I just finished Philip K. Dick's CONFESSIONS OF A CRAP ARTIST, one of his non-science fiction works, and got a lot out of it. Funny and disturbing -- evidently 1950s California was just as wacked out a place as futuristic California.
Next up -- maybe a re-read of THE PALE KING, or Pynchon's INHERENT VICE.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the heads up, Reg. I am enjoying Wolf Hall more the more I get into, but I find myself having to flip back to the character list a lot... there are quite a few people named Thomas!
I just finished the Hunger Games Trilogy, and I'm think of stepping out of my comfort zone and reading Drift by Rachel Maddow. I usually stick to light fiction, but her book seems fascinating and has gotten such good reviews that I think I'll give it a try.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
I just started The Lifeboat, by Charlotte Rogan, about the sinking of a transatlantic liner in 1914, and one woman who managed to to survive and is now on trial for murder - it flashes back to how events unfolded. Not something I would normally read, but it's actually quite good so far.
I saw Clint Hill on Piers Morgan a few weeks back, and am looking forward to reading his book too.
Beyoncé is not an ally. Actions speak louder than words, Mrs. Carter. #Dubai #$$$
I am reading some cheesy Rachel Gibson book. After the horrible books my book club has been choosing I need something entertaining and mindless. I also just downloaded a Jodi Picoult book I haven't read yet called Picture Perfect.
Been a while since I checked in on this thread. Life got a bit crazy and wasn't reading as much. I think i mentoned somewhere here that I re Night Circus, which I loved. Also read a short gay novel that was a nook free book called "If ir Ain't Love" by Tamara Allen. Am currently pushing through the book on Gower Champion, "Before the Parade Passes By".
I recently finished Roger Rosenblatt's KAYAK MORNING, wherein he continues to work through his daughter's sudden death. It started slow but was good by the end. Over MAKING TOAST was a smoother read.
I've been working through STUFF: COMPULSIVE HOARDING AND THE MEANING OF THINGS slowly, a chapter at a time. I don't hoard or specifically collect anything but I can relate to the person discussed who places a lot of value on what seems valueless to others - collections of one I guess.
Next up is STEALING REMBRANDTS: THE UNTOLD STORY OF NOTORIOUS ART HEISTS.
Why don't people read more non-fiction? I work part time in a library and the collection maintainers weed our history section to almost nothing on a regular basis thanks to low demand.
I finished "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern and enjoyed it a lot. Beautiful imagery.
Now I have two chapters or so left of "Fifty Shades of Grey". Not as bad as I was expecting but also didn't leave me wanting to hump something like everyone on faceboook claims lol.
Then moving onto "Marching the Dime" by Michael Connelly
BroadwayBoobs: I'll give all of you who weren't there a hint of who took the pictures ...it rhymes with shameless
"Now I have two chapters or so left of "Fifty Shades of Grey". Not as bad as I was expecting but also didn't leave me wanting to hump something like everyone on faceboook claims lol."
I just finished it yesterday and I really liked it. I thought it was beautifully written and I look forward to reading the other two. I'm taking a break before I start book 2 and I am reading Other Desert Cities
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
I just finished Drift by Rachel Maddow, and I strongly recommend it. It's not the typical kind of book I read, but I found it fascinating. I consider myself intelligent and well-informed, but I learned so much from this book. Though Maddow is an unapologetic liberal, this book is not a one-sided bashing of the far right. It takes a very detailed look at how our military has been transformed over the last two generations or so.
"It does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are 20 gods or no god. It neither picks my pocket, nor breaks my leg."
-- Thomas Jefferson
FINALLY finished Gower Champion-Before the Parade Passes By. Took me forever. The first half seemed a bit too detailed but it picked up in the second half. Interesting to read what went on the few days leading to hos death and the days after. Merrick was a jerk.
I am now reading "The Powder of Life" by Paul Miles Schneider (the "sequal" to The Silver Shoes)
Great thread! I recently finished 'A Confederacy of Dunces' which is just as funny as everyone says (though I do think it tends to lag in the last 1/3) and 'The White Tiger' which was a really impressive and darkly funny debut novel about the dark underside of modern Indian society. It won the author, Aravind Adiga, the Booker Prize - pretty impressive for a first time novelist. Speaking of the Booker Prize, I'm currently reading former Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst's latest novel, 'The Stranger's Child'. I'm about half way through. While, I'm entranced, I don't think there's any way this new book will equal his prior success in 'The Line of Beauty'.
I am almost done with In One Person by John Irving. It is an absolutely stunning novel with brilliant messages about acceptance and tolerance. Can not recommend it enough. Next on my list is Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (she also wrote Sharp Objects and Dark places which are both wonderful, suspenseful, and extremely dark books).
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
I'm actually about half way through Gone Girl--I've loved all of Flynn's work so far (even her TV critiques for Entertainment Weekly)_ but so far, this could be my favorite. (Amy Adams was recently cast in a movie of Dark Places, BTW)
I'd like to pick up the Irving--I wonder if any cheap copies are on the remainder table yet...
^ this makes me even more excited to read it! I am going to buy it today! And I would DEFINITELY check out Irving's latest. I have not read anything by him before, but I am going to check out some of his older stuff for sure!
"There’s nothing quite like the power and the passion of Broadway music. "
I recently finished a re-read of Dickens' OUR MUTUAL FRIEND, which has a completely brilliant beginning and middle but gets kind of soggy in the final chapters.
Now re-reading Pynchon's INHERENT VICE and enjoying it all over again. Great fun but with a definite sadness to it.
"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW
"Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick
My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/