What book are you reading - and would you recommend or advise against someone reading it?

Sometimes when I am reading a book I want to tell everyone about it and persuade them to read it themselves. With other books I feel like warning people, "Stop! Do not waste your time!"

I used to feel some sort of obligation to finish a book once I had started reading. I continued to give it a chance all the way up to the last page (often tossing the book across the room in disgust). As I have gotten older, I realize that life is too short for bad literature (or nonfiction, biography, poetry, whatever). I will still let an author take some time to hook me on his or her story, but after a fair amount of pages, a decision has to be made.

So here's what I am currently reading, and I am going to give it a hearty recommendation:

The Last Bookaneer, a novel by Matthew Pearl.

Taking place in 19th Century England, America, and Samoa, and featuring a cast of amazing characters that even includes Robert Louis Stevenson, this book makes you re-think your ereader and rekindles your love for paper, hardcover and leather bound books.

Check it out and let me know what you think.

Ok, what are you reading? Good, bad, ugly?