Mr Moore
Well-Known Member
You’ll love it I’m sure, it’s so good both in form and content and it completely changed my attitude towards historical fiction.
2022 Reading Challenge
- Thread starter sarcasticfairyprincess
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Mr Moore
Well-Known Member
September’s reads were all winners.
Book 47: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Like all of the classics I've tackled, it's clear to see why this has stood the test of time on reading lists around the world. It's high drama, romantic and full of memorable characters from sweet to vile with everything in-between.
The older form of English always takes me quite a while to get through, even with good notes from the Penguin editors and this was no different taking about 10 days to get through but, it was really enjoyable despite so much of it all feeling so familiar.
Book 48: Clandestine - James Ellroy
I decided to read through Ellroy's works in sequence having read a couple of the LA Quartet many years ago. I started last year with Brown's Requiem and found it so-so at best. This on the other hand felt like a 100% improvement.
A young cop on the up gets embroiled in a case that finds him at the butt end of a corrupt cop's desire to pin the case on a patsy. It isn't breaking any genre conventions but, it's done well and both the good and the bad guys are believable and highly entertaining.
Book 49: Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Quite the surprise this one. Mrs Moore recommended it back when it was selling gazzillions of copies and I think I just wrote it off as the latest airport novel and passed. Just recently I started seeing it crop up on a few 2010s book lists and figured I'd give it a go. I really enjoyed it, both the story and the structure.
The two lead characters are fucked up in their own ways and are both unlikeable and worthy of sympathy in equal measures. While I wouldn't wish either of them on anybody, they sort of deserved each other.
Book 50: Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
This has been one of my favourites of the year. It's an epic American immigrant family history spanning three generations from a Greek incestuous couple fleeing the razing of Smyrna to their seemingly omniscient narrator hermaphrodite grandchild. Moving back and forth through time it's a tragicomedy with complete characters that despite being really unusual, seem totally accessible and real.
Book 47: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Like all of the classics I've tackled, it's clear to see why this has stood the test of time on reading lists around the world. It's high drama, romantic and full of memorable characters from sweet to vile with everything in-between.
The older form of English always takes me quite a while to get through, even with good notes from the Penguin editors and this was no different taking about 10 days to get through but, it was really enjoyable despite so much of it all feeling so familiar.
Book 48: Clandestine - James Ellroy
I decided to read through Ellroy's works in sequence having read a couple of the LA Quartet many years ago. I started last year with Brown's Requiem and found it so-so at best. This on the other hand felt like a 100% improvement.
A young cop on the up gets embroiled in a case that finds him at the butt end of a corrupt cop's desire to pin the case on a patsy. It isn't breaking any genre conventions but, it's done well and both the good and the bad guys are believable and highly entertaining.
Book 49: Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
Quite the surprise this one. Mrs Moore recommended it back when it was selling gazzillions of copies and I think I just wrote it off as the latest airport novel and passed. Just recently I started seeing it crop up on a few 2010s book lists and figured I'd give it a go. I really enjoyed it, both the story and the structure.
The two lead characters are fucked up in their own ways and are both unlikeable and worthy of sympathy in equal measures. While I wouldn't wish either of them on anybody, they sort of deserved each other.
Book 50: Middlesex - Jeffrey Eugenides
This has been one of my favourites of the year. It's an epic American immigrant family history spanning three generations from a Greek incestuous couple fleeing the razing of Smyrna to their seemingly omniscient narrator hermaphrodite grandchild. Moving back and forth through time it's a tragicomedy with complete characters that despite being really unusual, seem totally accessible and real.
ayayrawn
Well-Known Member
16. Invisible Child by Andrea Elliott. Won the Pulitzer last year for nonfiction. Infuriating read. This country is beyond fucked. Pretty moved by this family's story though. Great reporting.
17. Babylon's Ashes by James SA Corey. Book 6 of the Expanse. Generally enjoy this series but this was probably my least favorite entry so far. Feels more like an epilogue to the last book than something with a full arc. Poorly paced, and pretty boring for what should have been a climax of the series.
