Just finished The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, by Terry Pratchett. It is supposed to be a childrens book, but it is quite entertaining and funny. I am now starting Speaker for the Dead, by Orson Scott Card.
I found out about both authors on the SDMB and/or Unaboard.
Thank you, Lamar. I was beginning to lose faith!
I’m 2/3rds through The Fifth Head of Cerberus by Gene Wolfe. Reserving judgment until I see how he ties everything together in the 3rd story.
In re: Fast Food Nation: I can’t say I was exactly surprised at how much research goes into hooking kids in at an early age. I guess, though, that I didn’t realize that there are actual focus groups and studies that are done. They’re very methodical about getting and keeping customers, that’s for sure. What boggled my mind the most was the section about the Meatpackers. I read The Jungle, and was able to dismiss things as “the way it used to be, things have changed”. These stories were current, and disgusted me to the point that I (briefly) considered boycotting meat. (Then reality set in…)
In re: Confederacy of Dunces: I also read this because it came up in one of the other book threads. I ended up enjoying okay, but initially I was just COMPLETELY IRRITATED by Ignatius and his crap. By the end, though, it was just absurd, and I actually chuckled when he’d piss & moan about his “valve”. I expected more from the book. So I’m glad that I’m not the only one feeling a little disappointed.
For what it’s worth,
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” between chapters of Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
–CH
Hi Czech! I read Surely You’re Joking Mr. Feynman, not long ago and I’d be interested in hearing your assessment of Feynman after reading it. I’ll withhold mine until then. 
And I can’t let criticism of A Confederacy of Dunces pass me by without comment. It’s supposed to be irritating and exasperating! The whole thing is over the top. I will admit, though, that it’s one of those books that suffer from too much hype. When I first read it I was merely told it was ‘good,’ so I really didn’t have any precooked expectations. It’s better experienced as one of those books that sneak up on you. Oh, Dinsdale here’s a recommdation for you which contains a small shot of the Big Easy: Addie Pray by Joe David Brown. It’s one of my favorite books of all time. Very light. You can read it in a couple sittings.
I’m putting Fast Food Nation on my list. I think it’s been there before, but I forgot about it. And being vegetarian already, perhaps it won’t disgust me too much. I just hope Taco Bell doesn’t get skewered (ohpleaseohpleaseohplease)
Welcome to the boards, hannahw! There’s some of us who can’t let a book thread pass by without verbose comment. 
Sell it? Sell it? If I SOLD it, I wouldn’t be able to READ it. Not being able to go partying with Oyster Boy whenever I wanted to wouldn’t be WORTH a couple of hundred.
FWIW, I like KNOCKOUT ARTIST even more than FEAST OF SNAKES, even though most people consider the latter to be Crews’ finest moment.
Oh, and I got my copy at a book stall at a Bouchercon (the World Mystery Convention) two or three years ago. I couldn’t believe it, either.
Incidentally, Leiber’s THE BIG TIME is absolutely amazing. I’d forgotten what a terrific writer this guy is. I thought of him when I was replying to Gaudere’s “Recommend me a Sword-and-Sorcery Book” thread, and I noticed that this one was in print…it’s a time travel fantasy about two warring factions who blip back and forth over a billion-year continuum and do things like poison Churchill and kidnap Einstein as a baby, all to further their own global agendas in something called the Change Wars, where history is constantly altering itself as they monkey with world events. At the moment the book’s taking place, the South has won the Civil War and the Third Reich extends from St. Petersburg to Kansas City. The crew of heroes includes a Wilfrid Owen-ish British World War One poet-soldier, a Roman Centurion, a Mississippi riverboat gambler, a Cretean warrior woman, an Elizabethan actor who hung out with Shakespeare, and a Nazi commandant.
Once again, I am led to wonder if I’m the only Doper who reads pop fiction/mystery crap …
I just finished (a week or so ago) Word of Honor by Nelson Demille.
I just picked up The Hearing by John Lescroart.
