books to read

[botefdunn]

Had been meaning to read this for awhile. It wasn't great, but also didn't dissapoint.

[Alan]

Picked up a copy of Graham Greene’s “our man in havana.” What a delightful novel from 1958.

Yeah that's a good one. Greene is one of my favourite writers. Also wrote one of the best films of all time, The Third Man.

[devils acrobat]

Cureently reading 3 body problem by cixin liu and it is a great read so far

[aleksander]

Going to finish the final book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series tonight. 4500+ pages and I'm sad the journey is over.

Also highly recommend The Answer Man in this collection of short stories --




Planning to reread this next.

[mindfuzz]

Going to finish the final book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series tonight. 4500+ pages and I'm sad the journey is over.

Hell of a series even with the bit of a fall off in the last few books. I think I'm in the minority of actually liking the ending despite it being kind of anticlimatic. But it's King so it's to be expected that he doesn't stick the landing.

[aleksander]

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Going to finish the final book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series tonight. 4500+ pages and I'm sad the journey is over.

[close]

Hell of a series even with the bit of a fall off in the last few books. I think I'm in the minority of actually liking the ending despite it being kind of anticlimatic. But it's King so it's to be expected that he doesn't stick the landing.

I liked the ending too, especially how he put a little disclaimer epilogue right before the very end saying, "Stop here if you want a happy ending. Read on if you want, but if you don't like it, you can kiss my ass."

People talk down on King for not being "literary," but he can tell a damn good story.

I also just learned there's apparently a book 4.5, so the fun's not over yet, thank God.

[Alan]

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Picked up a copy of Graham Greene’s “our man in havana.” What a delightful novel from 1958.

[close]

Yeah that's a good one. Greene is one of my favourite writers. Also wrote one of the best films of all time, The Third Man.

[close]

Its the first of his that I’ve read. Any recommendations are appreciated. “Our Man…” was light. I wasn’t searching or trying to make anything while or after reading. It was needed

I'd suggest The Quiet American (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Quiet_American) and Monsignor Quixote (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monsignor_Quixote). The latter is lighter.

I also remember liking his Mexican travelogue, The Lawless Roads (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lawless_Roads)

[Atiba Applebum]

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Going to finish the final book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series tonight. 4500+ pages and I'm sad the journey is over.

[close]

Hell of a series even with the bit of a fall off in the last few books. I think I'm in the minority of actually liking the ending despite it being kind of anticlimatic. But it's King so it's to be expected that he doesn't stick the landing.

[close]

I liked the ending too, especially how he put a little disclaimer epilogue right before the very end saying, "Stop here if you want a happy ending. Read on if you want, but if you don't like it, you can kiss my ass."

People talk down on King for not being "literary," but he can tell a damn good story.

I also just learned there's apparently a book 4.5, so the fun's not over yet, thank God.

Book 4.5 is the only one I really liked

[Atiba Applebum]

Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[mindfuzz]

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Going to finish the final book of Stephen King's Dark Tower series tonight. 4500+ pages and I'm sad the journey is over.

[close]

Hell of a series even with the bit of a fall off in the last few books. I think I'm in the minority of actually liking the ending despite it being kind of anticlimatic. But it's King so it's to be expected that he doesn't stick the landing.

[close]

I liked the ending too, especially how he put a little disclaimer epilogue right before the very end saying, "Stop here if you want a happy ending. Read on if you want, but if you don't like it, you can kiss my ass."

People talk down on King for not being "literary," but he can tell a damn good story.

I also just learned there's apparently a book 4.5, so the fun's not over yet, thank God.

[close]

Book 4.5 is the only one I really liked

Wizard and Glass is the peak imo

[imextremelysorry95]

Really been enjoying The Most Fun Thing: Dispatches from a Skateboard Life. Has some very interesting views on life, love and literature through the eyes of a lifelong skateboarder, I’d highly recommend it.

[aleksander]

Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

[Atiba Applebum]

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Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[close]

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

Childhood in Scientology was a bit of a surprise

[Weeb_poser]

Been reading The Cipher by Kathe Koja. Enjoying it so far but fuck it can get weird

[MichaelJacksonsGhost]

I read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie recently, and it was awesome. Last year I read White Teeth by Zadie Smith, which I thought was okay, but it’s interesting to see how many parts of her novel—details, minor conflicts, even aspects of the ending—she took from Rushdie’s book.

[oyolar]

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Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[close]

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

[close]

Childhood in Scientology was a bit of a surprise

Goddamn that was horrifying.

[pantyhero]

I read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie recently, and it was awesome. Last year I read White Teeth by Zadie Smith, which I thought was okay, but it’s interesting to see how many parts of her novel—details, minor conflicts, even aspects of the ending—she took from Rushdie’s book.

I love this book. My mom was born on August 16, 1947 and was a huge reader. She died last month and I never got her to read this, even though she liked Rushdie. This is a sentimental book for me now.

Rereading Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charlie” now and it’s good, but Steinbeck sometimes seethes with contempt for normal people and he keeps talking about how the European settlers of the Americas were the first to do this or that, simple shit like crossing the Rockies. That is so jarring in 2025.

[botefdunn]

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Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[close]

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

[close]

Childhood in Scientology was a bit of a surprise

[close]

Goddamn that was horrifying.

ya, I felt gross reading that. I was also really surprised I'd never heard about his scientology background, having read a lot of his stuff, albeit never anything about him. It fits pretty well with the type of worlds in his books,
repurposed magical thinking, alt-messianic dystopias.

[botefdunn]

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I read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie recently, and it was awesome. Last year I read White Teeth by Zadie Smith, which I thought was okay, but it’s interesting to see how many parts of her novel—details, minor conflicts, even aspects of the ending—she took from Rushdie’s book.

