books

[No spoken words]

I'm still thinking about "The Road". I went to the supermarket yesterday and the sight of all that abundant food, especially canned food, after reading that book, had an eerie and unsettling effect.

That book impacted me for days afterward, if not weeks. I've never really been that drained at the end of a book like I was with The Road. When I finished it, I sort of just closed the book and stared into space for a few minutes. Like Laz, I am thrilled at the Viggo casting and hope the film does the book some justice.

 

[corianderstem]

When I finished it, I sort of just closed the book and stared into space for a few minutes.

It's an excellent, chilling book.

 

[No spoken words]

He's truly an amazing author.

 

[Pearl]

AOL has a list of ten books everyone should read. It includes "Gone With The Wind", "Atlas Shrugged", "Angels & Demons", "The DaVinci Code" and others.

Here's the link:
Books - AOL Shopping

I've read "To Kill A Mockingbird" in school. I tried to read LOTR but couldn't follow the old fashioned language. "Atlas" is on my list of books to read.

 

[No spoken words]

I've read all Rand works, Atlas of course included. I'll not bore everyone with my thoughts on her and objectivism.

Any list that says that The DaVinci Code is a must-read is worthless to me.

 

[beegee]

They have to be joking having two books by Dan Brown on that list.

Out of all the books that have ever been written.

Right.

 

[meegannie]

Only one to go and then I can die, safe in the knowledge that I'm well-read!

 

[vaz02]

Reading ' Watching the English '.
Its a great book, anyone who is English must read, and anyone who isnt, much read to understand the real English culture.

 

[corianderstem]

The Da Vinci Code is worth a footnote as a pop culture phenom, and nothing more. I read it and honestly, I couldn't put it down. But I didn't think it was by any means good writing. And I don't feel the need to read anything else by him, even though I've been told Angels & Demons is much better.

xx

#42 Say Goodbye by Lewis Shiner

Laurie Moss is a singer/songwriter trying to make a name for herself, and this book is about her path to that goal. It's framed at beginning and end from a writer's point of view as he starts to gather information for a piece on her, and you know things have somehow imploded for Laurie.

It took me a while to get into it, but I was glad when it shifted to be Laurie's story and not going to be a collection of little vignettes/interviews of people surrounding Laurie's story.

Laurie herself bugged me sometimes, crossing that line between "someone I'd like to know or at least know her music" and "pretentious artiste," but I'd blame the author more than the character.

All in all, I enjoyed it.

 

[Auhiz]

Aw well the AOL list is only ten books long, so how serious can you take it anyway?

I do like that it has The Stand and Hitchhiker's in it though.

 

[beegee]

Only one to go and then I can die, safe in the knowledge that I'm well-read!

Meggie, you are an inspiration

 

[corianderstem]

#43 Split by Suzanne Finnamore

Finishing a book in one day while sitting around listning to music, with occasional snacking and napping? Now that's a great way to kick off a vacation!

The book is a memoir of the author's divorce. It's often very funny, and I love her writing. I read one of her fiction novels some years ago; I remember liking it, but don't particularly remember much about it. Hopefully this one will stick with me more.

 

[lazarus]

Finishing a book in one day while sitting around listning to music, with occasional snacking and napping? Now that's a great way to kick off a vacation!

I've heard of better.

http://forum.interference.com/f200/im-gonna-call-bullsh-t-just-aint-possible-187867.html


Just sayin'.

 

[corianderstem]

See, I think of that idea and all I can think of is "ow ... chafing."

 

[Dalton]

That book impacted me for days afterward, if not weeks. I've never really been that drained at the end of a book like I was with The Road. When I finished it, I sort of just closed the book and stared into space for a few minutes. Like Laz, I am thrilled at the Viggo casting and hope the film does the book some justice.

The other night we had a huge storm here that took out my power for a few days. On night two of no power, my daughter woke up screaming and I sat in the dark looking at the wind bending trees in half against a black sky with her in my arms. I immediately felt like I was in The Road.

On a side note, I am going camping next week and plan on taking Blood Meridian with me. Anyone read it?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Pistol: The Life of Pete Maravich

had it for a while never got around to actually reading it. glad i finally picked it up

 

[beegee]

I'm bringing a copy of The Road with me to Dallas next week so I can finally finish it.

 

[u2popmofo]

On a side note, I am going camping next week and plan on taking Blood Meridian with me. Anyone read it?

NSW has. I actually just came here to tell him I finally picked it up yesterday.

I just read it's being made into a movie, Ridley Scott directing.

