Now Reading

[spratters]

 

Franz Kafka - The Trial

 

Only just getting into it but enjoying it so far. Didn't realise you could ever be under arrest but go about your daily business at the same time?

 

I started reading it but gave up on it after (spoiler) I don't remember well but I think the main character had a weird convo with a woman at some point and gave her a kiss or something? I don't know, but the point is, up until that point the novel had been about a normal, regular relatable guy in a crazy situation. But at the point where he also started acting completely ilogically I was like "so that's what it's gonna be huh" and immediately stopped, I had a really strong reaction against that. Will pick it up again soon though

 

A hundred or so pages into Infinite Jest and I must say it may be hard to follow, but not hard to read. It seems like disconnected vignettes so far but they all make sense within the universe and the vignettes themselves are fairly straightforward so far. It's not like Gravity's Rainbow which reads like a dream fever and makes no fuckin sense

 

 

I was just past that point on my original post, I did find it weird and will probably struggle if that keeps happening, but as it's a "classic" I'll keep going for now.

[Bechuga]

Reading:

 

At home: White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Very good, very funny and smart without sound all know-it-all.

 

At work/on the move: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. Brutal, harsh, intense and long!

 

Just realised both books deal heavily with Jamaica and have Jamaican (or part Jamaican) authors.

[doublename]

 

At work/on the move: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. Brutal, harsh, intense and long!

 

 

Great book

[sweepstakes]

I'm just reading fucktons of JavaScript. My retinas burn.

[Berk]

still in tears after finishing The Brothers Karamazov just now

 

everyone should try to be like Alyosha & Ivan

 

Going to start with Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse Five now I think

Edited March 1, 2016 by Berk

[viscosity]

Would like to be reading some good fiction. Too obsessed at the moment in absorbing Linux commands, looking to become RHCSA certified. Most of my reading is a PDF of Asghar Ghori's latest textbook during my commute, sometimes supplemented with watching Kali Linux videos for fun. CBTNuggets are a great resource for that type of stuff.

Edited March 1, 2016 by viscosity

[Bechuga]

Finished White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Brilliant book! With a twist I genuinely did not see and gasped when I got to it.

Will definitely read her other stuff, although I have heard it's not as good. Then again, I heard White Teeth wasn't so good either and I loved that, so I will decide for myself.

 

Next: the current hype train Elena Ferrante.

[doublename]

Currently reading The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood

 

and still slogging through The Savage Detectives... worst Bolano I've read, why do people love this so much?

[zkom]

The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places

[Guest]

I'm reading a book called "wtf". it's a collection of essays about people my age about growing up after 9/11: how the world changed, how they feel in that change and the challenges that go with it. Most essays are about 8 or 9 pages long, which makes it excellent toilet material.

 

I finished Contact the other day. That was a nice read.

I'm considering what to read next: I might get into another one of Azimov's foundations. I might read some Divine Comedy, or otherwise will focus my attention on rereading something like Dune or Lolita.

[Astro Tarot]

[tec]

Yes, I too have seen covers of books.

 

Alexei Sayle - Stalin Ate My Homework. Quite fun, prefer his fiction I think, but I did briefly meet him at the signing of his second autobiography and got a handshake.

[KovalainenFanBoy]

I'm reading a book called "wtf". it's a collection of essays about people my age about growing up after 9/11: how the world changed, how they feel in that change and the challenges that go with it. Most essays are about 8 or 9 pages long, which makes it excellent toilet material.

 

I finished Contact the other day. That was a nice read.

I'm considering what to read next: I might get into another one of Azimov's foundations. I might read some Divine Comedy, or otherwise will focus my attention on rereading something like Dune or Lolita.

 

Foundation is great, even the sequels. Avoid the prequels though.

[QQQ]

finally finished Bonita Avenue. it was good, but not great. would make a nice TV series!

 

it was overly long. there is so much fluff that could be cut out. not sure if anybody has read it here but the porn stuff kinda went nowhere and a few characters could have have been fleshed out more considering it's pretty lengthy, even one of the main characters could have been cut out and it wouldn't have made much difference (imo obvz lol bbq whtvr)

[funkaholic]

just started reading this

http://www.zedbooks.co.uk/paperback/refusal-of-work

 

too early to say but so far very interesting

[tec]

John Yorke - Into The Woods. Interesting, although I suspect I am reading about writing to avoid doing any myself.

[Boxus]

I'm getting back into Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun series - I read Shadow of the Torturer a few months ago, took a break, and now I'm starting Claw of the Conciliator. I love these books. Really fantastic prose, and some great sci-fantasy concepts.

[Astro Tarot]

Just finished the J Dilla 'Donuts' 33 & a 1/3, it was alright.

That's a really special record and it's amazing how it sounds, standing the test of time.

I'll have to cop the reissue, maybe the 45 box set, because it comes with DOOM and Ghostface versions.

a good read though, really touched on the differences between Detroit and LA, very influential record.

Just to think the final edits were done from a hospital bed is shocking to think,

this being his last work, and I truly believe his best, what a curtain call.

[gnarlybog]

Watt by Samuel Beckett. Not an easy read by any means, but Beckett has this ability to break down human experience to the most granular level. I feel like I have OCD.

[cwmbrancity]

re-reading various bits:

 

The Lyre of Orpheus by Christopher Partridge, superb research into the role music has within cultures, masses of random factoids, just the right mix of philosophy, religion & the strangeness of humans.

 

The Idea of Order/The Circular Archetype in Prehistoric Europe by Richard Bradley,,,,, no Rust Cohle quotes, just trippy places like the Stones of Stenness in Orkney given a full blooded theoretical interpretation. If you get a kick out of olde stuff and just how weird prehistoric Europe could be, check it out. Another delicately good mix of succinct writing, theory n case studies. Makes you wanna soak up Avebury slightly altered & thats good living

 

 

[doublename]

^ oooo I'm in for that second one

[Bechuga]

My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante was excellent, will definitely be reading the rest. Believe the hype! That ending...

 

Now to read Do Not Harm by Henry Marsh, about brain surgery and the stories involved in such a high risk job. I expect lots of squirming on my own behalf.

[Nebraska]

 

loving this book so far (almost done with it). it's a pretty interesting exercise in excess and debauchery and takes place in a somewhat surreal world. would be curious if anyone else here has read it

[QQQ]

i can hardly read that cover, it's such a friggin mess lol. Hogg by samuel delaney?

 

im rereading post office (bukowski) to give me a breather between other books. might read On The Road after since im the only person in the world yet to read it.

Edited March 29, 2016 by QQQ

[Twelvetrees]

American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I want to like Gaiman but every book I've read by him has been a disappointment. His ideas are interesting; the problem is his prose. It's so dull. His main characters are usually shit too.