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Whatcha readin now? (book, books, reading, read) (2 Viewers)

Jumped back into the Malazan Book of the Fallen. Deadhouse Gates was good but Gardens of the Moon was better. Too much wandering around for my liking but the Chain of Dogs was excellent. Starting Memories of Ice.

 
trogg78 said:
I just finished "Ready Player One" and really enjoyed it. Its a bit derivative of the teenage dystopia that has been really popular (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc.). I think the 80's nostalgia was done really well. I can understand why some people might not like it so much, but I didn't take it too seriously. Its a fun read and seemed to go pretty fast.
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Just finished it as well.  It'll make a good movie. Entertaining story

now onto Jonathan Lethem's A Gambler's Anatomy

 
Ilov80s said:
Just saw Natalie Portman is staring in a movie version of Annihilation. 
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I saw that, too. This could be pretty good, though I chuckled when I saw Gina Torres was one of the other characters in the movie because I pictured her in Portman's role when I read the book.

Speaking of the book series, I had laid it aside for a minute about half-way through the 2nd novel, but have picked it back up again.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I saw that, too. This could be pretty good, though I chuckled when I saw Gina Torres was one of the other characters in the movie because I pictured her in Portman's role when I read the book.

Speaking of the book series, I had laid it aside for a minute about half-way through the 2nd novel, but have picked it back up again.
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Funny I quit half way through bool

2 and had no interest going back. How's the book since picking it up?

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I saw that, too. This could be pretty good, though I chuckled when I saw Gina Torres was one of the other characters in the movie because I pictured her in Portman's role when I read the book.

Speaking of the book series, I had laid it aside for a minute about half-way through the 2nd novel, but have picked it back up again.
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Funny I quit half way through bool

2 and had no interest going back. How's the book since picking it up?

 
Ilov80s said:
Funny I quit half way through bool

2 and had no interest going back. How's the book since picking it up?
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About the same  :D

I'll finish it, though, and book 3 too.

I think the new Stephen King (co-authored with his son Owen) is either out or will be in a few days. That'll be next when I'm done with Vandemeer.

I'm also reading Can't Buy Me Love by Jonathan Gould (same guy who wrote the Otis Redding bio I talked about above). It's about the Beatles. I know there are 50 bazillion books about them (I've read a bunch of 'em, too), but I like Gould and this one seems to be putting them in a little different context than most of the others I've seen.

 
Recently started Jesmyn Ward's Sing, Unburied, Sing, which was released earlier this month.  She's the author of "Salvage the Bones," which won the National Book Award a few years ago.  It's a break from the historical stuff that I generally read.  It's a novel set in modern day rural Mississippi, focused on a family including a drug addict mother and father in prison. Central story of the book is a road trip to the prison for the father's release.  Pretty well-written and a good page turner.  The lyricism has resulted in some critics comparing it to "Beloved," but it's more restrained and not as excessive as Morrison (at least so far), and I prefer Ward's writing style.

 
I don't like to make back-to-back posts, but I also don't like see this thread fall as far as it has...  reading two books currently.

On the Kindle, I've got Jennifer Egan's Manhattan Beach.  Historical fiction set in NYC during WWII.  Protagonist takes up wartime work in the shipyard.  Seemed up my alley given the historical fiction bent, has a bit of a noir vibe, and it is from a Pulitzer Prize winning author.  About halfway through it.  It is interesting, but not grabbing me as much as I hoped.  (I'd certainly put "Sing, Unburied, Sing" above it as far as fall fiction releases go.)

On hardcover, I had pre-ordered Ron Chernow's Grant, and just got that last week.  Grant was up next in my quest to read all Presidential biographies in consecutive order, and it timed with the release of Chernow's book.  Although I've read Jean Edward Smith's excellent bio on him, I could not pass up the chance to read Chernow's take, as he's my favorite biographer going.  I do most of my reading on the Kindle these days, but felt the need for the hardcover for this one.  Up to Chernow's standards so far.

 
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flew through the latest from Bill James (the baseball guy). Called The Man From The Train.

Bill (and his daughter, who did much of the research) lay out a thesis about a fiendish serial killer from the early 20th century, roaming through America on the rails. They connect several instances of entire families killed by an axe murderer in the middle of the night in their homes. Their case is quite compelling.

However, the writing style is poor. Way too folksy and breezy, in contrast with the horror of the crimes.

 
oso diablo said:
flew through the latest from Bill James (the baseball guy). Called The Man From The Train.

Bill (and his daughter, who did much of the research) lay out a thesis about a fiendish serial killer from the early 20th century, roaming through America on the rails. They connect several instances of entire families killed by an axe murderer in the middle of the night in their homes. Their case is quite compelling.

However, the writing style is poor. Way too folksy and breezy, in contrast with the horror of the crimes.
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Bummer. I was looking forward to that one.

 
kupcho1 said:
Currently reading Seveneves by Neal Stephenson.  ~ 1/2 way through and it is a damn good read.
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I'm going to check this out. I really enjoyed Snow Crash.

I've reading V. now by Thomas Pynchon. I'm about half way through and keep contemplating giving up its so hard to follow, but I'm going to keeping pushing through.

 
finally re-cracked Absalom, Absalom for the first time since plowing through it 25 years ago. I"m about 5 pages, or 2 paragraphs, in.

 
jfranco77 said:
Just finished Underground Airlines by Ben Winters. I loved his Last Policeman series. It's a cool concept and the book is solid, left me wanting more, but definitely interesting. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017RQP41O/
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I posted about that book in this thread a while back. It devastated me. Not because of the plot or setting - both interesting - but by the voice of the narrator. Maybe it's due to my age, background, frame of mind at the time, or whatever (I have no idea of Ben Winter's background, either). It's been a long time since a novel hit me that hard. 

 
trogg78 said:
I'm going to check this out. I really enjoyed Snow Crash.

