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Stravinsky posted:This year I am the booklord challenge You should have done this a year ago rather than bitching about what people read. Glad you're doing it now, though.
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Jan 2, 2015 18:59
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I should say, I'm mostly going to aim for this: 16. That one book that has been sitting on your desk waiting for a long time But there are dozens of them sitting on my desk waiting for a long time, and they are an assortment of philosophy, history, and literature.
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Jan 2, 2015 19:22
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knees of putty posted:I'm just going to do the challenge; numbers are irrelevant (to me). Looking for books that will challenge me - my choices for the first (#2, female author) are Go alphabetical. Read Atwood. She is great.
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Jan 2, 2015 21:45
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elbow posted:
What kind of poetry do you enjoy? Do you just want more stuff similar to Carver?
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Jan 3, 2015 06:50
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Dienes posted:Someone throw a book (less than 500 pages, please) at me for this! If you haven't read it before, check out Stanislaw Lem's Solaris The George Clooney cover is the lamest, but probably the easiest to find (which is too bad because some of the covers for this book are gorgeous): http://www.amazon.com/Solaris-Stanislaw-Lem/dp/0156027607
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Jan 5, 2015 20:54
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:And what the hell, I'll idly try to go for Stravinsky's challenge too. Somebody give me my wild card for after I finish my current book. Robert Nye's Falstaff: http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=12990473007&searchurl=tn%3Dfalstaff%26sortby%3D3%26an%3Drobert+nye http://www.amazon.ca/Falstaff-Novel-Robert-Nye-ebook/dp/B00CKXEEQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420585586&sr=8-1&keywords=robert+nye+falstaff It's a fictional autobiography of Shakespeare's Falstaff (of 1 Henry IV and 2 Henry IV infamy), an old gluttonous braggart of a knight who likes to spend his time eating, getting drunk, and having sex. Being a known liar, it's a lot of fun trying to parcel out when Falstaff is telling the truth, embellishing certain facts, or creating myths about himself wholesale, which is all sorts of meta, seeing as the novel is itself a fictional work. It won a bunch of awards, and is fairly easy to find. There are lots of digital copies around, and physical copies can be bought for pennies. Even if you've never read any of Shakespeare's Henry IV plays, it's an enjoyable read--though some background knowledge will allow you to catch the occasional reference.
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Jan 7, 2015 00:05
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SwimGood posted:How interpretative is the OP list? Like, can I read Stoner and tick off Something dealing with space? Considering the book, to me, is all about social and inter-personal barriers we all force others into/try to break out of in order to connect with our fellow people. The idea is to challenge yourself, rather than just reading, say, Animorph books all year. If you feel this interpretation keeps the challenge intact, then go for it. If it's not, then you're only going to be letting yourself down. And our Booklord. Don't let the Booklord down.
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Jan 8, 2015 03:47
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The Erland posted:While I failed last year, sign me up for 52 books and the Stravinsky challenge. Wildcard me! George Saunder's Pastoralia. It's a collection of short stories and a novella by a contemporary American author. He handles dark comedy really well and has been favourably compared to Kurt Vonnegut and Thomas Pynchon: http://www.amazon.com/Pastoralia-George-Saunders/dp/1573228729
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Jan 9, 2015 09:03
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The Erland posted:That looks really interesting, thanks! It's really good! I'm going to re-read it after I finish my current book.
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Jan 9, 2015 18:52
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1. But is it art? by Cynthia Freeland - This is a reread, but it's enjoyable. It's essentially one long essay composed of seven smaller essays where Freeland discusses different ways of looking at art and the theories that support them. It's a great introduction to anyone who is interested in expanding their knowledge of art criticism and theory. Freeland is easy to read, and her own analysis is strong. If anyone is interested, monoskop.org has the full text on PDF available: http://monoskop.org/images/e/ec/Freeland_Cynthia_But_is_it_Art_2002.pdf I've already got a bunch of female authors on my to-read list year, but I'll use Freeland here to mark that off my challenge list:
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Jan 11, 2015 00:56
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Actually, while I'm at it, could someone wildcard me, please?
