Books: What are you reading tonight? - Page 771 - The Lounge Discussion and Review on Literature, Arts, Culture

Count is so GOATy.

Read, and really loved the nonfiction Double Cross by Ben MacIntyre, about the double agents the Brits ran against the Germans in WW2 leading to them not thinking Operation Overlord would land in Normandy but Calais [and Norway]. The 5 doubles are all amazing people from a Barcelonan fantasist to a Peruvian bisexual woman.
TOP rating 7/7.

Currently reading his book on Kim Philby, who I've never read a book about [nonfiction]. Had no idea he was great friends with JJAngleton for so long, oooof.

The new Mick Herron book was fine but only for Slow Horses readers, trust me.

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10-03-2023 , 11:34 PM

#19252

Phat Mack

Twat-Waffle

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 11,961

Count of Monte Cristo is another book I haven't read in years and is next on my list. I was thinking that if it were written today, it would never get published. Too much detail, too deep. More of something you dive into rather than just skim and then condense into a film treatment.

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10-04-2023 , 06:41 PM

#19253

John Cole

Lounge Nighthawk

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 18,197

Anybody want to pick the Noble Prize winner for Literature this year?

The favorite is Can Xue, another writer I've never heard of before.

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

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10-05-2023 , 08:14 AM

#19254

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,839

I predict the winner will either be Philip Roth or Jon Fosse.

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10-05-2023 , 08:19 AM

#19255

kioshk

Nixonian

Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 92,839

I wonder if he's related to Ray Fosse, that Cleveland Indian catcher that Pete Rose ran over.

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10-05-2023 , 09:36 AM

#19256

John Cole

Lounge Nighthawk

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 18,197

I'm going with Gerald Murnane, but I'd prefer Pynchon.

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10-05-2023 , 01:29 PM

#19257

2pairsof2s

old hand

Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 1,613

I just finished "THE UNDERWORLD: journeys to the depths of the ocean" by Susan Casey.

As the subtitle suggests, it is an examination of the greatest depths of Earth's oceans, and of the people who study and explore them.

Much like her previous works, "THE WAVE,"(Tsunami, rogue waves, and big-wave surfing,) and "VOICES IN THE OCEAN," (Dolphins, other cetaceans, and their troubled relationship with Man,) the book is extensively researched and well written, intermingling elements of narrative non-fiction with academic insight and historical context.

Highly recommended.

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10-05-2023 , 03:25 PM

#19258

golddog

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2013 Posts: 6,713

Just finished Death by Black Hole by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. A collection of his writings, mostly column length.

As I'm a fan, my ideas may be biased. Really enjoyed it. He puts ideas in a form that the layman can grasp it, and writes about interesting topics. Especially liked the final two entries, which were about the edge of science, philosophy, and religion.

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10-05-2023 , 03:30 PM

#19259

John Cole

Lounge Nighthawk

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 18,197

Quote:

Originally Posted by kioshk

I predict the winner will either be Philip Roth or Jon Fosse.

It's Jon Fosse, no relation to Bob or Ray.

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

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10-05-2023 , 06:57 PM

#19260

NajdorfDefense

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 17,563

I mean, Bob Fosse shoulda won over Dylan.

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10-05-2023 , 10:00 PM

#19261

Phat Mack

Twat-Waffle

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 11,961

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Cole

Anybody want to pick the Noble Prize winner for Literature this year?

The favorite is Can Xue, another writer I've never heard of before.

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

I am going to go with Yoko Ogawa, but Stephen King is my dark-horse white-male-American favorite.

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10-08-2023 , 07:23 PM

#19262

Rooksx

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 5,478

Trust by Hernan Diaz. It's cleverly structured. Diaz has an impressive ability to write convincingly in different styles. I'm not convinced the book has anything particularly insightful to say about capitalism or the American way. Perhaps inevitably for a story which is a puzzle, it feels emotionally distant. It's hard to connect with characters when their true nature is deliberately obfuscated throughout.

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10-09-2023 , 04:44 PM

#19263

NajdorfDefense

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 17,563

Yeah, I mentioned back when was not impressed with that book even though he's a great writer. Will prob make a better TV series, but the ending was garbage.

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10-09-2023 , 05:24 PM

#19264

Phat Mack

Twat-Waffle

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 11,961

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Cole

It's Jon Fosse, no relation to Bob or Ray.

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

I think we should give Jon a chance, although I had never heard of him. But I really liked Knut Hamsun when I was younger, and I had never heard of him either until one rainy day I noticed that my small-town public library had all his novels. Does anybody still read Knut Hamsun? He's great. Or at least I thought so 60 years ago.

Both Norwegians, both Nobel Laureates.

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10-15-2023 , 04:41 PM

#19265

Wyman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 13,011

Just finished Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and enjoyed it. I think it speaks louder to the Xennial crowd just because of time and place but I think it’s a nice story regardless and people in the poker community probably aren’t that far from empathizing with some of the characters. I won’t review it here since there are many reviews online that surely do a better job, but it was a nice read.

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10-26-2023 , 03:35 PM

#19266

NajdorfDefense

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 17,563

The Malabar House mystery series is worth a shot for those who like that kind of thing. On #3 currently.

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10-29-2023 , 02:43 PM

#19267

Wyman

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 13,011

Halfway thru The Lincoln Highway which is critically acclaimed and the author is well regarded (Amor Towles), and I’m sure it has been beat to death ITT but I think it’s a great read so far.

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10-29-2023 , 04:48 PM

#19268

brianr

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 4,590

I you haven’t read either A Gentleman in Moscow or Rules of Civility, his first two novels, both are better by a wide margin.

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10-30-2023 , 04:38 PM

#19269

NajdorfDefense

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 17,563

^^^ What he said, particularly about Rules of Civility ^^^

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10-30-2023 , 10:25 PM

#19270

John Cole

Lounge Nighthawk

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 18,197

Quote:

Originally Posted by NajdorfDefense

^^^ What he said, particularly about Rules of Civility ^^^

I'd love to read this although I don't read much fiction any longer, but I have always liked books that feature NYC, such as Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin, Time and Again by Jack Finney, Bright Lights, Big City, Underworld, Ragtime, or Gilbert Sorrentino's brilliant Steelwork.

I guess I'm looking for something that evokes an older NYC or something offbeat.

Any recommendations?

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

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10-30-2023 , 11:53 PM

#19271

Gioco

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 2,410

American Psycho, NYC in 1980s.

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10-30-2023 , 11:58 PM

#19272

Bluegrassplayer

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 38,780

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

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10-31-2023 , 04:10 AM

#19273

brianr

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 4,590

Ragtime
The age of innocence
Golden Hill - less well known, fairly recent, set in early colonial nyc

Non fiction
The great bridge

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10-31-2023 , 08:28 AM

#19274

Phat Mack

Twat-Waffle

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 11,961

Tropic of Cancer, Sexus.

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10-31-2023 , 11:13 AM

#19275

John Cole

Lounge Nighthawk

Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 18,197

Golden Hill sounds great.

Sent from my Pixel 7a using Tapatalk

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