What are you reading? (June 2013)

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ponpo said:
No one else reading new Tao Lin?

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I read one of his short stories in the fiction issue of VICE. I thought it was the most boring drivel I've ever read. It was based around a couple being really fucking bored, fighting outside galleries in Chelsea, and the "highlight" was them fighting over missing the exit to the IKEA in Red Hook.

Are his novels any different? As in exciting?
 
Osorio said:
I read one of his short stories in the fiction issue of VICE. I thought it was the most boring drivel I've ever read. It was based around a couple being really fucking bored, fighting outside galleries in Chelsea, and the "highlight" was them fighting over missing the exit to the IKEA in Red Hook.

Are his novels any different? As in exciting?
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Haha well it's very 'real' and pseudo autobiographical so if you found that stuff boring then you'd hate this for sure.
 
ponpo said:
Haha well it's very 'real' and pseudo autobiographical so if you found that stuff boring then you'd hate this for sure.
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If his life in Taiwan (I'm assuming that's what this is about) is more exciting than boring relationships in New York I'll give it a shot. I'm really trying to get behind contemporary fiction writers but they really gotta step it up a notch.
 
Speaking of Tao Lin, I got through this:

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I don't know if I have anything to say about it that hasn't already been discussed ad nauseum by, well, everyone. But it's the first piece of "alt lit" that I actually like. I didn't read it as memoir or any sort of creative nonfiction, but there's still a sort of honesty and universal truthiness to it that fascinated me, stemming from her tendency to lapse into a sort of stream of consciousness while getting fucked that made me feel like I was complicit in the act, only it's more of an emotional penetration that runs parallel to her physical debasement.
 
Osorio said:
If his life in Taiwan (I'm assuming that's what this is about) is more exciting than boring relationships in New York I'll give it a shot. I'm really trying to get behind contemporary fiction writers but they really gotta step it up a notch.
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I'm about 50% through the book and it's not really about life in Taiwan at all, though there is some of that.

I would say look up some excerpts and see. I like books about 'nothing' but I also like his prose style, which is way different in this book than others. I also find a lot of the 'nothingness' he's writing about to be funny sometimes. Random pages:

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Yeah, I posted the Taipei gif cover on the previous page. Just started the book after seeing him at his San Francisco event. His writing can definitely grate if you're not "with it." Dull is a good way to describe his non-plots. But if you're living in an urban area and feel a disconnect about the people around you and life in general, Tao Lin's writing may speak to you.

I also liked the offhanded way he describes seeing his girlfriend cross the street, thinking about how she likes Nirvana.
 
I think I'll put "Catch 22" on the backburner for a little while. Up to 46% and struggling so much lately, reading about 1% before I get a bit bored.
 
The White Rose by Glen Cook. ★★★★ - The conclusion of the first Black Company trilogy, and what a way to go out! This has been one of the most enjoyable series I've ever read. The plot itself is full of adventure and dark humor, but the characters are what make these books so special. The physician Croaker is way up there now on my list of favorite book protagonists.

Trying to decide my next read now. Maybe science fiction...
 
nimbus said:
Yeah, I posted the Taipei gif cover on the previous page. Just started the book after seeing him at his San Francisco event. His writing can definitely grate if you're not "with it." Dull is a good way to describe his non-plots. But if you're living in an urban area and feel a disconnect about the people around you and life in general, Tao Lin's writing may speak to you.

I also liked the offhanded way he describes seeing his girlfriend cross the street, thinking about how she likes Nirvana.
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Oops, so you did.

And yeah I guess how 'dull' it is makes it a lot more relatable. It's like writing for people who feel shitty about everything who want to feel even more shitty about everything. My type of novel.
 
i might have to check out tao lin. i love things about nothing and looking him up i see he titled a book richard yates which makes me curious as i adore richard yates.
 
