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The topic for today’s virtual mixer is books. Give us your literary trivia and author tidbits, tell us what you’re reading, or plug your own book. We could use a few summer recommendations.
Like we’ve done with the previous two Harry Potter installments, my wife and I ordered two copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which will arrive tomorrow. That doesn’t leave me much time to polish off Then We Came To The End, a novel by Joshua Ferris about life at a Chicago ad agency. If you ever worked in advertising – or any company where layoffs were involved – I can’t recommend this book highly enough. (Read the first few pages here; if they don’t load right away, click ‘Excerpt’ on the left.)
Now go on. Chat. Start being all interesting and whatnot.
Comments (58)
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I am currently reading “Guns, Germs, and Steel” but it’s slow going because I don’t have time to just sit and read anymore. I would like to actually finish it and not have to add it to the list of books I have never been able to finish.
Does anyone else have this problem? There are some books that I just cannot finish. I get about 80% through, then I get distracted or something and put the book down. By the time I come back to it, I find I have to start over, but then it happens again. The top four of this list are:
Catch-22
Atlas Shrugged (I hear this book is notorious for this)
Great Expectations
Vanity Fair
Am I alone in this affliction?
posted by Rachel on 7-20-2007 at 8:52 am
You are not alone-my problem is I actually feel guilty if I do not finish a book.
My other problem is that I get library books weekly, but if I buy a book, I procrastinate, put it on a shelf, and most often, never get to reading the darn thing! I have some really great books I will get to someday.
posted by Tracy on 7-20-2007 at 9:09 am
Hey Rachel, if you end up enjoying “Guns, Germs, and Steel”, make sure you read “Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” as well.
You are not alone in your affliction. I find it harder and harder to find time to read. My problem stems from the fact that my loved ones see me reading and think, “Oh. He’s not busy.”
This is normally followed up by a request to repair or move a heavy object, run multiple errands, or listen to an exceedingly long recount of the minutiae of their day…
So, I find the best time to read is during lunch at work or after everyone else in the house has fallen asleep.
posted by Jason! on 7-20-2007 at 9:11 am
Part textbook on improving your memory, part travel memoir, part game show memoir, and 100% funny as all get out: Prisoner of Trebekistan by Bob Harris. Loved it.
Right now I’m trying to line up little chores that I can do in between Harry Potter chapters. If I don’t, I’ll do like I did with the last book and not move for 5-6 hours.
posted by Jaclyn on 7-20-2007 at 9:30 am
Oh god yes! I understand completely! It’s becoming tedious to try to explain that I’m not reading because I’m bored, and no, I don’t need something to do…
On another note, I’m reading The Devil’s Teeth, about great whites at The Farallones. Recommended for nature buffs, but not for the weak stomached!
P.S. Don’t feel bad Rachel, nobody finishes Atlas Shrugged.
posted by natlynn on 7-20-2007 at 9:31 am
I’m currently reading The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty 1857 by William Dalrymple. His last book was White Moghuls and was just as interesting.
This book talks about the last Mughal king of India around the time when the British had arrived and making their presence felt. A historical book but is very interesting and almost reads like a novel. I very very highly recommend White Moghuls though as I have already read that one to completion and have just gotten started on the Last Moghul.
posted by That one chick on 7-20-2007 at 9:39 am
My reading list has been heavily influenced by the Freakonomics blog this summer. I just finished How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman – a very rewarding book, if a fast read. I’ll be taking tidbits from this book when I next visit my GP. ISBN: 9780618610037 – google this to find details (or worldcat this to find it in your nearby library)
I’m working on Better: A Surgeon’s notes on performance by Atul Gawande right now. He and Groopman both have written for the New York Times and Better is a compilation of health related articles he’s produced, with some further additions. All very thoughtful and great reading.
