Post-Lupin
Prolific Poster 
Immanentizing the Eschaton
Posts: 5,673 
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Post by Post-Lupin on Nov 14, 2013 14:15:58 GMT -5
Lupin, grow a pair and read Infinite Jest. That was also on my Top Five list. It's as good as people say it is, and that's saying a lot. My pair are just fine, thanks. I'll be blunt - I thought it was pretentious boring shite. And my tolerance for big books is such that I've read the entirety of Neal Stephenson's output, more than once. |
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Post by Dr. Dastardly on Nov 14, 2013 14:43:21 GMT -5
This is why I'm surprised Jest didn't work for you, Lupin: your pair IS fine. (I checked myself, last night while you were sleeping. THE POST IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE) Given what I know of your reading taste, you don't seem the type to be intimidated by lengthiness or pretentiousness. (I can't really argue with you about the pretentiousness...it sortof does scream "I AM A BIG DEAL" all the time.) I feel like if I could just shake you really hard and force you to read it, you'd totally thank me later. It seems like a book you ought to like! I mean, you know Stephenson totally loved that shit, right?
"But," you say, "Since Stephenson is just Wallace but a little less pretentious, what if I just stick with Stephenson and you stick Wallace up your ass?"
and I'd be like "BUT THIS ONE HAS TENNIS"
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Post by haysoos on Nov 14, 2013 16:16:18 GMT -5
I've tried to read Infinite Jest about four times now, but end up wandering away to something else after reading about 30 pages.
Not sure why, it just seems to activate that same nerve cluster as looming deadlines or studying for finals that makes you suddenly hyper-aware that there's a loose thread on your sleeve, so the only solution is to knit a new sweater right fucking now.
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Post by guacamole on Nov 14, 2013 16:19:22 GMT -5
Guacamole, I'd be interested in hearing about the syllabus for your ethnic literature course! I second this, guacamole . Unfortunately, I have to work from one textbook due to the situation of the students (they're inner city high school students taking early college credit classes, so basically the Little Lebowski Urban Achievers and proud we are of all of them), so I'm unable to assign materials outside of the book. That limits me primarily to stories, poems, and the occasional play. Instead of breaking things down along lines of ethnic groups, the units focus on themes, so we've had family, home, heritage, stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender, beliefs, and mixed ethnicities. It's been interesting trying to balance more interesting work, like Maxine Hong Kingston or Ismael Reed, with more direct work, like Maya Angelou. I try to balance the need to discuss the various themes in the literature with discussing it as literature, but frankly, the class is hampered by the lack of maturity which prevents most of them from approaching the work on a more meaningful level than "I can relate to this." |
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Post by haysoos on Nov 14, 2013 16:54:03 GMT -5
"Hampered by a lack of maturity"
I want that on a t-shirt.
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Post by Angry Raisins on Nov 15, 2013 11:17:21 GMT -5
Just finished The Life of Pi. Hard to go into details without being spoilery, but I liked the stuff at sea. Not so impressed with the events before and after.
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Post by PersonMan on Nov 15, 2013 21:58:14 GMT -5
Habibi by Craig Thomspon. Been on my list forever and I just stumbled upon it at the library last week. I love it so far.
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Post by The Larch on Nov 15, 2013 22:20:08 GMT -5
Finished the 2nd book of 1Q84. I have no idea what's happening, but I think I like it?
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Post by flyinggrayson on Nov 16, 2013 1:14:37 GMT -5
Invisible Goatjob, I've read a fair amount of Russo's stuff and I think that describes all of them pretty well. Straight Man is probably my favorite but I have kind of a soft spot for books that take place on college campuses for some reason. (The main character in that one is a professor.) Definitely good stuff.
I'm finally back to Path to Power, the first of Caro's LBJ books. I've enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would - LBJ is an interesting son of a bitch - but it was kind of heavy reading once school was really under way (I'm a nontraditional student so in addition to school I also have to work and be married and stuff). The light's at the end of the tunnel, however, so I picked it back up this weekend. I'm hoping to finish it over Christmas break. I'm also about to start After Visiting Friends which I'm really looking forward to. And while they're not books proper, I've been catching up with the just-ended run of Captain Marvel and some classic X-Men on Marvel Unlimited. Finally, I just started the second book in the Origami Yoda series. I'm an elementary ed/special ed major so I like to know what the kids are reading these days. Okay, and I also just like reading kids' books. The first one was fun and actually pretty sweet.
