Author Topic: books to read  (Read 431368 times)

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MeanestCleanestPenis

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2400 on: February 08, 2016, 09:19:35 AM »


Only halfway through this but really really good. Similar approach to Irvine Welsh in that he tells the story through multiple characters' point of view.

« Last Edit: February 08, 2016, 09:22:36 AM by MeanestCleanestPenis »

MeanestCleanestPenis

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2401 on: February 08, 2016, 09:26:36 AM »


Great read showing some of the human rights atrocities in North Korea. If your getting into this topic though you should really read this first. Probably one of my top-10 books ever



botefdunn

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2402 on: February 08, 2016, 11:31:46 AM »


Light read, kind of a punk classic, gothic horror meets anarchopunk esthetic, or something like that. Not the greatest writing, but enjoyable.



I like Bruce Sterling and the dystopian future as perceived by the nerds of the 80's (think shadowrun). I would say this anthology is mostly for fans, better to check out "A GoodOld-fahioned Future", which is a collection of Sterling short stories, if cyberpunk sounds interesting to you.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2016, 11:36:01 AM by botefdunn »

Alan

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2403 on: February 08, 2016, 01:19:38 PM »
Speaking of cyberpunk, I finally started reading Neuromancer. Only started it yesterday, but liking it so far. I gave it a go years ago and couldn't get into it, but now it's seems pretty good.
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Re: books to read
« Reply #2404 on: February 09, 2016, 12:39:52 PM »
just read a used copy of machiavelli's The Prince & some asshole highlighted most of it like theyre trying to take over the world.

brycickle

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2405 on: February 09, 2016, 02:41:10 PM »
Just finished the "Dark Tower" series. It took a while.

 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.



sametelt

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2406 on: February 10, 2016, 07:46:28 AM »


Only halfway through this but really really good. Similar approach to Irvine Welsh in that he tells the story through multiple characters' point of view.



I liked it a lot at first, but then I had to take a break about halfway in. Kind of lost interest and the whole patois shtick felt old pretty quickly. I see what he's doing, it just got a bit heavy handed for me.

The Brief History thread on Goodreads is full of Rap Genius-style questions from confused readers. "What is a rasscloth?" etc etc. Pretty entertaining.

Pauly Walnuts

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2407 on: February 12, 2016, 03:22:27 PM »
Currently about 2/3s done with Miller's "Tropic of Capricorn" and then I have a ton of Vonnegut to burn through. I feel "Tropic of Capricorn" will resonate more when I'm retired and gone through the majority of life and it's bullshit, there are certainly some entertaining parts to it.
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Tufty

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2408 on: February 12, 2016, 04:59:08 PM »
History combined with economics sociology and anthropology. I am at the first 50 pages and I am hooked.


thepman

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2409 on: February 15, 2016, 12:26:31 PM »
Expand Quote
Remarkable read. One of my all time favourites.


[close]

Fuck yeah! Alone in Berlin is THE most depressing book I've ever read. Hands down. And I mean that in the best way possible. Seriously, that book is so awesome but also incredibly sad.

The original title of that book is Jeder stirbt f�r sich allein, which translates to Everyone Dies Alone. Spoiler Alert: That's the plot in a nutshell. Just to give everyone else an idea of how melancholic that book is.

EDIT: This thread is killing it right now!

Shit, I never knew that. Yeah it's deeply depressing, but as quoted on the cover, it's redemptive. Certainly makes you consider how you'd react if you lived in Nazi Germany. Given the theme of 'banality of good' throughout the book, it's made me go out and buy Eichmann in Jerusalem, which is fascinating so far.

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SFblah

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2410 on: February 15, 2016, 01:40:35 PM »
There's a publisher here in Dallas called Deep Vellum http://deepvellum.org/ that only publishes English translations of authors from countries such as Iceland, Spain, France, and Ukraine. Some authors are new and others have been well known in their country for years.

Curious if any of you global Pals have heard of some of these authors in your countries. I thought it was cool to get a chance to read some authors that I may not have been able to due to language barrier.

