Chez Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 I just finished "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. Both were extraordinary. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted November 28, 2018 Share Posted November 28, 2018 "Undermajordomo Minor" by P. deWitt. Very enjoyable read. This deWitt guy is impressing me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Very disappointing that to see a major error in the first sentence that mentions Van. It says he was 21 in 1968, and then the next sentence says he was born in 1945 (which is correct, meaning he was not 21 in 1968). This usually wouldn't be a big deal, but that's a pretty major detail to get wrong in a book that's mostly about Van set in 1968, especially right at the start. It calls the whole book's accuracy into question. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I am not a Van nor a Boston expert by any means, so I can't vouch for any further mistakes, but it is a good read. A half way decent copy editor should have caught that mistake, though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 I am not a Van nor a Boston expert by any means, so I can't vouch for any further mistakes, but it is a good read. A half way decent copy editor should have caught that mistake, though. Yeah, I intend to read the whole thing, and so far it's been entertaining. To me, as someone who was born in Boston only a few years later, one reason for reading it, aside from being a fan of Van and other figures covered in the book, was to learn more about where I come from and about what kinds of things my parents might have been experiencing or witnessing leading up to starting a family (and I think I've already gained some insight into their social conservatism). So on that level, it was a bummer to see such an obvious mistake. But I expect it'll be enjoyable as a big picture story with small (hopefully only small) inaccuracies type of book. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 "Dispatches" by M. Herr. Fantastic book.Just found out the book that Full Metal Jacket is based on is called "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hasford. I thought I'd pick up a copy and learned that they run about $500, used. Whoa! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 It is out of print. I have a PDF file of that book. You can find it - if you dig around. There is another one after that called "The Phantom Blooper". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Thanks A-Man. I'm gonna keep an eye out for those as I trawl thru my estate sales Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 There was a time his son had them up on a website. I think they are gone now. I have the PDF file on my Nook. It took a lot of reformatting to get it to work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks A-Man. I'm gonna keep an eye out for those as I trawl thru my estate sales I would send you the PDF file if you want it. But it is still a bit screwy. You would be better off getting a copy through inter-library loan to read. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Days Without End - Sebastian Barry A rare fiction read for me - free book at a holiday hotel swap stand. Heard parts of it when it was abridged on radio. Still have the narrators old time drawl accent in my head so enjoying reading it at storytelling speed hearing that voice in my head. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Thanks A-Man but I'll pass on your offer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boss_Tweedy Posted January 4, 2019 Share Posted January 4, 2019 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 The Beastie Boys book is fantastic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Oh man, this looks good. He's a really good writer, imo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 Just started: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 I love Denis Johnson but for some reason I couldn't get thru that one. I hope you have better luck than I did Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lammycat Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 DJ, #3 was pretty sweet..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jff Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 The Beastie Boys book is fantastic. I finished it recently, and was sad for it to end. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the chapters on their early years. I don't care that much about their punk era, or even License to Ill, but I was pretty riveted by all the essays covering those years. One insignificant detail that was interesting about the book, and maybe I overlooked it, but I don't think the name Ricky Powell appears anywhere in the book. Kinda weird since he's probably the most name-dropped member of their entourage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
calvino Posted January 10, 2019 Share Posted January 10, 2019 I love Denis Johnson but for some reason I couldn't get thru that one. I hope you have better luck than I did I also have Already Dead: A California Gothic sitting my shelf, too - would you recommend Dead over Tree of Smoke? (I am only in 20 or so pages in the Tree book) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 Having not read Already Dead, I cant give an opinion Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NoJ Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 Reading K.K. Downing's (of Judas Priest) autobiography now. Halfway thru, kinda dry. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted January 16, 2019 Share Posted January 16, 2019 He has some nice videos where he talks about his guitars on YT. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted February 17, 2019 Share Posted February 17, 2019 I historically haven't posted in this thread (cause I kinda don't read books), but I've been on quite a reading kick since the Jeff book came out last fall. So far this year I've re-introduced myself to my library card and have now completed SIX actual books since finishing the JT memoir in a 4-day binge in Nov. Animal Farm (Orwell) - I re-read 1984 last year and it terrified me. Animal Farm was less interesting, more dogmatic.Calypso (David Sedaris) - Liked it a lot. Haven't read his others, but like his humor.Washington Black (Esi Edugyan) - Very well written, interesting story.The Oracle Year (Charles Soule) - Good sci-fi, interesting premise, maybe a bit too fantastic and compacted toward the end.Occupy Me (Tricia Sullivan) - Hard to get into at first, with lots of shifting characters and first-person / second person / third-person shifts. But pretty cool story line and interesting read.The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) - Honestly not quite what I expected. Quick read but not my favorite. So, big shout out for PUBLIC LIBRARIES which are like amazon but free. Who knew?? Next up - Artemis (Andy Weir) or Dirk Gently's (Douglas Adams). Loved the Hitchhiker series. Probly go with the Adams book next for something on the lighter side. Vince Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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