STILL reading Pynchon's "Against the Day", which I started in mid-July. More than 2/3 through, but studies and other things make it slow going, so I might not finish it until next month. Enjoying every page, even if it's often hard to keep up the mental catalogue of all the characters and who they are.
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What are you reading? (October 2011)
- Thread starter Maklershed
- Start date
Fanboydestroyer
Member
thomaser said:
Yeah I'm planning on reading that one soonish. But I'm not sure if I should jump right into it right after reading "Gravity's Rainbow" it does intrigue me very much though, plus I heard while complex, its not as dense as GR
Large Professor
Member
The Moon is a harsh mistress. The Russian accent of the narrator is kind of annoying.
dinazimmerman
Incurious Bastard
Spiffy_1st said:
I envy you guys that are still on A Storm of Swords.
Just finished reading that a few days ago. Now to buy A Dance with Dragons. =P
I'm about half way through AFFC. I get why it caused so much controversy when it was released but I'm really liking it so far. It fleshes out the world and mythology so much and sets the stage for the upcoming events. Also the name of the book is perfect.Spiffy_1st said:
I envy you guys that are still on A Storm of Swords.
Easystride
Member
Storm Front. Liking it a lot so far.
Fanboydestroyer
Member
thomaser said:
But I really enjoy Pynchon, his works are alot of fun, and I'm not sure I'm ready to leave Pynchonland. XD By the way, what is your general opinion on "ATD" so far?
sparky2112
Member
Not the last book I finished, but read recently and which dropped like a BOMB into my All-time top 5, which also includes Infinite Jest and Cryptonomicon, if that tells you where I'm coming from. It's about 14-year-olds at a Catholic boys school, donuts, and String and/or M Theory.
I mean, the very first sentence on the inside flap (written by Marketing people, I know, but still...) throws the smack down: 'First there was the Enfield Tennis Academy of Infinite Jest...'. If that's not balls the size of churchbells, I don't know what is, but Murray pulls it off seemingly with ease.
I LOVED this book. Did I mention I loved this book?
fart town usa
Member
audiobook, really good stuff. I listen to it when I walk the dog
every american should read this
amazing how relevant this essay is, it was written in 1850
Lionheart1827
Member
Just finished this. I bought it on a whim since one of the Kindle offers I got was a "Pay 1$ on any of these choice Kindle books." It is about a guy fresh out of college who moves to NYC to figure out what he wants to do in life. Takes place in the mid to late 90s. It was an OK book.
My thoughts on Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbera Ehrenreich:
The short version: Id give this book an 8.5/10. Ehrenreichs journey through Florida, Maine, and Minnesota provides a brief but powerful glimpse into the lives of millions of people living at or below the poverty line. Ehrenreich outlined the rules that she had to follow in the beginning of the book: No resorting to her middle-upper class education or skills, accepting the highest paying job offered, and finding the lowest priced housing possible. A majority of her findings should not come as a surprise: low-wage jobs exact heavy physical and mental tolls, management abuse their position and power to control their subordinates, large corporations enjoy record profits on the shoulders of the working class, and acquiring even barely decent housing is no easy task. Coupled with low job security and the stress of living day to day without a medical safety net, it is a sobering reminder that day to day life for a huge portion of Americans was far from desirable even in times of peak economic prosperity (This book was published in 2001).
There were specific of this book that resonated with me. Reading through her adventures of waitressing in Florida, I totally get the horrors of being slammed with limited staff; the terror and the chaos associated with that situation still gives me nightmares. Her account of the franchise owners attitude towards his employees at the maid service in Maine reminded me of people I knew, franchise owners who cut hard working employees hours for being sick or being in car accidents, criticizing them for being lazy and telling them to just suck it up. (And they wonder why they cant keep any staff!) The drive to accrue profit and the justification to wield power over others at the expense of human decency and compassion are both really evident here.
The writing is both snappy and descriptive - I really felt for the people who work alongside Ehrenreich. There are some sections that drag, especially her dealings at Walmart. Some people have also criticized Ehrenreich of being a tourist. There were several occasions where she needed help and resorted to her middle class life to make ends meet, but all in all I believed she did a good job of embracing the life of someone living from cheque to cheque. Of course, it is impossible to artificially replicate the stress of working two jobs because you have to, of having no prospects to look forward to, and the terror of having no support or buffer when times are tough.
