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What are you reading? (March 2010)
- Thread starter FnordChan
- Start date
joeyjoejoeshabadoo
Member
I picked up a couple of books last night.
Not really sure what to read this month. I know I'm going to keep one of them for beach reading in Hawaii in May.
In the meantime I'm working my way through this:
sogood.gif
Not really sure what to read this month. I know I'm going to keep one of them for beach reading in Hawaii in May.
In the meantime I'm working my way through this:
sogood.gif
Forgot to post in the February thread, so I'll include what I read last month as well:
Finished Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon. Took a month and a half, and I loved it to bits. Difficult but very rewarding.
After that, Marisha Pessl's Special Topics in Calamity Physics. A strange, original blend between coming-of-age story and detective/murder mystery written in a VERY verbose style. Pessl never calls a spade a spade, but throws around similes and metaphors and obscure media references twenty times a page. Very tiring to begin with, and seems like an irritating attempt to say "look how clever I am!", but she was smart enough to actually concoct a good reason for writing like that, so it surprisingly works. The characters are mixed - some interesting, many not. The story is very exciting, however. It drags to begin with, but takes off in style later on. Definitely recommended.
Lately, I've been reading The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh. A brilliant book about architecture, and "architecture" in Manaugh's mind is a very, very broad subject. It's completely all over the place, and goes from inflatable cities to beautiful poisonous dry lakes to a controversial book about secret railway-tunnels under Tokyo to New Yorkers' dreams about their bedrooms to artificial northern lights... It's all very interesting. Most or all of the articles can be read on the blog itself (http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/), but reading them in a quality book like this is so much nicer.
Have also read a couple of other books about architecture, mainly about houses. Villas and pre-fab houses. I wanna build a house...
Right now, Miles Edgeworth on the DS, which is almost like reading a book. Almost. After that, probably this:
The Good Soldier Svejk, by Jaroslav Hasek. Seems like a good one.
Finished Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon. Took a month and a half, and I loved it to bits. Difficult but very rewarding.
After that, Marisha Pessl's Special Topics in Calamity Physics. A strange, original blend between coming-of-age story and detective/murder mystery written in a VERY verbose style. Pessl never calls a spade a spade, but throws around similes and metaphors and obscure media references twenty times a page. Very tiring to begin with, and seems like an irritating attempt to say "look how clever I am!", but she was smart enough to actually concoct a good reason for writing like that, so it surprisingly works. The characters are mixed - some interesting, many not. The story is very exciting, however. It drags to begin with, but takes off in style later on. Definitely recommended.
Lately, I've been reading The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh. A brilliant book about architecture, and "architecture" in Manaugh's mind is a very, very broad subject. It's completely all over the place, and goes from inflatable cities to beautiful poisonous dry lakes to a controversial book about secret railway-tunnels under Tokyo to New Yorkers' dreams about their bedrooms to artificial northern lights... It's all very interesting. Most or all of the articles can be read on the blog itself (http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/), but reading them in a quality book like this is so much nicer.
Have also read a couple of other books about architecture, mainly about houses. Villas and pre-fab houses. I wanna build a house...
Right now, Miles Edgeworth on the DS, which is almost like reading a book. Almost. After that, probably this:
The Good Soldier Svejk, by Jaroslav Hasek. Seems like a good one.
Escape Goat
Member
So I just finished both World War Z and The Road, but I'm finding it really overwhelming to find a new fiction piece to read. Those are really my first reads in a long time in contemporary literature, and the massive volume and opinions on books leaves me overwhelmed what to pick. Im not exactly looking for a book that covers the same topic, those two were just the stand outs when seeing what people had been reading recently. I was thinking The Dark Tower series or The Last Stand. Anyone help a brother out?
Guileless
Temp Banned for Remedial Purposes
I had the afternoon off and finished Farthing by Jo Walton on FnordChan's recommendation. As an anglophile who enjoys country house murder mysteries and alternate history, the setting was intriguing. The prose was good and I enjoyed it as a mystery, but the political tone was too heavy-handed for me. (It was easy to guess that it was written shortly after 9/11.)
My reading on British appeasement in the ruling classes confirms the view that it is greatly exaggerated in popular culture and historical memory. The hypothesis that seems most plausible to me is that this was overcompensation on the part of the British Left, which had been forced by Moscow to defend the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact before Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
You can argue that none of this should matter in an alternate history. But it still bothered me enough somewhere in the back of my mind that it affected my enjoyment of the book. It won't affect most people, though, and it is a good read otherwise.
My reading on British appeasement in the ruling classes confirms the view that it is greatly exaggerated in popular culture and historical memory. The hypothesis that seems most plausible to me is that this was overcompensation on the part of the British Left, which had been forced by Moscow to defend the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact before Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
You can argue that none of this should matter in an alternate history. But it still bothered me enough somewhere in the back of my mind that it affected my enjoyment of the book. It won't affect most people, though, and it is a good read otherwise.
Peronthious
Member
Finished:
Garrett translation though. Took two months, worth every day. Amazingly dense novel.
Next up on the docket, though probably after I clear out my Instapaper queue and read a few papers I've been meaning to go through:
Garrett translation though. Took two months, worth every day. Amazingly dense novel.
Next up on the docket, though probably after I clear out my Instapaper queue and read a few papers I've been meaning to go through:
Dark FaZe said:
I found GOTM the hardest book to plough through in the series, but have loved the others I've read. It was the second volume, Deadhouse Gates, that completely converted me to this series.