 

[corianderstem]

#44 Bar Flower by Lea Jacobson

The full title is Bar Flower: My Decadently Destructive Days and Nights as a Tokyo Nightclub Hostess ... which pretty much sums up what the book is about.

I loved it! I'm very intrigued by Japanese culture, and this book went on my list after reading a few favorable reviews of the book.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I'm headed on another trip next week, and I have a feeling Barack Obama (in book form) will not be going with me. I'm enjoying The Audacity of Hope so far, and it's really making me stop and think about my political views and my understanding of our government, but it's not vacation reading. The public library has quite a few books I've been wanting to read, so I may have to take a trip downtown before I hit the road for Columbia (and other points west).

 

[corianderstem]

#45 The Art of Racing In the Rain by Garth Stein

So it's basically Marley and Me from a dog's point of view. Although Enzo is a much more intelligent dog than Marley was, from my recollections of that book.

What if dogs had a human soul inside and could narrate in a highly intelligent fashion? I liked the book despite thinking at various times that a) Enzo is kind of pretentious; b) the family drama plot that Enzo watches play out is a little subpar, plot-wise; and c) way more car racing stuff than I would have liked (Enzo's owner is an amateur racecar driver, and many racing metaphors abound).

But still. I like dogs, it takes place in Seattle, and it was a quick read. Predictably, I cried at the end, because any book about a dog ... well, let's just say the ending is always the same.

I really loved Stein's previous book How Evan Broke His Head and Other Stories and was hoping to like this one as much, but I think after my inital "awww, doggie!" woobliness, the book won't stay with me nearly as much as the other book.

 

[beegee]

Well, I guess I won't be bringing The Road with me to Dallas because I pulled a Cori and read it from cover to cover last night.

I've never done that before.

What a book.

 

[No spoken words]

Glad you read it and liked it.

It's pretty freaking impactful, yes?

 

[corianderstem]

Well, I guess I won't be bringing The Road with me to Dallas because I pulled a Cori and read it from cover to cover last night.

I think I read it myself in one or two sittings while at my parents' last summer.

So, uh, while I'm on such a roll....

#46 The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

I've loved everything Jennifer has written so far, and this book of short stories was no exception.

 

[Thora]

I'm almost finished "The First Man in Rome," and I've loved every page so far. The research that must have gone into putting this book together is phenomenal! My co-worker has all the books that follow after that, and I'll definitely be reading those when I can.

I'm looking for 2 more books to take with me on my trip in August. Any suggestions for something in either the historical fiction or action/adventure genre that isn't too big and bulky? I'll have very limited space in my suitcase, so the books shouldn't be too lengthy. I'm planning on taking 4 with me, and have 2 already, but am at a loss as to what the other 2 should be...

 

[powerhour24]

Currently digesting East of Eden, and Jose Saramago's Blindness. I have Brideshead Revisited and Ian McEwan's Amsterdam out from the library backing those up. And various nonfiction works going.

 

[powerhour24]

Did I already mention that I'm reading A Tale of Two Cities? I thought it would take forever for me to slog through but I just read 150 pages on a bus ride and it's pretty damned compelling.

Any Dickens fans here? I'm considering tusslin' with Mr. Copperfield next.

Yes, in fact I was planning on rereading some of his stuff this summer, not that there aren't stories by him I haven't read, but I'm a huge fan of Two Cities, Great Expectations, etc. He was such an amazing storyteller.

 

[Babydoll]

I think I read it myself in one or two sittings while at my parents' last summer.

So, uh, while I'm on such a roll....

#46 The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

I've loved everything Jennifer has written so far, and this book of short stories was no exception.

I like Jennifer Weiner's books too! They're so entertaining. I loved "In Her Shoes" and "Good In Bed" and just bought "The Guy Not Taken", lol. Is it as good as her previous ones?

 

[dsmith2904]

^ "The Guy Not Taken" was great and fit in well with the rest of Jennifer Weiner's stuff. I finished "Certain Girls" a few weeks ago and loved it. I cried so much at the end. I don't cry that much at books, although I sobbed when I finished the last Harry Potter book.

I'm currently finishing up Hemingway's "The Dangerous Summer," a book I bought a few years ago but couldn't get into straight away (I'm not really the bullfighting type). It's decent, there are some great examples of why Hemingway is a writing legend, but it really can't stand next to his classics.

I think I'll hit the library when I'm finished and get some Hemingway books I haven't read yet (like "Moveable Feast" and "Men Without Women"). I also want to read "Peyton Place" for some reason.

 

[corianderstem]

I finished "Certain Girls" a few weeks ago and loved it.

!! I had no idea she had a new book out. Awesome.