Official Interference Summer Reading Thread

[Popmartijn]

Hello,

Last week I finished Herbert Asbury's The Gangs Of New York. Now I'm reading a Dutch novel by Harry Mulisch: Het Stenen Bruidsbed (I've looked in Amazon.com but I cannot find an English translation for it, something like The Stone Bridesbed or whatever...). He has also written The Assault and The Discovery Of Heaven (2 books which might be a bit more popular in foreign languages).

Since I finished my thesis I have lots of time to read books, so I'm also a bit on a book-buying spree. It does create some problems though as I don't have any room to store even more books. Switching to CD's won't help as I don't have any room to store those too. I need to move to my new house soon!

C ya!

Marty

 

[anitram]

I'm reading Ian McEwan's "Atonement" at the moment. I want to get it done before Harry Potter is released.

 

[beegee]

Memoirs of a Geisha - There was a lot of hype surrounding this book when it came out but, frankly, I've found it kind of slow going. I don't know when I'll pick it up again.

see, now that's funny. i couldn't put it down. i finished it in two days.
i thought it was one of the best books i've ever read.

 

[cujo]

i plan on finally finishing my copies of white oleander and fast food nation.

Fast Food Nation

I wouldn't recommend reading it if you are a compulsive Drive-Thru eater. Other than that... good stuff to know.

I'm still working through Bandit Country by Toby Harnden... I just don't have the patience to read it quickly.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

i sat by the pool today reading the rum diary by hunter s. thompson.

girl, too weird. i went garage saling today and bought a copy of this for $3!


i also picked up One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Brave New World


I'm all set now for my summer reading.

 

[Screaming Flower]

i would also highly recommend alice walker's the temple of my familiar. it is an absolutely stunning book.

and i definitely agree with the f. scott fitzgerald girls. i adore him. i have the beautiful and damned waiting for me on my bookshelf as well.

 

[pax]

I thought Memoir of a Geisha was great, too. And I also remember it as a quick read. Wasn't Madonna going to turn it into a movie?

I also remember reading This Side of Paradise over a Memorial Day weekend spent at a cabin on a lake in the Adirondacks...oh my salad days.

 

[pub crawler]

I thought Memoir of a Geisha was great, too. And I also remember it as a quick read. Wasn't Madonna going to turn it into a movie?

Yeah, I don't know what it is about Geisha that makes it not terribly transfixing to me. I do feel that Golden pulled off the narrative successfully, but I feel like many of the scenes in the novel are sort of repetitive. Hell, I dunno, maybe I'll give it another shot. It definitely fills the bill of being summer reading. On another note, I think I remember reading the Steven Spielberg optioned the book and was going to make a movie.

 

[meegannie]

I'm reading Watership Down again and Sam and I are re-reading the Harry Potter books in anticipation of book 5 (got our tickets to the midnight release party thing here in Norwich today). I also got Bill Bryson's Made In America.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I'm also super-excited about the new Harry Potter. In fact I'm literally counting down the days until it's release.

 

[Bbug]

Well, I took a Shakespeare class in May so I've read a lot of that. Also, Persuasion, The Day My Butt Went Psycho which is a gross book aimed at like, 12 year-olds but was so funny that I couldn't put it down, and 2 Dave Barry books that my dad sent me. I'm presently reading Tom Jones, Gulliver's Travels, and Cien Anos de Soledad.

 

[pax]

Cien anos de soledad (One Hundred Years of Solitude for you non-espanol-habla-ing folks) is an *amazing* book. I read it a few years ago, and although it took me over a month to read, it was a very rewarding experience. The mere mention of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's name takes my breath away.

Has anyone read Love in the Time of Cholera? I want to read that one.

I'm a little more than halfway through Beloved now, and I think I'll start The Lovely Bones next.

 

[BonoBabe40]

I'll tell if no one laughs...It's called "When we're in public, pretend you don't know me"...

"Surviving your daughter's adolescence so you don't look like an idiot and she still talks to you."

The way I see it...if the kid would shut off the rap music and listen to some decent tunes, she'd be fine

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Brave New World =

For Toni Morrison fans, I recommend Song of Solomon. It was my favorite of hers.

I've also been interested in Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Must add one of his to my list, too!

 

[sulawesigirl4]

I recently finished Kurt Vonnegut's "Galapagos"

I'm about 3/4 of the way through "Anna Karenina" by Tolstoy at the moment. It's awesome!

oh and pubbie, give Geisha another chance. It's quite good. I read it in one day.