I'm currently reading Tram 83, which is getting lots of good reviews, and plan on checking out some more.

smellsdead

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2411 on: February 15, 2016, 02:39:05 PM »
do androids dream of electric sheep?-phillip k dick

the savage detectives- roberto bolaño

1984-orwell

my most recent reads. diggin scifi as of late


AnotherHardDayAtTheOffice

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2412 on: February 18, 2016, 04:53:39 AM »
So I finished Americanah about a week ago and wanna give you some of my thoughts on the book. First of all, I loved it. It's hands down one of the three best novels I've ever read. It's super expansive and covers a wide array of themes: racism, immigration, love, inter-cultural relationships, life in the USA, life in Nigeria, corruption, money - it's all in there. The novel's characters are all interesting, complex, and contradictory, even though looking back I can see that some of the characters represent a certain idea or stereotype. That might be the only weakness of the book that I can think of right now. However, in my eyes, this doesn't take away from the amazing reading experience that this book offers.

As said before, the plot is about a young Nigerian girl who goes to the USA to seek a better life. Her Nigerian boyfriend is supposed to follow her immediately, but 9/11 happens and immigration to the US suddenly isn't as easy anymore as it used to be. Spoiler alert - she suddenly breaks off contact with him due to feelings of guilt and depression after she kind of prostituted herself. After having a rough start, both eventually become very successful in their own ways - she as a famous race blogger in America - he as a married businessman in Nigeria. Nonetheless, she decides to move back to a booming Nigeria and leave everything in America behind. Obviously, from then on, it's all about their reunion and whether or not it will be happening.

To be honest, even though this books received almost exclusively positive critical feedback (the BBC chose it as one of the 20 best novels written since 2000) and even though I personally love it, I'm not sure it's a book for everyone. I think this has a lot to do with many people's reading habits - especially, let's face it, guys. Americanah doesn't just cover race and racism as major themes (especially the difference between African Americans and "Non-American Blacks") but is also super aware of race and gender (without ever being moralizing). To me, it often seems like most men like to ignore questions of gender and race inequality in general and don't think literature in particular should address these issues - because it's supposed to be about universal issues and the important questions of humankind (all Dostoevsky-style), right? I'm not saying you have to like the book - I'm sure there are good reasons not to like it (even though I'm not sure which ones) - but I'm sure the specific reason a lot of guys won't like it is because it's aware of different cultural experience and gender inequality.

But that's one of many reasons why I think this book is so great. All of its themes are especially relevant nowadays. It feels like a very "modern" read in the sense that it deals with specific problems of our time. And it succeeds in offering multiple perspectives on these problems, as its characters look at the world from three different continents. That's why you learn a lot in this book. Therefore, if you like to read out of your comfort zone every now and then, give this book a try!

AnotherHardDayAtTheOffice

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2413 on: February 18, 2016, 04:59:21 AM »
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
Remarkable read. One of my all time favourites.


[close]

Fuck yeah! Alone in Berlin is THE most depressing book I've ever read. Hands down. And I mean that in the best way possible. Seriously, that book is so awesome but also incredibly sad.

The original title of that book is Jeder stirbt f�r sich allein, which translates to Everyone Dies Alone. Spoiler Alert: That's the plot in a nutshell. Just to give everyone else an idea of how melancholic that book is.

EDIT: This thread is killing it right now!
[close]

Shit, I never knew that. Yeah it's deeply depressing, but as quoted on the cover, it's redemptive. Certainly makes you consider how you'd react if you lived in Nazi Germany. Given the theme of 'banality of good' throughout the book, it's made me go out and buy Eichmann in Jerusalem, which is fascinating so far.



Yeah, you're absolutely right. That's exactly why it's so good I think.

Eichmann in Jerusalem is indeed fascinating. Its publication caused a controversial public debate in Germany, mainly because the concept of "the banality of evil" was widely misunderstood.

You seem to be on a little third-reich reading binge. Which I'm totally backing! Let me know what your thought on your readings are  :)

Farty McBoner

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2414 on: February 18, 2016, 08:15:28 AM »
Dont know if this has been already posted here but i just finished this and it is simply amazing, I love Vonnegut.