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Post by K. Thrace on Nov 16, 2013 1:49:59 GMT -5
Invisible Goatjob, I've read a fair amount of Russo's stuff and I think that describes all of them pretty well. Straight Man is probably my favorite but I have kind of a soft spot for books that take place on college campuses for some reason. (The main character in that one is a professor.) Definitely good stuff. I'm finally back to Path to Power, the first of Caro's LBJ books. I've enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would - LBJ is an interesting son of a bitch - but it was kind of heavy reading once school was really under way (I'm a nontraditional student so in addition to school I also have to work and be married and stuff). The light's at the end of the tunnel, however, so I picked it back up this weekend. I'm hoping to finish it over Christmas break. I'm also about to start After Visiting Friends which I'm really looking forward to. And while they're not books proper, I've been catching up with the just-ended run of Captain Marvel and some classic X-Men on Marvel Unlimited. Finally, I just started the second book in the Origami Yoda series. I'm an elementary ed/special ed major so I like to know what the kids are reading these days. Okay, and I also just like reading kids' books. The first one was fun and actually pretty sweet. I love Russo. My favorite of his is Empire Falls. I enjoy his sardonic commentary on people's behavior, and I can't believe how good his ear is for dialogue and for people's foibles. He's also just very humorous. I am currently reading The Silent Cry by Kenzaburo Oe. I will let you guys know how it goes. |
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Post-Lupin
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Immanentizing the Eschaton
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Post by Post-Lupin on Nov 16, 2013 6:19:38 GMT -5
Wesley Chu's The Deaths Of Tao. Now I quite enjoyed the first in the series The Lives Of Tao, but by going from first-person to third and focussing in the (utterly ludicrous) alien body-hopping ages-old war plot, the wobbliness of the whole concept stands out far more. I also feel a bit uncomfortable about the deep structure of a story where every single major human achievement, from the invention of every single martial art to driving the Enola Gay - only happened Because Aliens.
He also throws in a weird dig at Gene Roddenberry and is clearly dealing badly with the emotional fallout of having once been a fat kid.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2013 10:20:10 GMT -5
i just finished Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson which is the 9th book in my endless quest to read the Malazan Book fo the Fallen in one year. Now on the 10th and final one so maybe in December i will actually go read some of the books that have been piling up on my wish list for the past 9 months You know, I came to this thread to ask about this series, are here you are! I'm about half-way thru Gardens of the Moon and I finally feel like I may be getting into it - should I keep going? Does it get really good? I'll be honest, I started with it because I am overly fond of Very Long Fantasy Books, and man this series is packed with them. I just can't tell yet if it's for me. |
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Post-Lupin
Prolific Poster
Immanentizing the Eschaton
Posts: 5,673
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Post by Post-Lupin on Nov 17, 2013 13:14:46 GMT -5
RIP Doris Lessing. One of the true greats.
Also, only Nobel literature winner to admit she wrote science fiction... need more literary types to bite that particular bullet (yes Margaret Atwood, I'm looking at you).
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Post by Roy Batty's Pet Dove on Nov 17, 2013 19:51:16 GMT -5
RIP Doris Lessing. One of the true greats. Also, only Nobel literature winner to admit she wrote science fiction... need more literary types to bite that particular bullet (yes Margaret Atwood, I'm looking at you). I heard about that this afternoon, and it made me sad even though I've never read any of her books. Out of curiosity, what are some examples of science fiction that she's written? The only book of hers that I know anything about beyond the title is The Golden Notebook. |
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Post by The Larch on Nov 18, 2013 10:48:04 GMT -5
I just finished 1Q84. I didn't really care for the 3rd book as much, but I'll probably check out something else by Murakami next.
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Post by mratfink on Nov 19, 2013 15:37:25 GMT -5
i just finished Dust of Dreams by Steven Erikson which is the 9th book in my endless quest to read the Malazan Book fo the Fallen in one year. Now on the 10th and final one so maybe in December i will actually go read some of the books that have been piling up on my wish list for the past 9 months You know, I came to this thread to ask about this series, are here you are! I'm about half-way thru Gardens of the Moon and I finally feel like I may be getting into it - should I keep going? Does it get really good? I'll be honest, I started with it because I am overly fond of Very Long Fantasy Books, and man this series is packed with them. I just can't tell yet if it's for me. Gardens of the Moon is pretty clearly the worst of the series. Erikson really doesnt have his voice down yet, and the book is really about piecing together the world and how it works. The second book though is fantastic, if you dont like the second book the series probably isnt for you. My own experience sounds pretty similar to yours however, where it took me half of Gardens of the Moon to really get into it. Once i read the second book though there was no looking back. |
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Post by kate monday on Nov 19, 2013 20:18:43 GMT -5
Right now, I'm reading The Diamond Age, which is one I've been meaning to read for years, but in the past I had trouble getting into it initially. This time I toughed out that initial bit, and now I'm enjoying it. It's cyberpunk, but then the neo-victorians in it give it a little bit of a steampunky vibe too. The use of nanotech in it is pretty interesting.
