Literature What are you currently reading?

[Andy_T]

The new book by Jonathan Safran Foer, "We are the Weather: Saving the Climate begins at Breakfast".

When I found out that this book was out, I immediately had to buy it, because his last book "Eating Animals" is what opened my eyes to what is wrong with dairy and eggs and made me go vegan.

He is a great writer, and his books not only have strong messages, but are above that beautifully written.

Here's a recent article he wrote for the Guardian on the subject that captures and condenses some of the thought he presents in the book:

Jonathan Safran Foer: why we must cut out meat and dairy before dinner to save the planet

Animal products create more greenhouse gas emissions than the entire transportation sector, but we don’t want to confront this inconvenient truth: our eating habits are a problem

www.theguardian.com

I think it's interesting that he basically suggests "plant-based before 6", which is certainly not acceptable to vegans, but possibly something that non-vegans might be more willing to try. Interesting topic with lots of potential for discussion. And 2 out of 3 plant-based meals is of course better than 3 animal-based ones....

 

[Chryssie]

I just finished Michelle Obama's memoir "Becoming". It was very interesting! She and Barach are such good people. The end made me so sad because they had to "hand over the reins" to Trump. I highly recommend this book!

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Although he didn't say so explicitly one way or the other, I (obviously wrongly) got the impression at the end of Eating Animals that he had gone vegetarian permanently either during the writing of the book or just after finishing it. He is one of those people who likes meat, but can see that vegetarians holds the moral high ground over even occasional meat eating. He can't preach veganism when he himself isn't a vegan, and he seems to think that if even he, who has done an extensive investigation of factory farming and even been inside at least once, didn't make it to vegetarianism, then most others will struggle. It's a fair argument but won't be true for everyone.

It's a bit sad really. I recommend his older book Eating Animals though.

Some people can see that eating meat is wrong, but still do it.

 

[Tom L.]

"The Hitch-hiker's Guide To The Galaxy", by Douglas Adams. Actually, it's a compilation of all the HGTTG books, but I'm only on the first one. I don't know why, but the title of "The Restaurant At The End Of The Universe" strikes me as sad (even though the destruction of Earth by the Vogons early in the first book DOESN'T??!!?!).

 

[Mikkel]

I finnished the 4th book of the Millennium series. The last three books are written of Stieg Larsson's son I think, and it shows a bit. I think they are slightly different. I have two more books of that serie, that fits into my reading challenge too.

I have "The Boys of Brazil" and a true story about a boy who was killed by his stephfather on my list next. I still remember the case about this boy, he was 8 when he was killed. And no one took a grip in saving him, even though people had to know how he was treated...

 

[Chryssie]

I am currently reading a book called "Rough Magic". It is the true story of a young British girl who won the most grueling horse race in the world in Mongolia. She was the first woman to win and the youngest.

 

[beancounter]

I just finished book 5 of Stephen Kings Dark Tower series. There are more books in the series, but the theme is starting to get old, and I don't have the desire to read the next one.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I read A Handmaid's Tale. I can see why there was a sequel. At first I thought this might be more of a commercial cash in of recent interest but in a way it makes sense. The ending actually left quite a lot up in the air.

I can see why there was more recent interest in it. A part of the book deals with the transition from a normal/free/democratic society to a totalitarian/fascist/dictatorship/sexist type one. However there wasn't much about how the transition happened, it was mostly more about the society itself. However that bit about the transition period was interesting - I would have liked to have seen more on it.

Has anyone read the sequel? Is it worth it? Haven't decided on the sequel yet.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Read What Not by Rose Macauley. This book is said to have influenced later books like Brave New World and maybe 1984. Quite funny and clever and interesting how 1918 character observations still seem relevant 100 years later. I tried to buy this book a couple of years ago and couldn't even find it online, but now I got it for my Kindle. However there was so much slice of life and character chit chat I eventually got a bit bored of it and didn't finish it.

Now I'm reading New Guide to the Planets by Patrick Moore, one of the oldies from my bookshelf.

 

[Mikkel]

I finnished the last Millennium book just up in the road this morning, 3 minutes from home. But then I got through them. For my point of view on those books, stop reading after Stieg Larsson died. The next ones aren't as good as the first ones.

Next up is the book about the boy who was killed, but I have downloaded some happy books too if it gets a bit though and emotional. I don't think that book will be the most joifull reading this year. I have to pick out four more titles for my reading challenge now. And I have 12 books left to read (I will finnish at least two more this week).

