Thackeraye
Well-Known Member
Really enjoyed this.
2023 Reading Challenge
- Thread starter Selaws
- Start date
Really enjoyed this.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 6
Accidental Czar - The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin by Andrew S. Weiss & Brian "Box" Brown
I'm a big fan of Box Brown and have all of his books that precede these - his simple drawing style and interesting topics make for breezy reads that are loaded with substance (previous topics include Tetris, Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman and America's Criminalization of Cannabis). This is the first time encountering him as the artist only, but he and Weiss put together a tome that is still a breezy and fun read despite the density behind it. Weiss brings 30-plus years of experience with Russian policy to the table as he unravels not only Putin's personal narrative but places it within a deep historical Russian context as well. A very fascinating and engaging read. Highly recommended.
Accidental Czar - The Life and Lies of Vladimir Putin by Andrew S. Weiss & Brian "Box" Brown
I'm a big fan of Box Brown and have all of his books that precede these - his simple drawing style and interesting topics make for breezy reads that are loaded with substance (previous topics include Tetris, Andre the Giant, Andy Kaufman and America's Criminalization of Cannabis). This is the first time encountering him as the artist only, but he and Weiss put together a tome that is still a breezy and fun read despite the density behind it. Weiss brings 30-plus years of experience with Russian policy to the table as he unravels not only Putin's personal narrative but places it within a deep historical Russian context as well. A very fascinating and engaging read. Highly recommended.
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TrainFan73
Frothy
Given that Nick Cave wrote the intro, I take it that’s the Australian musician and not the guy that wrote Planetary.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 7
Hardcore Anxiety - A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock and Mental Health by Reid Chancellor
This caught my eye at the library one day and I'm glad I grabbed it. It sat on the kitchen table into its third and final renewal before I got to it but it was a very enjoyable read once I did. Mostly memoir with a dozen or so band profiles that place them into punk history context, as well as addressing their contribution(s) to conversation and/or understanding of mental health. Definitely not an in-depth look at any of the bands profiled, but certainly a good starting point if you aren't already familiar with them.
Hardcore Anxiety - A Graphic Guide to Punk Rock and Mental Health by Reid Chancellor
This caught my eye at the library one day and I'm glad I grabbed it. It sat on the kitchen table into its third and final renewal before I got to it but it was a very enjoyable read once I did. Mostly memoir with a dozen or so band profiles that place them into punk history context, as well as addressing their contribution(s) to conversation and/or understanding of mental health. Definitely not an in-depth look at any of the bands profiled, but certainly a good starting point if you aren't already familiar with them.
Ericj32
Well-Known Member
David Copperfield and Tale of Two Cities are solid classics that I actually enjoyed much more than Great Expectations when I read them all in high school, but YMMV. I actually need to re-read Great Expectations, because I'm realizing that I don't really remember what rubbed me the wrong way about it. But DC and TTC were like "oh my God, I didn't know books could be this good!"-level reading experiences for me. The recent Armando Ianucci film, "The Personal History of David Copperfield" is also pretty charming and wonderful but I'd wait until after you read the book to watch it because it takes some liberties with the plot that might be confusing if you read the book for the first time after seeing it. TTC feels quite epic in scope and has a lot of narrative threads and characters, whereas David Copperfield is more focused on the titular character, so they're quite different novels but both worthy of a read if you already know that you enjoy Dickens's writing.
TrainFan73
Frothy
I went ahead and ordered this, should be here later today.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 8
Vinyl Freak - Love Letters to a Dying Medium by John Corbett
I've been picking away at this one for the past two months. Outside of a handful of chapters it's a collection of previously published columns, each dedicated to an album that, at the time of writing, was not available on any digital format. As such it makes for an easy book to pick up and put down repeatedly. My want list and to-listen lists have grown substantially as a result. The absolute crowning glory of the book for me, unsurprisingly, is Corbett recounting his experience salvaging what he could of the Sun Ra Archive at Alton Abrham's house around a year after his passing. What a ride!
