lost highway Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Number 9 dreams is quite a bit different than all of his stuff, I liked it quite a bit, but it feels like an earlier work compared to where he went afterwards. Cloud Atlas blew my mind. I'd say Thousand Autumns is in my top ten novels I've read list. I can't wait to see what he does next. Link to post Share on other sites
Fritz Posted May 6, 2012 Share Posted May 6, 2012 Ah, excellent. I'm looking forward to the next few months of reading then! Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted May 7, 2012 Share Posted May 7, 2012 I read Ghostwritten a long time ago, and enjoyed it a lot, but never kept up with the author's other books. With all of these recommendations, I'll have to look into them. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Is anyone here familiar with Adam Ross? I've just finished reading his short story collection called "Ladies and Gentlemen", and while I generally prefer full novels to short stories, these fascinated me. They tend to be on the darkish side, but the characters are so fully realized that the brevity of the stories isn't a problem...you feel as though these might be people you met on a bus bench (or airline seat!) who had only so much time to tell you their tales, yet still left you with their imprint wandering around in your head days later. I really loved the book. Tore through it in about 2 days. His first novel, "Mr. Peanut", seems to have gotten good reviews, and I'm looking forward to reading that as well. Try this if you enjoy short stories, or even if you don't think you do. He's an excellent, inventive writer, and the stories don't go where you expect! Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I went to college with Adam Ross. Didn't know him well, but he's one of several classmates of mine whose books I've picked up in the past few years, only to realize later, halfway through the book and finally getting around to taking a peek at the author's picture that "hey, I know that guy!" "Mr. Peanut" was amazing. Will definitely check out the short stories! Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Next up is this. It's one of the few books in the 33 1/3 series that is a novel. This was my introduction to the 33 1/3 series, one of my favorites. Pernice is an incredible writer. Let me know what you think of it. --Mike Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 This was my introduction to the 33 1/3 series, one of my favorites. Pernice is an incredible writer. Let me know what you think of it.--MikeI liked it a lot. I think Joe and I are about the same age and I also grew up around Boston so I could defintiely relate to much of what he wrote about, even though I was not a big Smiths fan in high school. Have you read his other novel, It Feels So Good When I Stop? I thought that was great too ... Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I went to college with Adam Ross. Didn't know him well, but he's one of several classmates of mine whose books I've picked up in the past few years, only to realize later, halfway through the book and finally getting around to taking a peek at the author's picture that "hey, I know that guy!" "Mr. Peanut" was amazing. Will definitely check out the short stories! I will be reading that as soon as it arrives in the mail! Good to hear that you loved it. Here's something fun, guess who just happens to be a huge Wilco fan? Yep, Adam Ross. Good taste abounds. Link to post Share on other sites
SarahC Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I am in between books at the moment. School fried my brain, so I've been playing more video games lately just to veg for a few days. However, my husband is reading the Harry Potter series for the FIRST TIME EVER. it's fun rediscovering it through his reactions to it. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 I will be reading that as soon as it arrives in the mail! Good to hear that you loved it. Here's something fun, guess who just happens to be a huge Wilco fan? Yep, Adam Ross. Good taste abounds. And I've just added Ladies and Gentlemen to my library request list! Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 12, 2012 Share Posted May 12, 2012 Is Adam Ross a VCer?? I just received a Facebook friend request from him. He's either on here, or hacked into my library account! Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 I liked it a lot. I think Joe and I are about the same age and I also grew up around Boston so I could defintiely relate to much of what he wrote about, even though I was not a big Smiths fan in high school. Have you read his other novel, It Feels So Good When I Stop? I thought that was great too ... The Meat book is incredible. I did feel like the end came on a little quick, but it was such a perfect final image. The main character's interaction with his best friend and the girl he liked were pretty note for note what my high school days were like. I have read Feels so Good and remember liking it, but I read it right after Dave Cullen's book about Columbine and that book sort of knocked everything I read at the same time of it out of my memory so I should revisit Feels so Good. Link to post Share on other sites
IATTBYB Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Just finished Peter Bergen's Manhunt. Amazing access that guy gets, and it makes the account of the analysis of all the intelligence (or lack thereof) leading up to the decision to actually raid the compound in Abbatabod all the more courageous. It certainly puts Romney's flippant comment that everyone, even Jimmy Carter, would have ordered the raid in some context (Biden and Gates both thought the intelligence that OBL actually was at the compound was not good enough to justify the risk of carrying out the raid). And speaking of courageous, those SEALS and the QRT members who came on to the scene after the first helicopter had its "hard" landing are the epitome of courageous. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Is Adam Ross a VCer?? I just received a Facebook friend request from him. He's either on here, or hacked into my library account! Ok, that made me laugh! I had sent him a complimentary message about 2 weeks ago, and he responded with a nice note back and then offered to autograph a book for me and mail it to me...how sweet is that? In the course of emailing about sending the book, I mentioned our reading thread here and all the great book recommendations I get from this thread, and said I was going to mention how much I'd enjoyed reading "Ladies and Gentlemen" here. Then you posted that you realized you knew him from college. I hadn't mentioned that to him, so my guess is he must've read your post here. He'd told me he loves Wilco. Seems to be an all-around good guy, as well as ta talented writer! (Hi Adam!) Link to post Share on other sites
