What are you reading?

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teenmachinery1 said:
some short stories that are friggin' awesome and surrealistic:

after the quake by Haruki Murakami
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I like short stories too. Two short stories books that I recommend are Collection of Short Stories by Mark Twain (I am sure there is more than one of these) and Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules by multiple authors.
 
chman said:
I really liked this book. I was pretty young when I read it and it scared the living daylights out of me. I might have to read it again.
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I read this. These kinds of books are fun. Andromeda Strain is similar but just as good.
 
teenmachinery1 said:
I read this. These kinds of books are fun. Andromeda Strain is similar but just as good.
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The last one that is similar is "Outbreak," which I have never read. They are good for a fast read.
 
I'm working on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. He died while writing the books and Brandon Sanderson is finishing the last 3(?) books. He's at book 12 out of 14.

George R. R. Martin's Sword of Fire and Ice series is another good one. However, he just can't seem to get around to writing the 5th book.

Both series are "medieval-fantasy" styled with a large volume of characters and multiple sub-plots the reader is supposed to keep track of from book to book. Fun reads if you're into that sort of thing 😀
 
LovelyBRass said:
Anything Dan Brown! I'm reading The Lost Symbol... turning out to be just as entertaining as the last four! 🙂
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Dan Brown is okay, as long as you read for the side information and not plot. Because once you've read one Dan Brown book, you've read them all.

Character A: Specialist of some kind. Has a unique job, but not the kind that gets him/her in the line of fire. Note: has a completely understandable phobia.
Character B: Specialist of another kind. Also has a unique job, but not the kind that gets him/her in the line of fire.
Character C: Character A's trusted friend/boss/figure. Has some sort of power and/or special knowledge.

Part one: Character A is contacted to figure out something his/her specialty makes him/her uniquely qualified to do. Character B becomes involved and the two begin to work together. End Part one with discovery of some conspiracy/minor character death.

Part two: Character A and Character B begin searching for clues (literal or metaphorical) as to why the discovery in part one happened or has significance. They turn to character C, usually conversing and giving more details to their trusted ally than they do to each other. Somehow, Character A ends up facing his/her phobia, usually coming inches from death in doing so. End with life-threatening situation presenting itself or being alluded to.

Part three: Mystery starts being solved; suddenly, Character A discovers that Character C has been pulling the strings the whole time and, indeed, was the one who killed/attempted to kill a trusted ally/powerful individual/witnesses/Character A's boyfriend/etc. But wait! Character A can't do anything about it...can s/he? With surprise input from Character B (who is suddenly involved again) or more quick brainstorming, Character C is stopped and the world is right again. (Also end with something resembling peaceful/sexual/romantic interaction and a comeuppance for a side character)

Did I miss anything? 😉
 
chman said:
"The House of God" by Samuel Shem. It was recommended by my doctor of all people. Good read, supper funny, and happens to be medically relevant. In fact, I believe the author did a pod-cast on here not too long ago.
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Just finished the book myself, ALSO recommended by the doctor I shadowed. It was an awesome book, I am sad it is over.

House Rule: When a patient is in cardiac arrest, the first thing you do is check your own pulse.
 
I'm re-reading Paradise Lost for the 3rd time.


gustave_dore_paradise_lost_001.jpg


Best book I've ever read.
 
So many good books out there...I'll take a better look at the suggestions tomorrow when I have a chance. Damn I'm getting excited.
 
Harry Potter. Again. For the millionth time.

These are easily some of the greatest books ever written, IMO. I've pretty much memorized all 7 books...works great when Harry Potter trivia comes up at random parties (and it surprisingly comes up somewhat often!).

😀
 
She's Come Undone - Wally Lamb
I Know This Much is True - Wally Lamb

Two incredible books, he seems to be a great author if you like this kind of book. I'm a slow reader but I had to finish both of these books no matter how long they took me and I think I learned a life lesson from each.

I'm currently reading:

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey; And yes I am aware of the controversy about it being real, but for me this just makes it all the more interesting of a book.

Generally when I need a good book I just find something that's on Oprah's Book Club list.
 
red10 said:
Freakonomics is a fun easy read and the sequel just came out Super Freakonomics
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Did any of you read Superfreakonomics? What did you think? I LOVED the first book, but heard the sequel is a let-down.
 
dmexs said:
I'm currently reading:

A Million Little Pieces - James Frey; And yes I am aware of the controversy about it being real, but for me this just makes it all the more interesting of a book.
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I read this. I found the first half really interesting and exciting when James first goes into rehab and struggles (it's about a drug/alcohol addict that tries to recover against all odds), but I thought the second half was a bit boring/not as good.
 
Just finished re-reading Friedman's Hot, Flat, and Crowded and Zakaria's Post-American World... both excellent...

Moving on to Three Cups of Tea.
 
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Global Warming said:
What are you currently reading for leisure?

