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What are you reading? (February 2009)
- Thread starter Karakand
- Start date
nonfiction:
"The City" is currently a pretty huge theme in historical studies so I grabbed this off the syllabus of "history of paris" which is a grad seminar here. Book is great so far. Probably doesn't offer too much to people who aren't history people though so tread with caution. There are books about france for you people.
fiction:
Kinda underwhelming. Amis imitates what he thinks Nabokov style is, and he gets the jokes right but he's not doing so hot on the storytelling half.
"The City" is currently a pretty huge theme in historical studies so I grabbed this off the syllabus of "history of paris" which is a grad seminar here. Book is great so far. Probably doesn't offer too much to people who aren't history people though so tread with caution. There are books about france for you people.
fiction:
Kinda underwhelming. Amis imitates what he thinks Nabokov style is, and he gets the jokes right but he's not doing so hot on the storytelling half.
viciouskillersquirrel
Member
Still reading. It's good so far, but one of the characters (Ellen) is somewhat... inconsistent and it's annoying me. It's like the author couldn't decide who he wanted her to be. One minute, she's a headstrong wildcat and the next she's all sweetness and gentility. Hopefully there's a reason for this later on.
"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel."mjc said:
I usually stay out of arts and entertainment GAF because I'm a snob (or a reactionary depending on the medium) but somebody dropped the ball this month!SyNapSe said:.. and here I thought you just drank a lot and watched sports
ElectricBlue187
Member
jesus this book is so good. I finished it in two days. I have another Ian M. Banks book to read but Comac has spoiled me with his amazing writing, I wonder if I can go back?
Luckily my book is as fantasy as they come
Just finished Wizards: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy
Not really a fan of short story collections featuring multiple authors, though this is actually the only one I've ever read. It's as I imagined, a few standouts with a lot of mediocre in between.
I actually only bought this for Peter S Beagle's story, Barrens Dance, which was described as "indifferent" in one review. In my opinion, it's probably the best thing he's written since The Last Unicorn.
It's about perhaps the only truly evil wizard to ever exist that can only express his magic through dance and who falls in "love" with a woman on first sight and is determined to have her, one way or another.
A few standouts:
Tad Williams' The Stranger's Hands. A stranger appears who can give anyone their heart's desire simply by grasping his hand.
Jeffrey Ford's The Manticore Spell. An old wizard casts a spell to protect the last manticore in existence so that it can die from old age, rather than the weapons of hunters.
Terry Bisson's Billy and the Wizard was more cute than anything, but it really stood out to me.
Neil Gaiman's The Witch's Headstone was nice. It was about a young boy who just tries to do something nice for a long dead witch, whose grave he is always warned away from.
Just finished Wizards: Magical Tales from the Masters of Modern Fantasy
Not really a fan of short story collections featuring multiple authors, though this is actually the only one I've ever read. It's as I imagined, a few standouts with a lot of mediocre in between.
I actually only bought this for Peter S Beagle's story, Barrens Dance, which was described as "indifferent" in one review. In my opinion, it's probably the best thing he's written since The Last Unicorn.
It's about perhaps the only truly evil wizard to ever exist that can only express his magic through dance and who falls in "love" with a woman on first sight and is determined to have her, one way or another.
A few standouts:
Tad Williams' The Stranger's Hands. A stranger appears who can give anyone their heart's desire simply by grasping his hand.
Jeffrey Ford's The Manticore Spell. An old wizard casts a spell to protect the last manticore in existence so that it can die from old age, rather than the weapons of hunters.
Terry Bisson's Billy and the Wizard was more cute than anything, but it really stood out to me.
Neil Gaiman's The Witch's Headstone was nice. It was about a young boy who just tries to do something nice for a long dead witch, whose grave he is always warned away from.
I just finished Demons Don't Dream by Piers Anthony. Here is the review I wrote at the time.
This is a fun and whimsical tale that is filled with clever puns and teenage perversity. I can't count the amount of times that Anthony mentions young girls' panties, and how often magical creatures strip down to nothing. It's all a little juvenile, but thankfully the main story is a fun romp through the magical land of Xanth, and features some strong moral decisions made by the human characters. There is even some social commentary, all amidst fantasy novel staples such as centaurs and goblins.
Piers Anthony is a clever writer, and his slew of puns mixes entertainment with some well-deserved groans. A fairy named Fairy Nuff, a pooping pigeon called a Stool Pigeon; these plays on words are found throughout the book, and despite the eye rolls they may sometimes induce, they add to the overall charm of the tale.
What really put this book over the top for me was the Author's Note at the end, which mentions the real life inspirations for some of the book's characters, and their sad situations. That personal touch really gave this book an extra bit of warmth that makes it that much easier to appreciate and enjoy. It's not a book that will change your life, but if you're looking for a fun, light adventure in a creative magical land, Demons Don't Dream is a nice fit. 3.5/5
Next on my list is a classic I have waited a long time to get around to.
I'm looking forward to cracking it soon.
