By reilo Go To PostI have it and I tried reading it. It’s SUPER dense. Like 700 pages and a crap ton of characters. It’s also a bit influential eg the toilet scene in Trainspotting is basically directly from the book, but I gave up around a 100 pages in.
I quit it twice before, around the same page count as you. I've tried to give abandoned books another shot if they show enough promise in some capacity. There are lifetimes' of great reading out there, despite that I wouldn't trade discovering something special on a second try for all the time I've spent going back to books only to find them still mostly crap.
Doesn't help that for the first 100 or so pages of Gravity's Rainbow Pynchon's highest priority is to impress on the reader how clever he is. It's like watching the writer masturbate on page, after page, after page. You just have to sort of hope that someone who wrote that intro followed by the bananary scene could not possibly follow it with 700 straight pages of abjectly repulsive writing. And good news! It's not all repulsive. In fact, there are probably a dozen scenes you could pull out of this book that are just exceptional, overwhelming, bananas good.
EDIT: more on Gravity's Rainbow, probably not worthwhile if you're unfamiliar with it. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2169939863
I'm about halfway through Dan Brown's Origins(the new Langdon book). No real chase scenes or puzzle solving yet, maybe the latter half will make up for it. It could have been a much better start if I'm honest.
Finished Origins, it's my least favorite Langdon book. Probably the first one I didn't enjoy. A Steve Jobs type takes main stage and there's a really facile religion versus science! conflict running through it. The whole thing was just short of bungled and it meant a lot less room for chase scenes, Langdon solving shit, architectural tours of major European cities... all the things I like about this series.
Not sure what I'll be reading next yet. I could go back for more Steinbeck or Marilynne Robinson.
What's everyone reading? Post the best books you've read this year if there's nothing at the moment.
Not sure what I'll be reading next yet. I could go back for more Steinbeck or Marilynne Robinson.
What's everyone reading? Post the best books you've read this year if there's nothing at the moment.
I'm going through Vonnegut's oeuvre. A book a month chronologically. Cat's Cradle, Sirens of Titan and Slaughterhouse 5 are hands down my top 3 so far. I've liked all his books up untill now, with Player Piano being my least favourite. It was a bit slow, especially compared to his rapid fire later works.
I also started The Wheel of Time series. Two books in, looking to start the third one next week after a bit of a break. Good stuff.
In anticipation of American Gods I read the book. Was great and the show is great as well luckily.
Neal Stephenson's Seveneves was fantastic.
As far as non-fiction goes, I thoroughly enjoyed The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Inside Out - A personal history of Pink Floyd and Stephen E. Ambrose's Band Of Brothers.
There's more, but this is what immediately came to mind.
I also started The Wheel of Time series. Two books in, looking to start the third one next week after a bit of a break. Good stuff.
In anticipation of American Gods I read the book. Was great and the show is great as well luckily.
Neal Stephenson's Seveneves was fantastic.
As far as non-fiction goes, I thoroughly enjoyed The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, Inside Out - A personal history of Pink Floyd and Stephen E. Ambrose's Band Of Brothers.
There's more, but this is what immediately came to mind.
I think Slaughterhouse 5 is brilliant, but the other 2 books of his I've tried I couldn't get into. Feel like a filthy casual.
By TTG Go To PostI think Slaughterhouse 5 is brilliant, but the other 2 books of his I've tried I couldn't get into. Feel like a filthy casual.I read Slaughterhouse 5, just like anyone does really, and really really liked it. Late last year I discovered that some guys at Cracked did a Vonnegut bookclub podcast, so I decided to give it a go. Read one of his books a month and then listen to the podcast. And well, I liked it. His books are fairly short and well, his humour and style just resonated with me.
It really pays off to go through his works chronologically to learn how to appreciate the things he does. He's a bit of a goofball and not for everyone.
Finished Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson last night. For all that the dialogue and humor are corny and grating, to the point it can be somewhat embarrassing at times, I found it overall to be a really fun and exciting read. I did have some issues with the pacing that I didn't with the first two books of the Stormlight Archive, with some sections dragging on a bit, but he's still great at effectively building up and executing a climax.
Read the first book in the Master and Commander series after watching, and loving, the movie. It's competent and charming, I don't know why I didn't like it more. Maybe I'll go back to the series in a while(there are 20 of them!), but not right away.
