I read that recently and also liked it. (Did I comment in last month’s thread? I don’t recall.) I thought it was way more nuanced and less of a hatchet-job than I’d kind of expected.
Ditched. New car audiobook: Fragile Things, a short story collection by Neil Gaiman. Far better already, and I see this collection has The Problem of Susan, which I’ll be interested to hear (although I don’t agree there was a problem). 
I gave up on this series because of too many SAT words.
I started reading **The Night The Bear ATe Goombaw" **by Pat McGinnis.
The first chapter is AWESOME sequences and I couldn’t put the book down.
I’ve never heard of McGinnis and now in total booklust for his work. Someone tell me this is either the BEST of his works or it only GETS better.
I’ve been slacking on reading anything lately. I started *Dune *(already read that one twice though) and never finished it. I started one of Bukowski’s anthologies and read 5 or ten pages at a time when I’m taking a dump … I mean my evening constitutional.
Recently, however, I picked up World War Z. I’m really not much of a sci-fi fan and while I do enjoy an occasional Shaun of the Dead or Night of the Living Dead type movie, I’m really not much of a zombie guy. But I’m really enjoying this book so far.
There are a lot of World War Z fans here on the Dope. One of these days I’m gonna read it, too.
The Siege of Mecca. Remarkable, the whole Kingdom darn near went down the tubes because of a bunch of random events.
I just finished “The Given Day” by Dennis Lehane. I thought it was fantastic. It (mostly) takes place in Boston during and just after WW1, against the backdrop of the May Day riots. It’s an engrossing story with deeply drawn characters, and involves many social issues (racism; anti-capitalism; labor.) Lehane includes many historical figures (and uses Babe Ruth as a sort of touchstone for the era.)
I don’t know much of the history of the May Day riots but I’m interested in reading up on it now.
I’m about halfway through The Comedy Writer by Peter Farrelly (recommended by a Doper). It’s not my usual kind of book but I’m really enjoying it. It’s about a guy in his 30’s who moves from Boston to LA to become a screenwriter. He meets some weird people and gets involved with a suicide.
I just finished The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, and adored it. I wanted it never to end. I’m very hopeful of The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, which I want to read before seeing the movie.
Moving on, I seem to be stuck in the New York of the past, and am now reading Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence. I saw the movie when it came out, so I have some vague memories of the storyline, but I’m really enjoying all the lovely, clearly written subterfuge, misdirection and manipulation. People are such rats. 
Not counting anything I’m re-reading or have been distracted from for some time, I’m currently flipping among:
[ul]
[li]The Adventures of Sally, P.G. Wodehouse[/li][li]Neuromancer, William Gibson[/li][li]The Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Michael Chabon[/li][/ul]
Try The Human Stain. *The Plot Against America *was okay, but I liked *Stain *much better. Or you could go for the one he actually, y’know, won a Pulitzer for (American Pastoral).
I’m in the middle of that right now. I’m having a lot of fun watching the OMGWE’REALLGONNADIEFLU news and then reading a few pages.
I don’t know if I saw last month’s thread or not, now that I’m trying to remember!
I read an interview with Sittenfeld that was very interesting. Apparently, she’s a great admirer of Laura Bush, while at the same time a despiser of George Bush. The novel was basically an attempt to reconcile these two feelings…and explain how Laura can stand being married to George! I thought she actually pulled that off rather admirably.
I adore Edith Wharton. If you want to read another of her novels, look for The Custom of the Country, which is my fave of hers.
Heh.
Actually, now that you mention it – my academic background is in religion (comparative religion, sociology of religion), so that may have had just a teeny bit to do with my enjoyment of it. Oops.
OTOH – I gave my copy to a former underling who had zero background/interest in religion, and he really dug it too – go figure.
Now I’ve moved on to Mudville. For those keeping score.
Schweet!
Another doper turned me onto the series, so I am passing on the goodness.
Am re-reading my Sookie Stackhouse books to be all up-to-date to read the ninth one that I got in the mail yesterday. Wonderful fluffy stuff, those books are. Just the thing to relax with after trying to herd teenagers who are antsy for school to be out.
I thought The Yiddish Policemen’s Union wasn’t quite as good as Kavalier & Clay, which I also adored, but it was still very good. I’m looking forward to the movie.
My copy of Silver Pigs arrived yesterday, so here’s another turned on to Falco Doper. I’m a bit discouraged by negative comments in the other thread but that’s usually the case with series books – the early ones are often the best.
Recent reads:
Ghost Radio – horror/supernatural novel about a radio host of a late night call-in talk show, guests call in with stories of the supernatural … and then the host himself starts having creepy experiences. I found out later that the author (Leopoldo Gout) is a graphic novelist, and I think this book would have made more sense in graphic form. I was kind of meh on it overall.
The Forest of Hands and Teeth – by Carrie Ryan. YA novel about a teenage girl living in a small village in world beset by zombies. In between zombie attacks, she has a very dramatic time dealing with two teenage boys who are in luuuurve with her. If you’re a fan of YA horror/romance fiction, this was quite satisfying.
I’m now reading Daniel Pinkwater’s Neddiad– I’ve only just started it, but so far it is about a kid in 1950s Hollywood trying to save the world.
I agree that for Roth, either The Human Stain or American Pastoral would better display his awesomeness.