Generally, I read Science Fiction and Fantasy for fun. A lot of it tends to lean a bit more for a consistent world, where the author put some thought into consistent rules for magic and so on. Some of it is also modern-day supernatural stories in specific series'. As of this week, I've been taking time to read lighter fare in both SF and F. In between, I read through a light biography on Ben Franklin and I'm currently zipping through one on Thomas Jefferson.
If any of the above interest you, I can recommend specific series' for each. I tend to stick with a specific series if I find it's worth reading, then I continue it if at all possible. I also reserve the right to abandon a series if I find the quality drops too low (I've dropped at least 2 authors over that in the past.)
Generally, I read Science Fiction and Fantasy for fun. A lot of it tends to lean a bit more for a consistent world, where the author put some thought into consistent rules for magic and so on. Some of it is also modern-day supernatural stories in specific series'. As of this week, I've been taking time to read lighter fare in both SF and F. In between, I read through a light biography on Ben Franklin and I'm currently zipping through one on Thomas Jefferson.
If any of the above interest you, I can recommend specific series' for each. I tend to stick with a specific series if I find it's worth reading, then I continue it if at all possible. I also reserve the right to abandon a series if I find the quality drops too low (I've dropped at least 2 authors over that in the past.)
Sounds interesting! I read science fantasy as well. What sci-fi have you read recently? And which sci-fi do you like the most and why?
Sounds interesting! I read science fantasy as well. What sci-fi have you read recently? And which sci-fi do you like the most and why?
I am all over the map with what I'm reading currently. It varies with what's close at hand and any passing whim.
I finished the "Wheel of Time" saga a few months back. I'm currently alternating some Star Wars books (right now, the Black Fleet Crisis, which isn't bad but isn't great either), The Lone Wolf gamebook series, and the "Phule's Company" series. The Wheel of Time is an excellent read if very long. Robert Aspirin's "Phule's Company" is meant as light science fiction, and is a fun read.
Here's the premise... in some future, The Space Legion is the least-respected of the military branches. Each soldier takes on a new name when he/she joins, usually wanting to break with their past. The series began with Lt Scaramouche's court martial. The General in charge of the meeting was evasive as to why they COULDN't throw the book at him. Finally, he revealed the Lt's last name was "Phule"- he was the son of the CEO of Phule-Proof Munitions, their main weapons supplier and main employer of retired Space Legionnaires. They settled on an assignment so unpleasant he'd just quit. They forced him to change his name, and gave him a promotion to Captain. Captain Jester was then put in charge of the current "omega company" -the dumping-ground for those who can't even make it in the Space Legion. Rather than just quit, Captain Jester/ Willard Phule decided to put his talents (and his finances) into turning the unit around, and the trouble REALLY started after that.
For SF, I tend to prefer lighter fare- with little heavier than the Star Wars "Legends" Extended Universe. For fantasy, I'll read the lighter stuff as well as the heavier stuff. My preferences there are for settings with coherent magic systems- the Recluce series, the Dresden Files (modern fantasy), and the Wheel of Time. I've enjoyed the Harry Potter series, but I've also noted some glaring problems with the magic system (from the last 2 books- the others held together reasonably well.)
If you want, I can recommend every single thing in either setting that I WOULD recommend, but I don't think you're looking for that.
I am all over the map with what I'm reading currently. It varies with what's close at hand and any passing whim.
I finished the "Wheel of Time" saga a few months back. I'm currently alternating some Star Wars books (right now, the Black Fleet Crisis, which isn't bad but isn't great either), The Lone Wolf gamebook series, and the "Phule's Company" series. The Wheel of Time is an excellent read if very long. Robert Aspirin's "Phule's Company" is meant as light science fiction, and is a fun read.