Anyone out there? I finished Anathem by Neal Stephenson the other day. It's not set on Earth, but the philosophy and science may as well have been "ours." As the main character is a member of a cloister of philosophers/scientists, many classical arguments from metaphysics to quantum theory are retold along the way, but with funny names. I loved this part of the book, Stephenson is a smart guy and his guided tour along these lines of inquiry are a joy. The mystery at the heart of the book really pulled me in as well.
Two problems I had with it: one, it's not the most beautiful writing he's put out. If you've read Cryptonomicon, it's not on that level, I like the subject matter more though. Second, it reads as an abridged version of itself. That's despite being 900 pages. The scope in later parts of the novel becomes huge and some of the events and organizations I found dubious. Oh, and the names, the fantasy names. There's never an excuse.
Overwhelmingly positive impression on the whole despite these issues. Maybe it's because I'm a bit of a nerd about this stuff, but it's so good.
Two problems I had with it: one, it's not the most beautiful writing he's put out. If you've read Cryptonomicon, it's not on that level, I like the subject matter more though. Second, it reads as an abridged version of itself. That's despite being 900 pages. The scope in later parts of the novel becomes huge and some of the events and organizations I found dubious. Oh, and the names, the fantasy names. There's never an excuse.
Overwhelmingly positive impression on the whole despite these issues. Maybe it's because I'm a bit of a nerd about this stuff, but it's so good.
Bump for 2018. I need some book recs.
Recently I finished:
The Sun Also Rises
The Use of Man
The Old Man and Me
And got The Seven Madmen (apparently the theme is "the" and "men") and Power of Habit on the docket.
Recently I finished:
The Sun Also Rises
The Use of Man
The Old Man and Me
And got The Seven Madmen (apparently the theme is "the" and "men") and Power of Habit on the docket.
Obviously, upon her death people should now discover or return to Ursula K. Le Guin. One of the great pioneers of science-fiction. She could dine out forever on just the titles of The Left Hand of Darkness or The Lathe of Heaven. RIP.
By adamsappel Go To PostObviously, upon her death people should now discover or return to Ursula K. Le Guin. One of the great pioneers of science-fiction. She could dine out forever on just the titles of The Left Hand of Darkness or The Lathe of Heaven. RIP.
She was an integral part of my childhood forays into SFF.
RIP.
By data Go To PostI'm enjoying this piece of literature
That's not literature it's a self-help book you cultureless knobhead. Although that guy is so full of shit he might has well be considered a creative writer.
What's up with some fantasy authors and their huge delays in between some books?
As if reading A Song of Ice and Fire isn't bad enough, I recently started with Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.
Almost done with the first book and I'm really enjoying it so far, despite a rather slow start. Already ordered the follow up which is split in two in Germany, but just read the next one is nowhere on the horizon yet and then you see the usual shit like TV/Movie and other deals, that surely play a big part in it.
Oh well, I should stop reading stories that aren't finished.
As if reading A Song of Ice and Fire isn't bad enough, I recently started with Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.
Almost done with the first book and I'm really enjoying it so far, despite a rather slow start. Already ordered the follow up which is split in two in Germany, but just read the next one is nowhere on the horizon yet and then you see the usual shit like TV/Movie and other deals, that surely play a big part in it.
Oh well, I should stop reading stories that aren't finished.
By Pennywise Go To PostWhat's up with some fantasy authors and their huge delays in between some books?
As if reading A Song of Ice and Fire isn't bad enough, I recently started with Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.
Almost done with the first book and I'm really enjoying it so far, despite a rather slow start. Already ordered the follow up which is split in two in Germany, but just read the next one is nowhere on the horizon yet and then you see the usual shit like TV/Movie and other deals, that surely play a big part in it.
Oh well, I should stop reading stories that aren't finished.
Liarfuss is never going to finish it.
But at least he's young and obese, unlike GRRM.
By Pennywise Go To PostWhat's up with some fantasy authors and their huge delays in between some books?Fantasy is a bear to edit
As if reading A Song of Ice and Fire isn't bad enough, I recently started with Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.
Almost done with the first book and I'm really enjoying it so far, despite a rather slow start. Already ordered the follow up which is split in two in Germany, but just read the next one is nowhere on the horizon yet and then you see the usual shit like TV/Movie and other deals, that surely play a big part in it.
Oh well, I should stop reading stories that aren't finished.
