Break a Leg

So, the Jenday VIII blog elicited responses from several people about their favorite authors and so on. I'm always looking for new stuff to read so I thought I'd open this up for more discussion. So, whatcha readin?

Last night I went to a Borders in the city where Jim Butcher was doing a book signing for his latest book Small Favor. Jim Butcher has two big things going right now: The Dresden Files (as seen on the Sci-Fi channel) and The Codex Alera series. His writing style in either series is completely different from the other, which I think is pretty impressive.
The Dresden Files are about a wizard private-eye living in modern day Chicago. It's got action, romance hilarity , and a horny 400-year-old air spirit named Bob that lives in a skull and desires nothing more than to go panty raiding.
The Codex Alera is set is a somewhat Fantasy-Spartan setting with some impressive mythical elements and intriguing character interactions. There was a Q&A before the signing and Butcher is just really a cool guy. He's also a gamer, so that's awesome. That's my pick of the week.

Anybody else?

I just finished reading Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake.

The thing that gets me about Atwood is her ability to suck her reader into the world of the narrator, which is always a very, very messed up world. I think a part of that comes from a surrender to how the character would think, rather than what would sound good, or how writing is "supposed" to be done. And those characters are no-holds barred and fully human (including heinous flaws). Which means that it is scary to read her novels about, say, girls who are going crazy (like the Edible Woman), because you're slowly going crazy right there with them.

Oryx and Crake is about one (the only) man's experience in a world after society has crossed certain scientific borders. Somewhat reminiscent of The Handmaid's Tale, but less feminist.

I highly recommend it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... again. This is my 6th time reading it; I'm obsessed.

But also reading The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, by Oliver Sacks. It's all about neurological disorders. I would go into more detail, but I'm much too lazy. Google it.

Other than text books, I just started "An Ordinary Man," the autobiography of Paul Rusesabagina. However, my roommate LOVES Janet Evanovich, and just finished "Plum Lucky," and has forced me to put down my very sad piece of non-fiction for a piece of fiction where the grandma roundhouses a man who thinks he's a leprechaun with her purse on the fifth page. So, I'm happy with it, at least.

Lately I haven't been able to find any novels that have held my interest, so I've been reading books on theories and scientificness and stuff. I guess that's kind of dorky, but they're interesting. And I'm actually learning stuff.
I'm currently reading Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas R Hofstadter and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.
Someone should suggest some books for me to read so I don't feel like a total loser.
Hahaha.

Hannah. Read The Dresden Files. Do it now. The beret commands you.

Hannah, I was in a nothing-can-hold-my-attention-(except-Break-a-Leg) mood for months, until a friend gave me A Thousand Splendid Suns.

The book, not actually a thousand suns...

A great book if you're into post-colonial literature (or just great literature in general); excellent female characters by a male author; devastating, beautiful story.

The beret commands that, too.

I'll sign off on that.

I'm reading Good Omens (again!) and The Wheel of Time (again!) I haven't had any luck finding anything new that holds my interest lately, so I'm on a re-reading kick.

If you're bored, Hannah, I'd recommend Night Watch. It's by Sergei Lukyanenko (yes, it's translated), and it's really really good. It's about witches and vampires in Moscow, with lots of philosophy and lots of action. Check it out, if you're into that sort of thing.

Finished Pynchon's Vineland and just started a collection of Damon Runyon's short stories. Plan on reading Night Watch 'cause the movie's the bomb.

Been reading this book on string theory (I wanted to feel smart) But I'm getting through it slowly (I'm not that smart). I'm eagerly awaiting the last Wheel of Time book and anything new by Neil Gaiman, I can't remember what the last book I read was, I think it was in the Ender's series. I need some new stuff, I unfortunately had to spend a car ride with Vlad, and he tried to peddle this "Night Watch" to me too, but I guess I don't have anything else to read, so maaaaybe.

I'm almost finished with Anne Rice's Christ the Lord: Road to Cana. I didn't think I'd like the books, thought they would be too religous but Rice has a way of humanizing anyone. Even Jesus. Also reading A Room With a View, by Forester. A classic. And the one before that was a Koontz, Tick Tock. Check out:
The Man in my Basement-Walter Mosely
The Autobiography of God-Julius Lester
To Say Nothing of the Dog-Connie Willis
The Plot to Save Socrates-Paul Levinson
The last two are for those who love time travel.

It's true, Dashiell and I got stuck in a car together. I spent the whole drive summarizing the plot of Night Watch -- in Russian. I don't know if Dashiell really understood what I was saying, but I thought that we really connected on a spiritual level.

Also, not to give too much away, but we were in a car together because we were driving to scout what turned out to be an insanely cool location for the next episode. Things aren't quite worked out yet, so I don't wanna give too much away, but let's just say that we spent about an hour wandering around with our jaws somewhere around our ankles (Dashiell in particular, because his got stretched out eating the biggest sandwich I've ever seen in my life)

Duane, the movie was awesome, but I thought the book was even better -- lots of action still, but also a lot of philosophy and character development.