18. Fire & Blood by George RR Martin. Had a blast with this. I was hesitant because I'd heard it was dry, but found it to be a lot of fun. If you're interested in the ASoIaF universe, you should check ot out.
19. Dilla Time: The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla by Dan Charnas. Been listening as an Audiobook since June, but just now finished. Absolutely essential for Hip Hop Heads, and actually, every other music fan too. Phenomenal.
Currently reading Nightmares and Dreamscapes as my annual Stephen King read. It's fine. Might pick up a classic if I finish before the month is out.
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Books #18 and #19
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Book 26: Lady Sings The Blues by Billie Holiday with William Dufty (Penguin Books Ltd, 1984)
I have been meaning to read this for a while now and finally got around to it. So glad I did because it's fantastic. Holiday live an incredible but tragic life but she seemingly took it with a pinch of salt and always looked to the positive. Really incredible.
I have been meaning to read this for a while now and finally got around to it. So glad I did because it's fantastic. Holiday live an incredible but tragic life but she seemingly took it with a pinch of salt and always looked to the positive. Really incredible.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 31
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt
I had slightly higher hopes for this one. I love Oswalt and this was certainly enjoyable not as funny or revelatory as I thought it might be going in. A mixed bag of bits and anecdotes, short and long.
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland by Patton Oswalt
I had slightly higher hopes for this one. I love Oswalt and this was certainly enjoyable not as funny or revelatory as I thought it might be going in. A mixed bag of bits and anecdotes, short and long.
Turbo
Well-Known Member
Book #20
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 32
Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott
The 550+ page count can be a bit misleading, as the entirety is in script format so its a very breezy read - add to the fact that it's perfectly paced and high octane throughout, makes for a quick and satisfying read. It's nice to be back in the High Republic after some time away! And I'm increasingly convinced Cavan Scott may well be the best Star Wars writer of the modern age.
Tempest Runner by Cavan Scott
The 550+ page count can be a bit misleading, as the entirety is in script format so its a very breezy read - add to the fact that it's perfectly paced and high octane throughout, makes for a quick and satisfying read. It's nice to be back in the High Republic after some time away! And I'm increasingly convinced Cavan Scott may well be the best Star Wars writer of the modern age.
mgp
Well-Known Member
I've got to stop waiting so long to post these. BUT, here's my update. I was aiming for 24 books this year, and I got that taken care of in September. A flooded basement/tv room, and being housebound post hip surgery with the assist. Anyway, I'll try to be brief:
#17: The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey - I don't remember buying this one, but it was on the shelf so I must have, and I really enjoyed it. A funny rollicking story about environmentalists and budding eco-terrorists in the southwest of the US. I don't know much about Abbey, but his descriptions of geography I've never really explored filled me with wanderlust and a desire to travel and explore.
#18: Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman - I've seen mixed reviews of this one. I think the structure/retelling makes it a bit of a challenging and/or disjointed read, or at a minimum it takes a while to get used to. But it's right in my wheel house. I lived in NYC for the bulk of the 00s and these are some of my favorite bands hanging out at bars I used to hang out at. So it was a giant walk down memory lane. Cue Springsteen's Glory Days.
#19: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott - I grabbed this one at a bookstore in Vermont while on vacation and went in completely blind. What starts as a comedic affair quickly turns into a surreal and emotional journey confronting racial and mental health issues in the US. Not an easy read at times (because of subject matter not writing style) but I really enjoyed and would recommend this one.
#20: Ill Will by Dan Chaon - My brother suggested this one, and again I went in completely blind (for me, the less I know the better). This is a dark book that covers a lot of ground from devolving mental states, to (possibly) cults, to (also possibly serial killers). A really engrossing, and at times disturbing read. There are a lot of layers, and I could see myself picking this one up again someday to see what I missed.