275 pages into Wolf Hall
Not been this engrossed by a book since Deathly Hallows came out tbh. And its only going to get more intriguing with (events off the top of my head, my Tudor history isn't what it was by any means)
The divorce from Katherine, marriage to Anne, killing of Mary, creation of CoE and dissolution of Catholicism, killing of Anne, brief life of Edward and marriage to Jane Seymour, Henry's state of depression after her death since if I recall she's the only wife Henry actually liked. Think the war with Spain might have been sparked by his divorce from Catherine of Aragorn as well, not sure if that'd be folded into the book significantly though since there's already enough to get through.
At this point the Cardinal has only just died and they've performed the play about it in Hampton Court. Such a great balance between making the Cardinal likable, and showing why his opulence made him hated and a lot of people's loyalty to Catholicism tenuous.
At this pace I've no idea what the state of affairs will be by the end of Bringing Up The Bodies and hope to keep it that way, so I've avoided looking up whether there are any TV or film adaptations to watch after getting through both books.
Not been this engrossed by a book since Deathly Hallows came out tbh. And its only going to get more intriguing with (events off the top of my head, my Tudor history isn't what it was by any means)
The divorce from Katherine, marriage to Anne, killing of Mary, creation of CoE and dissolution of Catholicism, killing of Anne, brief life of Edward and marriage to Jane Seymour, Henry's state of depression after her death since if I recall she's the only wife Henry actually liked. Think the war with Spain might have been sparked by his divorce from Catherine of Aragorn as well, not sure if that'd be folded into the book significantly though since there's already enough to get through.
At this point the Cardinal has only just died and they've performed the play about it in Hampton Court. Such a great balance between making the Cardinal likable, and showing why his opulence made him hated and a lot of people's loyalty to Catholicism tenuous.
At this pace I've no idea what the state of affairs will be by the end of Bringing Up The Bodies and hope to keep it that way, so I've avoided looking up whether there are any TV or film adaptations to watch after getting through both books.
Do people even read anymore?
ANYWAY
What have I finished lately?
Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles
Absolutely marvelous book. Those 600 plus pages flew by and I loved every moment of it.
Haruki Murakami - Pinball / Wild Sheep Chase
Rough, but intriguing. Having read this after The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, the seeds of Murakami's eventual style are all there. You can even see certain ideas formed in here that get expanded on and explored more in depth in his latter work.
F. Scott Fitzgerald - Tender Is The Night
Still going through this one, about a hundred pages away. I will leave my synopsis for later.
I have a few more books on the docket after this, but I can't quite recall them all off the top of my head.
ANYWAY
What have I finished lately?
Haruki Murakami - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles
Absolutely marvelous book. Those 600 plus pages flew by and I loved every moment of it.
Haruki Murakami - Pinball / Wild Sheep Chase
Rough, but intriguing. Having read this after The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles, the seeds of Murakami's eventual style are all there. You can even see certain ideas formed in here that get expanded on and explored more in depth in his latter work.
F. Scott Fitzgerald - Tender Is The Night
Still going through this one, about a hundred pages away. I will leave my synopsis for later.
I have a few more books on the docket after this, but I can't quite recall them all off the top of my head.
By Pennywise Go To PostWhat's up with some fantasy authors and their huge delays in between some books?The Wiseman's Fear is very bad so not sure if it's a great loss tbh
As if reading A Song of Ice and Fire isn't bad enough, I recently started with Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss.
Almost done with the first book and I'm really enjoying it so far, despite a rather slow start. Already ordered the follow up which is split in two in Germany, but just read the next one is nowhere on the horizon yet and then you see the usual shit like TV/Movie and other deals, that surely play a big part in it.
Oh well, I should stop reading stories that aren't finished.
Just finished "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead about a week ago. I'm still absolutely speechless about the way he gets his arms around a bunch of complex issues without ever being insulting to anyone. It's probably the best damn thing I've read in over 5 years and that's saying something. The guy's style is just super poetic, too.
Can't recommend it enough.
Can't recommend it enough.
Tender Is The Night is IMO better than The Great Gatsby. It’s the culmination of Fitzgerald’s career and has elements of everything prior and I much prefer the relationship depicted in it compared to The Beautiful & Damned.
I just finished Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Benson. It’s a lengthy novel covering the creation of the film and has loads of incredible facts and figures regarding the development. The amount of filmmaking wizardry needed to shoot scenes like the Dawn of Man blows my mind. Highly recommended and it was timed to release with the film’s 50th anniversary.
I’m currently reading Sophocles’s Oedipus plays and have read Antigone and will start Oedipus The King next. Also have Han Kang’s new book Human Acts on my Kindle. Loved The Vegetarian.