[close]

I love this book. My mom was born on August 16, 1947 and was a huge reader. She died last month and I never got her to read this, even though she liked Rushdie. This is a sentimental book for me now.

Rereading Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charlie” now and it’s good, but Steinbeck sometimes seethes with contempt for normal people and he keeps talking about how the European settlers of the Americas were the first to do this or that, simple shit like crossing the Rockies. That is so jarring in 2025.

My condolences.

I haven't read Travels with Charlie, but I'm a bit surprised to hear about the contempt for normal people. He's pretty well known for writing sympathetically about the poor and displaced. If you've read anything else of his, do you find Travels pretty different in tone?

[Atiba Applebum]

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Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[close]

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

[close]

Childhood in Scientology was a bit of a surprise

[close]

Goddamn that was horrifying.

[close]

ya, I felt gross reading that. I was also really surprised I'd never heard about his scientology background, having read a lot of his stuff, albeit never anything about him. It fits pretty well with the type of worlds in his books,
repurposed magical thinking, alt-messianic dystopias.

I don’t like throwing away books on principle, but what should I do with the ones I have?

[Plan9Customs]

Since you guys are discussing Steinbeck, I’m going to have to say The Moon Is Down seems like it’s a bit fitting for this new year.

[pantyhero]

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I read Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie recently, and it was awesome. Last year I read White Teeth by Zadie Smith, which I thought was okay, but it’s interesting to see how many parts of her novel—details, minor conflicts, even aspects of the ending—she took from Rushdie’s book.

[close]

I love this book. My mom was born on August 16, 1947 and was a huge reader. She died last month and I never got her to read this, even though she liked Rushdie. This is a sentimental book for me now.

Rereading Steinbeck’s “Travels With Charlie” now and it’s good, but Steinbeck sometimes seethes with contempt for normal people and he keeps talking about how the European settlers of the Americas were the first to do this or that, simple shit like crossing the Rockies. That is so jarring in 2025.

[close]

My condolences.

I haven't read Travels with Charlie, but I'm a bit surprised to hear about the contempt for normal people. He's pretty well known for writing sympathetically about the poor and displaced. If you've read anything else of his, do you find Travels pretty different in tone?

I read the usual stuff in high school (Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, The Pearl), but that was ... a long, long time ago, so I don't remember.

[ok boomer]

No longer human

[aleksander]

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Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[close]

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

[close]

Childhood in Scientology was a bit of a surprise

[close]

Goddamn that was horrifying.

[close]

ya, I felt gross reading that. I was also really surprised I'd never heard about his scientology background, having read a lot of his stuff, albeit never anything about him. It fits pretty well with the type of worlds in his books,
repurposed magical thinking, alt-messianic dystopias.

[close]

I don’t like throwing away books on principle, but what should I do with the ones I have?

Great question. You could sell them on Ebay or Pangobooks so that the author doesn't see any royalties. I read about a collector who sold a ton of rare Harry Potter books and then donated all the money to an LGBTQ+ organization just as a fuck you to JK Rowling.

[Plan9Customs]

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Since you guys are discussing Steinbeck, I’m going to have to say The Moon Is Down seems like it’s a bit fitting for this new year.

[close]

I read that a few months back. Despite being OCI propaganda, its an enjoyable, overtly anti-fascist piece

Okay, it’s been about a year since I reread that and remember I’m a stupid, what’s OCI?
Googled but results didn’t seem associated.

[Atiba Applebum]

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Big article in NY Mag today that will surely kill any appetite to read Neil Gaiman any further.     Truly revolting stuff

[close]

Non-paywall link here if anyone wants to read it - https://archive.is/J31rj

It's seriously evil. Unabashed rapist and tries to hide behind a BDSM kink.

[close]

Childhood in Scientology was a bit of a surprise

[close]

Goddamn that was horrifying.

[close]

ya, I felt gross reading that. I was also really surprised I'd never heard about his scientology background, having read a lot of his stuff, albeit never anything about him. It fits pretty well with the type of worlds in his books,
repurposed magical thinking, alt-messianic dystopias.

[close]

I don’t like throwing away books on principle, but what should I do with the ones I have?

[close]

Great question. You could sell them on Ebay or Pangobooks so that the author doesn't see any royalties. I read about a collector who sold a ton of rare Harry Potter books and then donated all the money to an LGBTQ+ organization just as a fuck you to JK Rowling.

Yeah I mean I have 2-3 books of minor value.   Maybe I’ll just goodwill them and they can get the profit.  Donating it in fire restoration donation seems like I’m just trying to get rid of trash

[Weeb_poser]

No longer human

Great book. Depressing as fuck though

[Plan9Customs]

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Since you guys are discussing Steinbeck, I’m going to have to say The Moon Is Down seems like it’s a bit fitting for this new year.

[close]

I read that a few months back. Despite being OCI propaganda, its an enjoyable, overtly anti-fascist piece

[close]

Okay, it’s been about a year since I reread that and remember I’m a stupid, what’s OCI?
Googled but results didn’t seem associated.

[close]

Office of coordinator of intelligence. A precursor agency to thr CIA

Thanks,
Face palm. Should’ve know that. Completely agree with your take on it.

[Atiba Applebum]

News to me: David foster Wallace sucks too

https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/05/the-world-still-spins-around-male-genius/559925/

[oyolar]

Oh yeah. I think I heard about it because Mary Karr spoke up at how much D.T. Max downplayed the allegations in his biography of DFW from 2012. And then more details have just come forward.

DFW had some random very-90s conservative takes too, like his weird essay about AIDS.