tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post110884545396942105..comments2024-03-14T00:16:32.077-07:00Comments on 50 Books: BOOKS: Do I Look Tired to You?Tammyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16613804843380827691noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1115159933985783922005-05-03T15:38:00.000-07:002005-05-03T15:38:00.000-07:00The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas....I read that ...The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas....I read that book ay stoplights in traffic....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1112716577198028822005-04-05T08:56:00.000-07:002005-04-05T08:56:00.000-07:00the good mother (sue miller)adventures of kavalier...the good mother (sue miller)<BR/><BR/>adventures of kavalier and clay (chabon)<BR/><BR/>all the harry potters (ashamed to admit it)<BR/><BR/>fingersmith (sarah waters)landismomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10328094347362872558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1109046924063434392005-02-21T20:35:00.000-08:002005-02-21T20:35:00.000-08:00'Horse Heaven' by Jane Smiley - bit too big for me...'Horse Heaven' by Jane Smiley - bit too big for me to read in one night, but the characters, including the horses, insinuated themselves into my dreams, and the ending was one of the most satisfying I've read! Also the latest novel by a writer from my home state of Queensland in Australia, Andrew Mcgahan's 'The White Earth'...the dread that he creates here is almost sickening...I urge all northern hemisphere dwellers to read this one, or any of his previous three books - 'Praise', '1984' and 'Last Drinks'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1109040447225833572005-02-21T18:47:00.000-08:002005-02-21T18:47:00.000-08:00Most recently, The Corrections, a very polarizing ...Most recently, <I>The Corrections</I>, a very polarizing book among my friends and loved ones, but I adored it and couldn't put it down.<br /><br />Same thing with Du Maurier's <I>Rebecca</I>. So much suspense!mo piehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12320627370276331465noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1109011479488921742005-02-21T10:44:00.000-08:002005-02-21T10:44:00.000-08:00Heheh, Rebecca. Yeah, I only read "The Mist" once ...Heheh, <B>Rebecca</B>. Yeah, I only read "The Mist" once and it's still stuck in my head, along with a whole bunch of other Stephen King ephemera that I kid myself into thinking I've forgotten, but which is going to come out of retirement when I'm old and senile for the sole purpose of scaring the shit out of me. For the record, I loved <I>The Virgin Suicides</I>, too. <br /><br />Thanks for the props, <B>Brando</B>! Funny you should mention <I>Generation X</I>. You totally reminded me that <I>Microserfs</I> kept me up all night many, many years ago.<br /><br />Did you think <I>Running with Scissors</I> was fake, <B>Wing</B>? I just assumed that it wasn't because, compared to <I>Sellevision</I>, which was incredibly badly written, <I>Running</I> seemed so much better written that I attributed this improvement to the fact that it was coming from a more "real" perspective. If it is fake, that sucks for a lot of reasons, obviously... not the least because it's highlighted how gullible I'm getting in my old age.<br /><br />And I'm not saying I loved, or even liked, <I>Clarissa</I>, just that it sucked me in and kept me awake. (Actually, it was during that brutal month-long bout of insomnia I had in our undergrad fourth year, if you recollect.) In fact, I could start a sub-list entitled "Books That Kept Me Up and Then I Realized the Next Day That Not Only Was I Exhausted but I Was Exhausted Over a Crappy-to-Mediocre Book and Therefore I Hated Myself Even More". That sure describes how I felt about <I>The Beach</I>, for example. <br /><br />It's funny that you mention <I>Oryx and Crake</I>, because I was on track to pulling an all-nighter to finish it but forced myself to put it down because it was too damn depressing. If there's anything worse than finishing a book and realizing you have to be up for work in three hours, it's finishing said book, realizing you have to be at work in three hours, and wondering WHAT'S THE POINT OF ANYTHING?<br /><br />I haven't read <I>Live from New York</I>, but I totally agree with you about <I>Banner of Heaven</I> (I read it non-stop on a seven-hour flight) and <I>The Corrections</I> (which I read non-stop on the drive down to Burning Man a couple of years ago -- no Burning Man jokes, you!).Tammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16613804843380827691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1109005631933869942005-02-21T09:07:00.000-08:002005-02-21T09:07:00.000-08:00Wow, it's like I don't know you at all. I despised...Wow, it's like I don't know you at all. I despised "Running With Scissors" (fakest "memoir" since "A Child Called It") and "Clarissa" was an offensive rape fantasy disguised as moralistic claptrap.