ISBN: 9780805082111 (google this to find details)
Also in my recently purchased list: Paradise Lost by Milton (this is in my queue because of it being a source of inspiration for Pullman’s His Dark Materials series) – if you’ve not read those, those sit very high in my list of books which I recommend.
posted by Chris P. on 7-20-2007 at 9:40 am
right now i’m reading “in cold blood” – truman capote. although i haven’t picked it up in a couple of weeks. but i am now in the dilemma of whether or not to start the new harry potter book before i finish it… for the past few years i have had a stack of about oh 30 books? on the ‘to read’ list ;)
posted by Erika on 7-20-2007 at 9:44 am
Natlynn is right – no one finishes Atlas Shrugged – I did finish The Fountianhead, but it was overrated.
I got my grubby little paws on a copy of HP and the Deathly Hallows yesterday. I read the first chapter, then had a very weak moment and read the last chapter – not like me, really. I certainly will not spoil anything here – you’ll all have to read it for yourselves! (Just iver 12 hours to go!)
i did just finish ‘Animal, Vegetable, Miracle’ by Barbara Kingsolver – all about her family’s journey eating only local and home-grown foods for one year. I was inspired and am now a fixture at my local farmers’ market every Saturday (except tomorrow – gotta spend some quality time with Harry).
posted by Keeker on 7-20-2007 at 9:47 am
One I haven’t got my paws on quite yet but am very excited about – “Will the Vampire People Please Leave the Lobby?” by Allyson Beatrice. It’s a series of essays about the author’s experiences and adventures in online communities, especially online fandom. It’s coming out 8/1 (though available at B&N now). I can’t wait to read the stories, and then to share the book with people who don’t understand why I “think those people on the computer that [I] haven’t even met are [my] friends”.
Rachel – for me it’s “Tale of Two Cities” rather than “Great Expectations”, but no, you’re not alone.
posted by Melanie on 7-20-2007 at 9:58 am
I am currently reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It’s narrated by death and set in WWII Germany, but it is much lighter than it sounds. Not like slapstick happy times, but really enjoyable.
posted by Scott on 7-20-2007 at 10:01 am
I recommend “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini. I read it in about two days–I couldn’t put it down. A great read. Along the lines of Freakonomics, I also recommend “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell. I like to read early on weekend mornings. It’s quiet and no one else is up yet. It’s a great way to start the day.
posted by B.G. on 7-20-2007 at 10:14 am
Now I don’t feel quite so bad. I sort of finished Atlas Shrugged by skipping all the repetitive bits. I think that book could have easily been a pamphlet if she hadn’t reiterated her point so many times. It surely could have been a much shorter book if only the author weren’t so longwinded. Too, too many words in my opinion.
But seriously, I just finished The Innocent Traitor by Alison Weir. It’s a fictionalized account of the life of Lady Jane Grey by a historian who’s written many nonfiction books on the Tudors as well as other English monarchs. She’s a tremendous storyteller in her nonfiction, and this book didn’t disappoint.
I just started a biography on the artist Willem de Kooning, and today I ordered The World Without Us as recommended by Ransom in his July 16 post. … Apparently, I have time to read. Am I doing something wrong?
posted by TaTa36 on 7-20-2007 at 10:21 am
After enjoying Interview With a Vampire many moons ago, I tried to read Lestat…after about 20 pages in, when he became a rock and roll star (!), I gave up…and never looked at it again..
I’ve also started reading Wicked at least 5 times now…cannot get past about 30 pages…bores me to death..and I think I’d really like it!
I’ve started looking into an audio book-sharing program like Neflix…this way, someone can read to ME and I can multi-task doing other projects along the way…I love books, but I hate paying for ones that I’ll never read…
posted by donner on 7-20-2007 at 10:25 am
Donner – If you find such a service, I strongly recommend (to plug it again) the Listening Library audio recordings of His Dark Materials – they’re done by British stage actors and narrated by the author – there’s not full on sound effects so its not really a staging of the work, but each character has a voice and the interaction of them is really marvelous – great stuff to have on an I-pod or for a long car drive.
posted by Chris P. on 7-20-2007 at 10:34 am
A friend of mine keeps recommending audible.com to me for audiobooks… but I haven’t been able to bring myself to shell out the cash for it yet. My public library is fairly good at getting books, and I can make my hold requests online.
posted by Jason! on 7-20-2007 at 10:39 am
I started jogging recently and am currently training for a marathon, so all of my free time is spent running instead of reading. The solution? Books on CD. I get them from the library and import them into my iPod. I’d much rather sit down and read a book, but with all the running (not to mention chores – laundry, dishes, etc…), if I don’t listen to a book, I’ll never find time to read these days.
