What did you just read?

Brief Candle in the Dark: My Life in Science: Richard Dawkins: 9780062288431: Amazon.com: Books

Brief Candle in the Dark: My life in Science- Like most of Dawkins books, it's a dry read..but interesting.

The Great War of Our Time: The CIAida to ISIS: Michael Morell, Bill Harlow: 9781455585663: Amazon.com: Books

I had been watching Homeland so that got me into this CIA stuff. Pretty interesting point of view from someone 'on the inside'. A lot of stuff on Benghazi too.

Finally managed to finish American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Not impressed.

gogusrl_sl said:

Finally managed to finish American Gods by Neil Gaiman. Not impressed.

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It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either.

HBO's option lapsed. It got picked up by starz I think.

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology: Leah Remini, Rebecca Paley: 9781101886960: Amazon.com: Books

Leah Remini's book is interesting, worth a read/listen. (Most of the book is about her 30 years in Scientology)

I recently purchased together both the Collected Writings of Thomas Paine and The Holy Quran by God. I plan to read both of them cover to cover. Let it not be said that I made no effort to understand this current conflict of ideals.

I just finished The Sun Also Rises and I want to go to Spain now.

Just finished Joe Abercrombie's First Law Series and Ready Player one on Vacation. Really enjoyed both, I wish there was more of First Law and Ready Player one is a trip down what if there was true virtual world. RPO also reminded me why I quit mmos recently and really has helped reaffirm my decision.

I've nearly finished reading Edding's Belgariad and Mallorean for nostalgic childhood reasons.

Amazon.com: What Remains of Heroes (A Requiem for Heroes Book 1) eBook: David Benem: Kindle Store

This one is written by a friend of mine, and he bought my terrible xbox game so I was determined to read it. I ended up waiting on the audiobook, and I was a bit shocked at how good it was. He's always been a clever witty sort but I had no idea he had it in him to write something.

Recommended! And not just because he's a friend.

Aside from that, lots of chronicles of the black company. I tried to jump into "the dreaming void" after What Remains, and was super happy it was narrated by John Lee, but it was just too dense to listen to while working. I need some really mindless work to be able to follow heavy scifi.

Just finishedThe Secrets of Alchemyby Lawrence Principe, a history book on the the subject. If your interested in medieval history, or the history of science, I'd highly recommend it, it ended up being a really interesting read.

And now I've started in onSword of Destiny, the latest of the Witcher books to get published in English. Only finished the first story (it's a short story collection) so far, but so far it's good.

Reading More Money than God, by Sebastian Mallaby. Sort of a history of hedge funds. A hedge fund is one of those terms that I hear all the time yet never really felt like I knew about, so figured I'd read a book on them. Gripping enough, but so far it's more of a history of a few groups of really smart people who made a killing in the stock market by shorting like motherfuckers.

City of Dragons: Volume Three of the Rain Wilds Chronicles: Robin Hobb: 9780061561696: Amazon.com: Books

Third of four in Robin Hobb's Rain Wild books. I was always much more inclined to the Fitz trilogies, and felt the Liveship books were intriguing in terms of setting and world building but fell a bit flat in terms of characters, with the story at the end feeling especially rushed. I also felt her third person multiple POV narration was weaker than her first person narration in the Farseer/Tawny Man books.

I actually picked up the first Rain Wild book (dragon keeper) years back when it came out, but never finished it, it simply took too long to take off and I got bored. Having come back now that the series is complete I've found it a lot more enjoyable, since the first book just reads as an especially long first act in a larger story. I was surprised to find myself getting sucked into the series and invested in the characters (although not as much as in the Fitz books), ended up buying #2 & 3 instantly, and when I finished #3 last night I couldn't wait to go buy the last one and just grabbed it on kindle.

In short - I thought one of my favorite authors had fallen flat with this series, but I gave it a second shot and 3/4 of the way through I'm finding I'm actually loving it. She has an amazing gift for writing fantasy driven as much by the characters as the fantastical elements or conflict, and this series gives a much deeper look at a brilliant section of the world which she only hinted at in previous trilogies.

Only complaint is that it seems to make one specific plot point of the Tawny Man books fall a tiny bit flat, but I'm waiting to finish it before I pass judgement.

Have been reading Will Wights books. Started with the travelers gate trilogy which as pretty good despite its flaws, and now I've been reading the elder empire series. I like it a lot, the story is set up with two main point of view factions, and each get their own book for the same time period. He releases both books pretty close to each other, up to 4 total now for the series. Here's a link to the first set:

Amazon.com: Of Shadow and Sea (The Elder Empire: Shadow Book 1) eBook: Will Wight: Kindle Store

Amazon.com: Of Sea and Shadow (The Elder Empire: Sea Book 1) eBook: Will Wight: Kindle Store