Author Topic: What books are you reading? (Read 1,140,538 times)

Paul Keith · « **Reply #350 on:** September 10, 2012, 04:06 AM »

Nothing notable. Just like the cover.

iphigenie · « **Reply #351 on:** September 10, 2012, 07:16 AM »

Aliette de Bodard's trilogy - I read it on ebook (direct from angryrobot) but I think I'll get the book so I can lend it and make R read it

Fantasy but in a non euro-medieval setting. Really got me, and I am picky and jaded when it comes to fantasy or magical realism. It feels truly different - very different type of belief system and society - and the books are structured as detective stories as much as heroic fantasy

http://aliettedebodard.com/bibliography/novels/

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PS: her blog also lists science fiction, learning vietnamese and vietnamese/chinese cooking, and maths.

rjbull · « **Reply #352 on:** September 10, 2012, 08:28 PM »

Quote from: iphigenie on September 10, 2012, 07:16 AM

Fantasy but in a non euro-medieval setting. Really got me, and I am picky and jaded when it comes to fantasy or magical realism.

There are some good fantasy series set in pseudo-mediaeval, pseudo-North European milieus, but it's been done to death. It's a refreshing change to find something different, so thanks for that one.

FWIW, authors of fantasies that I've enjoyed, who set their works in relatively unusual worlds, include Sarah Ash, Garth Nix, Caroline Stevermer, Michael Marshall Smith, Steph Swainston, Naomi Novik, P.C. Hodgell, Chris Wooding, Jonathan Stroud, Marcus Sedgwick, Jan Siegel/Amanda Hemingway, Chris Wooding, and D.M. Cornish.

iphigenie · « **Reply #353 on:** September 12, 2012, 10:25 AM »

Quote from: rjbull on September 10, 2012, 08:28 PM

Quote from: iphigenie on September 10, 2012, 07:16 AM
Fantasy but in a non euro-medieval setting. Really got me, and I am picky and jaded when it comes to fantasy or magical realism.
There are some good fantasy series set in pseudo-mediaeval, pseudo-North European milieus, but it's been done to death. It's a refreshing change to find something different, so thanks for that one.

FWIW, authors of fantasies that I've enjoyed, who set their works in relatively unusual worlds, include Sarah Ash, Garth Nix, Caroline Stevermer, Michael Marshall Smith, Steph Swainston, Naomi Novik, P.C. Hodgell, Chris Wooding, Jonathan Stroud, Marcus Sedgwick, Jan Siegel/Amanda Hemingway, and Chris Wooding.

Enough names I recognise to suggest you will indeed enjoy these books.

And I notice I managed in my writing and rewriting of those 3 lines to loose the bit that says that the setting is pre-european-invasion Mexico (with huge liberties taken, of course).

Other books/series in the fantasy vein enjoyed recently:

Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Shadows of the Apt. The premise doesn't quite work if you think too much about it, but if you don't try to imagine "how would this world have happened" and go with the flow, it's extremely enjoyable. The clash of civilisation models, industrial revolution and the fact that the characters are not simple good/evil but have understandable motivations and conflicts of loyalties. Also, he has no qualms killing characters so this keeps you on your toes when reading.

The Inheritance Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin - very mythological/ancient epic feeling, kind of weird, About geopolitics, change, gods and mortals and their relationship. It all feels both familiar and alien and utterly fresh - although I don't think this format will work for more than a few books.

mahesh2k · « **Reply #354 on:** September 12, 2012, 12:44 PM »

Building Wordpress Themes from Scratch - Joe casabona

Not a good book. I personally think of it as waste of time because they focused on un-necessary things instead of putting things the easy way.

40hz · « **Reply #355 on:** September 12, 2012, 03:17 PM »

^I've been dorking with Que's WordPress In Depth the last few weeks.

Be forewarned - it isn't.

I'd call it more like "WordPress for the clueless." And I'm very disappointed since most of the In Depth titles have been quite good in the past.