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Jan 11, 2015 06:02
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I really liked the first Dune. I also thought the following three books were okay in their own right, as a conclusion to the main character's story. Heretics Of Dune was a pulpy mess, that was enjoyable enough, but really lacked a lot of what made the first book so exciting. Instead, there were magic space sex cults and Super Saiyans. It's been years since I'd read a Dune book, but I thought I'd finally give Chapterhouse: Dune a go, and hoo boy, what a mistake. I thought it'd be interesting to see how far down the rabbit hole the series went (without resorting to reading Brian Herbert's attempts), but I had to stop reading halfway through. What a torrid piece of poo poo.
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Jan 14, 2015 17:18
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Tiggum posted:It so is. Crazy. The Gunslinger is the only one I've reread and still own, because I felt with every subsequent book the series spiralled further and further into mediocrity (barring The Wastelands, which is great in its own right. Edit: that is to say, I agree with Tiggum.
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Jan 18, 2015 18:50
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Dienes posted:Anyone have a play recommendation that is NOT Shakespeare? Caryl Churchill's A Number deals with ethics around cloning. Very intimate play Sam Shepard's Buried Child is a fever dream of a family reunion of poor, squalid hillybillies. George Ryga's The Ecstacy Of Rita Joe is a tragic and comic indictment of the treatment of First Nations in Canada. Edward Albee's Who's Afraid Of Virgina Woolfe begins as a lovely dinner involving two couples, one older and one younger, that slowly decends into madness.
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Jan 20, 2015 06:22
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Ha. Beaten w/r/t Shepard and Albee.
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Jan 20, 2015 06:22
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Dienes posted:Anyone have a play recommendation that is NOT Shakespeare? Couple more: Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin In The Sun is great. It's about an impoverish black family that is about to come into a large sum of insurance money and how that affects their lives. Sidney Poitier starred in the film version which was also great. If you've never read Arthur Millers Death Of A Salesman it's an excellent indictment of the American Dream. Also, I'm not as a big a fan as some, but Samuel Beckett's Waiting For Godot is worth at least one read if only to understand its cultural significance. Oh, oh, and one more, read Ionesco. Eugene Ionesco. His plays are brilliant and hilarious. I'd recommend The Bald Soprano.
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Jan 20, 2015 06:38
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Falstaff feels like it should be way more entertaining than it is. The chapter where he molests a 12-year-old and is all jolly about it really disturbed me. Obviously it's not supposed to be an endorsement, but it sure put me off of reading the book for now. If it makes you feel any better (and without saying too much, because it gives away later reveals that I feel are important to the book and to understanding Falstaff): he's lying. Spadoink posted:On Waiting for Godot: For the love of all that is good and decent, this is not the greatest introduction to plays and playwrights. On the Importance of Being Ernest: the best suggestion for total newbies, great, funny, snappy, entertaining! Godot: existential and long and nothing happens because its existential and oh god if you aren't someone who loves analysis and not being entertained than you probably will not like this and may never read another play ever and I promise other plays are not like this! Shakespeare was brought up, so I made that suggestion on the assumption that the reader was familiar was familiar with what is often considered Literature. If the reader is challenging themselves to get away from genre fiction, then yeah, don't start with Waiting for Godot. That said, I only began reading plays in earnest when I was halfway through an English major, so to be completely honest, I have no idea what would be considered good introductory plays. 
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Jan 21, 2015 02:20
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Captain Vittles posted:1. Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood (Challenge 2: Read a female author) I'm nearly finished The Year Of The Flood. The structure is similar to Oryx and Crake, so much so that it is almost a reflection of the first novel. Only instead of Jimmy and Glenn, the perspective is told from two different characters--a couple of ex-God's Gardeners. Minor spoiler, as it becomes obvious right away if you've read the first novel and glanced at the book's synopsis on the inside cover, but one of the main characters is Jimmy's ex, Ren. It has been really enjoyable thus far, though I would recommend reading it sooner rather than later. It has been years since I've read the first book and now I'm struggling to remember details from it. Numerous events and characters who were key elements of Oryx And Crake show up here, but because the book takes place from different perspectives, their importance or their place is lost on me since I don't remember everything.
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Jan 29, 2015 08:52
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2. The Year Of The Flood - Margaret Atwood Already spoke about this a bit. Having read the ending now, I will just say "yes, this is a good book". I'm going to check out MaddAddam soon, but for now I am working on Atwood's Survival. It's a non-fiction guide to Canadian literature. I've read excerpts from it before, mostly in my old Can Lit classes, but I've never read the whole work, so I look forward to it. I've also adjusted my list a bit, for my own sake. Books that have been sitting on my shelf for decades wont count in other categories so that I am challenged to add variety to my choices.