Vinyl Freak - Love Letters to a Dying Medium by John Corbett
I've been picking away at this one for the past two months. Outside of a handful of chapters it's a collection of previously published columns, each dedicated to an album that, at the time of writing, was not available on any digital format. As such it makes for an easy book to pick up and put down repeatedly. My want list and to-listen lists have grown substantially as a result. The absolute crowning glory of the book for me, unsurprisingly, is Corbett recounting his experience salvaging what he could of the Sun Ra Archive at Alton Abrham's house around a year after his passing. What a ride!
TrainFan73
Frothy
COVER IS TRIGGERING!!!! AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Its pretty crazy how often I think and refer back to this book. I wish there was a book just of crate-digging stories like the Sun Ra story, its so captivating.
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Book 8: 21 Lessons For The 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari (Jonathan Cape, 2018)
A couple of years ago I read Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens" and was pretty blown away by it. Every single page seemed to highlight an incredible aspect of the world that I had never realised, understood, or made the connection to before. A year later I read the follow up, "Homo Deus", which focused on the future. Finally, I have gotten around to reading the final in the current trilogy, "Lessons For The 21st Century". I have to admit that I didnt find it as gripping as the other 2 volumes, but it was still a great read that really opened up a few ideas that I had never really explored before. Well worth a read.
A couple of years ago I read Yuval Noah Harari's "Sapiens" and was pretty blown away by it. Every single page seemed to highlight an incredible aspect of the world that I had never realised, understood, or made the connection to before. A year later I read the follow up, "Homo Deus", which focused on the future. Finally, I have gotten around to reading the final in the current trilogy, "Lessons For The 21st Century". I have to admit that I didnt find it as gripping as the other 2 volumes, but it was still a great read that really opened up a few ideas that I had never really explored before. Well worth a read.
I finished The Wind Up Bird Chronicle yesterday...what a journey; for as complex as it was, I enjoyed reading it so much. Not that I have a full grasp of what I just read.
So I started this one this morning. For as much Tom Waits as I've listened to, I've never read much about him. This book was recommended by a few folks around here so I decided to dive in.
So I started this one this morning. For as much Tom Waits as I've listened to, I've never read much about him. This book was recommended by a few folks around here so I decided to dive in.
Selaws
Well-Known Member
Nice, I have read both The Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Lowside Of The Road and found them both to be really enjoyable. The Waits is interesting as its from an outsider perspective, Waits declined to provide info/interviews, but its the closest we will get to an accurate view of his career.
Hoskyns has already made it pretty clear in his intro that the Waits/Brennan camp is nearly impenetrable. Looking forward to it regardless. I did enjoy the Swordfish 33 1/3...that's what gave me the itch to get this one. It took cuts in front of a few other books I have in queue.
jamieanderson1968
Well-Known Member
Time for a little SciFi
Rubicon / JS Dewes
This is book #10. My last one Once Upon a Tome/Oliver Darkshire was a total slog even though it was only about 250 pages. I am aiming for 24 books this year, but also trying to finish everything I start. Once Upon A Tome almost put stop to that. The writing was absolutely insufferable to me.
Rubicon / JS Dewes
This is book #10. My last one Once Upon a Tome/Oliver Darkshire was a total slog even though it was only about 250 pages. I am aiming for 24 books this year, but also trying to finish everything I start. Once Upon A Tome almost put stop to that. The writing was absolutely insufferable to me.
Bull Shannon
Well-Known Member
Book 7: Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St. John Mandel
This was my first St. John Mandel book, though I've seen the Station Eleven series; this definitely gave me shades of that. Great prose, excellent vibes overall. Maybe a little slight on plot, but that's absolutely forgivable as the book doesn't overstay its welcome. I'm actually not sure how I'd describe the plot without giving it away, as the whole thing unfolds very holistically and recursively. Just read it.
