Calexico Posted October 11, 2008 Share Posted October 11, 2008 Any Stephen King fans here or is that too low brow for this forum? Duma Key anyone? Link to post Share on other sites
awatt Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 For the death and dying class... Link to post Share on other sites
explodo Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 Any Stephen King fans here or is that too low brow for this forum? Duma Key anyone?I have read bundles of his books, but nothing recently. I kind of figured, after that Buick 8 book, I should just walk away. Link to post Share on other sites
Calexico Posted October 13, 2008 Share Posted October 13, 2008 I have read bundles of his books, but nothing recently. I kind of figured, after that Buick 8 book, I should just walk away. Yea, he had kind of a lull there after finishing the Dark Tower series. Duma Key is great though as was Lisey's Story. Link to post Share on other sites
The High Heat Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 i was able to get an advanced copy of Dennis Lehane's The Given Day, a historical novel set in 1918 Boston...it's epic in scope (over 700 pages) and is a real artistic progression for him. I am about 250 pages in and loving it. even Babe Ruth makes an appearence.I'm reading that now, 100 pages left to go. I love it! Nice to see Lehane move beyond mysteries and excel. Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 For what it's worth, here are my favorite epic fantasy authors in order of prowess and enjoyability. 1. Gene Wolfe. Furreals. The Book of the New Sun is the shit. Dazzling in its inventiveness; truly transporting to another world.2. J.R.R. Tolkien. Well, duh. Moral instruction delivered in inspirational form.3. Robert E. Howard. - love his pulp prose style - clean and evocative.4. Michael Moorcock. - a very good writer, prolific at a high level and imaginative as hell. Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I'm reading that now, 100 pages left to go. I love it! Nice to see Lehane move beyond mysteries and excel.Good to hear - I haven't read any of Lehane's stuff, but it certainly translates well to the screen (plus he wrote some great episodes of The Wire) - I read an interview where he said the nugget that got him writing about that era was post-WW/molasses disaster and realizing people must have been thinking the world was ending, and to extend the point, people must always be thinking their era is when the world will end. Link to post Share on other sites
Azzurri Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Good to hear - I haven't read any of Lehane's stuff, but it certainly translates well to the screen (plus he wrote some great episodes of The Wire) - I read an interview where he said the nugget that got him writing about that era was post-WW/molasses disaster and realizing people must have been thinking the world was ending, and to extend the point, people must always be thinking their era is when the world will end. if you do get the time to read Lehane, i would certainly recommend The Given Day. but to fully appreciate his development as an author, you may want to start with his earlier works. his best after The Given Day is clearly Mystic River, followed by Shutter Island (mind twisting mystery that is soon to be a Scorcese movie). Link to post Share on other sites
redpillbox Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 First time. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 About 50 pages into this, and loving it: Recently finished: Almost done with the Tobias Wolff! Still to go on the TW list: The Barracks Thief, and Our Story Begins. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 Next up in the stack: Heard her read a bit of it the other night. She had a bad cold, but as she herself commented, it didn't really make her voice sound all that much worse. And on hold for me at the library: Link to post Share on other sites
Three dollars and 63 cents Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 And on hold for me at the library: I started that this weekend and read 80 pages almost effortlessly. I'm really looking forward to our discussion of it. Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 it's weird that they put Jerry Seinfeld on the cover, he had zero impact on comedy in the 1970s. I don't even think his career got off the ground til ~1981-82. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 it's weird that they put Jerry Seinfeld on the cover, he had zero impact on comedy in the 1970s. I don't even think his career got off the ground til ~1981-82.He was definitely a working comic in the late 70s, but yeah, he would certainly fit better in a study of comedy in the 80s. Link to post Share on other sites
redpillbox Posted October 21, 2008 Share Posted October 21, 2008 Recently finished: Almost done with the Tobias Wolff! LOVE Tobias Wolff. If you've never heard him read his stuff, I strongly recommend it. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted October 21, 2008 Author Share Posted October 21, 2008 LOVE Tobias Wolff. If you've never heard him read his stuff, I strongly recommend it.Yeah, I'm loving his stuff. Great combination of really plainly written stories with great plots, so I'm zipping through them, but at the same time the writing is so beautiful, and the characters and their situations are just haunting, they're stuck in my head like they've always lived there. I'm usually not one for audiobooks, but I do like to hear writers read their own work. I'll check him out. Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I'll be starting The Wishing Year tonight or tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Started John Adams. Wonderful so far. Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 That's on my list too. Different than The List, but a list nonetheless. Link to post Share on other sites
jimmyjimmy Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 Real quickly... Link to post Share on other sites
redpillbox Posted October 22, 2008 Share Posted October 22, 2008 I'm usually not one for audiobooks, but I do like to hear writers read their own work. I'll check him out. Me either, but he's got a rhythm to his readings that hypnotize and highten his prose. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted October 28, 2008 Author Share Posted October 28, 2008 Went to hear David Sedaris read last night. He filled the Opera House (capacity 3000+). I was surprised by how self-assured he seemed on stage, it was a definite contrast to the squirrelly persona he puts across in his books. I'd say I enjoyed the new stories he read last night to anything in the last book, although that may have just been because it's easier to laugh out loud in a theater full of other laughing people, than on a crowded streetcar during rush hour. Oh, and he signed my book: "To Maudie,Your story touched my heart.David Sedaris" He recommended this, so I'll be putting it on my list: Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 I don't read a whole lot of history but this is pretty good. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted November 3, 2008 Share Posted November 3, 2008 Not usually the type of book I read, but I am reading all of Tony Hillerman's books. Link to post Share on other sites
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