Overall, the book really captured the psychology and mindset of the people that have lived below the poverty line all their lives. Thrift stores are not just a novelty destination, they are a necessity. Going to the doctor is just too expensive; just keep popping Tylenols and ibprofens to keep that pain under control. Sharing living accommodations in dilapidated houses or living out of motels are the norm; hopefully the car holds up and gas doesnt get too expensive. There are no prospects, no hope on the horizon: just more burdens to shoulder as the body wears down and the mind dulls.
This book is highly recommended. I would actually like to see a revisit of the investigation in this book in 2011; I would imagine the dynamics are much different with both a soft job and housing market.
goodreads description said:
The short version: Id give this book an 8.5/10. Ehrenreichs journey through Florida, Maine, and Minnesota provides a brief but powerful glimpse into the lives of millions of people living at or below the poverty line. Ehrenreich outlined the rules that she had to follow in the beginning of the book: No resorting to her middle-upper class education or skills, accepting the highest paying job offered, and finding the lowest priced housing possible. A majority of her findings should not come as a surprise: low-wage jobs exact heavy physical and mental tolls, management abuse their position and power to control their subordinates, large corporations enjoy record profits on the shoulders of the working class, and acquiring even barely decent housing is no easy task. Coupled with low job security and the stress of living day to day without a medical safety net, it is a sobering reminder that day to day life for a huge portion of Americans was far from desirable even in times of peak economic prosperity (This book was published in 2001).
There were specific of this book that resonated with me. Reading through her adventures of waitressing in Florida, I totally get the horrors of being slammed with limited staff; the terror and the chaos associated with that situation still gives me nightmares. Her account of the franchise owners attitude towards his employees at the maid service in Maine reminded me of people I knew, franchise owners who cut hard working employees hours for being sick or being in car accidents, criticizing them for being lazy and telling them to just suck it up. (And they wonder why they cant keep any staff!) The drive to accrue profit and the justification to wield power over others at the expense of human decency and compassion are both really evident here.
The writing is both snappy and descriptive - I really felt for the people who work alongside Ehrenreich. There are some sections that drag, especially her dealings at Walmart. Some people have also criticized Ehrenreich of being a tourist. There were several occasions where she needed help and resorted to her middle class life to make ends meet, but all in all I believed she did a good job of embracing the life of someone living from cheque to cheque. Of course, it is impossible to artificially replicate the stress of working two jobs because you have to, of having no prospects to look forward to, and the terror of having no support or buffer when times are tough.
Overall, the book really captured the psychology and mindset of the people that have lived below the poverty line all their lives. Thrift stores are not just a novelty destination, they are a necessity. Going to the doctor is just too expensive; just keep popping Tylenols and ibprofens to keep that pain under control. Sharing living accommodations in dilapidated houses or living out of motels are the norm; hopefully the car holds up and gas doesnt get too expensive. There are no prospects, no hope on the horizon: just more burdens to shoulder as the body wears down and the mind dulls.
This book is highly recommended. I would actually like to see a revisit of the investigation in this book in 2011; I would imagine the dynamics are much different with both a soft job and housing market.
Cosmic Bus
pristine morning snow
At home: Savage Cinema by Stephen Prince; on my break at work: Serve the People by Jen Lin-Liu
B-B-Bomba!
Member
Ooh, me me me!
I'm reading something!
In fact I'm dying to tell someone about this fantastic book. Unfortunately I don't know many people for whom it would be suitable. I fervently hope someone from GAF benefits from this recommendation!
Basically, if you like kung fu (in particularly the slightly OTT variety), and enjoy reading good books, then you should love Eagle Shooting Hero, by Jin Yong!
You can download it (as well as two of Jin Yong's subsequent works) from here: http://members.cox.net/foxs/home.html
For me this book is truly un-put-downable, and I resent anything that intrudes or distracts me from my reading. I'm so happy that there is so much of it, and two more books in the series to boot.
Just a note that it opens with a confusing history lesson, but in fact the book has a superlative sense of pace.
NeoGAF, prepare yourself!
I'm reading something!
In fact I'm dying to tell someone about this fantastic book. Unfortunately I don't know many people for whom it would be suitable. I fervently hope someone from GAF benefits from this recommendation!
Basically, if you like kung fu (in particularly the slightly OTT variety), and enjoy reading good books, then you should love Eagle Shooting Hero, by Jin Yong!
You can download it (as well as two of Jin Yong's subsequent works) from here: http://members.cox.net/foxs/home.html
For me this book is truly un-put-downable, and I resent anything that intrudes or distracts me from my reading. I'm so happy that there is so much of it, and two more books in the series to boot.
Just a note that it opens with a confusing history lesson, but in fact the book has a superlative sense of pace.
NeoGAF, prepare yourself!
