Halx

FINALLY finished In Cold Blood by Truman Capote. This book took a lot of determination to complete. It is so dense and rich with detail and backstory that it can be tedious at times. Still, you're compelled to read as the events unfold. There is a lot of praise for this book floating around, but I hope that it is not the pinnacle of literary works, as some people claim. Otherwise, I better not bother reading much else. For my next book, I'd like to read something that moves a little faster.

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Anormalguy

I very rarely read books by or about celebrities as I have little interest in their lives.

However, I am very much impressed by Brett Butler's Knee Deep In Paradise. If she did indeed write this book on her own, which I believe is what she says, then IMO she missed her calling as a writer. Her writing is intelligent & eloquent, yet assessible.

Derwood

I now have 8 books out from the library. I think i'm in over my head

Anormalguy

I finished War And Remembrance, not an easy read (quite long, slow in parts, at times very preachy). While I enjoyed it, I don't think that I'll be tackling The Winds Of War any time soon.

Derwood

Just finished "Lullaby" and have started "Stranger than Fiction", both by Chuck Paluhniak.

Anormalguy

I finished Songs In Ordinary Time by Mary McGarry Morris. It's not one of the better written books that I've read, but it did keep me turning the pages, anxious to see what happened next. Parts of the ending were entirely too convenient, & she left many loose ends.

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In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

skizziks

Finished A crooked vein by Warren Ellis. I would recommend it to everyone I met. I'm currently reading A beginner's guide to reality by Jim Baggot, philosophy and such. Good so far.
-----Added 30/9/2008 at 11 : 07 : 27-----
I liked The fountainhead more than all her other stuff, one of the best books ever, along with A prayer for Owen Meany. I thought anthem was kinda....sucky, trite, bad sci-fi.

roachboy

an index of my dullness, but also a very interesting book:

maurice merleau-ponty: nature: course notes from the college de france

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a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite

Willravel

I just reread Ender's Game. It's the perfect "I'm really brilliant and special" ego food for young children, but it's equally entertaining as an adult.

snowy

Finished The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman. I really liked the sort of framing story she used in the novel.

Also finished Ian McEwan's Atonement. Really, really enjoyed it. I basically couldn't put it down once I got into it. The ending felt a bit contrived, but I liked the psychological aspects of the novel in general.

Now I'm working on McEwan's On Chesil Beach.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

dd3953

I just finished "Twilight." And while it took me a while to get into (mainly because I couldn't bring myself to care about the main character) after I got to know and invest in the secondary characters, I entered into the world that is Forks. I just started "New Moon" and I finally got invested in the main character. So, yeah, they count as good books, or at least I plan on finishing the series (it's just four books).

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Borla

I am halfway through that right now, after about two years of saying I was going to read it soon. It was slow to get going, but I'm into it now. Quite intersting.

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Coimhéad fearg fhear na foighde!!!!

Hain

I just read Soon I Will Be Invincible by Austin Grossman, and was enthralled. I read it in nearly a sitting. Take that epic exploration into the human side of every superhero that was Watchmen and add the humor of Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and you have Grossman's excellent debut novel.

mixedmedia

I wasn't able to read while school was in, so as soon as school let out I went kind of book crazy.

What I've read so far:
Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman - cute at times, but not as good as I was led to believe. meh
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri - beautiful, simple, realistically poignant short stories, my favorite kind of fiction reading
shhhh, I'm not supposed to waste my time on this kind of trash, but: I'm with the Band by Pamela Des Barres - not very good, I quit before she lost her virginity - her writing was too cutesy and cloying
I've read bits and pieces of about a dozen other books - short stories mostly, too many to mention
What I'm reading now:
Annie Leibovitz At Work - an xmas gift that I didn't expect to enjoy nearly as much as I am; it's given me a whole new appreciation of Ms. Leibovitz and her work

with school about to start up again in less than 2 weeks I am wishing I had made better choices...oh well.

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Most people go through life dreading they'll have a traumatic experience. Freaks were born with their trauma. They've already passed their test in life. They're aristocrats. - Diane Arbus
PESSIMISM, n. A philosophy forced upon the convictions of the observer by the disheartening prevalence of the optimist with his scarecrow hope and his unsightly smile. - Ambrose Bierce

Anormalguy

Murrow: His Life and Times, by A.M. Sperber

It's taken me quite a while to read this Edward R. Murrow biography that runs 705 pages (not counting 54 pages of notes, a 5 page bibliography, 4 pages of acknowlegments, & a 22 page index). I don't regret reading this book, but I feel compelled to admit that I could only read it in small parts, needing to let it sit for days, sometimes weeks, before I was able to continue.

While the journalist in me admires Sperber's thoroughness, the reader in me finds this book very dry. Sperber spends way too much time focusing on Murrow's early start prior to helping create/form radio and television news.

Most TFPers have grown up with the internet, in the age of information. Although I was four years old when Murrow died on 04-27-65, I recall him being revered in the news media. When I studied journalism in the '80s, most of my professors were old enough to have been influenced by Murrow.
[SIZE="1"][COLOR="DarkSlateGray"]



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Hmmm...I didn't want these two reviews in the same post, but it seems that I have experienced an automerge.