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Jan 29, 2015 16:56
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apophenium posted:3. The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang. A horrifyingly tragic story, both the events detailed in the book, and the afterword about Chang herself. Well written documentation of the horrors perpetrated in Nankin. I've seen the film. This book has been on my To-Read list for a while. I'm hoping to get to it this year. Strong Mouse posted:9. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1) by Stephen King - Do you know those video games that people call walking simulators? Where you are in a place with a lot of things to see and click on to get some type of exposition? Where people call you an idiot because "You don't get it. Only us smart people will get this. Too bad for you." and then spout philosophy for a while? The second and third book are pretty good, but if you aren't sold on the series with the first book, I'd seriously consider jumping ship. The rest of the series is basically travelling along a path and interacting with what comes along the way--that's the point. Roland is either chasing the Man In Black or headed towards the Dark Tower, it's about the journey, blah blah blah. Plus, after the third book, the quality of storytelling plummets into a pit of insufferable crap.
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Feb 1, 2015 06:10
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CestMoi posted:Please don't read FIght Club as your post modern book. here's a "novel" idea: people should read whatever they want (although fight club really isn't very good)
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Mar 4, 2015 17:27
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1984 - Orwell Read this as my banned book (banned in the USSR for obv reasons). It was good. I liked it. I felt like I had already read it due to its pervasiveness in popular culture, but I'm glad I pushed myself to finally read it proper. My only real complaint was that the section where the protagonist reads Goldstein's book was dull as all heck, and most of what was spelled out in it could already be inferred by the rest of the story. A few of my friends who liked the book admitted to skipping those passages entirely, so I guess I'm at least a little more dedicated than they are. MaddAddam - Atwood Had to finish the series after reading Year Of The Flood. Really good. I read some criticism of the trilogy that claimed Atwood doesn't really bring anything that new to the sci-fi genre. While that's true, that seems a petty complaint since a lot of sci-fi/sci-fantasy is derivative in places. That said, Atwood brought a touch of humanity and dignity to the end of the world that I rarely see in sci-fi books. Absolutely excellent. Also, the interaction with the main characters and the Crakers is phenomenal. I hadn't realized that it was something I needed in my life until I read it, as it was also hilarious. Overall, a satisfying conclusion. I put off reading Survival to read MaddAddam instead, and I'm glad I did. The former is okay, but was largely a review of what I already knew. I might get around to finishing it some day later.
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Mar 4, 2015 17:41
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i get what you're saying, but that's a terrible analogy, because fight club at least has elements of post-modernism
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Mar 4, 2015 18:28
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in that case, i agree
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Mar 4, 2015 19:43
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mostly i just wanted to say "here's a 'novel' idea" in a book thread.
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Mar 4, 2015 19:43
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Groke posted:Well, it's a hell of a good thing to be reading, Lem is amazing.
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Mar 18, 2015 15:21
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The Rebel Angels - Robertson Davies Really, really good. As I continue to work my way through Davies' novels, I am continually impressed. I can see why he's received such accolades and has been considered one of Canada's leading authors. The characters are genuinely interesting, the romance is genuinely intriguing, and the plot twists and character interactions are clever and enjoyable. Very Canadian, though, and I mean that in a Central Canadian kind of way, and yet he still managed to defy stereotypes. I'm going to take a break, though, and get back to the novels sitting on my bookshelf, which I have neglected. I'll look into the sequels later. "A Few Kind Words For Superstition" - Robertson Davies A brief, but interesting read. A lot of Davies' stuff includes the mystical and magical, so his support for superstition is not surprising. He makes note of the superstitions he sees in his experience at universities, though, which is interesting--though again, not entirely surprising given his novels. An interesting essay, but-- "Notes On Punctuation" - Lewis Thomas --this one was really enjoyable. Brief, but clever. Thomas plays around with punctuation in writing the essay. I highly recommend this one because it's funny and clever. Also, trying to explain it too much would spoil it, but it's nice to see a writer have so much fun with punctuation. Cyrano de Bergerac - Edmond Rostand A fictitious play supposedly based on the real-life exploits of Bergerac. He's a brilliant swordsman, a braggart, a lover, and a tragic-romantic poet--unfortunately, he has a large, clown-like nose. Extremely funny, if you're into romcoms from the 1800s. It's very quick and witty. The wordplay reminds me a lot of Oscar Wilde. Highly recommend it to anyone looking for a play that is a light read.
