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Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

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Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#61
Currently: Emma, by Austen, and Debt: The First 5,000 Years by Graeber. Both good.

Recently finished Austen's Persuasion and Dickens' Oliver Twist. I'm trying to fill in big gaps in my reading of major English novels. Both were good. Dickens seems to have more compassion, which I appreciate. The two most moving scenes belong to his two worst villains. Persuasion was great though, and in many ways (compassion aside) a better novel than Dickens', not that they really deserve to be compared to one another. Persuasion's the first Austen novel I've managed to finish; usually I bounce off them in the first chapter or two. Looking like I'll make it through Emma, too, but it's certainly rougher going. Made it farther than I did on my last attempt, anyway.

The Things they Carried by O'Brien is up next after Graeber, probably, on recommendation (and loan) from a friend.

I haven't read it recently, but I feel compelled to recommend Revolutionary Road by Yates at every opportunity.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#65

Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid , and I'm loving it. Some parts are funny, some are dry, and some are truly mind-blowing. As someone who loves wordplay, self-reference, and multiple layers of meaning, this book is like crack. Every chapter surprises me with something new. Its reputation is well-deserved.

Great book. I haven't read his more recent I am a Strang Loop. For people who have read it, is it worth the plunge?

I am a Strange Loop elaborates on the ideas from GEB, while also being more personal (which GEB definitely isn't). Some people I knew thought it was repetitive, less enjoyable, and less artistic than GEB. In some ways I agree with those criticisms. But if you want to know more about how self-reference actually leads to consciousness and more about Hofstadter the person I recommend it.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#67

Started Flatland on the train yesterday - lots of fun so far. I'm looking for more Sci-fi if HN can recommend anything! I've been reading a lot of historical non-fiction over the years, but recently finished Snow Crash and the Diamond Age. Love the genre, but don't know much about it.

You can try the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov if you like Sci-Fi.

Twice-recommended, I'll check it out - thanks :)

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#68
I usually read more than book at once.

«Ready Player One», Ernest Cline -- Because all my friends read it and I've to.

«What is to go to war», Karl Marlantes -- After learning about it in a podcast, very interesting.

«Los enemigos del comercio, II», Escohotado -- Slowing progressing through it, full of footnotes and amazing stories about all the attempts of communism and socialism. Nearly clinical dissection of the original texts and sources.

«The windup girl», Paolo Bacigalupi -- Harsh, hot, cruel, realistic and futuristic. I'm enjoying it a lot.

Re: Ask HN: Which book are you reading these days?

#69
Recently read:

Blindsight (Peter Watts) - Hard sci-fi with themes of perception and identity.

Ancillary Justice (Anne Leckie) - More of a murder / mystery sci-fi with themes of gender.

Reading:

Green Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson) - Hard sci-fi covering the terraforming of Mars. Very political, takes a broad scope.

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