What Are You Reading?

[DennisMM]

As good as The Forever War may be, I prefer Haldeman's All My Sins Remembered . It hits on some of the same themes in a totally different sort of story. You may want to check it out. Plus, I think it was the inspiration for the short-lived TV program, Dollhouse .

[minstrel]

After my foray into Lovecraft, I'm looking for something that's actually well written. Maybe John Hawkes - I've heard good things about him.

[Fievel]

After my foray into Lovecraft, I'm looking for something that's actually well written.

The only fool-proof book that is well written is one many on here would shy away from or mock others for being so bold to read.
I personally believe it takes more balls to read this book and proudly tell others that you have read it and recommend them to do the same.
Of course The Book, as it must be capitalized to give it the proper respect, that I speak of is The Dictionary.
Spread The Word! Find your salvation! Encourage others to do the same!

[Al Shut]

I wouldn't know well written if it bit my ass but I would always recommend Germany's greatest evil genius Walter Moers

[Al Shut]

Ravishing my parents' bookshelves reading a lot of Hercule Poirot stories. The more ridiculously complicated the better.

Still at it and I'm suprised if not shocked at some changes that were made for movie adaptions. Exchanging the main character for someone else really seems a bit much.

[Bloo]

currently working on THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, just finished Grisham's FORD COUNTY, and was thinking about reading some Tom Wolfe, whose stuff I've never read.

[so sorry]

After my foray into Lovecraft, I'm looking for something that's actually well written.

The only fool-proof book that is well written is one many on here would shy away from or mock others for being so bold to read.
I personally believe it takes more balls to read this book and proudly tell others that you have read it and recommend them to do the same.
Of course The Book, as it must be capitalized to give it the proper respect, that I speak of is The Dictionary.
Spread The Word! Find your salvation! Encourage others to do the same!

I'll wait for the movie.

[Maui]

I've reread all six H@rry Potter books in the last month and a half and just for kicks and giggles, I've watched each movie over again as well. It's been fun comparing the books to the movies - to see how well they nailed certain scenes and also see how they entirely missed the mark on others. I've decided before I start Deathly Hallows again, I'm going to take a break from the series (I prefer to read this book closer to when the movie is released as I seem to retain .1% of what I read these days). Anyhoo, picked up Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel at the library today. Most of you know his earlier Booker prize winning novel, Life of Pi.

[The Vicar]

After my foray into Lovecraft, I'm looking for something that's actually well written.

The only fool-proof book that is well written is one many on here would shy away from or mock others for being so bold to read.
I personally believe it takes more balls to read this book and proudly tell others that you have read it and recommend them to do the same.
Of course The Book, as it must be capitalized to give it the proper respect, that I speak of is The Dictionary.
Spread The Word! Find your salvation! Encourage others to do the same!

I'll wait for the movie.

I've heard Zack Snyder has been tapped to direct, and that they've already signed Angelina Jolie and Steve Carrell.
Will Farrell had to drop out, since Land of the Lost bricked in the theatres.

[stereosforgeeks]

I just started Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishigura.

[TonyWilson]

Cool Stereos, I have that and China Mieville's Perdido Street Station waiting for me after I finish John Fowles' The Magus, a proper classic and weirdly reminiscent of Lost in some ways.

[stereosforgeeks]

Cool Stereos, I have that and China Mieville's Perdido Street Station waiting for me after I finish John Fowles' The Magus, a proper classic and weirdly reminiscent of Lost in some ways.

I'll have to add The Magus to the queue.

Next up (next week most likely) is probably A Storm Of Swords.

[stereosforgeeks]

I finished Never Let Me Go in a day.

[TonyWilson]

That is a pretty solid reccomendation then, I'll be on to it by next week.
A few thoughts on the novel for us, dude? I know the "twist" but that's all I really know about it.
Have you read Ishiguro's Remains of the Day? Definitely worth a read, it's very moving but incredibly restrained.

[stereosforgeeks]

That is a pretty solid reccomendation then, I'll be on to it by next week.
A few thoughts on the novel for us, dude? I know the "twist" but that's all I really know about it.
Have you read Ishiguro's Remains of the Day? Definitely worth a read, it's very moving but incredibly restrained.

Ive never read anything by Ishiguro before. The "twist" is fairly obvious and not the point of the novel in the slightest as its stated fairly directly in the beginning of the novel. The novel is incredibly restrained and has nostalgic feel as it's a recounting of memories from the main character as shes telling us a story of her life. I would say the novel is pretty slow paced but the writing is evocative enough to keep you going and Ishiguro parses out just enough info to keep you going until the next bit. The thing I loved about the novel which basically is a coming of age at an elite boarding school is how all the themes and questions it asks of us are never really directly stated.Its up to us to parse out what Ishiguro is trying to say about humanity, love, etc... and there are a ton of most likely correct adaptations. It really keeps you thinking about it long after the closing pages. In spite of the detached nostalgic vibe it is still incredibly emotional.