#21: The Candy House by Jennifer Egan - I'm a huge Egan fan and have read (almost) everything she's ever done. I really loved this one (though I wish I'd re-read Visit From the Goon Squad before reading it). Creative, a touch dystopian, looping story lines. It checks a lot of boxes for me.
#22: Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon - I'd never heard of Chaon before #20 above, but I enjoyed that one so much that I grabbed this one from the local bookstore. I love when an author can pivot to a different writing style, and this has a much different feel than Ill Will. A super funny and engaging book, which is also very mysterious and unveils more and more as you make your way through it. A very funny and also thought provoking read.
#23: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam - A really quick and engaging read (which I guess will be a movie some day) about a family on vacation in an airbnb on Long Island when... something happens. Very well written and tough to put down once you start it, but I will avoid saying too much.
#24: Sing Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - I assume a bunch of you have read this one... It's been on my list for ages. What to say... It's a very powerful novel: beautifully written, almost poetry. If I had one complaint, it might be just that - Ward puts so much emotion and thought into each sentence that I read it slowly for fear of missing something. It's a somewhat challenging read in that regard, but also the subject matter (racial, socioeconomic, and addiction issues) are a bit heavy. It's an excellent story though, spiritual and uplifting while being dark and depressing.
All right, too may words here. I'll try to do better next time.
#17: The Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey - I don't remember buying this one, but it was on the shelf so I must have, and I really enjoyed it. A funny rollicking story about environmentalists and budding eco-terrorists in the southwest of the US. I don't know much about Abbey, but his descriptions of geography I've never really explored filled me with wanderlust and a desire to travel and explore.
#18: Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman - I've seen mixed reviews of this one. I think the structure/retelling makes it a bit of a challenging and/or disjointed read, or at a minimum it takes a while to get used to. But it's right in my wheel house. I lived in NYC for the bulk of the 00s and these are some of my favorite bands hanging out at bars I used to hang out at. So it was a giant walk down memory lane. Cue Springsteen's Glory Days.
#19: Hell of a Book by Jason Mott - I grabbed this one at a bookstore in Vermont while on vacation and went in completely blind. What starts as a comedic affair quickly turns into a surreal and emotional journey confronting racial and mental health issues in the US. Not an easy read at times (because of subject matter not writing style) but I really enjoyed and would recommend this one.
#20: Ill Will by Dan Chaon - My brother suggested this one, and again I went in completely blind (for me, the less I know the better). This is a dark book that covers a lot of ground from devolving mental states, to (possibly) cults, to (also possibly serial killers). A really engrossing, and at times disturbing read. There are a lot of layers, and I could see myself picking this one up again someday to see what I missed.
#21: The Candy House by Jennifer Egan - I'm a huge Egan fan and have read (almost) everything she's ever done. I really loved this one (though I wish I'd re-read Visit From the Goon Squad before reading it). Creative, a touch dystopian, looping story lines. It checks a lot of boxes for me.
#22: Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon - I'd never heard of Chaon before #20 above, but I enjoyed that one so much that I grabbed this one from the local bookstore. I love when an author can pivot to a different writing style, and this has a much different feel than Ill Will. A super funny and engaging book, which is also very mysterious and unveils more and more as you make your way through it. A very funny and also thought provoking read.
#23: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam - A really quick and engaging read (which I guess will be a movie some day) about a family on vacation in an airbnb on Long Island when... something happens. Very well written and tough to put down once you start it, but I will avoid saying too much.
#24: Sing Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward - I assume a bunch of you have read this one... It's been on my list for ages. What to say... It's a very powerful novel: beautifully written, almost poetry. If I had one complaint, it might be just that - Ward puts so much emotion and thought into each sentence that I read it slowly for fear of missing something. It's a somewhat challenging read in that regard, but also the subject matter (racial, socioeconomic, and addiction issues) are a bit heavy. It's an excellent story though, spiritual and uplifting while being dark and depressing.
All right, too may words here. I'll try to do better next time.
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I was going to wait on this because I have a couple other books on the way that I wanted to get through, before diving into this 1200 page behemoth of a finale...but I started it, so I'll probably stick with it.
