DAILY ENTERTAINMENT

[punyparker]

Ah, merveilleux. I wasn't sure this account had access and I really wanted to use this icon. See that, guys? Peter Parker is a winner. Except when poorly-disguised devil substitutes are involved.

Taking this because I'm bored and don't want to study for my French listening exam. (Ohgod -- I mean, MON DIEU -- etc.)

What are you reading at the moment?

Alternatively, if you are like me and the internet has eaten your once-famed knack of reading a bazillion books a week (ah, my attention span, it was nice knowing you as a kid):

Who have you apped this month? (BONUS: is this related to what you're currently reading or not-reading? We all love book pups amirite.)

Er, option three is to entertain me. Dance. Go on.

Comments

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

For classes: The No Fear Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet (*gagchokedie*) and Monsieur d'Eon by Mark Brownell and Bella Donna by David Sheridan

For pleasure: Arsene Lupin by Maurice LeBlanc and Storm at the Edge of Time by Pamela Service and My Life in France by Julia Child.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

...Who's making you read the No Fear Shakespeare? *wince*

[punyparker]

I ACTUALLY AM READING SOMETHING AT THE MOMENT. Haha, way to invalidate my own flippant comments!

Slaughterhouse 5, by Kurt Vonnegut, which I read a couple of years ago but need to re-read for class, since I just about remember enough to understand why Desmond Hume and Steve Rogers being unstuck in time is hiii-larious.

I also have 1984 sitting by my bed with a scrap of paper about a quarter of the way through. Haven't touched it for a few weeks, though.

Oh, yes, and Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas; I need to finish that so I can reference it in my Journalism essay for Friday...

(I have not apped anyone this month.)

[sdelmonte]

I like Slaughterhouse 5, but I think Vonnegut's short stories are better. (Also had the rather odd experience of talking to his widow - a photojournalist of some note in NYC - and telling her I liked a recent new collection of formerly unpublished stories. Only to be told that she had nothing to do with this book and wished that the stories, as good as they were, had remained unpublished.)

*coughs*

[ashen_key]

By the Sword: Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai Warriors, Swashbucklers and Olympians by Richard Cohen

Does the weather really matter?: the social implications of climate change by William James Burroughs

From Roman Britain to Norman England by P. H. Sawyer

The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia

Tell Me I'm Here, by Anne Deveson

and, because I need some fiction balance things out otherwise I go crazy,

American Gods, by Neil Gaiman.

For the record, I am in my summer holidays - all the above works of non-fiction are for world-building the my Arthurian-legends-in-a-futurish-gangland universe, that is currently eating my brain. I have other books on my desk, but the above ones are the ones I'm actually READING.

[yakalskovich]

Whoah I love your reading list, as always. You read the coolest non-fiction books ever!

[skidmo]

I just finished The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood, and subsequently started Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke.

And this month's app was for captastrofan :)

[djcati.livejournal.com]

omg michael. ♥

[camwyn]

Duty Calls, by Sandy Mitchell. A Warhammer 40k novel from one of the rare few lines of 40k fiction where people actually have a sense of humour, le ghasp.

I'm not apping anybody again any time soon. On occasion I have considered attempting to app Cain and/or his faithful assistant Jurgen, but there is the little matter of the Imperium of Man's policies towards aliens (kill them), mutants (kill them), psychics (put them to Imperial use if at all possible, otherwise kill them), sorcerers (kill them a lot), demons (CALL EXTERMINATUS ON THE PLANET), heretics (back to the killing), magical objects (go back to the part about fire), etc. etc. There'd be a scene in the cells within a week:

"So. What're you in for, new guy?"
"Attempted genocide. Everyone in the Bar."

It would play out similarly with Jurgen with the added dubious benefits of Jurgen a) being the smelliest soldier in the Imperium (and the Imperium very literally encompasses trillions of human beings) and b) he's a psychic null capable of invalidating the abilities of major, god-level Chaos daemons simply by standing next to their targets. I don't think the Bar would appreciate that. Or Baby. Or anything to do with anything in the Bar, really.

