1. Any ideas what my book club should read next? Ideally a novel that's not science fiction or fantasy. (In the past, we've all liked Bonfire of the Vanities, The Time Traveler's Wife, and I Am Legend, which we just finished.)
2. Useful advice from OK Cupid: "Among all our casual topics, whether someone likes the taste of beer is the single best predictor of if he or she has sex on the first date."
3. How to "Fix a Stripped Screw Hole with Toothpicks."
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Link roundup
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Our book club did The Crying Of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon a little while ago, and it was great. Short read, but dense and fun. Also, I just finished City of Glass by Paul Auster and The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, two very different, but excellent novels, and a nice change of pace if you are leaning away from fantasy a little bit (nothing against fantasy, at my friend's insistence, I finished the first Fire and Ice novel by George Martin a couple of months ago and loved it). Also I hear the newest China Meiville novel is amazing, but that would definitely be more fantasy-oriented.
ReplyDeleteThe Day of the Locust might be perfect. (I've read all the fire and ice novels.)
ReplyDeleteA few books I've loved recently that have a lot to talk about were: "The Shipping News" by Annie Proulx and "The Selected Works of TS Spivet" by Reif Larsen. Both are very involving yet not too complex stories, "The Shipping News" being a bit slower and focussed on character development, and "TS Spivet" more on the adventurous side.
ReplyDeletegeorges darien's "le voleur" I don't know the name in english, it's a great novel, it inspires the 1967 film the thief of Paris
ReplyDeleteHmmm... "White Oleander". "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time". "Running With Scissors". Also the criminally ignored and unloved "Bloody Jack" by L.A. Meyer. A great period piece about a young girl who enlists in the British Royal Navy as a cabin boy to go fight the forces of Napoleon. It's the first in a series, but a really well written first book with such an incredibly real and lovable narrator.
ReplyDeleteRiver of Earth by James Still (awesome Appalachian depression era lit, quick easy read.) or The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
ReplyDeleteCurious Incident sounds good, too. I always liked that cover.
ReplyDeleteRecent Reads
ReplyDeleteOut Stealing Horses - Per Pettersen
You Shall Know Our Velocity - Dave Eggers
Spring Snow - Yukio Mishima
Wait Until Spring, Bandini - John Fante
I appreciate when you post for suggestions. Almost everyone's comments go straight to my music, video game, now book to do list. Thanks.
Your book club should read Alan Moore's Voice of the Fire.
ReplyDeleteI recently enjoyed The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (the historical aspect of Dracula but not fantastical--really interesting!) as well as The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.
ReplyDeleteMight not be right for my book club, but I think I'll add those two to my wishlist.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I'm bookmarking this for future bookclub ideas... great suggestions!
ReplyDeleteWe just read The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman - interesting collection of interelated stories about the newspaper business.
The Boy Detective Fails by Joe Meno.
ReplyDeleteWater for Elephants was a great book club book. Lots of goodness, both for reading and for discussing.
ReplyDeleteDavid Mitchell - Cloud Atlas
ReplyDeleteOne of the best books I've read in years. Strictly speaking it's disqualified because it contains both science fiction and fantasy - then, again, it also contains a 18th-century pacific travel journal and in general just can't be classified easily. Much thoughtful input yet thrilling to read. Seriously great.
Rogue Warrior by Richard Marcinko.
ReplyDeletebreakfast of champions or slaughterhouse five by vonnegut are both brilliant.
ReplyDeleteTrue Grit by Charles Portis.
ReplyDelete