Whatcha Reading Right Now?

Correct me if I'm wrong:

Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were good friends. After The Hobbit was written, C.S. Lewis prompted him to write and "adult" version, which is LOTR. Conversely, after C.S. Lewis had written The Space Trilogy Tolkien prompted Lewis to write a novel for children, which produced Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia.

I've read 'em all and Lewis' Christian paradigm in his trilogy blew my mind. The third novel is spot on for what's currently happening in higher education institutions.
You are not wrong, however it is my understanding that there were a handful of faithful friends including Tolkien and Lewis dubbed the Inklings who met at the Eagle and Child in Oxford to discuss literary topics over a pint. Charles Williams who wrote Descent Into Hell and All Hallow's Eve was among them.
 
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Another gem from the American Renaissance. It's crazy to think I could say much about something so marvelous in a short forum post.
I will start by by saying that this book was not what I expected. Of course that is how it is with good literature. Especially the "famous" books, that eveyone has heard of, but few have actually explored for themselves.
It may be that I have read part way through a few classic books in high school. But I did not begin to really enjoy the stories until I discovered them for myself as an adult. With nobody looking over my shoulder telling me how I should be interpreting the work.
The epiphanies contained here are unlocked when you read by yourself, and with your whole heart. Someone told me that's also the secret to reading Plato.

Anyway Moby Dick is a romp. Most of the book reads like slipping in and out of a philosophical daydream. A daydream wrapped in a grey, misty sailing narrative. And all the while with its tongue squarely in its cheek.
Again I sing the praises of a good audiobook reader. I might not have known how laugh-out-loud-funny this story was except for the pinched, ironic tone that Librivox reader Stewart Wills applied for the entire reading. This book is dark and wet and grey but it's the funniest and most refreshing...like a playful troll upon the tropes and mysteries of philosophy and religion.

But to many of us, the real genius of Moby Dick is the writing style. There is a wild, almost bizarre freedom to Melville's prose in this book. I can say truthfully that this one book changed the way I think about communicating in english. Melville was one of those authors who figured out a way to say things very vividly, while using unusual, almost goofy word combinations.
Sort of a Mark Twain vibe, but maybe "cooler", not quite as hammy.

I could go on and on. But I'll just say to anyone who wants to take a real trip, and doesn't mind if there's no electricity on the voyage, and doesn't mind getting wet..there might be an epiphany or two, or three in these pages. Some laughs for sure.

*Normal caveat for taking on literature from mid-20th and prior: Be patient while building up your vocabulary in preparation to read these old books. One thing that keeps people away is the realization of how many non-obsolete English words your average modern American simply doesn't know. I had to fill a notebook with dozens of 'archaic' words I had never heard, just to get into anything from the 19th century.

Again...so worth it.
 
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Currently, reading "Drunk, Stoned, Brilliant, Dead" which is a history of the art and writing in The National Lampoon, which was a counter-culture magazine started by disenfranchised Harvard guys. Mainly known back in the day as "dark witticisms, cool art, and boobs" but, on reflection, it presages a lot of what has been happening in US politics and culture for the last 50 years, which is just about the same amount of time disenfranchised Harvard guys have been subverting culture and politics in the US. Definitely an interesting and darkly prescient periodical.
 
I love to read. I read more fiction than non-fiction, but I simply enjoy reading anything that interests me. Given that, this may seem very strange and unusual, but I’ve been reading screenplays lately. You can find them on many free websites and there’s pretty much all the best movies available out there. Why read screenplays? Because it’s a lot like reading a novel – it’s like reading the movie. And, most of the screenplays are different from what the movie turned out to be – and often they are better. So, if you have a favorite movie that you love and watch many, many times, you might want to read the screenplay, because it will likely be different enough to be another version of your favorite movie. This week, I’ve read The Last Boy Scout. It is a lot better than the movie. The one-liners that the protagonist blurts out are numerous and much more entertaining. I’ve also recently read Source Code, which I’d not watched the movie. It’s freaking awesome! Very Twilight-Zone-ish.
 
I WISH I was reading a Modern Drummer or Drumhead magazine!..but haven't seen one since you know what shut the country down.
 
TRAVELING MUSIC The Soundtrack to My Life and Times (Neil Peart)
A gift from my daughters and son-in-law.

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I WISH I was reading a Modern Drummer or Drumhead magazine!..but haven't seen one since you know what shut the country down.

me too...I had to give up my MD subscription in 2015 - after having it since 1983 - because I had to pear down somethings to make ends meet...

TRAVELING MUSIC The Soundtrack to My Life and Times (Neil Peart)
A gift from my daughters and son-in-law.

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uhhh....why have I never heard of this till right now?!?! I will have a copy by the end of the week!!
 
Actual music related stuff is pretty rare these days.

Currently reading Civilian Warriors by Erik Prince.
 
Actual music related stuff is pretty rare these days.

Currently reading Civilian Warriors by Erik Prince.

I just picked up the book about Fates Warning...will be diving into that this week
 
Well over my lifetime I have read quite a few books but I do have a favorite that I've read several times in different translations and I'm always going back to it... for the past 30 years it's been the Bible.

It never ceases to amaze me every time I read it I find something new even though I have read the Bible four times cover to cover. It changes the way I think an act towards people. What a lovely book to read.
 
Thank you for posting this book, Eric! It has been very enlightening. I work in TV and radio news media... there is a light speed rush to make everything "Digital" (with which I agree). My take away is it's wise to lovingly maintain an analog experience for people - it's not just for old farts like me! Apparently he's publishing a follow up. :)
 
Thank you for posting this book, Eric! It has been very enlightening. I work in TV and radio news media... there is a light speed rush to make everything "Digital" (with which I agree). My take away is it's wise to lovingly maintain an analog experience for people - it's not just for old farts like me! Apparently he's publishing a follow up. :)
I have been programming and working with computers since the mid 80s and am pretty tech oriented (the last couple of years programming microcontrollers like Arduinos, ESP8266/32, Raspberry Pi's etc).

Despite that, a couple of years ago I returned to analog audio, buying a decent cassette, DAT and minidisc deck for recording my own playing or creating mixtapes with custom made J-cards, etc.
There is no good reason for as I have a DAW and use aps like Spotify on several devices.
But, as in the book, there is some 'magic' attached to analog / physical items that I feel digital is lacking.
 
Finally getting round to finishing the original Dune Trilogy (although there was 3 further books) by reading Children of Dune.

I read Dune & Dune Messiah back to back, way back in 2016 so it's really overdue, kick started by watching the recent film adaptation and really not a reflection on the two initial books (which are both fantastic). I just didn't get round to it until now.

Really enjoying being back 'inside' this very rich and superbly written universe again, although I'm not sure if I'll do the three remaining books by Frank Herbert. I'll see how I feel when I finish this one.

EDIT: Reading back a couple pages I'm glad to see others on here reading it, or about to!!!

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I don't know why but I wanted to reread Of Mice and Men, it really impressed me when I was in college.
And? Did it hold up for you?

I'm currently reading:

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To kill a mockingbird.
 
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