Books: What are you reading tonight? - Page 657 - The Lounge Discussion and Review on Literature, Arts, Culture

How can I ever condense to a meaningless random number like 5?

Mitchell
Murakami
Wallace
McCarthy
Highsmith
Nabokov
DeLillo
Marquez
Pynchon
Morrison
Chabon
Beatty
Clemens
Smiley
McEwan
Banks
Saunders
Diaz
Munro
Carver
Fitzgerald
Joyce
Borges
Conan Doyle
et al,
ad infinitum.

Quote

06-28-2017 , 07:58 AM

#16402

Enrique

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 3,883

My favorites (this moment) are Isaac Asimov, George R.R. Martin, Neal Stephenson, Ian McEwan, Malcolm Gladwell.

Quote

06-28-2017 , 09:12 AM

#16403

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,838

Mine was just novelists. I'd definitely put Tom Wolfe and Michael Lewis in my non-fiction crew, also recently dead David Halberstam. Those 3 are the holy n-f trinity in my book. Throw in David McCullough too.

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06-28-2017 , 12:59 PM

#16404

jalfrezi

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 12,368

Hard to believe Greene isn't in Nadjorf's list.

Quote

06-28-2017 , 03:07 PM

#16405

Phat Mack

Twat-Waffle

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 11,961

Quote:

Originally Posted by kioshk

If you haven't read any John McPhee, put him on your list.

Quote

06-28-2017 , 03:15 PM

#16406

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,838

I like John McPhee, read his Bill Bradley book way back when.

Quote

06-28-2017 , 04:42 PM

#16407

Zeno

Le Misanthrope

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 22,370

Quote:

Originally Posted by NajdorfDefense

How can I ever condense to a meaningless random number like 5?

.....snip.......

Soft and easy
like liquid moonlight:

Li Bai
Tu Fu
Qu Yuan
Virgil
Ovid

Quote

06-28-2017 , 06:20 PM

#16408

NajdorfDefense

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 17,563

Li Bai and Greene both belong, I was actually reciting a Li Bai poem to myself while driving just the other day. For reals, starting reading his poetry even before I took some Ancien Chinese Civ classes wayyy back in college.

Quote

06-29-2017 , 07:47 PM

#16409

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,838

I'm 100 pages into Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and can't ****ing stand it, way more whimsical fantasy bull**** than I'm comfortable with. Gonna try to power thru to build character and then will probably be taking a Murakami break.

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06-30-2017 , 01:35 AM

#16410

Phat Mack

Twat-Waffle

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 11,961

Quote:

Originally Posted by kioshk

You just read Kafka on the Shore. You can't read two in a row. Put it down and wait six months.

Quote

06-30-2017 , 09:04 AM

#16411

ChaseNutley26

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 4,594

I had trouble getting into The New Tsar: The Rise and Reign of Vladimir Putin by Steven Lee Myers, probably because I have so little knowledge of Russian public affairs. Plus, Putin's so secretive that it's hard to know his character, which leaves me wondering how and why a middling, unambitious spy rose to such power. Myers does admirably try to explain it all, but the information is so scant that it seemed hard for him to construct a solid narrative. Not a bad book by any means, and I did learn quite a bit, it's just that I lack the prerequisites to fully grasp it all.

Quote

06-30-2017 , 11:41 AM

#16412

Gioco

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,410

Quote:

Originally Posted by LKJ

I just finished Anna Karenina recently, and while it certainly wasn't bad or anything, I only really forged my way through the second half on the strength of having always wanted to check that book off of my bucket list.

I think that the core Anna/Alexandrovich/Vronsky stuff is compelling pretty much throughout, but I was far too often bored with the side adventures of Levin.

Admittedly, my ignorance with regard to Russian history of that time likely hindered my experience.

Anna Karenina was originally serialized over about 2.5 years and has 200+ chapters, all of which are very short (but you know this), so, I read two chapters a day, which takes no time, and experience it as a 19th-century cautionary soap opera about adultery and life.

I'm also reading Stick and Out of Sight by Elmore Leonard. Just finished The Way We Die Now by Charles Willeford.

Quote

06-30-2017 , 05:32 PM

#16413

Mulezen

grinder

Join Date: Oct 2013 Posts: 604

Chase
Frontline had an illuminating piece on Putin some time ago
http://www.pbs.org/video/2365401766/

Quote

07-02-2017 , 11:54 AM

#16414

JudgeHoldem

banned

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,197

What's the best book about the Beatles? Thanks!

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07-02-2017 , 02:51 PM

#16415

jalfrezi

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 12,368

That probably depends whether you want musical or biographical details and insight.

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07-02-2017 , 03:18 PM

#16416

JudgeHoldem

banned

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,197

More biographical than musical

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07-02-2017 , 03:34 PM

#16417

jalfrezi

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 12,368

I think the standard recommendation is Hunter Davies's The Beatles.

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07-03-2017 , 12:49 AM

#16418

Gioco

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,410

Finished Stick by Elmore Leonard. It continues the story of a character (Stick) from Swag after his release from prison. I'd rate it as very good Leonard. While Leonard was known and praised for his dialogue, Stick contains many excellent descriptive passages.

Quote

07-06-2017 , 06:20 AM

#16419

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,838

Quote:

Originally Posted by kioshk

Finishing this up today, and I finally see where he's going. It's ambitious in its ideas, I will say that. Still much prefer Kafka on the Shore and Norwegian Wood. I'm reading his running memoir next.

Quote

07-06-2017 , 12:18 PM

#16420

Baltimore Jones

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,824

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaseNutley26

There was a Putin interview series by Oliver Stone on Showtime a few weeks ago, still streaming there. It's ok.

Quote

07-06-2017 , 12:38 PM

#16421

JudgeHoldem

banned

Join Date: May 2012 Posts: 8,197

Quote:

Originally Posted by jalfrezi

I think the standard recommendation is Hunter Davies's The Beatles.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/li...books-20160504

Here's a pretty good list I found. Thanks for your advice.

Quote

07-07-2017 , 02:16 AM

#16422

Gioco

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,410

Finished Out of Sight and LaBrava by Elmore Leonard. The first is good Leonard but sometimes unfocused and the second under-rated.

Finished New Hope for the Dead by Charles Willeford. I like Willeford a lot and this book is classic Willeford/Hoke Moseley.

Still reading through Anna Karenina.
Starting The Burnt Orange Heresy by Charles Willeford.

Quote

07-07-2017 , 11:00 AM

#16423

ChaseNutley26

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 4,594

Listened to the second book in Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wise Man's Fear. One damn excellent fantasy book. It's long and winding, and sometimes I wondered where it was going, but it all comes out nicely in the end. Nick Podehl's narration is outstanding.