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Franchescanado posted:why not just buy a used copy on Amazon Why would I buy anything from a shop that's literally called "a mason", that's clearly a templar front
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Nov 7, 2017 17:32
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Forktoss posted:Why would I buy anything from a shop that's literally called "a mason", that's clearly a templar front Grease some palms to delay the inevitable?
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Nov 7, 2017 18:47
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Franchescanado posted:I didn't think Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter would be so dark. Like, the serials are actively horrific. A woman who's been having an affair with her brother, a baby that is eaten alive by rats, a teenage girl being raped by a Jehovah's Witness, a homeless man being beaten by the police because he's black... And I'm only halfway through. Don't take this as me complaining or that I can't handle it, but I was under the impression this was a fun screwball comedy and...It's not... The movie adaptation of that is really funny because Keanu Reeves plays the main guy and he gives a deliberately awful performance
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Nov 8, 2017 02:31
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A human heart posted:The movie adaptation of that is really funny because Keanu Reeves plays the main guy and he gives a deliberately awful performance In all honesty, of everyone on this forum that I would have assumed had seen the movie adaptation, you are the last person I would have guessed. Peter Falt isn't a bad choice for the Pedro Camacho character, though there's no way he can be as manic.
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Nov 8, 2017 02:36
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Franchescanado posted:I never picked a book for anyone, and this thread needed a bump. I don't think this book is as good as it was claimed upon release, but it is still a very good book. Roger that, I'm currently reading a total-not-sci-fi-or-fantasy book and will get on this as soon as I finish.
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Nov 8, 2017 03:36
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Guy A. Person posted:I finished The Count of Monte Cristo a while ago! Like in mid-September. I just had a huge backlog that I also wanted to get through before taking on another (probably long, based on my list) book. Read JR. I'll make a list later.
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Nov 8, 2017 09:50
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I read the Graham Joyce book (the year of the ladybird) some time ago and it was pretty bad. decently written on the prose level with some wacky characters, which i don't mind, but the main guy was a nerdy writer wannabe who starts working in a circus where all the hot girls fall in love with him, one of which is married to this neo-nazi chav, so he's pissing his pants of fear while having an affair and getting himself involved in the neo-nazi group by association (most of the circus people are a part of it). then he half-accidentally rescues his lover from the chav bloke by pushing her into the arms of an italian tenor, but luckily he's soothed by another hot circus girl who is a leftie, so they leave the fascist circus and ride off into the sunset to be happy and fight neo-nazis forever.
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Nov 8, 2017 10:23
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List: Midnight's Children Sylvia's Lovers Westward Ho! Wolf Solent Silas Marner
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Nov 8, 2017 10:40
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Read Westward Ho! and tell me if the book is as poo poo as the place
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Nov 8, 2017 10:53
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I have started reading The Count of Monte Cristo. I've got s bunch of other stuff I'm reading on the side tho so no idea how long it's gonna take me to finish it 😅
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Nov 13, 2017 11:18
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Mr. Squishy posted:Read JR. I'll make a list later. I saw this! Probably won't start until after the new year tho because work has gotten kinda crazy and I want to read some other shorter books in the meantime.
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Nov 27, 2017 17:23
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Franchescanado posted:I never picked a book for anyone, and this thread needed a bump. I don't think this book is as good as it was claimed upon release, but it is still a very good book. Ok, finished reading my last book of this year's book lord challenge, so I'm free to read whatever I want now. I'll dive into The Underground Railroad and post back with my impressions.
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Nov 28, 2017 03:35
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Finished reading The Underground Railroad a while back and have been meaning to come back in here and post about it, but have been busy (and a little lazy). It was a good book and worth the read. It was by no means a feel good book, and it did a good job of showing some of the lesser known evils that occurred during slavery. I'm not sure if it was by design or not, but you never really felt all that attached to the characters in the book. We usually got some little introduction to them, a little bit of interaction, and then they were hustled out of the story. On one hand, that could definitely be a vehicle to show us just how terrible the slave's lot in life was, never really able to get a solid hold on his or her surroundings and environment. On the other hand, it did kind of sap a lot of the impact that losing a character normally has for me. I'll whip up a new list and post it in here in a bit. I'm currently reading through a goofy book and want to take time to enjoy it before getting a new assignment.