Makaveli

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2415 on: February 18, 2016, 09:03:29 AM »
The Collected Poems of H. Phelps Putnam, "Summer" is really great.
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Blue Fescue

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2416 on: February 18, 2016, 09:28:42 AM »
Book one of My Struggle by Karl Ove Kanusgaard

It seemed like it could be boring but was instead extremely good.  I have started part two

His articles in New york times  magazine were great as well

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/01/magazine/karl-ove-knausgaard-travels-through-america.html?_r=0


oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2417 on: February 18, 2016, 12:36:59 PM »
Thanks for sharing your though AHDATO--I'll have to respond to them more in depth when I'm not on my phone at work.

Fatty McBoner--good start for Vonnegut.  I'm a big fan of his and have read everything he's published, although to be honest, most of his posthumous collections have not been extremely memorable.  I feel like there is a reason they weren't included in his previous short-story/essay collections.  But his novels are all top notch.

rfox--I'm really enjoying Knausgaard's work as well.  I just finished Vol. 3 about a month or so ago and it's definitely fascinating how well he toes the line of the banal and mundane while still being interesting.  I have a copy of volume 4 on my shelf waiting for me, but I can't seem to read him back-to-back.  I have to wait a little bit between volumes before I feel the need to read him again. 

I'm liking Bolaño a lot so far.  I just started the second section, but haven't had as much time to really dig into it as I would like this past week or two.

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2418 on: February 18, 2016, 01:07:44 PM »
just started ee eee ee by that tao lin kid. don't know if i like it yet or not. got a book about beekeeping too, hopefully that one changes my life.

AnotherHardDayAtTheOffice

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2419 on: February 19, 2016, 03:12:17 AM »

I'm liking Bola�o a lot so far.  I just started the second section, but haven't had as much time to really dig into it as I would like this past week or two.

Nice. I'm glad to hear that. One of the best parts about the second section is that you can just get in and out of it whenever you want.

Disclaimer: the second section is usually the most tiresome for readers. It shouldn't be too hard for someone who's into authors like Joyce and Pynchon, but it's a weird section anyway. Try to keep loose track of what happens to Belano and Lima. Enjoy the interviews you find interesting and don't hesitate to skip over the ones you don't. Don't worry, some of them will make sense in the end and some of them won't. It's interesting to keep the genre of the detective story in mind for this section and what the book does with it...

Thrillho

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2420 on: February 19, 2016, 05:04:40 AM »
I just finished The Stand: Complete and Uncut.  Probably the longest book I'll ever read.  It's good though.  My favorite parts were the "Come on dooown pu'lease" live game show, Nick helping Tom through his dreams, and pretty much any part with Trashcan Man.  Flagg came off as a dorky and boring antagonist to me though, and if that were the only Stephen King book I ever read I would assume he was a horrible racist.  I just kept telling myself it was an homage to Lovecraft or something.

shark tits

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2421 on: February 19, 2016, 05:13:22 AM »
I just finished The Stand: Complete and Uncut.  Probably the longest book I'll ever read.  It's good though.  My favorite parts were the "Come on dooown pu'lease" live game show, Nick helping Tom through his dreams, and pretty much any part with Trashcan Man.  Flagg came off as a dorky and boring antagonist to me though, and if that were the only Stephen King book I ever read I would assume he was a horrible racist.  I just kept telling myself it was an homage to Lovecraft or something.
been 20 or so yrs since i read it but alot of books from earlier eras had casual racism that i believe is the author's attempts at capturing the zeitgeist of the day or at least a decent facsimile of real people's ways of talking. the opinions of the characters may not in fact be the opinions of the author of said characters type of thing.
i'm guessing that you're basing your thoughts of racism on dialogue. if it's the way he writes black characters as being less capable or soemthign then i'm lost. i was in juvie when i read it but prolly the biggest jawn i've ever made it through my damn self. flagg was the walking dude, right?
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Thrillho