Here's the premise... in some future, The Space Legion is the least-respected of the military branches. Each soldier takes on a new name when he/she joins, usually wanting to break with their past. The series began with Lt Scaramouche's court martial. The General in charge of the meeting was evasive as to why they COULDN't throw the book at him. Finally, he revealed the Lt's last name was "Phule"- he was the son of the CEO of Phule-Proof Munitions, their main weapons supplier and main employer of retired Space Legionnaires. They settled on an assignment so unpleasant he'd just quit. They forced him to change his name, and gave him a promotion to Captain. Captain Jester was then put in charge of the current "omega company" -the dumping-ground for those who can't even make it in the Space Legion. Rather than just quit, Captain Jester/ Willard Phule decided to put his talents (and his finances) into turning the unit around, and the trouble REALLY started after that.
For SF, I tend to prefer lighter fare- with little heavier than the Star Wars "Legends" Extended Universe. For fantasy, I'll read the lighter stuff as well as the heavier stuff. My preferences there are for settings with coherent magic systems- the Recluce series, the Dresden Files (modern fantasy), and the Wheel of Time. I've enjoyed the Harry Potter series, but I've also noted some glaring problems with the magic system (from the last 2 books- the others held together reasonably well.)
If you want, I can recommend every single thing in either setting that I WOULD recommend, but I don't think you're looking for that.
That's great and sounds interesting. I haven't read any of the SF/fantasy you've mentioned. I'll love to read them once I'm done with my book stack.
That's great to take a break. But what's your usual go to genre?
My go to is Thriller's and drama. I like both Tom Clancy and John Grisham. Surprisingly, (to me anyway) is that I like to read crime-drama but I do not particularly care for any crime drama TV shows. House and maybe Bones just a bit were the exceptions. I actually have been wanting to read some non-fiction early American history works. Jefferson or Monroe but I'm not that familiar with early American history I only know that I want to learn more about it.
My tastes vary genre-wise - depending on what mood I'm in - so I often wind up reading several books at a time - but I'm not a fast reader, so it might take me 3 months to finish several books.
For fiction I like action/thriller/ techno-thriller/sci-fi stuff - - some of my fav authors are Stephen Hunter, Janet Evanovich, Lee Child, Philip K. Dick, C.J. Lyons, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, James Rollins...late last year I finished "The Eye of God" by James Rollins - and have not started reading another novel yet.
For non-fiction I jump around on what interests me at the time: history, philosophy, science, technology, theology...I recently finished "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" by Rob Bell.
I started reading "The Tao of Psychology: Synchronicity and the Self" by Jean Shinoch Bolen... I've also been reading a few other books - "Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained" translation and annotation by Derek Lin. (after starting Bolen's book I wanted to look into taoism - fascinating stuff!)... "Understanding The Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals" by John A. Buehrens..."Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together" by Van Jones..."The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything" by Michio Kaku...and "Music Theory for The Bass Player" by Ariane Cap.
Like I said, I'm not a fast reader - and sometimes I have to back up and re-read a section if I have a tough time comprehending something - so in a given day I might read parts of several books - like someone would series-surf on Netflix or Hulu, catching a few episodes of different series...uhm - I do that too...one of the luxuries of being retired.
Here's what else is in the lineup for reading this year - in no particular order:
"Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief" by John M. Frame
"The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert
"Sapians: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
"The U.S. Constitution for Dummies" by Dr. Michael Arnheim
"The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians" by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird
"How To Be An Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" by Robin Diangelo
"Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow
"The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself" by Sean Carroll
My reading interests are varied - but my retention is weak. So I have an ongoing read-and-review-list of books that I really enjoyed - and I maintain the list on paper - it's sort of like a self-imposed remedial program for someone like me who has challenges in comprehension and retention ... anyway - I started it way back in 1990, I think - it has some 250 books on it so far - and I already know I'm going to add "Love Wins" and "The Tao of Psychology" to the list. Being on the list doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to re-read the entire book; sometimes I just go to sections I've highlighted/bookmarked (on Kindle) or if it's a printed book I'll refer to my own index I've made at the front of the book - to again enjoy or think deeper on the author's salient points.
