Right now I'm only reading things for class, but at least it's largely good stuff. For my English class, I'm reading the writings of Julian of Norwich and Margey Kempe (14th and 15th century women who had religious visions). For another class I'm reading short stories by Pär Lagerkvist (hope I stuck the spelling), who is a hilarious Swedish author. For that class I'm also reading Knut Hamsun's Hunger, in two English translations and the original Norwegian. It sounds like a drag when it's written out like that, but I'm actually really enjoying most of it.
Oh, I forgot maybe the best thing I'm currently reading. It's one of Plato's dialogue's the Theaetetus. Ancient Greek is my focus in philosophy, so this is right up my alley. Very interesting work, recommended for anyone who enjoys Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, etc.
I am reading A pike in the basement - by Simon Loftus (actually, dont mean to brag but its a signed first edition) - its such a magical book - part travel book part cookery book and written with so much charm and panache....
Those lovely folk from ELAND sent me a copy (its part of their Christmas publications..)
I’m currently reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I’ve not had to much time on my hands, but it seems like a fun and simple book (almost like a kids book). However, I have heard some very positive things about it. Has anyone read this?
quote:Originally posted by AZFUN: I’m currently reading Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. I’ve not had to much time on my hands, but it seems like a fun and simple book (almost like a kids book). However, I have heard some very positive things about it. Has anyone read this?
yeah, I have. It's a cute book but I don't get the awe and inspiration from it, as some people do. Ditto with Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance. Read that twice too and still wasn't inspired by it. Maybe I just have a block of wood between my ears, who knows.
I'm currently reading Douglas Coupland's "Generation X"..
Posts: 684 | Location: Borneo | Registered: 08 October 2004
Just finishing up 'Life of Pi' and am finding lots of interesting thoughts on life/religion in it, not to mention the whole issue of human vs animal. It goes much deeper than an interesting story. Anyway, a great read!
I'll have to browse these posts for my next read! I'm thinking it's about time to shift to non-fiction for a few months...
Posts: 1549 | Location: ...now in the burbs of MSP, Minnesota | Registered: 14 July 2004
I'm reading Holy Cow and holy cow, i must be exhausted because I keep waking up with it creasing my face. I'm enjoying it.
I just reread Ship of Fools by Katherine Anne Porter to see if it's still appropriate for me to claim it's one of my favorite books and to see if it holds up as travel literature and resounding YES to both! I think any traveler would enjoy the comedy of ill manners of all these prickly, oft despicable people trapped on a cruise liner.
and I'm reading Carl Sandburg's Rootabaga stories to a bunch of children every week at my kids' wildly diverse public school - and they're holding up! (the stories and the kids, both)
and while stapling up the new issue of my zine, I'm listening to Wonderful Town New York Stories from the New Yorker, which I checked out of the library. very diverting when you're on the assembly line.
I am finishing up "The Peace to End All Peace" - I'm a bit of a history buff and am trying get a handle on how we (US) got into this mess in Iraq and doing some background reading. A good broad history of the end of the Ottoman Empire. It doesn't give me much hope tho for what we are doing in the middle east. I didn't start with much hope so there you go.
I've just started "The Art of Travel" by de Botton - has anyone read this? So far it has been quite good. Has anyone read his Proust book?
And finally just started "Dinner with Persephone" by Patricia Storace about her year living in Athens. I just got back from Greece so will undoubtedly read everything Greek for a while.
Posts: 20 | Location: Portland, Oregon, USA | Registered: 13 November 2004
quote: I've just started "The Art of Travel" by de Botton - has anyone read this?
I found this book to be rather irritating. I've picked it up about six times now, with every intention of reading it and being awed, inspired, etc. Still no go. I really have very negative feelings toward that book, so I shan't say more about it now.
Right now I'm reading Peter Biddlecombe's United Burger States of America. I've never read him before and am quite highly entertained.
______________________________ As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly vote against their own interests. --Gore Vidal
Posts: 583 | Location: Houston, TX, USA | Registered: 12 February 2005
I'm reading "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" right now. Not exactly a travel book - well, I suppose it does have quite a bit of traveling in it, since it's a story of war in ancient China.
I'll be visiting the States for a week next month, and there's a travel book there waiting for me to pick up: it's "Everywhere But Missouri, Mate" by Steve Savage. He's an Australian guy whose travel blog I've been following for a while.
-- "Qian li zhi xing, shi yu zu xia." - Chinese proverb
Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer...what a wacky book. There's all this commentary about how it's one of the best novels of a generation or a century and so forth...I just don't feel the same. While there are incredibly beautiful passages, I'm just not wowed. Anyone read it? Thoughts?
*********************************************** "I am a passenger on the spaceship, Earth." -Buckminster Fuller http://wanderlustliz.com
Posts: 776 | Location: Wandering | Registered: 10 September 2004
