NightOfJoy Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I did. It was the first one I read a few months ago and I agree. I mentioned this earlier, I think, but O'Brien is the type of writer who creates sentences/images that cause me to put the book down and think in the middle of a paragraph, chapter, whatever. That's THE sign, for me. Dwelling on this a bit more....Cormac McCarthy is another creative master.....there is a passage in particular that he describes the rising sun as a swollen male member........awesome stuff. Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 A few professors have raved about his work - I am intrigued as well. Let me know how you like it and I might be adding it to my wish list From what I Link to post Share on other sites
VenusStopsTrain2 Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 From what I've read about it (and its author), it is pretty much the sequel to, The Secret. I love how every few years, Oprah has a new guest who has just written a new book that claims to have it all figured out….until the next person arrives who has just written a new book and claims to have it all figured out……wash..rinse...repeat.... I used to work at a bookstore and my now former manager and I started betting (and still bet) on what Oprah's next book for her bookclub would be based on the tiny amt of information online that you'd get about them...it's fun attempting to guess on what Oprah normally does. 1. Usually her books have to do with women getting abused in some way2. At the end the woman triumphs And her latest book that she's had the classes for..it's over 10 years old..so where was Oprah all this time and what made her read it so long after it was written. Must be nice for E.T. that he's making a butt load of money off a book that is SO OLD! Link to post Share on other sites
jimmyjimmy Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Dwelling on this a bit more....Cormac McCarthy is another creative master.....there is a passage in particular that he describes the rising sun as a swollen male member........awesome stuff.Blood Meridian is poetry.Dark and foreboding, yet totally captivating. Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 I don't give a rat's ass if Oprah recommended it or not. It's been recommended to me by people who's opinions I respect. That's enough for me. I also have no problem with digging into a highly touted self-help book. "Warmed-over?" Fine. "All figured out?" I don't think the book makes this claim. I understand that the self-help industry is over-run with this type of book. The Grapes of Wrath was still a great book before Oprah plugged it, though. I'll have to wait on my opinion of the Tolle book until I actually read it, though. Link to post Share on other sites
redpillbox Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 It's my understanding that the Big O has been trying to get E.T. to be on her show/be an Oprah's Book Club pick for years and for years he's refused. I wonder why he changed his mind? Link to post Share on other sites
la* Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 This is great so far.. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 All you Tim O' Brien fans have tempted me into submission....thanks to a couple of leftover birthday gift certificates at Amazon, I've just now ordered "The Things They Carried" and "In the Lake of the Woods". Now, which should I read first? Laura, let us know how you liked "Unaccustomed Earth" when you've finished it. What's it about? Hey Mel (Venus) I've torn through all 3 books you lent me....loved them all! They will be headed back to you soon. Thanks so much for the loan! ("Torn through" meaning "read very speedily", not "ripped up". ) Link to post Share on other sites
VenusStopsTrain2 Posted April 24, 2008 Share Posted April 24, 2008 Hey Mel (Venus) I've torn through all 3 books you lent me....loved them all! They will be headed back to you soon. Thanks so much for the loan! ("Torn through" meaning "read very speedily", not "ripped up". ) That's good I was getting a bit concerned...I love those books....YAY for not tearing them and double yay that you ripped through them! I'll send you some more books when I send yours back. I have a few more authors for you to try! Link to post Share on other sites
explodo Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 This is great so far.. Her collection of stories, whatever that was called, was/is excellent. Interpreter of Maladies, I think. I haven't finished a book in a very long time, but I'm trying again with Guns, Germs, & Steel. So far, pretty interesting. Link to post Share on other sites
Reni Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 finally getting to this one. thanks for the recommendation Loretta! Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 I don't think the book makes this claim. I understand that the self-help industry is over-run with this type of book. The Grapes of Wrath was still a great book before Oprah plugged it, though. I'll have to wait on my opinion of the Tolle book until I actually read it, though. If nothing else, at least Oprah has brought readers to books who might not have read them otherwise. Grapes of Wrath, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Love in the Time of Cholera ... read by lots of people just because of that Oprah sticker. Whatever gets people reading and talking about books is fine by me. This is great so far.. Adding to my list. Funny, but it seems like anytime I'm considering a book, you recommend it and I add it to the list. That "If You Lived Here" book I was reading last week? Ugh. One step above chick lit. I hate that I wasted my time on it. Horrible. I'm much happier with this: Link to post Share on other sites