I didn't put any fiction books on my to-read-list - that usually depends on if I need a break from non-fiction stuff - a telltale sign is when I see smoke coming out of my ears.
I'm pretty eclectic in my tastes. Lots of what's already been mentioned. I also like Jodi Picoult, who writes about social issues. Ken Follett's books are interesting, nobody's mentioned him yet.
What I read depends on whether I want to learn something (so, perhaps, a bit of historical, or social, fiction), enjoy an escape (thriller/crime), veg out (any kind of rubbish)
Before that, I recently read a cartoon book (also historical fiction). Sounds silly, it's only slender, but actually, there is a lot in it.
My tastes vary genre-wise - depending on what mood I'm in - so I often wind up reading several books at a time - but I'm not a fast reader, so it might take me 3 months to finish several books.
I know a friend who reads 3-4 books simultaneously. I can juggle 2 at the most, that too if one's a novel and other one's a short story, else I'm completely lost.
On 4/20/2021 at 12:06 PM, T-Bone said:
For fiction I like action/thriller/ techno-thriller/sci-fi stuff - - some of my fav authors are Stephen Hunter, Janet Evanovich, Lee Child, Philip K. Dick, C.J. Lyons, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, James Rollins...late last year I finished "The Eye of God" by James Rollins - and have not started reading another novel yet.
That's a crackerjack of an author list - most of em from SF. I too want to read and explore SF, but I get lost in visualization and I find it hard to relate after that. Also, Orwell is my personal favorite.
On 4/20/2021 at 12:06 PM, T-Bone said:
For non-fiction I jump around on what interests me at the time: history, philosophy, science, technology, theology...I recently finished "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" by Rob Bell.
I started reading "The Tao of Psychology: Synchronicity and the Self" by Jean Shinoch Bolen... I've also been reading a few other books - "Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained" translation and annotation by Derek Lin. (after starting Bolen's book I wanted to look into taoism - fascinating stuff!)... "Understanding The Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals" by John A. Buehrens..."Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together" by Van Jones..."The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything" by Michio Kaku...and "Music Theory for The Bass Player" by Ariane Cap.
Lots of spiritual reading there. Have you finished reading Tao? Could you explain a bit on it?
On 4/20/2021 at 12:06 PM, T-Bone said:
"Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief" by John M. Frame
"The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert
"Sapians: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
"The U.S. Constitution for Dummies" by Dr. Michael Arnheim
"The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians" by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird
"How To Be An Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" by Robin Diangelo
"Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow
"The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself" by Sean Carroll
This looks like another amazing list. I haven't heard about most of them. The only book I've read is Kolbert's - an important work on climate that is a necessary read ( I feel). It must be made a part of school curriculum with subsequent workshops on climate change to bring in a holistic and sustainable approach towards climate consensus. Just leaving a summary of Sixth Extinction here. For those who do not have the time to read the entire book, the summary would do.
On 4/20/2021 at 12:06 PM, T-Bone said:
My reading interests are varied - but my retention is weak. So I have an ongoing read-and-review-list of books that I really enjoyed - and I maintain the list on paper - it's sort of like a self-imposed remedial program for someone like me who has challenges in comprehension and retention ... anyway - I started it way back in 1990, I think - it has some 250 books on it so far
250 books accumulated over 32 years, this is some history.
I know a friend who reads 3-4 books simultaneously. I can juggle 2 at the most, that too if one's a novel and other one's a short story, else I'm completely lost.
There’s a method to my madness - when reading several books at a time – only ONE of them may be a novel – the other books will be non-fiction, history, philosophy, theology, etc. I can’t read TWO novels at the same time – I’d get lost. As it is – full disclosure here – when reading a novel, I sometimes have to make cheat notes on who some peripheral characters are or even draw timelines or look at maps – or I can get lost . Funny story - I got into reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy – I’m following along the action of the story with an atlas but then couldn’t locate Hedeby island in Sweden…had to Google to find out it is a FICTIONAL island featured in novel …but with non-fiction it’s easy for me to switch gears and put down a history book and pick up a philosophy book – maybe my mind is in high school or college mode – going from class to class of different subjects…I was an average student back then – guess I’m making up for it now.