<br /><br />BUT, to answer your question: the last books I couldn't put down were "Oryx and Crake" (and now I'm curious about the Lethem analogue), "Live From New York" (hard to find a good stopping point), "Under the Banner of Heaven," and "The Corrections."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108961976306092172005-02-20T20:59:00.000-08:002005-02-20T20:59:00.000-08:00Generation X kept me up all night four years ago. ...Generation X kept me up all night four years ago. It is still my fav. book, love your blog!Brandon Gaukelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15553267097541472591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108960611065843682005-02-20T20:36:00.000-08:002005-02-20T20:36:00.000-08:00Doppleganger - it was the short story, the one you...Doppleganger - it was the short story, the one you've described. I lay in my bed all night with my eyes wide open waiting for the weird noises to start, and planning how I was going to get my family back together (my dad was away, and my sister was away at some school retreat or something.) And have you read <I>The Virgin Suicides</I>? The narration style is trippy, but is what made me love it.<br /><br />A. Burroughs is hit and miss for me. I enjoyed <I>Sellevision</I>, but failed to find the humour in <I>Running with Scissors</I> (finished it this morning). <I>Magical Thinking</I> was pretty funny though and quite different from the others. He's no Sedaris, but he's still a pretty good essayist.<br /><br />Most emotional experience - during one of the books in Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry trilogy, I had to put it down and walk away because I was so upset about something that had happened to one of the characters. Also, there's a scene in <I>The Value of X</I> by Poppy Z. Brite which just about broke my heart.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108934048193508182005-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:002005-02-20T13:14:00.000-08:00Meghan, Running with Scissors is nuts! I have noth...<B>Meghan</B>, <I>Running with Scissors</I> is nuts! I have nothing but respect for someone who can not only survive an upbringing like that, but also cultivate a nicely dark sense of humour about it AND score a book deal. Interestingly, I read Burroughs's previous (and only, to my knowledge) novel, <I>Sellevision</I>, and it was absolutely, irredeemably crappy. Which goes to show you can be a good writer but a kak novelist.<br /><br /><B>Rebecca</B>, I loooved <I>Middlesex</I>. I've loaned it to every one of my friends, and they've all loved it to. Unfcortunately, it hasn't come back to me yet, and I can't remember who borrowed it last, and now everyone claims not to have it. I know they're not lying, but someone's definitely developed amnesia about it. Sigh. Perhaps it's gone to a better place...<br /><br />And "The Mist"! Is that the long short story (or novella? I can never keep those straight) about the mysterious fog that rolls in and it's filled with weird creatures, and once you get lost in the fog you're screwed? If so, I remember that story. Man, that freaked me out. In fact, all horror stories freak me out. I have no idea why I used to read them so compulsively.<br /><br /><B>Dave</B>, if any novel is going to act as a defibrillator for your soul, <I>A Prayer for Owen Meany</I> ought to do it. Maybe you should also try James Agee's <I>A Death in the Family</I>. I haven't actually finished it myself, because about a third of the way through I was crying so hard I had to stop. And contrary to any indicators I might give on this site, I'm not a crybaby. Anyway, apparently it won the Pulitzer, but you never hear anyone talk about it and it's never taught in schools. Probably because it's so fucking sad.<br /><br /><B>Libby</B>, I'm adding <I>Random Family</I> to my reading list. Despite never having been to New York, I've had a lifelong fascination with the city. When I was kid, I was utterly enraptured by stories about precocious New York kids... Harriet the Spy, the Melendy kids from those Elizabeth Enright novels, The All-of-a-Kind Family, you name it.