What are you reading, Chapter 2

[Bongolation]

I started this yesterday and am about 2/3 done:

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Because of the FanasticFiction description [linked earlier] being completely erroneous, I thought it was a different book that I had already read. It wasn't.

It's a bit better than his later stuff, and he is always very good -- and Furst is about the only American writer I normally read (there are excellent American writers, but they are not part of the American publishing's business plan, which is to import "quality" fiction from abroad).

It's mature writing with mature style, as good as Lawton.

 

[JacoLesFlea]

Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens. A novel this long I get the book from the library and follow along with audiobook.

 

[Bongolation]

This is on its way:

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Oh, nice. How is it? This one will certainly find it's way into my reading pile unless it's really awful.

It's not "really awful," but it's a mess, a meandering history of the air war in WWII full of incidental historical errors and groaners such as identifying Budapest as the capital of Romania.

Whether or not the information about the nominal subject is any more reliable, I don't know, but I'd pass on this.

I didn't realize this was from a small publisher when I got it. I try to avoid small publishers as they are generally an indication of two things:

1: The book wasn't good enough to be picked up by a real house, and...

2: The manuscript won't receive the editing and reading it needs to prevent such gross errors making it to print.

On the other hand, I'm seeing some truly awful editing lapses on mainstream stuff these days.

 

[disenchant]

Kushiel's Mercy by Jacqueline Carey. Fantasy, adventure, magic and sex. Doesn't get any better than that!

 

[dangnewt]

American Sphinx by Joseph Ellis

This is the Thomas Jefferson biography that he wrote in the '90's before Founding Brothers. I like Ellis' writing style and this book is written for the general public even though his day jop is college history professor. He tries to get into how Jefferson's mind works. The short take is that he pretty much worked at the loftiest, theoretical levels and had an incredible ability to write (see Independence, Declaration of) but he wasn't a real nuts-and-bolts kind of guy and wasn't all that interested in figuring our to achieve the lofty goals he expressed so well.

 

[i_got_a_mohawk]

Just fancied something light hearted for a change. I have the trilogy (of 5), may end up just reading through them all!

 

[Emerald_gasH]

Yeah, Haunted was the last Palahniuk book I read. Guts was tough to get thorugh without cringing, but there are a few stories in there more disturbing on a psychological level. The one about Cora Reynolds and the 'anatomically correct dolls' comes to mind.

Also, "I pass out and you guys eat my ass?!"

aaand now it's going to take me longer to read..ergh...i'll just try to find time when nausea won't cause me to hurl anything up...

 

[MatticusMania]

As soon as this arrives via USPS...

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

Here's my current nightstand pile. Probably going to start on "Complicity" next.

I bought Inherent Vice when it first came out--fun book, but it doesn't really explain why Pynchon is so highly revered (if you're interested in that sort of thing).

Weird thing about this is that I just dusted it off to lend it out. Small world.

 

[machine gewehr]

As soon as this arrives via USPS...

Looks like it's pretty awesome!

I'm reading

It's about 4 American Vietnam vets who are haunted by a ghost.

 

[Bongolation]

It's about 4 American Vietnam vets who are haunted by a ghost.

Wait!

Wikipedia says:

Straub re-emerged in 1988 with Koko, a nonsupernatural (though horrific) Vietnam novel.

So, apparently, there are no haints.

 

[UncleFluffy]

I bought Inherent Vice when it first came out--fun book, but it doesn't really explain why Pynchon is so highly revered (if you're interested in that sort of thing).

Weird thing about this is that I just dusted it off to lend it out. Small world.

Haven't read it yet. Read most everything else and he's somewhat hit-or-miss for me. Gravity's Rainbow, V and The Crying of Lot 49 were winners, couldn't handle Mason & Dixon or Vineland. We'll see how this one goes...

 

[Diogenes]

It is different and the style is not really rigidly like Doyle's -- but I found I liked the book much better than I expected.

The stories are actually novellas, for the most part more detailed and developed than the shorter Holmes stories.

He's written several other collections of these, so you might see what your library has. I think I'm going to get his earlier titles.

In the title story, Holmes finds the answer to the mysterious haunting in James' The Turn of the Screw. Very clever.

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely be checking this out.

 

[UncleFluffy]

I recently finished Broken Angels and Woken Furies, both by Richard K. Morgan. The 2nd and 3rd novels of his Takeshi Kovacs storyline, the first being Altered Carbon. I really enjoyed all three novels. Hopefully Morgan will write another Kovacs book in the future.

I enjoyed the first two but felt that by the third one he'd figured out a formula and was just cranking the handle. Maybe I should give it another chance.

But his good stuff is as good or better than Gibson was before Gibson gave up and went all insipid. (Some time shortly after "The Difference Engine", IMO).

 

[machine gewehr]

Wait!

Wikipedia says:

Straub re-emerged in 1988 with Koko, a nonsupernatural (though horrific) Vietnam novel.

So, apparently, there are no haints.

Ghosts of the past.

 

[bassteban]

The Last Escape- it's about Allied POWs toward & at the end of WW-II. Gripping, so far.

 

[Bongolation]

Thanks for the info. I'll definitely be checking this out.

Funny thing is that I completely forgot about getting the earlier titles.

Thanks for reminding me!

 

[Bongolation]

Also by that author (just requested):

 

[Bongolation]

This one's also on the way:

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[crucislancer]

Currently 3/4 through this one:

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