Jump to content

Now Reading in the New New New Year


Guest Speed Racer

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 801
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

I've just finished "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell. Utterly beautiful. It's going to haunt me for a while. I love it when a book does this to me.

 

Read Black Swan Green over my beach vacation... what a stunner. I absolutely loved that book. Coming-of-age stories always seem to have strange power over me and I'd hold this one up to Catcher in the Rye without a second thought. Reading this as a palate cleanser:

 

18259.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Read Black Swan Green over my beach vacation... what a stunner. I absolutely loved that book. Coming-of-age stories always seem to have strange power over me and I'd hold this one up to Catcher in the Rye without a second thought.

 

It's wonderful, isn't it?

 

I've just finished Madame Bovary while staying on a farm and it felt like the perfect place to be reading a novel like this. What a stunning book. So beautifully written. I kept writing down lines which I loved and there were times where I was doing more scribbling than reading. As Leon says so succinctly while talking to Emma:

 

"Have you ever had the experience, while reading a book, of coming upon some idea you have thought of vaguely yourself, some dim picture that returns to you from afar, and seems completely to express your subtlest feeling?"

 

This book was that to me.

 

On another note, for a bit of fun and research I decided to borrow this from the library:

 

51yMqXA%2B-VL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 

Never again! Too many reviews give away crucial information about plots and even endings! I thought Madame Bovary was going to be spolied for me after reading its entry in here when I was only half way through the book. But such was the power of Flaubert's writing that, even though I knew what ultimately happened in the book, it felt no less powerful to me when I reached the end.

 

Anyways, I'm now on a 19th century novel kick so I've just started:

 

tess_oxford.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

So I was looking for a good, fast-paced summer thriller at the library, and found this:

robopocalypse.jpg

The cover blurbs compare it to Michael Crichton's early books, and I can see that comparison. It moves at a very fast clip right from the outset, and would be a terrific book to have on a beach, or lounging lakeside, or to while away a long flight. The author has a degree in robotics, and it shows...his scenarios are credible and scary! Not for the faint of heart, this book. There are plenty of violent scenes between the robots and humans, but they are very well-written and not dragged out for gore effect. Plenty of good plot twists and turns! A thoroughly satisfying summer read. Get yourself a copy! :)

 

Or borrow mine! Since I dropped it in the bathtub halfway, my local library (understandably) suggested I could now own this lovely book for the minor inconvenience of paying for it. It's finally dry now. And it really was the dumb dog's fault.

 

But hey, a great read!

Link to post
Share on other sites

419grL6aOjL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-65,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

 

About halfway through this and really enjoying it. Has anyone read any of her other novels?

 

I haven't read anything else of hers, but that one is on my reading list. Good to hear that you're enjoying it!

Link to post
Share on other sites

$(KGrHqJ,!h!E9oZvvGFrBPunLWwIlg~~60_35.JPG

 

This thing is a beast of a book and is the last word on the Military aspects of Napoleon Bonaparte and his 20 year path across Europe.

Link to post
Share on other sites

419grL6aOjL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-65,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

 

About halfway through this and really enjoying it. Has anyone read any of her other novels?

 

I've read both Sharp Ojects and Dark Places. I enjoyed both, but I'd say Sharp Objects is better. I picked up Sharp Objects because Stephen King said it freaked him out. How can you not be curious about such a statement? :lol

 

I'd didn't know Flynn had a new one out. Thanks!

Link to post
Share on other sites

I've just finished Madame Bovary while staying on a farm and it felt like the perfect place to be reading a novel like this. What a stunning book. So beautifully written. I kept writing down lines which I loved and there were times where I was doing more scribbling than reading. As Leon says so succinctly while talking to Emma:

 

"Have you ever had the experience, while reading a book, of coming upon some idea you have thought of vaguely yourself, some dim picture that returns to you from afar, and seems completely to express your subtlest feeling?"

 

This book was that to me.

 

On another note, for a bit of fun and research I decided to borrow this from the library:

 

51yMqXA%2B-VL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 

Never again! Too many reviews give away crucial information about plots and even endings! I thought Madame Bovary was going to be spolied for me after reading its entry in here when I was only half way through the book. But such was the power of Flaubert's writing that, even though I knew what ultimately happened in the book, it felt no less powerful to me when I reached the end.

 

19th century novels are the best! Madame Bovary is a great read--insightful and tragic. Tess is excellent too.

 

I too thought about checking out that 1,001 books book, but it's too bad it gives away so much plot detail. Maybe I can use it for a quick glance at books I won't find time to read.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Anyone read graphic novels? Seeing the new Spiderman film last weekend reawakened my need to read comic books, but I want something a bit longer, so graphic novels seem like a good idea. Any suggestions?

Link to post
Share on other sites

So, the official "now reading" list for me:

 

Kirstin Downey, The Woman Behind the New Deal:

 

3789698.jpg

 

 

 

George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones:

 

822993.jpg

 

I am officially bad at this thread. :lol

 

Since I posted in May, I'm still only just getting to the Francis Perkins book (although it's making me want to go back to Greenwich Village and stare up at the Triangle Factory building again...) and still haven't cracked Game of Thrones. :twitchsmile

 

But since then, I've managed

 

9938498.jpg

 

 

10798418.jpg

 

 

1499.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

And:

 

10788688.jpg

 

 

8201411.jpg

 

 

286809.jpg

 

 

6101718.jpg

 

 

 

and the last six Volumes of the Walking Dead.

 

I didn't think I'd been reading that much for the past few months, but I knocked out a few, I guess. Even though some of them are obvious "vacation reads"!

Link to post
Share on other sites

419grL6aOjL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA278_PIkin4,BottomRight,-65,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

 

About halfway through this and really enjoying it. Has anyone read any of her other novels?

 

This looks great. Despite my obviously lowbrow tastes, I've got an idiotic aversion to bestsellers (also, they're too hard to get from the library!), so I'm holding off on this one until literally everyone I know tells me I must read it. That should be sometime within the next couple of weeks, at the rate things are going.

Link to post
Share on other sites

This looks great. Despite my obviously lowbrow tastes, I've got an idiotic aversion to bestsellers (also, they're too hard to get from the library!), so I'm holding off on this one until literally everyone I know tells me I must read it. That should be sometime within the next couple of weeks, at the rate things are going.

 

I used to...but there is a difference between bestsellers that become that way simply because of the author or nature of the book...and then there are those that are truly worthy of the designation and you're happy for the author. The near-unanimous praise for this book made me want to check it out...and I'm extremely glad that I did.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I know, I know! I will get to that one, I promise. :yes

 

 

Oh, and a few friends whose work I want to plug:

 

178555545.JPG

 

Haven't read this one yet, but it got a nice blurb from Dennis Lehane, so if you like his stuff, might be worth checking out.

 

 

And of course:

 

179180366.JPG

 

Haven't read this one yet either, but very much looking forward to it. :wub

 

 

p.s. Sorry for gunking up the thread! :lol

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

 

And of course:

 

179180366.JPG

 

Haven't read this one yet either, but very much looking forward to it. :wub

 

 

p.s. Sorry for gunking up the thread! :lol

 

I'm on Chapter 2, and I love it so far. At the time when I knew Nat (I think I was 15 or 16) I knew nothing about classical music, and reading this makes me wish I could chat with her about Schubert. I grew to love him through studying him in college choir. I've recommended it to all my choir buddies to read.

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...