I'm looking for recommendations for books that has nothing to do w/ admissions boosting, MCAT related, textbooks, but rather something that you felt was a very good piece of work. The only requirement is that you felt this particular book was completely awesome.
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Try a good translation of Dante's Divine Comedy--especially Purgatorio. Or Paradise Lost.
 
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson ROCKS. Its a science book, but he makes it fun to read and just touches on a ton of fun topics
 
...and is it a bad sign that I first read the title as "What are you wearing?" 😱
 
Tesseract said:
I'm working on Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. He died while writing the books and Brandon Sanderson is finishing the last 3(?) books. He's at book 12 out of 14.

George R. R. Martin's Sword of Fire and Ice series is another good one. However, he just can't seem to get around to writing the 5th book.

Both series are "medieval-fantasy" styled with a large volume of characters and multiple sub-plots the reader is supposed to keep track of from book to book. Fun reads if you're into that sort of thing 😀
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Agreed.
I am waiting for the WoT book to be available at the library or out on paperback. I just finished rereading all of the other ones 😛
I also LOVE the Sookie Stackhouse books.

Just started Stephen King's Under the Dome.
Just finished Alchemy of Stone & the Kim Harrison "Witch" books and "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters". Pride and Prejudice and ZOmbies was MUCH better, IMO.
Going to start Lion Among Men (3rd book in the Wicked series) after I reread the first two.
 
bleargh said:
finally, like festivus, for the rest of us.
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At my dad's house this year we did an airing of grievances, for fun, it was great. All we were missing was the poll.
 
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DirtyJustice said:
Just finished the book myself, ALSO recommended by the doctor I shadowed. It was an awesome book, I am sad it is over.

House Rule: When a patient is in cardiac arrest, the first thing you do is check your own pulse.
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Yeah, just finished this too. SO. GOOD.

Can't wait to pick up the sequel (Mount Misery).
 
LovelyBRass said:
Anything Dan Brown! I'm reading The Lost Symbol... turning out to be just as entertaining as the last four! 🙂
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As someone said above, once you've read one, they are horribly predictable. The side information can be rather fascinating, but I ceased to be surprised at the ending after I realized the second of his books that I read was identical to the first.

I'm on to reading Cemetery Dance, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. I love Agent Pendergast.

Also working on Wuthering Heights (have to take that one slowly), and will start on Northanger Abbey one of these days. I'm trying to stay away from medical books for the time being, because I have a feeling they'll lose their charm once medical school starts up.
 
Great thread....

1. 1984 by George Orwell
-it's been mentioned already, but it's my favorite book
2. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men by David Foster Wallace
-author committed suicide in 2006, the book has a bunch of short stories written in different styles though, but some of the stories are ridiculous, (i.e. a person was arguing how being raped expanded their mind, and was in a way beneficial to them)
3. The autobiography of an ex-colored man by...
-i liked this book, but it was because it's language allowed me to express personal thoughts



currently reading: Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku
-excellent bookk and highly recomended especially if you like to think abstractly about the universe or like to smoke and philosophize like me....it is split into three sections and discusses things that will be possibly to happen in the next millenia...thousands....and millions of years.....an analogy is telling people a 100 years ago that televisions and cell phones will come to exist.
 
Recently finished The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand...it was decent but so long with microscopic print.

I just started The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson, and its already captivating after three chapters.

Next on my list are: The Yankee Years by Joe Torre and Tom Verducci; The Jason Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum; and Complications by Atul Guwande
 
MarinaS said:
Did any of you read Superfreakonomics? What did you think? I LOVED the first book, but heard the sequel is a let-down.
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I read both. I liked the first a lot more than the second.
 
I just read Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crighton. It was a fun read. I read it in less than 24 hours. I suggest any book by him. Start with Jurassic Park. My favorite was Sphere. Really, they are ALL GOOD!

My last complete novel was A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy. Another book that is hard to put down.

Must reads:
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (must read if you are into science)
A Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein ( I would say THE MOST ADDICTIVE writing I have ever read. I had to read every single book he ever wrote! Amazing stuff. My favorite book was his firs to write and last to publish For Us, the Living
The Princess Bride by William Golding (Just as good as the movie!)

Red Mars, Green Mars, Blue Mars series.
Cosmos by Carl Sagan (anything by Carl Sagan) (I love the first line! and the pretty pictures!)
The Double Helix by James Watson
Hyperspace by Michio Kaku
Dreams of a Final Theory by Steven Weinberg

Towards a Meaningful Life by Simon Jacobson
Kabbalah: The Way of the Jewish Mystic by Perle Epstein
Seeing God by Rabbi David Aaron (All of his books are awesome!)

I like all the dystopian society books previously mentioned:
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Kurt Vonnegaut books
Phillip K Dick books.
 
Currently reading Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

You'll be rolling on the floor laughing.
 
TexasPrincess said:
I just read Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crighton. It was a fun read. I read it in less than 24 hours. I suggest any book by him. Start with Jurassic Park. My favorite was Sphere. Really, they are ALL GOOD!
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*Michael Crichton

Yeah, he was a GREAT author. And he was a doctor! My favorite of his is The Andromeda Strain, which ended up having two movies made of it.

