What are you currently reading?

I'm almost finished reading The Secret History by Procopius. It is mostly about Justinian and Theodora. Highly sordid stuff. Apart from all the sex and violence, and more sex, and more violence, I found the account of the Nika Riots particularly interesting...

The Nika riot began on Tuesday, January 13, AD 532. Three days earlier, several members of the Blue and Green factions, who had been arrested for an earlier disturbance, were to be hanged. But the execution was botched and two men survived and found sanctuary in a church, which then was put under guard. During the races in the Hippodrome, the crowd called on Justinian to show them mercy, chanting until the twenty-second race (of twenty four). But there was no response. Then, unexpectedly, another exclamation was heard: "Long live the merciful Blues and Greens!" (Malalas, XVIII.474). That evening, with Nika ("conquer," an exclamation used to encourage the charioteer) as their watchword, the two united factions demanded that the city prefect release the prisoners, setting fire to the Praetorium when he did not. The fire spread and others were set the next day, even though Justinian had announced additional races, a gesture that only emboldened the rioters, who set fire to the Hippodrome itself.

penelope.uchicago.edu...

I finished the first decade (1966-1976) of Star Trek novels, short stories and novelizations of the TOS episodes, i now take a break(i have 650 ST e-books...) and i re- read the Books of Blood by Clive Barker. I'm about to finish the second book.

3 books...under the dome/Stephen king

50 shades of grey

The witness/sampler

reply to post by KilgoreTrout


Well,it has been a while so here are the last few:
Germline by Nelson Erlick
The End of the World by John Leslie
Rereading Francis Bacon's ..Essays and New Atlantis.

Never ever start a new Stephen King book at 2:30 a.m. I started the sequel to "The Shining" last night titled "Doctor Sleep." It's a return to classic King & he can rope me in so quickly! He's been so snippy to his Constant Readers and the rant to us in the last novel of The Dark Tower series left a bad taste in my mouth. We pay your bills & you're going to be nasty like that? Hmmmph! But this book seems a return to his old roots. I haven't read Under the Dome.

Another book I read a few weeks ago really surprised me. "The Wolf Gift" by Anne Rice. After her husband Stan died she found religion & professed she'd only write books with a positive spiritual base. Being who I am, I steered clear! I was also hesitant as the whole werewolf idea got a big eye roll from me. I went ahead and purchased it as it was super cheap for the Kindle. I have to admit I really enjoyed it & her take on werewolves. Subtly linking them to Bigfoot sightings - how clever! I found this book, even with it's religious overtones, to be classic Anne Rice & will be purchasing the new one out next month.

Last week I read 'The Husbands Secret." Great quick read.

I am currently reading The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I'm about halfway through The Wastelands (Book 3).

I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy this series when I picked it up, but I am finding it incredibly absorbing.

reply to post by Whisper67


Anne Rice's book have always had a religious overtone to them, sometimes for, sometimes against. It has to do with her strict Catholic upbringing. Her current stance (as far as I can tell) now, is that there is a God, but she rejects organized religion, specifically that of the Catholic Church. Though, from some of her more recent tweets, she's beginning to develop a bit of a shine for Pope Francis. Maybe she just really really wants to be Catholic, but can't reconcile her social stances with that desire.

I actually had to stop following her on twitter due to her incessant ramblings against the Catholic Church, and I'm not even Catholic (I reject their doctrine outright, actually), I just got tired of hearing (reading) about it.

I am reading The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson.

Reading the Enemy's Mind by Paul H. Smith

Recommended by Dr. Alexander in his AMA thread. It's an in-depth look at remote viewing.

I've just started reading The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson.

I am reading 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King.

I've just started reading The Green Mile by Stephen King.

I am reading The Vanishing Point by Val McDermid.

I am reading White Fang by Jack London.

reply to post by ProfessorChaos

I am currently reading The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

I read this series 2 years ago and all i'm going to say is that these books marked the beginning of my paradigm shift.

As soon as I picked up the Gunslinger I was hooked, I didn't even particularly like Roland but something inside me wanted to know his story,

I can safely say you're going to love all of the books in the series,

I'm currently reading Stephen King's The Dead Zone, its very good

Starting King's Doctor Sleep tonight.

reply to post by intrepid


You are really going to like it. I just finished it myself and it is very good.

reply to post by Jonna


I've just finished Watchers, an historical book about Elizabeth I spymasters in medieval Europe (highly recommended)

I'm just about to begin Homer's Odyssey & Illiad, because I've never read them and have always wanted to... now I have the time.

Still on my old school sci fi kick. Finishing up "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Phillip K. Dick.

reply to post by WhiteAlice


PK Dick is one of my favourite authors of any genre. Very misunderstood and marginalised for a long time because of his use of Science Fiction as a vehicle for his ideas, which are extraordinary.

There's a good companion to his works called Philip K Dick and Philosophy Edited by D. E. Wittkower.

If you like P K Dick you might like J G Ballard, also an exceptional visionary and a stunning writer, also marginalised for his use of Science Fiction as a vehicle for his ideas, although his works are now finding their way onto critics lists.

Both are worthy of predecessors such as Huxley and Orwell, IMO.