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[Maklershed]

The book club book of the month is ...

The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=425565


Past month threads:
March - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlen
February - Flashman
January - Child 44

 

[thomaser]

Repost from the March thread:

My first Mark Twain book, Huckleberry Finn! Reading it for school. I'm happy they chose this one. 60 pages in, and it's a great read already.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

Started reading The Name of the Wind earlier in the week. It's okay so far, even though not much has happened.

I'm also close to finishing my re-read of A Game of Thrones. I should have plenty of time to re-read all of the books in the series before A Dance with Dragons comes out.

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

40 pages in and I'm really enjoying the narrative.

 

[Maklershed]

FYI - I added a "GAF Recommends" section to the OP, which is comprised of all the threads created on GAF giving or looking for recommendations. This list is far from complete so feel free to post more links here if you have any threads in your cp and I'll add them to the OP.

GAF Recommends!
History Books
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books
Post-apocalpytic Books
Books of 2010
Forgotten Sci-Fi Novels
Lengthy Books
Space Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Fantasy Books
Summer Reading
Dresden's Favorite Sci-Fi and Fantasy
Sci-Fi Novel Series

 

[DieH@rd]

reading for the first time

 

[dorkimoe]

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

There seem to be quite a few Haruki Murakami fans here on gaf. Any suggestions on what my first Murakami novel should be? Is there a general or critical consensus on the matter?

 

[SephCast]

Almost caught up!

 

[demon]

Just finished Siddhartha, and just started this:

 

[Maklershed]

Finished Cataloochee. Now on to the April Book Club book The Afghan Campaign. Also reading After London or Wild England


The Afghan Campaign by Steven Pressfield


After London: or, Wild England by Richard Jefferies

 

[Mumei]

I made a Goodreads account, and have been busy adding books that I've read over the years. I have some trouble with the rating system, since 3 stars doesn't always mean the same level of enjoyment for every 3 star rating, but I'm mostly dealing with it.

And I keep adding interesting books I see to my stupidly long queue.

This month, I am continuing A Clash of Kings. I am about 400 pages in now.

 

[justin.au]

The Boat // Nam Le – A solid collection of stories by an up-and-comer. Some of the stories were truly amazing, (Love and Honour and Pity and Pride and Compassion and Sacrifice and Halflead Bay were my standouts), whereas I found some of the others to be merely serviceable. I'd say this book justifiably won its awards, and I'd keep an eye of Le as a future winner of major literary prizes.

Obama's Wars // Bob Woodward – Pretty LTTP on this one, but I saw it as I was browsing the American History section of the uni library and I thought I'd give it a go. Only about 70 pages in, and it's been okay but not great so far. I'm a fan of Woodward's style but there haven't been any real revelations thus far. Maybe I should've read this last July and it would have had more impact.

The Afghan Campaign // Steven Pressfield – About to get into this bad boy for GAF Book Club. Don't know much about it to be honest, but I'll start and finish Book 1 today, so that should give me the gist of it.

Spoiler

Oh, and I've got a stack of about 20 non-fiction books for essays that I should start writing.

 

[Edmond Dantès]

 

[Fanboydestroyer]

reading for the first time

One of my all times favorites. I for one enjoyed all of the Hyperion Cantos. Ok the 3rd book wasn't the greatest, but I still got some enjoyment out of it.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Just finished reading this. The writing was very good and I enjoyed most of the characters and thought they were very well fleshed out. However, it felt a bit like the whole nearly 600 page book is just one big setup. The plot doesn't appear to be moving very fast. Hopefully it picks up a bit in the following books. The philosophy sections and all of the history is fantastic. It took awhile to get into all the different factions and characters/towns and all of the history behind them all but once I had it mostly down, I became engrossed in it as good world building is apt to do. Definitely worth reading.

On to the next:

 

[TheUsual]

So far it's decent and it has a way of hooking me into the story.

 

[Qwomo]

I've had to put Robertson's Lost Languages on the backburner, despite it being a fantastic book. In the meantime, I've picked up some lighter lit that I've been meaning to re-read.

And after I finish those two, I will be reading ASoIF for the first time!

 

[Adam Blade]

Hm, just finished:

Will read this next:

 

[WedgeX]

Had a mental reading block the past couple months.

That all ended this week, and I've a brand new library card for my new city!

Picked up:

How Does it Feel to be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America by Moustafa Bayoumi

The idea is great. The stories are pertinent and should not be forgotten as part of America's collective response post-9/11. But I hate his writing style. It's bombastic and one-sided, which cheapens the stories he tries to illustrate. And it focuses only on the Arab-American experience in New York, which while large doesn't illustrate the entire American experience.

Next up will be Under the Dome by Stephen King. I love his work, even if this one doesn't connect to the Dark Tower.

Then comes The Reindeer People by Piers Vitebsky. Looked like a cool sociological/anthropological study and story.

Finally is Ex-Etiquette for Parents: Good Behavior After a Divorce or Separation by Jann Blackstone-Ford and Sharyl Jupe for work. Working with families, and some times it requires getting parents to accept that the other parent gets to see their kids, too. Yay learning!

