What are you reading?

[AlexLachance]

Hey guys, I figured we had a "What do you listen to" thread, so a thread about books would fit along the line and would allow people to share books that picked their interest and what not. I'm not much of a reader myself because I don't have much of an attention span but I do try to read up some books every now and then, wether it be for philosophical reasons, for education, or for simple enjoyment. Audibooks are a good way to work around the attention span issue for those having the same issue.

After my boss pretty much hassled me into reading it, I spent the weekend reading "7 habits of highly effective people". It was a very interesting read but it's about something I already put into practice so there wasn't much to learn but rather to remember and reinforce. I particularly liked the beginning of the book that speaks of paradigms, it was a nice way to introduce the subject to open the mind of the person to the wide array of possibility.


I just started reading "The Toyota way", another book my boss has advised me to read. I gotta say, I love everything that revolves around lean processing and manifacturing so the beginning has got me quite thrilled as I can very easily see myself in the situation that it introduces.


I also have 12 Rules to Life by Jordan Peterson sitting on my nightstand, waiting for me to read it. It's a bit of a thick book so I'm not sure if I'll ever get through it Maybe some time during a vacation.

What kind of books do you guys like reading and what are you currently reading?

[Glenn Schroeder]

That's a good idea. I've been reading for enjoyment for 50+ years.

I just finished John Sandford's latest release, Toxic Prey. He's one of the few authors whose work I buy automatically when I run across a new title. David Weber, who writes mostly military sci-fi, with a little fantasy thrown in, is another one.

I know a lot of people like the books on tape, but I still like to have a book in my hand. For me part of the enjoyment is finding books in used bookstores and resale shops.

[SPerman]

Funny, I was considering starting a similar thread. I started reading this book on the history of the microchip and find it fascinating.

Along the lines of the books you listed, I read "Think and Grow Rich" back in the 90s. While "growing rich" wasn't my objective, there was lots of great advice for success. I wonder how a statement like this would fall on the ears of today's youth:

Before you even start to negotiate for a readjustment of your salary in your present position, or to seek employment elsewhere, be sure that you are worth more than you receive

[SPerman]

but I still like to have a book in my hand. For me part of the enjoyment is finding books in used bookstores and resale shops.

I was like that for a long time, but Kindle changed me. Having a library in my pocket is a good thing.

[AlexLachance]

That's a good idea. I've been reading for enjoyment for 50+ years.

I just finished John Sandford's latest release, Toxic Prey. He's one of the few authors whose work I buy automatically when I run across a new title. David Weber, who writes mostly military sci-fi, with a little fantasy thrown in, is another one.

I know a lot of people like the books on tape, but I still like to have a book in my hand. For me part of the enjoyment is finding books in used bookstores and resale shops.

What I don't like about an audiobook is that once it's listened it's "gone", as in it's stashed in your head and you have nothing physical that goes with it, where as with a book you're always left with the book in a shelf that you can always reminince or read again. Obviously you can listen to an audiobook again also but IMHO it'll be a lot less frequent for someone to listen to an audiobook a second time then it is for some to read certain books multiple times.

My brother for instance had an audiobook for programming. Sure he listened to it, but he can't really look up in it to search later on and there isn't any sort of "glossary" in an audiobook to help you locate what you're looking for.

[DennisD]

The Goal, by Eliyahu Goldratt
An absolute must read for anyone in business, especially in anything related to manufacturing (though its theory of constraints applies everywhere). Though this is a business book of sorts, you won't find it next to Good to Great (another recommendation) because it is written as a novel. When I first read it, I realized I had lived a lot of it!

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They used this book in the curriculum for my daughter's Industrial Engineering degree. After reading it you will ask people "What is your Herbie?" and talk about the hike.

And since there is less to watch on the TV that is worthwhile, I read a LOT more these days. My kids got me a Kindel one year for Christmas and I did not think I would like it. Don't tell them, but I was wrong! I absolutely love the Kindle! And since I am frugal, I haven't bought a single book in years except as graduation gifts. We just download the Kindle books from our library.
(I just wrapped 14 copies of The Last Lecture for gifts for this semester. I re-read it or watch it on YT about every other year - so inspiring!)

https://www.secondsale.com/p/the-goal-a ... 0884271789
https://www.secondsale.com/p/good-to-gr ... 0066620992
https://www.secondsale.com/p/the-last-l ... 1401323257

For leisure I like Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Mark Greaney, Alex Berenson, Jack Carr, Rick Campbell, David Baldacci, Lee Child

@Glenn Schroeder I'll have to check out John Sandford. He sounds like something I'd read from the beginning of his series.

[Glenn Schroeder]

. . . For leisure I like Tom Clancy, Vince Flynn, Mark Greaney, Alex Berenson, Jack Carr, Rick Campbell, David Baldacci, Lee Child

@Glenn Schroeder I'll have to check out John Sandford. He sounds like something I'd read from the beginning of his series.

