The "I am currently reading" thread

[Guest]

The Interaction of Color by Josef Albers. Using a magnificent iPad app which recreates the interactivity of the original 1963 publication. Essential for anyone interested in colour and colour perception.

 

Looking forward to reading Jerry Coyne's new book, out in June.

[joinerisme]

Remember,Remember.-Lisa Cutts.

 

A police detective novel set in the 1960,s.

[taxman]

Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas. I enjoyed The End of Mr Y and this is a similar metaphysical exploration of life. It seems to be plotless and rambling but is curiously gripping.

[joinerisme]

In The Interests Of Safety-The absurd rules that blight our lives.

 

A look at H&S rules.

[Jessoo]

Palladio, The Complete Buildings. by Marton, Wundram, Pape. (Pub. Taschen)

 

From my own bookshelf. Been meaning to read it since Palladio's 500year centenary.

Impeccably researched and a satisfying read for any student of classical architecture.

Bought my copy from Riba, Portland Square. Still in print.

Edited May 9, 2015 by Jessoo

[Chris_Sleeps]

Started:

The Embarrassment of Riches: An interpretation of Dutch culture in the Golden Age -Simon Schama.

Took some time off from Schama to read:

 

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall Paperback - by Anna Funder.

 

The joys and horrors of living in a surveillance state. Interesting read.

[tzijlstra]

@Chris_Sleeps I've got that book on the Dutch by Schama on the shelf, will have to pull it out, forgot that I bought it!

 

I've started reading A song of ice and fire, by a certain G. Martin, quite popular now it is on the telly as a Game of Thrones, although I've not seen any of it yet. I got through the first four books (5 volumes) relatively easily but now it is becoming repetitive and frankly a bit tedious. I feel his writing style isn't quite dynamic enough to keep me interested. I have read other series serially (ie. one after the other without interruption) in the past and not had the same issue.

[Chris_Sleeps]

@Chris_Sleeps I've got that book on the Dutch by Schama on the shelf, will have to pull it out, forgot that I bought it!

I've found he has another called 'Patriots and Liberators: Revolution in the Netherlands, 1780-1813' which follows on, partly, from this.

 

A large section of Embarrassment of Riches is on art history also. It's not shallow reading. Just ... slow.

[Plain Talker]

I've been caught up reading the CJ Sansom series, about a fictional lawyer in the time of Henry VIII called Matthew Shardlake, I'm part way through the fourth of six books,

 

Dissolution (book 1, naturally around the time of the fall of Anne Boleyn, and the dissolution of the monateries)

 

Dark Fire (Book two, set about a couple of years later)

 

Sovereign (Book three, set in about 1540, just after the Pilgrimage Of Grace, and Henry VIII's royal progress to the north)

 

All very well written, and well_fleshed out characters. a real flavour of the time.

[metalman]

Just finished These Restless Heads by (James) Branch Cabell. This was a book where he dropped his first name as it wasn't part of his main fantasy output, but was instead a book of essays and musings bookended by two short tales. Still full of the cleverness and wit that always characterise his works in my opinion.

 

Now I'm on to Merde Actually by Stephen Clarke, about misadventures in France. Very popular when they came out in the noughties and still quite amusing if a bit predictable.

Edited May 11, 2015 by metalman