me but every time I come across something like that it take me out of the story.
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I read a book, one of these crime stories but I can't recall the title anymore, where the lead character being a cop always disengages the safety of his Glock. LOL
 
audiopile said:
By Gen'l Rupert Smith.Excellent over view of "modern" warfare and some very good questions about what can and can't be accomplished by the military - leaves a lot of questions in terms of now what ( at least so far).
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Thought it was kinda dry, good comments but it didn't blow me away. Far more interesting and in the same line is Kaplan's book "Pagan politics"
 
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