The Dog Days of August Readings

[bossfan2000]

I've put down The New World and am now reading The First Betrayal by Patricia Bray. I've blogged my 1/4 review. So far I like it...the focus is more on the characters. No fighting or any mention of magic thus far. The backstory is slowly unfolding, but definitely picking up speed as the book progresses. I havent seen much mention of this book around the web...anyone else read it? (i will admit i couldnt make it through her first trilogy).

[duckman]

Been killing time with some short stories lately. Right now, I'm going through PYR's Fast Forward 1, and re-reading Chiang's Stories of Your Life and Others before getting to his The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate.

After that, it's probably going to be Lukyanenko's The Day Watch and The Twilight Watch.

[RedEyedGhost]

I finished reading The Facts of Life by Graham Joyce, wow. I am very disappointed that I waited eight months after reading The Tooth Fairy to pick up another novel by Joyce. While not as spectacular as The Tooth Fairy, The Facts of Life was nothing short of amazing itself. I think it's impossible to describe it in a word, but in three I would call it strange, charming, and beautiful. The dialog is outstanding to the point that you feel like you're in the room with the characters.

9.5/10

If you haven't read a book by Graham Joyce do yourself a favor and buy one of his books this weekend.

I will not be waiting another eight months before I read him again. Can anybody suggest which book of his I read next?

Tomorrow I will start Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston. I've been looking forward to this ever since I finished Caught Stealing last month.

[Lawrence]

I finished reading The Facts of Life by Graham Joyce, wow. I am very disappointed that I waited eight months after reading The Tooth Fairy to pick up another novel by Joyce. While not as spectacular as The Tooth Fairy, The Facts of Life was nothing short of amazing itself. I think it's impossible to describe it in a word, but in three I would call it strange, charming, and beautiful. The dialog is outstanding to the point that you feel like you're in the room with the characters.

9.5/10

If you haven't read a book by Graham Joyce do yourself a favor and buy one of his books this weekend.

I will not be waiting another eight months before I read him again. Can anybody suggest which book of his I read next?

Tomorrow I will start Six Bad Things by Charlie Huston. I've been looking forward to this ever since I finished Caught Stealing last month.

Wow, I just have to say.. if only you maintained a blog where you would review all these books that you have recently read.. you would like generate tons of recommendations for the rest of us. In fact, I am considering reading a Joyce book once and after that a Hal Duncan one. A good combination hopefully?

Meanwhile I am still reading through The Blade Itself, it is very enjoyable! I do still wonder how one can survive a fall of a cliff, but I have no inclination to experiment with such an act myself just to find out.

[beniowa]

That's an excellent idea Lawrence. RedEyedGhost would make a great review/blogger.

[Bellis]

This week's theme was Israel.

The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan - a true story, based on interviews, of a Palestinian man whose family was evicted from their house, and an Israeli woman, who subsequently lived in that same house. The stories of these two families, and their friendly yet strained relationship, are interwoven with the history of the country over the past 60 years. The portrayal is on the whole balanced, although the Israeli woman comes across as perhaps more conciliatory (she eventually converts the house to a neutral charitable organization). As can be expected, the story is sad and depressing, and no one seems to have easy solutions for any of the greater issues. Recommended for those interested in a very personal look at the complexity of "right of return".

It seemed appropriate to follow this up with The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. An alternate history where Israel never really took off, and Jewish refugees from Europe were instead sent to a small state in southern Alaska (and yes, the natives of Alaska aren't particularly thrilled either). However, this solution is only temporary, and at the start of this novel, Jewish control over this land is about to end. Ostensibly, the story is a hardboiled detective story with interesting characters. Behind it is a deep feeling of sadness and malaise. Even in alternate history, there seems to be no good outcome.

[Nous]

I just finished Hitchens' God is not Great. He has a way with words, but rambles too much for my liking. It's all about various horrible things religions are and have been responsible for, as well as unreliability of the three major holy books. I like the sound and the fury and all the interesting stories, but they don't add up to a point, in various chapters or the book itself. Instead of points, there are themes.

I also read the first Agatha Christie story from 1930s Omnibus, The Sittaford Mystery. I expect I shall read the rest of the Omnibus and also Murder on the Orient Express.

On my fiction reading list, I also have Dickens' Tale of Two Cities. When it comes to nonfiction, I have Charles Morris' The Tycoons and David Allen's Getting Things Done.

Sandman 4 was amazing. By far the best of the series so far. I wasn't even sure if I was going to continue with the series, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I've heard this was the best of the series though so I'm hoping I'm not at the peak, poised for an expensive decline in quality over the next 6.