 

[Fanboydestroyer]

I should probably add my contribution. "The Sword of the Lictor" by Gene Wolfe. Pretty much will be starting "The Citadel of the Autrach" soon though. After those two are read, I will finish up "The Book of the New Sun" with "The Urth of the New Sun" very interseting to see where things go.

 

[vareon]

Started last month, but damn the book is LONG. About halfway there.

 

[SyNapSe]

Next up will be Under the Dome by Stephen King. I love his work, even if this one doesn't connect to the Dark Tower.

I really enjoyed it. It's very long but a bit of a modern day Stand type novel with a bit of political voice.

 

[Amir0x]

Re-reading the first book of Song of Ice and Fire in prep for the show.
Starting to read Malazan on GAF's recommendation.

Got, like, eighty pages into that garbage Legend of the Seeker series before I burned the book.

 

[beelzebozo]

what a brilliant book this is. it reminds me tonally of CATCH-22 quite a bit. what i really like is how completely erudite and delusional ignatius is, particularly his obsession with the philosopher boethius. ignatius pretty much despises everyone, but when he thinks perhaps there might be something valuable in someone, he says, "why thank you, citizen. are you well learned in the teachings of boethius?"

i'm sure plenty of you read this. it's very good. very very good. and i also read a great short story by jan de beard called "the fourth state of matter" that my girlfrand recommended, which i'd be glad to share with anyone. it's creative nonfiction.

oh, and i read THE SONG OF LAUGHTER AND FORGETTING a few weeks ago, by milan kundera. he is the man.

 

[Adam Blade]

I have never hated a book as much as I hated A Confederacy of Dunces. Ugh.

Worst. Book. Ever.

 

[Anarchistry]

Borrowed The Gunslinger by Stephen King. I'm enjoying it very much so far, about 50 pages in.

 

[beelzebozo]

I have never hated a book as much as I hated A Confederacy of Dunces. Ugh.

Worst. Book. Ever.

wow, i am stunned! i think it's hilarious.

 

[Adam Blade]

wow, i am stunned! i think it's hilarious.

I'm sure there may be some literary merit to the book, but I was forced to read it as part of a HS class. I remember wanting to gouge out my eyes by the end of the book because Ignatius was such a detestable character.

 

[Madrin]

I just got back into reading after coming to the realization that I've read a pathetically small number of books in my lifetime. So my plan now is to try tackling 5-10 books at once. I just started on these two days ago:

The Selfish Gene

The Case for Christ

Perdido Street Station

A Short History of Nearly Everything

The Screwtape Letters

The Demon-Haunted World

The Fabric of the Cosmos

Watchmen

I'm debating what else to add to my selection. I'm considering Dracula, The God Delusion, The Name of the Wind, The Picture of Dorian Gray, King Solomon's Mines, and Flowers for Algernon.

 

[beelzebozo]

I'm sure there may be some literary merit to the book, but I was forced to read it as part of a HS class. I remember wanting to gouge out my eyes by the end of the book because Ignatius was such a detestable character.

he really is pretty detestable, but i also pity him a lot. his delusion is SO complete, and it's tough when you have a character who is so earnest in their intentions while simultaneously being such a complete fucktard. it's like he has sort of the right idea, or some sort of admirable idea, but then takes it in a completely stupid and wrong direction. they're these hyperintelligentsia thoughts taken to the extreme and end up commenting not only on that scholarly attitude but also on the middle class (i've spoken at length with my compadre about this book obviously). i am 26 so it took me a lot longer to get to the book, so maybe i'm coming at it from a different angle. if i read it at 18 i would have hated it probably as well.

 

[Amir0x]

Perdido Street Station

*salutes*

One of the best.

 

[DarkGiygas]

and then

 

[Adam Blade]

he really is pretty detestable, but i also pity him a lot. his delusion is SO complete, and it's tough when you have a character who is so earnest in their intentions while simultaneously being such a complete fucktard. it's like he has sort of the right idea, or some sort of admirable idea, but then takes it in a completely stupid and wrong direction. they're these hyperintelligentsia thoughts taken to the extreme and end up commenting not only on that scholarly attitude but also on the middle class (i've spoken at length with my compadre about this book obviously). i am 26 so it took me a lot longer to get to the book, so maybe i'm coming at it from a different angle. if i read it at 18 i would have hated it probably as well.

You do raise a good point. I would probably pick up a lot more on the nuances of that book now at age 25 than I was able to when I was 16.

Still, I've hated the book for so long that I simply can't fathom picking up that book ever again.

:/

 

[Madrin]

*salutes*

One of the best.

I think it was actually your recommendation in another thread that got me interested. I haven't started on it yet but I'm going to tonight. Looking forward to it.

