Reading is Sexy: Books Part II

[onebloodonelife]

Picked up Kerouac's On The Road.

Never gotten into On the Road (after a couple reads now), but I absolutely love The Dharma Bums. Kerouac's great once you get into his writing rhythm.


I'm finally diving into Infinite Jest. I bought it months ago, but actually have time to read it now. Less than 100 pages in, and I'm a bit confused, but hooked without a doubt.

 

[BonoIsMyMuse]

I have the last two long stories in J.D. Salinger's Nine Stories left to read today. A lot of the books I was hoping to check out from the library are out right now, so I'm not sure what I'll end up coming home with tomorrow.

 

[powerhour24]

I haven't really had a lot of time for fiction reading lately, although I always do at my lunch time, too much time dedicated to research, but that reading has all been very interesting as well.

I can't believe we're in the final legs of this thread, , but its good we always have such a lively book discussion around here.

 

[Pearl]

Just completed "Christ the Lord - The Road to Cana" by Anne Rice.

Short but good. I did wish the baptism and the temptation of the devil scenes were more dynamic though.

Now I am on to "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. I meant to read "The Kite Runner" next, but I heard so much about "The Alchemist" that I am going to read that instead, and read "The Kite Runner" afterwards.

 

[Thora]

Currently reading Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller. I saw it in a bookstore, and was intrigued - the picture on the cover was especially awesome. I'm not even halfway through it yet, but it's very interesting so far. I really hate the format, as it jumps around with no structure or timeline whatsoever, but the stories of the author's childhood in Africa are fascinating.

 

[corianderstem]

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

Oh, Jodi Picoult. Even when you write a book that's pretty damned heavy handed with the themes, I cannot put the damned thing down. This wasn't her best, and some of the stuff made me roll my eyes, but a lot of it was really good.

There was one exchange between one of the characters and her potential love interest that made me laugh pretty hard, so that was a pleasant surprise - not much laughter to be found in her books, usually.

 

[Carek1230]

Just finished John Niven's Kill Your Friends. Great and shocking in parts read about behind the scenes of the Music and entertainment industry!! Next I think I'm gonna read Dawn French's Dwelling on the Past Won't Help my Future, or a book the Jonathan Ross twitter bookgroup is currently reading.

 

[powerhour24]

I'm reading Stewart O'nan's Speed Queen. I love his writing style, approachable, human, but full of well written literary themes, this narration is pretty odd and interesting, someone telling their life story to Stephen King so he can make it into a book (I'd love to know what he thought of this).

 

[corianderstem]

How Soon Is Never by Marc Spitz

Loved it loved it loved it! Loved it despite the narrator being kind of a douchebag. Even douchebag characters don't bother me in a book that's pretty much just about loving music.

80s kid in the suburbs, discovers punk and rock, falls head over heels with the Smiths. Fast-forward to him nearing 30, writing for a music magazine, and he and a coworker decide they're going to try and reunite the Smiths.

The ending felt a little abrupt, but I didn't care. Loved it!

 

[beegee]

Eve, which is the debut novel of Elissa Elliott.

It is the story of the Garden of Eden as told by Eve. It takes place after Adam and Eve have been cast out and have children. I am quite pleasantly surprised by this writer. I have never read biblical fiction before but I can't put this book down.

 

[corianderstem]

Cracks In My Foundation by Marian Keyes

Dear Ms. Keyes:

You know I love your books. I find your writing charming, and was even further charmed by you and your little lilty Irish voice when you came to do a reading for us at work.

However.

I've read three of your collections of essays and stories, and have really only liked one of them. Imagine my displeasure when I realize that this collection I was reading was mostly recycled from an earlier collection. It wasn't until I got to the short stories that I had such deja vu. But now I'm peeved and feel cheated.

The only reason I'll be keeping this book is because you signed it for me. I'll get rid of Further Under the Duvet, which is pretty much the same damned book, save for a few essays.

Grumpily yours,

Cori

PS: What's the deal with your latest fiction book not being released in paperback in the States? I am very sad.

 

[lazarus]

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon.

My roommate borrowed this from her boyfriend, and I saw it lying around. Looked at the back and the blurbs, and wound up finishing it in two sittings today.

A really charming book written in first person from the perspective of a kid who is best easily described as autistic, brilliant at math but terrible at social and physical contact. He sets out to discover who killed his neighbor's dog, and winds up turning his whole life upside-down. Very funny, very moving, very original.

 

[powerhour24]

I was really disappointed by that book, it turned into too much of a gimmick for me, there certainly are compelling emotional moments, and props to the writer for trying something new, but I didn't love it... maybe its because it was assigned to me haha.

 

[corianderstem]

The Prayer Room by Shanthi Sekaran

Viji (an Indian woman) finds herself married to George (an Englishman) in 1974, then living in Sacramento and with triplets. How did she get here? Is this the life she wanted?

The second half of the book wasn't as good as the first, but I would definitely read another book by the author.

 

[corianderstem]

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

I've read a lot of chick lit over the years, but I don't know that I've ever read chick lit with characters who were such gigantic assholes.

Rachel is having an affair with her best friend's fiancee. So right there, those two are pretty unlikable. The best friend is a manipulative, self-centered bitch. Hard to feel sorry for her even though she's been duped.