I also read the first 3 books in Jackson Pearce's Fairytale Retellings series. The first book retells Red Riding Hood, so the fact that there are werewolves makes sense. The second book is Hansel and Gretel, so werewolves are more of a stretch, but there's still monsters in the woods, and she made it work. Now, the third book is The Little Mermaid. I thought that there was no way that someone could write a book with mermaids and werewolves in it and have it be good, but I actually enjoyed it. I'm quite impressed that the author managed to make it seem grounded and reasonable, given the givens. Looking forward to reading the latest, which is based on The Snow Queen.
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Post by Judkins Moaner on Nov 22, 2013 11:15:05 GMT -5
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Post by Douay-Rheims-Challoner on Dec 13, 2013 19:59:52 GMT -5
Currently meandering through Nalo Hopkinson's The New Moon's Arms, a magical realist book set in the Caribbean. It's alright so far, good work establishing the distinctive voice of the protagonist, but I'm not in love with it. (Guess I'm sort of on a kick after finishing the really excellent Kindred by Octavia Butler.)
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Post by sarapen on Dec 13, 2013 20:09:07 GMT -5
I just finished The Guardian, the last book in the Artemis Fowl Series about a teenage supervillain. It was okay but it felt like the author just wanted to finish the series. There was a plot thread about a supervillain's past self time-travelling to the present which seemed like it was going to end up with the past self captured and her memories of the future erased before returning her back to the past. But that possibility was rather shockingly wiped out. It also wasn't as much fun as the earlier books in the series. It wasn't the awesome experience I hoped it would be.
Currently I'm reading Ex-Communication, the third and most current book of the Ex-Heroes series which is about superheroes surviving in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. I rather like it, it knows what it is without getting pretentious.
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Post by maryworthfan47 on Dec 13, 2013 20:13:00 GMT -5
Currently meandering through Nalo Hopkinson's The New Moon's Arms, a magical realist book set in the Caribbean. It's alright so far, good work establishing the distinctive voice of the protagonist, but I'm not in love with it. (Guess I'm sort of on a kick after finishing the really excellent Kindred by Octavia Butler.) I've finished my Poe re-read, so next is Redshirts by John Scalzi, and this crazy thing Mrs. Kelrast turned me on to. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2013 20:14:19 GMT -5
Doing a re-read of Gravity's Rainbow for inspiration of my own reading. Also The Corrections, but less vigorously.
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Post by Douay-Rheims-Challoner on Dec 13, 2013 20:18:39 GMT -5
maryworthfan47 I keep meaning to get around to Redshirts especially post-Hugo win. But then I don't.
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Post by The Narrator Returns on Dec 13, 2013 20:23:54 GMT -5
I'm rereading a bunch of Hunter S. Thompson, namely The Great Shark Hunt and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. As good as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was, his writing about politics is on a whole other level.
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Post by MrsLangdonAlger on Dec 13, 2013 20:50:24 GMT -5
Blasphemy by Sherman Alexie.
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Post by The Larch on Dec 13, 2013 20:54:19 GMT -5
I finished Perdido Street Station (which I thought got much better halfway through), and started on The Scar, but I haven't got very far with it. I might read something else and return to it later.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2013 20:59:38 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Hatless Jack" by Neil Steinberg--it's about the fall of the Men's hat industry in America--and The Aeneid.
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Post by MyNameIsNoneOfYourGoddamnBusin on Dec 13, 2013 21:10:43 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Hatless Jack" by Neil Steinberg--it's about the fall of the Men's hat industry in America--and The Aeneid. Does it counter the legend that JFK was largely responsibility for the declining popularity of hats? |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2013 23:14:35 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Hatless Jack" by Neil Steinberg--it's about the fall of the Men's hat industry in America--and The Aeneid. Does it counter the legend that JFK was largely responsibility for the declining popularity of hats? Actually it argues the hat was on the decline long before JFK became president. |
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Post by Lt. Broccoli on Dec 14, 2013 4:25:57 GMT -5
I'm currently reading "Hatless Jack" by Neil Steinberg--it's about the fall of the Men's hat industry in America--and The Aeneid. The Aeneid in translation? Which one? I've found that every translation I've tried is essentially terrible. It really needs to be read in Latin, I can't even explain how much better it is that way. One time I was stuck on a bus for 5 hours with the Oxford Classical Texts edition, with no dictionaries or other reference books, and even though I couldn't understand every single word, it was still much more powerful and much more beautiful than any English version. If you don't know Latin, drop everything and spend the rest of your life mastering it, just to read the Aeneid. It will totally be worth it! |
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