I just finished Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Benson. It’s a lengthy novel covering the creation of the film and has loads of incredible facts and figures regarding the development. The amount of filmmaking wizardry needed to shoot scenes like the Dawn of Man blows my mind. Highly recommended and it was timed to release with the film’s 50th anniversary.
I’m currently reading Sophocles’s Oedipus plays and have read Antigone and will start Oedipus The King next. Also have Han Kang’s new book Human Acts on my Kindle. Loved The Vegetarian.
By Perfect Blue Go To PostI just finished Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke, and the Making of a Masterpiece by Michael Benson. It’s a lengthy novel covering the creation of the film and has loads of incredible facts and figures regarding the development. The amount of filmmaking wizardry needed to shoot scenes like the Dawn of Man blows my mind. Highly recommended and it was timed to release with the film’s 50th anniversary.I have a copy of that but haven't started it yet. Glad to hear it's worth reading.
By Perfect Blue Go To PostTender Is The Night is IMO better than The Great Gatsby. It’s the culmination of Fitzgerald’s career and has elements of everything prior and I much prefer the relationship depicted in it compared to The Beautiful & Damned.
This is why I told him to buy it
If Beale Street Could Talk ... 😢
Oh, I guess I never gave that Tender Is The Night thoughts. I'll gather them tonight. Beale Street, man.
Oh, I guess I never gave that Tender Is The Night thoughts. I'll gather them tonight. Beale Street, man.
By Shanks D Zoro Go To PostKilling Commendatore will be released 9th October.
Finally!!!!!!!!
Pre-ordered.
Can’t wait man
By Shanks D Zoro Go To PostKilling Commendatore will be released 9th October.A DAY AFTER MY BIRTHDAY OMG
Finally!!!!!!!!
Pre-ordered.
Picked this up in Scotland earlier this month.
Non-fiction, economic theory, gender studies and history. Written by a journalist. A 2 to 3 hours read.
Smith wrote the theory of the benevolence of self-interest. Yet, he was desperate when his mother died, most especially because she would selflessly serve him. In spite of the generosity of his mother, he learned nothing from this experience and wrote of an "economic man" who was certainly not a woman.
The book goes way beyond the anecdote, and explains how classical liberal theory is sexist in essence.
Non-fiction, economic theory, gender studies and history. Written by a journalist. A 2 to 3 hours read.
Smith wrote the theory of the benevolence of self-interest. Yet, he was desperate when his mother died, most especially because she would selflessly serve him. In spite of the generosity of his mother, he learned nothing from this experience and wrote of an "economic man" who was certainly not a woman.
The book goes way beyond the anecdote, and explains how classical liberal theory is sexist in essence.
I feel like someone recommended me a college book in secrecy, but I'm enjoying the parts of it I understand.
Thinking of doing a Killing Commendatore thread. Would be to cool to read a long together and I think Murakami has a decent following on here to do it.
Finished Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama last month, really good stuff.
Nearly finished rereading Vicious by V.E. Schwab since the second book Vengeful is coming out next week.
By reilo Go To PostThis reminds me that I haven't had the time to read.
Make ze time!
A Premature Attempt at the 21st Century Canon A panel of critics tells us what belongs on a list of the 100 most important books of the 2000s … so far.
Okay, assessing a century’s literary legacy after only 18 and a half years is kind of a bizarre thing to do.http://www.vulture.com/article/best-books-21st-century-so-far.html
Actually, constructing a canon of any kind is a little weird at the moment, when so much of how we measure cultural value is in flux. Born of the ancient battle over which stories belonged in the “canon” of the Bible, the modern literary canon took root in universities and became defined as the static product of consensus — a set of leather-bound volumes you could shoot into space to make a good first impression with the aliens. Its supposed permanence became the subject of more recent battles, back in the 20th century, between those who defended it as the foundation of Western civilization and those who attacked it as exclusive or even racist.
But what if you could start a canon from scratch? We thought it might be fun to speculate (very prematurely) on what a canon of the 21st century might look like right now. A couple of months ago, we reached out to dozens of critics and authors — well-established voices (Michiko Kakutani, Luc Sante), more radical thinkers (Eileen Myles), younger reviewers for outlets like n+1, and some of our best-read contributors, too. We asked each of them to name several books that belong among the most important 100 works of fiction, memoir, poetry, and essays since 2000 and tallied the results. The purpose was not to build a fixed library but to take a blurry selfie of a cultural moment.
I’ve started Words of Radiance. After finishing The Name of the Wind I needed to take a break lol. Words of Radiance is a massive book though.
