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What are you reading these days?
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
What are you reading currently? Fiction or non-fiction or poetry, any genre, any language! Tell us what you're reading, and talk about it a bit.
Started reading "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K Dick.
Started reading a chapter per night this week and enjoying it so far, I want to read a bunch of classic books (especially sci-fi) - next on the list is Flowers for Algernon :)
Knocked this off my list last year and very happy I did. Was a pretty quick read too.
I also dabbled in the classics including science fiction last year, although I fell off of sci-fi pretty quickly. Crushed the first three Dune novels, but got stuck at God Emperor though I finally finished it last week.
I have on deck: Asimov's The Foundation, Clark's 2001 A Space Odyssey, and Vonnegut's Player Piano as sci-fi I really want to read this year.
What other classics outside of sci-fi are you trying to knock off the list?
The one I'm looking forward to, and dreading, the most is The Illiad.
I read 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea last year and it took me a long time to get into the flow of the writing, so I'm imagining The Illiad to be the same but even moreso.
There's a whole shelf at my parents house which I can't remember too well, but it had a good mix of things from Of Mice & Men to The Bhagavad Gita, so I'll have to pay them a visit and see what they've got.
Are there any non-sci-fi classics that really stuck in your mind?
I feel the same way about Moby Dick. Have always wanted to read it but it just feels daunting.
The Grapes of Wrath was probably the most "literary" book I read last year, and it was almost radicalizing. So much of the book still rings true today. While we're talking about Steinbeck, Travels With Charley is a quick read that should not be skipped either.
Kind of funny though, I followed up the Grapes of Wrath with Atlas Shrugged. Polar opposite books, but thankfully this one didn't radicalize me.
A modern book that I think of as an unconventional classic is The Stand by Stephen King. Not a literary masterpiece but it had me hooked beginning to end. Still haven't read anything like it since.
Still working (slowly) through Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White America by Ijeoma Oluo. I love her work, but I got distracted by reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, and Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu.
On the side I've been reading Sounds Like Misophonia: How to Stop Small Noises from Causing Extreme Reactions by Dr. Jane Gregory. It's less a read-through-by-chapter book and more a self-guided exploration through misophonia, how it affects you, why it may exist, and how to help reduce or eliminate its negative impacts on your life.
About half-way through Resisting AI: An Anti-fascist Approach to Artificial Intelligence by Dan McQuillan and have already highlighted so many quotes.
Would love to hear a little more of your thoughts on this if you’re willing to share. I’m definitely in the “wary/skeptical” camp when it comes to AI, and this book’s title is enough to pique my interest.
I will clarify that "AI" is a big umbrella that encompasses a lot of different things that don't necessarily have a lot to do with one another (and should be judged/approached differently), and marketing (among other reasons) has muddied the waters to an impossible point, but in general, the book focuses mostly towards LLMs / generative stuff, and machine learning stuff. I'll toss some of the choice highlights I made here, because they say a lot of it for me in ways better than I ever could:
"A dependency on large datasets further shifts the balance of AI power to entities with the capacity to collect and process massive quantities of data. Whatever we think of specific AI applications, accepting AI means we are implicitly signing up for an environment of pervasive data surveillance and centralized control."
"One of the latest language models at the time of writing, called GPT-3, has 175 billion weights that need to be optimized. Training its cousin, the BERT algorithm, which is used for natural language inference, has the same carbon emissions as a trans-American flight, while using a method called ‘neural architecture search’ to optimize the hyperparameters of a similar model produces the same carbon emissions as five cars over their entire lifetimes (Strubell et al, 2019)."
"Low-waged women workers in Kenyan click-farms spend all day drawing bounding boxes to identify objects in road scenes, helping to train self-driving cars that they will never get to ride in (Lee, 2018). Such is the scale of the market for self-driving car data that specialist crowdsourcing firms have emerged who guarantee the accuracy required,and take advantage of situations like the economic collapse in Venezuela to tap into pools of well-educated people who have suddenly dropped into poverty and are desperate for even this precarious work (Chen, 2019). Signing up to AI as we know it means deepening a commitment to labour practices that most of us aren’t even aware of, that are gendered and racialized, and that come without any collective negotiation of fair conditions or remuneration."
