It’s Literally A Free For All Wednesday: What Are You Reading?
Decatur Metro | February 27, 2013 | 10:20 amDave is stuck in Kansas City (a likely excuse!), so he suggested we put up a “What are you reading?” open thread, which I think is a great idea, since it seems that so many folks enjoy the end of year “Best Books” thread.
So, here you go….what are you reading? And/or what have you enjoyed reading lately?
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I picked up Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker FINALLY, after having it on my list for a long time, and I couldn’t believe how much I loved it. I’ll admit it’s not the most amazing writing ever, but it’s very plainly and simply one of the best stories I’ve ever read. I didn’t want it to end.
I’m reading retro today: Miss Buncle Married by D.E. Stevenson, sequel to her delightful Miss Buncle’s Book. Both were originally published in the 30s. They are funny without being the least bit dark or snarky, and thus a nice change of pace for me. English village comedy: sort of like Miss Marple without the dead bodies.
I’m reading…err…well, listening to (is that cheating? I have a long commute in my car!) John Dies at the End, by David Wong. It’s very trippy! I know they made it into a movie, which I haven’t seen yet, but they would have HAD to cut out huge sections to make it fit into a movie format. There’s just so much craziness, and it goes on, and on, and on! That’s my only complaint – it’s very long, and I still have no idea where it’s going!
Just started “Stay Awake,” a short story collection by Dan Chaon, one of my faves.
I’m about half way through “Do the Movies Have a Future?”, a collection of recent essays and reviews by film critic David Denby. I like Denby’s clear style. His “Great Books” was wonderful. The general argument he makes here is that the state of mainstream movies for adults is terrible. But it was published early last year, a year that turned out to be a fairly strong year for grown-up movies.
I’m reading Reamde by Neal Stephenson. For any other Stephenson fans out there, this one has the usual energetic nerdiness and educational explorations (hacking, firearms, MMOG gaming), but is much more of a modern thriller. In fact, it’s been picked up as a TV series.
How does it compare to Cryptonomicon (good story but containing way too many irrelevant details)?
Well, first off, I disagree that there are “irrelevant details” in Stephenson’s writing. I prefer to call them diversions or tangents – N.S. notices/imagines many interesting but obscure details, and edits very little. In Cryptonomicon and the Baroque Cycle, that’s part of the charm. He loves information as a subject area, how it flows and shapes, and his writing style is based on that.
Reamde is much more conventional and action-based than Cryptonomicon. Kind of disappointing for Stephenson, but still a quality read. Another departure for him is that it has about a dozen lead characters, many of them fully formed females from all over the planet.
It will probably be a hit TV show along the lines of 24 but with more complexity.
PS – Dawgfan, if you haven’t read The Baroque Cycle, I’d recommend that over Reamde. It’s a huge commitment, at about 2,500 pages, but it’s absolutely worth it.
I will file that away for a future date. I used to have much more time for those types of commitments (i.e. pre kids). I actually preferred the 1,000 page books to the 350 page ones as it allowed more time for character and plot development, artistic freedom, etc.. I still read those occasionally, but currently find myself looking for quicker reads.
And don’t get me wrong – I enjoyed Cryptnomicon, but I felt there were a few places that a little editing was in order. Parts of that book felt like “Cryptology for Dummies”.
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel novel – historical fiction-Thomas Cromwell’s perspective of life under Henry 8
Same here with Wolf Hall
An advance of the new Neil Gaiman book, “The Ocean At The End of The Lane”. Only have a little over a chapter left….don’t want it to end!
I am *extremely* jealous of you right now.
I am working my way through the mysteries of Julie Spencer-Fleming. They take place in a small town in the Adirondacks, feature a female Episcopal priest who is also a helicopter pilot on active National Guard duty, and lots of dead bodies. She is an awesome plotter.
I have made a good start on A Map of Lost Memories by Kim Fay. Takes place in Southeast Asia during the 20’s and 30’s. I must admit I dont like the characters very much and I may not stick with it. It’s not that they committed murder (that doesnt bother me). I just don’t like their personalities.
Love Julie Spencer-Fleming.
I’ll have to pick one of those up. Grew up in Corinth and Ft Edward, went to school in Glens Falls.
The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny–wonderful stories set in a small village outside Montreal although this on is set in a monastery outside Quebec. Great characters.
A Dance w Dragons (5th book of Game of Thrones). The plot lines in this series needs a graphical diagram to keep track. I’m sure there is some fan site out there that has done it.
Currently reading the latest Billy Boyle mystery (detective novels set during WW II). Coming off a Joe Lansdale bender — those Hap & Leonard books are like potato chips (thanks, FM Fats!).
Glad to hear of Miss Buncle, sounds like what I’m in the mood for next.
Waiting (and waiting and waiting and waiting) for several e-books at the library. Wish the library would send out an email informing people they can return an e-book immediately after uploading it to their device. (Also wish there was a way to search available e-book fiction in the library’s catalog without having to plow through the seemingly millions of Magic Treehouse books.)
The first Hap and Leonard, Savage Season, is reportedly is to become a film. And you know Lansdale wrote Bubba-Ho-Tep, right?
Wonder, by R.J. Palacio. Check it out–it’s a must read.
Just finished all of the Phryne Fisher mysteries by Kerry Greenwood. Austrailain flapper in the 1920s solves crimes, drinks fabulous cocktails and has a hilarious cast of helpers and hangers on. They were complete fluff and I loved them. Just started 11/22/63 by Stephen King for book club, but it sounds like Miss Buncle and Hap and Leonard are new additions to my list.
For more fun yet innocent fluff, try A RatherLovely Inheritance by C. A. Belmond- there are a few more books in that series as well.
RJ Smith’s The One, a biography of James Brown. One of the best music books I’ve ever read with amazing sketches of post-WW II Augusta and deep analysis of Brown’s late 60s and early 70s bands with whom he pretty much invented a new kind of music. I kept having to stop reading the book to play the songs being discussed.
Have you read Love Goes to Buildings on Fire by Will Hermes? It’s another killer music book, this time about the NYC scene in the mid 70’s. I believe Hermes created a Spotify playlist which makes it a bit easier to catch up on the stuff he mentions in the book. The JB book is high on my list and hope to get to it soon.
Recently finished The Starboard Sea and The Chaperone. Loved that Starboard was written by a local author (Amber Dermont), and the story was very good- though sometimes grating to read details of that world. The Chaperone was a better than I thought it would be tale of big change in women’s lives in the 20s and beyond. It defnitely got me thinking about what changes we as a society are currently living through, and big sea change coming…
Omnivore’s Dilemma. OMG reaction so far has swung from “might as well eat anything, it’s all poison.” to “I’m definitely planting the front yard in edibles” (It has the best sun.)
Dave’s not here.
What the hell? No, man, I am Dave, man.
I’m reading Virginia Woolf’s lesser-known novels. I finished Between the Acts (not impressed) and am nearly done with The Years (very impressed; lovely book). I also read a VW biography, which I hadn’t done before. A fascinating person and life.