I've reading V. now by Thomas Pynchon. I'm about half way through and keep contemplating giving up its so hard to follow, but I'm going to keeping pushing through.
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I was SO glad when it was over.

 
igbomb said:
The third one is not out yet. Lynch has been dealing with some personal issues, including anxiety disorder, which has led to a lot of delays of the book. There still isn't a release date for the next one.
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Just finished this series, enjoyed it.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
What? You got some inside info? There are more books in the pipeline.
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Err, yah, finished the series so far*  Finished book 3 last night.  Looks like it's planned for 7?  I was so-so on 3 for a lot of it, but it ended really strong.  Wasn't a big fan of the quasi-Shakespeare story as much.  

 
facook said:
trogg78 said:
I'm going to check this out. I really enjoyed Snow Crash.

I've reading V. now by Thomas Pynchon. I'm about half way through and keep contemplating giving up its so hard to follow, but I'm going to keeping pushing through.
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I was SO glad when it was over.
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No one actually likes Pynchon, right?

 
finished Memories of Ice. It was good. It would be better if I could keep track of all the gods,warrens and history. Such awesome parts in the story but it's a chore to get through other stuff. Plus when important characters died I wasn't that upset. I don't know if I'll continue on. 

 
Currently reading Boys of Summer.  I like the book overall, but as someone in here mentioned (or maybe more than 1 someone), it is eye-rolling stupid how many times a character states or thinks, "This is like something in a movie or novel!"  Yeah, it is.

 
facook said:
Currently reading Boys of Summer.  I like the book overall, but as someone in here mentioned (or maybe more than 1 someone), it is eye-rolling stupid how many times a character states or thinks, "This is like something in a movie or novel!"  Yeah, it is.
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The book about the Brooklyn Dodgers?  I don't remember that aspect of that.  Or a different Boys of Summer?

 
Don Quixote said:
The book about the Brooklyn Dodgers?  I don't remember that aspect of that.  Or a different Boys of Summer?
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I think he's talking about a different book. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's a straight Stephen King homage (I believe one character even SAYS something like "it feels like we're in a Stephen King story"). I posted about this one after I read it.

@facook, is it the one about the kid who wakes from a coma after being hurt in a tornado?

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I think he's talking about a different book. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's a straight Stephen King homage (I believe one character even SAYS something like "it feels like we're in a Stephen King story"). I posted about this one after I read it.

@facook, is it the one about the kid who wakes from a coma after being hurt in a tornado?
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That makes sense.  As I re-read the post, the use of the word "character" probably should have given away that a novel.  

ETA: Although the tale of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers certainly does feel like something out of a movie.

 
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Uruk-Hai said:
I think he's talking about a different book. If it's the one I'm thinking of, it's a straight Stephen King homage (I believe one character even SAYS something like "it feels like we're in a Stephen King story"). I posted about this one after I read it.

@facook, is it the one about the kid who wakes from a coma after being hurt in a tornado?
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That's the one he's talking about.

I can't remember the ending.  Can someone remind me?

Was it about a guy writing the book?  Or the girl's fantasy about what happened?  I can't remember what the big twist was.
 
shuke said:
That's the one he's talking about.

I can't remember the ending.  Can someone remind me?

Was it about a guy writing the book?  Or the girl's fantasy about what happened?  I can't remember what the big twist was.
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I don't remember either. I DO remember being disappointed in the book, though. 

 
I'll let you know when I finish, which will be soon.  Yes, it's the tornado in Wichita Falls book.  

One kid gets the ability to write songs that haven't been produced yet, e.g. The Boys of Summer.  One gets the ability to pick businesses to invest in and becomes rich.  The boy who writes essentially pre-writes Misery by Stephen King before his step dad destroys it as a form of punishment.
It's a pretty cool premise really, but it's honestly not executed super great.  So far I'd probably say 2 1/2 stars.  It's decent enough to finish, but that's about it.

 
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shuke said:
That's the one he's talking about.

I can't remember the ending.  Can someone remind me?

Was it about a guy writing the book?  Or the girl's fantasy about what happened?  I can't remember what the big twist was.
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Yeah I think he said "This feels kinda like The Dead Zone by Stephen King."  :D

 
facook said:
I'll let you know when I finish, which will be soon.  Yes, it's the tornado in Wichita Falls book.  

One kid gets the ability to write songs that haven't been produced yet, e.g. The Boys of Summer.  One gets the ability to pick businesses to invest in and becomes rich.  The boy who writes essentially pre-writes Misery by Stephen King before his step dad destroys it as a form of punishment.
It's a pretty cool premise really, but it's honestlyexecuted super great.  So far I'd probably say 2 1/2 stars.  It's decent enough to finish, but that's about it.
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The premise sold me. The execution is what disappointed me. 

 
Brady Marino said:
Dark Tower series worth starting? Keep hearing mixed reviews on it. Some love it, some are meh on it.
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I am guessing that you will probably get about 90% saying that it's a great series.  I couldn't make it through more than a little bit into Book 3, and really didn't like it much at all (and mostly heard that the first 3 books were great and figured I wasn't going to like it any more as I went on).

 
Brady Marino said:
Dark Tower series worth starting? Keep hearing mixed reviews on it. Some love it, some are meh on it.
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For the most part, I am a big fan of King, but I just couldn't keep it going with the Dark Tower series. I finished the first two books and was underwhelmed but decided that I would give the third book a try. I got about half way through it and gave up.

 
To each his own but I can't believe some of you found The Drawing of the Three underwhelming. That's my favorite in the Dark Tower series.

 
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