Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (6 Viewers)

[prosopis]

Recently read The Help which I really liked but I now find myself very prejudiced against any white woman with a southern accent.

I am just finishing The Hour I first Believed and I am ready to hang myself it is so depressing. This book has less then 100 pages left for the main character to have some small amount of joy in his life. It aint looking good.

 

[The_Man]

Just about halfway through War & Peace and loving it. I use vacation each year to get a jump on reading a big book I've always wanted to tackle but never had - past ones include Moby ****, Infinite Jest and Gravity's Rainbow. W&P starts off a little slow. It's full of the usual stifling drawing room scenes that authors of that era seemingly had to start their books with to demonstrate the hypocrisy and selfishness of the aristocratic ruling class. But once that's out of the way, it really takes off. There were are a couple of battle scenes that were so action-packed they read like something out of a boys young adult adventure story (though with more gore). And it's really funny too. Good stuff.

I usually tell people that it is a book that everyone should read before they die. It's long and you need a chart to keep track of all the characters, but it's worth it. Pierre's assassination attempt on Napoleon is probably my favorite scene in all of literature.

Hey, I know it's an almost 200-year-old classic read by millions, but can't we get a little spoiler alert up in here? That kind of just sapped some of my enthusiasm for the 500+ pages still ahead.

Finished this last week - found it very good, but also flawed, namely the scenes where Tolstoy abandons being a novelist and writes essays about the nature of history, as well as writing his own brief history of the Napoleonic era. But when he sticks to the novel, it is great.Also, based on the comment above, I kept waiting for a scene that never actually materialized, lol

 

[Don Quixote]

Just about halfway through War & Peace and loving it. I use vacation each year to get a jump on reading a big book I've always wanted to tackle but never had - past ones include Moby ****, Infinite Jest and Gravity's Rainbow. W&P starts off a little slow. It's full of the usual stifling drawing room scenes that authors of that era seemingly had to start their books with to demonstrate the hypocrisy and selfishness of the aristocratic ruling class. But once that's out of the way, it really takes off. There were are a couple of battle scenes that were so action-packed they read like something out of a boys young adult adventure story (though with more gore). And it's really funny too. Good stuff.

I usually tell people that it is a book that everyone should read before they die. It's long and you need a chart to keep track of all the characters, but it's worth it. Pierre's assassination attempt on Napoleon is probably my favorite scene in all of literature.

Hey, I know it's an almost 200-year-old classic read by millions, but can't we get a little spoiler alert up in here? That kind of just sapped some of my enthusiasm for the 500+ pages still ahead.

Finished this last week - found it very good, but also flawed, namely the scenes where Tolstoy abandons being a novelist and writes essays about the nature of history, as well as writing his own brief history of the Napoleonic era. But when he sticks to the novel, it is great.Also, based on the comment above, I kept waiting for a scene that never actually materialized, lol

Yeah, I was tempted to point out that I did not really spoil anything (maybe it's more of an attempt to attempt an assassination attempt), but figured I'd let you finish without saying more.

 

[PizzaDeliveryGuy]

I'm about 250 pages into Don Quixote right now. It been a pretty slow read thus far but seems to be picking up. I will say that the exchanges between Don and Sancho are top notch comedy.

 

[eoMMan]

Any reviews of Under The Dome by Stephen King?

 

[shuke]

Any reviews of Under The Dome by Stephen King?

Finished Stephen King's Under The Dome. I may be done with King. Either I'm turning into a literay snob or he's lost his touch. A lot of the characters seemed cliche and one-dimensionsal, although Chef and Junior were pretty good characters that I would expect from King. I really didn't care about the protaganist or any of the other characters. And some of the writing was just brutal. Like the parts that were POV of the woodchuck and the dog? Come on.Story was still somewhat enjoyable, and the climax was great for a King novel. Overall a 5/10.

 

[The_Man]

Was just reminded of a book I read earlier this year and really, really liked but forgot to mention at the time - the memoir "Townie" by Andre Dubus III. The author's father was a young professor and writer just gaining fame when he dumped his wife and kids in a Massachusetts mill town to marry someone else. The author then became a hard-core brawler growing up in his blue collar neighborhood. The book is extremely well-written and a very insightful and moving coming of age story that really has some interesting things to say about how you define manhood.

