Author Topic: books to read  (Read 431308 times)

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shark tits

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1950 on: March 05, 2014, 09:15:21 AM »
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anyone is half an asshole.
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One of the liberating truths literature offers.
here's another 'liberating truth'
from 'lies my teacher told me'
"Irish legends written in the 9th or 10th century tell of an abbot and 17 monks who journeyed to the promised lands of the saints during a 7 yr sojourn in a leather boat centuries earlier. the stories include details that are literally fabulous: each Easter, the priest and his crew supposedly conducted Mass on the back of a whale. they visited a pillar of crystal [perhaps and iceberg] and an island of fire. we cannot dismiss these legends however. when the Norse first reached Iceland, Irish monks were living on the island, whose volcanoes could have provided the 'island of fire'."

Ollie Ringwald

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1951 on: March 06, 2014, 05:22:40 AM »
I've been belatedly working my way through Murakami.. I really liked After Dark and Norwegian Wood but I'm not so sure about The Wind Up Bird Chronicle.

Any suggestions which of his books I should read next?

chockfullofthat

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1952 on: March 06, 2014, 05:48:34 PM »
^I have only read Kafka On the Shore and I enjoyed it.



Tony Judt was one of the greatest historians of the 20th century. He died in 2010. Before he died he co-authored this book with another historian, Snyder. Half conversation, half autobiography (Judt's), it's a great voyage through historical issues central to the understanding the previous century. Despite that, it is not overly scholarly. Don't be mislead by the subtitle. The reason I'm posting this book here is because I think it could be thoroughly enjoyable for non-historians as well. I guess some previous knowledge is necessary, but if you have a a background in humanities or social sciences you won't find the content foreign.  

So I read the first chapter of this.  It was interesting but definitely a ways over my head.  I didn't know shit about the Habsburg Monarchy, for instance, and I was lost on several of the other tangents they went down.  It was all over the place.  Maybe one for the future.  I really need a better base knowledge on history before trying again on this one.  At least I do read books now and try to learn in my free time.  I recently read Breakfast of Champions and The Sun Also Rises, which have been mentioned in this thread before.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 05:50:31 PM by chockfullofthat »

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1953 on: March 06, 2014, 05:58:52 PM »
Breakfast of Champions is awesome even though Vonnegut didn't seem to be too big of a fan of it.

I'm reading Joyce's only play Exiles.  I'm not a huge fan of reading plays, but it's very difficult to get a copy of it so I doubt I'll see it staged anytime soon.  Fun fact--I found it in a second hand bookstore in Utrecht when I was visiting with my uncle two summers ago.  When I lived in Utrecht for a summer in college, I found a copy of Happy Birthday, Wanda June by Kurt Vonnegut in the same shop (his only published play as well) and both are very rare since they've been out of print for decades.

brycickle

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1954 on: March 06, 2014, 06:30:25 PM »
Breakfast of Champions is awesome even though Vonnegut didn't seem to be too big of a fan of it.


It wasn't my favorite of his. Then again, there's no such thing as a bad Vonnegut book.

 You and the D00D have turned this thread into a horrible head-on-collision between a short bus full of regular kids and a van full of paraplegics.



Stab n Kill

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1955 on: March 07, 2014, 07:25:47 PM »

I just finished reading this study on a group of homeless drug addicts (mostly heroin,crack and alcohol) living on the streets of San Francisco, specifically around the Edgewater Boulevard area.  The two researchers, that conducted this study, followed the group throughout the 1990s up until the early 2000s, documenting their criminal behavior in order to survive and feed that damn monkey on their back.  One of the authors always kept a camera on him while hanging with the group, who took them in with open arms, and got some amazing shots.  I highly recommend this book if you come across it.  For slap pals around the Boston area, stop by the Copley library after a session & pick it up. 

Ollie Ringwald

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1956 on: March 07, 2014, 08:51:24 PM »
^I have only read Kafka On the Shore and I enjoyed it.


Thanks, I'll try that next.

chockfullofthat

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1957 on: March 10, 2014, 06:31:25 AM »
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Breakfast of Champions is awesome even though Vonnegut didn't seem to be too big of a fan of it.


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It wasn't my favorite of his. Then again, there's no such thing as a bad Vonnegut book.

I agree.  I still haven't read his most famous book, but I have it so I will one day.  I'm about to start The Corrections, it looks long as fuck I hope it's worth it.

Alan

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1958 on: March 10, 2014, 07:40:23 AM »
Sorry about Judt, Chock. Hope you give it a go some other time.
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He's got his 8-track playin' really fuckin' loud

chockfullofthat

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1959 on: March 10, 2014, 07:51:16 AM »
Sorry about Judt, Chock. Hope you give it a go some other time.

No problem.  It's so far made me more interested in parts of history I hadn't really looked into before. 