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Dec 13, 2017 03:23
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Since this thread has been getting a little bit of press in the 2018 Book lord challenge thread and it was a pretty fun concept, I figured I'd get it back rolling. Since I finished The Underground Railroad, I'll post a new list (since my previous one wasn't really in keeping with the whole "being ashamed of not reading" idea). To Kill A Mockingbird I've honestly never, ever read this one. I've always wanted to, but something else always got in the way and now I just gave up. The Bible (any edition, I'm not picky) while I'm not religious, this seems like a pretty drat big hole in my literary experience. Shouldn't I at least give it a go?! Lunch Poems, while not squarely in line with the thread, counts in the sense that I've always been ashamed of not reading poetry. I ran into a couple of Frank O'Hara's poems while reading a poetry primer and really, really dug them. Then I found Having a Coke With You and really, really dug that. So I picked this up. I want to read it, but it would require me to actually sit down and focus. Since I do all of my reading on commutes and wouldn't really be able to enjoy it, this has been sitting on my shelf and collecting dust. The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War For a dude who really loves military history, I know absolutely nothing about WWI. This would rectify that bit of shame. The Catcher in the Rye is in the same category as To Kill a Mockingbird, it's one of those famous books that literary types love to talk about while I sit and twiddle my thumbs. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn noticing a trend in my literary gaps? I spent my entire early life reading science fiction and have always wanted to rectify that. This seems totally my bag, but I've never read it. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for a dude who loves science fiction, this is just an unforgivable lapse. (Also I bought a $120 hand illustrated, 2kg edition and want an excuse to read it/show it off). Goebbels: A Biography was a book I bought for $1, but the fact that it's a 900 page biography about one of the most infamous people in modern history has made me always think "maybe next time" when I see it. Since I spent a ton of my youth reading all about WWII, I really should know a little bit more about the political side of it and stop paying attention to the blam blam side of it. Wuthering Heights another classic I've never read. I bought it years ago during a sale, got it on my Kindle, and then watched it fall way, way, waaaaay back in the queue. Slaughterhouse-Five *gasp*, never read it. I've read a ton of other Vonnegut, but for some reason never even thought of picking this one up. (Looking at that list, I have to wonder what my high school English teachers were doing) USMC_Karl fucked around with this message at 09:06 on Jan 3, 2018 |
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Jan 3, 2018 08:50
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USMC_Karl posted:To Kill A Mockingbird I've honestly never, ever read this one. I've always wanted to, but something else always got in the way and now I just gave up. I picked this over The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because the story is slightly more sentimental and Scout and Atticus are great characters. Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa Half of the book is the coming of age story of author stand-in Marito, age 18, young dumb and full of The second half of the novel are short stories--the soap opera serials--written by Pedro Camacho, which eventually blend together into a single (confusing) narrative, due to Pedro Camacho having a mental breakdown and going insane. These two narratives switch off every chapter. Pedro's stories are the big draw: each one is over-the-top with melodrama, taboos, violence and other vulgarities, but they also reflect the author's singularity with his craft; each character in the serials match his age (did you know that 50 years old is the prime of your life?), and they are obsessed with their careers/passions, to the detriment of themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. For the first half of the book, I enjoyed these little serials (some of them get quite bizarre; rats eating children, anyone?), and preferred it to Marito's attempts to woo his aunt. However, they grow quite redundant in the