I think you will like him. My sister, who is a big Michael Connelly fan, recently started Sandford's Prey series (at my urging). A week or so ago I asked her how it was going and she said "Well, I'm on the third one, so . . . "

If you don't want to jump into a long series he has a few stand-alone novels that are also very good.

[Frederick_Law]

Got a few paperback Starwars novels I want to finish.
Just downloaded pdf: Online Measurement for Parameter Discovery in Fused Filament Fabrication
A few scifi on Google Playbook that I can read anywhere.
Another download: Understanding Deep Learning

[AlexLachance]

The Goal, by Eliyahu Goldratt
An absolute must read for anyone in business, especially in anything related to manufacturing (though its theory of constraints applies everywhere). Though this is a business book of sorts, you won't find it next to Good to Great (another recommendation) because it is written as a novel. When I first read it, I realized I had lived a lot of it!
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First book my boss advised me to read, very very interesting book indeed. There's been a few derived products from it.

[CarrieIves]

I read a lot of light "popcorn" type reads. I will read e-books on my phone, so they conveniently get carried around in my pocket, physical books, or listen to audiobooks. I heavily utilize my library for all the book formats and found there were other libraries I could get cards for to get to their e-books because I lived in adjacent cities or the same state.

I haven't finished listening to it, but started the audiobook of "The Perfectionists" by Simon Winchester. It is the story of the development of precision and machine tools. I think that this group would find it fascinating. The history of going from tolerances in whole inches for the first steam engines to the crazy tight tolerances we can achieve today is amazing.

If you like snarky dialog in your science fiction, I highly recommend "All Systems Red" by Martha Wells. It's the first in her Murderbot series. They are funny with an action adventure feel. The first several are novellas, so they are short reads.

It's been a few years since I read it, but "Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World - and Why Things are Better Than You Think" by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling is a fairly easy read looking at what the statistics tell us about things like poverty and child mortality. Hans gave several TED talks before he passed away in 2018. If you have seen any of those, this book has a similar feel.

I can also recommend books in fantasy, some sci-fi, and romance in various genres. I can also recommend some middle school chapter books because we still read aloud to our tween and teen.

[Glenn Schroeder]

. . . I can also recommend books in fantasy, some sci-fi, and romance in various genres. I can also recommend some middle school chapter books because we still read aloud to our tween and teen.

I'm a big fan of sci-fi and fantasy also, especially the military type of SF, and even better if it delves into the political, religious, and social aspects like David Weber's work.

I'm currently reading 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, which is in the 1632 series started by Eric Flint, about a town in modern West Virginia that is transported to Germany in 1632, in the middle of the 30 Years War. The series should definitely be read in order, or if not in order, definitely read 1632 first. Flint opened that series up to other authors to contribute, and their storylines and characters are often incorporated in his later writing.

[CarrieIves]

I'm currently reading 1634: The Bavarian Crisis, which is in the 1632 series started by Eric Flint, about a town in modern West Virginia that is transported to Germany in 1632, in the middle of the 30 Years War. The series should definitely be read in order, or if not in order, definitely read 1632 first. Flint opened that series up to other authors to contribute, and their storylines and characters are often incorporated in his later writing.

The 1632 series is a lot of fun. I haven't kept up with all the books, but enjoy it. I have read 1632 several times. It's a lot of fun to see how the people of this small town react and adjust to such a big change.

[DanPihlaja]

Currently reading the Legend of Randidly Ghosthound.

I have been hooked on the LitRPG genre for a bit.

https://a.co/d/dAdGbze

[SPerman]

I'm not a fan of horror, and as such, haven't read Stephen king in decades. (I think Cujo was the last book I read, in 1984.) A friend of mine recommended the "Dark Tower" series, and I am enjoying the heck out of it. King is a master story teller, and I find his work immensely entertaining.

Am I the only one who feels guilty for not reading "real" literature? I've tried a few times lately. I picked up a collection of Faulkner, but found it difficult to read in 2024. I also tried some Tom Robbins (I read some of his stuff in the 90's) and found it boring.

For more generic recommendations. Anything by:
John Scalzi
Andy Weir
Cormac McCarthy

[DanPihlaja]

I'm not a fan of horror, and as such, haven't read Stephen king in decades. (I think Cujo was the last book I read, in 1984.) A friend of mine recommended the "Dark Tower" series, and I am enjoying the heck out of it. King is a master story teller, and I find his work immensely entertaining.

Am I the only one who feels guilty for not reading "real" literature? I've tried a few times lately. I picked up a collection of Faulkner, but found it difficult to read in 2024. I also tried some Tom Robbins (I read some of his stuff in the 90's) and found it boring.

For more generic recommendations. Anything by:
John Scalzi
Andy Weir
Cormac McCarthy

Dark Tower series is pretty good.

Although I will NEVER forget, in that series, a particular scene that my mind conjured that Stephen King described involving a transformed spider like creature and a tongue....