For those who have read it, I will say the plot itself reminded me a lot of old EC Comics; there's a trope in those where an explorer/soldier is sent to investigate a supernatural occurrence (some terrible, hairy beast is attacking people in the woods), suffers a freak supernatural accident (the hero falls into a time tunnel or some radioactive muck), then discovers they themselves have become the menace they've been sent to fight (I've grown hair all over my body and when I tried to ask someone for help they thought I was attacking them!). I don't necessarily think the similarity was intentional beyond "I'm my own grandpa" being a verdant trope.
Book 8: The Defence, by Vladimir Nabokov
Ordered this after finishing Pnin earlier this year; love Nabokov but haven't explored the biblio in full. This story concerns a chess grandmaster who becomes obsessed with the game and suffers a nervous break. I enjoyed the beginning half or so, as we're introduced to the grandmaster Luhzin and watch his love affair with the game begin in childhood. The second half gets a little dull as it's mostly concerned with the adult Luhzin's beleaguered wife trying to shield him from any exposure to chess. There is a funny part where a movie they're seeing includes a brief chess game, to great tension on her part; and the motif of light filtered through leaves dappling surfaces with a chessboard pattern is quite potent. Still, kinda a disappointment. Both surprising and kinda encouraging to have an author who makes me go "I wish I could write like that," and read something by them which I find lacking.
Book 9: Calde of the Long Sun, by Gene Wolfe
Book 3 of the 4-volume Book of the Long Sun series (and eight overall of the Solar Cycle!). I think I have a grasp of what's going on here; there's a bit less subtext or subtlety there (though enough that I'm still listening back to a lit podcast recapping it, though only once finishing the book rather than as I finish each chapter as I did with New Sun (did you know there are like six Gene Wolfe podcasts??)).
Anyway, Patera/Calde Silk is getting into all sorts of troubles in the medieval/futuristic town of Viron. While the overall series genre/tone is that of a swashbuckling detective series, each volume is a different "type" of book (the first being a detective story, the second being a vacation/travelogue); this one is a war story. A lot escalates and culminates with this book, and knowing Wolfe that means he's left space in the concluding volume to just drastically zoom out and confuse the heck outta me with the fourth volume.
Book 10: Stay True: A Memoir, by Hua Hsu
I've heard plenty of buzzing about this one from a few friends as well as in the media, and it did not disappoint. Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, befriends Japanese-American Ken at Berkeley; at first the ephemera-obsessed culture snob Hua writes off frat-boy Ken, who's sincerely into Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam. Over time, they bond over a shared quest for authenticity and the familiar struggle of finding a place in a culture that aggressively edges you out.
Hsu is a great writer, weaving anecdotes and musings on late-night conversations with digressions on philosophers and sociologists' treatises on the nature of friendship. By citing works he was studying during their friendship, he calcifies the search for identity as universal yet intimately unique from person to person. This one gave me a lot to think about; it got me way nostalgic for my own college days in CA (albeit a decade later) and one particularly close and similar friendship I had over that period. Of late, one of my big regrets of youth has been that I spent so much time worrying about who/what I'd become, I often didn't enjoy or opt for the more enjoyable/free parts of the process. It was a balm to see someone embrace the impatience as part of the process.
This was my first St. John Mandel book, though I've seen the Station Eleven series; this definitely gave me shades of that. Great prose, excellent vibes overall. Maybe a little slight on plot, but that's absolutely forgivable as the book doesn't overstay its welcome. I'm actually not sure how I'd describe the plot without giving it away, as the whole thing unfolds very holistically and recursively. Just read it.
For those who have read it, I will say the plot itself reminded me a lot of old EC Comics; there's a trope in those where an explorer/soldier is sent to investigate a supernatural occurrence (some terrible, hairy beast is attacking people in the woods), suffers a freak supernatural accident (the hero falls into a time tunnel or some radioactive muck), then discovers they themselves have become the menace they've been sent to fight (I've grown hair all over my body and when I tried to ask someone for help they thought I was attacking them!). I don't necessarily think the similarity was intentional beyond "I'm my own grandpa" being a verdant trope.