 

[Cosmic Bus]

and

 

[Speschal K]

Coming off of Old Man's War, I started Heroes Die off Scalzi's recommendation. 100 pages in so far, great SF/F mashup

 

[bggrthnjsus]

I just got back into reading after coming to the realization that I've read a pathetically small number of books in my lifetime. So my plan now is to try tackling 5-10 books at once. I just started on these two days ago:

The Selfish Gene

I'm debating what else to add to my selection. I'm considering Dracula, The God Delusion, The Name of the Wind, The Picture of Dorian Gray, King Solomon's Mines, and Flowers for Algernon.

if you like the selfish gene, consider reading the ancestor's tale, also by dawkins. it's a pretty awesome explanation of evolution from man backwards through time to single celled organisms.

 

[SolKane]

he really is pretty detestable, but i also pity him a lot. his delusion is SO complete, and it's tough when you have a character who is so earnest in their intentions while simultaneously being such a complete fucktard. it's like he has sort of the right idea, or some sort of admirable idea, but then takes it in a completely stupid and wrong direction. they're these hyperintelligentsia thoughts taken to the extreme and end up commenting not only on that scholarly attitude but also on the middle class (i've spoken at length with my compadre about this book obviously). i am 26 so it took me a lot longer to get to the book, so maybe i'm coming at it from a different angle. if i read it at 18 i would have hated it probably as well.

You can tell Toole was heavily influenced by Flanner O'Connor, since there's a lot of resemblance between Ignatius, the quasi-religious charlatan and social apostate, and Hazel Motes and Enoch Emery from Wise Blood. And in both the picaresque narrative seems to be a kind of extension of the characters. If you like this book you should read some of Charles Portis' work if you haven't. Start with Dog of the South. It's the best comic novel written by an American, IMO, just hedging out Confederacy of Dunces.

 

[heliosRAzi]

I just got done reading Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[Trent Strong]

There seem to be quite a few Haruki Murakami fans here on gaf. Any suggestions on what my first Murakami novel should be? Is there a general or critical consensus on the matter?

Either The Wind Up Bird Chronicle or Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World.

 

[sazabirules]

I'm rereading Gardens of the Moon because I want to reread the first five books before moving onto the next one.

 

[Apple Sauce]

There seem to be quite a few Haruki Murakami fans here on gaf. Any suggestions on what my first Murakami novel should be? Is there a general or critical consensus on the matter?

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle is generally considered his best work.
Norwegian Wood was very popular in Japan and made him as high profile as he is today. It's recently been made into a film and is one of my favourites. It's more of a realistic novel and doesn't really fit in with the 'otherworldliness' of his other works although there are a lot of similar themes.
I really enjoy his short stories too, check out the collection 'Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman'.

For something completely out there, his non fiction book 'Underground' is very good. It's a collection of two books, book one is a series of interviews with the surviving victims of the 1995 Tokyo gas attack. Book two is a series of interviews with members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult, the group who carried out the attack. Very interesting, at times disturbing, other times heartwarming.
Even though it's non-fiction I got a definite Murakami vibe from the writing although I wouldn't say it's the best introduction to his work.

I am currently reading

Someone fucking kill me... Victorian serialized novels really are the worst maybe with the exception of Dickens.
600 pages to go and I'm sick to death of 8 line sentences filled with purple prose.

 

[.JayZii]

I'm continuing my Murakami binge with Kafka on the Shore.

 

[justin.au]

I'm continuing my Murakami binge with Kafka on the Shore.

One of the many books on my pile for this month.

 

[coldvein]

attractive covers.

 

[Kawl_USC]

Currently reading: Lancelot by Walker Percy for my King Arthur Class in Uni. While its better than The Lyre of Orpheus, which we just got done reading, I'm finding it a deeply depressing book. The story is told by Lancelot, the last in the line of an old South Aristocratic Family, in an insane asylum one year after a tragic fire.

We find out through flash back that he was shaken out of stupor of booze and complacency when he found out his wife cheated on him and that he is not the father of his youngest daughter. He then recounts his attempts to find out for certain if his wife is being unfaithful, with plenty of allusions to the Arthurian Mythos with characters named Merlin, Percival, and the title character himself. It's interesting to note that Percy seems to have to invert any theme/tradition he borrows from the Arthur myth.

My main problem with the book is that Lancelot is a pretty awful person. He's racist, sexist, and elitist. I guess overall I find it enjoyable though especially when considering the aspect of the unreliable narrator inherent whenever your narrator is recalling events and is currently in an insane asylum. Getting plenty of in depth analysis courtesy of my professor who is a huge Author buff, so its interesting to do a much deeper reading than I usually do on my own.

I'm also currently going through Tor.com's Garden of the Moon re-read as I read GotM a year ago or so, and want to refresh my memory before going into the next in the series.

 

[legend166]

Subscribed!

I just bought a Kindle this morning so I'm looking forward to reading a lot more.

 

[Kawl_USC]

Subscribed!

I just bought a Kindle this morning so I'm looking forward to reading a lot more.

I remember when I got my Kindle on Christmas 2 years ago, almost all day just messing around with it, reading the User Guide, the Note for the User, and trying out a ton of samples. I knew of the Kindle but hadn't had any hands on experience before that and it was pretty mind blowing. I absolutely love my Kindle, and I have definitely read more since I picked it up (ebooks and print actually).