the books we read

Jeff Murray · Sep 24, 2012, 07:15 PM

Just started John Connolly's The Killing Kind... taking me a while to get this one started... although his books usually are slow starters and then run downhill from there.

weeniebeenie · Oct 01, 2012, 06:14 AM

Just started J K Rowlings new book The
Casual Vacancy. Really like it so far.

exist10z · Oct 01, 2012, 03:19 PM

Finished Vonnegut's Deadeye Dick, not one of my favorites of his, but even mediocre Vonnegut is pretty good.

Reading Money by Martin Amis, love it so far, amazing prose, story shaping up to be interesting as well.

Interested to hear from anyone reading the new Chabon, I may have to move that up the queue.

pawpaw · Oct 01, 2012, 05:47 PM

Quote from: exist10z on Oct 01, 2012, 03:19 PM
Interested to hear from anyone reading the new Chabon, I may have to move that up the queue.

It's really, really good. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and it absolutely has its hooks in me. Great characters, and just a perfect use and knowledge of the setting. Brilliant writing. If you like Chabon, I'd highly recommend it - it's one of his best.

I'm probably a little biased because I know and love that part of the East Bay really well, but still...it's great. Socialists would love it.

exist10z · Oct 01, 2012, 06:03 PM

Quote from: bbill on Oct 01, 2012, 05:47 PM
Quote from: exist10z on Oct 01, 2012, 03:19 PM
Interested to hear from anyone reading the new Chabon, I may have to move that up the queue.

It's really, really good. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and it absolutely has its hooks in me. Great characters, and just a perfect use and knowledge of the setting. Brilliant writing. If you like Chabon, I'd highly recommend it - it's one of his best.

I'm probably a little biased because I know and love that part of the East Bay really well, but still...it's great. Socialists would love it.

Oh, well if socialist would love it, then I'm in!

I love the East Bay area too, and while he didn't make me love Pittsburg (as a Baltimore guy), he did soften my stance on the place. Sure he will only deepen my affection for the Bay Area.

Let me know how it finishes up...

lucylew · Oct 01, 2012, 10:20 PM

Reading Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace. His writing style is interesting...

weeniebeenie · Oct 02, 2012, 04:44 AM

Quote from: lucylew on Oct 01, 2012, 10:20 PM
Reading Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace. His writing style is interesting...

I really want to read this.

Jeff Murray · Oct 06, 2012, 01:20 PM

Finished John Connolly's "The Killing Kind"... it was okay, not my favorite of his Charlie Parker series so far.

Starting Ace Atkins' "Dark End of the Street". I like his first two books of this Nick Travers series, he ties in a mystery and a piece of music history in this series. In this book he is tying in Southern Soul music and I'm liking the references so far.

pawpaw · Oct 15, 2012, 01:45 PM

Quote from: exist10z on Oct 01, 2012, 06:03 PM
Quote from: bbill on Oct 01, 2012, 05:47 PM
Quote from: exist10z on Oct 01, 2012, 03:19 PM
Interested to hear from anyone reading the new Chabon, I may have to move that up the queue.

It's really, really good. I'm about 2/3 of the way through and it absolutely has its hooks in me. Great characters, and just a perfect use and knowledge of the setting. Brilliant writing. If you like Chabon, I'd highly recommend it - it's one of his best.

I'm probably a little biased because I know and love that part of the East Bay really well, but still...it's great. Socialists would love it.

Oh, well if socialist would love it, then I'm in!

I love the East Bay area too, and while he didn't make me love Pittsburg (as a Baltimore guy), he did soften my stance on the place. Sure he will only deepen my affection for the Bay Area.

Let me know how it finishes up...

I finished it a week or so ago. If you plan on reading it, I won't get into it too much other than to say that I thought the ending was a little too forced and tidy. But, I still think it's a really good book, and would highly recommend it.

Also, check this out:

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2012/10/15/telegraph_avenue_records_listen_to_every_song_and_album_from_michael_chabon.html

It's a playlist of the music referred to throughout the book. Some really good stuff on there.

exist10z · Oct 15, 2012, 02:16 PM

Thanks bbill, I will check out that playlist and the book is in my queue. Just have to finish up Money by Martin Amis, which is excellent by the way.

Jeff Murray · Oct 26, 2012, 02:57 PM

Just finished George Pelecano's "Shoedog"... not a bad read, but his first series with the Nick Stefanos character was much better and deeper...

Just started Paul Cleaves "The Laughterhouse". I like his earlier works, all seem to tie in together. The only thing that bothers me is that I can't get his first two books in the US until later this year and into next year. I hate reading books out of order, especially when there are tie ins down the road. But I highly recommend his book Blood Men, great book on it's own.

smhoffmann02 · Oct 26, 2012, 04:02 PM

Unfortunately, I don't read nearly as much as I'd like to. But, I am on the hunt for a good read and am considering Life of Pi. Is this a winner?

vespachick · Oct 26, 2012, 04:04 PM

I found Live of Pi to be a snooze-fest.

vespachick · Oct 26, 2012, 04:07 PM

I'm currently reading "Reamde" by Neal Stephenson, which was a hand-me-down from my husband. He reads a lot of fantasy and sci stuff, and usually I don't care for his books. This one, however, is pretty good. It'll prob take me forever to finish it though bc it is apx 1k pages, and I usually fall asleep after 2-3 pages because I'm old and constantantly tired.

jaye · Oct 26, 2012, 04:21 PM

Quote from: smhoffmann02 on Oct 26, 2012, 04:02 PM
Unfortunately, I don't read nearly as much as I'd like to. But, I am on the hunt for a good read and am considering Life of Pi. Is this a winner?

I liked it! I think I listened to the audiobook though so that might make a difference. My two favorite books of the past year - The Book Thief and Cutting for Stone.

Jeff Murray · Jan 13, 2013, 01:36 PM

Starting Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl... heard good things so I'm looking to dive right in.

LeanneP · Jan 13, 2013, 02:09 PM

I thought "The Silver Linings Playbook" was great. It's a super quick read and is very well written.

Also, most men won't be the least bit interested, but I enjoyed the first two All Souls Trilogy books by Deborah Harkness: A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night. I have a soft spot for books with characters who are academics.

MarkW · Jan 15, 2013, 01:01 PM

Finished Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel last night, which is about Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII. It deserves all the plaudits and prizes it's won, but is quite fact heavy.

Now reading Driving Jarvis Ham by Jimbob (ex of Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine), which is about an objectionable entertainment-industry wannabe.

tdb810 · Jan 15, 2013, 01:24 PM

Anna Karenina. Almost to page 1000, and never want it to end!

pawpaw · Jan 15, 2013, 06:48 PM

Quote from: tdb810 on Jan 15, 2013, 01:24 PM
Anna Karenina. Almost to page 1000, and never want it to end!

It's one of my favorite books.

I had some time off and got to read a few good books over the holidays:

A Scanner Darkly - Philip K Dick
Farther Away - Jonathan Franzen

I also read Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch by Henry Miller. There were parts that were outstanding, really inspiring stuff, but I felt like I was wading through a lot to find them. I really wanted to like it, but it was just ok for me.