Ollie Ringwald

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1960 on: March 10, 2014, 08:42:07 AM »
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Breakfast of Champions is awesome even though Vonnegut didn't seem to be too big of a fan of it.


[close]
It wasn't my favorite of his. Then again, there's no such thing as a bad Vonnegut book.
[close]

I agree.?  I still haven't read his most famous book, but I have it so I will one day.?  I'm about to start The Corrections, it looks long as fuck I hope it's worth it.

I prefer Breakfast of Champions to Slaughterhouse 5 for what its worth.

Anyway, the Corrections is really good and doesn't feel like a long book when you're reading it.

tumulishoomaroom

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1961 on: March 10, 2014, 04:30:14 PM »


Quote
Throughout the vast American West, nature is being vicitimized by a Big Government / Big Business conspiracy of bridges, dams and concrete. But a motley gang of individuals has decided that enough is enough. A burnt-out veteran, a mad doctor and a polygamist join forces in a noble cause: to dismantle the machinery of progress through peaceful means, or otherwise.

One of the best book I've read recently, really loved it. I didn't know there was a version with Crumb illustrations, I would have tried to find that one otherwise...


oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1962 on: March 13, 2014, 06:55:53 AM »
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.  A bunch of people recommended it.  It's a common book for my old high school to teach, but I wasn't in that literature course, so I missed that chance.  I'm about a quarter of the way through and am rather indifferent to it so far.  It's cool to see where the Eastern/Buddhist mystique for the West came from and read the book that influenced so much of the "find yourself" tourism culture, but I think it really has suffered from that phenomenon.  It just feels cliched at this point.

Joyce's play was pretty good and intriguing in terms of his entire oeuvre.  But you can definitely see why it wasn't as well received as his novels.

chockfullofthat

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1963 on: March 13, 2014, 07:40:11 AM »
Maybe it would be more meaningful for you if you listened to it over analog synths while drinking expensive teas??

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/we-watched-billy-corgan-play-an-eight-hour-freeform-synthesizer-interpretation-of-siddartha

perverted super otaku!

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1964 on: March 13, 2014, 07:59:07 AM »
this is actually awesome! highly recommend

handsclapanin

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1965 on: March 29, 2014, 11:04:56 PM »
Went on a Knut Hamson rampage. Vagabonds, its sequel August, and Growth of the Soil. Enjoyed them all. Vagabonds probably best. They were all longer books, around 500 pages, but read fast. My favorite book of his is still Hunger.
In between August and Soil, a quick little read: The Fall by Albert Chamus. Regret is a hell of a thing.
Then I just finished The Air Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller. First thing I've read of his.
And now I'm on this 2 story book by JD Salinger: Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters and Seymour, An Introduction. The first one was good.

AnotherHardDayAtTheOffice

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1966 on: March 30, 2014, 10:07:34 AM »
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse.  A bunch of people recommended it.  It's a common book for my old high school to teach, but I wasn't in that literature course, so I missed that chance.  I'm about a quarter of the way through and am rather indifferent to it so far.  It's cool to see where the Eastern/Buddhist mystique for the West came from and read the book that influenced so much of the "find yourself" tourism culture, but I think it really has suffered from that phenomenon.  It just feels cliched at this point.

I couldn't agree more. I thought exactly the same thing about the book. Hesse in general is really popular with spiritually inclined "find yourself" youths. He was the first "serious" author I read in my teens and has sparked my interest in literature. However, after Siddharta I found him way too spiritual for my taste and haven't read a Hesse book ever since. Steppenwolf, however, is really rad.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2014, 10:10:16 AM by AnotherHardDayAtTheOffice »

aleksander

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1967 on: March 30, 2014, 07:20:51 PM »
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Breakfast of Champions is awesome even though Vonnegut didn't seem to be too big of a fan of it.


[close]
It wasn't my favorite of his. Then again, there's no such thing as a bad Vonnegut book.
[close]

I agree.?  I still haven't read his most famous book, but I have it so I will one day.?  I'm about to start The Corrections, it looks long as fuck I hope it's worth it.
[close]

I prefer Breakfast of Champions to Slaughterhouse 5 for what its worth.

Anyway, the Corrections is really good and doesn't feel like a long book when you're reading it.


A month ago I never would have believed this, but then I just reread Slaughterhouse 5 and couldn't get into it at all. I kept waiting for the good shit I thought I remembered to start then the book was over. I enjoyed the first chapter (which is more like a foreword) way more than the rest.


Just read "Fragile Things," the Neil Gaiman short stories, which was excellent. I liked American Gods, but enjoyed this way more.

Also read SuperFreakonomics, which was good, but not as good as the first one.
"Let's just do something stupid and ridiculous and just be as fucking regular as we possibly can."

