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  4. What are you reading?

What are you reading?

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved Off Key - General Discussion
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  • D Offline
    D Offline
    Daniel
    wrote on last edited by
    #79

    I'm not reading anything. I'm watching history videos. My latest obsession is the Byzantine Empire.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byzantine_Empire

    1 Reply Last reply
    • dolmansaxlilD Offline
      dolmansaxlilD Offline
      dolmansaxlil
      wrote on last edited by
      #80

      I recently finished Divinity 36 and am now on the second book in the trilogy. It is sci-fi, though definitely not typical sci-fi. It took me a bit to decide I liked it but I fell in love with the characters and now I am completely hooked.

      I’m also reading the Dungeon Crawler Carl series. I just started book 2. It is definitely targeted at folks who are gamers - specifically dungeon crawlers. I don’t know that it would be of interest to anyone here but I am loving them!

      1 Reply Last reply
      • A Offline
        A Offline
        AndyD
        wrote on last edited by
        #81

        20260111_132242.jpg

        If you haven't already read this absolute gem of a book, it takes only 10 minutes and it is deliciously funny, from the Title page on.

        Ventosa viri restabit

        1 Reply Last reply
        • wtgW Offline
          wtgW Offline
          wtg
          wrote on last edited by wtg
          #82

          Started this but didn't finish before it was due at the library. I put another hold on it so I can finish it. Definitely an interesting read.

          From snake-oil salesmen to crypto grifters, the gripping story of charlatans—and why we fall for them

          alt text

          https://www.moisesnaim.com/charlatans

          1 Reply Last reply
          • J Offline
            J Offline
            jon-nyc
            wrote on last edited by jon-nyc
            #83

            I was rarely a read-more-than-one-book-at-a-time guy but I seem to be now. I generally have something I'm listening to, and something I'm reading in bed at night.

            In the last week I finished Andrew Ross Sorkin's 1929. Fantastic book. It takes you through the crash and its aftermath in narrative form, telling the story through a handful of principals. It is not an in-depth study of the depression, more about the crash and the legal aftermath and congressional action culminating in Glass Steagel. Its a pretty short book, shorter than it seemed on kindle since over half is endnotes. I was surprised when the book ended and kindle said I was only 43% of the way through.

            alt text

            I also finished listening to Chernow's new bio of Mark Twain. I enjoyed the book, and never considered putting it down, but I'm going to be honest and say it was a bit of an endurance test. (in fact I think that phrase made it into the NYT review of it). It is 1200+ pages, and the narration was 44+ hours. It could use editing down to maybe 60% of its current length.

            Having said all that, he was a fascinating man with a fascinating life and I'm glad I read it. I didn't know all that much about him. There are two Mark Twin houses in Connecticut that operate as museums, I may go see them at some point.

            alt text

            1 Reply Last reply
            • wtgW Offline
              wtgW Offline
              wtg
              wrote on last edited by wtg
              #84

              alt text

              Kind of goes with the MIT article about the energy impact of AI.

              https://wtf.coffee-room.com/topic/3010/ai-s-energy-footprint-mit-analysis

              1 Reply Last reply
              • C Offline
                C Offline
                CHAS
                wrote on last edited by
                #85

                Christoffer Carlsson's Blaze Me a Sun

                "If you're looking for sympathy, you'll find it between s**t and syphilis in the dictionary."-David Sedaris

                1 Reply Last reply
                • S Offline
                  S Offline
                  Steve Miller
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #86

                  IMG-5132.jpg

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • wtgW Offline
                    wtgW Offline
                    wtg
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #87

                    alt text

                    Used the recipe for bagels from the author's website, the Clever Carrot.

                    https://www.theclevercarrot.com/

                    Got the book out from the library and the other recipes look excellent. Trying not to buy cookbooks, but I might have to get this one.

                    1 Reply Last reply
                    • S Offline
                      S Offline
                      Steve Miller
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #88

                      IMG-5188.jpg

                      Definitely lives up to the hype. I’ll rank it up there with The Food Lab and Cookwise.

                      AdagioMA C 2 Replies Last reply
                      • D Offline
                        D Offline
                        Daniel
                        wrote on last edited by Daniel
                        #89

                        Emily Dickinson, Thomas H. Johnson, Ed.

                        Take it from me; Franklin's late 20th century editions are archaic in comparison; and don't forget her original manuscripts are now readily available to the general public.

                        The Art of War, Sun Tzu (I'm looking for a good translation, slow going)

                        The Selected Poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, Edited and Translated by Stephen Mitchell

                        (I'm reading this again because a want to find a single poem; I might put it in a frame and hang it on my wall when I find it.)

                        I'm looking for a history of the Habsburg dynasty. I want something written by an English person. I'll take a look at what's available from their universities.

                        I want to read a history of the Byzantine empire. I'll take the same approach.

                        I'm reading the two poetry books now.

                        I plan to get prescription glasses soon.

                        I still want to read books and think I should read the first ones on my list before my eyesight becomes worse.

                        1 Reply Last reply
                        • A Offline
                          A Offline
                          AndyD
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #90

                          20260207_085616.jpg

                          Published 1898, not sure how much help it's going to be, though the chapter on memorising is of interest.