<br /><br /><B>Anonymous</B>, I'd forgotten about <I>I Know This Much Is True</I>, and it totally belongs on my all-nighter list, too. A couple of summers ago, the mister and I went camping in the Rockies and on this one hike it started raining and hailing stupidly hard. So of course on the way down the mountain I slipped on a wet tree root and had the hardest fall I've ever had. For a second, I thought I broke my ass. When we got back to our tent, everything was soaked and I was already starting to stiffen up. So we (temporarily) abandoned our campsite, grabbed the bare necessities, and drove to a nearby lodge where we rented a cabin. Despite having a real bed, I was way too sore to actually sleep, so I ended up lying there reading <I>I Know This Much Is True</I> from cover to cover. And like you, I couldn't get it out of my head for a long time. Man, that dude had some bad case of Murphy's law.<br /><br />Heheh, <B>Rae</B>. Point taken. Upon subsequent re-readings, I can see many places where an editor might have been handy, but the first time through the series I was fine till the Shire bit. Then I just wanted the bloody thing to finally be OVER.<br /><br />You know, I was thinking about this, and the tragic thing is how little pity anyone is willing to give you when you're exhausted from a book-induced all-nighter. I've seen people at work get more sympathy from coming in hungover. Bastards.Tammyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16613804843380827691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108916345688609732005-02-20T08:19:00.000-08:002005-02-20T08:19:00.000-08:00Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game. Stayed up all nigh...Orson Scott Card, <I>Ender's Game</I>. Stayed up all night and had to face the next day on exactly no sleep at all, but at least I finished the book.<br /><br />Meanwhile, you read all the way through Lord of the Rings and the bit you thought needed an editor was the Scouring of the Shire? Are you <I>serious</I>? Three words: trip through Mordor. My God. The first time I tried to read LOTR I petered out in that part (okay, I was nine, it was kind of heavy going for me). The second time I made it through, on all subsequent readings I've skimmed those bits at pace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108890181216515552005-02-20T01:03:00.000-08:002005-02-20T01:03:00.000-08:00I Was emotionally disturbed by Wally Lamb's "I kno...I Was emotionally disturbed by Wally Lamb's "I know this much is true" I couldn't stop reading until it was done and I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks afterAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108876762870858862005-02-19T21:19:00.000-08:002005-02-19T21:19:00.000-08:00Adrian Nicole LeBlanc's "Random Family" blew me aw...Adrian Nicole LeBlanc's "Random Family" blew me away by page five. It is non-fiction but reads like a novel, and damn is it compelling. In case you want to move on to other borroughs, Tammy, this Bronx-based book may be one for your list!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108865561661741912005-02-19T18:12:00.000-08:002005-02-19T18:12:00.000-08:00I was consumed with the last three Dark Tower book...I was consumed with the last three Dark Tower books during January. I had the last book in my possesion before starting the fifth and I was terrified of the possibility that I could just pop straight to the last chapter and see how the whole thing turns out. I'm not proud of being consumed by Stephen King, but two of you have outed yourselves already so I got a little brave.<br /><br />It's very rare that I'm emotionally affected by a book (turns out I'm dead inside, FYI.) The only exception is A Prayer for Owen Meany. I got near the end of 'The Finger' chapter, and I had to put the book down. I've never felt so present, so part of a scene, before or since.Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06856187137331544258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108864114858377232005-02-19T17:48:00.000-08:002005-02-19T17:48:00.000-08:00Jeffery Eugenedies' Middlesex - I stayed up until ...Jeffery Eugenedies' Middlesex - I stayed up until 4am to finish it.<br /><br />I had a similar experience with Stephen King, The Mist when I was 13. I read it during the day, and that night we had a huge thunderstorm. I don't think I slept much for the next few days.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12314538281021455995noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9931308.post-1108847777253765782005-02-19T13:16:00.000-08:002005-02-19T13:16:00.000-08:00Running with Scissor by Augusten Burroughs - I was...<I>Running with Scissor</I> by Augusten Burroughs - I was disgusted by his living conditions, and lack of parental guidance, but I needed to know how he came out in the end. How he lived through a life like he did, I'll never know.<br /><I>The Stranger</I> by Albert Camus. I've read the book about 20 times, yet I hate to put it down. I find something new everytime I read it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com