As for what I'm reading:
I enjoy David Mack's take on the Star Trek universe--it's a little more dark than most, and the characters talk about and occasionally have sex. Oh, and actually swear. See, JJ Abrams? That's all it takes me win me over.
joeyjoejoeshabadoo said:I picked up a couple of books last night.
Have you read this yet? I enjoyed Simmons' The Terror immensely, but I've been afraid to trek further into his material since I've heard mixed things about what's good and what isn't. Would like to know your thoughts when you get around to it, as the idea of a semi-paranoid Dickens seemed pretty interesting.
roosters93
Member
As You Like It for school.
In the exam I'm using One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest as an additional text.
In the exam I'm using One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest as an additional text.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
Masamune said:
An autobiography?
:lol jks.
Rabbit Lord
Member
operon said:
Got through these in last 2 weeks.
So fucking good.
Tim the Wiz
Banned
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy said:
Even a joke about Dostoevsky being an idiot is skating thin ice.
UnluckyKate
Member
Ken Grimwood's REPLAY.
It has this awesome limited print, cover is electric blue with disco reflection and each page as the edge paintend in silver.
It has this awesome limited print, cover is electric blue with disco reflection and each page as the edge paintend in silver.
Been on weird "existentialism" kick. While he's not completely an existentialist he's usually mentioned in any discussion of the subject. I was listening to a Professor from I-Tunes U read some passages and I thought it was something I should definitely pick up.
Well, I'm trudging through it and want desperately to finish it. I'm going to stick to fiction from here on out I'd say.
afternoon delight
Member
Well, I'd recommend 2666 by Roberto Bolano, Blood Meridian and The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy, Dance! Dance! Dance! by Haruki Murakami.
Just finished this as well this week thanks to the library - what a great concept, don't you think?
Just purchased From Hell, already mentioned. Nothing but praise for it.
Yeah, it's extreme, but I definitely enjoyed it. If that's the right word.
Mountains of Madness is absolutely classic. The Festival, Cool Air, The Shadow Out of Time.
faridmon said:Just finished:
can anyone recommend me a really funny (laugh out loads) and easy to read. English is not my first language and this book just made my brain hurt since i was trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
I have a recommendation you will enjoy:
More amusing / good story-telling than laugh out loud... but an easy read with a good pace. I can't imagine it getting a bad review.
I'm currently trying to start:
thomaser said:
Lately, I've been reading The BLDGBLOG Book by Geoff Manaugh. A brilliant book about architecture, and "architecture" in Manaugh's mind is a very, very broad subject. It's completely all over the place, and goes from inflatable cities to beautiful poisonous dry lakes to a controversial book about secret railway-tunnels under Tokyo to New Yorkers' dreams about their bedrooms to artificial northern lights... It's all very interesting. Most or all of the articles can be read on the blog itself (http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/), but reading them in a quality book like this is so much nicer.
This looks interesting, i'll have to check it out.
ShadyMilkman
Banned
I can't do this anymore. Nothing fucking happens.
is it funny though? from what i have read in Wikipedia article, it seems this book talks about sexual confusion which sound like a teen angst/emo crap which i hate.Kamal007 said:Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger
I wish I could recommend more off the top of my head; but truth is I haven't kept up my reading list in a few years... I definitely plan to change that by popping in this thread more than a few times.
Neuromancer
Member
Finishing up Starship Troopers for the nth time. Great book! Wanted to read it after playing Section 8.
HamPster PamPster
Member
Finished
Thought it was okay. The author tried too hard to sound like a "kid" and the book wraps up way too fast and neatly for my tastes among other issues but I love Greek mythology and the whole mixing modern day with fantasy elements.
Does anyone know if the rest of the series gets better?
Also, anyone want to recommend something that mixes modern day and fantasy like this or Dresden Files?
Thought it was okay. The author tried too hard to sound like a "kid" and the book wraps up way too fast and neatly for my tastes among other issues but I love Greek mythology and the whole mixing modern day with fantasy elements.
Does anyone know if the rest of the series gets better?
Also, anyone want to recommend something that mixes modern day and fantasy like this or Dresden Files?
the_painted_bird
Member
:lolMaklershed said:
Boogie9IGN
Member
My quarterly re-reading of it <3
Subterranean
Member
Starting The Dark Tower series after all the hype I hear about it, so far so good.
malboroking
Banned
I've probably read that book at least 5 times. Such an awesome book, I never get bored of it. Have you read any of the other books in the Asia Saga?Boogie9IGN said:
My quarterly re-reading of it <3
major_killjoy
Member
Boogie9IGN said:
My quarterly re-reading of it <3
If I had to condense my entire library to 3 books it would be Clavell's Shogun, Kafka on the Shore and Marcus Aurelius's Meditations.
Tim the Wiz
Banned
malboroking said:
Noble House is a personal favourite - alongside Shogun, of course.
sparky2112
Member
Boogie9IGN said:
My quarterly re-reading of it <3
Consider one of my eyebrows arched quizically...you read this 4 times a year?!?
Jedeye Sniv
Banned
KidDork said:I found GOTM the hardest book to plough through in the series, but have loved the others I've read. It was the second volume, Deadhouse Gates, that completely converted me to this series.
As for what I'm reading:
I enjoy David Mack's take on the Star Trek universe--it's a little more dark than most, and the characters talk about and occasionally have sex. Oh, and actually swear. See, JJ Abrams? That's all it takes me win me over.
Is this David Mack the amazing artist David Mack of kabuki fame?
Skittleguy
Ring a Bell for me
Interesting plot, but kinda meh. I think I'll read more Hammett when I'm done.