                          20260207_085810.jpg

                          Ventosa viri restabit

                          R 1 Reply Last reply
                          👍
                          • D Offline
                            D Offline
                            Daniel
                            wrote on last edited by Daniel
                            #91

                            Andy, You're a bibliophile. Clearly.

                            I'll share pictures of my office/ study/ library with you and everyone when I have the furniture in place.

                            This is the area I'm looking forward to decorating most.

                            It's going to have a desk, a desktop computer, a desk chair, cabinets, a low to the ground table with two matching seats, and a tall bookshelf.

                            The kitchen is going to have a farmhouse table.

                            The kitchen, dining room, and the room I described might be a single room.

                            Thanks for nice pictures!

                            D 1 Reply Last reply
                            • A Offline
                              A Offline
                              AndyD
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #92

                              Ten bookcases in our house 🤪
                              Today took 50 old DVDs to charity shops and came back with five books. A rare local history book (that costs over £60) for £3 still in its wrapper; and in the Salvation Army a poetry and a paintings book, and two novels for MrsA, all 50p each. So £5.00.

                              20260207_182138.jpg
                              Hardbacks like new for 50p how to resist?

                              Ventosa viri restabit

                              1 Reply Last reply
                              • S Steve Miller

                                IMG-5188.jpg

                                Definitely lives up to the hype. I’ll rank it up there with The Food Lab and Cookwise.

                                AdagioMA Offline
                                AdagioMA Offline
                                AdagioM
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #93

                                @Steve-Miller I love Samin Nosrat. I gave kiddo2 Salt Fat Acid Heat for Christmas, and I received her Good Things from Mr. AM.

                                Have you listened to her podcast, Home Cooking, with Hrishikesh Hirway? It started at the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s funny and enlightening.

                                dolmansaxlilD 1 Reply Last reply
                                • AdagioMA AdagioM

                                  @Steve-Miller I love Samin Nosrat. I gave kiddo2 Salt Fat Acid Heat for Christmas, and I received her Good Things from Mr. AM.

                                  Have you listened to her podcast, Home Cooking, with Hrishikesh Hirway? It started at the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s funny and enlightening.

                                  dolmansaxlilD Offline
                                  dolmansaxlilD Offline
                                  dolmansaxlil
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #94

                                  @AdagioM said in What are you reading?:

                                  @Steve-Miller I love Samin Nosrat. I gave kiddo2 Salt Fat Acid Heat for Christmas, and I received her Good Things from Mr. AM.

                                  Have you listened to her podcast, Home Cooking, with Hrishikesh Hirway? It started at the beginning of the pandemic, and it’s funny and enlightening.

                                  +1 to all of this!!

                                  1 Reply Last reply
                                  • A AndyD

                                    20260207_085616.jpg

                                    Published 1898, not sure how much help it's going to be, though the chapter on memorising is of interest.

                                    20260207_085810.jpg

                                    R Offline
                                    R Offline
                                    RealPlayer
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #95

                                    @AndyD Your picture of The Pianist’s Mentor reminded me that there are a number of books on pianism by famous teachers (Neuhaus, Whiteside et al.) and I haven’t read any of them. The ones I’ve glanced at seem kind of dry, and it must be hard to describe fine muscle movements in lively prose. One study, The Great Pianists and Their Technique, does have comments by pupils of Liszt, Chopin and others which are interesting.

                                    A 1 Reply Last reply
                                    • D Offline
                                      D Offline
                                      Daniel
                                      wrote on last edited by Daniel
                                      #96

                                      @andyd My mom had Danielle Steel's "The Other Side of Midnight" on a shelf. I read it. I brought the book up with my mom. She was annoyed. She said she didn't want to hear it. Lol!

                                      Edit-- AI tells me it wasn't Danielle Steel. It was Sidney Sheldon.

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • D Daniel

                                        Andy, You're a bibliophile. Clearly.

                                        I'll share pictures of my office/ study/ library with you and everyone when I have the furniture in place.

                                        This is the area I'm looking forward to decorating most.

                                        It's going to have a desk, a desktop computer, a desk chair, cabinets, a low to the ground table with two matching seats, and a tall bookshelf.

                                        The kitchen is going to have a farmhouse table.

                                        The kitchen, dining room, and the room I described might be a single room.

                                        Thanks for nice pictures!

                                        D Offline
                                        D Offline
                                        Daniel
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #97
                                        This post is deleted!
                                        1 Reply Last reply
                                        • ShiroKuroS Offline
                                          ShiroKuroS Offline
                                          ShiroKuro
                                          wrote on last edited by ShiroKuro
                                          #98

                                          I just started reading this book that I bought while we were in Japan last summer: Yakuza Sometimes Piano
                                          alt text

                                          It’s about a writer whose main reporting area is yakuza (i.e., he primarily writes about the yakuza underworld), and he (the writer, a man in his 50s) starts learning piano.

                                          I literally bought it because the cover caught my eye. 😅 It would probably be more interesting if the person learning the piano were actually a yakuza, instead of someone who writes about yakuza... 😄 But it’s interesting enough so far. I’m not very far along, so we’ll see.

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