What BOOK are you reading right now?

"Gideon" by Russell Andrews A political thriller. A genuine page turner.

Got a few books on the go at the moment. A mix of sci-fi, fantasy, hard physics and some others.

The Wheel Of Time series (again) : Robert Jordan
Sound Engineers Handbook : Glen M Ballou
Death Dream : Ben Bova
Just Six Numbers : Martin Rees
Q Is For Quantum : John Gribbin
The Man Who Loved Only Numbers : Paul Hoffman
Lonely Planet Guide To Iceland.

Trollope: The Way We Live Now
Collected Stories of William Faulkner

Hazlitt--Did you happen to see the "Masterpiece Theatre" version of "TWWLN"? I thought it was great. If you did see it, how does the novel compare?

D'Art, Yes I did see the MP Theater version. I too enjoyed it. David Suchett (or however he spells it) is always good.

Mrs. Hazlitt is reading this 800+ page novel to me at a rate of about 20 pages a day. We are about 140 pages into it. The novel has a great deal more detail and character development. Trollop was pretty savvy about psychology and motivation. However, so far, the book parallels the TV show at least in spirit.

I'll try to comment on this from time to time.

Cool. Thanks, Hazlitt. I also thought the actor (Suchet? I've forgotten his name, too) was excellent, as was the woman who played his poor daughter. Now I want to read the book, too!

Travels with Charley? Loved it, what a great book!

I've finished a book of short stories by Maeve Binchy This Year It Will Be Different which turned out to be about Christmas and was a little weird to be reading in June. Still, I enjoyed them, especially the title story. The author came highly recommended. A good light read, I've picked up a few of her other books and look forward to them.

I've just started The Life of Pi which I'm liking a lot.

Maeve Binchy is an author I've been meaning to read. Must find one of her books now. Thanks, Piffka!

Pifka, never read Travels with Charlie, although I always liked Steinbeck. Charles Kuralts America is another great travel book.

I've got about 15 favorite Christmas stories. Among them Stubby Pringles Christmas by Jack Schaefer (Author of Shane). Read it if you get the chance.

Bill Bryson writes the best, and the funniest, travel books around...

Hi, D'Artagnan! Welcome back! Did you make it to the Western Art museum? I haven't been much of a fiction reader lately, so I was pleasantly surprised with Binchy. The two by her that were especially recommended are Lilac Bus and Copper Beech.

My goodness... I just went to Amazon and abebooks to see about Stubby Pringle's Christmas -- the cheapest copy was $60! There were only eight at abe and most were $90-$110. If you've got a copy, Hazlitt, you are lucky. I think I'll have to check the library. I do like a good Christmas book -- we've got a fair collection which is why I did that immediate search. One that our family likes a lot is called Star Mother's Youngest Child.

Reading Travels with Charley was a great inspiration to my husband and me. Soon after we read it, we quit our jobs in Seattle, sublet our apartment and took to the road ourselves in an old Ford F-100, the venerable Mr. Truck. We had a low canopy on the back and a mattress on the floorboards. Steinbeck was only on the road for three months -- we were gone ten. We crisscrossed the country, worked a bit for Christmas in Minnesota, spent a long time in Florida, visited every national park we could find, every relative we knew about and returned home with $20 to our name.

Wy -- Bryson is lots of fun to read.

Stubby Pringle
Pifka, Stubby Pringle is nothing more than a short story. It's a good one but hardly worth $60! My wife found it in an anthology in the library and xeroxed it. We have it in a lose leaf binder. I looked at various literature sites and in Google, but could not find the text. There seems to be a real cult following of Jack Schaefer.

For years we had a Christmas party where Mrs. Hazlitt read a Christmas story. We no longer do this, but she still reads the stories to me every year.

Here is a list:
Christmas is a Sad Time For The Poor by John Cheever
Christmas Story by H.L. Mencken
Crisp New Bills For Mr. Teagle by Frank Sullivan
How Santa Claus Came to Simpson's Bar by Bret Harte
Valley Forge: 24 December 1777 by F. Van Wyck Mason
Mr. KAPLAN and the Magi by Leo Rosten
Christmas Story by Truman Capote
Compliments of the Season by O. Henry
The Three Wise Guys by Damon Runyon
Dancing Dan's Christmas by Damon Runyon
Stubby Pringle's Christmas by Jack Schaefer

Some of these are in "A Christmas Treasury" edited by Jack Newcombe.

I know there are others, but these are some of our favorites.

The discription of your trip was charming. Wish I'd done it.

Hi Hazlitt -- Good idea, xeroxing it from the library. There must be something pretty special about the author and his tales to develop such a cult following. I'm looking forward to reading it!

All the Christmas books are packed away so I can't tell you if we have that Christmas Treasury by Newcombe or not. Next Christmas season let's remember to start a topic on Christmas stories, OK? (Remind me, please!) Thanks for the list of the Christmas stories Mrs. H. likes to read aloud. She must be a good reader -- that's a treasure in itself! I recognize the names and the authors, but can't remember any of the stories.

I loved our trip around the country and would recommend going on the road to anybody. An amazing and gratifying experience to follow your nose wherever it will lead.

I heard part of an interview with James Gleick this morning about his latest book on Isaac Newton which sounded so dang interesting I think that's going on my immediate reading list. Sounds maybe kinda grey and dull? Listen to the interview on the Diane Rehm Show (wamu.org).

Piffka, I share your passion for going on the road and wish I could do it again soon (too many things here to tie me down). I like doing it alone, backroading, picking people up, eating in odd places, taking pictures, taking notes, doing some writing, doing a lot of reading which is not about where you're going but about what you're thinking. Look forward to adding Sirius radio to my car also...

Tartarin, I love your Alexander Haig quotation.

Im reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, very shocking so far. Ive found out that advertising to children sickens me

the virginian
I am reading the virginian by owen wister. it is the 100th anniversary of its publication. Supposedly the first cowbuy novel.

If you love 19th century novels, this is a great book for you.

Set in Wyoming it gives even the staunchest urbanite a sense of big sky country.

: )

Aaaack, I read The Virginian several times as a teenager. I loved it a lot, among other reasons for the romance...which if you read it will puzzle you. Well, I was a teen a long time ago, and very romance seeking in rather a sweet way. Aside from the attraction of that gentle romance I found the book rather tautly written, although I wouldn't have used those words then.

Heliotrope, welcome to A2K. I noticed a title on your list by Paul Hoffman...there was a Paul Hoffman who was a newswriter some time ago, wonder if it is him.

On Maeve Binchy, I found her to be a chatty Cathy...with a solution for every ill. Mostly she annoyed me, but I did notice that I actually finished whatever book it was of hers that I read. Well, I have an excuse, there was a substory of adventure in Italy in it.

Wilderness Tips--Margaret Atwood.
A collection of shorts. Just got into it.

I'm wrapping up "Crossing to Safety", by Wallace Stegner and now shall move on to "Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle, which I've read once, but it's worth a second read.