(Admittedly, I will love him forever for the books he wrote, but even know that he's passed away, I will NEVER forgive him for creating E.R.)
 
Anyone read any non-fiction lately?



I'm really getting into it.
 
Janieve said:
*Michael Crichton

Yeah, he was a GREAT author. And he was a doctor! My favorite of his is The Andromeda Strain, which ended up having two movies made of it.

(Admittedly, I will love him forever for the books he wrote, but even know that he's passed away, I will NEVER forgive him for creating E.R.)
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Crichton was so awesome...his books were always a quick, entertaining read.

You all should read anything by David Sedaris...so funny (esp. Me Talk Pretty One Day & When You Are Engulfed in Flames).
Currently reading: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy...so far, so good. Happy reading.
And, after seeing raving reviews of Angela's Ashes, I may have to get it...I have never read it.
 
Global Warming said:
What are you currently reading for leisure?

I'm looking for recommendations for books that has nothing to do w/ admissions boosting, MCAT related, textbooks, but rather something that you felt was a very good piece of work. The only requirement is that you felt this particular book was completely awesome.
Click to expand...

I just got John Irving's "Last Night in Twisted River" and Barbara Kingsolver's "The Lacuna" for Christmas. I'm not sure what to expect from either book, but I'm looking forward to reading both of them this week, before my winter session class begins.

Who are your favorite authors? I might be able to make better recommendations for you based upon that info.
 
MarinaS said:
Did any of you read Superfreakonomics? What did you think? I LOVED the first book, but heard the sequel is a let-down.
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I'm reading it right now. It's not as good as the first one, but it's not a total letdown unless you're expecting it to be as good or better. I'm enjoying it.
 
Atm, I'd say "The Rediscovery of Man" by Cordwainer Smith

LOTR is/was/will be undebatable.
 
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking is a quick and interesting read.
 
riverjib said:
I just got John Irving's "Last Night in Twisted River" and Barbara Kingsolver's "The Lacuna" for Christmas. I'm not sure what to expect from either book, but I'm looking forward to reading both of them this week, before my winter session class begins.

Who are your favorite authors? I might be able to make better recommendations for you based upon that info.
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CRAP- Reminds me of ALL the embroyology I had to study for in anatomy

(BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Anatomy BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I'll never look at ppl the same way again, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)
 
amoiliz said:
CRAP- Reminds me of ALL the embroyology I had to study for in anatomy

(BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Anatomy BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I'll never look at ppl the same way again, BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO)
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Really? You never know what to expect with her. Generally speaking, her novels are based on political and social consciousness, flavored with her diverse education in biology and ecology. I never know what to expect, but I've never been disappointed. I had read literally everything she's ever written, and the only common thread is her voice and her interest in people who are somehow unconventional and interesting.

I adore John Irving, but I can count on his cynicism. I was planning on reading Kingsolver first because all I can count on with her is that I'll find it hard to put her book down once I've started reading.
 
Global Warming said:
What are you currently reading for leisure?

I'm looking for recommendations for books that has nothing to do w/ admissions boosting, MCAT related, textbooks, but rather something that you felt was a very good piece of work. The only requirement is that you felt this particular book was completely awesome.
Click to expand...

The Good Soldiers by Pulizer Prize-winning author David Finkle
The Art of War by Sunzi
Parting the Waters by Taylor Branch

All three are great ways to get you out of your pre-med syndrome.
 
I think I am going to go to Borders Books today to use my gift certificate... I am now really confused as to which book i want to get though, they all seem so good.
 
I've been reading "Emotional Intelligence" by Goleman (LOVE IT!!)
and "Blink" by Gladwell
and "Short History of Nearly Eeverything" by Bryson ..

and I always read Psychology Today, WebMD, and Scientific American (Mind) ..

The only fiction piece I have read is the curious case of benjamin button short story .. (I don't have patience to read fiction novels .. they seem too long to finish .. and at the end .. they are not even real!! lol)
 
medicalmatins said:
Try a good translation of Dante's Divine Comedy--especially Purgatorio. Or Paradise Lost.
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I'm so glad someone else loved Purgatorio as much as I did!!! It was my favorite of the three by far.


Also, props to whoever mentioned A Short History of Nearly Everything. That was a fantastic book.

VTBuc said:
...and is it a bad sign that I first read the title as "What are you wearing?" 😱
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Lol I thought that too. :laugh:
 
Playboy, and SI Swimsuit Edition......on a more serious note, Schulz and the Peanuts by David Michaelis....just for some fun reading in between semesters....a lot of insight into charles schulz
 
avksx said:
Anyone read any non-fiction lately?



I'm really getting into it.
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Washed Up: the Curious Journeys of Flotsam and Jetsam, by Skye Moody

i'm obsessed with the Pacific Garbage Patch
 
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