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1968 on: April 07, 2014, 04:20:16 PM »
I'm reading The Design of Everyday Things, which was mentioned a few pages ago and it is so fucking boring.  I'm a little over half way through it and each chapter seems unnecessarily long and like a lot is rather repetitive.  Like he just keeps going over the same topics with extremely small differences each time and maybe adding a new term here or there.  In no way does it need to be almost 300 pages.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1969 on: April 11, 2014, 07:18:49 PM »


Hoping to finish on Pynchon In Public Day.

toque

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1970 on: April 11, 2014, 09:10:14 PM »
Last good book I read was Lolita and it actually had me Lolin' at points.   Humbert Humbert is one of the most bizarre,  interesting characters I've ever come across.   


wheee!

Rusty_Berrings

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1971 on: April 11, 2014, 09:47:59 PM »
would it be cool if there was a prequel written to the bible? like, you know, before God created the heavens and the earth.

brycickle

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1972 on: April 12, 2014, 11:58:27 AM »
would it be cool if there was a prequel written to the bible? like, you know, before God created the heavens and the earth.
Do you have a physics book?

 You and the D00D have turned this thread into a horrible head-on-collision between a short bus full of regular kids and a van full of paraplegics.



Mr. Lono

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1973 on: April 19, 2014, 10:52:21 PM »
I have been consuming Palahniuk books lately at a rapid speed (survivor, rant, haunted, fight club, choke, lullaby)but was hesitant to read a book with the main character being a 13 year old girl. That book being damned but the shit is great. Especially if you find the concepts of heaven and hell completely ridiculous and humorous.
Charlie don't skate

shark tits

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1974 on: April 20, 2014, 06:47:04 AM »
I have been consuming Palahniuk books lately at a rapid speed (survivor, rant, haunted, fight club, choke, lullaby)but was hesitant to read a book with the main character being a 13 year old girl. That book being damned but the shit is great. Especially if you find the concepts of heaven and hell completely ridiculous and humorous.
i think his skills are in retrograde. that 'hello satan, are you there? it's me margaret' [or whatever her name was] book was pretty terrible but i read it on the strength of all his older books. the one w/ the culling song is the dopeshow. imagine if you could just sing someone to sleep forever? america's population would be cut in half real quick.

Mr. Lono

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1975 on: April 20, 2014, 09:32:50 PM »
I agree with you that lullaby was a great book but disagree that his skills are dwindling. I haven't bought doomed yet but I am sure it will be .............dopeshow as well. I am also very curious to see how fight club 2 will play out. It takes place 10 years after the death of Durden. My next purchase will be either clown girl by Drake or filth by Welsh
Charlie don't skate

Mr. Lono

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1976 on: April 22, 2014, 10:39:47 PM »
Went on a Knut Hamson rampage. Vagabonds, its sequel August, and Growth of the Soil. Enjoyed them all. Vagabonds probably best. They were all longer books, around 500 pages, but read fast. My favorite book of his is still Hunger.
In between August and Soil, a quick little read: The Fall by Albert Chamus. Regret is a hell of a thing.
Then I just finished The Air Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller. First thing I've read of his.
And now I'm on this 2 story book by JD Salinger: Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters and Seymour, An Introduction. The first one was good.
Hamson's Hunger is a fucking great book! One day i will get around to reading another one of his books as well as Miller. I thought tropic of cancer was great so I think i will give air conditioned nightmare and Vagabonds a chance. Thanks for the recommendations. Did you know that Hitler kicked Hamson out of his house for talking shit? Also there is a fable/rumor that Knut cured himself of tuberculosis by riding on top of a train breathing through his mouth. It seems like you enjoy transgressive literature so here are some more authors in this category you might enjoy-Palahniuk, Bataille(on some porn de sade shit), Bukowski, Currie Jr, Selby Jr, and of course Thompson. I think everyone must read Bukowski! Also, when you're at the party and you move you're body, do you feel you gotta get up and beeeee somebody?
« Last Edit: April 22, 2014, 10:42:40 PM by Mr. Lono »
Charlie don't skate

Jared

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1977 on: April 23, 2014, 08:33:58 AM »
I'm reading the Vagabond Virgin by Erle Stanley Gardner right now and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Definitely has a noir type feel to it.



harrison ford invented the first car, in America

Jared

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1978 on: April 23, 2014, 08:35:05 AM »
Also has anyone on here read and finished Infinite Jest? My buddy and I were talking about trying to read it by the end of the year last night.



harrison ford invented the first car, in America

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #1979 on: April 23, 2014, 11:41:22 AM »
I have not, but I've had several friends that have.  I'm waiting until I read his first novel before I start on Infinite Jest because I'm still ambivalent about DFW as a fiction writer.  I have done similarly structured and really long/dense books before and I've found that it's very helpful to set daily goals to get through the length.  Like, give yourself three months and figure out how many pages you have to read per day to finish in that time.  That way, if a section is dragging, you can tell yourself, "I only have 10 more pages to read today." instead of "This is taking forever and I still have 900 pages to read."