The Reader’s Nook - The N&G Book Thread

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Pretty much everybody else in my high school English class hated Of Mice And Men, but it I loved. When I read Grapes of Wrath a few years later I decided Steinbeck was #1 for American Lit.

I love Steinbeck. Travel’s With Charlie is one of my favorite books.

I enjoyed the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, but a more appropriate title would probably be the semi-interesting adventures of Kavalier and sometimes Klay is there. If Chabon's prose wasn't so great, I probably would've found it pretty boring.

of the Chabon books I have read, I would say that K&C is my third favorite. Wonderboys is my number one and Mysteries of Pittsburgh would be at second, I think K&C is phenomenal and worthy of its acclaim I just prefer the other two books more.

 

[Indymisanthrope]

I love Steinbeck. Travel’s With Charlie is one of my favorite books.

of the Chabon books I have read, I would say that K&C is my third favorite. Wonderboys is my number one and Mysteries of Pittsburgh would be at second, I think K&C is phenomenal and worthy of its acclaim I just prefer the other two books more.

From there his career has been strange. I found Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Gentlemen of the Road, and Telegraph Avenue all varying levels of boring/disappointing. Haven’t even attempted his most recent doorstop. Knowing that he was in the writers’ room for the dismal Picard has kind of killed most of the remaining goodwill I had from reading Wonder Boys and K&C in college.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

From there his career has been strange. I found Yiddish Policemen’s Union, Gentlemen of the Road, and Telegraph Avenue all varying levels of boring/disappointing. Haven’t even attempted his most recent doorstop. Knowing that he was in the writers’ room for the dismal Picard has kind of killed most of the remaining goodwill I had from reading Wonder Boys and K&C in college.

Yeah, Yiddish Police Union was a bit disappointing, that was the first of his books I read immediately upon it’s release and was looking forward to it after reading his first 3 books in quick succession the year prior. The premise was quirky and interesting but it didn’t grab me and took me forever to finish. After that I didn’t read another Chabon title until Moonglow which I enjoyed quite a bit though I not to the level of those first three novels.

 

[ranbalam]

I enjoyed the Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay, but a more appropriate title would probably be the semi-interesting adventures of Kavalier and sometimes Klay is there. If Chabon's prose wasn't so great, I probably would've found it pretty boring.

That's why I finished it. I lost interest in the story but loved the writing.

Pretty much everybody else in my high school English class hated Of Mice And Men, but it I loved. When I read Grapes of Wrath a few years later I decided Steinbeck was #1 for American Lit.

I read Grapes in high school, or enough of it to pass a test probably. I re-read it about four years ago and absolutely loved it.
East of Eden is among my favorite books ever. I should probably re-read Of Mice and Men too.

 

[ranbalam]

I'm currently about halfway through Pride and Prejudice. It's my first Jane Austen. Wow, the language...50 cent words abound, plus a lot of very dense sentences.

 

[kvetcha]

I'm currently about halfway through Pride and Prejudice. It's my first Jane Austen. Wow, the language...50 cent words abound, plus a lot of very dense sentences.

Once you've finished that, read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

 

[ayayrawn]

Once you've finished that, read Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

Plan on getting to this sometime later this year.

If I ever finish Brothers Karamazov.

 

[Bull Shannon]

That's why I finished it. I lost interest in the story but loved the writing.

I read Grapes in high school, or enough of it to pass a test probably. I re-read it about four years ago and absolutely loved it.
East of Eden is among my favorite books ever. I should probably re-read Of Mice and Men too.

My Steinbeck journey began with The Pearl in high school, which I loved. Then it was Mice and Men and Cannery Row, which I also ate up. Grapes always got a real bad rap with my classmates, and I didn't pick it up until college; it absolutely blew me away.

I need to reread East of Eden; I also picked that one up independently, but it didn't hit me very hard. In the time since I've seen massive effusive praise for it online (it's Reddit's second-favorite book next to Flowers for Algernon); maybe it's time to pick it up and figure out what the fuss is all about.

 

[kvetcha]

Plan on getting to this sometime later this year.

If I ever finish Brothers Karamazov.

It's a book I think I only realized was truly special after I'd finished it. It feels like something that a person has spent over a decade thinking about.

 

[avecigrec]

and I didn't pick it up until college; it absolutely blew me away.

...I'd dropped out of college, but otherwise the same. I've been wanting to revisit it lately and might later this year. East of Eden is one i haven't gotten to yet, but most I know who have read it, rave about it

 

[avecigrec]

I find it mildly frustrating but mostly very hilarious that the person who has the ADHD book I'm waiting for from the library is currently three weeks late returning it.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

I find it mildly frustrating but mostly very hilarious that the person who has the ADHD book I'm waiting for from the library is currently three weeks late returning it.

This is irony. Alanis should take notes.

 

[Bull Shannon]

Heading to the Indiana area in a couple weeks for the eclipse and thought some Vonnegut would be fun and fine. Might reread Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse, but of those I haven't read Mother Night, Galapagos, and Slapstick pique my interest; does anyone who's read those have thoughts?

 

[BjorgenFjorgen]

Heading to the Indiana area in a couple weeks for the eclipse and thought some Vonnegut would be fun and fine. Might reread Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse, but of those I haven't read Mother Night, Galapagos, and Slapstick pique my interest; does anyone who's read those have thoughts?

Galapagos is great!

 

[avecigrec]

Heading to the Indiana area in a couple weeks for the eclipse and thought some Vonnegut would be fun and fine. Might reread Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse, but of those I haven't read Mother Night, Galapagos, and Slapstick pique my interest; does anyone who's read those have thoughts?

You gonna be able to visit Kurt in Indianapolis?



(Somewhere in a box of old hard drives I have pictures of me here, but for now this'll have to do.)

 

[Bull Shannon]

You gonna be able to visit Kurt in Indianapolis?

View attachment 198728

(Somewhere in a box of old hard drives I have pictures of me here, but for now this'll have to do.)

We'll be in the area so a visit may be in order! It's a family trip, so that could mean a stuffed itinerary or the need to add some side journeys such as this.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Heading to the Indiana area in a couple weeks for the eclipse and thought some Vonnegut would be fun and fine. Might reread Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse, but of those I haven't read Mother Night, Galapagos, and Slapstick pique my interest; does anyone who's read those have thoughts?

Mother Night is very good have yet tor read the other two.

 

[MattS]

Heading to the Indiana area in a couple weeks for the eclipse and thought some Vonnegut would be fun and fine. Might reread Cat's Cradle or Slaughterhouse, but of those I haven't read Mother Night, Galapagos, and Slapstick pique my interest; does anyone who's read those have thoughts?

Mother Night is fantastic - definitely my favorite of those three, though all good and interesting

 

[Indymisanthrope]

You gonna be able to visit Kurt in Indianapolis?

View attachment 198728

(Somewhere in a box of old hard drives I have pictures of me here, but for now this'll have to do.)

We'll be in the area so a visit may be in order! It's a family trip, so that could mean a stuffed itinerary or the need to add some side journeys such as this.

I drive by Kurt daily! @Bull Shannon if you need any recs give me a shout.

 

[LeSamourai]

When you get a few minutes to yourself while chaperoning a bunch of 6th-graders at science camp, reading about the Shire on a bench grown into two redwoods with nothing but river sounds hits the spot.