Fanboydestroyer said:
Well, it's a typical Pynchon-book. Hundreds of characters with funny names from all over the world. Often difficult to tell them apart. A very unclear plot that jumps all over place and time, with tons of threads that get tangled together and break apart all the time. The usual mixture of highbrow and lowbrow, real and fantastical, jokes and tragedy, and people spontaneously breaking into song every 50th page or so. Pynchon does not deny himself anything - suddenly, he'll conjure a totally unbelievable, outrageous character or situation that most other authors would never dare dream about for fears of being laughed at. And he does it so brazenly that it actually works. It's fascinating and engrossing, but some parts are overlong and tiring. It's a book for people who love to get lost in grand tales and inventive ideas - not a book for people who need a fast-paced, clear-cut plot.
Fanboydestroyer
Member
thomaser said:
I think maybe it's b/c I'm tired of "fasr-paced, clear cut plots" that I've warmed up to Pynchon. He certainly is different that's for sure.
B-B-Bomba! said:Ooh, me me me!
I'm reading something!
In fact I'm dying to tell someone about this fantastic book. Unfortunately I don't know many people for whom it would be suitable. I fervently hope someone from GAF benefits from this recommendation!
Basically, if you like kung fu (in particularly the slightly OTT variety), and enjoy reading good books, then you should love Eagle Shooting Hero, by Jin Yong!
You can download it (as well as two of Jin Yong's subsequent works) from here: http://members.cox.net/foxs/home.html
For me this book is truly un-put-downable, and I resent anything that intrudes or distracts me from my reading. I'm so happy that there is so much of it, and two more books in the series to boot.
Just a note that it opens with a confusing history lesson, but in fact the book has a superlative sense of pace.
NeoGAF, prepare yourself!
How did you find this?
Mister_Mingi
Member
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Keeper of Dreams by Orson Scott Card (a bunch of his short stories)
...so far all good books.
EDIT:
Unfair Advantage by Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad)
Forgot his book because I dedicate this book the least amount of time.
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Keeper of Dreams by Orson Scott Card (a bunch of his short stories)
...so far all good books.
EDIT:
Unfair Advantage by Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad)
Forgot his book because I dedicate this book the least amount of time.
nakedsushi
Member
Columbine by Dave Cullen
Definitely a powerful book. I wasn't going to read this at all, but a co-worker highly recommended it. I guess I was wrong in a lot of what I thought about Columbine. This is definitely a hard book to put down, but I had to put it down at a few spots because it was SO intense. The two guys who did it were definitely bat-crap crazy with the hate.
I haven't posted in this thread in quite a while, if only because my reading lately has been pretty slow. In the last month and a half though, I did manage to finish a few novels.
The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt. This is the author's second novel and an attempt at a revisionist Western. The story of a pair of outlaw brothers is pretty typical and while this isn't a genre piece, it falls into a few of its trappings. One brother seeks redemption while on an assassination, the other quite the opposite. DeWitt plays a lot with these stereotypes, sometimes not as well, but does bring them to an interesting place eventually. What really works here is the humor and by the last third, the book finally settles into a really comfortable place and ends powerfully.
Also, the entire way through, I had imagined the main character looking like John C. Reilly. For no reason at all. When I get to the end and read the acknowledgements, whose name do I see? But, of course: John C. Reilly.
Joe and Father and Son, by Larry Brown. Absolutely one of the South's finest voices and an absolute loss to American letters that we lost this writer so young. In both these novels the protagonists are down-and-outs and in both these novels their circumstances lead them to violence. In Joe, Brown gives us one of the most abhorrent and realistic villains in Wade Jones, an old drunken leech of his own children. Father and Son, on the other hand, delivers familial evil in a much more generational way. Fathers and sons, wives and other women and all the kids in between. It's such an elemental and powerful. One of the best I've honestly ever read.
Lime Creek, by Joe Henry. A lyrical novel of love and family on the Great Plains. The book has the unfortunate reek of musician-turned-first-time-novelist. There's some gorgeous language on display here, all very sensory and poetic, but I found myself wanting a lot more cohesion and clarity in its plotting. It was still a good read, but the problem I had with it is that I felt that Henry was trying to tell a story and he got just a little lost in how he was telling it. If this guy's written some shorter fiction, I'd love to get my hands on it.
Smonk, by Tom Franklin. A "Southern" telling the converging stories of E.O. Smonk, an aged and decrepit murderer, and Evavangeline, a violent 15 year-old ginger prostitute on the run from a troop of "Christian Deputies." Franklin has so much fun when he plays around with genre and so much fun when he plays with language. I just put it down after reading the last page just a few hours ago. His cocktail of violence and sex and humor is as effective as his work gets. His other novels, Hell at the Breach and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, played around genre in the same way in varying degrees of effectiveness, but Smonk is the realization of the genius I read in his short story collection Poachers.