latter half of the book, which is when they start to (literally) fall apart, as does their author. There's also a fun interplay with Marito learning about Pedro's eccentricities and bizarre beliefs in an artist's lifestyle and the craft of writing, with the young would-be author idolizing the strange habits as if they should be repeated for success, only to grow more cynical (or realistic) as Pedro grows crazier. Marito's relationship with his aunt causes a schism with his family. Her being in her early 30's and Marito being a child still, in addition to their relation, is a blight to everyone. By the time I grew bored with Pedro's stories, Marito and Julia's relationship starts going through actual tribulations. It's a wonderful representation of the innocent first love of a teenager moving towards his early 20's. It's unhealthy, it's overly romantic, and it will do more harm than good; but those are also attractive to an immature mind. Aunt Julia fully embraces this attitude, because she's divorced and feeling old, dejected, and wants to be young and beautiful again, which Marito declares over and over again, because all he can articulate is that he's feeling love (for the first time). It's an apt representation of foolish stupid misguided young love in all it's ugly glory. Overall, I quite enjoyed the book. I took quite a while to read it, which may add to my feeling that it's over-long (I could have had one or two less Camacho stories and been fine). The format of a longer narrative (Marito & Julia) interrupted by short stories (Camacho's serials), was excellent, and I hope to find more novels that manage that balance. I also enjoyed the dark humor quite a bit, and wish that Llosa had been more playful throughout, instead of saving it for the end of the book. Recommended. MY SHAMEFUL LIST A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (2011) (1.3.18) Sounds weird and fun, but I haven't read it yet, despite my friends really enjoying it. As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner (1930) (7.12.17) I've never read any Faulkner, despite my love of Southern Gothic lit and stream-of-conscious prose. Under The Volcano by Malcolm Lowry (1947) (7.12.17) A depressed drunk in a terrible relationship during Dia de los Muertos? Sign me up. Just kidding, it's been on my shelf for years despite being right up my ally. Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller (1934) (7.12.17) I've heard of this book's reputation. I like books about assholes and artists. Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out by Mo Yan (2011) (7.12.17) This was recommended to me a while ago by the Lit. Thread. I've enjoyed the Eastern novels I've read, but there's so much more to explore. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (1986) (7.12.17) I don't really care to watch the Hulu series, everyone talks about this book now due to the political climate in the US, but I don't really read sci-fi. Everyone I know loves this book, though. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) (7.12.17) I don't read romance novels. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859) (7.12.17) I was supposed to read this in high school and didn't. I've somehow always avoided reading Dickens, mainly due to book length, not quality. White Noise by Don DeLillo (1985) (7.12.17) I'm a big fan of PoMo lit, but I haven't read DeLillo yet. I know it's his most accessible, but also very different than his other work. The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen (2001) (7.12.17) Probably the only Franzen I'll read. COMPLETED: Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter Goodreads
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Jan 3, 2018 14:37
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Also, poetry collections and short story collections are totally cool.
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Jan 3, 2018 15:25
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Franchescanado posted:I picked this over The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because the story is slightly more sentimental and Scout and Atticus are great characters. Roger that. I'll read this right after I finish reading my current book (Perfume: A Story of a Murderer) and will report back. It sounds like there will be more people coming in here with lists, so I'll give that some time. If someone doesn't pop in here in a week or so to choose one of your books for you, I'll do it.