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Mar 22, 2015 18:39
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:I'm not reading for poo poo right now because I'm really not enjoying Falstaff, but I do want to say that: If you're not enjoying it, you should stop. Don't keep reading just because it was wildcarded--that's no reason to not have fun while reading. You should just get a new wildcard. Heck, I'll even suggest one: The Fifth Business.
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Mar 25, 2015 16:28
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I like Delillo, and really enjoyed Libra, but I don't think I would have ever thought of that novel as a thriller.
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Mar 25, 2015 23:45
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Also, the book just got so much better with the addition of Scropes's entries. Apart from the reveal that Fastolf/Falstaff is the world's most unreliable narrator, it's awfully nice to have a different voice for once. It was always more enjoyable when dialogue showed up because it broke up the endless samey narration, and this takes it one step further. I wondered if your opinion might change at that point. I had read the plays beforehand, so the reveal wasn't a surprise to me. A big difference, I suppose, is that in the plays, Shakespeare always had someone nearby to quickly call Falstaff on his nonsense. That said, yeah, those later entries are great.
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Mar 29, 2015 17:11
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Perhaps not surprisingly, one of my favourite plays is actually King Henry IV, Part 1. It's one of Shakespeare's histories, but it's really more of a dramatized historical fiction. It has a nice mix of drama, political intrigue, and comedy, raunchy and otherwise--a lot of it generated by Falstaff. If anything it'd be a nice coda to Falstaff and would give you an opportunity to see what the fat man was like before he faded into obscurity. That said, Prince Hal is also an excellent character, and he and Falstaff both own the scenes they're in. It's also part of a quadrilogy, so if you really liked it, you could check out the "prequel" in The Tragedy of Richard II, the downfall of Falstaff in the sequel, King Henry IV, Part 2, Hal's crowning achievements in King Henry V. That aside, I KingHenry IV works great as a stand-alone play. Also, King Lear. Though Lear can be a pretty brutal and depressing play at times, I've always found it superior to Macbeth and Hamlet, both of which are often considered by critics to be some of Shakespeare's best work. Though ultimately, I suppose it depends on what sort of drama are you looking for in Shakespeare? Comedy? Romance? Tragedy?
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Mar 29, 2015 17:55
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MonotoneKimi posted:I'm not sure what to read next. Anyone like to suggest a wildcard? Michael Herr's Dispatches: http://www.amazon.com/Dispatches-Michael-Herr/dp/0679735259/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427828487&sr=8-1&keywords=dispatches+michael+herr Herr was a war corespondent during the Vietnam War and these are his memoirs. A remarkable read, he's a great writer and what he experienced is horrifying and terrific. He's been credited as helping to pioneer the idea of the "nonfiction novel", along with Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. Also, if you've ever seen Apocalypse Now or Full Metal Jacket, Herr worked on the screenplays for both those films and elements from his experiences in Vietnam found their to being dramatized in those films.
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Mar 31, 2015 20:05
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Ironic Twist posted:If it's not too late I'd like to get in with 30 books, 15 of them short story collections before 2016. It's never too late.
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Apr 18, 2015 18:25
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Stravinsky posted:I actually read everything everyone posts itt. same
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Apr 22, 2015 01:51
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 Voices From Chernobyl - Svetlana Alexievich The author spent ten years interviewing over five-hundred eye-witnesses of the Chernobyl disaster to create this book. There are a few touching moments, but most of it is soul-crushing and depressing. Picked it up because it reminded me of some of the Vietnam War oral history books I've read. Compared to them, it wasn't quite the lurid nightmare, but some of those stories were brutal, particularly when a person was talking about their lost lover or lost child. Difficult, but excellent read. I'd highly recommend it for anyone remotely interested in the event. Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens Though I know many Dickens stories through stage adaptations and films, I'd never sat down and read one of his works. Twist is one that I'd only know about through pop culture osmosis, but I was surprised to find that what I knew about it (the whole "please, sir, can I have some more" bit) was such a small part. I didn't expect the story to be what it was, but it quickly became predictable. Ultimately, while I enjoyed the story, the reading of it was painfully dull. I get that Dickens was writing it as a serial, and maybe I would have enjoyed it more reading it as such, but going straight through it as a novel was just such a slog. Not sure if I want to continue reading Dickens' original works, or if I'd rather just stick to adaptations. The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald Another book I've been meaning to read for a while. Enjoyable. Great writing and characters, but ultimately not as earth-shattering as I thought it might be. But then again, the idea of the American Dream being a dangerous myth isn't exactly new in our day and age. Still, I can appreciate why it's regarded as a classic, and I'm glad I finally finished it.