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2422 on: February 19, 2016, 06:26:06 AM »
Yeah, Flagg = Walkin Dude = Dark Man = Hardcase and so on.  I get that you can use racist dialogue in characters to portray certain perspectives, but everyone in the Free Zone (good guys) save Mother (who is, admittedly, the most Holy character) and Joe/Leo (psycho little Asian kid running around in his underwear trying to kill Larry with a butcher's knife) is white.  All the heroes are white.  All the intelligent bad guys are white.  Then when it comes to Rat-Man (the only person Julie says she would never sleep with) or the squad of black soldiers executing white commanders on live tv, they all talk with rapist Huggy Bear language and he can't seem to stop himself from going on describing the inescapable blackness for five paragraphs.  I don't assume him a racist though.  I think he just doesn't know any black people so he ends up goes way overboard trying to get his point across.  I honestly thought Glen was black until halfway through the book he's like "bald white head" and I kinda got bummed.

oyolar

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2423 on: February 19, 2016, 07:42:33 AM »
Expand Quote

I'm liking Bola�o a lot so far.  I just started the second section, but haven't had as much time to really dig into it as I would like this past week or two.
[close]

Nice. I'm glad to hear that. One of the best parts about the second section is that you can just get in and out of it whenever you want.

Disclaimer: the second section is usually the most tiresome for readers. It shouldn't be too hard for someone who's into authors like Joyce and Pynchon, but it's a weird section anyway. Try to keep loose track of what happens to Belano and Lima. Enjoy the interviews you find interesting and don't hesitate to skip over the ones you don't. Don't worry, some of them will make sense in the end and some of them won't. It's interesting to keep the genre of the detective story in mind for this section and what the book does with it...

Thanks for the tip!  I'm enjoying the interviews so far, but I could definitely see how it could difficult to go through over 400+ pages.

brycickle

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2424 on: February 19, 2016, 12:21:30 PM »
Yeah, Flagg = Walkin Dude = Dark Man = Hardcase and so on.  I get that you can use racist dialogue in characters to portray certain perspectives, but everyone in the Free Zone (good guys) save Mother (who is, admittedly, the most Holy character) and Joe/Leo (psycho little Asian kid running around in his underwear trying to kill Larry with a butcher's knife) is white.  All the heroes are white.  All the intelligent bad guys are white.  Then when it comes to Rat-Man (the only person Julie says she would never sleep with) or the squad of black soldiers executing white commanders on live tv, they all talk with rapist Huggy Bear language and he can't seem to stop himself from going on describing the inescapable blackness for five paragraphs.  I don't assume him a racist though.  I think he just doesn't know any black people so he ends up goes way overboard trying to get his point across.  I honestly thought Glen was black until halfway through the book he's like "bald white head" and I kinda got bummed.
King knows what he's doing. In 11/22/63, he talks about the amount of casual racism that goes on in America. From how I read him, he is 100% aware that he is capable of it too. You should also remember that one of his best and strongest characters is a split personality, handicapped black lady.

 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.



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Re: books to read
« Reply #2425 on: February 19, 2016, 01:47:54 PM »
Dont know if this has been already posted here but i just finished this and it is simply amazing, I love Vonnegut.

So it goes.

Alan

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2426 on: February 19, 2016, 07:33:56 PM »
Hosin' out the cab of his pickup truck
He's got his 8-track playin' really fuckin' loud

Thrillho

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2427 on: February 20, 2016, 02:02:28 AM »
King knows what he's doing. In 11/22/63, he talks about the amount of casual racism that goes on in America. From how I read him, he is 100% aware that he is capable of it too. You should also remember that one of his best and strongest characters is a split personality, handicapped black lady.

I'll agree with you to a point, but I don't believe he was aware of how it was coming off when he wrote The Stand almost 40 years ago.  Did you see that Idris Elba is going to play Roland?  Matthew McConaughey is going to be Flagg.  Also, a few of these made me laugh https://litreactor.com/columns/every-stephen-king-novel-summarized-in-140-characters-or-less

brycickle

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2428 on: February 20, 2016, 09:20:54 AM »
Part of me is stoked that Idris Elba is going to be Roland. The other part says, fuck Stringer Bell, he had Wallace murdered. I think they had to cast McConaughey as Flagg/Walter etc..., because if I remember correctly, they're actually going to do a trilogy for The Stand, and he will play that character in those movies as well. Who knows for sure though, it is Hollywood.

 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.



Molte

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Re: books to read
« Reply #2429 on: February 22, 2016, 05:35:47 PM »
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and The Little Prince was most def bangers.

Just started Don Quixote. It's pretty hilarious so far.
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