Beyond these the next few weeks look pretty bleak. I'm moving soon and I need to start getting a few hundred books into boxes, so I kept out a few that will hopefully carry me through until mid-November. Mostly short fiction to help keep me sane between workshop submission from my creative writing class.
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, stories by Wells Tower.
Knockemstiff, stories by Donald Ray Pollock.
The Collected Works of Flannery O'Connor.
Long, Last, Happy, collected stories by Barry Hannah.
The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter.
And a novel: Fay, by Larry Brown.
The Sisters Brothers, by Patrick DeWitt. This is the author's second novel and an attempt at a revisionist Western. The story of a pair of outlaw brothers is pretty typical and while this isn't a genre piece, it falls into a few of its trappings. One brother seeks redemption while on an assassination, the other quite the opposite. DeWitt plays a lot with these stereotypes, sometimes not as well, but does bring them to an interesting place eventually. What really works here is the humor and by the last third, the book finally settles into a really comfortable place and ends powerfully.
Also, the entire way through, I had imagined the main character looking like John C. Reilly. For no reason at all. When I get to the end and read the acknowledgements, whose name do I see? But, of course: John C. Reilly.
Joe and Father and Son, by Larry Brown. Absolutely one of the South's finest voices and an absolute loss to American letters that we lost this writer so young. In both these novels the protagonists are down-and-outs and in both these novels their circumstances lead them to violence. In Joe, Brown gives us one of the most abhorrent and realistic villains in Wade Jones, an old drunken leech of his own children. Father and Son, on the other hand, delivers familial evil in a much more generational way. Fathers and sons, wives and other women and all the kids in between. It's such an elemental and powerful. One of the best I've honestly ever read.
Lime Creek, by Joe Henry. A lyrical novel of love and family on the Great Plains. The book has the unfortunate reek of musician-turned-first-time-novelist. There's some gorgeous language on display here, all very sensory and poetic, but I found myself wanting a lot more cohesion and clarity in its plotting. It was still a good read, but the problem I had with it is that I felt that Henry was trying to tell a story and he got just a little lost in how he was telling it. If this guy's written some shorter fiction, I'd love to get my hands on it.
Smonk, by Tom Franklin. A "Southern" telling the converging stories of E.O. Smonk, an aged and decrepit murderer, and Evavangeline, a violent 15 year-old ginger prostitute on the run from a troop of "Christian Deputies." Franklin has so much fun when he plays around with genre and so much fun when he plays with language. I just put it down after reading the last page just a few hours ago. His cocktail of violence and sex and humor is as effective as his work gets. His other novels, Hell at the Breach and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, played around genre in the same way in varying degrees of effectiveness, but Smonk is the realization of the genius I read in his short story collection Poachers.
Beyond these the next few weeks look pretty bleak. I'm moving soon and I need to start getting a few hundred books into boxes, so I kept out a few that will hopefully carry me through until mid-November. Mostly short fiction to help keep me sane between workshop submission from my creative writing class.
Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned, stories by Wells Tower.
Knockemstiff, stories by Donald Ray Pollock.
The Collected Works of Flannery O'Connor.
Long, Last, Happy, collected stories by Barry Hannah.
The Collected Stories of Katherine Anne Porter.
And a novel: Fay, by Larry Brown.
The Rats and the Ruling Sea by Robert V.S. Redick.
Second book in a moderately splendid series. A little bit of Hornblower, some Narnia. Initially quite confusing, and I won't profess - even a book and two-thirds into it - to know completely or precisely what is going on, but it is very good.
And this second book was free. The chap threw it in when I bought the first, which suggests that it is not as highly regarded or commercially successful as it (in my view) clearly deserves to be.
Second book in a moderately splendid series. A little bit of Hornblower, some Narnia. Initially quite confusing, and I won't profess - even a book and two-thirds into it - to know completely or precisely what is going on, but it is very good.
And this second book was free. The chap threw it in when I bought the first, which suggests that it is not as highly regarded or commercially successful as it (in my view) clearly deserves to be.
TestMonkey
Member
Started Reaper's Gale by Erikson today. Gradually working my way through the series. Like where the story appears to be heading.
B-B-Bomba!