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Apr 25, 2015 19:30
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Peter Singer has some good ideas, but there's a lot that he writes about that I either find problematic or just outright disagree with. It's been years since I've looked at anything by him, though, so I might take a look at that. If you're interested in more of Singer, his Practical Ethics is pretty iconic. Some of the stuff he writes about is pretty surreal and out there.
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Apr 27, 2015 07:27
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BILL SHAXBERD Rereads. Still love'em. Party Of One - Michael Harris Journalist Michael Harris's scathing indictment of Stephan Harper. Goes through the man's scandals almost chronologically. It begins as an incredibly frustrating read, but as time goes on and the lies begin to pile up and the cracks begin to form, it actually becomes something like schadenfreude. Rereading all of Harper's set-backs surrounding Duffygate is incredibly satisfying. If Harper loses this next election, then it'll just be the icing on the cake. If he wins--well, gently caress, then this book is going to become a lot more depressing in retrospect. I would recommend this book to any Canadian, and anyone who is interested in why Canadian politics has become so foul in recent years. ROY G. BIV - Jude Stewart I thought this would be a lot more interesting, but it's largely just a collection of fun facts about colour. A lot of them were kind of boring, but the ones that were interesting weren't elaborated upon at all. Nice book design, though. Would not recommend. Those Bathroom Reader's Institute books have more depth to them. Sally fucked around with this message at 06:12 on Jul 3, 2015 |
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May 25, 2015 15:30
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Grizzled Patriarch posted:Both Flesh and Not - David Foster Wallace I almost feel that "Federer Both Flesh And Not" is worth the price of admission alone.
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Jun 5, 2015 04:55
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Mahlertov Cocktail posted:Cormac McCarthy Cities Of the Plain is a decent read if you want to know what eventually happened to the main character of All The Pretty Horses. Warning: things get worse! But if you're gonna do the Border Trilogy, you should really just do it in order since The Crossing is next and I'd argue it's the best of the three. Plus, the main character of both The Crossing and All The Pretty Horses are the two protagonists of Cities Of The Plain. The Crossing is also a coming-of-age novel, but it doesn't wait a while for things to get bleak and depressing. It's not quite as soul crushing as some of his earlier works, though. It's beautiful in its melancholy.
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Jul 2, 2015 04:30
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The Terror Of The Coast - Chris Arnett Heard this guy speak at a university a while back. Picked up his book and it's been sitting on my shelf for ages. Finally got around to reading it. Really good. Extraordinarily well documented. The depth of research put into the book is incredible, but I can understand why he has done it. British warfare in British Columbia is pretty much just not talked about and mostly ignored. This book covers one of the largest British naval operations in BC history. It's also, significantly, one of those few times in British history where their superior might and technology were beaten back by the indigenous inhabitants--so of course the government tried as hard as possible to make the whole event look like it was just the action of some unruly criminals rather than the justified defense of a First Nation's village. Also relevant if you're at all interested in how the Canadian government treated First Nations within its borders. (Not very well). The author was a pretty cool dude and, as it turns out, was/is also in what is arguably Vancouver's first punk rock band ever back in 1977, and is still doin' his thing. For a history book, it was highly readable. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about North American history. The Back Of The Turtle - Thomas King I've read his non-fiction, I've listened to his Massey lectures, I've seen his interviews--but this is the first bit of fiction I've ever read by King. It's simultaneously hilarious and tragic. A man's work inadvertently creates an environmental disaster, destroying an entire town, wrecking the ecosystem, and killing several people. He goes to the town to commit suicide but finds himself drawn into the lives of the handful of people who remain, each increasingly eccentric, and one an old dog. The novel jumps back and forth through time as you learn about their histories. It's really, really good. Oh, and there are also chapters devoted to the psychopathic CEO searching for the suicidal scientist. His chapters are particularly engrossing. I dunno. Read it. I also recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good book. Sally fucked around with this message at 17:26 on Aug 14, 2015 |
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Jul 3, 2015 06:13
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