The Greatest, My Own Story, by Muhammad Ali with Richard Durham

In a previous post I wrote that I rarely read books by/about celebrities, and this book is a great example of why: TGMOS is filled mostly with self-congratulatory bullshit. If this book is accurate, Muhammad Ali was one of the most egotistical athletes ever, in any sport in any era.

Interesting note--I found TGMOS while on one of my thrift store forays. The hardback book published in 1975 originally listed for $10.95, but the price sticker shows that Foley's (which was a local department store chain) had marked it down to $1.00.

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In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

highthief

Just read:

"Taboo: Why Black Athletes Dominate Sports and Why We're Afraid to Talk About It" by John Entine.

Pretty good read, although he spent way too much time going over the history of blacks in sport (for anyone who has read about Jesse Owens, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, etc before it gets very repetitive). But when he got into the science of it, it was quite interesting.

Now reading:

"Pandemonium" by Andrew Nikiforuk. Really snappy writer who tells us about many of the emerging viruses out there - not Ebola etc but viruses infecting our food supply (bord flu, CJD, etc). Interesting read.

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Si vis pacem parabellum.

filtherton

Right now I'm trying to get through "Working" by Studs Terkel. It's pretty interesting.

The next book on my list is "Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes" which could either be interesting or excruciating.

SpottedThinker

I've been involved in political activism working on the Obama campaign and now that that's succeeded I've been trying to educate myself for the future to best apply my efforts to a cause. In my research I came across a book called "Thinking Big" (great video for it here: Thinking Big) that is like the cliff's notes for the progressive movement - it's published by a group of progressive organizations, some of the best in the country - and written by leaders of these groups. Highly recommended - no matter your political affiliation - as it's a dense read of solutions to current crises and I feel a more informed citizen having read it.

snowy

I finished off Watchmen by Alan Moore a week or so ago. I devoured it. I enjoyed it so much I made my SO read it; he too could not put it down. Great stuff; Moore is a master.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Hain

Watchmen was excellent. If you liked that, I recommend Soon I Will Be Invincible. I went from Watchmen to this immediately because I couldn't get heroes-n-villains into my veins fast enough.

Soon I Will Be Invincible is that same human exploration of a superhero with the dark and lighthearted humor that made Dr. Horrible so entertaining.

Anormalguy

Zuckerman Bound A Triology and Epilogue is three novels (The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound, & The Anatomy Lesson) and a novella (Epilogue: The Prague Orgy) by Philip Roth, in one volume.


I've read the first two novels, and am almost through with the third one, and I'm still not sure to what to make of Roth's writing. Overall his writing is quite good, but his aversion to paragraphs and frequent tangents greatly bother me. I don't understand the constant & overly lengthy tirades on being Jewish (maybe if I was Jewish?).

If anyone here at TFP has some insight on Roth's writing, I'd certainly appreciate hearing your thoughts.

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In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

snowy

I've placed it on hold at the local library.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Hain

As it just came up in conversation, I recently finished reading two books: Hyperspace by Michio Kaku and The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene. These books are about the latest theories in physics, specifically the search for an understanding of String/M-theory. What? Theoretical physics doesn't come up often in your conversations?

Hyperspace was a very good generalization of the problems between the two contemporary views of the universe, namely the special theory of relativity (used at large scales) and the Standard Model (quantum mechanics, used at small scales). Using many colorful and useful analogies, such as a overly snug bed sheets and sitting atop of a spherical prison to explain the principles of false vacuums, the read is really enriching to see the universe in whole new modes.

The Elegant Universe was even better. Greene does a fantastic job, and goes even further to demonstrate the problems in physics and the solutions string/m-theory actually accomplishes. The descriptions are very vivid and even the layman can become fluent with the principles described. I would recommend this to any physics enthusiast. In addition, there is a Nova special, hosted by Brian Greene, about the work in his book.

Hyperspace and The Elegant Universe complement each other very well.

snowy

Actually, we were just talking about theoretical physics last night at my house...of course, I live with two engineers. I'll have to check these out; I find that the documentaries on the Science Channel don't always do a good job of explaining the theories they present.

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If I am not better, at least I am different. --Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Jove

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

I thought I would read the short story to see if there are any differences between the story and the movie and there was a few, but I enjoyed the short story and the movie.

Watchmen

I had to read the graphic novel before the movie comes out in March (or whenever they decide on an actual date). I was shocked about what happened to a certain city where a certain character decided to cause a certain event to happen. I do not want to spoil it for those who haven't read the novel.

JumpinJesus

Just straightforward storytelling, but what a great fucking book.

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"I can normally tell how intelligent a man is by how stupid he thinks I am" - Cormac McCarthy, All The Pretty Horses

Sue

I read Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. Love, love, love, love, love.

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Hain

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

It is fantastic. Last man on Earth with Vincent Price was so much better (plot wise) than the latest incarnation with Will Smith. I must give Smith credit for his fantastic job in the first 2/3s of the movie. It wasn't his fault Hollywood felt the need to water down a fantastic epiphany about the nature of normalcy. Just read the book.