GtrPlyr Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 Just about to start this one: Link to post Share on other sites
NightOfJoy Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 All you Tim O' Brien fans have tempted me into submission....thanks to a couple of leftover birthday gift certificates at Amazon, I've just now ordered "The Things They Carried" and "In the Lake of the Woods". Now, which should I read first? I'd go with 'The Things They Carried". Link to post Share on other sites
la* Posted April 25, 2008 Share Posted April 25, 2008 All you Tim O' Brien fans have tempted me into submission....thanks to a couple of leftover birthday gift certificates at Amazon, I've just now ordered "The Things They Carried" and "In the Lake of the Woods". Now, which should I read first? Laura, let us know how you liked "Unaccustomed Earth" when you've finished it. What's it about? I'd read In the Lake of the Woods first, because I think The Things they Carried is so stunning that it's going to be hard to follow. Unaccustomed Earth is a collection of short stories with themes of love, family, identity-- the usual, but her writing is wonderful and very subtle and lovely. Lahiri's first book, Interpreter of Maladies, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. She has also written a great novel called The Namesake. If nothing else, at least Oprah has brought readers to books who might not have read them otherwise. Grapes of Wrath, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Love in the Time of Cholera ... read by lots of people just because of that Oprah sticker. Whatever gets people reading and talking about books is fine by me. Adding to my list. Funny, but it seems like anytime I'm considering a book, you recommend it and I add it to the list. I completely agree with you about Oprah. Anything that encourages reading is a positive thing! Funny that we are on the same book wavelength! This is a fine trend. Link to post Share on other sites
Dreamin' Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 A good companion to The Smartest Guys in the Room. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 A good companion to The Smartest Guys in the Room. That looks fascinating, but deeply depressing! Snakes on a Plane(t).....how do you read it as recreational reading? But then some writers can make even such a topic pretty damned riviting. Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Snakes on a Plane(t) Okay, that made me laugh until I snorted. I'm going to finish "Bearing the Body" in the next hour (it's a good read). Then I'm starting: Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Okay, that made me laugh until I snorted. I'm going to finish "Bearing the Body" in the next hour (it's a good read). Then I'm starting: I hug you across the miles for being easily amused. Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 I hug you across the miles for being easily amused. What can I say? Some days, it doesn't take much for me. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 2, 2008 Share Posted May 2, 2008 Once Upon a Time in Italy: The Westerns of Sergio Leone by Christopher Frayling The Art Of Sergio Leone's Once Upon A Time In The West: A Critical Appreciation by John Wesley Fawell Sergio Leone: Something to Do With Death by Christopher Frayling Link to post Share on other sites
Three dollars and 63 cents Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 This is great so far.. How did I not know this was out already. I'm a huge Jhumpa Lahiri fan. Interpreter of Maladies is one of my all-time favorite books I had an hour to kill this afternoon while waiting to pick up my new glasses, and I ended up at Barnes and Noble, where I got I've spent the last few months reading The Satanic Verses, and I should probably be done with it sometime this weekend. I've enjoyed it, but it's been extremely dense reading, so I'm looking forward to reading something a bit more linear next. Link to post Share on other sites
fickerson Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I haven't read through this entire thread, so I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I just finished this last night: and it has affected me more than any other book I've read in a long, long time. I didn't let myself get too emotional about it until I finished, but once I did - my head is still spinning. everyone should read this book. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Well, I'm intrigued! What's it about, in 20 words or less? Link to post Share on other sites
fickerson Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 it's a (mostly true) biography about a southern Sudanese boy's journey from his village (after it was attacked) to several refugee camps, and finally, America. The things that happened to this kid, and the amount of strength and growth and resilience he's shown - just amazing. and it's beautifully written; every sentence seems to have a larger purpose, and is perfectly crafted. Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts