Topic: Books You're Currently Reading?

Finished the second of Jo Nesbø's Cockroaches, which I gave three and a half stars in my Goodreads review

Next up is the second in Freida McFadden's "Housemaid" trilogy, The Housemaid's Secret

I just started my first Yakuza game and in the grand tradition of 'I wonder is there a book?', there is. I found this one by a French author, which means it's only available in French. I've already zoomed through the first chapter. It seems to be well written and packed full of lore etc. It's a great game so far too, there's something oddly brilliant about three forty year old guys roaming the streets and fighting weird enemies like oiled up sun bathers and vagrants with some kind of cleaning sticks.

The blurb translated:

-The Yakuza video game series is not only SEGA's most successful franchise today. This saga, which has been running since 2005 with a near-annual release schedule, offers a rare example of a video game perfectly integrated into the workings of a mass industry while simultaneously striving to develop a unique and insatiable commentary on the society that inspires it. The author will present the origins of the Yakuza games through investigations, testimonies, and in-depth research. The history of SEGA and the career of Toshihiro Nagoshi, creator of the saga, will also be discussed. The original concept of the series will be detailed: from its intention to be a reaction to GTA to its ambitious desire to offer a realistic immersion into the Kabukicho district and the world of the Japanese underworld. Each episode will then be analyzed: a case-by-case study of the seven "canonical" installments, enhanced with anecdotes and portraits of important figures in the history of games (writers, actors, etc.)

I finished The Wild Ass's Skin by Honore de Balzac. I found it to be an excellent, Faustian tale.
@FuriousMachine You may have noticed that my attention has recently returned to the Classics, or ''true' Literature, as it were. I think that this is because, and, without wishing to sound like a hypocrite, considering my previous vows to swear off "Literature" I have discovered that there is simply not enough to hold my attention in the world of books without including the occasional literary diversion. Anyway, might be worth a Google to see if you fancy adding it to your own "Classics" project.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN "Faustian" sounds good, but this one looks like it may be smidge too "highbrow" for my tastes. Still, I'll not judge this book by its cover or anything else, so I added it to my to-read list and we'll see when and if it gets off the bench down the line
Don't be so quick to swear off things you enjoy, my friend, at least not unless they're bad for you in some way. Not to discourage engaging in other pursuits, of course, so if you feel too much of the one hinders the other, then simply switching focus for a while is a perfectly valid option, I think. Now, we're all wired differently, so it may not apply or work well for you, but I enjoy switching between a wide range of experiences depending on what takes my fancy (I only swear off things that harm me, stress me, annoy me or bore me)

@FuriousMachine I think that's a sage philosophy and some very good advice, Furious. With that in mind I've decided to tackle A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court ,by Mark Twain next, that one might be "lowbrow" enough for you to take on. 😉 I was inspired to read it by reading his Biography, by Chernow, that we discussed previously, that and Life on the Mississippi were the two that took my fancy from his oeuvre. I've got them both.

With further regard to what you said, I think that I will try and establish some kind of loose routine wherein I switch focus at different periods in time, in terms of my hobbies and interests, like you said, it doesn't make sense to swear off something if I enjoy it, unless it's harmful in some way, so thanks for your insightful words.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Both of those feel like the perfect brow height for me, so on the classics pile they go

And, yeah, I feel that life is mainly about experiences and the world today seem rigged in such a way that it will gleefully hand you any number of bad ones unbidden, while the good ones one often has to actively seek out, so I've morphed into a creature who will attempt to discard and/or avoid any experience that doesn't contribute anything but negativity in my life and embrace anything that gives me joy

I'm about 1/4 of the way through A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court and so far it is a sprightly, fantastical tale, full of wit and charm, and makes me look more favourably on the character of the author.

in February im going to be busy binge reading Star Wars Legacy of the Force novels books 4, 5 and 6 and along with Stephen King's Insomnia

@Bundersvessel You do indeed remember correctly, I added it when you first mentioned it It's not a priority right now, though, and I guess it will stay that way for the foreseeable future. Hope you'll share your final thoughts if you should return and finish it.

@Bundersvessel I've read Jude the Obscure and it's my favourite by Hardy, I would also recommend Tess of the d'Urbervilles by the same author as it's another 'stone cold' (😉, no pun intended, reference to your previous post about the Cricket) classic.

I've almost finished A Connecticut Yankee at King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain, I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far, with it's mixture of humour and pathos, I would describe it as a book suitable for all ages, which appears to be a categorisation that Twain applied to most of his ouevre, throughout the periods of literary production in his life.

