What are YOU reading?

[sistergoldenhair]

Please let me know what you think. I read FREEDOM. Thanks!

Is this a new one? Have not been reading Sunday Times for months -- which is where I hear about new books. Loved Freedom and The Corrections.

NY Times wrote their review in May: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/20/books ... wanted=all Part of the joy for me in finding this book is our community actually had a brand new independent bookstore open up and, "Farther Away," was on their new arrivals shelf.

Thanks for the link. Interesting. IMHO, Franzen is a writer who examines and exposes modern American social mores much in the way that Jonathan Swift did in his time, in England. Also reminds me of Jane Austen, although her portrayals of people and their affectations and artifice were more forgiving. I am also a big fan of Joyce Carol Oates, who I feel also has great insight into what makes us tick as a society. But in addition to laying bare the darkness and the possibility for redemption that we all carry within us, both Oates and Franzen have the gift of writing compelling stories, page turners. Joseph Heller comes to mind, also Kurt Vonegutt (and maybe Clifford Irving before he went Hollywood), but Franzen is soooo much more thorough, IMO! So sad about David Foster Wallace. I tried to read Infinite Jest, but honestly it was too convoluted for my feeble little brain! But I have read and enjoyed a few of his essays ... At any rate, Franzen is an island of substance in a sea of pap at this point in modern "literature ..." HOWEVER I am not as widely read as I would like to be, esp. with regard to contemporary novels, so mine is not such a well-informed opinion ... Plan on reading Unbroken this summer; has anyone read that yet? (I definitely will read Farther Away; it seems like it is right in my wheelhouse!)

I think you're in for a treat

Forgot to mention that right now I am reading The Buddha Walks into a Bar ... by Lodro Rinzler.
Hemmingway, hmmm? Think I will go to the library and pick up a little Papa for myself. I will also definitely look into the Franzen book. Thanks for the ideas!

[Tequila Revenge]

Forgot to mention that right now I am reading The Buddha Walks into a Bar ... by Lodro Rinzler.
Hemmingway, hmmm? Think I will go to the library and pick up a little Papa for myself. I will also definitely look into the Franzen book. Thanks for the ideas!

If you end up with, "A Moveable Feast," you MUST see, "Midnight In Paris," for the wonderful cinematography.

[conched]

Such a good book. Sissy and I were twirlers for rival marching bands ... and shared a guitar teacher. We knew she was going to be a star even back then. She had "it." Cut her long straight hair into a Diana Ross bi-level bob. Her style is as warm and lovely as you would expect a girl from Northeast Texas.

I had dinner at Ed Spacek's house one night. I can't remember if it was Mineola or Quitman.

I know I'd enjoy that. Just the other day I ordered To Kill A Mockingbird read by Sissy Spacek. I can't wait to listen to that. I actually wanted to read the book again and there are no KINDLE or Audio versions online, so I ordered a new book also.

[East Texas Parrothead]

If you are a woman of a certain age, Quindlen's recollections will strike a chord. It's like she was present for a lot of moments in my life.

[TSU86]

Pardon my ignorance, but the only Hemingway I've read is "Old Man".

Thinking about reading To have and have not.

My question is ... can you tell you're reading a book from the 30's? Is it still a good read today?

[sistergoldenhair]

Pardon my ignorance, but the only Hemingway I've read is "Old Man".

Thinking about reading To have and have not.

My question is ... can you tell you're reading a book from the 30's? Is it still a good read today?

Wow, that is an interesting question ... I just got Islands in the Stream, but I have not read Hemmingway since high school -- thirty-six years ago! I enjoy "old" authors, though .. so even though I am aware that Austen, Poe, or Wharton are writing in a different way than a modern author, I enjoy them. I tend to prefer the higher-level vocabulary that is found in older books. Will let you know how I experience Hemmingway this time around. Let me know what you think of To Have and Have Not, if you decide to read it. I would think that Hemmingway's spare writing style would translate well, although his writing was so topical with the events of the time, and female readers will need go with the flow, I don't want to say that his writing is misogynistic, but it is might be called male-centered ... The issues of life itself don't really change, after all

[ragtopW]

Buffett News.

[East Texas Parrothead]

Forgot to mention that right now I am reading The Buddha Walks into a Bar ... by Lodro Rinzler.
Hemmingway, hmmm? Think I will go to the library and pick up a little Papa for myself. I will also definitely look into the Franzen book. Thanks for the ideas!

If you end up with, "A Moveable Feast," you MUST see, "Midnight In Paris," for the wonderful cinematography.

Saw it last night for the first time. Loved it. Am thinking of buying it. The guy who played Hemingway NAILED him. One of the better movies I've seen.

[Tequila Revenge]

Forgot to mention that right now I am reading The Buddha Walks into a Bar ... by Lodro Rinzler.
Hemmingway, hmmm? Think I will go to the library and pick up a little Papa for myself. I will also definitely look into the Franzen book. Thanks for the ideas!

