OT: Watcha reading?

[eco's bones]

I was a huge fan of Michael Brooks. I didn’t agree with him on everything, but he completely changed the way I see politics and society.

I think Yang is an example of what we need more of in politics. Younger people with new, modern ideas.

I liked Brooks a lot too--sometimes though--not usually disagreement but I would have enough for the moment and end it early. He had a good sense of humor and I liked a lot of the voice imitating. He was good at it.

I think one of the problems we have in this country is we get too many either/or choices when there can be multiple ways to deal with something. Part of that is because of the 24-7 media monsters we have. I like when people come along and change things up a bit and even if you're not altogether in agreement new ideas tend to get people to think in alternative directions.

 

[Harbour Dog]

Post Office is f***ing hilarious. First line goes something like 'It was christmas season and I heard from the drunk up the hill that the Post Office would hire damn near anybody'.

They have the movie Barfly with Mickey Rourke as Bukowski's alter ego Henry Chinaski staggering around drunk all the time and Faye Dunaway as his femme fatale stealing cobs from a cornfield. I think it's in Factotum where he describes working in a slaughterhouse for 10/12 hour days in Southern California---hopping on a transit bus then to get back home stinking from his own sweat---the clothes he's wearing covered in animal blood--the people already on the bus glaring at him and trying to get as far away as possible.

I'll make it a point to read it in the near future!

 

[eco's bones]

I'll make it a point to read it in the near future!

The thing is the Postal stuff is right on the money. It was exactly like that 20 some years later when I started working for them. I remember passing the book around work---there was a lot of shock that a writer would know something about them who lived ordinary lives but Bukowski worked 10-15 years for the Post Office.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

There's a lot of variety here which is a good thing. I've read the Nabokov's and Sebald's you mention--have read some Chandler and Balzac and like Chatwin's In Patagonia.

Thanks, at some point last year I wanted to try to read all of Nabokov's books just straight through, but I kept finishing one, getting into another, and then losing steam and not touching it for at least a month. So I still want to read all of them, I think I'm roughly half way through at this point, but I've been reading one of them and then reading 1-3ish other books to keep everything a little fresher and more interesting and it seems to be working out so far. And I've been meaning to pick up Chatwin's Utz for a little while now, I've just never got around to it, but then I saw a documentary Werner Herzog just made this year on his friendship with and the life of Chatwin and figured I should just start with In Patagonia or The Songlines, and the former was the first one I found at a bookshop, so I picked it up

 

[eco's bones]

It's been a while since I've read anything of Nabokov's. I do have a few of his books unread lying around--I think Ada is one.

But these are the ones I have read and the order that I read them in: King Queen Knave (which I liked a lot), Despair (not as much), Strong Opinions (that was more of Nabokov on other writers and butterfly collecting), Lolita (excellent), Laughter in the dark (very good), Mary (I remember liking), Glory (not his best), Bend Sinister (that was really good), Pnin, Pale fire (these two books were hard for me to get into), The real life of Sebastian Knight (I liked that), Speak Memory (a kind of autobiography--that was good).

On Chatwin--In Patagonia is a gem. I've also read Utz but it didn't leave a strong impression as I'm trying to think what it was about. I know I have another of his books laying around. I use to go to library sales all the time. The one in Ithaca NY is a huge one. I imagine they're in the millions of books they'll have on sale--along with LP's and CD's and jigsaw puzzles. Cornell U. is a few miles away. Nowadays I pretty much get 95% of my books on Abebooks--the rest I'll do through B&N pretty much. I've also been pretty hard at it since I got out of the Coast Guard in January 1985. Hobbies are I use to play rec leagues---now that's over--I'm 63--but hockey, guitars, punk rock--more towards the late 70's early 80's period, reading books--politics are an interest too.

 

[True Blue]

Book 5 of the Wheel of Time. Been meaning to tackle the series for a number for a number of years. I’m dreading what many fans consider the slog lol!

Never considered that series a slog. But there is a lot of reading. I will say that at times even when things go slow, you are always brought back. And the absolute last book (Sanderson wrote it) is an absolute sprint.