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Jan 4, 2018 01:52
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Franchescanado posted:
I believe Jane Austen's writing style is very fun to read and if one doesn't like it, always interested in seeing a different POV. Moby Dick. Never read it though I know the characters' names, motivations and the other billion or so literary references made to it from the time it was published. (1.3.18) Gravity's Rainbow. Keep starting it and then putting it back down to the point where I have 3 separate publications of the book sitting on my desk (one is serving as a monitor stand). (1.3.18) The Brothers Karamazov. I think the hardest part for me and something I didn't realize until I finished War & Peace is that I didn't really jive with the particular translator at the time. If someone picks this, please also include the name of a translator that one likes since it'll make the reading that much easier to do. (1.3.18) Three Men in a Boat. Another book that I've continually started and then secreted under a load of seemingly more accessible novels. Maybe it's the British humor? (1.3.18) Waiting for Godot. (assuming plays are kosher) First time I heard of it was on the application form for the University of Chicago (needless to say, I didn't apply there) and tried it out for a bit before putting it back on the shelf. It's always been in the back of my mind. (1.3.18) Slaughterhouse-Five. Remembered Vonnegut from a NPR podcast recently and that I've never read any of his books. (1.3.18) In Search of Lost Time. I start reading his novels and then invariably end up falling asleep under the covers. Maybe the ebook versions will keep me up longer. (1.3.18)
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Jan 4, 2018 08:15
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Furious Lobster posted:I believe Jane Austen's writing style is very fun to read and if one doesn't like it, always interested in seeing a different POV. Cool, I'll start reading it this weekend. Thank you. And yes, Plays are kosher. I'll make sure to note such in the OP. The only things not allowed (off the top of my head) are graphic novels or TPBs of comic arcs.
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Jan 4, 2018 13:26
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Furious Lobster posted:Waiting for Godot. (assuming plays are kosher) First time I heard of it was on the application form for the University of Chicago (needless to say, I didn't apply there) and tried it out for a bit before putting it back on the shelf. It's always been in the back of my mind. (1.3.18) The shortest route to melancholy of the options on your list  Most of my list I'm not actually ashamed of, they are just things I've been meaning to read and haven't yet. But there are a few that embarrass me: 1) Anything by Virginia Woolf 2) Anything by Kafka other than the Metamorphosis 3) Virgil's Aeneid (what translation is good?) Stuff I tried to read and failed: 4) Invisible Man. Picked this up at a friends house, expected it to be the H. G. Wells story, got confused, put it down. I think I was also extremely hung over at the time. 5) Candide. I read a chapter of this in high school French, but the teacher gave us zero context, so .... I got confused and put it down. Yeah, kind of a theme. Now that I know what it's on about, I think it would be really fun. 6) Don Quixote. Read an excerpt for high school, liked it, saw how big the book was, did not buy. 7) Catch 22. I think actually read this all the way through, but didn't get it and hated it. I realize I may sound like an idiot with all these "I didn't get it" blurbs, but uh... I've grown up a lot in the past 15 years and can probably handle things a little better now. Stuff I just never got around to: 8) Goethe's Faust. Don't know what to say, just never read this vOv 9) The Sound and the Fury. This has been on my to-read goodreads shelf since May 10, 2012, so I guess I should put it here, shouldn't I?
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Jan 6, 2018 04:00
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Thanks, I’ll start it up Sunday!
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Jan 6, 2018 04:02
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Guy A. Person posted:I saw this! Probably won't start until after the new year tho because work has gotten kinda crazy and I want to read some other shorter books in the meantime. Just put JR on hold at my library. I'm first in line so she be reading in a week or two. Looking forward to reading it!