20 hours ago, CafeCap said:
That's a crackerjack of an author list - most of em from SF. I too want to read and explore SF, but I get lost in visualization and I find it hard to relate after that. Also, Orwell is my personal favorite.
I know what you mean about getting lost in visualization with Sci-Fi. I was a technician so I can get really picky on Sci-Fi novels. if I feel the author is trying to impress me with their technical-know-how, gadgetry and complex details of other worlds rather than having a compelling storyline or interesting character arc, I lose interest…anyway, a story like HG Wells’ The Invisible Man is a very interesting story of the inner transformation of the main character - a scientist - who invents an invisibility serum – but he didn’t know how to reverse it. There’s not much to VISUALIZE in a story like that - the dude’s invisible. But that’s one of the first Sci-Fi books I read as a kid that made me try to get inside the character’s head – why was he driven to make the serum? Why didn’t he figure out how to reverse it before he tried it on himself? I was like 10 years old when I read it – but even then, I got one of the big ideas in the book – power corrupts…of course I thought of it in kid’s terms – what would it be like if you could do whatever you want and not get caught? You’d be a corrupt person.
...people read novels or watch movies and TV shows to escape – to get away from the familiar and the drama of real life…I liked Orwell’s 1984 – now that’s a very compelling story.
20 hours ago, CafeCap said:
Lots of spiritual reading there. Have you finished reading Tao? Could you explain a bit on it?
Well, I’ll probably have to reread this stuff on Tao a few times to give a better answer – but anyway, with everything I read I have somewhat of a synthesis approach (which may be something of Tao in that ) trying to combine new info with what I already know; Tao is defined as the absolute principle underlying the universe, and sees opposites as complementary, interconnected, and interdependent…that there is a harmony in the natural order of everything…and after reading Love Wins, I get a deeper sense of what Jesus said about the kingdom of God being at hand…bottom line, I think there’s a lot more going on in and around all the lives that cross my path.
20 hours ago, CafeCap said:
This looks like another amazing list. I haven't heard about most of them. The only book I've read is Kolbert's - an important work on climate that is a necessary read ( I feel). It must be made a part of school curriculum with subsequent workshops on climate change to bring in a holistic and sustainable approach towards climate consensus. Just leaving a summary of Sixth Extinction here. For those who do not have the time to read the entire book, the summary would do.
Wow ! Thanks for the link to a summary of Sixth Extinction…that got me excited to read the book soon!
There’s a method to my madness - when reading several books at a time – only ONE of them may be a novel – the other books will be non-fiction, history, philosophy, theology, etc. I can’t read TWO novels at the same time – I’d get lost. As it is – full disclosure here – when reading a novel, I sometimes have to make cheat notes on who some peripheral characters are or even draw timelines or look at maps – or I can get lost . Funny story - I got into reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy – I’m following along the action of the story with an atlas but then couldn’t locate Hedeby island in Sweden…had to Google to find out it is a FICTIONAL island featured in novel …but with non-fiction it’s easy for me to switch gears and put down a history book and pick up a philosophy book – maybe my mind is in high school or college mode – going from class to class of different subjects…I was an average student back then – guess I’m making up for it now.
Hahaha makes a lot of sense.
7 hours ago, T-Bone said:
I know what you mean about getting lost in visualization with Sci-Fi. I was a technician so I can get really picky on Sci-Fi novels. if I feel the author is trying to impress me with their technical-know-how, gadgetry and complex details of other worlds rather than having a compelling storyline or interesting character arc, I lose interest…anyway, a story like HG Wells’ The Invisible Man is a very interesting story of the inner transformation of the main character - a scientist - who invents an invisibility serum – but he didn’t know how to reverse it. There’s not much to VISUALIZE in a story like that - the dude’s invisible. But that’s one of the first Sci-Fi books I read as a kid that made me try to get inside the character’s head – why was he driven to make the serum? Why didn’t he figure out how to reverse it before he tried it on himself? I was like 10 years old when I read it – but even then, I got one of the big ideas in the book – power corrupts…of course I thought of it in kid’s terms – what would it be like if you could do whatever you want and not get caught? You’d be a corrupt person.
