What are you currently reading?

[Dave1442397]

I can buy an e-book upon publication, but if the author makes a change to it for a later publication, the original version is lost. Since I only own "access" to the book, the subsequent changes are all that I will own access to: I would own access to the version someone else wants me to have. An example would be the book American Sniper. A friend of mine bought the ebook when it came out and it had the section "Punching out Scruffy Face" in it about Kyle confronting Jesse Ventura in a bar. But subsequent printings of the book don't have that section in it since Ventura won his defamation lawsuit. My friend was PISSED when he found out that his ebook version no longer had that section in it.

I always, always download my e-book purchases to both my kindle and my hard drive. That way, any updates I don't want can be ignored. I keep the version I want in my Calibre library.

By the way, if your friend wants a copy of American Sniper with that chapter included, I can send it to you and/or him.

PUNCHING OUT SCRUFF FACE
After the funeral we went to a local bar for the wake proper.
As always, there were a bunch of different things going on at our favorite nightspot, including a small party for some older SEALs and UDT members who were celebrating the anniversary of their graduation. Among them was a celebrity I’ll call Scruff Face.
Scruff served in the military; most people seem to believe he was a SEAL. As far as I know, he was in the service during the Vietnam conflict but not actually in the war.
I was sitting there with Ryan and told him that Scruff was holding court with some of his buddies.
“I’d really like to meet him,” Ryan said.
“Sure.” I got up and went over to Scruff and introduced myself. “Mr. Scruff Face, I have a young SEAL over here who’s just come back from Iraq. He’s been injured but he’d really like to meet you.”
Well, Scruff kind of blew us off. Still, Ryan really wanted to meet him, so I brought him over. Scruff acted like he couldn’t be bothered.
All right.
We went back over to our side of the bar and had a few more drinks. In the meantime, Scruff started running his mouth about the war and everything and anything he could connect to it. President Bush was an asshole. We were only over there because Bush wanted to show up his father. We were doing the wrong thing, killing men and women and children and murdering.
And on and on. Scruff said he hates America and that’s why he moved to Baja California. 9/11 was a conspiracy.
And on and on some more.
The guys were getting upset. Finally, I went over and tried to get him to cool it.
“We’re all here in mourning,” I told him. “Can you just cool it? Keep it down.”
“You deserve to lose a few,” he told me.
Then he bowed up as if to belt me one.
I was uncharacteristically level-headed at that moment.
“Look,” I told him, “why don’t we just step away from each other and go on our way?”
Scruff bowed up again. This time he swung.
Being level-headed and calm can last only so long. I laid him out.
Tables flew. Stuff happened. Scruff Face ended up on the floor.
I left.
Quickly.
I have no way of knowing for sure, but rumor has it he showed up at the BUD/S graduation with a black eye.

[srboone]

There's always a way around things like that. And he does that too. Now. (He's got his Scruffy face copy back). It still makes me feel an e-reader is a waste of time and money, though. And after reading "Ur" by King, I'm still on the negative side of e-reading!

Some people just aren't into tech gadgets.

[frik51]

There are just a handful of authors I buy, and read unconditionally.
This is one of them:

[srboone]

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. Winner of the inaugural International Fantasy Award in 1951 (The Lord of the Rings won the last IFA in 1957) and acknowledged by King as an inspiration for The Stand.

[mhatchett]

One of the very best "End of the World as we know it" books.

[bsaenz24]

There are just a handful of authors I buy, and read unconditionally.
This is one of them:

I think I've heard of him.

[ajw2910]

Just finished Stephen King's "Bazaar of Bad Dreams" and Michael Connelly's "The Crossing" and currently reading Jeff Strand's "Wolf Hunt 2".

[Theli]

I still need to pick up King's Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Though I have already read the odd short from it upon publication, I'm actually quite excited to dive into it when I get the chance.

I'm currently reading Joe Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, and quite enjoying it. I polished off a couple novels since last updating here, Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter, Gordon Dickson's The Dragon and the George, and Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind. All of which I enjoyed to varying degrees. Really in a fantasy mood these days, and it's been years since I've had that itch.

I also picked up and put down a couple books, Tom Robbins' Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas, which was just crap all around. And I'm taking a break from Ben Okri's the Famished Road, which I'm finding a bit too depressing for my present reading mood. Though I will pick it up again.

Edit: Also read my first John Steinbeck novel since high school (read Of Mice and Men back then, I remember enjoying it and bits and pieces of it, but little else). I picked up Steinbeck's novella Cannery Row and absolutely loved it. An emotional ride filled with relatable if not necessarily 100% realistic characters. At times hilarious, at others sad, sometimes both at the same time. great writing.

[jigertz]

Slade House, by David Mitchell. I'm more than half way through and still can't decide my feelings for it. Also reading The Bazaar of Bad Dreams (of course). And I recently finished The Acolyte, by Nick Cutter. Cutter is a really great, fun writer. It sure would be great if CD looked into limiteds of his books (and he has another one coming out soon).

[Lincoln]

Finished 'Cold Moon Over Babylon', by Michael McDowell, and it was sublime. A very satisfying read. McDowell was such a great writer. I've now read three of his novels, and they've all been excellent.
Next up...I'm not sure. Possibly 'The Stand', for only the second time. Read it way back in the late 80's, remember almost nothing about it.

[bugen]

Lincoln you might really like McDowell's multi-generational Blackwater series. I thought they were awesome, mixing horror and drama into a family saga, and by the 6th and final book I was so invested it was tough to let go.

Of course, you can't really go wrong with The Stand either.

[Lincoln]

Funny you should say that, bugen - the two volume hardcover of 'Blackwater' was waiting for me when I arrived home tonight. I believe it's excellent, and seems to be popular with McDowell fans. I think I'll read it over Xmas, when I have some time off.

[Lincoln]

Decided on 'The Stand', and 100 pages in, I'm finding it completely absorbing and mesmerising. The short chapter that follows different people as they catch and pass on 'Captain Trips' is amazing. Simple, but amazing.

[Brian861]

Excellent choice, Lincoln! Absolutely my most favorite book of all time and one of a few I've read more than once.

[srboone]

Decided on 'The Stand', and 100 pages in, I'm finding it completely absorbing and mesmerising. The short chapter that follows different people as they catch and pass on 'Captain Trips' is amazing. Simple, but amazing.

Fine choice! You said you hadn't read it since the 80s, which tells me you read the original version. I hope that's the one you're reading and not the awful 1990s version.

*****