Sweet Jesus I love books.
I think it's a true testament to BaL fans that our brains are driven to conversation by a topic about books and, in Dashiell's case, smart books.

Douglas Adams is definitely one of my favorite authors of all time. If you haven't read The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy series and only watched the movie then I weep for your mortally damned soul. They are mind-alteringly awesome.

Also, Tad Williams is one of my favorite authors if you're into fantasy stuff. But his books are unspeakably long.

If you're not up for an 800 page read, I recommend <u>A Friend For Dragon</u> by Dav Pilkey. Yes, he also wrote Captain Underpants. No, I was not a fan.

I realized I went through the entire post without mentioning what I'm actually currently reading.

I have an incredibly hard time reading just one book at a time but I am currently (re)reading Timeline by Michael Crichton and have just started The Collected Works of Arthur Conan Doyle (what can I say, I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan).

I also want to buy A Clockwork Orange. Has anyone read it? I've only heard good things from the people who have.

"A Passage to India," "The French Lieutenant's Woman," and Strugtskie's "Ulitka na Sklone-1: Bespokojstvo"

I've recently heard that A Clockwork Orange was originally published with the final chapter of the manuscript missing and that that has only recently been rectified, so you might want to keep that in mind when you pick up a copy. That said, yeah, all of Burgess is pretty much a good read.

Ooh thanks for the update, I'll check that out.

I'm dying for some good recommendations, people, especially in the fiction/fantasy-esque genre so St. Anna would love any and all suggestions.

Douglas Adams is a god, man was a work of pure comedic genius.

And yeah, That was one gigantic Sandwhich, if anyone is ever in Sebastapool and stops by "the Farmhouse" be wary of ordering the Long John. It's just... it's just an entire loaf of french bread and about I think 13000 burgers. Needless to say I wasn't satisfied and had to go get some sushi afterward.

Mmmmm, Douglas Adams.

Anywho, I just started my first Kurt Vonnegut book, Cat's Cradle, and it is phenomenal.

Finally got a chance to stop by the boards...

I'm reading Club Dumas -- it's about a guy who works as a purveyor of rare books. People hire him, and he finds them. It's sort of a murder mystery that centers around a Satanic cult, Alexander Dumas' books (he's one of my favorite writers), and the lead character's attempt to tracking down three books. It's a lot of fun, very literary, very well-written. I'm enjoying it a lot.

I'm also reading Nightwatch, and by reading it, I mean Vlad mentions that I should be reading it every time he sees me, so I feel like I've pretty much read it by now.

I keep meaning to read Kurt Vonnegut -- everyone tells me I'd like him. For anyone who loves them a swashbuckling historical fiction novel, Three Musketeers or Count of Monte Cristo are two of my favorite books. I love them to death and recommend them to all -- just get the translation by Penguin books, they do translations better than anyone.

i read Count of Monte Cristo in high school and loved it. it was one of the few books i really enjoyed reading for school.

Kurt Vonnegut's really amazing.

Right now I'm in the middle of about two books and a few graphic novels because school decided to kill my ass with homework.

American Brutus: John Wilkes Booth & The Lincoln Conspiracies by I-forget-his-name but very interesting nonetheless.
Order of the Odd Fish (again I don't remember who). I just started it and I picked it up at NYComicCon this weekend. It's a regular book. But it is supposedly "weird" and it was free since it doesn't come out until August. What could be better!

Yuri, do it. Read some Kurt Vonnegut now.

He's like a more serious, cynical Douglas Adams.

I can't believe I went so long without reading some of his work.

Hey Yuri, what's been keeping you away?

In case anyone is into enlightenment, I recommend Eckhart Tolle's The New Earth. Now, I know that Oprah recommended him too, but who would you rather listen to? A Canadian, or a billionaire?

Just saying.

Writing like four simultaneously scripts has made it a little harder to keep up with all the conversation. Plus, shooting the next episode and all the groupies (so MANY groupies) have kept me occupied.

I actually read everything Oprah recommends. I try to live my life like hers, which is why I randomely give out cars to people I've never met before.

Yeah, you know. Cars, or babies.

Oprah gives out babies?! Did I miss that episode? (I'd like to tell you that I accidentally wrote "piesode" at first, which made me want to not only eat pie but make an episode about it. Just saying.)

I'd so take Oprah's baby, if only just to eat it. Then I could say, you know what I did last night? I ate Oprah's baby. I'm just saying, who else could say that?

www.weallateoprahsbabies.com

Ladies, gentlemen, you are looking at (text written by) the luckiest literature lover of all time. Three words will capture it all:

used. book. sale.

Also known as two giant bagfulls later.

I'll let you know if any of it is any good. One book I picked up is a Shel Silverstein book, an author adored by all my friends who grew up speaking English. That'll be neat to check out (like reading my first Dr. Seuss book in grade 11.)

Also, Richard Bach's Illusions, the tale of a reluctant messiah.