Book 12 - My Struggle Book 6 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
Book 12 - My Struggle Book 6 by Karl Ove Knausgaard
BjorgenFjorgen
Well-Known Member
I read Abbey's Desert Solitaire last year and it had much the same effect on me. It's about his years as a park ranger at Arches National Monument in Utah. Incredible environmentalist nature writing.
I only heard of this follow-up to Goon Squad recently. I was also thinking I should reread that before getting to this, as it's been eight years now and I barely remember it, so thanks for confirming!
ayayrawn
Well-Known Member
Are these worth the read? I've been intrigued but they seem kind of self-indulgent
I love them, but I can't say exactly why. Maybe partly because he's almost exactly my age (within a month) but really, it's just such a deep dive into a stranger's soul that I'm fascinated. I think the books probably can be considered self indulgent, and yet from the first 100 pages of Book 1 I was hooked.
I started these in February of 2020, so I have read plenty of books in between each one, but knowing the finale was on my coffee table waiting to be cracked, with Karl Ove staring at me...well, I had to dive in.
I'd say most readers will know pretty quickly if it's their thing or not; so give it a go!
Indymisanthrope
Well-Known Member
Read this and see if it does anything for you:
My Saga, Part 1 (Published 2015)
The Norwegian author of the six-part autobiographical novel “My Struggle” follows the trail of the first Europeans to set foot in North America. First of two parts.
I just read part one and I liked it of course. But the comments section is pretty telling. The people who aren't fans or don't know his style ask things like: "why would a writer that doesn't like people be assigned to this kind of task?" Or "This is boring, it was more about him trying to get his license than his journey." Both are valid comments/questions.Read this and see if it does anything for you:
My Saga, Part 1 (Published 2015)
The Norwegian author of the six-part autobiographical novel “My Struggle” follows the trail of the first Europeans to set foot in North America. First of two parts.www.nytimes.com
Indymisanthrope
Well-Known Member
It's also where most of his magic lies, IMO. The way he dwells on the mundane is precisely what makes his writing compelling to me.
I don't know what to think about the 'problematic' stuff related to alienating his wife with his writing about her, etc. I've tried not to read too much about the real guy, and I don't know if that makes me complicit or whatever when it comes to all those Big Questions, but I do like his style a lot.
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Book 27: The Old Man And The Sea by Ernest Hemingway (Vintage Book, 2000)
This is another book that I read yearly and only takes a sitting or 2 to finish. It's an age-old story of trial and tribulations and generally a heartbreaking yet thrilling story.
This is another book that I read yearly and only takes a sitting or 2 to finish. It's an age-old story of trial and tribulations and generally a heartbreaking yet thrilling story.
Ericj32
Well-Known Member
I liked this part:Read this and see if it does anything for you:
My Saga, Part 1 (Published 2015)
The Norwegian author of the six-part autobiographical novel “My Struggle” follows the trail of the first Europeans to set foot in North America. First of two parts.
“If there was one thing I had been looking forward to, and had intended to base my article on, it was the sound of adventure that American place names evoked. Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania. All my life I had kept encountering them, and when I saw them in writing, vast spaces opened up within me. The names were romantic, exotic, distant, yet so close, strange, but still familiar. This is what I had wanted to write about, what this almost mythological landscape was like in reality. It was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Now there was nothing left of any of that.”
I had a German professor who taught philosophy in London and he went out drinking with us after class one night and he was so curious and fascinated with the idea of taking a “road trip” and thought it sounded so adventurous and thrilling. He had so many questions for us about road trips that we’d been on in America. He said that taking his daughters on a road trip in America was one of his life goals and it was just so hard for me to believe that someone who lives in Europe with access to Spain and Italy and France and Greece etc would want to fly to America just to drive around haha.
TrainFan73
Frothy
I've enjoyed everything by Eugenides I've read. Given that you just tackled some Austin, you should read The Marriage Plot.