If Romanek and Garland handled this correctly it could be a really powerful film. I hope they dont end up spoon feeding us and keep the deeper meanings burried beneath the surface. Also, I think the twist needs to be revealed earlier and nonchalantly. By putting at the end of the film would be a disservice to all the great character of the novel and the bigger questions it raises in light of the twist. The themes raise because of the twist and not the other way around.

[Ribbons]

Don't forget to post your thoughts on the movie in this super-awesome thread!

http://zone.aintitcool.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=74247

[Maui]

I just finished 1001 Nights of Snowfall by Bill Willingham, which was a fantastic read. It's a prequel GN to the Fables series. There's an assortment of artists contributing their unique style to each story told and it provides some cool background information on many of the Fables characters. Never in my wildest dreams would I have pictured Snow White slaying all of her vertically challenged roommates. I LIKE it!!

[Maui]

I finished reading Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, which I highly recommend. It's a wonderfully written fantasy/scifi novel injected with Russian mythology (see Baba Yaga) and it also has a unique spin on the old traditional Sleeping Beauty tale that we all know and love.

I plan on starting The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty (which was recommended by Mom).

[minstrel]

The Shadow Line, by Joseph Conrad. It's short, so I should be done soon. After that, Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls (for the third time - it's a great book).

[Peven]

The Shadow Line, by Joseph Conrad. It's short, so I should be done soon. After that, Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls (for the third time - it's a great book).

you should read Steinbeck instead of Hemingway my Dad is a Hemingway guy and I am a Steinbeck guy and the merits of each author weighed against the other is a favorite debate point with us

"The Pearl" is criminally under-rated and under-appreciated, imo

[Peven]

I finished reading Enchantment by Orson Scott Card, which I highly recommend. It's a wonderfully written fantasy/scifi novel injected with Russian mythology (see Baba Yaga) and it also has a unique spin on the old traditional Sleeping Beauty tale that we all know and love.

I plan on starting The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty (which was recommended by Mom).

I know I have already recommended Donaldson but i have been thinking that you would really enjoy the Riddlemaster of Hed trilogy, by Patricia McKillip, even more. a beautiful, engaging story and one i think is right up your alley, too

[minstrel]

The Shadow Line, by Joseph Conrad. It's short, so I should be done soon. After that, Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls (for the third time - it's a great book).

you should read Steinbeck instead of Hemingway my Dad is a Hemingway guy and I am a Steinbeck guy and the merits of each author weighed against the other is a favorite debate point with us

"The Pearl" is criminally under-rated and under-appreciated, imo

Wow! Coincidence! Steinbeck was my Dad's favorite author, and he didn't much care for Hemingway!

I've read some Steinbeck and been very impressed. I remember reading East of Eden on a train ride across Canada and being completely blown away. I was about 24 at the time. I have to read it again - I loved it.

[Peven]

The Shadow Line, by Joseph Conrad. It's short, so I should be done soon. After that, Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls (for the third time - it's a great book).

you should read Steinbeck instead of Hemingway my Dad is a Hemingway guy and I am a Steinbeck guy and the merits of each author weighed against the other is a favorite debate point with us

"The Pearl" is criminally under-rated and under-appreciated, imo

Wow! Coincidence! Steinbeck was my Dad's favorite author, and he didn't much care for Hemingway!

I've read some Steinbeck and been very impressed. I remember reading East of Eden on a train ride across Canada and being completely blown away. I was about 24 at the time. I have to read it again - I loved it.

this is a real part of the heart of Steinbeck's work, imo

[SilentBobX]

Just bought Doonesbury: The War Years for $2. It sounds incredible and I could probably copy the receipt to prove it, but that'd be ridiculous. It's a huge book and I'm thoroughly enjoying it.

Mahalo

[Maui]

I finished The Memory of Running by Roy McClarty. Twas an engaging read but it felt like a Forest Gump ripoff, still a heartwarming tale.
I also finished The Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, which I will be discussing later tonight with my book club. Should be interesting.
Now, I'm onto Barbara Kingsolver's Prodigal Summer.

[minstrel]

I finished Hemingway's For Whom The Bell Tolls, and now I'm reading Little Wilson and Big God, which is the first volume of Anthony Burgess's autobiography.

[Wolfpack]

The Broken Wheel, book 2 in the Chung Kuo series by David Wingrove.

[Fievel]

Just read The Day of the Locust.
Such a happy book!

[Maui]

Just started The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.

[Hermanator X]

Recently finised Bloods A Rover, finishing up James Ellroys USA Underworld Trilogy, which I read one after the other.
Quite a harsh dirty experience, but foooooking amazing from start to finish. Fantastic blend of fact and fiction, but dark as can be.
I really cant recommend highly enough.

But after that, and finally getting round to finishing a Paul Auster Novella (which was plain weird, and not sure if I "liked" it or not) I have toned things down and am re reading Terry Pratchetts THUD! which is awesome. Love the discworld city watch books. Sam Vimes is a top bloke in my opinion.

[Bloo]

almost picked up LET ME IN at Wal-Mart tonight, anyone read it, is it worth $11 and my time?