Last book I read was The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Good 'ol fashioned post-modern writing...despite the fact that it's written by an older fellow. Good book, though.

I started Crime and Punishment...but then I had to return it to the library. Damned waiting lists.

Anyhow, anyone here read Lush Life? I heard that was great...but I can't seem to find it.

Yuri, no Vonnegut yet? Shame... but then, I've never seen Hook.

I'm reading Peter F Hamilton's Pandora's Star. Lots o' apostrophes there.

I have found a decent reason to have a Facebook account, and that's for the Visual Bookshelf. I recommend you check it out, it has a decent recommendation engine similar to Netflix's.

"Dracula" and a biography of Andre Breton called "Revolution of the Mind."

I'm currently reading Montaigne's 'Essays'. It's an introspective analysis on the nature of a man's life, written in 1572.

Don't read it with the expectation of Montaigne confessing murders or anything. He's not murdered anyone so far and I'm half way through! It's certainly no crime thriller. Nor any kind of thriller whatsoever. It is fairly interesting though, especially if you appreciate reading introspective, historic philosophy in the early hours of the morning.

Alright, so I just finished reading "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey, you know the one that was all controversial because it's a drug addict's confessions and not all of it ends up being real? (Oprah had a fit. ...Why am I reading so many Oprah books?)

In any event, I'd like to quote a line for you! Read on, lusty gentlemen, read on:

"I'm Jack the man-hammer."

...what?

Reread.

"I'm Jack the man-hammer."

OMG.

OMG!!! MANHAMMAH!!!!

Those of you interested in verifying, that was page 183. Sorry, I never like to let a source go unreferenced.

"Yuri, no Vonnegut yet? Shame... but then, I've never seen Hook."

YOU'VE NEVER SEEN HOOK?!? That is a shame. A major shame.

Also, I just started "Rip it Up and Start Again" by Simon Reynolds. It's about the post-punk movement and it's really well written and really interesting. hooray!

Finished "Dracula." Been working my way through a selection of Montaigne's "Essays" as well. Started reading Tolstoy's "Happy Ever After" (or "Family Happiness" in some translations).

That sounds almost too smart.

You're making us feel inadequate.

Just because I spent all this week reading the V for Vendetta original comic doesn't make me less of a person!

Currently reading "Judas Unchained" by Peter F Hamilton, and also "Dark Victory", a Batman graphic novel by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.

Nice, I just recently finished the Dark Knight Returns, damn good stuff. I wasn't too keen on the artwork, some of it is really cool, just the way it shows the characters, it's all very memorable, but it's my same complaint with the Sandman artwork, it's just kinda sloppy looking, maybe it's a style choice, but it's not really working for me. I dig the sketchy style, but the characters often just look ugly.

*shrugs*

Even so, Frank Miller does some damn good writing, the stories are great.

i'm finally finishing up the hitchhicker's trilogy (harhar) and then i'm going to read some vonnegut. apparently i am a few years behind everyone when i tell them this.

I'm finally on the last book of The Dark Tower series by Stephen King (despite admonitions not to bother). It's been interesting, but at this point I just want to see how it ends.

Finished reading Tolstoy's "Happy Ever After" and "The Death of Ivan Ilyich," and started "The Cossacks." Also, cracked open "The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony."

I've recently been reading a lot of classics too!! Personal fav would have to be The Count of Monte Cristo. I prefer Dumas's (pere) style more than Tolstoy's, but that isn't to say that the latter lacks in storytelling magnificence.

JUST started reading The Black Tulip by Dumas and Notre-Dame de Paris by Hugo.

I should really stick to reading one book then move onto the next. It made it slightly confusing with Anna Karenina and The Count of Monte Cristo :(

Oh!! I hear there's The Countess of Monte Cristo and The Son of Monte Cristo... anyone read them??

I have not heard of these sequels, but I've read Monte Cristo and 3 Musketeers, which (no matter how much Oliver Platt is my god) is far better than any of the movies.

I finally finished The Dark Tower Series. It occupied me for 7 books. And there were some interesting bits. That's about it.

Just picked up Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman. I hear the good things about this.

OH! For those of you that don't read online comics: start. Here's a list of things that will brighten your world...
www.pvponline.com
www.giantitp.com
www.girlgeniusonline.com
www.lfgcomic.com

If you're not a gamer, you might not get some of the jokes, but the art and the wit is still awesome.

Halfway through "The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s" and started re-reading Pynchon's "Mason & Dixon," his funniest book.

I have to read Socrates' Cafe for English next year.
Anyone read it? Verdict?

Right now I'm reading The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. It's Part II in the Mistborn series. It's fantasy with a twist on the mechanics of magic where certain people with the right genetic traits can manipulate bits of the world through the use of various metals. It also has a good deal of intrigue laced in.

I'm reading "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole. I've heard that it's really funny, so I had really high hopes. It's not quite as good as I expected, but I am enjoying it a lot, and it is really well written. It gets the Kevin stamp of approval.