This is a fun and whimsical tale that is filled with clever puns and teenage perversity. I can't count the amount of times that Anthony mentions young girls' panties, and how often magical creatures strip down to nothing. It's all a little juvenile, but thankfully the main story is a fun romp through the magical land of Xanth, and features some strong moral decisions made by the human characters. There is even some social commentary, all amidst fantasy novel staples such as centaurs and goblins.
Piers Anthony is a clever writer, and his slew of puns mixes entertainment with some well-deserved groans. A fairy named Fairy Nuff, a pooping pigeon called a Stool Pigeon; these plays on words are found throughout the book, and despite the eye rolls they may sometimes induce, they add to the overall charm of the tale.
What really put this book over the top for me was the Author's Note at the end, which mentions the real life inspirations for some of the book's characters, and their sad situations. That personal touch really gave this book an extra bit of warmth that makes it that much easier to appreciate and enjoy. It's not a book that will change your life, but if you're looking for a fun, light adventure in a creative magical land, Demons Don't Dream is a nice fit. 3.5/5
Next on my list is a classic I have waited a long time to get around to.
I'm looking forward to cracking it soon.
AndersTheSwede
Member
A President who is a pretty damn good author? Head exploding.
Danne-Danger
Member
Just getting started.
KilgoreTrout
Banned
aidan said:
^ Probably my favorite book of all time behind Mother Night.
I am currently reading:
Skittleguy
Ring a Bell for me
"Irradiated Mammary Gland Stroma Promotes the Expression of Tumorigenic
Potential by Unirradiated Epithelial Cells"
by Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff and Shraddha A. Ravani
Science Rules!
Potential by Unirradiated Epithelial Cells"
by Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff and Shraddha A. Ravani
Science Rules!
BruceLeeRoy
Banned
About half way through and loving every second of it.
One of the best revenge story's I have ever read.
Should finish it today or tomorrow. Excellent book so far. Sorry for crappy phone pic, but the cover of the copy I'm reading is just such awesome cheap 80's fantasy style that nothing I found online would do.
Karakand said:
I tried to look this up on google, to see who decided it is "Fantasy Novel Disappreciation Month," but the only result is this thread.
I've got some non fiction I can read, but I go through a few books per month so I'm sure I'll be back at the fantasy sooner rather than later.
octopusman
Member
EDIT: I'm also reading
DeathbyVolcano
Banned
ThirstyFly
Member
Just finished I Am Legend (loved it). Now I'm moving on to the short stories also included in the book.
Canadian Psycho
Banned
Bonfire of the Vanities
Anobyl said:Naked Lunch
For one of my classes.
I'm about 100 pages in and and I don't know what the fuck is going on
I wanted to see what all the buzz was about Burroughs, so I read this. Strangest thing I've read.
Hmm, not really reading anything right now. Sorta casually reading The Bell Jar.
Monroeski said:
Should finish it today or tomorrow. Excellent book so far. Sorry for crappy phone pic, but the cover of the copy I'm reading is just such awesome cheap 80's fantasy style that nothing I found online would do.
I tried to look this up on google, to see who decided it is "Fantasy Novel Disappreciation Month," but the only result is this thread.
I've got some non fiction I can read, but I go through a few books per month so I'm sure I'll be back at the fantasy sooner rather than later.
That cover is pretty fantastic. Based on that alone, I am interested in this book. Well, that and you saying it's been excellent so far.
<3 sci-fi.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
No fantasy, psshhhhhhhhhh burn in hell fire mothers
Last book, i dont want it to end
Last book, i dont want it to end
AndresON777
shooting blanks
ThirstyFly said:
Just finished I Am Legend (loved it). Now I'm moving on to the short stories also included in the book.
Excellent book. I havnt read anything else from Matheson though.
I just finished
It was my first graphical novel I'm looking to check out some other ones it was great
octopusman said:Just finished this, fucking unbelievable, probably my favorite book now, next to Catcher in the Rye. It's written so clearly yet elagantly blows your mind. has anyone else read this one?
Yeah, read it last year. Loved it, definitely the most trippy, strange book I've read. I love the 2D policestation!
Plugging away at Robert Musil's "The Man Without Qualities", nearing the end of vol.1. It's great, feels similar to Thomas Mann but with more humour. It's so overwhelmingly intelligent at times that it makes me feel stupid, though - I have to just glaze through paragraphs here and there because I don't understand them. Most of it is perfectly understandable, though, helped a lot by the brilliant, lucid writing.
PhoenixDark
Banned
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy, which wins the Best Sentence of the Written Word award
way more
Member
aidan said:
That's a great first book of his to read. I've only read perhaps 5 of his works and Sirens was heavy on the weird sci-fi and frailty that I love from Vonnegut.
I'm picking though my dad's library and grabbed this first.
TimeQuake
The prologue doesn't really stir your excitement. He says he spent decades on the book only to realize it was crap and he trashed most of it. What's the word on it?
The actual title is Serial Killers: Death and Life in America's Wound Culture and it's more about modern society forming open wounds at points of violence. It's very academic and while fun, it's also a slow read. Much time is spent on popular culture and serial killers in entertainment. The author highly recommends Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. He calls it "splatterpunk," and says that it and movies like Unforgiven may show that westerns were all about serial killers.