I'm currently reading a book from the late 70s called THE LAST CATTLE DRIVE by a Kansas author named Robert Day. I saw him speak at a writer's conference and I figure if this idiot can make a living off one NY times best seller and teaching at some college on the east coast, well then anyone can

[Bloo]

MEDIUM RAW by Anthony Bourdain via audio book. Loving it, even if it's more of a serious of essays then Kitchen Confidential.

I also came to the conclusion that if they ever make a movie about Bourdain, then Eric Roberts needs to be cast

[caruso_stalker217]

I don't know about Anthony Bourdain, but I think Eric Roberts definitely needs to play George Washington.

[minstrel]

Bourdain is a terrific writer. I have a copy of Medium Raw but I haven't read it yet.

[Fievel]

Bourdain looks like a cross between Eric Bogosian and Tom Bergeron.

[minstrel]

Now I'm reading the second volume of Anthony Burgess's autobiography, You've Had Your Time.

[Bloo]

my college English professor had a book published awhile back and since his daughter works for me, I finally picked up his book, and I see positive comments from fucking Robert Parker, the NY Times, Entertainment Weekly, and The Hollywood Reporter.

It's just surreal to me, I know this guy I see him restaurants around town, he still lives in the same house and drives the same shitty car.

so I'm reading it now, it's called CROFTON'S FIRE by Keith Coplin

I also recently picked up The Complete Westerns by Elmore Leonard I believe it was called, can't wait to start digging into that shit

[stereosforgeeks]

I started Omensetter's Luck - William H. Gass. Its a stream of consciousness novel told from multiple perspectives about a preacher and a lucky man in 1890s Ohio. It was hailed as a masterpiece in the 1960s when it first came out and has been compared to Faulkner at his most experimental.

So far Ive been loving his prose in spite of the difficulty of reading stream of consciousness from 1890s characters.

I also recently finished reading my Absolute Sandman set which is amazingly dense and sprawling and I loved it. I am definitely going to revisit it at another point.

After finishing Absolute Sandman Friday Ive caught up on The Walking Dead trades and am now starting 100 Bullets.

[minstrel]

Omensetter's Luck is on my to-read stack. I love Gass's essays on literature and I've read some of his shorter stories (collected in "In The Heart of the Heart of the Country"), and his prose is brilliant. I might read it next.

[stereosforgeeks]

Omensetter's Luck is on my to-read stack. I love Gass's essays on literature and I've read some of his shorter stories (collected in "In The Heart of the Heart of the Country"), and his prose is brilliant. I might read it next.

Do it!!!

[DennisMM]

I've gone back for a second dip in Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.. The first time I was in a bad place and couldn't push through some of his seemingly gratuitous lengthy descriptions. Starting with a fresh perspective, determined not to hop and jump through it, but read every word this time. it's been rewarding through the first 80 pages.

[Wolfpack]

I've gone back for a second dip in Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize novel, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.. The first time I was in a bad place and couldn't push through some of his seemingly gratuitous lengthy descriptions. Starting with a fresh perspective, determined not to hop and jump through it, but read every word this time. it's been rewarding through the first 80 pages.

Ah, yes! That was a good 'un. I especially dug the section where the dude is a WWII radioman.

I'm reading The White Mountain, Book III of David Wingrove's Chung Kuo series. Man, but these are awesome. Too bad they're long out of print.

[Logan5]

Recently bought Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and so far it's an excellent read. Beautiful and haunting.
Have a couple of Sebald books I'm going to read after this, starting with Vertigo.

[Nachokoolaid]

Reading the sequel to The Strain, entitled THE FALL, by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro. Pretty solid. I love these characters, and this is truly a page turning thriller. Vampire stories have never been so fun.

[caruso_stalker217]

I am currently 100 pages into True Grit. It may be the first book I finish in many months.

[travis-dane]

I've read the first three "Jack Reacher" novels by Lee Child.

[SilentBobX]

My fiancee' bought me Vol. 1 and 2 of Bloom County. And it is pure Penguin Awesomeness. Just another reason to love that woman and keep her close to me, especially during the holidays.

Mahalo

[TheBaxter]

Reading the sequel to The Strain, entitled THE FALL, by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro. Pretty solid. I love these characters, and this is truly a page turning thriller. Vampire stories have never been so fun.

i'll be starting in on this this week. read the first one, liked parts of it but other parts i didn't care for. this one is supposed to get more into the mythology, instead of the "science" mumbo jumbo of the last one, so hopefully i'll like it better.

[TonyWilson]

Well I got some excellent books for christmas, just finishsing up A Matter Of Blood by Sarah Pinborough, she's a wonderful horror author and with this book her ambition has taken off, it's set a few years into the future with the recession/depression deepening and a vision of the UK as a quasi fascist/corporate state.
Then I have two China Mieville books waiting for me, King Rat and The City and The City and also Iain Banks' Transition.

[Maui]

I picked up Straight Man by Richard Russo. The book reads AND feels very much like Nabokov's Pnin, which is a very good thing.