[mr_gaeta]

Oh do I EVER hear you about once-fabled reading habits going down the drain. *wry fistbump of solidarity*

But! I did finish Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon very recently, which is the sort of book I want to hug to my chest forever and ever the end after reaching, well, the end. I think it may be neck-and-neck with Kavalier and Clay as my favorite of his so far. Next up in my reading queue is Deep Secret by Diana Wynne Jones, largely because it is bookelfe's and I have had it since, um, August. Oops. I'm sorry, Becca! Hopefully I will be able to finish it before the end of the year.

And I have not apped anyone. I haven't even EP'd the guy I apped last month. (...largely because my DSL is still down, but it's supposed to be fixed today PLEASE GIVE ME MY INTERTUBES BACK VERIZON D: D:)

[mercuriazs.livejournal.com]

I have seen (and fell deeply in love with) the movie version of Wonder Boys. I should .... totally read the book. Right?

[withathought.livejournal.com]

I am reading Wolf Hall, which is awesome. Annnd...a book on Charles II. Another on Thomas Cromwell. One on the English Civil Wars. And a textbook on Comparitve Politics.

Wolf Hall is for fun. The others are in an attempt to sound intelligent in upcoming Uni interview. I am failing at sounding intelligent, possibly because I keep cheating and reading the highlights on Wikipedia every five minutes. My attention span is also non-existant these days. *woespiral*

[lethe-forgot.livejournal.com]

I would just recommend going with what you know... honestly, they're not going to appreciate your Wiki'd attempts to sound intelligent-- just the attempts based on books/topics you really have a passion for.

... at least, that's my experience. Things might have changed since I was a young'un [three years ago. Yeesh, I'm old].

[shinyhappygoth]

Currently reading First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher, although it is going slowly, not through any fault of the book, but because I have been thoroughly distracted by Psychonauts.

Also, my parents recently got me Martin Gardner's latest collection of articles and essays, When You Were a Tadpole and I Was a Fish. This made me squee. I am such a nerd. ^_^ If you have not read the poem for which it is titled, I have posted it here.

[wakeupnew]

I'm reading ... there is no way to say what I'm reading without spoiling my Yuletide assignment. I'm reading reference material for Yuletide! I apped no one this month, because I'm already not playing the 10 I currently have. Sorry, slowtimes. D:

[newredshoes]

I echo this! All of it, actually. But I did finally figure out what to write for Yuletide! So that's good.

[kd7sov]

Let me see...

Ithanalin's Restoration by Lawrence Watt-Evans, one of his Ethshar books, involving an apprentice having to clean up after a spell that has incapacitated her master, while another crisis (covered more fully in another book in the series) prevents any other wizard from helping her.

Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett, which finally came in after nearly two months of library reservation. I'm quite liking Mr. Nutt, and of course Vetinari is as win as always. I'm also amused that the street people refer to the Watch as the "Sams".

Wizard's Holiday by Diane Duane, potentially with the aim of hooking a Sker'ret headvoice, as suggested by Chanter. Certainly, he'd be really quite fun - a totally omnivorous giant centipede wizard with a good sense of humor.

Lesser Evil by Robert Simpson, the fourth book in the Mission: Gamma subseries of the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine relaunch. With any luck I'll soon get to the ones my local library system actually has; Interlibrary Loans are nice, but they take much too long to process.

...Huh, only four at once? I'm slipping. Well, there are about six on the current waiting list, so. Also the New Testament and my Business Thought textbook.

[bethan-b-bad.livejournal.com]

UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IS LOVE. <3333 *bought it the day after it came out, thank you student loan* The effort it took to drag a big hardback book back across the Channel afterwards was totally worth it.

I love that thing about the Sams. It's only logical, really, what with how police over here used to be called Peelers and are still called bobbies. (Founder of the British police force? Robert Peel.)

[bethan-b-bad.livejournal.com]

I'm reading The Oxford History of the French Revolution for class. I've found less dry history textbooks, but as they go it's not bad.

For myself, I'm currently two-thirds of the way through Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book (<3333333!), I've just started Fred Vargas's Have Mercy On Us All (and would totally app either Commissaire Adamsberg or Violette Retancourt if I had the slots, because they are both PURE WIN WITH WIN ON TOP), and I'm flipping through Danny The Champion Of The World on my off moments, because Roald Dahl is love.

