Vonnegut is so much fun. I'd recommend Breakfast of Champions or Hocus Pocus.

Perhaps. But I read it upon release, as I did with Infinite Jest.

Loved Maxx Barry's Lexicon. A fun, twisted read.

Beloved.

Been on my list for years (I'm 35)

About half way through. Mostly just bored

I liked Galapogos and Sirens of Titens

Vonnegut just so outstanding. Easy to get addicted and chain-read all of his books --I don't know if there's any one of his that I would recommend above the others.

Vonnegut going onto 2014 reading list.

I think Jazz is her best book. I'd recommend trying it before you give up on Morrison.

I keep a list of books I've read and have realized I've read very few of the "Classics," I've done some googling and have a list started but was wanting to get some personal recommendations of which of the "Classics" are actually worth reading, I plan on starting whichever one my local library has as book on CD soon, I did notice they have both The Illiad and The Odyssey, any thoughts?

Reading a book and listening to a book are not the same thing

OK, replace "Classics worth reading" with "Classics worth listening to the book on tape."

Odyssey is a classic adventure tale, worth hearing imo. Illiad dragged on too slowly for my taste.

Both stories are worth knowing. They aren't super long either.

Given that those are both transcriptions of oral tales, I think listening to them is pretty appropriate.

It's weird. When I was younger I read a lot more books like this. I'm 35 now. I must have a shorter attention span now.


I love her writing. I just don't really care about any of the characters at this point.

I've always liked Gatsby.

Finished The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt and can't recommend it highly enough. As someone noted, the first half (through Las Vegas) is amazing, probably the best thing I've read in years.

Stumbled onto a used copy of Take Me to the River by Peter Alson (sorry about the no royalty thing, Peter) about getting a book advance to write about the WSOP and throwing it away on entry fees. Unlike Positively Fifth Street, Alson, a serious cash game player (self-described) does not have the amazing fortune of making it to the final table. Or anywhere, actually. But it's solidly written and I liked the poker action. The filler I could do without -- but then, I thought the whole murder story in PFS was filler too.

Anyone ever read the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning?

I was telling a friend about some of the books/series I've been reading and he said his wife just finished this series and thought I might like it.

They're considered romance novels with some fantasy thrown in on the side.

Bah.

That's what I thought they were after checking it out on Wiki.

Lol. You should buy one of the books just so you can use it to smack your buddy upside the head while asking him why he would ever recommend them to you.

He's def going hear about it tomorrow.

Guess I'm going to start The Riftwar Saga tomorrow night.

max barry is one of my fav authors.

have you checked out jen gov't and syrup?
i recommended them a while back ITT but no one seemed to be familiar with them.

they're both fantastic.
i think jennifer government is his masterpiece, but syrup is absolutely fantastic.


i liked lexicon but think the other two were even better.

machine man i didn't care for all that much, but company was pretty decent.

overall i would rank his books:

jen gov't
syrup
lexicon
company
machine man

i think jen gov't would translate really well to a mini-series on HBO, but sadly they butchered the film adaptation of syrup.

edit: just fyi he only used "maxx" for syrup as a play on the theme of that novel.

Getting ready to start The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver. I read We Need to Talk about Kevin a year ago and decided to try another one of her novels.

Have on credit at audible - what should I get?