LouieB Posted May 14, 2012 Share Posted May 14, 2012 Proust...better late then never I guess. LouieB Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Brave Louie! That's on my "eventual" list, too. Let us know how it goes. I've just finished reading this: A heartbreaker, for sure...but also a beautiful testament to the human spirit, and to friendship's power. I found it a bit hard to get into at first because so many people were introduced and I couldn't keep them all straight. But if you try it, stick with it. The story winnows down to the main group of characters, and their story is amazing and absorbing. History at its best. Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 Proust...better late then never I guess.LouieBMy parents gave me a nice boxed set of Remembrance of Things Past when I graduated from college a long time ago. I hauled it around for years and still have it sitting on my bookshelf but I don't think I have ever gotten past the first 20 pages. It kind of intimidates me ... Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 I've only read Swann's Way (the first volume of Remembrance of Things Past), but intend to read the rest of it... someday, someday... There's a plot in there, somewhere, but the plot's not really the point. On a much lighter note: I picked up "Why We Broke Up" by Daniel "Lemony Snicket" Handler yesterday, and the actual physical picking-up of it was kind of the point for that one. It weighs a ton! I haven't even cracked it yet, but looks like it's printed on very thick, glossy paper. I think it's one of those young-adult novels with lots of illustrations (notes that the teens have wrtiten each other, etc.). I'm looking forward to it, I have mixed feelings about some of his books, but more often than not there's enough in there to keep me amused. So, the official "now reading" list for me: Daniel Handler and Maira Kalman, Why We Broke Up: Adam Ross, Ladies and Gentlemen: Kirstin Downey, The Woman Behind the New Deal: Erik Larson, In the Garden of Beasts: George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones: Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 16, 2012 Share Posted May 16, 2012 George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones: I may save this one for vacation reading! Link to post Share on other sites
Preferred B Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Enjoy Game of Thrones, gogo! I think that first book is the best. I'll probably keep reading the others as long as Martin keeps churning them out, but things are getting way out of hand. Just finished Inside Scientology by Janet Reitman: I never really knew Scientology's history, exactly what's involved, and what these people actually believe. Or what a complete nutjob psychopath L. Ron Hubbard was. Holeeee crap. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I'm a fan of any kind of series that spirals out of control! And I haven't watched the TV version yet, so that'll be fun to catch up on after I finish the book. As a long-time fan of Mike Daisey (yikes!), I can say I do know a bit about L. Ron Hubbard, since he was one of the subjects of Daisey's Great Men of Genius series, which I saw a few years ago. Of course, now I have to wonder if any of what I heard at that show was really true. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 Has anyone read Jetta Carleton's The Moonflower Vine? What a deeply beautiful book it is, about life and family. Nothing I could say would do it justice, but I recommend it wholeheartedly. It's the kind of a book you wish you could walk inside of. That cover looks cheesy, but don't let that stop you. The book is incredible. Link to post Share on other sites
Queen Amaranthine Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 600+ pages! but a great engaging read. I'm about halfway through it. Finally I am nearly finished with this. (In the meantime I've read more children's picture books aloud than I can count! "Grown up" books take me awhlie to complete these days.) I'm finding Dickinson's personal life intertwined into her poetry highly interesting. In college I studied her work, but in the context of the American Renaissance literary and Civil War eras, as well as a generic expression of personal solidarity. None of my classes dove as deeply into her personal life as this book does. In it, this poem in particular caught my attention: I could die -- to know --'Tis a trifling knowledge --News-Boys salute the Door --Carts -- joggle by --Morning's bold face -- stares in the window --Were but mine -- the Charter of the least Fly -- Houses hunch the HouseWith their Brick Shoulders --Coals -- from a Rolling Load -- rattle -- how -- near --To the very Square -- His foot is passing --Possibly, this moment --While I -- dream -- Here -- It is said to have been written about a man she fell in love with who moved to San Francisco. The city imagery and its context of Dickinson's expression of unavailable love bring to mind Capitol City ("Secretaries at the hotdog vendors/Cabs honk at bicycle messengers/Rolling by..."). Then, "While I--dream--here" has the same whistful tone as "I wish you were here/Or I was there with you." I know Jeff used some Dickinson lyrics to write a song--wasn't it Born Alone? But I wonder how much of her stuff he's read and if the parallels between that poem and Capitol City were at all conscious. He takes all his words from the books he thinks we don't read anyway, you know. Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted May 17, 2012 Share Posted May 17, 2012 I can't help but hearing the narrator in Humphrey Bogart's voice ... Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 19, 2012 Share Posted May 19, 2012 Any fans of Alice Hoffman here? The most beautiful book I've read lately (other than The Moonflower Vine) was this: I had a very hard time putting it down, even when it was getting to be the wee hours of the morning and my eyelids were sagging. Each chapter seemed to flow forward into the next, and I wanted...needed!... to know how it all turned out. She writes like a dream, such wonderful perspectives and descriptions and phrases, and it seems so effortless. What a gift it is to be able to write as she does. I can't recommend it highly enough. You will thank me. Read anything of hers! Link to post Share on other sites
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