It's been my experience that writers also love to read. I know I do. I've always been a pretty slow reader, so have not taken the time to read a lot of the classics in my misspent youth. But lately, I've been checking out unabridged books on audio CD from my library to listen to while I do my treadmill exercise. It works out great! So far I've read The Odyssey by Homer, O Pioneers by Willa Cather, A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks (not a classic), and Anthem by Ayn Rand. I liked them all but really enjoyed O Pioneers and Anthem. I write a lot of SF where folks are settling new worlds, and O Pioneers was good food for thought. Reminded me of Giants In the Earth by Olga Edvart Rolvaagt which I read way back in my high school days before they invented electricity. And Anthem must be so deeply embedded into the psychic of the SF genre that even though I had never read it, it felt like I had, the themes were so familiar. I hope they have some more of Ayn Rand on CD at my library, I'll definitely read them. If not, I may just go out and buy the book. Speaking of books, my latest actual read (with a physical book) was Antartica, by Kim Stanley Robinson. I liked it a lot. I think KSR is one of the best SF authors out there, and never miss anything he puts out (though I have not read a lot of his early works). Anyway, I was just wondering what you all may have read lately. And if you all have any suggestions on classics I ought to catch up on. I need to do Moby Dick and Ivanhoe for sure. jon

Oh yeah, I forgot. I also did Hard Times by Charles Dickens on audio CD. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. jon

The book I'm reading now is "Top Dogs; Making it to Westminster." I don't read poetry or fiction very much these days (other then what's on the forum). Mostly I read boring books related to work (big yawn). I check out a wide range of audio CD's for my mother (who has macular degeneration) ... she's much better read than I am as a result. I used to ride the bus with someone who believed in the oral tradition of story telling. He disliked reading but preferred to listen to books, especially those read by the authors, because he felt that was how stories should be relayed. He was Irish in background. I always wondered if that had something to do with his preference.

I just read A Confederacy of Dunces for the second time and am now reading Futureland by Walter Mosley. I also have Antarctica and plan to read that next. I'd try the audio CDs, but I don't think the carpool would go for it.

I used to own an EP [Extended Play record: see how old I am!] of Dylan Thomas reading his own works. It was simply stunning. The man had the richest, most 'fruity' voice you could possibly imagine ... sadly somewhat at variance with his general appearance. It was little wonder that his reading/lecture tours were such a success. My copy was, unfortunately, 'borrowed' in my student days. I don't know whether this exists on CD, but if it does I can recommend it without reservation.

I would thoroughly recommend Joseph Conrads tiny little book "The End of the Tether." It is very short, but beautifully written. It's been at least fifteen years since I read it, but I still remember it now. Shanna :-)

I've been catching up on the classics. Read "Treasure Island," "The Time Machine," "Hunchback of Notre Dame," and Heinlein's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" last month. I got through about 80 pages of "Moby Dick" before work caught up with me and had to take it back to the library. As soon as I catch back up with work, I'll have to finish it.