"The feedback loop between algorithmic amplification and bureaucratic discrimination is already a strong one. In Sweden,for example, an algorithmic system is already issuing warnings about ‘suspicious’ benefit claims and was found to have wrongly withheld benefit payments from thousands of people (Wills,2019). In Spain, an algorithmic system for processing electricity subsidies turned out to have been discarding applications from poor households (Kayser-Bril, 2019). In Austria, an algorithmic system used to classify job seekers for additional support was shown to discriminate against applicants based on gender and disability (Kayser-Bril, 2019)."
"In the end, the real allure of AI for institutions is not that it is actually more accurate or objective than people but simply that it is never going to experience a moment of ethical doubt about what it’s being asked to do. With humans in the loop, the smooth functioning of institutional processes that are discriminatory, unethical or unjust are always vulnerable to interruption from acts of individual conscience or collective refusal. With AI alone, no such risk exists."
There are other criticisms he has not touched on that I don't know if he'll tackle or not- the fake generative "art" plague and so on (which I think might have taken off a bit after publication, not sure), but I appreciate his big picture takes that touch a lot of large scale fundamental political/social implications (environment, labor, race, policy, law enforcement, etc)
Late response, but thank you for sharing! Certainly got me interested in checking this one out.
I'm on ASOIAF 5: Dance with Dragons. My reading rate has plummeted since the end of the holidays, which has me feeling like I'm never going to finish this one but it's good to take my time since this is the last one (probably ever). Definitely an improvement over #4, which was a bit of a disappointment compared to the others (but still a good book). I'm at a point where I remember barely anything I'm reading from the TV show and I struggle to tell how much of that is just from me not remembering the middle seasons of the show well and how much is due to the show diverting away from the books over time (like Aegon being totally absent).
Feel like also calling out a book I finished about a week ago: "Comfort is an old Barn". It's an autobiography from a local reporter from Maine. Runs from her childhood through to various people she met doing human interest type stories on the job. It's far from the most intellectually stimulating or exciting book but it's a pleasant read. Fits cozying up next to a warm fire vibes.
Oh boy, I was really into that book series a long time ago, and I don't know if I can go back to it now, even if the 6th book does come out. The dude is 76. Is he really going to finish it? I doubt it, and even if he intends to, every day can be a bit of a lottery at that age.
I also lost some faith in the series after the 3rd book. It became way too convoluted and unfocused in book 4. It's hard to imagine getting back into it after all this time.
I finished Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon. Such a great story and an unusual and likeable protagonist. I felt like the ending was a little rushed. I could really do with a whole second novel fleshing out the post-contact politics.
I listened to the first part of The Callahan Chronicles by Spider Robinson. A refreshingly masculine but not toxic masculinity tone, interesting story, excellent puns. I love puns so much I can't believe I never read it before. I took a pause because it was a little one note.
I started Anthony Ryan's Bloodsong after really enjoying the Covenant of Steel trilogy last year. Same (excellent) narrator on the audiobook. Now I'm torn because I'm really enjoying it, but I should probably stop and do Ministry for the Future for book club.
Remnant Population is an old favorite of mine.
How's the audiobook for Callahan? I remember reading the first couple of books of those. They were such a bright spark of positivity.
It's very well done, especially considering the breadth of characters that need to be represented.
I'm re-reading East of Eden and it's as fantastic as I remember it the first time
I just started reading two books: Wind and Truth (Book 5 of Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive : Fantasy) and Polostan from Neal Stephenson (historical fiction). I am not far enough into either to give much of an opinion, but I love both authors so I imagine they will be good.
I enjoyed Wind and Truth, but I did find it wasn't as good as previous books in the series. Especially when the story revolves around Kaladin, the pacing feels very slow; Sanderson setup a structure of checkpoints that felt like they all had to be hit in order to move the story forward. There weren't many surprises around his story and while there was some minimal character growth, getting through each checkpoint didn't feel satisfying. The best comparison I would have is a videogame where the narrative has to give players some obvious set of objectives to do and then walks you to them in a hamfisted way so that you feel a sense of progression and control over the story. It doesn't work as well for me in a novel where the reader is more of an onlooker.
Book 3 of the Gentleman Bastard sequence in continuing my “series that may never finish” binge.
