I did a search and could not find a thread on this topic, because the search engine thought all of those words but currently were too common to be of any help. Well, if there was an old, here is a new one.

What books are you currently reading? What turned you on to them? What do you think of them? What are you reading next?

I am currently working through French Folktales collected by Henri Pourrat, and translated to English by Royall Tyler. This was a lovely find at a library book sale.

I am also working through the Experiencing God and Counter Cultural workbooks for my studies. Both are excellent, but the latter goes a bit beyond, in my opinion.

Next, I'm going to start Tales from the Mabinogion by Gwyn Thomas and Kevin Crossley-Holland. Vanya turned me on to it in a blog post about literature and fairy tales. I have an interest in Welsh language and lore, so I could hardly have resisted.

What words fill your mind of late?

Darwin's "Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals", Adams' "Theory of Moral Sentiments", Charles Williams' "Shadows of Ecstasy", "Phantom of the Opera" in French, Verne's "The Self-propelling Island" in French, "The Little Prince" in french, Chesterton's "What I Saw in America", Pliny's "Naturalis Historia", Kreyszig's "Advanced Engineering Mathematics", Stan Schmidt's "Life of Fred: Calculus", a compilation of Leonardo Da Vinci's notes, and a book by Robert Louis Stevenson that I can't remember a title for, which is a group of summaries about notable authors. I recently finished Luther's "Christian Liberty", "The Island of Dr. Moreau", by Wells I believe, and James Joyce's "Dubliners". Also, "The Castle of Otranto", an old novel that started the gothic genre. I plan on starting to read Lewis's "Till we have Faces", and Shakespeare's "Love's Labors Lost", soon. I hope I'll be able to read something by Thoreau also.

I don't know how to give my reasons for reading any of these things. "Theory of Moral Sentiments" and "Christian Liberty" have both been very helpful to me personally. The others are mainly just pleasure reading. Except that calculus textbook, which I already read through once for pleasure and which I now have to work through.

Actually, looking at that list, I'm trying to figure out how at all I was able to read so many books even though I'm working so many hours. I must drink them up with my water or something. o_0

Tell me about "Tales from the Mabinogion", when you are finished, Kitra. I am interested in that one also, and I might have to buy it if people say it is good.

Will do.

Reading in French?

I know a little, and there are some books that I want to read in the original, so I'm working through them. I'm very slow, though.

I'm reading The Night Land by William Hope Hodgson. Talk about an ambitious and original book. It's a challenging read though, so it will take me a while.

I've not heard of that one. What is it about?

I just read The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling. I'm going to read Rip Van Winkle next, I believe.

The Night Land is a sci-fi horror published in 1912 about the earth, millions of years in the future, when the sun has gone dark. The most interesting thing about it, though, is that it's written from the point of view of a 17th century gentleman, so the prose is very archaic and cumbersome (deliberately so). I think it's neat, but it's definitely an obstacle to a lot of readers.

Cool.

The Copernicus Trilogy: The Forbidden Stone by Tony Abbott, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Tolkien. :3 Tolkien was for school, but now it's just a book on the side. The other is a middle grade mystery with puzzles and riddles and things and it's really fun. :3 The villain has heterochromia!

Tolkien.

Cool.

The Lost World by Michael Crichton, and a Hans Christian Andersen anthology.

Reasons: small obsession with dinosaurs and fairytales. *sudden urge to rewrite a fairytale with dinosaurs*

Oooh. That would be something. Hans Christian Andersen is excellent.

Oh! The novel I am redrafting right now is set in that year (1912). I must read that.

I'm reading "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge at the moment.

Oooh. Let me know how it is. I have a tiny abridged version or something, I think, but not the real book.

Phantom of the Opera!

I have to read that. I heard that it explains why the phantom's hair changed color in that one scene... I'm really curious about how the book plays out.

It doesssssss?

Currently reading Atlantia, by Allie Condie. Only in the first couple chapters so far, but enjoying it.

Also about half-way through Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson, but had to take that one back to the library and wait to get an e-copy I can read for longer. XD

Libraries wanting books back... >_>

I'm finishing up the folktales and working on Rip Van Winkle.

Currently I am re-reading through Karen Marie Moning's Fever series. It's one of my favourite Fantasy series at the moment. Her latest book Burned is probably my least favourite out of the current 6 books, it just seemed a little more disconnected than her others; but I am really looking forward to the new release, Feverborn, which will come out in January.

I just started The Great White Space by Basil Copper, which is shaping up to be an excellent Lovecraftian story.