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Jan 7, 2018 05:50
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Dr. Kloctopussy, you are hereby decreed to readDr. Kloctopussy posted:1) Anything by Virginia Woolf I, on the other hand, finally finished Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco. I'll have to compare it a bit to The Name of the Rose, not just because I originally picked up Foucault because I liked Name so much, but also because they're partly built out of very similar blocks - they're both books about very learned men investigating mysteries centered around ancient texts, for a start. However, at least initially, these similarities didn't really work in the favour of Foucault's Pendulum - the characters in both books spend long stretches of time and dialogue discussing the intricacies of historical accounts, religious and philosophical texts, etc., and while that was very pleasant and charming with 1300s monks, it felt kind of insufferable with 1980s academics. That detail-fetishism (and the insufferability of it) turns out to be part of the point of the book, though, and when that starts to unravel and the conspiracy ball really gets rolling, the whole thing gets a lot more interesting. And yeah, even though I was a bit put off by the characters' discussions surrounding it first, the Big Secret Mystery Plan itself is very clever, convincingly put together and a fun idea to play around with. Despite my early misgivings, I did end up enjoying the book a good deal, but I still do kind of wish the last 200 pages had come by a bit faster than they did. Here's my updated list of stuff on my shelves I have neglected: In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Haven't read much true crime before, and this seemed as good a place as any to start. I read a bit of the beginning and I'm reasonably intrigued, but haven't gotten around to it since. White Teeth by Zadie Smith Picked it up at a flea market because somebody somewhere at some point probably said it was good. The Tin Drum by Günter Grass It's there on the shelf and I haven't read it, that's the story of me and The Tin Drum The Tale of the Heike translated by Royall Tyler The hardcover was gorgeous and on sale and it had tons of translator's notes at the beginning which are always fun. Read those, haven't read the book itself. Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol I'm very under-educated in Russian classics outside of the odd Chekhov, maybe this is a good place to start? Autobiography by Morrissey It remains an undisputed Penguin Classic
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Jan 13, 2018 19:07
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Forktoss posted:Dr. Kloctopussy, you are hereby decreed to read... To the Lighthouse, which will give you a good idea of if you'd like to read more of her. If you can't get a copy for some reason, I'll pick something else for you. Awesome, thank you! I appreciate being given a specific place to start with her. I've requested it from the library and should have it within a couple weeks!
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Jan 13, 2018 23:00
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To The LIghthouse is really good
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Jan 15, 2018 07:28
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Franchescanado posted:I picked this over The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn because the story is slightly more sentimental and Scout and Atticus are great characters. I've been reading this and, I'm not sure if it's just because I was reading it while holding my grandmother-in-law's Korean wake, but man it's both amazingly great and amazingly sad. I mean, I pretty much know how the trial was going to turn out, but still. I should finish it up within the week and will write up a review, but I do have to say thanks for pushing me to actually read it. I've never had good luck with reading lists and generally avoided the so-called classics, but this book truly is a classic. When I get back to the US this Feb I'll be sure to try to pick up a hardback copy to add to my slowly growing physical library.
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Jan 16, 2018 02:06
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USMC_Karl posted:I've been reading this and, I'm not sure if it's just because I was reading it while holding my grandmother-in-law's Korean wake, but man it's both amazingly great and amazingly sad. I mean, I pretty much know how the trial was going to turn out, but still. I didn't want to oversell it, but I love that book, and I'm happy you are enjoying it. Harper Lee and I share a birthday, which is fun. Also, I hope someone picks In Cold Blood for you. Harper Lee and Capote were friends and she helped a lot throughout the research and writing of that book. There are many people who believe she wrote it but allowed Capote the credit.
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Jan 16, 2018 02:18
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Franchescanado posted:I didn't want to oversell it, but I love that book, and I'm happy you are enjoying it. I'm more than enjoying it, it's on it's way to being a 5 star book for me. How is Go Set a Watchman? I'll also definitely consider reading In Cold Blood, I love true crime and am definitely a fan of Lee's writing style.
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Jan 16, 2018 02:32
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I will never read Go Set A Watchmen.
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Jan 16, 2018 03:00
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Forktoss posted:Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol This is a great book, a cornerstone of Russian literature. You are condemned to read White Teeth by Zadie Smith. My list: Old Goriot by Honore de Balzac. No idea why I've let this lie around for so long. Troilus and Criseyde by Geoffrey Chaucer. Bought it with a lot of other books, so didn't get around to it. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. I have no excuse not to have read this! Imagined Communities by Benedict Anderson. This was an impulse buy years ago since a lecturer talked about it, but I wasn't really that interested in the topic. Demian by Hermann Hesse. I feared I got too old for another life-changing novel by acclaimed author Hermann Hesse BravestOfTheLamps fucked around with this message at 22:02 on Jan 18, 2018 |
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Jan 18, 2018 21:41
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Well, I finished To Kill a Mockingbird a couple of days back and have been remiss in posting my impressions here. First off, thanks to Franchescanado for pushing me to read it, it was a great book and easily slots into my top reads category. I was impressed with the books ability to convey the innocence that Scout, as a young girl, viewed the community with. We, as modern adults, can see the racism and unfairness in the book, but to her it's just normal life and nothing too out of the ordinary. Watching her grow up just a little bit over the story was a real joy. It was also fun to read about Atticus and his situation. Sure, we probably could all guess how the trial was going to turn out, but the destination wasn't so important as the journey. All in all, I really, really enjoyed the book and have to say that I totally understand why it is considered a must-read. My only real regret is not having read it sooner.