Of the big three "series that may never finish" I feel this one has the best chance of at least getting another entry in the main series. Scott has been pretty candid about his struggles with the fourth novel, and writing in general, but he has sounded fairly positive in recent interviews. I really enjoyed them anyway; fun, twisty plots, an interesting setting, strong characterisation, plenty to love.
Just finished The City We Became by NK Jemisin. I had started it for the book club, but because busy late last year and didn't finish it until this week. I don't want to bump the book club thread because I don't have anything nice to say about it. Or rather, I have a lot more negative opinions than positive ones. I'm not a fan of the overuse of stereotypes that extends beyond the characters and permeates the entire plot. I also felt like the ending was rushed, like the author got tired of writing so much detail and just wanted to wrap things up without having to describe anything.
I'm still reading Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting by Lisa Genova. It's what I've been reading in bed while trying to get to sleep, and I guess it's doing its job so progress is steady but slow. It seems to be geared towards trying to make me feel better about my own forgetfulness, and it's doing an ok job at that.
I just started Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows on audiobook. I saw some comment on Tildes recommending this book (sorry I forget who or where), and so far I'm enjoying it.
That's very disappointing about The City We Became. Last year I read The Broken Earth Trilogy by Jemisin and while I enjoyed her writing the ending just sort of happened. There were big events surrounding the climax but none of them had room to breathe as we rushed to finish the book. Perhaps she struggles to end stories with a satisfying pace.
I finished Ministry for the future for Tildes book club. It was intense, compelling, dark and by the end I really enjoyed the book.
I'm currently partway through the Spear cuts through water by Simon Jimenez a myth and quest focused fantasy with more emphasis on political injustice than is typical.
I'm part way through Empire of Pain about the Sackler family and opioids.
I'm part way through a book by Johann Hari about research supporting non pharmaceutical interventions for depression and anxiety called Lost Connections.
I'm about to give up on Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead. I loved the book Harlem Shuffle but this one isn't working for me.
I'm currently listening to the audiobook version of Ministry for the Future. Dark is right, especially the gut-punch that is the first chapter introducing you to the book.
How are you feeling about Empire of Pain so far? I happen to have a copy, but I'm unsure about whether I want to start it.
It's good. It's long. It's a significant investment of time.
Just finished Waking Gods, the 2nd in the Themis Files.
This works particularly well as an audiobook, mostly*, due to being formatted as a series of recordings. I appreciate that it gives a small time jump and picks things back up about 9-10 years after the end Of the first book. I don't love these books but I like them. And I like how truly alien the alien motivations are. I think the voices felt more distinct in this book than in the last which was a benefit.
*There's one section that is a scene depicting torture. This was acted out in yelling and begging by the person being tortured. This was too much for me and it was the one time I wished to be reading the section. I appreciated the scene from the plot perspective and the character development of one of our main POVs but not from having to listen to a man, even in acting, pleading for the pain to stop.
I'm sick so I'm gonna be a little short on details right now but:
Reading in text form: And the Sky Bled by S. Hati; Pawsitive Beginnings by Leighann Dobbs. Listening to: First Wilderness by Sam Keith; Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
Recently finished: Book Lovers by Emily Henry; The Future by Naomi Alderman. The Magician's Nephew by CS Lewis.
Up next: Imperium (can't remember the author's name) ; Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon; Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent; The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis. Also Baptism of Fire (Witcher) and Golden Son (Pierce Brown) but idk if I'll get to those within the next two weeks.
(When you feel better, which I hope is soon!)
What did you think of The Future? I feel like it has such a different feel and premise to it than so much SF. I really liked the rabbit and fox stuff.
Thank you for the well wishes! I think I'm better now, resting.
I feel a few different ways about it. From a critical perspective, I think what was done with the timeline format, the online boards, etc., was neat from a structural perspective. And I'm not well-versed in the Bible, but I liked that we see a character interpreting the Bible in her own way (I've seen reviews where people are mad about the verses being "wrong," but maybe that's the way the character learned them and how she learned to share them...).
From an entertainment perspective, I felt a little betrayed by the cat-and-mouse game that it felt like the timeline was playing with me (and by the reveals at the end, particularly who was driving the car and that it wasn't previously remarked upon). The structure was very cool, but the "payoff" at the end that I felt should have been there after going through all that didn't feel satisfying to me. My partner DNF'd somewhere around 50% because he didn't care about the characters and was frustrated by the plot progression (or lack thereof, at that point).