Edit: I've finished it now, and thought it was absolutely fantastic. One of my favourite books, now, for sure. I liked how some of the episodes in the novel directly or indirectly mirrored some of the aspects of/episodes in Twain's life, and thought the drama and action played out well in the final quarter of the novel, definitely one to recommend.

I started the first Witcher book at the end of last year called "The Last Wish" and I am still going at it. It being a collection of short stories really helps. I heard that second book is similar but with the third one it goes more like a traditional novel story.

I plan to at least read first two books before finally starting my The Witcher playthroughs with the first game...

@FuriousMachine I thought you whilst listening to the radio today, there is a five-part original radio drama called Wolf Valley airing at the moment, it's not based on a book, but it's by Charlotte Melén, and as it's described as a "Nordic Noir eco-thriller", I thought it might suit your tastes? Let me know if you're interested, should be on the BBC Radio 4 Website somewhere, it's free to subscribe. I think it's the same website that had that Jo Nesbo interview you were interested in before, so you may have a subscription already..

In other news , I am about to start Another Country ,a novel by James Baldwin. Furious, with regard to the racial content of the Malcolm X Autobiography, I would say that if you like that sort of thing, Black Skin, White Masks and The Wretched of the Earth are in a similar category, but much better, both by Frantz Fanon.

Edit: Didn't much like what I read of the Baldwin book, so far, so now I'm moving onto Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain.

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN Sounds like something I would enjoy, but, alas, radio plays give me the same issues as podcasts and audiobooks: I can't maintain focus. I must have missed the Jo Nesbø interview you speak of, but I did get to the one with N.K. Jemesin you shared and it was really good (though it took me many tries to get through it, as even audio interviews have trouble holding my attention)

@FuriousMachine Yeah, I actually think I was thinking of N.K. Jemesin, and I'm glad you enjoyed it! .That's okay, we live in an age where a lot of people's attention spans have been impacted by the rise of social media and swiping, although Idk if you would attribute your particular trouble with focusing on such material to that? Or perhaps these things just aren't as good as holding your attention as actually reading through a book? When I have the radio on, it's usually something I just "half-focus" on, usually whilst I'm doing something else, maybe trying to listen to Wolf Valley that way would make it more palatable for you? Anyway, maybe not, we all have our different personalities and characteristics.

Also, Idk if you saw the bit in my last post, above recommending the Frantz Fanon books to you?, I have a feeling you'd enjoy them a lot more than Malcolm X, if you like that kinda thing, definitely a lot more palatable, eductional, well-written and well-informed.

I am a bit disappointed with Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, so far, you don't usually "miss" with him, but I feel like I may have done this time. Too much technical talk about steamboat piloting on the titular river, and a lack of beats such as Melville's White Whale etc. , or anything, frankly, fantastical for that matter means the book comes across as quite boring for anyone not interested in an largely unromanticised depiction of nautical life. @FuriousMachine ,perhaps one to strike off the 'Classics' list. I'll let you know if my impression changes once I've finished the book.

Edit: I'm about 1/2 way through the book now, and have found it to be much improved. Just gotta get past the initial tedium of that first 100 pages or so, and then, it seems, there is a real gem of Travel Writing to be found.

I'm reading Don Quixote again by Miguel de Cervantes. It's from 1605 and I don't think it needs that much of an introduction as it became so important for Western literature. Many think of him as the very first modern fictional hero. The best description I've heard would be Spaceballs of the 1600s but it won't make any sense unless you've read Star Wars of the 1600s, that's why a lot of people tap-out half way in. This might be my fourth or fifth read, I wouldn't say it gets better each time, the understanding of the material does.

'The praise of the wise few is more important than the mockery of the foolish many. ' - One of my favorite lines from the book.

I am still making my slow way through the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Last night, I was reading the first chapter of “The Hound of the Baskervilles”.

I am very much enjoying what I am reading, and none of it feels like a chore.

@FuriousMachine I finished Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain, which you've previously informed me that you will add to your list. The first 100 pages are incredibly tedious, but can be skipped over because the rest of the book is well-worth reading. The first quarter of the book or so, as I think I've said before, is all technical jargon about the life of a pilot on a steamboat on the titular river, with the odd humorous anecdote sprinkled in, but the remaining 3/4 of the book feature many more humorous moments and lots of profundity and serious observations too, so that's my advice for reading the book, nonetheless.

Next up, I intend to tackle Lost Illusions by Honore de Balzac, widely hailed as a literary masterpiece.