K
kittens
Unconfirmed Member
Corny cover art, but crucual content.
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What are you reading? (April 2013)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Corny cover art, but crucual content.
I feel bad that I'd not read Proulx before this. Some incredible prose in the stories, themselves full of . . . brutality? Beauty? Their starkness reminds me of McCarthy, but without slipping out of the conventions of grammar or straying into self-parody. The writing is just so good.
"Brokeback Mountain" is probably the most famous story here, but both the beginning and the end of "People in Hell Just Want a Drink of Water" blew me away.
Deified Data
Banned
About a quarter way through this. It's a slow-build, definitely, but the eeriness is there in droves.
Finished The Three Musketeers.
Very enjoyable once it got going, but it was a bit of a slog for the first quarter or so. I have somehow made it 30 years without ever seeing a movie adaption of this so I really had no idea what I was in for as far as plot. The whole finale with Milady was fantastic. So yeah, great book but not even in the same league as The Count of Monte Cristo.
Has anyone read Twenty Years After? Is it worth reading?
Next up:
Then I may take up reading something light published in the last 100 years. Maybe with vampires
Very enjoyable once it got going, but it was a bit of a slog for the first quarter or so. I have somehow made it 30 years without ever seeing a movie adaption of this so I really had no idea what I was in for as far as plot. The whole finale with Milady was fantastic. So yeah, great book but not even in the same league as The Count of Monte Cristo.
Has anyone read Twenty Years After? Is it worth reading?
Next up:
Then I may take up reading something light published in the last 100 years. Maybe with vampires
the_jiggler
Neo Member
Currently working on Cloud Atlas. I thought the movie was cool but I had heard the book makes more sense. I think it's pretty good so far.
I think that GoodReads.com gives much better recommendations, but you do have to take the time to input what you've read. You then get multiple recommendations per genre of book that you have read. The recommendations also show why it was recommended based on what previous book you have read.
Maklershed
Member
A million thanks to Fjordson for the Ellroy recommendation. Absolutely loving The Black Dahlia. Its one of those books where I can't wait to get free time to get to my Kindle again.
DouglasteR
Member
Finished last week :
Almost finishing :
Really enjoying so far, its a group of mini-stories in the revelation space universe. The conjoiners, the ultras, the denizens, so many interesting and fascinating groups.
And like a true Gaffer, already ordered all the other books
Almost finishing :
Really enjoying so far, its a group of mini-stories in the revelation space universe. The conjoiners, the ultras, the denizens, so many interesting and fascinating groups.
And like a true Gaffer, already ordered all the other books
Longest book i have ever read, 300 pages in. The book club got me intersted to start and i can see why it has split so many peoples opinion. Feel like it should be read nonetheless.
I have a pdf of this sitting on my desktop for whatever reason. Maybe I meant to read it ages back or maybe it was as part of the warning where people started shouting "DON'T READ THIS POLITICAL INDOCTRINATION TOOL" at me.
Either way, I might buy an actual copy of the book some time this year, because there's no fun in something that isn't print.
Great read. Short, but sweet. Benjamin is my favourite character.
___________
I've got a copy of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy to read for university, so I'll likely be starting that some time in the next few days. I've also got a copy of Fahrenheit 451 to get through at some point. I tried started it after coming off of general anaesthetic, but I was so out of it that I couldn't figure out what the hell I was reading at the time.
sparky2112
Member
I think everyone loves that section. Be sure to try to find the Decemberists video interpretation of it.
sparky2112
Member
You know, for all the buzz behind this book, I have to wonder if part of it is because the publisher paid an obnoxious amount for it. It's good, for sure, but can you really start a novel out with a hundred pages of fairly detailed baseball and expect it to sell like wildfire? Pretty sure this ultimately under-performed, but what do I know? However, when the character storylines kick in, things start to gel. I'm about halfway, I think?
nakedsushi
Member
That's right. If you don't want to go through the work of inputing what you've read, you can also go to the page of a book you liked and if you scroll down a little on the right side, there's a section of "Readers also enjoyed" of similar books.
WeAreStarStuff
Member
The last book of his amazing Asian Saga; sad to be on the last one.
nakedsushi
Member
Have you read this one?
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Along the same vein, but the writing is much better and follows several people's stories. I liked this better than Escape from Camp 14, which I found pretty frustrating w/ how little agency the guy seemed to have compared to other escapees.
sparky2112
Member
Have you read this one?
Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
Along the same vein, but the writing is much better and follows several people's stories. I liked this better than Escape from Camp 14, which I found pretty frustrating w/ how little agency the guy seemed to have compared to other escapees.