My last book purchases, however, were The Jolly Christmas Postman (cue squee with the lady on the till over OMG OUR CHILDHOOD and how many kids must have lost all the little pieces inside), Ian Kershaw's Hitler biography (ostensibly because Hot Lecturer requested I get it for him; actually so I can read it first and then claim my money back off him), and Searching For Schindler, Thomas Keneally's new book about researching Schindler's Ark and on to the making of Schindler's List.

I feel this, all taken together, gives a pretty good overview of my personality. Especially if you include that my last DVD purchase was Star Trek OHYES. <3333

[sdelmonte]

I am reading Dancing in the Dark, a rather dense and somewhat disorganized cultural history of the Depression by CUNY prof Morris Dickstein. It's interesting mainly in how it shows that (so far) the current "Great Recession" is a very different beast than the Great Depression.

Am re-reading The Shining. It's fun to revisit an early King book and see it through the prism of much more recent stuff. He's really a lot better these days. And also, this must be said: Jack Nicholson, as great as he is, was totally miscast in Kubrick's film. It's no wonder King hated it.

Will also recommend something I read recently: Sleeper by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. This was a pair of 12-part series from the Wildstorm imprint of DC Comics, and is about a deep cover agent stranded in the super-criminal organization he was assigned to infiltrate. It's great noir disguised as a heroes and villains comic, and if you like Brubaker's work elsewhere, you shuold love this.

No apps for me, but I am trying to test-play The Question in his early years and might test-play Gibbs 10 years after PotC in Mixed Muses, with an eye on using those versions instead of the ones I currently play.

[dynastessa]

I am theoretically reading Johnathan Stroud's Bartimaeus Trilogy atm. Thing is, I have had absolutely no time whatsoever to do much reading of it. D:

And I have not apped anyone this month, even though I've got someone who has been waiting on the backburner for a couple months now.

I deleted a pup though! Yes.

[vivien]

I just finished Duma Key by Stephen King. I loved it! It was deliciously creepy and a tale tightly told. I am currently blazing through The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie (thanks to Sweeney for lending and reccing it). I imagine I'll be reading his Reservation Blues next, since I am enjoying this one so much.

I'm not apping anyone this month. As per usual!

[ceitfianna]

I highly recommend his Diary of a Part Time Indian if you haven't read it already, its a quick read and just so well done.

[gorgonfondness]

Though I haven't picked it up in a while, I am currently in the middle of a reread of Good Omens. That book makes my brainmeats happy!

And while this doesn't really count since I'm not "reading" it straight through, there is my shiny Baking & Patisserie textbook. I need to open that up again and see about that Orange Brulee Tart I found while doing my workbook homework.

Though it makes me wanna cook some pastry cream. Mmmmm.........

[notaphony.livejournal.com]

For school: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture by Ariel Levy

For fun: Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Jane Austen and Ben H. Winters

[bethan-b-bad.livejournal.com]

How's Sense and Sensibility? I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but I haven't got round to buying it yet.

(I'm also eyeing Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter with avarice.)

[minkhollow]

My current break-reading book at work is His Majesty's Dragon, which I previously started reading January of '08 but then got distracted by... you know, last semester of college.
On my own, I may engage in a seasonal rereading of Hogfather.
And... ::le sigh:: It would seem I also need to reread Villains By Necessity, if Sam keeps badgering me like this. (I have the hard part of the app done; all that remains is making the journal.)

[remindmeofthe.livejournal.com]

Iiiiii am finally reading a book I got to choose myself, for the first time since September. Being an English major will do that.

. . . it's the novelization of the movie Annie. It's a nostalgia thing! I read it a zillion times when I was a kid. And it doesn't require me to thinking. Plus it's seriously one of the best novelizations I've ever read; it really fleshes out the characters and setting and does a nice job neatly glossing over the musical number. *g*

I have apped Jonathan Harker, from the Dracula novel. Original source material ftw! I studied it recently in class and discovered that it is fantastic. And the timing with Flynn's apping of Dracula is not entirely a coincidence.

[mercuriazs.livejournal.com]

I am so excited! Jonathaaaaaaaan. He and Puck should hang out!