I don't know if Season of the Mists is the best of the series, but it definitely has its own appealing flavor. I don't think there is a decline in the quality of writing over the next 6. If I had to pick a favorite, I would grudgingly pick Season of the Mists. I particularly like the scenes with Lucifer.

[Caligula_K]

This month, I plan to finish off Mommsen's History of Rome, do a re-read of Josephus' Jewish War in light of having recently read Goodman's Rome and Jerusalem, read the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever by Stephen R. Donaldson, and also check out Lucretius' On the Nature of the Universe to learn more about Epicureanism. I've also been hoping to do an ASoIaF re-read- haven't done one since just after A Feast for Crows came out.

[perspicacious]

This week's theme was Israel.

It seemed appropriate to follow this up with The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. An alternate history where Israel never really took off, and Jewish refugees from Europe were instead sent to a small state in southern Alaska (and yes, the natives of Alaska aren't particularly thrilled either). However, this solution is only temporary, and at the start of this novel, Jewish control over this land is about to end. Ostensibly, the story is a hardboiled detective story with interesting characters. Behind it is a deep feeling of sadness and malaise. Even in alternate history, there seems to be no good outcome.

I'm in the middle of reading this right now. I love the writing. There was one paragraph that I had to stop and read it over several times--the one where he describes the fat rabbi/rebbe/whatever.

Let's see....right now I'm working through that, Miranda July's book of short stories No One Belongs Here More Than You , and a reread of A Storm of Swords because my roomie is working through the series and I want to have it fresh so we can discuss it.

After that, I'm moving on to Stephen Erikson's Gardens of the Moon which I got because of this forum. So I hope it's good!

[direwolf]

Interesting timing of this thread for me. Usually I read one book at a time, but this month several have converged.

To finish:

To Green Angel Tower; started it during nursing school but finals got really hairy so I had to put it down. Now its been three or four months and I've got over 400 pages left, but its due back in the library in six days. I should have it done in time...

Dune; Started it while I was in Italy in July but since I've been home I haven't even looked at it. That will probably take me all month to finish, unless it suddenly gets really exciting.

The Dolphin Reader; Some random anthology I found on a random "Free Books" shelf. This is the wrench in my cogs, it's what is keeping me from finishing everything else. There are some Flannery O'connor stories and some Hemmingway stories that I've never read, and I thought I'd read them all, so right now this is what I'm working on.

Collected Fictions by Jorge Luis Borge; this is what I was reading when I went to Italy, but I left it home and haven't picked it back up. More than halfway through, but it's a big book, and his stories command a lot of attention. I'm either not going to finish this one, or finish at the neglect of the others.

Lone Wolf and Cub; best comics I've read since Akira. Love 'em, I eat 'em up. I don't have a television or video games, so this is what I do when I would be on the idiot box (I do have a portable DVD player, so I can watch videos...right now watching the Dungeons and Dragons animated series!)

To Start:

Crime and Punishment: This book, along with Ulysees, comrpise my "read in 2007" list. If I'm dilligent, I will have it started before September first, but there are always distractions...

PS anyone else out there a Flannery O'Conner fan? I read lots of American short stories, and she writes some of my favorite.

[RedEyedGhost]

Wow, I just have to say.. if only you maintained a blog where you would review all these books that you have recently read.. you would like generate tons of recommendations for the rest of us. In fact, I am considering reading a Joyce book once and after that a Hal Duncan one. A good combination hopefully?

That's an excellent idea Lawrence. RedEyedGhost would make a great review/blogger.

Thanks guys. I've thought about doing a blog a couple of times, but something always seems to come up. I'm pretty busy anyways, working six days a week. Maybe once I break down and buy a new laptop, because my computer right now sucks ass (or arse as Scott Lynch would say!). Plus my reviews are never very long - so what I've been doing is just posting them as mini-reviews in the "comments" section on my Librarything

What book by Graham Joyce are you planning to read, Lawrence? I haven't read Duncan, but from the reviews (even the good ones) I don't think he's my style - it sounds like he has a lot of M. John Harrison and Gene Wolfe in him, neither of whom I plan to read again. Also, he seems to be either loved or loathed; whereas, I don't see how anybody could hate Graham Joyce's books. In other words, I'm sure Graham Joyce will mix well with anybody.

Got a few books in, and was going to start Kushiel's Chosen, but Red Seas Under Red Skies came in, and I cannot put it down. Awesome Awesome Awesome book. Scott Lynch, I love you. (and I'm only on page 23!!)

