Could you tell me what you loved about it? To me, the main character is unlikable (not to mention nearly all the other characters), the story is depressing and the whole thing needed an editor's touch. I did like the opening scene in the museum but after that it went downhill for me.Originally Posted by frik
Not me: loved it.
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Just finished Overbooked in Arizona (1993) by book collector/dealer Samuel Hirsh Gottlieb, a fun novella satire on modern firsts book collecting. A man's life spirals out of control when he can't stop collecting books. Broke and jobless, he soon starts trolling garage/yard sales until the day of the "Incident"... the day he just missed a treasure trove of "Grandpa's old books" (books worth at least $500K) at a yard sale by mere minutes. First edition Berger's, Fitzgerald's, Chandler's and many more, all in near fine condition. There was even a The Postman Always Rings Twice in there! And that couple beat him to it by just a few tiny minutes. An uneven and rough first published story by Mr. Gottlieb, but a really fun read, especially for book collectors.
Sounds like something I would do... the can't stop collecting books part...
Hive Monkey
~Gareth Powell
2/3 of the way through Gone South by Robert McCammon. Great book (and humorous in spots)!
"God punishes us for what we cannot imagine." - Stephen King, Duma Key
It has been awhile, but I remember loving the (not all that sympathetic, but true) characters (Boris!), the plot (always compelling), the locations (I live in the Netherlands myself), and especially, Donna Tartt's beautifully descriptive, detailed writing - absolutely spellbinding.Could you tell me what you loved about it? To me, the main character is unlikable (not to mention nearly all the other characters), the story is depressing and the whole thing needed an editor's touch. I did like the opening scene in the museum but after that it went downhill for me.Not me: loved it.
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Has anyone read the Red Rising series?
Ditto.
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
She is very good at describing things, I can't argue against that, she describes the hell out of everything. I guess I will just have to miss the boat on this one. I got a fourth of the way through and could not bring myself to read any more. I hate leaving books unfinished and will usually muscle through even if I don't like them. I'm usually a sucker for critical darlings as well but I just don't get it. Sucks for me.It has been awhile, but I remember loving the (not all that sympathetic, but true) characters (Boris!), the plot (always compelling), the locations (I live in the Netherlands myself), and especially, Donna Tartt's beautifully descriptive, detailed writing - absolutely spellbinding.Could you tell me what you loved about it? To me, the main character is unlikable (not to mention nearly all the other characters), the story is depressing and the whole thing needed an editor's touch. I did like the opening scene in the museum but after that it went downhill for me.Not me: loved it.
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Now I'm reading Jack of Spades by Joyce Carol Oates, very good as usual with several mentions of Stephen King throughout.
What do you think of it, Jim? It was my first exposure to Cain; I liked his style.
I'll be starting Mr. Mercedes in a few minutes here. It has been too long since I read a new King novel. I'm excited!
Finders Keepers.
Isaac Asimov - The Gods Themselves
1/4 in and man, this is heaven. Hard brain-frying science and an engaging story.
Fiction: Mr. Mercedes
Non-Fiction: The Robert Collier Letter Book
Philosophy: The Golden Sayings of Epictetus
The Bone Clocks
Just Wiki'd it. Sounds awesome.
I'll add it to my list but I probably won't get to it for a while. I'm a bit drained on hard sci fi right now... reading Xenocide from the Ender's Saga and man, it's about as much fun as reading a funeral program. I love science fiction but this one is just so heavy.
China Mieville - The City and the City (A chapter a day. No one manipulates language and uses wordplay Mieville does. No one.)
A crime/procedural set in two cities that occupy the same physical space but are parallel (I guess?). Both populations are thought to unsee and unhear seeing the other city so as not to invoke Breach (breach the crime and Breach the esoteric police). Da fukk? It took me more than a day but only because I was busy with work. Great story, fans of Philip K. Dick should like it.
Stephen King - Finders KeepersVery fun story. 4/5. It's better if you don't analyze it too much because then it kind of falls apart.
Isaac Asimov - The Gods Themselves - still reading.
Grant Morrison - Doom Patrol (Superheroes (?) you don't want to be.) - page 450 and just 1/3 in.
I've started Everything You Need by Michael Marshall Smith.
I've been meaning to read Doom Patrol for a while now. And Invisibles. And Animal Man...
Bradbury's Green Shadows, White Whale
Do you have any experience reading indie Morrison?
Nope. All I've read by Morrison so far is All Star Superman and Batman.Do you have any experience reading indie Morrison?
After watching Talking With Gods, he seems an... interesting fellow.
I was this close to purchasing the omnibus/omniboo/whatever of DP, AM, and Invisibles when they came out but have held back for various reasons.
I have the omnibus editions of Animal Man, Invisibles and Doom Patrol. From a collector's perspective, these are the editions you want on your shelves. From a fan's/reader's perspective, these are not the droids you're looking for. They're very heavy and due to glued binding nearly impossible to read without completely ruining the spine. I don't mean this in an uppity collector's way either; the whole page block will fall out. They're close to 1100 pages and about the weight of three hardcover ITs. I have to place it on my belly and peer in, sort of.
You can get them in the standard trade format or as deluxe, jacketed hardcovers. Those are really nice and should have been my first choice. Oversized format, glossy paper and cheaper than buying the trades individually.
You could always try his stand-alones as a taste test. Joe the Barbarian, Happy, and Filth are all great.
He's a shaman, he does a lot of drugs but his books don't suffer from it, I think. They're heady and demented but the story is always there.
And for the record, I neither do drugs of any kind, nor do I think his books are great because he does them. I'm sure he gets a lot of inspiration for his stories that way, but they're not impenetrable. Just weird and entertaining.
Lol holy shit, you're in for a ride. They are unlike anything you are likely to read. It might be a bit jarring for you at first, but like WDIL says, the story is always there. Start off with the Invisibles.Nope. All I've read by Morrison so far is All Star Superman and Batman.Do you have any experience reading indie Morrison?
After watching Talking With Gods, he seems an... interesting fellow.
As someone whom has taken his fair share of hallucinogens (mostly LSD), I guarantee you that many of his creations could only have come from drug induced states. I don't mind it though, it's what gives his stories their particular... charm.
I thought it was ok. Not great, but not bad either (it's certainly not nearly as good as his early stuff). The twist ending was fantastic though! I think Charles Ardai did a wonderful job with putting the book together. He worked years on this thing. And ya got to love that cover! One of my very favorite books in my collection is Cain x3, a late 60's omnibus containing The Postman Always Rings Twice, Mildred Pierce and Double Indemnity, his three most famous stories. I've had it since I was 13 and must have read it at least 5 or 6 times now. Great stuff. And Cain's a Marylander, another plus!What do you think of it, Jim? It was my first exposure to Cain; I liked his style.
I'll be starting Mr. Mercedes in a few minutes here. It has been too long since I read a new King novel. I'm excited!
LOVED Mr. Mercedes! I'm just about to read Finders Keepers, heh (as soon as I finish James Dickey's Deliverance -- recently acquired first edition hardcover). Also excited!
Just read the novella The Man on the Bench by Robert Swartwood. Reminded me of a miniature version of It or Summer of Night. Really enjoyed it.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
Reading Clive Barker's Everville. Just 20% in, so far really like it. This is a sequel to "the great and secret show", which I thought was good, but not great.
Getting used to his writing style. Slightly more sophisticated compared to King.
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