... Or something. (Well it's not like Ava or Poison Ivy would be a BETTER OPTION.)

[agoodshinkickin.livejournal.com]

Currently I'm reading two books.
My Bus/Commute book is 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus.

My Bedtime book is Pagan Holiday: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists.

Kind of in a non-fictiony mood as of late. Probably because I've been spending too much free time trying to fill the holes in my turtle comic collection. Seriously, spending that much time around that much crack will make anyone crave non-fiction.

[aberration]

Today? It'll be Contracts: Cases and Comments.

There is no pleasure reading in law school. But I did order The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn by Eric Ives for when finals are over.


And I'm definitely not apping anyone right now, I might be looking waay too much at a potential for January or February. Hopefully I'll be sane again by then >_>

*heads off tag up and get to more finals-studying*

[latino_menace]

Henry VIII being a mentalist FTW! Although I'm not sure Anne Boleyn wasn't more than a bit nuts herself.

[spooky-lemur.livejournal.com]

Currently reading:
Fire by Kristin Cashore (Graceling was a better read so far. Still mutants in a pre-industrial fantasy world is fun.)
The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett (No this is not research for a pup despite what lurks in the back of my head like one of the great spells.)
Strong Fathers, strong daughters by Dr. Meg Meeker. (Slow going but I'm managing.)

[mallory-grace.livejournal.com]

I read Graceling and Fire last night, and I have to agree that Graceling was far better. I still enjoyed both, but would like to see more gracelings in future books.

[living-vamp.livejournal.com]

With having something like fifty books for this semester, I'm not bothering to post everything I'm reading/have been reading for school.

I will however, do the for pleasure.

I've been reading: Tipping The Velvet, Wizard's First Rule, and American Gods.

I'm apping in January a pup from one of those three canons. I'll make you wonder.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

Tipping the Velvet! ♥ Sarah Waters. My favorite of her books is Fingersmith (because I love Gothics and I am more than a bit obsessed with rare books), but Tipping the Velvet is also delightful.

[yakalskovich]

I am reading: 'Furies of Calderon', first volume of Tavi's canon, because my characters (all four of them!) met Tavi over the weekend, and both Sirona and Teja were quite impressed with him.

I am apping nobody this month, and I am not going to consider a Codex Alera pup, either; instead, I am slowly preparing to app a broken, ruthless, and more than slightly crazy Scottish crusader-turned-paid-assassin named Urquart in January.

[student_of_impossibility]

I'm glad you liked him so much! Also, oh MAN that pup sounds awesome. So, so awesome.

(Although should you ever change your mind about an Aleran pup, I will totally love you forever.)

[agonistes]

I am currently catching up on my two-month backlog of The Sun (literary magazine out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, not British tabloid) between Yuletide-related material (MY DRAFT IS DONE, IT IS DONE, I HAVE A DRAFT) and my next book pick. Which: I have three to choose from!

ON MY LIST:

Sunnyside by Glen David Gold. (I looooooooved Carter Beats The Devil to ridiculous extremes, which is why I shelled out for Sunnyside in hardcover.)
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines. (Because I need to be better about my Southern lit.)
The Blythes Are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery. (I SPECIAL-ORDERED THAT FROM CANADA BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, ANNE SHIRLEY BLYTHE AND MORE ADULT-THEMED MATERIAL? YES MA'AM.) (There is no actual smut, though. Seriously.)

BUT! As soon as I get my paws on the Oxford American that came out last week, all of this list is going straight out the window, because it is SOUTHERN MUSIC ISSUE TIME. <333333

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

I really need to buy The Blythes are Quoted. Maybe one of the local indie bookstores has it. Cody's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cody%27s_Books), where art thou in this hour?

[takiena_called]

For School : Lots of FTC documents! Also, textbooks.

Otherwise : Yuuuletide. Post-yuletiding I'm planning on picking up some historical economic and political books so I'm not too scared to play Mitt.

[rymenhild.livejournal.com]

You know who Mitt should talk to, if she weren't retired? Lyra. She's going to be a radical politician when she finishes growing up. Maybe we should m_m it sometime.