I finished The Copernicus Legacy: The Forbidden Stone (fantastic awesomeness X) ), and now I'm on to Kingdom Keepers (I think book one?), by Ridley Pearson.

For school I read Tolkien's "Farmer Giles of Ham" and "Leaf by Niggle."

I keep seeing The Copernicus Legacy, I should add them to my list. And I love Leaf by Niggle.

Just finished Atlantia. There's quite a bit about their religion in it, but I've come to take that like with anything in speculative fiction, so it didn't bother me. *shrug* Excellent writing and a beautiful story.

Now onto Heist Society by Ally Carter.

I finished Rip Van Winkle and a study book called Counter Culture. I am now most of the way through A Christmas Carol, and really hoping to find and read A Retrospect before too long.

I finished the Stevenson book, and a collection of stuff by A. A. Milne, and Wells' "The War of the Worlds". I'm reading "A Study of Ancient Egyptian Art" now.

A. A. Milne and "The War of the Worlds" That is an interesting combination. XD <3

I'm basically reading children's books right now, because it's what I can easily get my hands on and read in the limited amount of reading time I have. (I'm still chowing my way through Mistborn.) Just finished The Sign of the Cat, by Jynne Jonell. Sweet book.

I just read a non-fiction called The Last of the Tribe. Then I made the mistake of reading the first chapter of The Count of Monte Cristo when I meant to read Incidents of the US Christian Commission next. We'll see where that goes.

I just finished reading House by Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, and next I'm going to read Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Yeah, I guess it was. XD It was pretty easy to tell which one I was reading, which is not so much true when I am reading several political books or several research texts at once.

I am halfway finished with "Great Expectations", and I started Corrie ten Boom's "Prison Letters".

Have you read "Monte Cristo" before?

I'm currently reading Egnitheos (XD yay proofreading) and after that, I shall reread The Silmarillion.

Currently, I'm over halfway through Four by Veronica Roth. I'm liking it so far, as I get to see things from his perspective, rather than Tris's.

(Can we talk about that ending to Allegiant though?!?!?! For those of you who've read the Divergent series, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.)

I think there might be a Divergent thread, LiW. (Yep, here. viewtopic.php?f=20&t=8216 )

I started reading Incidents of the U.S. Christian Commission and it's already very neat. It's not fiction. I'm in the introduction that is describing the events that led up to the formation of a Christian Auxiliary for the military during the Civil War.

Thank you, Lady Kitra Skene! I'll have to look at it and vent my thoughts there.

After a very long break, I'm finally picking up "Mansfield Park" again, by Jane Austen. I enjoy her novels, for the most part, but this one I found to be tedious and difficult to get through. However, now that I've picked it up again, I find myself enjoying it!

I love Mansfield Park, I'm glad you're enjoying it now! Have you read Northanger Abbey also?

Sorry I missed your comment before, Mistress Kidh. I have not read The Count of Monte Cristo before, but I have heard good things about it from people I did not expect to find interested in classics. I hope to pick it up after the pile of books I need to read for Bible studies and work.

I've been reading Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer on and off at the church library when I've needed to wait for people, but I've taken it home and am finishing it in earnest this time. Gosh, I love C.S. Lewis.

Yes.

I loved Northanger Abbey! She really should have written more gothic style novels, because I loved it. There's just something about an old fashion spooky suspense novel that is appealing to me. What was your favorite novel by Jane Austen?

The Secret In St. Something
Barbara Brooks Wallace

Her books are the books of my childhood - not light and fluff... Just good stories.

I'm reading Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

Oliver Twist is good.

I'm reading book two of Chuck Black's War of the Realms trilogy, Rise of the Fallen. I'm really liking how he writes angels and heaven and God's complete and utter control over everything. :3

I am going to need some good reads later down the line, so I'm curious; what's Oliver Twist about?

It's about an orphan who seeks to live right even as the world treats him unfairly and the people around him try to force him into a life of crime.

That suddenly sounds like a modern thriller...

It is, a bit.

That sounds like something I could enjoy. Definitely putting it on my list.

I think I feel a rewrite coming on.

There's definitely potential there.

You guys are reading Oliver Twist and I'm over here finally having finished Castle Hangnail, a children's novel by Ursula Vernon. XD XD

Still working on Sanderson's Mistborn when I have the chance to use my Kindle.

Just started Stealing Magic, by Gail Carson Levine

Still working on Mere Christianity, by C. S. Lewis (bit by bit) as well as Manalive, by G. K. Chesterton.