Just finished 1776 on audio – it was a great book.
posted by Bryan on 7-20-2007 at 10:45 am
There are a couple of books waiting to be read, that I’m supposed to write reviews for. I started doing that as a way to get free books, but it’s backfired on me somewhat… when you turn a hobby into a job, it loses some of its allure.
posted by Miss Cellania on 7-20-2007 at 10:51 am
I’m just finishing Something Wicked This Way Comes by Bradbury…Amazing style! I’ve been meaning to check him out for awhile now, and I’m a fan now.
Also just started Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill. He released this book to little fanfare, until it became known who his father is: Stephen King. So far I gotta say, he’s a chip off the proverbial block!
I can’t do audiobooks. Mind wanders.
posted by Johnny Cat on 7-20-2007 at 10:53 am
Counting down (less than 12 hours) to the Potter mania, I finished “Three Bags Full” a murder mystery set in Scotland with the sheep as detectives (go with me, it works) and I absolutely adored it.
I dabbled in a couple of other books that just couldn’t grab my attention (it may not of been them, though, it was probably me) until “Let’s Spend the Night Together” came along. It’s written by the famous groupie (and inspiration for Penny in “Almost Famous”) Pamela Des Barres and it’s a collection of stories from various groupies she interviewed. From Elvis to Marilyn Manson to Courtney Love and just about everyone in between. It’s been a fun read and it’s kept my attention while I’ve awaited The Boy Who Lived.
posted by Mary on 7-20-2007 at 11:28 am
I am reading Atlas Shrugged now… it has been a long process but I am determined to finish it. Only like 400 more pages to go :) I also can’t wait to read Harry Potter!
posted by Keri on 7-20-2007 at 11:38 am
Just finished ‘Cat’s Cradle’ by Vonnegut. I’m a big fan of his work, but hadn’t gotten to it until now. Loved it.
Reading is like exercise for me. When I finally get around to doing it, I think “Man, that was great. Why don’t I do it more often? I need to MAKE time for it.”
But I don’t. So it goes.
posted by EV on 7-20-2007 at 11:52 am
I don’t remember having a problem with Atals Shrugged, but that was many years ago when I had time to read without interruption if I wanted to. Now I have 2 young sons, so I get to read in basically 15 minute intervals at most. I just spent about 3 months fighting my way thru Infinite Jest, and I don’t really know if that was worth the effort. My to-read list is now centered back on plain old mindless fantasy novel series — The Belgariad by David Eddings, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen Donaldson (I think), & whatever catches my eye after that. Much easier entertainment.
posted by Evan on 7-20-2007 at 11:53 am
Current book about which I feel guilty – Against The Day, by Thomas Pynchon. It is sitting in the back seat of my car, just waiting for me to read more than the first 20 pages or so. Thing is, I really like what I have read so far, but our newborn is a constant source of distraction. Compounding the guilt is the fact that this is a library book, with other people waiting to read it.
posted by FourthRow on 7-20-2007 at 11:53 am
I highly highly HIGHLY recommend Jasper Fforde! He is an amazing author. I recommend starting with the Thursday Next series (1st book = The Eyre Affair). He also writes the Nursery Crime Division series (NOT a kids book, trust me), which I would recommend reading, especially after you’ve finished the 3rd TN book, The Well of Lost Plots. And the 5th TN book is set to come out in just a few days I believe…!!!
posted by Lindsay D on 7-20-2007 at 12:01 pm
I’ve never finished anything by Rand or Joyce.
