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What are you reading at the moment?

The title says it all - tell us which book(s) you're currently reading, and what you think so far.

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pam on July 9, 2008 at 4:13pm

currently readin 'eating with your anorexic' by Laura Collins (for work) and have just got hold of a copy of 'The Poisonwood Bible' which was recommended to me - but haven't started it yet

Permalink Reply by Valis on July 16, 2008 at 4:36am

'The Poisonwood Bible' is a really good book! It shows you how ridiculous religion really is. I'd also recommend something in a similiar vein, "At Play In The Fields Of The Lord".

Permalink Reply by Bakari on September 29, 2008 at 12:20pm

I liked this novel, though it dragged out toward the end. I visited Ghana in West Africa back in '94, and I was still amazed about the deep influence Western religion had/has there.

Permalink Reply by Sarah on July 9, 2008 at 4:23pm

I just finished Parenting Beyond Belief by Dale McGowan and Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali last week. Now I'm reading Darwin's autobiography.

I enjoyed PBB but I loved Infidel! I couldn't put it down and I found myself really inspired to be more courageous. After all, I am not likely to be threatened with death for speaking about my beliefs. I've only just started the autobiography so I can't say much about it yet.

Permalink Reply by 5ive on July 10, 2008 at 10:59pm

Infidel was such a sad book! I got it from the library and had to wait 3 months on a waiting list for it last year. What an amazing person she is. Go Ayaan!
And parenting beyond belief was a great read, too. It did make me realise how arrogant Penn is, tho. I liked his essay, but there was no need for him to verbally attack McGowan the way he did.
Have you heard McGowan speak? He is nicely level-headed and intelligent, worth listening to.

Permalink Reply by Sarah on July 12, 2008 at 9:21am

I've seen an interview with him on YouTube but I haven't seen him in person. He lives in the area so I check his website every so often to find out if he's going to be speaking here.

Permalink Reply by Mike on July 9, 2008 at 4:54pm

I'm reading The Thousandfold Thought (The Prince of Nothing Book 3) at the moment, and it's great. This is one of the best fantasy fiction series I've read. It's very deep, and well written.

Permalink Reply by Alex on July 10, 2008 at 8:27pm

I liked the first book in the series so much I went out and bought the other two... turned out to be a bad move-- although realistically, once you start reading an even just bearable series, there aren't any other options. Apparently he spent decades developing the first one; I love the bad-ass training the cult put him through, conferrable genetic memory, and magic being anathema to God (because then you make an irreversible choice: more drama). The subsequent books lacked the strength of the initial one, although they had their share of cool ideas: the nature/origin of the evil beings in the north, him being able to see the fingers of those hand creatures, etc. Finally, without giving anything away, the end of the last book is a huge cop-out.

Permalink Reply by Mike on July 16, 2008 at 3:37pm

You didn't like the other two? Hrm. Well I'm almost done the third, and so far so good.

I don't recall genetic memory being part of the story, unless you're talking about the Mandate schoolmen - though it isn't explicit on how that works, IIRC.

It's disappointing to hear the ending is a cop-out, but I was already worried since I'm so close to the end and there's only so much that can happen in that space. Regardless though, I still think it's worth reading, and I'm glad I bought them.

Permalink Reply by Mike on July 17, 2008 at 4:32pm

Well, I finished it, and I guess you're right. It feels like the story isn't finished, and could have been much better. :-/

Permalink Reply by Andrew on July 9, 2008 at 5:27pm

Hey, cool idea for a group!

I'm reading 'Almost like a Whale' by Steve Jones.

Being a biology student I should have read it years ago.

Seems to be decent so far, and is pretty well written.

Permalink Reply by Hannah on July 9, 2008 at 7:22pm

I've just started reading Dexter: Darkly Dreaming by Jeff Lindsay, the bokk the series is based on. So far It's absolutely brilliant, very well written and I'm already addicted.

I'm also reading Origin Of Species for the first time and re-reading God Is Not Great.