Tragicomedy said:
The White Rose by Glen Cook. ★★★★ - The conclusion of the first Black Company trilogy, and what a way to go out! This has been one of the most enjoyable series I've ever read. The plot itself is full of adventure and dark humor, but the characters are what make these books so special. The physician Croaker is way up there now on my list of favorite book protagonists.

Trying to decide my next read now. Maybe science fiction...
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Glenn Cook is an amazing writer. If you like the characters in the Black Company books you should try the Garrett PI series. Amazing characters everywhere.
 
Amazon had advertised The Corpse Reader by Antonio Garrido on its front page banner. It sounded good so I borrowed it with Prime. It's a great whodunit set in medieval China and based on the life Song Ci considered the first forensic expert in china. I couldn't put it down and would have gladly paid the $3.99.
 
DagsJT said:
I think I'll put "Catch 22" on the backburner for a little while. Up to 46% and struggling so much lately, reading about 1% before I get a bit bored.
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I found this book to be an interesting idea regurgitated over and over and over and over and over...

It has some truly amazing parts, but I don't think you have to read it cover to cover.
 
Finished CyberStorm, overall I enjoyed it. The last 15% of the book are not that good compared to the other 85% before it, but still it was a pretty realistic take on an 'end of the world' scenario even if the answers at the end weren't that satisfying. 4/5

Now currently reading Nexus.

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Finished The Postman Always Rings Twice. This feels like a great dramatic play, albeit in prose and written as a novelette. It's quick enough to burn through when one finds the time, but powerful enough to last a long time, like good meat. Cain's going on my must-read list, fitting since I have Double Indemnity in my library. There are a lot of writing lessons I can learn from this man's work.

Next up in my crime-fiction run is The Killer Inside Me. I've seen Kubrick's The Killing and loved it, so this should be swell.
 
Just a heads up that Amazon has a bunch of 'thrillers' for $1.99 today. A lot of Ian Fleming books.

Dragoon En Regalia said:
Finished The Postman Always Rings Twice. This feels like a great dramatic play, albeit in prose and written as a novelette. It's quick enough to burn through when one finds the time, but powerful enough to last a long time, like good meat. Cain's going on my must-read list, fitting since I have Double Indemnity in my library. There are a lot of writing lessons I can learn from this man's work.
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These movies were just on TCM the other night. I've already seen Double Indemnity and its fantastic. And I started watching The Postman Always Rings Twice last night. Only about 20 minutes in so far and not too shabby so far. Lana Turner was a knockout.
 
Maklershed said:
Just a heads up that Amazon has a bunch of 'thrillers' for $1.99 today. A lot of Ian Fleming books.
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Any recommendations here? I figure it would be neat to read a Bond book finally, but I certainly don't care to get them all. lol

Error said:
Finished CyberStorm, overall I enjoyed it. The last 15% of the book are not that good compared to the other 85% before it, but still it was a pretty realistic take on an 'end of the world' scenario even if the answers at the end weren't that satisfying. 4/5

Now currently reading Nexus.
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About CyberStorm
The end dump of exposition I was dreading as well, but I did at least like the fact that everything felt very plausible, a perfect storm of events that lead to what went on. Very chilling, but yeah, I wish it just wasn't all done at once. Still loved it though.

Let me know what you think of Nexus, that's on my to-read list someday as well.
 
ShaneB said:
Any recommendations here? I figure it would be neat to read a Bond book finally, but I certainly don't care to get them all..
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Casino Royale is the first and a good starting point especially at that price. Might snag them all myself as I'd only read a few and would like to go through them all.
 
ShaneB said:
Any recommendations here? I figure it would be neat to read a Bond book finally, but I certainly don't care to get them all. lol



About CyberStorm
The end dump of exposition I was dreading as well, but I did at least like the fact that everything felt very plausible, a perfect storm of events that lead to what went on. Very chilling, but yeah, I wish it just wasn't all done at once. Still loved it though.

Let me know what you think of Nexus, that's on my to-read list someday as well.
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Sorry, never read a Bond book before.
 