This book feels disorganized. But that may well be because WordPress itself is rather disorganized - besides being mostly written in pHp - which (from my admittedly limited experience with it so far) has to be the single most sloppy, poorly implemented, and sprawling of any scripting language.

There's nothing in this book you couldn't get by looking around online or reading the official Codex.

Not recommended.

kyrathaba · « **Reply #356 on:** September 22, 2012, 02:20 PM »

Quote

pHp - which (from my admittedly limited experience with it so far) has to be the single most sloppy, poorly implemented, and sprawling of any scripting language.

+1. When I used PHP for my online Hangman Scoreboard in NANY 2011, it was nightmarish. I kept thinking, I am just so novice a coder that this stuff seems difficult, or is this stuff that ugly?

40hz · « **Reply #357 on:** September 22, 2012, 09:14 PM »

^thx for that. Any time I have a real conceptual or design issue with a language I always worry it's probably just me.

mahesh2k · « **Reply #358 on:** September 22, 2012, 11:34 PM »

Ironically it is the only thing that gets things done quickly. Look at all the forum, blog and portal software coded in php.

Python, ASP and ROR are horribly slow and complicated for novice people to deploy. Just want to say whatever you to learn, avoid sitepoint and wrox books, hardly anything to be learned from these books.

Reading a lot about GIT by the way. I have to use the learned stuff on some fork from github.

kyrathaba · « **Reply #359 on:** September 23, 2012, 12:25 AM »

Since we seem to have gotten off on programming languages, here's my pipedream: a freeware software writing IDE that has the elegance of C# with its breadth of functions, produces fairly compact executables that are truly portable (such as with AutoIt).

rjbull · « **Reply #360 on:** September 23, 2012, 03:19 PM »

Quote from: kyrathaba on September 23, 2012, 12:25 AM

my pipedream: a freeware software writing IDE that has the elegance of C#

Isn't that called a mouser?

kyrathaba · « **Reply #361 on:** September 23, 2012, 11:07 PM »

I've put up the thirty books I've read thus far in 2012 here in GoodReads, along with a brief review of each. I'll put up past years' reads, as time allows...

40hz · « **Reply #362 on:** September 24, 2012, 03:17 PM »

Just recently finished Leonardo Lospennato's book Electric Guitar & Bass Design.

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superboyac · « **Reply #363 on:** September 24, 2012, 03:35 PM »

^^I wonder how hard it would be to build a big boy double bass (4/4 ?). The kind the old school big band bassists would pluck for Basie back in the 40s. The Ray Brown bass...I've heard his was called "the Truck". These cigar box guys are doing amazing things. There's even a guy attempting to build a grand piano?? crazy.

I'm having a very difficult time finding anybody playing the big ray brown bass around here.

40hz · « **Reply #364 on:** September 24, 2012, 03:58 PM »

^Difficult. Carving any sort of archtop is tough, as is bending sides.

If you don't care what it looks like however, workable upright basses can be built much more easily and cheaply by getting just a little...um...creative?

40hz · « **Reply #365 on:** September 24, 2012, 04:04 PM »

Quote from: superboyac on September 24, 2012, 03:35 PM

I'm having a very difficult time finding anybody playing the big ray brown bass around here.

You might have better luck if you'd guarantee the player a roadie plus convenient free transportation for the thing.

Time was (maybe still is) when you booked a union musician for double bass they'd get a "portage" fee along with the appearance money. I think that started when people finally realized you couldn't bring a bass onto a subway car so bassists who were packing the "doghouse" needed to call a cab to get them to the clubs they were playing at. Or at least they did if they wanted to arrive with their instrument in one piece.

FWIW, the biggest I've ever schlepped was the 3/4 - and that was a royal pain in the butt getting places with. Even with a ride.

superboyac · « **Reply #366 on:** September 24, 2012, 05:28 PM »

Quote from: 40hz on September 24, 2012, 04:04 PM

Quote from: superboyac on September 24, 2012, 03:35 PM
I'm having a very difficult time finding anybody playing the big ray brown bass around here.