Book 8: The Defence, by Vladimir Nabokov
Ordered this after finishing Pnin earlier this year; love Nabokov but haven't explored the biblio in full. This story concerns a chess grandmaster who becomes obsessed with the game and suffers a nervous break. I enjoyed the beginning half or so, as we're introduced to the grandmaster Luhzin and watch his love affair with the game begin in childhood. The second half gets a little dull as it's mostly concerned with the adult Luhzin's beleaguered wife trying to shield him from any exposure to chess. There is a funny part where a movie they're seeing includes a brief chess game, to great tension on her part; and the motif of light filtered through leaves dappling surfaces with a chessboard pattern is quite potent. Still, kinda a disappointment. Both surprising and kinda encouraging to have an author who makes me go "I wish I could write like that," and read something by them which I find lacking.
Book 9: Calde of the Long Sun, by Gene Wolfe
Book 3 of the 4-volume Book of the Long Sun series (and eight overall of the Solar Cycle!). I think I have a grasp of what's going on here; there's a bit less subtext or subtlety there (though enough that I'm still listening back to a lit podcast recapping it, though only once finishing the book rather than as I finish each chapter as I did with New Sun (did you know there are like six Gene Wolfe podcasts??)).
Anyway, Patera/Calde Silk is getting into all sorts of troubles in the medieval/futuristic town of Viron. While the overall series genre/tone is that of a swashbuckling detective series, each volume is a different "type" of book (the first being a detective story, the second being a vacation/travelogue); this one is a war story. A lot escalates and culminates with this book, and knowing Wolfe that means he's left space in the concluding volume to just drastically zoom out and confuse the heck outta me with the fourth volume.
Book 10: Stay True: A Memoir, by Hua Hsu
I've heard plenty of buzzing about this one from a few friends as well as in the media, and it did not disappoint. Hua, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, befriends Japanese-American Ken at Berkeley; at first the ephemera-obsessed culture snob Hua writes off frat-boy Ken, who's sincerely into Dave Matthews and Pearl Jam. Over time, they bond over a shared quest for authenticity and the familiar struggle of finding a place in a culture that aggressively edges you out.
Hsu is a great writer, weaving anecdotes and musings on late-night conversations with digressions on philosophers and sociologists' treatises on the nature of friendship. By citing works he was studying during their friendship, he calcifies the search for identity as universal yet intimately unique from person to person. This one gave me a lot to think about; it got me way nostalgic for my own college days in CA (albeit a decade later) and one particularly close and similar friendship I had over that period. Of late, one of my big regrets of youth has been that I spent so much time worrying about who/what I'd become, I often didn't enjoy or opt for the more enjoyable/free parts of the process. It was a balm to see someone embrace the impatience as part of the process.
Mr Moore
Well-Known Member
March 2023
Book 10: Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
You think you know a story sometimes and then you actually read it! This is way darker than I ever expected, riddled with child abuse and domestic violence, Dickens' second book paints a bleak picture of the London underworld with a shocking conclusion and demise to his arch villain. The historic prose had me needing a good few weeks to get through this one but it was good stuff.
Book 11: Bad Haircut - Tom Perrotta
This was a delight. 10 vignette style tales come together to form a coming-of-age novel of sorts capturing the formative years of a boy named Buddy. Falling somewhere between The Wonder Years, Pretty in Pink and Class, this unfamiliar world of '70s New Jersey felt all too relatable and made for a very enjoyable, (if not ground-breaking) couple of days reading.
Book 12: Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
This book did a couple of things that I normally hate. Firstly, it interwove several distinct groups of characters into one narrative thread that defies believability and secondly, it revealed the culprit from one case to be a completely unknown and hitherto unheard of character that prevents any chance of the reader solving the said case themselves. That being said, I didn't hate the book, in fact, I found myself enjoying it. I timed it with a long weekend visit to Cambridge where this book is set and Atkinson captures that city really well. The mysteries are really good (insolubility notwithstanding) and Atkinson's characters are multi-layered and likeable. As the first in a series, I haven't been put off trying another down the road.