...people read novels or watch movies and TV shows to escape – to get away from the familiar and the drama of real life…I liked Orwell’s 1984 – now that’s a very compelling story.
Ohhh @invisible man. I'll give it a try asap. I'm in the middle of Murakami's Norwegian Wood and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman now. Yes, Orwell's 1984 is my fav as well. Animal Farm and 1984 and indisputable and timeless classics. More the time passes, more relevant they became.
7 hours ago, T-Bone said:
Well, I’ll probably have to reread this stuff on Tao a few times to give a better answer – but anyway, with everything I read I have somewhat of a synthesis approach (which may be something of Tao in that ) trying to combine new info with what I already know; Tao is defined as the absolute principle underlying the universe, and sees opposites as complementary, interconnected, and interdependent…that there is a harmony in the natural order of everything…and after reading Love Wins, I get a deeper sense of what Jesus said about the kingdom of God being at hand…bottom line, I think there’s a lot more going on in and around all the lives that cross my path.
Ohhh @invisible man. I'll give it a try asap. I'm in the middle of Murakami's Norwegian Wood and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman now. Yes, Orwell's 1984 is my fav as well. Animal Farm and 1984 and indisputable and timeless classics. More the time passes, more relevant they became.
ohh. Alright!
I forgot about Animal Farm ! Great story ! And you got me analyzing what I like to read…stories like Animal Farm and 1984 and really good sci-fI can be appreciated on so many different levels…I probably ought to revisit some of those classics…think I make such a “learning project “ out of non-fiction stuff, I forgot how much fun, relevant and thought provoking allegories, fables, and such can be. Maybe my mind has gotten lazy just looking to be entertained…switching to movies for a minute cuz it touches on the same thing - a big fav of mine and my wife’s too is Being John Malkovich - a comedy about a puppeteer discovering a portal into a famous actor’s mind. It is such a quirky funny story - and always gets me thinking about social dynamics , interpersonal skills, the authentic self. It’s entertaining but really gets you to think afterwards.
I probably ought to revisit some of those classics…think I make such a “learning project “ out of non-fiction stuff, I forgot how much fun, relevant and thought provoking allegories, fables, and such can be. Maybe my mind has gotten lazy just looking to be entertained…switching to movies for a minute cuz it touches on the same thing - a big fav of mine and my wife’s too is Being John Malkovich - a comedy about a puppeteer discovering a portal into a famous actor’s mind. It is such a quirky funny story - and always gets me thinking about social dynamics , interpersonal skills, the authentic self. It’s entertaining but really gets you to think afterwards.
Yes, and Orwell's are easy and intriguing to revisit. Animal farm is a super short read.
I haven't watched the movie, but I'll make it a point to visit it sometime.
1)Invisible Nationby Quil Lawrence. The book talks about one of history's more persecuted, yet less spoken people - the Kurds. From facing historical persecutions to genocides by Sadaam Hussein to more recently being a target of ISIS, the community has seen it all. Quil talks in length about the community's resilience, survival, and its relentless quest for a homeland - a much-needed work.
2) Casteby Isabel Wilkerson. It is an investigation of rigid social hierarchies across times and cultures. In her work, Wilkerson connects the race-based caste system that persists in America to the ancient caste hierarchy of India and the rapid formation of ethno-religious castes in Nazi Germany. An excellent and immersive read.
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GeorgeStGeorge
Honestly, except for comic books, the Bible, and occasional scientific articles, I don't read much. I did read Mark Levin's Men in Black recently.