Curious about this. How did she get access to people? Seems as if that's next to impossible.
I'll have a look into it, thanks.
If anyone has books that I should read based on my previous post I will have a look when I can.
nakedsushi
Member
The people she writes about are defectors from North Korea. It's crazy to read the risks they took to escape.
Wiktor
Member
In last few days I've read:
Still not feeling it. I enjoyed it, but a lot less than I did Racher movie. Still will propably pick up the next book in the series sometime in the future
This was very pleseant read. It was nothing fresh (John Cleaver series did it all before and did it better), but I burned through it very fast and it left me hungry for more.
Finished it minutes ago. Enjoyed it like hell. The main hero is such a little piece of shit, but following his adventures is fun like hell. This is bassicaly what Berserk would be if it would be told from Griffith's persperctive.
Still not feeling it. I enjoyed it, but a lot less than I did Racher movie. Still will propably pick up the next book in the series sometime in the future
This was very pleseant read. It was nothing fresh (John Cleaver series did it all before and did it better), but I burned through it very fast and it left me hungry for more.
Finished it minutes ago. Enjoyed it like hell. The main hero is such a little piece of shit, but following his adventures is fun like hell. This is bassicaly what Berserk would be if it would be told from Griffith's persperctive.
sparky2112
Member
(Slaps forehead) Duh. Like I couldn't have surmised that myself...
Mackenzie 92
Member
Finished
Read after seeing it recommended in a previous thread.
Excellent piece of pirate fiction.
Wish I would have had a little more boat knowledge to understand all of the sailing terms.
Leading Book Releasing this Month to Read Candidate
Added both to my wish list. That You book sounds especially interesting.
Finished this up over the weekend, was awesome. Sigler really created a great universe for these books. The football took a backseat to it in this one, but I still loved it. Thinking about moving on to the next book.
The Starter by Scott Sigler
Was recommended this by a friend and checked out the sample, hooked me and bought it. Reminds me of A History of Violence
Mad Dog House by Mark Rubinstein
And also reading this based on someone mentioning it, can't remember who.
Montauk by Max Frisch
Mackenzie 92
Member
I'm like 20% in, but it's certainly interesting. Mind that I'm crazy about XIX century settings and Dickens' novels. The setting is certainly not the only attraction though.
Like the hat?
Banned
Finally reading the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy for the first time. Like it a lot. About a third of the way through it.
INSERT GIGANTIC IMAGE OF COVER HERE
INSERT GIGANTIC IMAGE OF COVER HERE
The Culture Vulture
Member
What's GAF's take on The Passage?
Mackenzie 92
Member
It was OK. Got the sequel but have yet to crack it open.
I actually can't remember a whole lot about it. Maybe someone else will be more helpful lol
The Culture Vulture
Member
Sounds like it's a lot to take in so I'm not surprised, thanks.
foomfoom415
Member
I enjoyed both books, though I remember them diving a little further into the realm of mysticism than I'd like, especially the second. The writing is solid and the world and its characters are covered in wonderful detail. The author does take his time, though. I never (or very rarely) felt like it was at all flowery or plodding, just a very dense amount of information.
eattomorro
Neo Member
Going to start the Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake. It's been a series I've wanted to read since the mini-series came out long ago. I feel old now.
Is this Justin Cronin's? If so, I enjoyed it, although I felt the beginning was more interesting compared to how it actually developed. Have yet to read The Twelve cause I have a ton of unfinished trilogies/series/etc to go through.
Not that I have anything against (or buy into) the old 'show not tell' stuff, but damn, Mantel really is just so goddamn show. Even more than Wolf Hall, it's a tightly constrained, almost claustrophobic, series of imagery, conversations, action.
I'm reading Wolf Hall and, although I'm enjoying it, at times it feels a bit difficult to read for me. I'm a bit worried if Bring Up the Bodies is worse in that aspect!
Switch Back 9
a lot of my threads involve me fucking up somehow. Perhaps I'm a moron?
Going to start the Gormenghast Trilogy by Mervyn Peake. It's been a series I've wanted to read since the mini-series came out long ago. I feel old now.
Let us know how you like it. I've always been super curious because of how weird the tv series seemed, but I still don't know much about it
sparky2112
Member
Yeah, that seriously sucks.
eattomorro
Neo Member
Will do! Might be a bit cuz I'm a slow reader, but hopefully within the month. ;p
TestMonkey
Member
Just doing a little lite reading. I enjoyed The Captain Bluebear book and this one is just as fun so far.
disappeared
Banned
Enjoying it so far.