Book 13: The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
Greene was such a good writer. I've read a few others in my younger years and always said I need to read more. Well, I have loads in my collection having picked them up in 99p deals so I plumped for this one and what a belter it is. Set in 1930s Mexico when practicing the Catholic religion was outlawed and priests were given two options: marry, proving the faith a sham; or be executed. The book follows the hunt for the last remaining priest in the state, a flawed alcoholic who has already fathered a child but refuses to give in to the tyrannical regime. Darkly funny at times, the book highlights the fallibility of religion and the religious but also the idiocy in trying to curtail those of true faith. Not a light read but superbly crafted.
Book 14: Luster - Raven Leilani
I've loved every word of this. I can't believe it's a debut, it feels so accomplished. Edie, a twentysomething black woman gets involved with Eric, a fortysomething white man in an open marriage. As the relationship develops, we're introduced to Eric's pathologist wife and adopted black daughter. This often uncomfortable story is told with an incredibly keen observational eye and a razor sharp wit that had me in stitches at times. I absolutely cannot wait to see what her next book offers.
Book 10: Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
You think you know a story sometimes and then you actually read it! This is way darker than I ever expected, riddled with child abuse and domestic violence, Dickens' second book paints a bleak picture of the London underworld with a shocking conclusion and demise to his arch villain. The historic prose had me needing a good few weeks to get through this one but it was good stuff.
Book 11: Bad Haircut - Tom Perrotta
This was a delight. 10 vignette style tales come together to form a coming-of-age novel of sorts capturing the formative years of a boy named Buddy. Falling somewhere between The Wonder Years, Pretty in Pink and Class, this unfamiliar world of '70s New Jersey felt all too relatable and made for a very enjoyable, (if not ground-breaking) couple of days reading.
Book 12: Case Histories - Kate Atkinson
This book did a couple of things that I normally hate. Firstly, it interwove several distinct groups of characters into one narrative thread that defies believability and secondly, it revealed the culprit from one case to be a completely unknown and hitherto unheard of character that prevents any chance of the reader solving the said case themselves. That being said, I didn't hate the book, in fact, I found myself enjoying it. I timed it with a long weekend visit to Cambridge where this book is set and Atkinson captures that city really well. The mysteries are really good (insolubility notwithstanding) and Atkinson's characters are multi-layered and likeable. As the first in a series, I haven't been put off trying another down the road.
Book 13: The Power and the Glory - Graham Greene
Greene was such a good writer. I've read a few others in my younger years and always said I need to read more. Well, I have loads in my collection having picked them up in 99p deals so I plumped for this one and what a belter it is. Set in 1930s Mexico when practicing the Catholic religion was outlawed and priests were given two options: marry, proving the faith a sham; or be executed. The book follows the hunt for the last remaining priest in the state, a flawed alcoholic who has already fathered a child but refuses to give in to the tyrannical regime. Darkly funny at times, the book highlights the fallibility of religion and the religious but also the idiocy in trying to curtail those of true faith. Not a light read but superbly crafted.
Book 14: Luster - Raven Leilani
I've loved every word of this. I can't believe it's a debut, it feels so accomplished. Edie, a twentysomething black woman gets involved with Eric, a fortysomething white man in an open marriage. As the relationship develops, we're introduced to Eric's pathologist wife and adopted black daughter. This often uncomfortable story is told with an incredibly keen observational eye and a razor sharp wit that had me in stitches at times. I absolutely cannot wait to see what her next book offers.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 9
Star Wars: The High Republic - Convergence by Zoraida Córdova
Back into the High Republic! I have a couple of other books on the go, but I had half a dozen High Republic books all show up at once, so they will be occupying a lot of my upcoming reading as I finally finish off Phase 1 and continue forward in Phase 2. This is the first of the three "adult" novels in Phase 2 and it takes us right into the "Forever War" between Eiram and E'ronoh mentioned in the Phase 2 scroll text. I've never read anything by Córdova before but she's a great addition to the stable of writers tackling this era - her characters and pacing are fantastic. The only reason this book took me more than a few days to read was because of work and family stuff, else I'd have devoured it much sooner. It holds the dubious distinction of being my only High Republic book that actually looks used once I've finished it. My desire to try and finish it this week has been strong enough to ignore my body telling me I need sleep and so it took a few tumbles as I fell asleep trying to read it. Last night's fall really did a number on the front cover. Oh well!