George
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WordWolf
Generally, I read Science Fiction and Fantasy for fun. A lot of it tends to lean a bit more for a consistent world, where the author put some thought into consistent rules for magic and so on. Some of it is also modern-day supernatural stories in specific series'. As of this week, I've been taking time to read lighter fare in both SF and F. In between, I read through a light biography on Ben Franklin and I'm currently zipping through one on Thomas Jefferson.
If any of the above interest you, I can recommend specific series' for each. I tend to stick with a specific series if I find it's worth reading, then I continue it if at all possible. I also reserve the right to abandon a series if I find the quality drops too low (I've dropped at least 2 authors over that in the past.)
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Human without the bean
I've put it down for a few weeks but I have been reading "The Sun Also Rises". Hemingway.
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CafeCap
Oh, okay!
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CafeCap
Sounds interesting! I read science fantasy as well. What sci-fi have you read recently? And which sci-fi do you like the most and why?
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CafeCap
That's great to take a break. But what's your usual go to genre?
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WordWolf
I am all over the map with what I'm reading currently. It varies with what's close at hand and any passing whim.
I finished the "Wheel of Time" saga a few months back. I'm currently alternating some Star Wars books (right now, the Black Fleet Crisis, which isn't bad but isn't great either), The Lone Wolf gamebook series, and the "Phule's Company" series. The Wheel of Time is an excellent read if very long. Robert Aspirin's "Phule's Company" is meant as light science fiction, and is a fun read.
Here's the premise... in some future, The Space Legion is the least-respected of the military branches. Each soldier takes on a new name when he/she joins, usually wanting to break with their past. The series began with Lt Scaramouche's court martial. The General in charge of the meeting was evasive as to why they COULDN't throw the book at him. Finally, he revealed the Lt's last name was "Phule"- he was the son of the CEO of Phule-Proof Munitions, their main weapons supplier and main employer of retired Space Legionnaires. They settled on an assignment so unpleasant he'd just quit. They forced him to change his name, and gave him a promotion to Captain. Captain Jester was then put in charge of the current "omega company" -the dumping-ground for those who can't even make it in the Space Legion. Rather than just quit, Captain Jester/ Willard Phule decided to put his talents (and his finances) into turning the unit around, and the trouble REALLY started after that.
For SF, I tend to prefer lighter fare- with little heavier than the Star Wars "Legends" Extended Universe. For fantasy, I'll read the lighter stuff as well as the heavier stuff. My preferences there are for settings with coherent magic systems- the Recluce series, the Dresden Files (modern fantasy), and the Wheel of Time. I've enjoyed the Harry Potter series, but I've also noted some glaring problems with the magic system (from the last 2 books- the others held together reasonably well.)
If you want, I can recommend every single thing in either setting that I WOULD recommend, but I don't think you're looking for that.
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CafeCap
That's great and sounds interesting. I haven't read any of the SF/fantasy you've mentioned. I'll love to read them once I'm done with my book stack.
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Human without the bean
My go to is Thriller's and drama. I like both Tom Clancy and John Grisham. Surprisingly, (to me anyway) is that I like to read crime-drama but I do not particularly care for any crime drama TV shows. House and maybe Bones just a bit were the exceptions. I actually have been wanting to read some non-fiction early American history works. Jefferson or Monroe but I'm not that familiar with early American history I only know that I want to learn more about it.
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T-Bone
My tastes vary genre-wise - depending on what mood I'm in - so I often wind up reading several books at a time - but I'm not a fast reader, so it might take me 3 months to finish several books.
For fiction I like action/thriller/ techno-thriller/sci-fi stuff - - some of my fav authors are Stephen Hunter, Janet Evanovich, Lee Child, Philip K. Dick, C.J. Lyons, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, H.G. Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, Michael Crichton, James Rollins...late last year I finished "The Eye of God" by James Rollins - and have not started reading another novel yet.
For non-fiction I jump around on what interests me at the time: history, philosophy, science, technology, theology...I recently finished "Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived" by Rob Bell.