 

[Mikkel]

One of the reason reading fantacy is great, is that it's much easier to fight against evil in the face of Sauron or Voldemort, than the stephfather of a 8 year old boy... The book is both good and awfull on the same time.

Christoffer had a 17 cm long crack in his scull. Probably killed by being slammed very hard into the wall. They suggested that he had been held in his legs and then slammed into the wall, head first. How scared he must have been. And in so much pain. So many that didn't see what was happening, because it's less hurtfull and easier to not see it.

How can a Mother turn her back to her son this way? She got a new kid with the man that killed Christoffer... 8 years for the stephfather, 2 years and 6 months for the Mother (she has to only be locked up for 120 days...).

 

[Mikkel]

I needed to cheer my mood a bit up after the book about Christoffer, so I'm reading "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman now. It's good with something light after such a heavy book.

I got 11 books left of my reading challenge now, including Coraline (that suitet well into it). It's a real count down now. I'm looking forward to finnish it, and it's been very fun. But will be great just reading books again, not have to suit into some categories. Are some long series I'm really looking forward to read now.

 

[Chryssie]

I finished "Rough Magic". It was quite interesting and the author writes very poetically. I can't imagine doing what she did! Such hardship for a little glory! Here is a link about the race:

https://www.theadventurists.com/adventures/mongol-derby/

 

[shyvas]

I needed to cheer my mood a bit up after the book about Christoffer, so I'm reading "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman now. It's good with something light after such a heavy book.

I got 11 books left of my reading challenge now, including Coraline (that suitet well into it). It's a real count down now. I'm looking forward to finnish it, and it's been very fun. But will be great just reading books again, not have to suit into some categories. Are some long series I'm really looking forward to read now.

I was wondering whether you read in English or Norwegian ?

 

[Mikkel]

I was wondering whether you read in English or Norwegian ?

This one I read in English. But I mix between Norwegian, English and Swedish when I read/listen to audiobooks.

 

[shyvas]

This one I read in English. But I mix between Norwegian, English and Swedish when I read/listen to audiobooks.

You are very gifted to speak so many languages. I think that most Scandinavians and Dutch people speak English. Thankfully, that I've never encountered a problem at Amsterdam whilst travelling as their English is perfect.

Over here, very few people speak English.

 

[Mikkel]

You are very gifted to speak so many languages. I think that most Scandinavians and Dutch people speak English. Thankfully, that I've never encountered a problem at Amsterdam whilst travelling as their English is perfect.

Over here, very few people speak English.

Thanks. English is mandatory to learn in Norway. I started at the age of 10, but I think they even start earlier now. And Norwegian is a language few people speak, you don't always get around in Denmark and Sweden with it either. So it's good to have a second language.

Swedish and Danish are very similar to Norwegian, so it's not hard to read Swedish or Danish either.

I do read in Danish and German too, if I have to. It's mostly articles etc on the Internett, but I manage to read German books up to level Young Adult. So yeah, I can't complain I can read in five different languages.

 

[shyvas]

Thanks. English is mandatory to learn in Norway. I started at the age of 10, but I think they even start earlier now. And Norwegian is a language few people speak, you don't always get around in Denmark and Sweden with it either. So it's good to have a second language.

Swedish and Danish are very similar to Norwegian, so it's not hard to read Swedish or Danish either.

I do read in Danish and German too, if I have to. It's mostly articles etc on the Internett, but I manage to read German books up to level Young Adult. So yeah, I can't complain I can read in five different languages.

That is an excellent thing. I think that it makes it easier to work abroad or with foreign firms.

 

[hungryraccoon]

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartte

Still reading this. The author seems to ramble a lot of the time & I lost interest for a few weeks. Trying to pick up where I left off.

 

[Tom L.]

My book number 70 for 2019 is finnished. "The Crimes of Grindlewald" screenplay. I have both the screenplays of "Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them" and "The Cursed Child" on my list, and wonder to read them before I contintue on the Ravenring series.

I needed to cheer my mood a bit up after the book about Christoffer, so I'm reading "Coraline" by Neil Gaiman now. It's good with something light after such a heavy book.

I got 11 books left of my reading challenge now, including Coraline (that suitet well into it). It's a real count down now. I'm looking forward to finnish it, and it's been very fun. But will be great just reading books again, not have to suit into some categories. Are some long series I'm really looking forward to read now.

I read "Harry Potter And The Cursed Child". It was different from the books, I suppose partly because it takes place some time after them and partly because it's really a play- but I liked it anyway. I saw the movie "Coraline" but didn't read the book; I liked it. The sound track appealed to me also.