 

[The Flying Elvis]

Looking for somewhat light reads for my morning T rides of like 30 mins or so and the ride home... Just finished reading Ready Player One and the Hunger Games Trilogy since I checked out this thread on Sunday and really liked them all. I am not looking for anything of literary genius like Infinite Jest etc since I am just looking for stories that suck me in with little effort for the short T rides. To give perspective in the past few months I have read the Game of Thrones series, Kingkiller Chronicles and then Ready Player One and HG trilogy. I am not below anything that takes a ton of effort but right now am looking for relatable protagonists, something to empathize with. Any suggestions?

 

[Draftnik]

I'm about a quarter of the way into "Muzzled" by Juan Williams, the NPR political correspondent and Fox News contributor who was fired by NPR for comments he made on The O'Reilly Factor that air passengers clad in Muslim garb make him nervous while flying.

So far, it's a bunch of characters for whom it's tough to feel any sympathy. The NPR senior management involved, the news director and CEO, pretty clearly were interested in advancing their own personal agendas at nearly any cost. I also don't doubt they had issues with Williams drawing supplemental income from Fox. Both have separated from NPR in the time since Williams was fired.

As for Williams, despite his protestations to the contrary, I'm not yet convinced that his role at Fox is anything more than a shill. I think he knows that the main reason he draws a check from Fox is so that Fox News senior management can maintain their "Fair and Balanced" claims without being struck by lightning or having their pants spontaneously combust.

That being said, Williams is a very knowledgeable guy. Some day, I'll dig into his biography of Thurgood Marshall and/or his chronicle of the civil rights movement.

 

[Rick James]

"Busy Monsters" by William Giraldi. Halfway through, this is a really entertaining read.

And about a year ago I started "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson... got about 200 pages into it and put it down to start reading the George R.R. Martin series. Finished with that, now I'm starting from scratch and plan to finish Cryptonomicon.... I really enjoyed the 200 or so pages I read when I first began the book. Looking forward to continuing the story.

 

[JFT Ben]

I'm just finishing up Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao with a class. This one got a lot of press (won the Pulitzer) so I'm sure many of you have read it. For those that haven't: it's out-f!@king-standing. A must read, IMO. Hella funny, hella sad, extremely well written and informative.

Awesome, awesome book.

Meh didn't really like it that much, grinded through it and didn't think Oscar's life was wonderous in the least. Less than impressed.

However, am loving the Art of Racing in the Rain, I'd use the sad, funny and informative adjatives for this book , very touching.

Also, for those that liked Hunger Games, make sure you check out Battle Royale by Koushun Takami which I think was even more awesome than Hunger Games and in a similar vein.

 

[dharmapunk]

I'm reading Richard Powers' The Echo Maker right now. Won the 2006? National Book Award.

Fantastic novel about a guy who rolls his truck in rural Nebraska and ends up with a rare brain disorder that causes him to not recognize those closest to him (emotionally). The primary victim is his sister, whom he'd always been close to and who sacrificed her life (job, etc.) to take care of him while he was recovering. He refuses to recognize her. Thinks she resembles his sister, but is a government placed impostor for some unknown reason related to his accident. Powers explores this with real emotional depth while at the same time using the situation as a vehicle to discuss issues of memory, identity, neuroscience, and our very humanity. Very fluid & poetic prose too.

I can't trumpet this one enough and I'm only 2/3rds done.

 

[Maelstrom]

Any reviews of Under The Dome by Stephen King?

Finished Stephen King's Under The Dome. I may be done with King. Either I'm turning into a literay snob or he's lost his touch. A lot of the characters seemed cliche and one-dimensionsal, although Chef and Junior were pretty good characters that I would expect from King. I really didn't care about the protaganist or any of the other characters. And some of the writing was just brutal. Like the parts that were POV of the woodchuck and the dog? Come on.Story was still somewhat enjoyable, and the climax was great for a King novel. Overall a 5/10.