Star Wars: The High Republic - Convergence by Zoraida Córdova
Back into the High Republic! I have a couple of other books on the go, but I had half a dozen High Republic books all show up at once, so they will be occupying a lot of my upcoming reading as I finally finish off Phase 1 and continue forward in Phase 2. This is the first of the three "adult" novels in Phase 2 and it takes us right into the "Forever War" between Eiram and E'ronoh mentioned in the Phase 2 scroll text. I've never read anything by Córdova before but she's a great addition to the stable of writers tackling this era - her characters and pacing are fantastic. The only reason this book took me more than a few days to read was because of work and family stuff, else I'd have devoured it much sooner. It holds the dubious distinction of being my only High Republic book that actually looks used once I've finished it. My desire to try and finish it this week has been strong enough to ignore my body telling me I need sleep and so it took a few tumbles as I fell asleep trying to read it. Last night's fall really did a number on the front cover. Oh well!
ayayrawn
Well-Known Member
3. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie - Been looking for some fantasy that scratches the ASoIaF itch for ages and had this recommended to me. Unfortunately didn't quite do it. Just not as well written or enjoyable to follow. Didn't hate it, but meh.
4. The Complete Stories of Beatrix Potter - Cute.
5. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton - Been listening to this on audiobook for a while, and finally finished. Great stuff. Pretty much 1:1 with the movie, so if you love one, you'll love the other.
6. Stay True by Hua Hsu - This broke my heart and really got to me. It's a memoir about a friend the author connected with in college over music and their identities who was murdered in a car jacking. I also lost a friend to similarly senseless circumstances last year, and really connected with it. Beautifully and vulnerably told. I recommend.
In the middle of Emma by Austen right now. Her stuff is always so pleasant and fun.
Ericj32
Well-Known Member
Not sure if you've seen it but there's a new Great Expectations miniseries on Hulu now (I think it's a collboration between FX and the BBC). Steven Knight (the creator of Peaky Blinders) is behind it, and Tom Hardy and Ridley Scott have producer credits, and Olivia Colman plays Miss Havisham. I've only seen the first two episodes but it's pretty good so far.
avecigrec
Well-Known Member
Book 10
Star Wars: The High Republic - The Batte of Jedha by George Mann
Like The Tempest Runner in Phase 1, this is the script for an audio drama so its nearly 500 pages read quite breezily. It's also pretty high-octane action and suspense, which also help make it a speedy read. George Mann is easily my least favourite of the writers attached to The High Republic material. He is not bad or awful, but I've found over a few titles by him (including non High Republic material) that some of his dialogue can exposition can be on the corny side which tends to make him a consistent 3 or 4 out of 5 writer, instead of a 4 or 5. All in all, though, he's done a perfectly fine job here of closing out wave one of Phase 2 with a bang and has handled to most important aspects of the material quite well and I am way excited to see what comes next!
Star Wars: The High Republic - The Batte of Jedha by George Mann
Like The Tempest Runner in Phase 1, this is the script for an audio drama so its nearly 500 pages read quite breezily. It's also pretty high-octane action and suspense, which also help make it a speedy read. George Mann is easily my least favourite of the writers attached to The High Republic material. He is not bad or awful, but I've found over a few titles by him (including non High Republic material) that some of his dialogue can exposition can be on the corny side which tends to make him a consistent 3 or 4 out of 5 writer, instead of a 4 or 5. All in all, though, he's done a perfectly fine job here of closing out wave one of Phase 2 with a bang and has handled to most important aspects of the material quite well and I am way excited to see what comes next!