*shivers*

[AlexLachance]

I'm not a fan of horror, and as such, haven't read Stephen king in decades. (I think Cujo was the last book I read, in 1984.) A friend of mine recommended the "Dark Tower" series, and I am enjoying the heck out of it. King is a master story teller, and I find his work immensely entertaining.

Am I the only one who feels guilty for not reading "real" literature? I've tried a few times lately. I picked up a collection of Faulkner, but found it difficult to read in 2024. I also tried some Tom Robbins (I read some of his stuff in the 90's) and found it boring.

For more generic recommendations. Anything by:
John Scalzi
Andy Weir
Cormac McCarthy

I love everything Stephen King created but unfortunately lack the patience to read his books are they are generally thick, my parents have a ton of his books. I'll stick to his movies

[ctsturdiv]

I feel bad, now.

I have not picked up an actual non school or work related book in years. Mostly due to lack of free time especially with all this workload.

I think the last books I read was I went off on a Robert Green kick for minute. I read both The 48 Laws of Power andThe Art of Seduction

A lot of people say they are evil, evil books that should be burned in a fire. But it was a very historical look at the applications of power and seduction throughout history along with real life historical consequences for going against these wisdoms.

Like did you know there was a US manufacturing heiress and French socialite named Natalie Barney who was said to have such a way with ladies that she could turn even long term married upper crust women out? And in the late 1800s/ early 1900s at that?

While it was a bit Machiavellian, both were very informative and entertaining reads.

[Frederick_Law]

Evil is around us all the time.
Burning or hiding it won't make it go away.
Knowledge is power.

[ctsturdiv]

Evil is around us all the time.
Burning or hiding it won't make it go away.
Knowledge is power.

"The righteous need not cower before the drumbeat of human progress. Though the song of yesterday fades into the challenge of tomorrow, God still watches and judges us. Evil lurks in the datalinks as it lurked in the streets of yesteryear. But it was never the streets that were evil."

- Sister Miriam Godwinson, Sid Mieir's Alpha Centuri, 1999 Information Networks blurb.

[Frederick_Law]

Alpha Centuri.
Civilization is better.

[Glenn Schroeder]

I'm not a fan of horror, and as such, haven't read Stephen king in decades. (I think Cujo was the last book I read, in 1984.) A friend of mine recommended the "Dark Tower" series, and I am enjoying the heck out of it. King is a master story teller, and I find his work immensely entertaining.

Am I the only one who feels guilty for not reading "real" literature? I've tried a few times lately. I picked up a collection of Faulkner, but found it difficult to read in 2024. I also tried some Tom Robbins (I read some of his stuff in the 90's) and found it boring.

For more generic recommendations. Anything by:
John Scalzi
Andy Weir
Cormac McCarthy

I would like to second the John Scalzi recommendation.

[CarrieIves]

This is a picture book I enjoyed reading with my kids. Seeing a couple of posts about people being afraid to call out bad ideas reminded me of "The Very Silly Mayor" by Tom Tomorrow. Unfortunately, it's out of print.

[CarrieIves]

And for a recommendation at a higher reading level, "A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers was a fun science fiction novel with interesting aliens.

[AlexLachance]

And for a recommendation at a higher reading level, "A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers was a fun science fiction novel with interesting aliens.

Hrm, I might give this a go, 432 pages is my kind of reading length.

[Glenn Schroeder]

And for a recommendation at a higher reading level, "A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers was a fun science fiction novel with interesting aliens.

Thanks for the recommendation. I ordered a copy.

I'm currently reading one of Pournelle's Falkenburg books. I can't remember the title offhand.

[SPerman]

If you like snarky dialog in your science fiction, I highly recommend "All Systems Red" by Martha Wells. It's the first in her Murderbot series. They are funny with an action adventure feel. The first several are novellas, so they are short reads.

I just started ASR and it is a lot of fun. And like you said, a very quick read.

[SPerman]

One other negative review.

I had never read Don Quixote, and decided to give it a try a few years ago. I didn't make it very far. I don't understand why anyone thinks a violently demented madman somehow provides a whimsical story of adventure. Maybe if I had read it at another time it would have hit me differently, but when the main character assaults innocent people because he is delusional, I don't see how.

[DanPihlaja]

Currently reading Monster Hunter International series by Larry Correia. I am only on the 3rd book.

But the third book is extra interesting to me because it takes place in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is where I grew up.

The main setting is a fictional place that is almost similar to a couple of places in the U.P.

There is Copper Lake, supposedly a town with a population of 2000 just north of Houghton. But in real life there is a town Copper City a bit north of Houghton, which has a population of 187. Which is significantly smaller than the fictional town.

There is a Quinn Mining company which has some abandoned mines. But in real life, there is the Quincy Mining company. Very similar.

AS for the people, he "almost" got them right. So it is obvious that he did some research, but didn't go too in depth.

It is super interesting.