I started reading "The Tao of Psychology: Synchronicity and the Self" by Jean Shinoch Bolen... I've also been reading a few other books - "Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained" translation and annotation by Derek Lin. (after starting Bolen's book I wanted to look into taoism - fascinating stuff!)... "Understanding The Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals" by John A. Buehrens..."Beyond the Messy Truth: How We Came Apart, How We Come Together" by Van Jones..."The God Equation: The Quest for a Theory of Everything" by Michio Kaku...and "Music Theory for The Bass Player" by Ariane Cap.
Like I said, I'm not a fast reader - and sometimes I have to back up and re-read a section if I have a tough time comprehending something - so in a given day I might read parts of several books - like someone would series-surf on Netflix or Hulu, catching a few episodes of different series...uhm - I do that too...one of the luxuries of being retired.
Here's what else is in the lineup for reading this year - in no particular order:
"Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief" by John M. Frame
"The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History" by Elizabeth Kolbert
"Sapians: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
"The U.S. Constitution for Dummies" by Dr. Michael Arnheim
"The New Testament In Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians" by N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird
"How To Be An Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi
"White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism" by Robin Diangelo
"Sick in the Head: Conversations About Life and Comedy" by Judd Apatow
"The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself" by Sean Carroll
My reading interests are varied - but my retention is weak. So I have an ongoing read-and-review-list of books that I really enjoyed - and I maintain the list on paper - it's sort of like a self-imposed remedial program for someone like me who has challenges in comprehension and retention
... anyway - I started it way back in 1990, I think - it has some 250 books on it so far - and I already know I'm going to add "Love Wins" and "The Tao of Psychology" to the list. Being on the list doesn't necessarily mean I'm going to re-read the entire book; sometimes I just go to sections I've highlighted/bookmarked (on Kindle) or if it's a printed book I'll refer to my own index I've made at the front of the book - to again enjoy or think deeper on the author's salient points.
Edited by T-BoneI didn't put any fiction books on my to-read-list - that usually depends on if I need a break from non-fiction stuff - a telltale sign is when I see smoke coming out of my ears.
formatting & typos
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Twinky
I've just finished this (historical fiction):.jpg.0419c3656179b1b8df0103561c8448db.jpg)
I'm pretty eclectic in my tastes. Lots of what's already been mentioned. I also like Jodi Picoult, who writes about social issues. Ken Follett's books are interesting, nobody's mentioned him yet.
What I read depends on whether I want to learn something (so, perhaps, a bit of historical, or social, fiction), enjoy an escape (thriller/crime), veg out (any kind of rubbish)
Before that, I recently read a cartoon book (also historical fiction). Sounds silly, it's only slender, but actually, there is a lot in it.
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CafeCap
I know a friend who reads 3-4 books simultaneously. I can juggle 2 at the most, that too if one's a novel and other one's a short story, else I'm completely lost.
That's a crackerjack of an author list - most of em from SF. I too want to read and explore SF, but I get lost in visualization and I find it hard to relate after that. Also, Orwell is my personal favorite.
Lots of spiritual reading there. Have you finished reading Tao? Could you explain a bit on it?
This looks like another amazing list. I haven't heard about most of them. The only book I've read is Kolbert's - an important work on climate that is a necessary read ( I feel). It must be made a part of school curriculum with subsequent workshops on climate change to bring in a holistic and sustainable approach towards climate consensus. Just leaving a summary of Sixth Extinction here. For those who do not have the time to read the entire book, the summary would do.
250 books accumulated over 32 years, this is some history.
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T-Bone
There’s a method to my madness
- when reading several books at a time – only ONE of them may be a novel – the other books will be non-fiction, history, philosophy, theology, etc. I can’t read TWO novels at the same time – I’d get lost. As it is – full disclosure here – when reading a novel, I sometimes have to make cheat notes on who some peripheral characters are or even draw timelines or look at maps – or I can get lost 
. Funny story - I got into reading The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy – I’m following along the action of the story with an atlas but then couldn’t locate Hedeby island in Sweden…had to Google to find out it is a FICTIONAL island featured in novel 
…but with non-fiction it’s easy for me to switch gears and put down a history book and pick up a philosophy book – maybe my mind is in high school or college mode – going from class to class of different subjects…I was an average student back then – guess I’m making up for it now.