How ’bout books that have changed the way you think? A few:
The Razor’s Edge by Somerset Maugham
Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzikas
Anyone else?
posted by Quix on 7-20-2007 at 12:01 pm
Changed the way I think:
“Demian” by Hermann Hesse
“Invitation to a Beheading” by Vladimir Nabokov
“Jitterbug Perfume” by Tom Robbins
Currently reading “Room Full of Mirrors”. It’s a biography of Jimi Hendrix. Excellent read – even if you’re not a fan of the music.
posted by Bill T. on 7-20-2007 at 12:49 pm
Changed the way I think:
Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
posted by Tru on 7-20-2007 at 1:09 pm
This is bringing up much deep-seeded guilt about all the books I own and haven’t read.
I think I will forever be reading Crime and Punishment, although my deadline is next summer when I go to Russia. Also never finished A Tale of Two Cities or the Fountainhead, but the one I start all the time and never get past the first chapter is Don Quixote.
Currently reading Reading Lolita in Tehran, so interesting, and an insight into a world I barely had a clue about.
But, honestly, all will be put aside for HP.
posted by cousin on 7-20-2007 at 1:44 pm
Changed the way I think:
Cinderella
The Jungle
Brave New World
He’s Just Not That Into You
posted by TaTa on 7-20-2007 at 2:21 pm
Jared Diamond readers – “Guns, Germs” and collapse can be a little dry, but really fascinating. Just read a little at a time – think of it as a self paced class. Now Diamond’s “The Third Chimpanzee” is really engaging and fun.
I have been on a novel kick lately. (I’m temping and can read at some of my jobs) I read “Water For Elephants”(Sara Gruen) straight through without taking a break. It was a great story. I also enjoyed “the Keep” by Jennifer Egan, and I’m cracking into “Thunderstruck”by Erik Larson. If you haven’t read Larson, put him on your list. He takes very obscure historical events (usually tying two together) and writes a factual narrative that reads like the Great American Novel.
I have not read a Harry Potter book yet. But as a kid I had a penchant for English Kiddie Lit (does anybody else remember Swallows and Amazons?) I’m thinking maybe I should give it a go.
“Les Miserables” changed my life. It made me want to write. Ditto “The Great Gatsby” It made me want to drink.
posted by Allison on 7-20-2007 at 2:32 pm
@ cousin
Don Quixote is one of my favorites. Thus the “Quix”.
What classic books that we are supposed to read do all of you really enjoy?
posted by Quix on 7-20-2007 at 2:36 pm
changed the way i think:
zen and the art of motocycle maintenance – also an excellent re-read
confederacy of dunces
even cowgirls get the blues/jitterbug perfume/skinny legs and all – tom robbins is a GOD
and i have to say that i’m in the middle of my second reading on the fountainhead, and have read atlas shrugged a couple of times as well. nothing wrong with either of them.
and no one’s mentioned this NOTORIOUS non-finished book yet, which has been on my bedside table for a couple of years now, ulysses by Joyce. feeling very guilty about it, especially since i’ve re-read other things in the meantime.
posted by mri on 7-20-2007 at 2:41 pm
Erik Larson is a terrific author. I really enjoyed his “Devil in the White City,” too.
If you like Larson, try Caleb Carr’s “The Alienist” and “Angel of Darkness.” They each take place in turn-of-the-last-century New York and feature a group of unlikely (for the time period) detectives who attempt to solve a series of murders that we would now consider to be serial killings. But that was unheard of at the time. And psychiatry, fingerprinting, blood typing, and all the other now-usual methods of detection were only in their infancy and not useful in court.
I’ve been hoping against hope for a third book with these characters.
posted by TaTa on 7-20-2007 at 2:49 pm
I second TaTa’s recommendation of “The Alienist” it’s long been one of my favorite books. In fact, I think I need to find and read that again. After Harry Potter that is.
Changed the way I think:
Good Omens – Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Dangerous Angels – Francesca Lia Block
To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Book I have yet to finish (after nearly ten false starts):
Special Topics in Calamity Physics
If I don’t succeed next time, I may have to finally give in to my desire to throw the book across the room and against the wall.
posted by Maire on 7-20-2007 at 2:58 pm
These didn’t change my life, but had an effect on the way I look at life in general (typically in an overexaggerated, absurdist manner):
“Letters from the Earth” – Mark Twain
“Snow Crash” – Neal Stephenson
“Technopoly” – Neil Postman
posted by Jason! on 7-20-2007 at 2:59 pm
I’ve been on an Agatha Christie kick recently. I’ve never read anything by her until a few months ago, and now I’ve started going through the local libraries collection during my lunch hour.