You might have better luck if you'd guarantee the player a roadie plus convenient free transportation for the thing.

Time was (maybe still is) when you booked a union musician for double bass they'd get a "portage" fee along with the appearance money. I think that started when people finally realized you couldn't bring a bass onto a subway car so bassists who were packing the "doghouse" needed to call a cab to get them to the clubs they were playing at. Or at least they did if they wanted to arrive with their instrument in one piece.

FWIW, the biggest I've ever schlepped was the 3/4 - and that was a royal pain in the butt getting places with. Even with a ride.

That's true. never considered that angle. yet another reason to buy one for myself and loan it to whoever gigs with me. Also lends itself to my idea of purchasing a used shitty van for gigs.

after i buy a grand piano, next i wanna buy a 4/4 bass and a gretsch-like drum kit. have everything ready for the right musician to come play. just bring your body.

Rover · « **Reply #367 on:** October 07, 2012, 11:35 PM »

The Galactic Football League books by Scott Sigler are a lot of fun. See all of his work here.

I just started reading the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson.

The Discworld Series is a lot of fun too.

joiwind · « **Reply #368 on:** October 08, 2012, 04:53 PM »

Just began The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt - a marvel, but perhaps not to everyone's taste.

Renegade · « **Reply #369 on:** October 11, 2012, 02:36 PM »

Reading a new book that's utterly gripping! (Seriously.) It just came in the mail yesterday!

(Found a great deal on it from a UK distributor.)

http://www.pocketref.com/merchant.ihtml?pid=321&lastcatid=218&step=4

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Table of Contents

PocketRef
Table of Contents
Preface and Personal Information

Trade Names, Trade Marks, and References

Air and Gases
Composition of Air
Physical Properties of Air
Densities of Gases
Standard Atmosphere Definition
General Gas Laws &Formulas
Density of Moist Air
Elevation vs. Air & Water Properties
Dry Air Specific Heat & Sound Velocity at 1 Atmosphere for Various Temperatures
Dry Air Specific Heat at 20°C Constant Temperature and Various Pressures
Air Tool CFM & PSI Requirements
CFM vs. PSI for Various Nozzle Sizes
Air Hose Friction & Pressure Loss
Air Line Recommended Sizes
Air Receiver Capacities
Air Pollution Safe Limits

Automotive
Antifreeze Table
Spark Plug Spark Plug
Lead-Acid Battery Specific Gravity/Charge
Oil Viscosity vs. Temperature
Auto Headlight Warning
Automotive Air Conditioning
Automotive Electric Wiring
Tire Size vs. Load Rating
Tire Manufacturer Codes
Tire Size Coding
Load Range vs. Ply Rating
Automotive Formulas

Carpentry and Construction
Softwood Lumber Sizes
Softwood Lumber Grading
Hardwood Lumber Size and Grade
Wood Moisture Content
Plywood & Panel Grading
Wood Characteristics
Insulation Value of Materials
Maximum Floor Joist Spans
Strength of Wood Beams
Wood Gluing Characteristics
Concrete
Mortar

Chemistry and Physics
Element Tables
Element Properties
Periodic Table of the Elements
pH of Common Acids
pH of Common Bases
pH Indicators
Elementary Particles
Radioisotope Half Lives
Uranium-238 Decay Series
Galvanic Series of Metals in Seawater
Computers
Computer ASCII Codes
IBM PC Memory Map
IBM PC Hardware Interrupts
Serial Ports
DMA Channels
Megabytes and Kilobytes