ShaneB said:
Any recommendations here? I figure it would be neat to read a Bond book finally, but I certainly don't care to get them all. lol
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Narag said:
Casino Royale is the first and a good starting point especially at that price. Might snag them all myself as I'd only read a few and would like to go through them all.
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I read Casino Royale and it was pretty nice. I'd cautiously say that Bond movies (in general) are better though.
 
Thanks for the replies, maybe I'll pick up Casino Royale than, but maybe not since I'm not sure when I'll ever around to it. lol
 
Finished Strindberg's "A Dream Play". Very strange indeed. It feels "important" in a way, as if all the weird things that happen somehow tell "the truth". It's hard to explain, but the effect gave me goosebumps through many passages, even those I didn't really understand.

Anyway, on to Murakami's "1Q84", book 3. I have no idea how the story will continue, but I guess it somehow ends up with
Aomame and Tengo finally meeting each other.
 
Cyan said:
Huh, that's odd. The ending isn't really spoilable in the same way that Half-Blood Prince was. I mean, it'd take a good bit of explanation.
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To me it was, I was trying to go in the book with an innocent, pure mind, not having any assumptions about the end! =_=
 
So all I've ever really read is the Harry Potter series but watching Game of Thrones convinced me to start reading A Song of Ice and Fire (and buy a Kindle) and currently I'm on Clash of Kings and I'm really, really enjoying it. I think I'm going to read something else after this book (to avoid Westeros burn out!) but I have no idea where to start.

I'm not sure I want to start a new series of books so what can you guys recommend as an excellent, standalone novel? I wanted Jurassic Park but it's not on Kindle :(
 
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So I finished reading the Wool series by Hugh Howey and I thought they were pretty good. Personally it was one of those cases where I thought the book was much better when there was still mysterious shit going on as opposed to when we know everything and all that's left is resolution. I guess this is just personal preference though.

If anyone wants to read a post-pandemic style book though, I strongly recommend this series. It's short, but he manages to create a pretty detailed world within its pages.

The series is cheap as hell digitally too. $7 for all 5 books and the first one is actually free at the moment. No idea if it always is.
 
Book of the New Sun - Shadow and Claw

The first few chapters were too much jumpy, I didn't know what the hell I was reading. but it starts to make more sense when you get into it.
 
Wilester said:
So all I've ever really read is the Harry Potter series but watching Game of Thrones convinced me to start reading A Song of Ice and Fire (and buy a Kindle) and currently I'm on Clash of Kings and I'm really, really enjoying it. I think I'm going to read something else after this book (to avoid Westeros burn out!) but I have no idea where to start.

I'm not sure I want to start a new series of books so what can you guys recommend as an excellent, standalone novel? I wanted Jurassic Park but it's not on Kindle :(
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Just off the top of my head, based on what you've read already...

Try something by Stephen King. He writes a lot of standalone books, and for some reason I think his books might appeal to someone who enjoys George R. Martin's writing. I would recommend The Stand if you want to read something big and epic, or Salem's Lot if you would rather read something a little faster. If you end up liking his books, he's written a ton, so you'll have a lot of other things to consider reading in the future.

Also, considering you were thinking about reading a Crichton book, you might think about reading something by Dean R. Koontz... He writes a lot of current-day Science fiction that is somewhat similar to Crichton's work, though Koontz's work tends to be more in the sci-horror realm. His quality varies a lot, but like Stephen King, he's written a gazillion books, and most of them are standalone. Watchers and Phantoms are both excellent choices from what most consider to be his peak period.
 
ShaneB said:
Any recommendations here? I figure it would be neat to read a Bond book finally, but I certainly don't care to get them all. lol
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Doctor No was fun, kitschy read. Really, all the Ian Flemings have a similar flavour, so anyone of them would be fine.
 