Not currently reading anything, although I have a book called “The Hour of the Manatee” sitting there that I’ve read a little bit of and then set aside. I just finished a light mystery story called “If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him” that was kind of entertaining.
But I’m waiting…in the next day or so, Pratchet’s “The Unadulterated Cat” will show up at my door via UPS…Woo-hoo, can’t wait!
Just finished Good Omens - by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman – not sure how to classify it other than pre-apocalyptic humour & veddy British in places. It’s (probably) going in the Book Swap.
Am about 1/4 thru Carter Beats the Devil - Glen David Gold. I caught bits & pieces of it on Radio Reader (NPR program) . It traces the life of Charles carter, a magician at the turn of the century. It’s due back at the library on the 22nd - so I better get a move on!
Oh Jack!! See, I read crap, too!
The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. It’s the first book of the “His Dark Materials” trilogy which is a trilogy because there’s no such thing as a single Fantasy or Sci-Fi book anymore. It’s pretty cool.
Just finished Down by the river where the dead men go by George Pelecanos. Contemporary hard-boiled detective novel set in Washington DC, very enjoyable. When I went to pay for it in a city centre bookshop, the clerk looked at the cover and said “Pelecanos? I’m impressed!” which cheered me up. (Of course, he might do that with all his customers…“Tom Clancy? I’m impressed!” “Barbara Cartland? Wow!” etc ;))
Currently half-way through Correlli Barnett’s The Swordbearers about supreme command in the First World War. Although Barnett is a bit of a controversial author, I reckon his judgements are pretty sound. At the moment, he’s being sympathetic to Jellicoe for the way he handled his fleet in the battle of Jutland.
And just started Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong, coincidentally also about the First World War. So far it’s a love story set in 1910, though I suspect this might be “scene-setting”.
Jack Batty - I love mystery!
However, I discriminate by mostly reading female authors.
Uke - man, Oyster Boy would be a great username!
I think KO Artist ends about as pleasantly as anything I’ve read by Crews. I love it when Eugene says they’ve got nothing, and Jaques holds up his fists and says, “We’ve got these!” You expect them to hop in the truck and drive off a bridge.
When I posted 2 days ago, a 1st edition of The Gypsy’s Curse had just gone up on ebay starting at - $8. It is now up to $50 with 4 days to go. How high do you think it will go? I bet it cracks $350.
This was my third encounter with Feynman. The first was Six Easy Pieces & Six Not-So-Easy Pieces, which had its moments but was generally rather ho-hum.
My second Feynman experience was with the audio tape of his lectures on classical physics. Hearing Feynman lecture is so much different than reading his lectures. You begin to understand why he was so good at what he loved doing, i.e. explaining how things work.
So the third encounter was “Surely You’re Joking…”. My comments? Hmmm…
[ul]
[li]Feynman was obviously a whore.[/li][li]Damn him for being good at everything he tried.[/li][li]I admire him nonetheless.[/li][/ul]
– CH
I dare you…dare you…to read the opening chapter of Joe R. Lansdale’s Bad Chili (c. 1997) without cackling your whatzit off into tiny shards. I know, I never heard of him, either, but trust the Novel on this. It stays good after that, too: the dialogue is better’n most, his descriptive eye is razor-sharp and brutally real, and the plot moves faster than a barefoot gringo on the boardwalk in August. I’ve read some more of his work since, and although he’s a regional (east Texas, not my fav part of the world-or TX) writer, he appears to have both real talent and considerable reach, getting into several genres well, including detective and horror fiction. If you’re interested, check out his site.
I agree with you CzechHistory! I thoroughly enjoyed him until it became obvious how great he thought he was. I’ve just read the one book.
Right now I’m reading a book called ‘Cruddy’ by Lynda Barry-- you know, the woman who draws Ernie Pook’s Comeek that appears in lots of free weeklies.
It’s hideously creepy, absolutely thrilling, and obeys the first maxim of reading-- you want to know what happens next.
I’m also reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. I started it just yesterday.
And I’m 80% done with Good Omens.