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Jan 19, 2018 02:05
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BravestOfTheLamps, read Imagined Communities. I read it in undergrad almost ten years ago and still think about it sometimes. My books are: Das Schloss/The Castle - Franz Kafka. I like Kafka but have somehow never read this. I'll be reading it in German. (1/18/18) The Collected Stories of Flannery O'Connor I started Everything That Rises Must Converge during Holy Week last year, loved what I read of it, and so bought this collection after Everything That Rises... had to go back to the library. I haven't opened it once. (1/18/18) Don Quixote - Miguel de Cervantes, trans. Edith Grossman. I read excerpts of this in a literature class like fifteen years ago and have been meaning to go back to it ever since. (1/18/18) The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas, no translation yet. I've heard really good things about this but have never picked it up. I don't have a particular translation in mind for this so would love recommendations. (1/18/18) In Cold Blood - Truman Capote. I'm a fan of true crime but haven't yet read this foundational text. (1/18/18) Kindred - Octavia Butler. I read a lot of sci-fi and it's mostly stuff that's not by white men; however, I haven't read many classics of the genre. (1/18/18) A Brief History of Seven Killings - Marlon James. I got this out from the library shortly after it won the Booker, started it, liked it, and had to return it before I finished. (1/18/18) Petals of Blood - Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. I want to read more literature from places that aren't North America or Europe; this sounds good. (1/18/18) Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy. I went through a major Russian literature phase when I was a pretentious teenager, but never read this one. (1/18/18) Middlemarch - George Eliot. I often struggle to get into get into books written before modernism, and this means I'm really poorly read in terms of the English/Western literary canon. This seems as good a place to start as any. (1/18/18) nerdpony fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Jan 19, 2018 |
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Jan 19, 2018 04:06
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nerdpony posted:
anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 22:31 on Jan 19, 2018 |
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Jan 19, 2018 22:28
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Excising decadent content like is preferable.
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Jan 19, 2018 22:45
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USMC_Karl posted:Well, I finished To Kill a Mockingbird a couple of days back and have been remiss in posting my impressions here. You missed your recommendation. Please give Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 23:15 on Jan 22, 2018 |
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Jan 22, 2018 13:30
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Just started JR last night. It is really funny and engaging but also super dense, and also I am having trouble knowing when to stop since scenes and ideas just kind of blend into each other. I feel like I'm moving through it at a really good pace tho because of how things just flow into each other so seamlessly.