Anyone else like her? Or would you recommend another mystery writer?
posted by Jason! on 7-20-2007 at 3:11 pm
Good mysteries? Try Dashiell Hammett. The Maltese Falcon and The Thin Man are both great reads.
Haven’t read Christie in a long time but enjoyed her very much.
One more excellent mystery (and more) The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco
posted by Quix on 7-20-2007 at 3:21 pm
Jason!, try Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series.
posted by TaTa on 7-20-2007 at 3:22 pm
Classics that I genuinely enjoy?
Jane Eyre
Anything by Jane Austen
Shakespeare’s comedies (if it’s a well-annotated copy)
Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass
I’ve always enjoyed Agatha Christie (except for the Miss Marple stuff – self-righteous old thing rubbed me the wrong way. Of course, it’s been years, maybe I’ll give her a second chance). I’ve been enjoying “period” mysteries lately – the Jane Austen mysteries, the Sister Frevisse series, I got one for X-mas that was a 12th century monk as detective (I’m blanking on the name), a series with Jane and Mr. Darcy as the “detectives”, etc.
posted by Melanie on 7-20-2007 at 3:39 pm
I meant Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as detectives, of course.
Don’t want to lose my Lit-Geek cred.
posted by Melanie on 7-20-2007 at 3:41 pm
Anyone ever tried to read “Finnegan’s Wake?” I saw Joyce mentioned and that one came to mind. I have a relative who used to be a Lit Professor–he said read the first page and last page, and you’re good to go. Not sure if I agree with that, but don’t have the patience to prove him wrong. (Yeah, I tried….)
I just finished “Schrodinger’s Ball” by Adam Felber. It was a quick read, and pretty entertaining. I’m just now about to start “The Fountainhead” for the first time…wish me luck!
Oh, and I HATED “Zen and the Art of Motocycle Maintenance.” I forced my way through the last 150 pages just because I’d already invested so much in it, but I really don’t understand why that book is so beloved. Maybe someone can explain why they liked it so much and I’ll give it another shot…
posted by Beth on 7-20-2007 at 5:27 pm
Motorcycle*
Sorry for the typo
posted by Beth on 7-20-2007 at 5:28 pm
I had rheumatic fever when I was six, and read anything I could get my hands on. That changed my life. I MUST read.
I watch very little TV–The Daily Show and the Colbert Report, Battlestar Gallactica, and not much else. I’d rather read.
I’m reading Alice Hoffman’s Skylight Confessions, but will be done in time for The Deathly Hallows.
I never finished Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead or Ulysses either.
posted by Barbara on 7-20-2007 at 8:35 pm
I highly recommend Spook by Mary Roach. Great stuff. Also anything by Erik Larson.
posted by Keri on 7-20-2007 at 9:54 pm
some classics i love:
any bradbury work
alas, babylon
tess of d’urbervilles (any hardy, actuallY)
heart of darkness
a separate peace
i’ve wanted to read _guns, germs, and steel_ for a while but have copped to just adding the dvd to my netflix. _fast food nation_ was a good read, though hard on my stomach; i avoided fast food and meat a while after that (managed to get over that after several months, tho).
i love bill bryson’s work (i always laugh out loud at so many passages when i’m reading his stuff)–_a short history of nearly everything_ is hilarious and informative. speaking of laughing out loud…_a confederacy of dunces_ and _lamb: the gospel according to biff, christ’s childhood pal_, both made me bust a gut and pee my pants (thank god for health insurance and adult diapers).
and a plug for a couple of my favorite ‘fluff’ historical novels: _the pillars of the earth_ and _the eight_ (the latter of which i’ve always always always wished–am still–they would make into a movie).
posted by nori on 7-21-2007 at 5:44 am
I’ve read about 2/3 of Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky (sp?). I hope to finish it someday, but I just don’t know. Absolutely amazing book, but it’s so intense that it’s draining.