 

[Shadowtron]

Never considered that series a slog. But there is a lot of reading. I will say that at times even when things go slow, you are always brought back. And the absolute last book (Sanderson wrote it) is an absolute sprint.

The most consistent complaint in those middle books was how little the plot progress. But either way I'm enjoying the journey so far.

 

[True Blue]

The most consistent complaint in those middle books was how little the plot progress. But either way I'm enjoying the journey so far.

It is a fantastic escape

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

The most consistent complaint in those middle books was how little the plot progress. But either way I'm enjoying the journey so far.

I recently re"read" them all on audiobook. (Previously, I had reread the earlier books as every, say, 2nd new book came out while Jordan was still alive. Only ever read the Sanderson books once.) I actually found I enjoyed the "slow" bits a lot more this time around, after not having read them for a decade.

 

[Shadowtron]

I recently re"read" them all on audiobook. (Previously, I had reread the earlier books as every, say, 2nd new book came out while Jordan was still alive. Only ever read the Sanderson books once.) I actually found I enjoyed the "slow" bits a lot more this time around, after not having read them for a decade.

I’m enjoying the experience quite a bit. But I’m not gonna lie, I do miss the morally gray and darker flavor of Martin’s Ice & Fire series.

After Wheel I think I may try to finish of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Read Dragonbone Chair and really enjoyed it. The series feels like the middle ground between Wheel and Thrones.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I’m enjoying the experience quite a bit. But I’m not gonna lie, I do miss the morally gray and darker flavor of Martin’s Ice & Fire series.

After Wheel I think I may try to finish of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Read Dragonbone Chair and really enjoyed it. The series feels like the middle ground between Wheel and Thrones.

LOVED Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn when I first read it back in the late '80s. Tried again a couple of years back and got bogged down halfway through the first book, but I still do still have good memories. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Fun fact: Williams HATED that title for the series.

 

[SA16]

LOVED Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn when I first read it back in the late '80s. Tried again a couple of years back and got bogged down halfway through the first book, but I still do still have good memories. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Fun fact: Williams HATED that title for the series.

I tried Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn earlier this year and just couldn't get into it at all.

I never really found any slog in WoT but maybe it's different when you read all 13 consecutively like I did rather than have to wait year(s) for them to come out and then get a book of Perrin in the woods.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I tried Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn earlier this year and just couldn't get into it at all.

I never really found any slog in WoT but maybe it's different when you read all 13 consecutively like I did rather than have to wait year(s) for them to come out and then get a book of Perrin in the woods.

Yes, having read them all as they came out, this is/was most DEFINITELY the difference.

 

[True Blue]

I’m enjoying the experience quite a bit. But I’m not gonna lie, I do miss the morally gray and darker flavor of Martin’s Ice & Fire series.

After Wheel I think I may try to finish of Memory, Sorrow and Thorn. Read Dragonbone Chair and really enjoyed it. The series feels like the middle ground between Wheel and Thrones.

Read those.

For a twist, there is a series called Prince of Nothing and Aspect Emperor. Two trilogies (maybe the latter has 4?). No one is the good guy.

For another good escape, the Kingkiller ones by Patrick Rothfuss. He has two books out and it has been a loooooooong time while waiting for the third.

 

[Shadowtron]

LOVED Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn when I first read it back in the late '80s. Tried again a couple of years back and got bogged down halfway through the first book, but I still do still have good memories. Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

Fun fact: Williams HATED that title for the series.

It took me quite a few tries to get through Dragonbone Chair. I think once you get into the broader world and the plot begins to unfold, it becomes a really great read.

 

[Shadowtron]

Read those.

For a twist, there is a series called Prince of Nothing and Aspect Emperor. Two trilogies (maybe the latter has 4?). No one is the good guy.

For another good escape, the Kingkiller ones by Patrick Rothfuss. He has two books out and it has been a loooooooong time while waiting for the third.

Thanks for the recommendations.

I read a couple hundred pages of the first Kingkiller novel. Enjoyed it, but then found out how long the wait has been for book three and how badly Rothfuss was struggling with it. I have enough of that with Martin, not doing it with Rothfuss too lol. Decided to put it down and wait until we get some confirmed release date on book 3.