While it had a few good spots, it was probably 200 pages too long and I absolutely hated the ending. I won't give it away, but I felt like King looked at the word count, and said, "Woops, looks like this book is done, I just need to wrap it up..." I haven't had a book end in such a way that I wanted to chuck it across the room in a while. I know...people say that is King's style, but honestly, I wouldn't equate this with his other books. Not in the same league, IMO. I'd put it 4/10 - there are some cool scenes and I liked the way the story was developing, but too dragged out and then I knocked probably 2 points off for the ending.

 

[Sundays Rule]

Ready Player One is awesome.

 

[ODoyleRules]

Ready Player One is awesome.

I'm looking forward to that one. Went to the library tonight to get it, but there are 5 holds ahead of me.

 

[shuke]

Ready Player One is awesome.

 

[Todd Andrews]

Finished these recently:

The Interrogator

Fascinating book about post 9/11 national security/GWOT/CIA issues by a retired CIA operative who interrogated a supposed high value Al Qaeda detainee.

A Death in Summer

New Quirke book from the greatest living Irish writer (Benjamin Black is the pseudonym of John Banville for his crime/mystery writing)--Irish noir and good. His others are Christine Falls, etc.

Reading this now and really enjoying it because I am a history freak:

Carthange Must Be Destroyed

 

[RhymesMcJuice]

Just started King's Under the Dome. It seems to have gotten a lot of praise, and I love his storytelling, but his writing style has really deteroriated. I know he was never considered a master of prose, but this just seems really bad.

I got Under the Dome for Christmas. Is it worth trudging though 1000pgs, or should I return it for something else? Used to read a bit of King back in the day (maybe 15+ years ago), but haven't read anything since then.

I was extremely underwhelmed by Under the Dome. I understand why some loved it, the beginning -> middle definitely drew me in and made me want to read more, but as it went on I really hated the way it finished out. I won't say how, but you'll know when you read it. Basically liked 2/3s to 4/5s of the book, but the way it ended left a bad taste in my mouth and made me feel like King just looked at how many pages he had, and instead of writing a good ending and cutting some out of the middle he just found a way to end it quickly.

I just started reading Under the Dome as well.As for the bolded, I haven't read a ton of SK novels but I'm having a hard time thinking of one that didn't fit that sentiment.

I'm about 2/3rds through it and haven't bothered to finish it.On the upside of that is they are making a mini-series so now I don't have to.

 

[Daywalker]

I'm just finishing up Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao with a class. This one got a lot of press (won the Pulitzer) so I'm sure many of you have read it. For those that haven't: it's out-f!@king-standing. A must read, IMO. Hella funny, hella sad, extremely well written and informative.

Awesome, awesome book.

Meh didn't really like it that much, grinded through it and didn't think Oscar's life was wonderous in the least. Less than impressed.

However, am loving the Art of Racing in the Rain, I'd use the sad, funny and informative adjatives for this book , very touching.

Also, for those that liked Hunger Games, make sure you check out Battle Royale by Koushun Takami which I think was even more awesome than Hunger Games and in a similar vein.

Oscar Wao? Read it. Enjoyed it while reading it. Remember nothing excpet Trujillo was a basterd.Since I remember so little from the book don't see the point in reading it, i.e., recomending it. Just entertainment.

 

[kupcho1]

"Busy Monsters" by William Giraldi. Halfway through, this is a really entertaining read.And about a year ago I started "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson... got about 200 pages into it and put it down to start reading the George R.R. Martin series. Finished with that, now I'm starting from scratch and plan to finish Cryptonomicon.... I really enjoyed the 200 or so pages I read when I first began the book. Looking forward to continuing the story.

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

 

[dharmapunk]

I'm just finishing up Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao with a class. This one got a lot of press (won the Pulitzer) so I'm sure many of you have read it. For those that haven't: it's out-f!@king-standing. A must read, IMO. Hella funny, hella sad, extremely well written and informative.

Awesome, awesome book.

Meh didn't really like it that much, grinded through it and didn't think Oscar's life was wonderous in the least. Less than impressed.

However, am loving the Art of Racing in the Rain, I'd use the sad, funny and informative adjatives for this book , very touching.