 

[pax]

I would also recommend Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Even during the semester, I read in maybe a week and a half. A timely and harrowing read.

I hit a rough spot in Beloved, but I'm still making progress...I think I'll only need maybe two or three more days with it.

 

[~LadyLemon~]

Here are a few things I've read recently:

*Welcome to My Planet--Shannon Olson
*Prozac Nation--Elizabeth Wurtzel
*High Fidelity (again)--Nick Hornby

And I am currently reading:

*Notes from the Underground and The Gambler--Dostoevsky

And I've pretty much got only Kerouac and Dostoevsky on my summer reading lists, with one exception:

*Getting Over Jack Wagner--Elise Juska
*The Dharma Bums--Kerouac
*The Idiot--Dostoevsky
*Jack Kerouac, A Biography--Ann Charters
*Desolation Angels (again)--Kerouac

 

[Dreadsox]

For two Summers I have read the New Jedi Order Series. I will now catch up on all of the books written since last August.

I will continue to read the Message.

I have ordered three books on Philosophy and Religion in relation to the Matrix.

Finally, I have two new books on the Kennedy Assasination.

 

[u2popmofo]

I would also recommend Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Even during the semester, I read in maybe a week and a half. A timely and harrowing read.

Yeah, that's an interesting book. I liked it. Havent read it since High School though.

 

[pax]

I have ordered three books on Philosophy and Religion in relation to the Matrix.

One of those books had better be The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real. Indispensable and fascinating.












And edited by my philosophy advisor at school.

 

[kariatari]

and i've had the red tent by anita diamant on my bookshelf for over a year. everyone i know who has read it LOVES it.

I read The Red Tent last summer and while it wasn't one of my favorite reads, I appreciated it immensely for its historical depth and accuracy. The whole story is fascinating, (but extremely depressing), and I can't believe how much of what I learned while reading the book has stuck with me. I had a great discussion about The Red Tentwith my anthropology professor last fall and she said that almost anything Diamant writes can be taken as a very real account of culture in biblical times.

As for what I'm reading this summer:

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Short stories by Franz Kafka and William Faulkner

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson

Truman by David McCollough

 

[notiti]

I just finished Portrait in Sepia by Isabelle Allende. It comes highly reccomended. Also if you need one book that'll last you all summer check out Infinate Jest Finished that one two weeks ago. You will never think of book length the same way again. I promise.

 

[cass]

It's winter...imho.
perfect time of year for curling up under the quilt with a good book. I my glasses

 

[alia612]

I'm currently reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.... but as for nonfiction, I'm going to read Everything You Know Is Wrong (Yes, I just picked it up for the title)... I can't wait for it. Apparently it's (according to the blurb in the order form) 'revealing new discoveries on September 11th...' (or something like that anyway)... it sounds very interesting.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Also if you need one book that'll last you all summer check out Infinate Jest Finished that one two weeks ago. You will never think of book length the same way again. I promise.

Wow, you read that?! I'm impressed. It's the only one of his books I haven't read because I'm intimidated by the length. He is one of my favorite writers, though. I sort of have a crush on him. Did you read A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again?

 

[Danospano]

I'm one of those short-attention span individuals who must change his direction fifty times everyday. Considering this it should come as no surprise that I'm currently reading about 5 books, which each take my fancy depending on my attitude and mood. Here's the ones I'll be reading this summer:

1) "Loitering with Intent: The Apprentice"--->The second volume of film and stage legend Peter O'Toole.

2) "The Bell Curve"---->Exposes the apparent truths concerning intellegence and its correlation between societal class and ethnic heretiety.

3) "Capital": by Karl Marx---> I plan on skimming through this book rather than creep word by word.

4) "Making of A Country Lawyer"---> Autobiography of trial attorney, Gerry Spence.

5) "Judging Your Jury"-----> Discussion of tactics used by jury consultants regarding body language, graphology, physical appearance, etc.

 

[Bbug]

I love this thread, it's given me so many good "read this book!" ideas. Now I just need to make time to get it all done

 

[Dreadsox]

One of those books had better be The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real. Indispensable and fascinating.

I will pick it up too. We are two weeks away from a week on Lake Winni something or otherin NH.

The What About Bob Lake I think,

 

[pax]

My professor will be so excited!!!

 

[DiGi]

currently reading: The Grapes of Wrath - Steinbeck

After that:
A Long Walk to Freedom - The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela
The Return of The King - Tolkien
Sub 4:00 - Chris Lear
Running Tough - Michael Sandrock

after those I'm not sure