 

[we want cup]

Just finished my second full read through of the Malazan series. Cannot recommend enough. Definitely more challenging than your average reading material, but (IMO) hugely worth it for anyone who likes great world building and strong characters. Plus, with the main 10 books series done, a 6 book side series done, one prequel trilogy done, another prequel trilogy 2/3 done (Erikson is just starting the final installment), a bunch of short stories, and more on the way, you can be satisfied that you won't be left hanging (at least for a while). It combines the epic scale of LoTR with some of the moral ambiguity of ASoIaF. There's a lot of unpacking traditional fantasy tropes/archetypes that shows respect for the originals while keeping you guessing and taking things in interesting directions.

Have needed distractions from my dissertation to stay sane, and this series has provided more than I could ever have dreamed of.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

It's been a while since I've read anything of Nabokov's. I do have a few of his books unread lying around--I think Ada is one.

But these are the ones I have read and the order that I read them in: King Queen Knave (which I liked a lot), Despair (not as much), Strong Opinions (that was more of Nabokov on other writers and butterfly collecting), Lolita (excellent), Laughter in the dark (very good), Mary (I remember liking), Glory (not his best), Bend Sinister (that was really good), Pnin, Pale fire (these two books were hard for me to get into), The real life of Sebastian Knight (I liked that), Speak Memory (a kind of autobiography--that was good).

On Chatwin--In Patagonia is a gem. I've also read Utz but it didn't leave a strong impression as I'm trying to think what it was about. I know I have another of his books laying around. I use to go to library sales all the time. The one in Ithaca NY is a huge one. I imagine they're in the millions of books they'll have on sale--along with LP's and CD's and jigsaw puzzles. Cornell U. is a few miles away. Nowadays I pretty much get 95% of my books on Abebooks--the rest I'll do through B&N pretty much. I've also been pretty hard at it since I got out of the Coast Guard in January 1985. Hobbies are I use to play rec leagues---now that's over--I'm 63--but hockey, guitars, punk rock--more towards the late 70's early 80's period, reading books--politics are an interest too.

I think the order I've gone in so far was: Invitation to a Beheading (pretty good), Despiar (also didn't love it), Ada or Ardor (I really liked it, it's long but kind of a breeze to get through), The Eye (fine), The Gift (beyond good, became my favorite book the second I finished the last sentence), Glory (meh), Mary (pretty good), King, Queen, Knave (was a fun read). I have decided what I'm going to read next, but I think I'm going to try to save Pale Fire, Pnin, and Lolita for the homestretch, and I've also heard The Luzhin Defense is a really good one too.

And what I know about Utz is that it's about a pottery collector who lives in Czechoslovakia during the Cold War and he's allowed to travel to the west every now and then to get more pottery and he thinks about defecting but in the end decides not to because he doesn't want to leave his collection behind. I live in a pretty decently populated suburb in central Jersey and there's a few B&N's within like 30ish minutes of my house, but outside of like 1 or 2 other books stores, the only other places are like thrift stores so it's not the quite the greatest place to be when I'd like to just go and browse through shelves of books and find something a little more off the beaten path

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Needed to dust this thread off. Just finished reading "the escape artist" about one of the few Jews who escaped Auschwitz. One of the best books I've ever read.

 

[Nickmo82]

I'm finishing up Erebus by Michael Palin (ni!). Really interesting and entertaining book about a tragic attempt to open up the NW passage. Highly recommended.

 

[Nickmo82]

Ada or Ardor (I really liked it, it's long but kind of a breeze to get through)

I loved it, but the whole section on time theories (or whatever it was!) was a slog.

Lolita for the homestretch

Saving the best for last?

 

[mas0764]

The Witcher series.

 

[Kaapo di tutti capi]

Needed to dust this thread off. Just finished reading "the escape artist" about one of the few Jews who escaped Auschwitz. One of the best books I've ever read.

Downloaded this and read it in 2 days. Great book! Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Gardner McKay]

Scoop!: BigO and PLO8. It is a book that dives deep into the math behind Pot Limit Omaha H/L, both the 4 and 5 card variety.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I tried reading Under the Volcano, I consider myself a cultured individual but damn is that tough to read.

I’ve moved on to Gore Vidal’s Julian which definitely goes down smoother.