Also, for those that liked Hunger Games, make sure you check out Battle Royale by Koushun Takami which I think was even more awesome than Hunger Games and in a similar vein.

Oscar Wao? Read it. Enjoyed it while reading it. Remember nothing excpet Trujillo was a basterd.Since I remember so little from the book don't see the point in reading it, i.e., recomending it. Just entertainment.

I'm really surprised at the lukewarm reception around here. Wao is an accessible and fantastic example of the "postcolonial novel" - exploring the identity and issues of a current generation of Americans who are both American (especially in their love of pop culture, like Oscar) and -hyphen- something else (Dominican). Dealing with the fallout of colonialism (i.e. Trujillo, which the novel claims is a traumatic regurgitation of colonialism's brutality) and the lasting effects through three generations of a family. All of that is explored with real historical and emotional depth while being a very amusing and heartfelt story. I loved Diaz's use of "fuku" and "zafa." Loved the Trujillo-era parts. Loved poor Oscar and his geekiness. There were times I actually burst out laughing - from reading a literary novel.

Stuff I remember vividly -

- the cane fields. If in the DR and a cop asks you to see a cane field, run. Run fast.

- Oscar writing "Speak friend and enter" on his college dorm door - "in f@#king Elvish!"

- Yunior trying to get Oscar's fat ### in shape.

- Oscar's doomed romance with the DR prostitute.

- Bella's failed romances...and her big breasts.

- Oscar's murder scene. "Shoot."

Still shocked at how so many of you are 'meh' on it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

"Busy Monsters" by William Giraldi. Halfway through, this is a really entertaining read.And about a year ago I started "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson... got about 200 pages into it and put it down to start reading the George R.R. Martin series. Finished with that, now I'm starting from scratch and plan to finish Cryptonomicon.... I really enjoyed the 200 or so pages I read when I first began the book. Looking forward to continuing the story.

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

Do you need to read Baroque before Crypto?

 

[kupcho1]

"Busy Monsters" by William Giraldi. Halfway through, this is a really entertaining read.And about a year ago I started "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson... got about 200 pages into it and put it down to start reading the George R.R. Martin series. Finished with that, now I'm starting from scratch and plan to finish Cryptonomicon.... I really enjoyed the 200 or so pages I read when I first began the book. Looking forward to continuing the story.

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

Do you need to read Baroque before Crypto?

No.

 

[igbomb]

"Busy Monsters" by William Giraldi. Halfway through, this is a really entertaining read.And about a year ago I started "Cryptonomicon" by Neal Stephenson... got about 200 pages into it and put it down to start reading the George R.R. Martin series. Finished with that, now I'm starting from scratch and plan to finish Cryptonomicon.... I really enjoyed the 200 or so pages I read when I first began the book. Looking forward to continuing the story.

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

Do you need to read Baroque before Crypto?

If anything the opposite, as Crypto was written before the Baroque Cycle.

 

[timschochet]

Just started Jeffrey Archer's newest, "Only Time Will Tell"- first of a trilogy. Much like Ken Follett, Archer is going to tell the story of the 20th century through a family saga in 3 novels. I LOVE this kind of ####, and I like both of these authors. Anyhow, the novel starts off well, we'll see where it goes.

 

[oso diablo]

John Hart's latest, Iron House

a step above beach reads, like Hart's first 3. This novel tells the story of two orphan brothers, one adopted by a wealthy family and the other left behind to drift into the underworld of organized crime, and how their worlds collide years later.

 

[D_House]

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I enjoyed this like everything else I've read of his.

 

[scoobygang]

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

New Stephenson coming in less than two weeks.I'm currently reading Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, and anyone with the temerity to compare it to Snow Crash should be slapped. RPO is a fun little book, particualarly if you're obsessed with 80s pop culture or MMOs, but it's more of Young Adult novel than a Sci Fi novel.

 

[oso diablo]

The Art of Fielding - a debut novel about baseball and college and life. Very well reviewed by many authors i also enjoy reading.