Constants - Physical, Chemical and Math
Electrical - Wire, Motors and Frames
Copper Wire Current Capacity
Ampacity vs. Temperature Correction
Copper Wire Current Capacity (3 wire)
Standard Lamp & Extension Cord Current Capacities
Aluminum Wire Amp Capacity
Ampacity vs. Temp. Correction (Al)
Aluminum Wire Amp Capacity (3 wire)
Current Adjustment for more than 3 Wires in a Cable
Copper Wire Resistance
Standard Copper Wire Specs
Wire Classes & Insulation
Standard Wire Color Codes
Wire Size vs. Voltage Drop
Conduit Size vs. Wire Size
Box Size vs. Number of Wires
Average Electric Motor Specs
NEMA Electric Motor Frames
NEMA Electric Enclosure Types
DC Motor Wiring Specs
3 Phase Electric Motor Specs
HP vs. Torque vs. RPM for Motors

Electronics
Resistor Color Codes
Resistor Standard Values
Capacitor Color Codes
Capacitor Standard Values
Pilot Lamp Specs
Fuses - Small Tube Type
Battery Characteristics
Batteries - Standard Sizes
RF Coil Winding Data
Wire Size vs. Number of Turns/Inch
Decibels vs. Voltage & Power Ratios
Formulas for Electricity

General Information
Holidays
Season & Clock Dates
Signs of the zodiac
Flowers for each Month
Birthstones
Anniversary Names
Paper Sizes
English - Greek Alphabet
Radio Alphabet
Morse Code
"Ten" Radio Codes
Military Rank and Grade
State Information
Climate Data in U.S. Cities
Time Zones in the US
Time Zones in the World
Telephone Area Codes by Location
Telephone Area Codes by Area Code
Airports in the USA with Elevation, Codes, City Populations and Airport Name
Major World Airports & Elevations
Airline Two Letter Codes
Airline 1-800 Phone Numbers
Lost Credit Card Phone Numbers

General Science
Temperature Conversions °F-°C
Sound Intensities
Human Body Composition
Body Weight vs. Height
Physical Growth % - Boys
Physical Growth %$- Girls
Acceleration Due to Gravity
Beaufort Wind Strength Scale
Wind Chill Factors
Heat - Humidity Factors
Firewood/Fuel Heat Comparisons
Frequency Spectrum
Sun and Planetary Data

Geology
Mineral Table Abbreviations
Mineral Tables
Element to Oxide Conversions
Minerals Sorted by Density
Minerals Sorted by Hardness
Metal Content of Minerals

Geology (cont.)
Distinct Color Minerals
Mineral Crystal System
Minor Elements in Sedimentary Rocks
Minor Elements in Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rock Classification
Igneous Rock Classes by Color
Sedimentary Rock Classes
Metamorphic Rock Classes
Geochemical Lower Detection Limits
Mohs Scale of Hardness
Particle Size Descriptions
Richter & Mercali Earthquake Scales
Core Drill Specs
Geologic Time Scale

Glue, Solvents, Paints and Finishes
Glue Types and Applications
Common Solvents
Paints and Finishes

Hardware
Bolt Torque Specs (Inch)
Effect of Lubrication on Torque Rating
Bolt Torque Specs (Metric)
Bolt Torque Specs (Whitworth Std)
Wood Screw Specifications
Wood Screw Number vs. Screw Length
Sheet Metal Screw Specs
Pictures of Screw Heads
Cable Clamps for Wire Rope
Nails
Pictures of Nail Types

Math
Numeric Prefixes
Roman Numerals
Convert Inch-Foot-mm-Drill #
Squares, Cubes and Roots
Degrees, Radians, and Trig Functions
Log, Log e, Circumference, & Circle Area
Right Triangle Formulas
Oblique Triangle Formulas
Plane Figure Formulas
Solid Figure Formulas

Mine, Mill and Aggregate
Standard Sieve Series
Mineral Dressing Sizing Scale
Stockpile Volume and Weight
Material Dumping Angles
Rock Bulking Factors
Length of Conveyor Belt in a Roll
Conveyor Slope Angle Maximums
Conveyor Capacities
Conveyor Horsepower vs. Load
Jaw Crusher Horsepower vs. Tons/Hour