I know what you mean about getting lost in visualization with Sci-Fi. I was a technician so I can get really picky on Sci-Fi novels. if I feel the author is trying to impress me with their technical-know-how, gadgetry and complex details of other worlds rather than having a compelling storyline or interesting character arc, I lose interest…anyway, a story like HG Wells’ The Invisible Man is a very interesting story of the inner transformation of the main character - a scientist - who invents an invisibility serum – but he didn’t know how to reverse it. There’s not much to VISUALIZE in a story like that - the dude’s invisible.
But that’s one of the first Sci-Fi books I read as a kid that made me try to get inside the character’s head – why was he driven to make the serum? Why didn’t he figure out how to reverse it before he tried it on himself? I was like 10 years old when I read it – but even then, I got one of the big ideas in the book – power corrupts…of course I thought of it in kid’s terms – what would it be like if you could do whatever you want and not get caught? You’d be a corrupt person.
...people read novels or watch movies and TV shows to escape – to get away from the familiar and the drama of real life…I liked Orwell’s 1984 – now that’s a very compelling story.
Well, I’ll probably have to reread this stuff on Tao a few times to give a better answer – but anyway, with everything I read I have somewhat of a synthesis approach (which may be something of Tao in that ) trying to combine new info with what I already know; Tao is defined as the absolute principle underlying the universe, and sees opposites as complementary, interconnected, and interdependent…that there is a harmony in the natural order of everything…and after reading Love Wins, I get a deeper sense of what Jesus said about the kingdom of God being at hand…bottom line, I think there’s a lot more going on in and around all the lives that cross my path.
Wow ! Thanks for the link to a summary of Sixth Extinction…that got me excited to read the book soon!
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CafeCap
Hahaha makes a lot of sense.
Ohhh @invisible man. I'll give it a try asap. I'm in the middle of Murakami's Norwegian Wood and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman now. Yes, Orwell's 1984 is my fav as well. Animal Farm and 1984 and indisputable and timeless classics. More the time passes, more relevant they became.
ohh. Alright!
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T-Bone
I forgot about Animal Farm ! Great story ! And you got me analyzing what I like to read…stories like Animal Farm and 1984 and really good sci-fI can be appreciated on so many different levels…I probably ought to revisit some of those classics…think I make such a “learning project “ out of non-fiction stuff, I forgot how much fun, relevant and thought provoking allegories, fables, and such can be. Maybe my mind has gotten lazy
just looking to be entertained…switching to movies for a minute cuz it touches on the same thing - a big fav of mine and my wife’s too is Being John Malkovich - a comedy about a puppeteer discovering a portal into a famous actor’s mind. It is such a quirky funny story - and always gets me thinking about social dynamics , interpersonal skills, the authentic self. It’s entertaining but really gets you to think afterwards.
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CafeCap
Yes, and Orwell's are easy and intriguing to revisit. Animal farm is a super short read.
I haven't watched the movie, but I'll make it a point to visit it sometime.
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CafeCap
Current reads:
1) Invisible Nation by Quil Lawrence. The book talks about one of history's more persecuted, yet less spoken people - the Kurds. From facing historical persecutions to genocides by Sadaam Hussein to more recently being a target of ISIS, the community has seen it all. Quil talks in length about the community's resilience, survival, and its relentless quest for a homeland - a much-needed work.
2) Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. It is an investigation of rigid social hierarchies across times and cultures. In her work, Wilkerson connects the race-based caste system that persists in America to the ancient caste hierarchy of India and the rapid formation of ethno-religious castes in Nazi Germany. An excellent and immersive read.
3) And finally, this Psycholgy book.
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GeorgeStGeorge
I'm about halfway through Ship of Fools by Tucker Carlson.
George
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