 

[igbomb]

Finished Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. Truly amazing novel. My father fought in Vietnam and it was the one thing in his life that he was very tight-lipped about, which of course just made me more curious about what the war was like. Whether the view of the war marlantes provides was right or wrong, there is no question that it was one hell of a vivid view of what life in the bush was like. All of the adjectives that were applied in the blurbs on the cover of the book are spot on. But more than any other, there is a sense of helplessness conveyed that is just heartbreaking. Highly recommended.

 

[kupcho1]

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

New Stephenson coming in less than two weeks.I'm currently reading Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, and anyone with the temerity to compare it to Snow Crash should be slapped. RPO is a fun little book, particualarly if you're obsessed with 80s pop culture or MMOs, but it's more of Young Adult novel than a Sci Fi novel.

I entered a drawing at goodreads for the new win. If I don't win I'll probably buy it. Would RP1 be appropriate for a 14 year old? Maybe I'll buy it for my daughter.

 

[njherdfan]

The Art of Fielding - a debut novel about baseball and college and life. Very well reviewed by many authors i also enjoy reading.

Just ordered this. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[Sundays Rule]

Currently craving a reread of Hitchhikers Guide

 

[igbomb]

As of today, Goodreads now has a recommedation engine active on the site. I know they bought a company earlier this year and have been working on implementing it for several months. At first glance, it blows Amazon's recommendations out of the water. One of the immediate nice things I see is that they mostly avoid simply suggesting that you might like book three in a series where you've read books one and two.

There goes my afternoon's productivity.

 

[scoobygang]

I happen to be re-reading Crypto now. Fantastic book. If you enjoy this one, you must read the Baroque Cycle (for more Shaftoe and Waterhouse goodness).

New Stephenson coming in less than two weeks.I'm currently reading Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline, and anyone with the temerity to compare it to Snow Crash should be slapped. RPO is a fun little book, particualarly if you're obsessed with 80s pop culture or MMOs, but it's more of Young Adult novel than a Sci Fi novel.

I entered a drawing at goodreads for the new win. If I don't win I'll probably buy it. Would RP1 be appropriate for a 14 year old? Maybe I'll buy it for my daughter.

There's nothing really objectionable for kids in Ready Player 1. The problem with seeing it as a YA book is that all the 80s nostalgia is unlikely to do much for a 14 year old. That's why I think it's such a shaggy dog story. It's kind of YA for arrested adolescents. 30 year old guys who still wear Thundercats tee-shirts.It's fun enough as a lark, but I don't get the ectatstic reviews on Boing-Boing or the Onion AV Club at all. Some critics are throwing out things like "best sci-fi book in 10 years". Not even close.

I moved on to The Magicians, and now, The Magician King. Both are better, IMO, than RP1, although The Magicians had some major tonal problems grafting a Brett Easton Ellis novel onto the fantasy form in the second half. I like the sequel better so far.

 

[oso diablo]

The Art of Fielding - a debut novel about baseball and college and life. Very well reviewed by many authors i also enjoy reading.

really struggling with this one, which is quite a surprise. The baseball parts are interesting, but it's interwoven with a plotline about the college president, which kills any momentum for me. Going to put this one in the "over-rated" bucket.

 

[Chaka]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Recently finished Dan Simmons' Flashback. Reading reviews around the net, this book is extremely polarizing. Almost none of the negative reviews actually address the plot or characters. Most deal with the tons of ethnic slurs some of the characters use and Simmons supposedly anti-liberal views (he denies the tone of the book reflects his own political beliefs and says that he was only looking into a future that's one possible outcome of today's environment).

As with all of Simmons work (with the exception of the Hyperion books), I enjoyed it. Some of the political stuff was a little heavy-handed but as story - basically a murder mystery set in a dystopian near future - I think it's pretty good.

I'm a bit of a sucker in that I can look past a book's flaws if the positives interest me enough so take any reviews I give with a heaping pile of salt. I could see where folks who get inflamed by un-PC and political stuff having issues with it so buyer beware.

I moved onto Steve King's e-novella Mile 81. IMO, this is what King does best - short story with a handful of characters who encounter something unexpected. There's nothing here that hasn't been done a million times before and the end was a little stupid (shocking for a King story, I know), but it entertained me. I kept thinking as I was reading "Thank God he didn't try to flesh this out into a thousand page doorstop".