Strange Famous

I just finished reading The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell

I like all the Wallander books & I love Wallander as a character - bad tempered, emotionally akward, plauged by self doubt, sometimes irresponsible and selfish, overweight, intelligent not especially brilliant - but through a mixture of stubborness, focus, and sheer effort of will - he always solves the crime!

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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."

The Gospel of Thomas

Anormalguy

A Fine Balance is a novel set in India starting in 1975 which takes the reader into the lives of four Indians, a widow, an uncle & his nephew, and a college student.

I found the book to be well-written, but the content would stand out even if AFB had been poorly written. Many adjectives could be used to describe the content of AFB, but the two I chose over all others are disturbing and depressing.

I can't claim to know a lot about India, its culture and/or history. What I will say is if this novel is even remotely close to what has happened (still happens?) in India, then India was (is?) one of the most fucked-up countries in the world. I don't usually resort to cursing in my posts re books, but AFB definately struck a nerve.


This sounds more suitable to a blog entry, but I feel compelled to make this disclaimer regarding my bias against Indians in general. Please keep in mind my bias is based on my limited exposure, and I don't mean to group all Indians together even though it is tempting. My wife has worked for and with several Indians over many years, and I spent time a fair amount of time around those Indians via her job. I have never, so far in my life, met a more cold-hearted, corrupt, I-don't-give-a-shit-about-you-what's-in-it-for-me?, cheap, elitest, and demanding group of people.

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In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

YaWhateva

I just started reading The Road too and it is fantastic. I am also re-reading my favorite book ever, Crime & Punishment. I haven't picked that book up in a long time but it's such a great one.

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“If the Americans go in and overthrow Saddam Hussein and it's clean, he has nothing, I will apologize to the nation, and I will not trust the Bush administration again.” - Bill O'Reilly

"This is my United States of Whateva!"

sapiens

I just finished the Sandman series by Neil Gaiman. Some of it I liked, some of it I didn't.

Before that I read:
In the woods and The likeness both by Tana French. Both are detective novels set in Ireland. They were both OK. I didn't like either ending. \

The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall. I read it to my daughter. I thought it was dull.
The midwife's apprentice by Karen Cushman. I read this to my daughter as well. It was more entertaining than the Penderwicks.


I'm currently reading:
The invention of Hugo Cabret : a novel in words and pictures by Brian Selznick. My daughter and I are about 1/2 way through. I like it.

ring

I am reading The Shipping News, again. Annie Proulx's Pulitzer winning novel.

It is so difficult say it's my absolute favorite, but it makes my top ten list for sure.

The Shipping News - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

sapiens

I really enjoyed that book. I didn't like the movie at all.

Locobot

I've got three books open at the moment: A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs (well-written and imaginative, but a little too pulpy for my taste), Hardboiled & Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto (given to me by a friend, pretty good so far-dreamy tone that reminds me of Kafka), On the Beach by Nevil Shute (just started but I'm pretty sure I'm going to love this).

Agreed, it really spoke to my paternal instincts.

dd3953

Pastwatch, The Redemption of Christopher Columbus by Orson Scott Card.
It was a great read and I'm not even all that into sci-fi, and completely not into history, so if you like either one, you'll love this book. The characters are real, complex, and allow you to quickly become engaged in the tale.

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[Technically, I'm not possible, I'm made of exceptions. ]

Jehu Salinger

I totally agree on The Road!

Also read Reunion by Alan Lightman. It made me cry, beautiful story.

Anormalguy

The Watchmen, by John Altman.

I very much enjoyed the book, even though I found parts of it to be unbelievable. FWIW I have a difficult time with 'suspension of disbelief,' which is one reason why I rarely read spy/intrigue novels.

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House of Sand and Fog, by Andre Dubus III.

A very good read, although the story unfolds almost too fast, but this isn't an 800 page novel. The ending was unsatisfying, it seems as though the author intentionally left the ending open for a follow-up novel.



I'm about start Wally Lamb's She's Come Undone, & I hope that I enjoy SCU as much as I enjoyed I Know This Much Is True.

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In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

Anormalguy

I just finished The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen. The term 'a real page turner' definately applies to this novel. Gerritsen doesn't clutter the story with unnecessary characters and subplots, and gives just enough information at the right time to keep you wanting more.

I'm looking forward to reading more of her novels.

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In a society where the individual is not free to pursue the truth...there is neither progress, stability nor security.--Edward R. Murrow

ring

Meridel Le Sueur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Taken from the introduction-Written by Linda Ray Pratt:

"As a member of the 'Workers Alliance', Le Sueur worked on behalf of the
women she met during the Depression. In her note about the creation of
The Girl, she tells us that she was part of a writers' group that,
"met every night to raise our miserable circumstances to the level of sagas,
poetry, cry-outs."

"The novel is divided between those who embrace life and protect it and those who violate life and repudiate the bonds of community."


I must thank Ourcrazymodern?, for recommending this read.

Towards the end of the book, we took turns reading aloud to each other,
over the phone.