And the good thing is it only gets better from there! (I had no idea that smiley was called "pirate" until I clicked on it just now )

Edit: clarifying Graham not James Joyce

[lumer]

I just finished Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein. It was a very fun read, and rather interesting too.

I was just acquainted to this huge SF/F fan, who has literally thousands of books. It felt like a kid in a candy store .

I borrowed 6 Gaiman books - currently reading American Gods.

[Arbor Gold]

Just started Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I'm typically hesitant of NYT paperback bestsellers, but this came highly reccomended from a trusted source. Apparently, it is a well-researched depiction of circus performers in the US in the 1920's. I have been in a very "non-reading" phase for the past several weeks, but I'm only on page 4 and I am hooked! Probably has something to do with the "cooch tent" mentioned in the prologue.

lumer: I don't read a lot of SF, but I do love Heinlein. I've only read Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, but I loved them both. More so SiaSL (unedited) version.

Edit: spelling

[lumer]

lumer: I don't read a lot of SF, but I do love Heinlein. I've only read Starship Troopers and Stranger in a Strange Land, but I loved them both. More so SiaSL (unedited) version.

I didn't read much Heinlein too - Only Starship Troopers and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I loved them both. Will definitely try and read more in the future..

[Arbor Gold]

lumer: I highly reccomend Stranger in a Strange Land. A lot of it was edited out (I guess for sexual content?). But it is one of the books that is credited with inspiring the sexual revolution in the '60's. (and it came out in 1961, I believe). Heinlein was very much ahead of his time.

[Lawrence]

What book by Joyce are you planning to read, Lawrence? I haven't read Duncan, but from the reviews (even the good ones) I don't think he's my style - it sounds like he has a lot of M. John Harrison and Gene Wolfe in him, neither of whom I plan to read again. Also, he seems to be either loved or loathed; whereas, I don't see how anybody could hate Joyce's books. In other words, I'm sure Joyce will mix well with anybody.

Don't know really, I just heard he was an interesting author to read, bit an unconventional (I hope?) but maybe you can tell me where to start. I could just try to get my hands on Dreamside, his first novel. Regarding the Duncan thing, I just plan to find out if his style suits me or not. Can't say anything untill I have actually read Vellum. In an other thread I think Dylanfanatic mentioned that Duncan was inspired a lot by Joyce's writing or style for that matter, so that got me wondering if reading the two back-to-back was a good idea.

I'll be sure to check out your librarything!

[Larry.]

Lawrence,

If you really want a good Joyce starting point, start with his short fiction, collected in Dubliners. Then it would be Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, which is where his style begins to morph a bit. Then Ulysses and only after all of the others should Finnegan's Wake be attempted. I'd say Duncan is more between the Portrait and Ulysses stages of that type of style, although he does vary a bit from Joyce in theme and on the sentence level (Joyce, I believe, is the better conveyor of emotion and word-thought relationship).

REG,

If you did not like Harrison or Wolfe, then you probably wouldn't like Duncan much as well, although his style is quite a bit different than both of theirs. But I've seen quite a few people in my lifetime, online and in college classrooms alike, loathe Joyce for what they saw as being "linguistic masturbation," although I disagree with that, obviously Sometimes, the best fiction is that which provokes a whole gamut of reactions from people, as witnessed in The Last Temptation of Christ. I still want to read that book before seeing the movie, and although I'm a relatively devout Catholic, I suspect I can find a lot to challenge me there without being offended by it all. All comes down to personal preferences, I suppose.

[blackwater]

Reading Orhan Pamuk My name is Red. I borowed John Brosnan's The Sky Lords, it's first book of the trilogy and I don't know nothing of the author or the book, is it any good?

[Analu]

Just started Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. I'm typically hesitant of NYT paperback bestsellers, but this came highly reccomended from a trusted source. Apparently, it is a well-researched depiction of circus performers in the US in the 1920's.

That actually sounds pretty interesting. Think I'll check it out when I have the chance. Always been interested in reading a good book with a circus background, after watching HBO's Carnivale.

I'm still reading Red Seas Under Red Skies, slow-ass reader that I am. Really enjoying it, though. Hope to finish it before school starts next week. Also have Vellum on the backburner and am planning to borrow the last Harry Potter book from my little cousin whenever I get around to it. Too many books to read, not enough time...

[Mr. X]

Finished up Red Seas Under Red Skies and totally loved it. Once you get into the last third of the book, it's totally ripping.

Now reading Alan Moore's From Hell.