Money
Currency Exchange Rates
Discount Factors for Net Present Value
Simple Interest
Compound Interest
Numbered Days of the Year

Plumbing and Pipe
Copper Pipe and Tubing
Plastic Pipe
Steel Pipe
Steel Pipe Formulas
Steel Pipe - Pressure Ratings of Sch 40
Rope, Cable and Chain
Rope (poly, nylon, manila)
Wire Rope
Chain
Feet of Cable or Rope on a Reel
Pull Angle vs. Strength Loss

Steel and Metals
Steel Wire Gauges
Steel Sheet Gauges
Steel Plate Sizes
Wire and Sheet Specifications
Channel Steel
Angle Steel
Tee Steel
Round Bar Steel
Square Bar Steel
Hexagonal Bar Steel
Octagonal Bar Steel
Flat Steel
Square Steel Tubing
Rectangular Steel Tubing
Round Steel Tubing
Aluminum Types

Surveying and Mapping
Percent Grade to Degrees
Stadia Table
Formulas to Create Stadia Table
Mapping Scales and Areas
Apparent Dip Table
Three Point Problem
Magnetic Declination Map

Tools
American National Taps and Dies
Metric Taps and Dies
British Taps and Dies
British Association Standard Thread
American Standard Taper Pipe Thread
American Standard Straight Pipe Thread
Drill and Cutting Lubricants
Drill Speed vs. Material
File Extinguishers
Sandpaper and Abrasives
Saws
Power Circular Hand Saws
Saber Saws
Capacities of Hydraulic Rams in Tons

Water
Friction Loss in Various Pipe
Friction Loss Tables
Friction Loss in Fittings
Suction, Head & Vapor Press vs. Altitude
Horizontal Pipe Discharge
Nozzle Discharge
Vertical Pipe Discharge
Weir Discharge Volumes
Horizontal Cylinder Fillage
Steam Table
Water Pollution
Water Hardness
Water Data & Formulas

Weights & Properties of Materials

Welding
Arc Electrodes - Mild Steel
Electrode Amperages
Electrodes - Low Allow Steel
Electrodes - Stainless Steel
Electrode Brand Conversion (Steel)
Gas Welding Rods
Welding Gases
Hard and Soft Solder Alloys
Solder Flux
Tempering Color for Steel

Conversion Tables

Perpetual Calendar

Index

Notes - Blank Pages and Rulers

YAY~!

Reading all about the characteristics of lumber right now~!

(Really - this is a fun read!)

superboyac · « **Reply #370 on:** October 11, 2012, 02:49 PM »

^^That sounds like a GREAT read! I'm going to get it.

Renegade · « **Reply #371 on:** October 14, 2012, 03:00 AM »

Quote from: superboyac on October 11, 2012, 02:49 PM

^^That sounds like a GREAT read! I'm going to get it.

There are some tables that I get to and just have no clue about how to read them. But hey, it at least teaches me about just how ignorant I am, so that I know what I'm ignorant of, which gives me the chance to actually learn more about it.

sword · « **Reply #372 on:** October 18, 2012, 08:59 PM »

Dead Funny: Telling Jokes in Hitler's Germany / Rudolph Herzog, Melville House Publishing, July 2012 www.mhpbooks.com

40hz · « **Reply #373 on:** October 18, 2012, 10:55 PM »

Guitar Tone: Pursuing the Ultimate Guitar Sound by Mitch Gallagher of Sweetwater Sound.

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TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #374 on:** October 19, 2012, 04:35 PM »

Due to my upcoming move, I might soon have a few major updates here. I am going to attempt to inventory my sizable book collection as the prelim stage to paring it down. Basically only fatigue and my usual problems focusing stand in my way ... Ooh look, a new DC post!

Edit: Miles' new widget over in the Transpose thread is proving to be insanely useful as I am trying to type some 400 authors and titles and all my typos are like 4-7 characters deep. : )