Now reading...

[jazzbo]

Re-reading my Dad's second biography, a fascinating read about an important little-known American.

On top of that, my Dad writes wonderful prose.

Edited October 17, 2012 by jazzbo

[ejp626]

I'm also about halfway through rereading Ishmael Reed's The Freelance Pallbearers. (Appropriately enough, this is a bathroom book. I know, TMI, but if you've read the book, you'll understand why this is relevant.) I liked the book a bit more the first time around, but I still like it a lot more than Flight to Canada, which we were discussing a few weeks ago. The verbal exuberance and general craziness is about the same, but Reed's targets of scorn are a bit more generic...

What I had forgotten (or repressed) is that the ending is basically a several page-long homophobic screed. Really brought me down with a bang. I'm through with Reed -- he's just such a hateful, pitiful person (I still vividly remember what a d-bag he was when he started dogging out Alice Walker and other Black female writers) and that always ends up coming through in his writing.

[Matthew]

The Shadow Over Santa Susana: Black Magic, Mind Control & The Manson Family by Adam Gorightly. Different and strange.

[Jazzmoose]

After all these years, I finally picked up Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, so I figured I'd enjoy this one again to get started.

Credited with more or less inaugurating a new sub-genre of sf (well, along with a few early Bruce Sterling things.) For all that, I never much cared for it.

I loved it, but I had that feeling while reading it that Gibson would be one of those one trick pony types. I can't say Count Zero completely knocked that impression out, but I was pleasantly surprised with it. On the other hand, I decided to put off Mona Lisa Overdrive for a bit; it isn't really a series, but rather more of a set of books with a common background. Instead I went with this to follow:

Nowhere near the level of Childhood's End, but still a good read.

[medjuck]

Salman Rushdie's "Joseph Anton".

Edit because I couldn't write 4 words without mis-spelling one of them.

Edited October 17, 2012 by medjuck

[Matthew]

Salman Rushdie's "Joseph Anton".

Edit because I couldn't write 4 words without mis-spelling one of them.

Must be that philosophy degree you have, you create your own reality.

[BillF]

[ejp626]

I am re-reading Rushdie's Midnight's Children -- possibly his best novel. I've decided to go ahead and see the movie, so I wanted to have the book fixed in my head before it can be "spoiled" by the movie. But just in general, I'm hoping to read or reread some decent novels, after a really long string of duds.

I also have a couple of much shorter novels that I may end up tackling on the bus: Futility by William Gerhardie and The Waitress Was New by Dominique Fabre.

[paul secor]

Haruki Murakami: Norwegian Wood

[Jazzmoose]

Not a book, but I've been enjoying the latest issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction. I remember a while back someone started a thread asking about newer SF writers, and if I remember correctly, they were quite generous in the time frame to qualify as 'newer'. I couldn't name a one. So, I figured that while I'm delving back into the field, why not check out some of the newer folks and subscribed to the remaining SF magazines I remember (F&SF, Asimovs and Analog). A rare splurge on my budget these days, but once in a while you just have to jump...

[A Lark Ascending]

[BruceH]

After all these years, I finally picked up Count Zero and Mona Lisa Overdrive, so I figured I'd enjoy this one again to get started.

Credited with more or less inaugurating a new sub-genre of sf (well, along with a few early Bruce Sterling things.) For all that, I never much cared for it.

I loved it, but I had that feeling while reading it that Gibson would be one of those one trick pony types. I can't say Count Zero completely knocked that impression out, but I was pleasantly surprised with it. On the other hand, I decided to put off Mona Lisa Overdrive for a bit; it isn't really a series, but rather more of a set of books with a common background. Instead I went with this to follow:

Nowhere near the level of Childhood's End, but still a good read.

After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End.

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

[jazzbo]

[Jazzmoose]

After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End.

I haven't read too many novels by him; that's too bad. On the other hand, as good as Childhood's End was, it's understandable.

[BillF]

[jazzbo]

Edited November 1, 2012 by jazzbo

[Larry Kart]

Salman Rushdie's "Joseph Anton"

[BruceH]

After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End.

I haven't read too many novels by him; that's too bad. On the other hand, as good as Childhood's End was, it's understandable.

Actually, growing up I think there were times when I preferred his science fact writing.

[paul secor]

Colin Dexter: The Way Through the Woods

Inspector Morse is one of my favorite literary characters.

[B. Goren.]

[Jazzmoose]

After years of being a Clarke fan, I concluded that none of his novels are as good as Childhood's End.

I haven't read too many novels by him; that's too bad. On the other hand, as good as Childhood's End was, it's understandable.

Actually, growing up I think there were times when I preferred his science fact writing.

That's the way I felt about Asimov, believe it or not.

[BillF]

[paul secor]

Michael Chabon: Telegraph Avenue

Just another Chabon entertainment. I'm through reading his stuff. I can think of a few people here who might enjoy this book much more than I did.

[jlhoots]

Julian Barnes: The Sense Of An Ending