Now I'm on Erik Larsen (Devil In The White City) and his In The Garden Of Beasts. It's a non-fiction account of the American ambassador to Germany and his family in 1933. I'm only anout 1/4 of the way in, but Larsen is on his game once again. I recall krista and maybe some others reviewing this upthread and being disappointed in the rushed ending. I'll deal with that when I get there but - being a "journey's the thing" kind of guy - I doubt that'll throw too much of a shadow on the book for me.

 

[Chaka]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

Spoiler

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

Thanks. I am not ready for Laredo yet. Starting Dead Man's Walk instead.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

Spoiler

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

Spoiler

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

Thanks. I am not ready for Laredo yet. Starting Dead Man's Walk instead.Cool. It's no laugh-riot either, but is a tad lighter than Laredo. Commanche Moon would be the next in line, if you want to continue on with the characters, and leads up to Lonesome Dove.As an aside, I think Lonesome Dove is THE great American novel (if there is such a thing). To me it smokes Faulkner, Melville, Hawthorne or whoever else is supposed to be "the guy/girl". I can't think of one flaw in it and it perfectly catches what America is/was about (or at least, what Americans THINK they are about). And to top off the ridiculousness of it, they also managed to make the perfect movie from the source material. It's the only book/film combo I can think of that both get an A+ (& I'm an easy-grading critic).

 

[roadkill1292]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

Spoiler

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

Spoiler

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

Spoiler

Thanks. I am not ready for Laredo yet. Starting Dead Man's Walk instead.

Cool. It's no laugh-riot either, but is a tad lighter than Laredo. Commanche Moon would be the next in line, if you want to continue on with the characters, and leads up to Lonesome Dove.As an aside, I think Lonesome Dove is THE great American novel (if there is such a thing). To me it smokes Faulkner, Melville, Hawthorne or whoever else is supposed to be "the guy/girl". I can't think of one flaw in it and it perfectly catches what America is/was about (or at least, what Americans THINK they are about). And to top off the ridiculousness of it, they also managed to make the perfect movie from the source material. It's the only book/film combo I can think of that both get an A+ (& I'm an easy-grading critic).

Yet another thing we agree on (about Lonesome Dove, that is).

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

Spoiler

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

Spoiler

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

Spoiler

Thanks. I am not ready for Laredo yet. Starting Dead Man's Walk instead.

Spoiler

Cool. It's no laugh-riot either, but is a tad lighter than Laredo. Commanche Moon would be the next in line, if you want to continue on with the characters, and leads up to Lonesome Dove.As an aside, I think Lonesome Dove is THE great American novel (if there is such a thing). To me it smokes Faulkner, Melville, Hawthorne or whoever else is supposed to be "the guy/girl". I can't think of one flaw in it and it perfectly catches what America is/was about (or at least, what Americans THINK they are about). And to top off the ridiculousness of it, they also managed to make the perfect movie from the source material. It's the only book/film combo I can think of that both get an A+ (& I'm an easy-grading critic).

Yet another thing we agree on (about Lonesome Dove, that is). What's up, GB? Doing the Valley Wine Tour this year?

 

[roadkill1292]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

Spoiler

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

Spoiler

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

Spoiler

Thanks. I am not ready for Laredo yet. Starting Dead Man's Walk instead.

Spoiler

Cool. It's no laugh-riot either, but is a tad lighter than Laredo. Commanche Moon would be the next in line, if you want to continue on with the characters, and leads up to Lonesome Dove.As an aside, I think Lonesome Dove is THE great American novel (if there is such a thing). To me it smokes Faulkner, Melville, Hawthorne or whoever else is supposed to be "the guy/girl". I can't think of one flaw in it and it perfectly catches what America is/was about (or at least, what Americans THINK they are about). And to top off the ridiculousness of it, they also managed to make the perfect movie from the source material. It's the only book/film combo I can think of that both get an A+ (& I'm an easy-grading critic).

Spoiler

Yet another thing we agree on (about Lonesome Dove, that is).