That being said, it was still an entertaining, fluffy read. So I guess that's saying something, that I couldn't put it down despite what assholes everyone was.

 

[redhotswami]

I read The Color Purple by Alice Walker this week. I picked it up because I'm seeing it on broadway tonight. The dialogue had me talking like a Southerner all week, much to the dismay of my peers. I saw the movie long ago and understood it to be about the struggle of black women in the United States. However, rereading the book (I read it a long time ago, and barely remembered anything) I discovered there's so much more to it than that. Like the cover says, it really is a story about love. Loving yourself, lovers, family, and even God. Truly remarkable, and excellently written, although it was difficult to get through during some moments. Revisiting this story from my childhood was quite an incredible thing. So much went over my head back then, so much more was absorbed this time around. I wonder myself if reread it 15 years from now, will I still learn more from it that I had missed before.

 

[VintagePunk]

Since we don't have a Gossip About Writers thread, I thought I'd post this here:

Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman -- Live from New York City | Spin Magazine Online

They have so much in common, it's no wonder they get along. In fact, they announce onstage that they're dating.

My daughter reads his blog, and has been saying for ages now that he talks about her constantly, and there has to be something going on there. They've finally confirmed it.

 

[pgv]

Am currently reading The Bacchae, Euripides, even though I've read it a thousand times before... just not this particular translation. I am not a fan

 

[Zoobaby14]

I finally finished read Northen Lights after losing it on the bus. I got it back, the bus driver kept it incase he saw me again.

I watched the movie the other day and WOW! What a horrible adaptation!

 

[corianderstem]

Wedding Season by Darcy Cosper

Over the past umpteen years, I've accumulated a lot of chick lit, much of which I've read and enjoyed. In the past year or so, however, I've finally felt like I've reached the end of my tolerance for it. Either that, or I just read all the good ones first and am now left with the dregs.

This one, with a floofy colorful cover, has been languishing on my shelves for ages. But I finally read it, and found it to be a very pleasant surprise. It deserved more than it's floofy cover, stupid title and association with other dire chick lit.

The narrator lives with her boyfriend and is firmly committed to not ever getting married. During the summer of this book, however, she is also committed to attending 17 different weddings amongst friends and family. The characters were great, and it was actually very thoughtful as the character explored her thoughts on marriage.

The ending was a bit of a letdown, but probably only because I wanted a happier ending for the narrator. But had that ending happened, it probably wouldn't have been that good of a book.

 

[Pearl]

"The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

Excellent. Short and simple, short and great. It really makes you think and appreciate life more. I highly recommend it. Plus, I think I found an author to follow; I already bought another book by Coelho, and want to buy two more by him.

Now, I'm onto "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini

 

[corianderstem]

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Holy shit, dude.

Eva Khatchadourian writes a series of letters to her husband in the two years after their teenaged son Kevin massacres a group of students at his high school. Motherhood gone awry? Or are some kids just born sociopaths?

Chilling, disturbing, horrifying, and completely compelling. I could not put it down, and was shocked by the ending, just when I thought things couldn't get worse.

 

[corianderstem]

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Wow, this was really good. I'd read her previous book Sharp Objects (I sense a trend in her titles) and liked it, so was eager to check this one out as well.

Twenty-some years after most of her family was slaughtered in their Kansas farmhouse, with the older brother in prison for their murders, Libby Day gets drawn into a group of true crime enthusiasts who are convinced her brother is innocent.

Because they're willing to pay her, and she desperately needs the money, Libby finally reaches out to make contact with her brother, father and other key players from the night of the murders.

Alternating chapters are flashbacks to the day of the murders, both from the POV of the brother and the mother. I did not see the ending coming - it was both shocking and deeply satisfying.

Loved it!

 

[beegee]

Infinity in the Palm of Her Hand: A Novel of Adam and Eve by Gioconda Belli.

 

[corianderstem]

Admission by Jean Hanff Korelitz

A book about an admissions counselor at Princeton. The author herself once did that work (reading applications, making recommendations re admission), and I have a sneaking suspicion she just wanted to write a book where she got to go on and on and on (and on) about the process and all the navel-gazing that goes along with it.

There was a plot scattered in there, and the only reason I kept reading was because I was actually interested in the plot. Pity she spent so many unnecessary pages and pages on the aforementioned application/admission stuff. Some of it was necessary to the book, but there was no reason for that book to be 450 pages. I started skimming in the last 150 pages or so because it just got so ridiculous.

Dear author: I'm not applying to Princeton. I DON'T CARE. If you want to write a book about the process of getting in to Princeton, you should have written that.

 

[corianderstem]

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched by Meg Cabot

I did actually start this one yesterday, so it's not like I finished a book in the few hours since I made my last post. But it was a very quick read.

Yet another afternoon of fluffy fun with Meg Cabot and her (usually) delightful heroines. I've enjoyed this series.

 

[beegee]

cori, I wish you were one of my patrons.

 

[Carek1230]

Just started Andrew Cook's To Kill Rasputin, Russian royalty and espionage murder, a true story and hopefully answers to what really happened.

 

[corianderstem]

cori, I wish you were one of my patrons.

I do love me some book-readin'.

 

[beegee]

Most people only seem to use the library for internet and free dvds these days.

Gotta love the readers.