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Jan 22, 2018 16:44
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nerdpony posted:
Nerdpony, please read the above, I hope you find a good translation. Review I finished Waiting for Godot a couple of days ago. I feel half done having only read the play and not seen it performed live; I watched a clip of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart’s performance and the brief display made the scene a lot more enjoyable. With this aside, and given the current world’s circumstances, I liked the existentialism, absurdity and the forced introspective moments after Didi tells Gogo that we have to wait. My List Moby Dick. Never read it though I know the characters' names, motivations and the other billion or so literary references made to it from the time it was published. (1.3.18) Gravity's Rainbow. Keep starting it and then putting it back down to the point where I have 3 separate publications of the book sitting on my desk (one is serving as a monitor stand). (1.3.18) The Brothers Karamazov. I think the hardest part for me and something I didn't realize until I finished War & Peace is that I didn't really jive with the particular translator at the time. If someone picks this, please also include the name of a translator that one likes since it'll make the reading that much easier to do. (1.3.18) Three Men in a Boat. Another book that I've continually started and then secreted under a load of seemingly more accessible novels. Maybe it's the British humor? (1.3.18) Slaughterhouse-Five. Remembered Vonnegut from a NPR podcast recently and that I've never read any of his books. (1.3.18) In Search of Lost Time. I start reading his novels and then invariably end up falling asleep under the covers. Maybe the ebook versions will keep me up longer. (1.3.18) Pale Fire. Always been on my list since I've heard many people recommend it to me but haven't yet ventured to take another crack at Nabokov. I've even bought it for others but not for myself. (1.22.18)
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Jan 22, 2018 23:13
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My bad, sorry about that. I'm currently reading a book and have another book that I want to read after it, but I'll post up my list and get a recommendation for my next, next (or maybe next, next, next?) book. The Bible (any edition, I'm not picky) while I'm not religious, this seems like a pretty drat big hole in my literary experience. Shouldn't I at least give it a go?! Lunch Poems, while not squarely in line with the thread, counts in the sense that I've always been ashamed of not reading poetry. I ran into a couple of Frank O'Hara's poems while reading a poetry primer and really, really dug them. Then I found Having a Coke With You and really, really dug that. So I picked this up. I want to read it, but it would require me to actually sit down and focus. Since I do all of my reading on commutes and wouldn't really be able to enjoy it, this has been sitting on my shelf and collecting dust. The Beauty and the Sorrow: An Intimate History of the First World War For a dude who really loves military history, I know absolutely nothing about WWI. This would rectify that bit of shame. The Catcher in the Rye is in the same category as To Kill a Mockingbird, it's one of those famous books that literary types love to talk about while I sit and twiddle my thumbs. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn noticing a trend in my literary gaps? I spent my entire early life reading science fiction and have always wanted to rectify that. This seems totally my bag, but I've never read it. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for a dude who loves science fiction, this is just an unforgivable lapse. (Also I bought a $120 hand illustrated, 2kg edition and want an excuse to read it/show it off). Goebbels: A Biography was a book I bought for $1, but the fact that it's a 900 page biography about one of the most infamous people in modern history has made me always think "maybe next time" when I see it. Since I spent a ton of my youth reading all about WWII, I really should know a little bit more about the political side of it and stop paying attention to the blam blam side of it. Wuthering Heights another classic I've never read. I bought it years ago during a sale, got it on my Kindle, and then watched it fall way, way, waaaaay back in the queue. Slaughterhouse-Five *gasp*, never read it. I've read a ton of other Vonnegut, but for some reason never even thought of picking this one up. As for my challenge, Furious Lobster should totally read. Furious Lobster posted:Slaughterhouse-Five. Remembered Vonnegut from a NPR podcast recently and that I've never read any of his books. (1.3.18)
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Jan 23, 2018 02:38
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Dang I think I finally hit a flow in JR and it is real good. The two parts that really hooked me in were Miss Joubert having her kid taken away by her husband to Switzerland and then the part where Schramm seemingly commits suicide and Eigen's wife tells Gibbs that she's gonna leave him. Those were really good scenes and really benefited from the all dialogue storytelling to control the flow of info and the tension.
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Jan 25, 2018 18:09
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Guy A. Person posted:Dang I think I finally hit a flow in JR and it is real good. The two parts that really hooked me in were Miss Joubert having her kid taken away by her husband to Switzerland and then the part where Schramm seemingly commits suicide and Eigen's wife tells Gibbs that she's gonna leave him. Those were really good scenes and really benefited from the all dialogue storytelling to control the flow of info and the tension. I'm very glad to hear that you are enjoying it. The thing about every scene transitioning into another is a pain, but of course, follows on from the themes of the novel.
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Jan 26, 2018 01:13
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