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Books Do you read books?

Do you read books?

  • Several a year

    Votes: 28 87.5%
  • Rarely

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Never or Almost Never

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    32
  • Poll closed .
I read a lot. Probably about 80 books per year. Always physical books rather than on a e-reader.

It used to be mainly fiction but now I would estimate 75% non-fiction. History, biographies, popular science, and other genres.

I still read fiction for enjoyment between the more serious or mind-expanding books. One of my favourite reads recently has been the Bernie Gunther series by the late Philip Kerr. Philip Kerr | author of more than 30 books Wonderful writing and a great antihero figure.

Once I start a book I hardly ever give up before reaching the end. But I am in a very long hiatus from "The Bear Comes Home" The Bear Comes Home - Wikipedia which is about a saxophone-playing bear and features many real jazz figures.

I don't mind buying and reading secondhand books but have a real problem with getting rid of any books once I have read them.

Rhys
 
I love to read but sadly haven't had much time of late. I read hard or paperbacks and don't own a kindle though I have a kindle app on my phone I don't use it.

I rarely give up on a book but if I'm not too keen it can take a long time!

Jx
 
"Do you read books"?

Yes.
I also breathe, eat and sleep.
 
Quick enough not to have to add a further 3 Years to it :rofl:
Misread the digits. At first I put 17. I remember talking about it at work, and it's been a long time since I worked for a company. I left the last one in about 1990, I think. That was my first internet connection.
 
@randulo : 'posthuman technology' ? What is that ?
I heard the author, who has a professional computing and solid state background, interviewed on a podcast. I looked over the sample and thought it appeared worth a shot. It's about where we come from and where we are headed in computer to human brain interface. You may know Elon Musk is working on this. We're pretty far from there now, but science has made some very amazing leaps in understanding the brain. A lot of new research is being done with FMRI and such. I think this book will consider the ethics of future tech, such as genetic modifications and consciousness. Eventually, we will be able to communicate directly. Now we just have devices that can turn on the lights when you tell them to. :)
Despite a lot of weird bad things happening in the world, we live in an age of important discoveries in science and medicine. Human ethics do not seem to be catching up for the moment, but maybe in 100 years or so?
 
Every Day. History science and a few novels

most recent

The Celts Gerard Herm. History of origin and early Celtic peoples
Thinking Fast and Slow. Kahnemann
Berlin Diary - diary of US correspondent in 1934-40 Berlin
A Small Town in Germany Le Carre
 
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@randulo I make it a rule never, well rarely, to read a book after seeing the movie. Regards Al
I have no rules on this, but for me it would be more the opposite.
I remember seeing the movie "Dune", after I had read the books. I can understand how a movie can't capture everything that is in the book. But here they completely altered an essential part of the story and introduced things that were important in the movie and were completely absent in the book.
 
I have no rules on this, but for me it would be more the opposite.
I remember seeing the movie "Dune", after I had read the books. I can understand how a movie can't capture everything that is in the book. But here they completely altered an essential part of the story and introduced things that were important in the movie and were completely absent in the book.

Books and movies don’t mix? ( Unless it’s a BBC period adaptation)

Regards Al
 
Every Day. History science and a few novels

most recent

The Celts Gerard Herm. History of origin and early Celtic peoples
Thinking Fast and Slow. Kahnemann
Berlin Diary - diary of US correspondent in 1934-40 Berlin
A Small Town in Germany Le Carre

If you're on a German/Berlin run, you may be interested by Hand Fallada's Every man dies alone. I found it rather interesting as we rarely read about the German 'resistance' to the Nazis.
 
It's an interesting question these days as we tend to move away from that media.

I was not a reader as a kid to my parents despair. My dad was a big reader and was very sad by the end of his life as his ARMD prevented him to read as efficiently as he used to.

I started to read as I travelled. It was a great way to spend time in planes, trains or hotels...

I still do, but not as much as I should. I've been exploring some musicians' biographies like Miles Davis, Nina Simone, a few others and now Thelonious Monk. Other than that, history, science and fiction.

Probably my first English read was Patrick O'Brian's series of books that I found while I was about to use the Eurotunnel for the first time. I struggled a bit initially, but then I loved it. I miss that time, when I travelled to the uk and spent my evenings in the pub reading. I had a room there, so it was rather convenient.
 
I heard it's a complicated read.

Have you ever tried "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco? If you think Name of the Rose is complicated, try it. I did twice and never made it through. It quite simply is a big boast of his knowledge of secret societies. It is a big show off and nothing else. You guess it, I throroughly dislike the book while I had much fune reading Name of the rose. I have not yet met somebody who liked it.

If you want to try something a bit surreal try Haruki Murakami eg Hardboiled Wonderland. Currently reading Kafka on the Shore.

Alphorn
 
If you want to try something a bit surreal try Haruki Murakami eg Hardboiled Wonderland. Currently reading Kafka on the Shore.
Alphorn

I've got a copy of 'Norwegian Wood' I've never got round to reading.

As for complicated, dense books, there was a time I would have done my best to work my way through a heavy impenetrable tome, but my patience for that kind of thing has weakened over the Years, I'm afraid.
 
Prefer books to film. Books drive the imagination . Films send me to sleep.
 
If you're on a German/Berlin run, you may be interested by Hand Fallada's Every man dies alone. I found it rather interesting as we rarely read about the German 'resistance' to the Nazis.
There is a very good film of that which I saw a few months ago on TV.
For the years pre war to post war in Germany there is 'The Tin Drum' by Gunter Grass.
 
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