The last two books I read were for school: Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Erik Larson’s The Devil in the White City. I enjoyed both of them.
Outside of school, I’ve been slowly re-reading Paul Creswick’s Robin Hood. I have a big research project due this time next month, so I probably won’t get to finish it until mid-December. I like it as much this time as I did the first time.
I hope to get several new books for Christmas, and I plan to see how many of them I can finish before the next semester starts (mid-January).
Just finished “Portugese Irregular Verbs” by Alexander McCall Smith. Amusing short stories about a brilliant but rather naive German etymol0gist.
Current bathroom book is “Wild Ducks Flying Backwards”, a collection of short writings by Tom Robbins. Having not read his books for years, I am discovering that I’ve lost my taste for his writing. It’s a bit too precious for me now.
I’m about a third of the way into “A Stolen Tongue” by Sheri Holman. Well-written historical fiction, but I am losing interest in the story. I may put it down and try it again in the future when I am in a different frame of mind. I think I need something a little more light-hearted just now.
Ordeal by Innocence by Agatha Christie… I am working through all her novels, in alphabetical order. This one has an interesting schtick, so far as I can see, halfway through the book: absolutely everyone has motive and opportunity, and there is simply no way of reconstructing everyone’s movements at the time of the murder. To figure out whodunit, one has to turn to psychology. Given the motive and opportunity, which one of the suspects would have actually committed murder?
It’s an interesting experiment for Christie, who so often makes Poirot claim to solve cases by examining “the psychology.” It’s fortunate that Christie’s characters tend to be simple, too–I don’t think Poirot would achieve much in the real world. And I definitely haven’t the foggiest clue whodunit. I usually do.
Also struggling through Paolini’s Boreragon. I will finish that book if only to get my money’s worth on purchasing it. But it really sucks. I can barely keep myself awake page to page.
The Sun Also Rises. I’m back on my Modern Library list thing, but I decided I was going to read something I wanted to read instead of what it told me to read. My girlfriend had been talking about Hemingway recently, so that’s what I chose. It’s a short one, so I’ll probably pick up A Farewell to Arms next.
Good for both of you reading Stranger in a Strange Land. I think that book may have actually made me mature as a person.
I’ve actually just finished Job: A Comedy of Justice (about a Christian preacher who keeps being frustratingly transported to different realities for some reason unknown to him) by Heinlein, and though not nearly as significant or powerful, it was a good read. I do think it could’ve been shorter and had the same effect, but the journey was never what I’d call dull.
I just started The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess. Previous to this I’ve only read A Clockwork Orange by him, which I thought was pretty clever. This one’s about some future time when the world is overpopulated to the point that homosexuality is encouraged, cannibalism takes place, and parenthood is a rare and revokable privilege. I’m only about two chapters into it, and so far I’m finding it simultaneously rather wordy and bare. I’ll finish it if only because it’s short, but I have a feeling I won’t be moved.
I tried Lisey’s Story twice and have dumped it again, probably for good. It’ll go on the shelf next to the final Dark Tower book and Black House, to be read when there’s nothing else in the house.
Falling Angels by Barbara Gowdy was on top of the pile next to my bed. I’m enjoying it – three sisters in a dysfunctional family.
A Piece of Cake, by Cupcake Brown. A successful attorney recounts her life as a chickenhead, crackhead, gang-banger, con artist, thief, etc. Redemption ensues.
The Confession, by James McGreevey. The former governor of NJ recounts his fall from grace. Penis ensues. I wish he would go into a little more detail about his tawdry truck stop assignations.
I’m reading “The Anansi Boys” by Neil Gaiman. If you’ve read Neil Gaiman, you know how hard it is to say what it’s about. It’s about families, and gods, and archetypes, and the duality of the universe, and karaoke. I guess you’d say it’s about life.
I just finished an anthology of stories from Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, dated from 1980-1986; I enjoyed reading the short stories and most of them were fairly decent. Wish I could find some more anthologies like this one, which I got from the local library’s used bookstore.
I’ve also got a Martha Grimes book that I’ve just started: The Deer Leap, I think, is it’s name, as well as another Grimes book that contains two novellas. This is my first foray into Grimes’ works - and the novellas book just hasn’t caught my attention, unfortunately. I was under the impression (erroneous?) that she is a mystery/suspense writer, but the novellas book stories do not appear to be that genre at all. They’re more character-studies, like The Accidental Tourist; interesting, but not really what I enjoy reading.
I’ve also got a couple of Star Trek and Star Wars books; all of these books have come from the local library used bookstore, btw. Some I picked from reading the blurb on the back; others I had heard about and happened to find. I don’t always pick up the books that are right for me, though!
I’d recommend starting the Richard Jury books by Grimes in order. The Man with the Load of Mischief is the first one. The books are what I would consider “cozy” mysteries. I’m not familiar with a book of novellas.
Work has finally slowed down enough that I can really get caught up on my reading.
Right now I’m woking on Cell and Lisey’s Story by King. (LS appears very interesting so far, not sure what the complaint is seen earlier). Also, Gangsters and Goodfellas by Hill. (The subject of Wiseguy by Pileggi and the main character in the movie Goodfellas.
Tonight I’m ordering Newhart’s autobiography and the Steve Doocy book Mr & Mrs Happy sonething-or-other.
I’m catching up on a couple of oldies: Snowcrash, Neal Stephenson Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Also reading some graphic novels, published in trade paper: Black Orchid, Neil Gaiman
**Sandman **(Preludes and Nocturnes), Neil Gaiman Y: The Last Man
Prisoner of Trebekistan : a decade in Jeopardy! by Bob Harris. This book started out strong and weakened somewhat towards the end, but was still quite good. I remembered seeing this guy on the show. I especially enjoyed the parts where he described some of his memory tricks, and so did my teenage daughter.
A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny. Recommended by someone here whose name has slipped my mind, but they ought to stand up and take a bow. This was very engrossing; in fact I think I read it all at one sitting. I never gave Zelazny much heed because I don’t care for sci-fi as a rule, but now I’ll probably go back and have another look at what else he’s written.
Current read:
The life and times of the thunderbolt kid : a memoir by Bill Bryson. I know there isn’t much need to plug a Bryson book around here, since there are so many fans already, but just in case: Get this book. Read it now. Go, go, go! This is a very funny book about his childhood in the fifties. The writing reminds me a lot of Dave Barry, and gosh darn it, the fifties were just adorable. I’ll be sorry to finish this one.
Audiobook:
The magicians of Caprona, by Diana Wynne Jones. Book three of the Chrestomanci Chronicles. The first two books in this series were pretty good, but this one’s getting off to a slow start. For one thing, the characters all have such stereotypically Italian names, I can hardly tell them apart at this point. Also, too much description too early for a children’s book. A little more plot at the beginning would have improved things. I’m just nitpicking, though. I’m sure I’ll be all wrapped up in this tale in a day or two.
My girlfriend had been talking about Hemingway recently, so that’s what I chose. It’s a short one, so I’ll probably pick up A Farewell to Arms next.