Between The World and Me - Ta-Nehisi Coates
Why I Am No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge
The Good Immigrant - Nikesh Shukla
Double Cup Love - Eddie Huang
Fresh Off The Boat - Eddie Huang
Inglorious Empire - Shashi Tharoor
For those who haven't read them yet:
I recommend all these books to everyone looking for conversations about cultural identity, race, diaspora, and the effects of imperialism and colonialism on displaced minorities worldwide.
Why I Am No Longer Talking To White People About Race - Reni Eddo-Lodge
The Good Immigrant - Nikesh Shukla
Double Cup Love - Eddie Huang
Fresh Off The Boat - Eddie Huang
Inglorious Empire - Shashi Tharoor
For those who haven't read them yet:
I recommend all these books to everyone looking for conversations about cultural identity, race, diaspora, and the effects of imperialism and colonialism on displaced minorities worldwide.
Coates is a horrible writer and just word vomits on the page while trying to sound like a new James Baldwin
Finished the Expanse books from what's available here.
Persepolis Rising isn't available until February here, so I have to wait a bit.
Enjoyed the books and appreciated some characters that weren't in the series. Overall it's certainly no masterpiece and there are quite a few flaws, both in terms of writing and with the story/characters.
Still, it was fun and I'm eagerly awaiting the newest book, as I wasn't expecting that kind of scope. Was kind of expecting a focus on a certain group with a few characters here and there, but it seems to be going beyond that.
Currently reading the The Takeshi Kovacs Novels, with the first Altered Carbon book.
It's just miles ahead of the TV series and Kovac is alot more convincing as a character, but I'm still not done and I'm pretty curious how the rest of the novels are.
Next up will by Scott Lynch and the Gentlemen Bastards.
Persepolis Rising isn't available until February here, so I have to wait a bit.
Enjoyed the books and appreciated some characters that weren't in the series. Overall it's certainly no masterpiece and there are quite a few flaws, both in terms of writing and with the story/characters.
Still, it was fun and I'm eagerly awaiting the newest book, as I wasn't expecting that kind of scope. Was kind of expecting a focus on a certain group with a few characters here and there, but it seems to be going beyond that.
Currently reading the The Takeshi Kovacs Novels, with the first Altered Carbon book.
It's just miles ahead of the TV series and Kovac is alot more convincing as a character, but I'm still not done and I'm pretty curious how the rest of the novels are.
Next up will by Scott Lynch and the Gentlemen Bastards.
I really like the look of this book.
Thought it was coming out next week in Korea, but they changed the date to today. Got up early to go buy a copy.
Feel like I burned out on Murakami books otherwise I would buy it, Shanks.
on a popular science patch atm (been on a few neuroscience books recently) so this is what I'm reading now:
on a popular science patch atm (been on a few neuroscience books recently) so this is what I'm reading now:
By batong Go To PostFeel like I burned out on Murakami books otherwise I would buy it, Shanks.Sounds interesting.
on a popular science patch atm (been on a few neuroscience books recently) so this is what I'm reading now:
Always wanted to hear more about epigenetics during biology back in the day, but the differences from the classic material were to big and we didn't have the time.
Report back, once you're done with it.
Just finished Malcolm X's boigraphy after reading through it for the past 3 months. For whatever reason non-fiction always takes me a lot longer to read through.
On to The Dispossessed.
On to The Dispossessed.
By Shanks D Zoro Go To PostWow that looks great. I'm not burned out on him but I did go through like 3 books of his this past year, I really enjoyed the Wind Up Bird Chronicle and A Wild Sheep Chase, I really want to read the sequel to this one.
I really like the look of this book.
Thought it was coming out next week in Korea, but they changed the date to today. Got up early to go buy a copy.
By FermentedFungi Go To PostJust finished Malcolm X's boigraphy after reading through it for the past 3 months. For whatever reason non-fiction always takes me a lot longer to read through.
On to The Dispossessed.
Wow that looks great. I'm not burned out on him but I did go through like 3 books of his this past year, I really enjoyed the Wind Up Bird Chronicle and A Wild Sheep Chase, I really want to read the sequel to this one.
Punished just finished the sequel, Dance, Dance, Dance. IF I remember correctly, he enjoyed it. He is on What I think about when running now.
I have read about 150 pages so far of Killing, would be a lot more but I was busy the last two days.
Really enjoying it so far. Your usual Murakami male protagonist, but a nice easy read. Things are starting to pick up, so looking forward to having a binge read when I get back home in a bit.