Oomikami said:
Finally got around to buying this:



Only read a few pages so far...I was spoiled the ending by my father so not too happy about that.
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Funnily enough, I don't even remember the ending, or most of the book for that matter. I do remember all the other Harry Potter books with lots of detail, but this one just didn't leave anything in my memory. I remember not really liking it for some reason, too. It's also the only HP book I never reread (although I didn't reread any of the books since the last one came out, which was a whopping six years ago).
 
Tenrius said:
Funnily enough, I don't even remember the ending, or most of the book for that matter. I do remember all the other Harry Potter books with lots of detail, but this one just didn't leave anything in my memory. I remember not really liking it for some reason, too. It's also the only HP book I never reread (although I didn't reread any of the books since the last one came out, which was a whopping six years ago).
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Are you me?
I've read the final book maybe twice (once in English, once in Finnish) but afterwards, i haven't read any of the books again. Kinda killed my interest.
And i didn't like the seventh book very much.
 
Woorloog said:
Are you me?
I've read the final book maybe twice (once in English, once in Finnish) but afterwards, i haven't read any of the books again. Kinda killed my interest.
And i didn't like the seventh book very much.
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It's cause rowling made the mistake of thinking harry was the main draw when it was actually the worldbuilding/ hogwarts.
 
Oomikami said:
Finally got around to buying this:



Only read a few pages so far...I was spoiled the ending by my father so not too happy about that.
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I assume you got spoiled about the end of book 6 long before you read it.

How did you avoid hearing anything about the end till that point? I mean the movie and everything when it came out were everywhere.
 
Woorloog said:
Are you me?
I've read the final book maybe twice (once in English, once in Finnish) but afterwards, i haven't read any of the books again. Kinda killed my interest.
And i didn't like the seventh book very much.
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Can't say my interest was killed altogether, I still have a lot of fondness for Harry Potter and I'm actually planning a grand reread in the near future. Just went out of the loop for a while.
 
Victarion said:
Book of the New Sun - Shadow and Claw

The first few chapters were too much jumpy, I didn't know what the hell I was reading. but it starts to make more sense when you get into it.
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Welcome to the fold. :)

Wilester said:
I'm not sure I want to start a new series of books so what can you guys recommend as an excellent, standalone novel? I wanted Jurassic Park but it's not on Kindle :(
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What genres are you interested in? Here are a few science fiction / fantasy (ish) suggestions:

  • The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle
  • The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman
  • Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
  • The Left Hand of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin
  • The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin
  • A Canticle for Liebowitz, by Walter M. Miller
  • The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien
  • The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship Of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente
  • The Once and Future King, by T.H. White

Some of them have sequels or are parts of larger constellations of works (e.g. Tolkien, LeGuin's Hainish Cycle), but ... whatever. They still work as standalone books.
 
Cheebo said:
I assume you got spoiled about the end of book 6 long before you read it.

How did you avoid hearing anything about the end till that point? I mean the movie and everything when it came out were everywhere.
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Yup...I remember IGN spoiled the damn ending to book 6....Before I even read the dang book!

Well...I kinda walked away from my friends and cousins when they talked about it...I've honestly been meaning to buy the book, but when I got to college, my passion for reading dropped till recently. In college I didn't really meet many like minded people my age or race for that matter. And I pretty much stayed in my dorm for majority of the 2 and a half years I was there. So yeah...The only reason I got spoiled the ending of book 7, was my dad, who promised me he wouldn't watch the last movie till I read it, finally got fed up being patient and watched it in front of me. I accidently looked up and saw crucial scenes of the ending...It really wasn't the ending I expected...at all =_=
Spoilers to Deathly Hallows:
I thought Harry would die!...ah well.
 
TheKaeptain said:
I got $29 dollars in iTunes credit left and I want to buy some books. What are the best books under $10?
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Judging by your screen name you're a 9er fan? If you like football with a little sci-fi, The GFL series by Scott Sigler is great. There's 4 lengthy books for about $5 each. First one is The Rookie.



Anyway, received this as a gift and decided to start it.


Rush by Eve Silver
 
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