What's up, GB? Doing the Valley Wine Tour this year?Thinking about a weekend in Dover wasting a couple of dollars on NFL parlays and letting the missus play some slots. They do that down there, don't they?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

I am a big fan of Lonesome Dove (I have one of these on the wall behind my office desk) but I had never read any of the sequels.

I picked up Streets of Laredo last night and after two chapters I am about ready to throw it in the incinerator.

Spoiler

The Hat Creek Cattle Company failed after two years.

Newt was killed by the Hell##### (the horse Call gave him).

And here's the capper: LORENA IS MARRIED TO PEA EYE!?!?!?! FREAKING PEA EYE!?!?!?! WHAT THE MOTHER ####### ####?

Spoiler

And that's after only two chapters.

So should I push through it and keep reading or toss it?

Spoiler

I liked the sequel (& the 2 prequels), but I can see where others might not. Laredo is almost unrelentingly grim.As for what's in your spoilers, That's McMurtry. He does unpredictable & absurd things in all of his books. In all honesty, I had the same reactions you did when I started reading it, but I was able to get past it & enjoy the ride.

Spoiler

Thanks. I am not ready for Laredo yet. Starting Dead Man's Walk instead.

Spoiler

Cool. It's no laugh-riot either, but is a tad lighter than Laredo. Commanche Moon would be the next in line, if you want to continue on with the characters, and leads up to Lonesome Dove.As an aside, I think Lonesome Dove is THE great American novel (if there is such a thing). To me it smokes Faulkner, Melville, Hawthorne or whoever else is supposed to be "the guy/girl". I can't think of one flaw in it and it perfectly catches what America is/was about (or at least, what Americans THINK they are about). And to top off the ridiculousness of it, they also managed to make the perfect movie from the source material. It's the only book/film combo I can think of that both get an A+ (& I'm an easy-grading critic).

Spoiler

Yet another thing we agree on (about Lonesome Dove, that is).

Spoiler

What's up, GB? Doing the Valley Wine Tour this year?

Thinking about a weekend in Dover wasting a couple of dollars on NFL parlays and letting the missus play some slots. They do that down there, don't they?Haven't done Dover in 10 years or so - they had the slots then, but I think I recall Delaware adding game wagering in the last few years.

 

[igbomb]

The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham - I've really liked Abraham's earlier work and still have high hopes for the rest of this series, but this book was underwhelming. He's developed a world that suggests an epic scope, but the book only hints of going down that path. And for 500+ pages, I need more than hints. I don't care for setup novels like I did when I was a teen. Nonetheless, the writing is fantastic and a couple of the characters were great. I'll be reading the next.

Moneyball by Michael Lewis - As both a book-nerd and a baseball fanatic, I should have read this book years ago. Reading it now, there is really very little of the story that is new or the thinking behind it that is fresh. But, this book is still fantastic. Well-written (much better than Liar's Poker) and compelling.

 

[prosopis]

I just finished Once Upon a River. I liked it quite a bit. Pretty strong female character. A really good tale. Easy read.

 

[PizzaDeliveryGuy]

Finally finished Don Quixote. While it was very good book, it was pretty redundant and drawn out at times. On to A Tale of Two Cities.

 

[Wrigley]

Worth Dying For: Lee Child

Reacher!!!

 

[krista4]

Finished Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes. Truly amazing novel. My father fought in Vietnam and it was the one thing in his life that he was very tight-lipped about, which of course just made me more curious about what the war was like. Whether the view of the war marlantes provides was right or wrong, there is no question that it was one hell of a vivid view of what life in the bush was like. All of the adjectives that were applied in the blurbs on the cover of the book are spot on. But more than any other, there is a sense of helplessness conveyed that is just heartbreaking. Highly recommended.

I bought this a while ago and am glad to see this recommendation. Will put it next on my to-do list.I've recently been reading a lot of Haruki Murakami (my favorite author) short story collections. After the Quake was an incredibly short but worthwhile collection, and I'm about halfway through Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman and would highly recommend it as well. Also recently read Salman Rushdie's The Jaguar Smile about his visit to Nicaragua in the mid-80s--really heartbreaking and terrific investigative journalism.