Overall, it was a bit of a shrug for me. Intellectually, I think it was a pretty unique book and I liked how the timeline fit together piece by piece over time. I liked the state that the environment got to (except for whatever the heck was happening in the epilogue). But the destination wasn't worth the journey and I didn't like being faked out.
I took this as meaning, "even with a great victory, the challenge to preserve the environment is never done."
Your comment about the Bible verses reminded me of the best Biblical nod - that assassin literally got turned into a pillar of salt.
My first thought was "even with marked progress, the United States will still mess it up for everyone" (but then I thought that was too specific and shrugged some more, lol).
I appreciated that Zhen asked if the pillar of salt was on purpose once she made the connection XD
A totally legally acquired don't worry about it collection of Ciaphas Cain epubs.
Averaging around 2 days per book, and then I forget to start the next one for like a week at a time.
My wife got me a collection of Edgar Allan Poe's work. I've read a couple of his short stories and poems over the years, but after watching The Fall Of The House Of Usher I got really interested in reading the rest of his work. I plan on starting it tonight!
Listening to The Black Company series again.
Trying to get myself geared up to take another swing at the Russian Revolution history again.
I’m reading Black Buck. Needed something a little breezy take my mind off of things. Highly recommended not by first time author.
I'm into part 2 of "Endurance" the story of Shackleton's ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica. Harrowing, and they haven't even really started off on foot yet.
Hi
I'm re-reading...
"Ghost Wars"
by Steve Coll.
For audiobooks, I finished The Martian this week and started West With Giraffes (it was free, so I'm doing it). I'm a good way into West and just don't enjoy it, but I'll get through it.
For comfort food I've been reading some Star Wars graphic novel omnibuses from 10-25 years ago. They're fun and have some interesting stuff that's probably no longer canon but will be canon to me. Some of Leia's side adventures, and Han Solo's dalliances, are fun. There are also a few stories told from the perspective of the Imperials that are a lot darker and moralistic than I expected from the medium.
This year I hope to pick up a few non-fiction books I have left as DNF for whatever reasons.
To start this off, I recently finished The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green and wrote a quick review. It was better than I expected when I initially began reading in 2023, was a little lost towards the middle and the ending got me hooked again.
Now I'm picking up Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, and so far, it has been extremely interesting -- I hope it lasts and I get to finally finish it.
Finished Hugh Howey's Silo series. The third one was disappointing, the second one was my favorite and the first one was just a solid package of connected short stories.
If I'm being honest it's pretty close between the first and second book but sections in the second just connected with me in a way the first didn't.
Without spoiling anything the last book was disappointing because it was just tying the loose ends and some sections felt like unnecessary additions to fatten the book and to heighten the suspense and tragedy. They should've been given the proper treatment and explored to the fullest but I guess it was kinda hard to satisfy that need and the want to just finish the story.
Anyway, it's alright. Post apocalyptic scifi with some real nonsense (imo!) but it's enjoyable from multiple angles. Silo as a concept is the first hook (concepts usually draw me to scifi), and then the twisty nature of the narrative and tragedy that comes from us acting like we do.
Also recently read Murakami's The City and Its Uncertain Walls (not his best) and Jonathan Lethem's Gun, with Occasional Music (found it kinda hollow but if you enjoy very noir-y 90s cyberpunk you probably should give it a go, it's not like it's a long read) and listened B.V. Larson's Steel World as someone here (?) recommended it over Mickey-17 (it was enjoyable but I never fully focus on stuff when listening, that's why I prefer reading).
Would love to hear from you, if you've thoughts on any of these.
I’m reading Black Buck. Needed something a little breezy take my mind off of things. Highly recommended not by first time author.
I got the Gray Man book series for the Xmas break. It is a 5 book series. Anyway, 1st book was turned into an action movie that I liked so I was given the books. The writing isn't the best but the action, story lines, and the research that went into developing the stories are to me interesting. Being an action film/book junkie I think anyone who likes this genre will be entertained. Truth be told, the movie ruined the fun out of reading the 1st book The Gray Man but the following books have made me an addict. Just finished, Dead Eye and so far this has been the best one I've read of the ones I was given.