Member
Just Googled for "jin yong novels english" and followed the Yahoo Answers result. The link given in the Yahoo Answer is actually broken but can be made to work by shortening it.Ashes1396 said:
As for how I cottoned on to his work ... Through one of my all time favourite movies, The Evil Cult (or Kung Fu Cult Master). I believe it's based on (part of) 'Heavenly Sword & Dragon Saber', and sadly requires a sequel which it never got. However it's a true wonder of kinetic film-making.
I can't be sad the film didn't get followed up, because otherwise I would never have gone looking for the source material
MrOogieBoogie
BioShock Infinite is like playing some homeless guy's vivid imagination
Not sure what to start reading this month. What's a perfect fall/October novel? I'm considering either Ghost Story, by Peter Straub, or The Stand, by Stephen King.
nakedsushi
Member
AngmarsKing701
Member
Still reading Lord Foul's Bane, more than 1/3 of the way through. Slow going. It's tough to read a book where the main character is something of a douchebag.
nakedsushi said:
I second this. It's a little tough getting used to Mitchell's style at first, as well as keep up with all the characters, backstories, and subplots, but stick with it up to about part 2, where the pacing picks up significantly.
plasticpassion
Member
A Storm of Swords
Although I'm taking a break since I rushed through the first two and there's no need to considering there are more books to come.
Just started Ready Player One
Interesting so far
Although I'm taking a break since I rushed through the first two and there's no need to considering there are more books to come.
Just started Ready Player One
Interesting so far
BorkBork said:My thoughts on Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbera Ehrenreich:
I remember reading this book years ago. I thought it was pretty well written at the time but I also had the same issue that others seemed to pick up on. You can definitely tell that she understands some of the hardships and empathises with the "common/poor" people, but at the end of the day she knows she really doesn't have to continue living that life.
I don't think I could read this book now that I'm older though. Alot of what is brought up in this book I actually feel myself and it just depresses me and angers me at the same time. When I was in college (when I read it about 7 or 8 years ago), it just seemed like a well written look into dynamics of the lower class struggles. Now it's like a mirror to our society in general and it disgusts me.
I actually thought the Walmart section to be one of the best, interestingly enough.
Anyways, I'm still just reading Storm of Swords. I'm only about 500 pages in so far. I know this one seems to be everyone's favorite but so far I enjoyed both Game of Thrones and Clash of Kings more. I still have over 600 pages to go so we'll see what I think at the end.
I'm trying to read some classic horror/gothic literature for this October (last year I only read Frankenstein because I didn't have as much time then as I do now.) My first read was The Castle of Otranto, which seems to be one of those books that most people are only going to read to get a sense of the history of the genre, and not for pleasure. Though it was quite short, even then it felt too long. I feel bad thinking negatively of it given its age (you can't really judge it by modern standards) and yet I have read books from the same time period that were far better.
Now I'm reading The Phantom of the Opera. Despite its presence in popular culture I honestly know very little about the story, having never read it or seen any of the adaptations. I look forward to reading it.
Now I'm reading The Phantom of the Opera. Despite its presence in popular culture I honestly know very little about the story, having never read it or seen any of the adaptations. I look forward to reading it.
Lissar said:
Have you read The Monk by Matthew Lewis? It was written about thirty years after Castle of Otranto, but holds up much, much better imo. Thoroughly enjoyable, classic Goth lit. featuring rape, murder, and incest. You can imagine how shocking that would be circa 1795. By the way, Lewis wrote this at age 19 and was a member of Parliament, which makes it all the more impressive.
In last months thread Cyan mentioned how he couldn't get into Consider Phelbas. The first Ian M. Banks book about the Culture. I recommended him to read The Player of Games. Officialy I am almost done with the Culturverse, middle of Surface Detail.
But after recommending Cyan that book, I felt like re-reading it. Just for the hell of it.
My god it is a really beautifull book. Now that I have read more Culture novels I can truly apreciate it. The inside jokes, terminology, small details, and ofcourse fucking Ian M. Banks.
This man is truly a great writer. The Culture novels are some of the best Character studies ever put on paper. I just love how in this book
So wonderful.
But after recommending Cyan that book, I felt like re-reading it. Just for the hell of it.
My god it is a really beautifull book. Now that I have read more Culture novels I can truly apreciate it. The inside jokes, terminology, small details, and ofcourse fucking Ian M. Banks.
This man is truly a great writer. The Culture novels are some of the best Character studies ever put on paper. I just love how in this book
when Gurgeh is playing a game, he goes on in great detail writing about his every move, every feeling. the slightest change in facial expression, heart rate, counting individual sweat drops, and every other minor detail BUT WE STILL DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE GAME HE IS PLAYING. It does not matter in the end.