Classics that were really enjoyable:
Dracula
Old Man and the Sea
Macbeth
posted by Bill T. on 7-21-2007 at 6:01 am
Hey, Jason!
If you like Agatha Christie you will looooooooooooooove Dorothy L. Sayers. Peter Lovesey is also great for the traditional English detective story, but with a more literary style.(Try “The Last Detective” And those Brother Cadfael books by Ellis Peters are surprisingly entertaining, as was the TV series with Derek Jacoby. (Netflix still has ‘em)
posted by Allison on 7-21-2007 at 11:00 am
As a PS to my last post – Brother Cadfael is the one Melanie is trying to remember, I’d be sure.
posted by Allison on 7-21-2007 at 11:10 am
I also strongly recommend Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. And if you enjoy it, then check out Gladwell’s other book, The Tipping Point. Both are engaging reads.
posted by Michelle on 7-21-2007 at 1:43 pm
Great beach read – ‘The Time Traveller’s Wife’
posted by JaneM on 7-21-2007 at 7:40 pm
Just got back from Border’s for the midnight release of Harry Potter. I was interested to see that they funneled the line to buy the book through their entire literature section, so when I got to the register I asked the girl if she had seen anyone buying anything other than Harry Potter. She said only a couple. Even though it will be a good long while before I finish it, it was an extraordinary experience to be there with some 1000 other people, knowing this same thing was going on in hundreds of bookstores all over the country…
Love, love, love Agatha Christie, most especially the ones with Poirot and Hastings, have read them way more often than it makes sense to read any murder mystery.
So, I’m planning a trip to Europe (Spain, southern France, and Northern Italy) with a friend of mine in several months. He’s not much of a reader but I think if I got him a couple of audiobooks to put him in that southern European mood he would appreciate it. Any suggestions? So far, all I’ve thought of is Tales of the Alhambra by Washington Irving.
posted by Kaberi on 7-22-2007 at 12:04 am
I have to say that I love reading and I’ve always loved reading.
However, I have a serious aversion to having to read books, with deadlines and whatnot. I’m reading a very interesting book for school this summer called “Over the Earth I Come”. Its about the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862, culmanating in Abraham Lincoln ordering the record largest mass execution of the United States (32 some indian braves).
posted by Alex on 7-23-2007 at 5:41 pm
I have to say that I love reading and I’ve always loved reading.
However, I have a serious aversion to having to read books, with deadlines and whatnot. I’m reading a very interesting book for school this summer called “Over the Earth I Come”. Its about the Great Sioux Uprising of 1862, culmanating in Abraham Lincoln ordering the record largest mass execution of the United States (32 some indian braves).
posted by Alex on 7-23-2007 at 5:42 pm
i know i’m way behind but _Love in the Time of Cholera_ (Marquez) is the most beautiful book I have ever read. this is important.
posted by katie on 7-24-2007 at 12:05 pm
I am currently reading “The Undercover Economist” by Tim Harford and “Thirteen Moons” by Charles Frazier. I can’t think of any books that truly changed how I think, but certainly ones that had a lasting impact: “My Name is Asher Lev” by Chaim Potok, “My Antonia” by Willa Cather, “Black Beauty” by Anna Sewell (we are going back to early childhood here)and a book in Swedish called “The Thief” (Tjuven) by Göran Tunström, come immediately to mind. And the one I’ve never able to finish and feel guilty about: One Hundred Years of Solitude.
posted by Rosemary on 7-29-2007 at 9:45 am
Can’t finish One Hundred Years of solitude? I believe I read that one in one sitting! So life-changing, as was Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. It made me decide to become a journalist. I was fortunate enough to tell him that when Interviewed him for the L.A. Times.
Btw–hi everone! Hope you don’t mind if I join the conversation.
posted by yvie on 7-29-2007 at 7:35 pm
I absolutely cannot say enough good things about “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy. I couldn’t put it down. At the end, I was truly sorry it was over.
posted by Tim on 8-4-2007 at 12:12 am