Just finished Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee.
I liked it (as I did TKAM); I enjoy that storytelling style.
Like many others, I suppose my main takeaway was
Spoiler:
Bottom line: if you liked TKAM, read this (and you probably didn't need me to tell you this).
You can't be aloof until you advertise.
Just started The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman.
This is another one my daughter happened to have, and since many people rave about Gaiman, I thought I'd give it a try.
You can't be aloof until you advertise.
Just finished The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Neil Gaiman.
My daughter actually has a shelf on one of her bookcases called the "disappointment shelf," dedicated to books that, well, you get it. She had seen quite a bit of heavy praise for this book, and it failed to match the resultant expectations.
I actually had no expectations; I hadn't read the jacket copy or Barnes & Noble blurb etc., so I simply hoped to enjoy it. I did enjoy it, but I didn't think it was a world-changer etc.; (to me) it was just a decent book that wasn't quite good enough to guarantee that I'd read more by that author (although I am likely to try a longer work of his, given the curiosity that his popularity here has created in me). I thought it had interesting things to say about how foreign childhood and adulthood are to each other (in that way, it was like a bite-sized version of It, although the stories told are completely different). I felt like it could've (or should've) gone a bit deeper with some things, but then again, the simplicity of the story (and the relation ofSpoiler:) possibly means it was best left as it was. Still, I was entertained.
Any recommendations on what longer work of Gaiman's I should move on to next?
You can't be aloof until you advertise.
Just started The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
You can't be aloof until you advertise.
Just finished Moby Dick, odd, slow, but ultimately rewarding, then blasted through The Great Gatsby, which I loved. Now picking up Heart of Darkness and The Complete Slayers by Paul Cain.
Just finished Horns. FANTASTIC book. On par with NOS4A2 and Heart Shaped Box in my opinion.
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Wanted:
Michael Whelan & DT Original Art
In an effort to break out of my 2+ month reading slump, I bought a hardcover copy of Gerald's Game (one of my last remaining SK books to read) for $4. It's in almost new condition and was cheaper than B&N's paperback copy, so you can't go wrong! Hoping to start it this weekend. Then I'll be ready for whenever Netflix decides to release the movie. (Speaking of which, I still haven't seen the adaptation of Delores Claiborne that I've had for a year.)
A NEW GAME BEGINS
Just finished Paul Tremblay's "Head Full Of Ghosts", prompted after king's glowing recommendation. The premise was good (modern-day exorcism as 'reality TV'), but I was disappointed on several levels: It didn't really explore the potential you could mine behind the values of a modern society and the exorcism (i.e., celebrity, religion, fundamentalism, scientific rationalism - it started to touch on these areas, but nothing significant enough); all of the characters seemed flat (or, at worst, mildly annoying - like the first-person protagonist); and - the book's fatal - it just was not scary. It had the POTENTIAL to do so much more in all of these areas, could have had some terrifying moments, but it didn't.
Now, see what you did. Got me reminiscing and digging into the archives...
Here's some pictures of a floor display I made in my store back in '92 when the book was released. I just noticed that cool promo item in the background, which unfortunately I don't have anymore. And look at all those minty-fresh UK 1st editions...
Spoiler:
Pretty cool display, Paul! LOL
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
"The Dark Iceland" series by Ragnar Jonasson. Four books so far in this excellent detective/mystery series set in Iceland. Goldsboro Books carries signed copies.
http://ragnar-jonasson.squarespace.com/
Norse Mythology by Gaiman. Well-written but just...silly, maybe? I wish he'd stop already with retelling and reimagining of stories/myths and write his own damned original novel (for adults).
Halfway through Horns by Joe Hill and I'm loving it! I don't think I've ever laughed out loud as much while reading. Some sad stuff in there as well though
You don't know my kind.....You don't my mind.....Dark necessities are part of my design.....
Just finished The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
I enjoyed it; it was simple and moving. It's about a young girl living in Nazi Germany, so comparisons to Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl abound but really aren't appropriate.
I thought I would tire of the device ofSpoiler:, but it didn't intrude on the narrative as I'd feared it would.
You can't be aloof until you advertise.
Just started The Kennedy Tapes: Inside the White House During the Cuban Missile Crisis by Ernest May & Philip Zelikow. I'm fascinated by the CMC and, as one of the most significant books on the topic, this should be a good one.
Last edited by St. Troy; 04-11-2017 at 09:39 AM. Reason: can't spell for shit
You can't be aloof until you advertise.
Just finished Elantris by Sanderson. I loved the book! Not too much detail but just enough to give great visuals and a wonderful story. I am going to start The Emperor's Soul by him so I can finish off the Selish system before I move onto my first Pratchett.
Saturn Run by John Sandford.
I don't know if I should have heard of him before now, but I only randomly picked this book up off the shelf at Walmart because I recently quit a book mid-read and was desperate for some fantastic sci-fi story to quell my thirst. I am really really enjoying this book so far.