If you end up with, "A Moveable Feast," you MUST see, "Midnight In Paris," for the wonderful cinematography.

Saw it last night for the first time. Loved it. Am thinking of buying it. The guy who played Hemingway NAILED him. One of the better movies I've seen.

Glad you enjoyed the movie! Now, while it's fresh in your mind, go grab yourself some EH off you book shelf and try reading without the MIP character intruding

[Elrod]

[Elrod]

[maid memories]

I'm finishing up this Fifty Shades series. I really don't get it. The books are poorly written, the story is crap and the sex isn't even that titillating. I'm so sick of reading what her inner goddess and subconscious are doing, about his long fingers and the smell of body wash and Christian that I thought briefly of drowning my Kindle in the pool yesterday. I'd like to find the woman that convinced me to read them and lecture her.

Unfortunately, my Kindle must have felt the same way because when a man spilled his entire drink in my purse last night, my Kindle suffered an untimely death. I immediately grabbed my it and attempted CPR, but it has been unresponsive since. By the time I got home, I was crying like I'd just broken up with my first boyfriend. A friend took pity on me and gave me one he's never used so I have a loaner until my replacement gets here in two days.

[East Texas Parrothead]

I'm finishing up this Fifty Shades series. I really don't get it. The books are poorly written, the story is crap and the sex isn't even that titillating. I'm so sick of reading what her inner goddess and subconscious are doing, about his long fingers and the smell of body wash and Christian that I thought briefly of drowning my Kindle in the pool yesterday. I'd like to find the woman that convinced me to read them and lecture her.

Unfortunately, my Kindle must have felt the same way because when a man spilled his entire drink in my purse last night, my Kindle suffered an untimely death. I immediately grabbed my it and attempted CPR, but it has been unresponsive since. By the time I got home, I was crying like I'd just broken up with my first boyfriend. A friend took pity on me and gave me one he's never used so I have a loaner until my replacement gets here in two days.

I so agree. How many times can one "hitch" one's breath? Please.

Sorry about the Kindle. I'd be sad, too, if something happened to mine.

Am near the end of the new Tana French, BROKEN HARBOR ... she really is a master of her craft.

T

[East Texas Parrothead]

I'm finishing up this Fifty Shades series. I really don't get it. The books are poorly written, the story is crap and the sex isn't even that titillating. I'm so sick of reading what her inner goddess and subconscious are doing, about his long fingers and the smell of body wash and Christian that I thought briefly of drowning my Kindle in the pool yesterday. I'd like to find the woman that convinced me to read them and lecture her.

Unfortunately, my Kindle must have felt the same way because when a man spilled his entire drink in my purse last night, my Kindle suffered an untimely death. I immediately grabbed my it and attempted CPR, but it has been unresponsive since. By the time I got home, I was crying like I'd just broken up with my first boyfriend. A friend took pity on me and gave me one he's never used so I have a loaner until my replacement gets here in two days.

I so agree. How many times can one "hitch" one's breath? Please.

Sorry about the Kindle. I'd be sad, too, if something happened to mine.

Am near the end of the new Tana French, BROKEN HARBOR ... she really is a master of her craft.

T

[conched]

Lesley, I am so sorry about your kindle. Glad you don't have to go without one. I am that way about my audible stuff.

In fact...upon Terry's suggestion, I just got

My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek on AUDIBLE. Just started it. It was time to give it a twirl!!

[conched]

Does listening count for reading?

[maid memories]

New Kindle acquired.

Finished Fifty Shades. I'm tired of reading about un-extraordinary sex and his copper hair.

Now reading Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. I love her and have already been moved to tears within the first few chapters.

[Tiki Torches]

Just finished reading this book by Raleigh News & Observer music writer David Menconi on Ryan Adams. It's a very brisk read at less than 200 pages, which is supposed to be part of the purpose of the book. It's the second in a series of American Music books from the former publishers of No Depression magazine (the first one was on Dwight Yoakam). In the early stages of Ryan Adams' career, Menconi had unprecedented access to Adams which allows for some pretty compelling reading, especially if you are interested in that era of his career, prior to the solo records when he was still with Whiskeytown. That said, much of it was familiar territory to me since I was following David's writings and Ryan's antics pretty closely in those days but there's still a few revelatory things that made it well worth reading. Unfortunately, Ryan asked several principle folks not to cooperate with Menconi's writing of the book. However, that doesn't get in the way of his telling of the story as there are plenty of people out there that were close to Ryan that were able to add their own personal insights. One thing I might add is that the focus of the book is on Ryan's years in Whiskeytown. His solo career is covered up until the present day but somewhere following the release of Gold, Menconi no longer had the access he once had to Ryan.



Just started reading this one from Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill radio announcer Bob "The Blade" Robinson who I first heard of when he was doing overnights at WQDR in Raleigh just before they went Country back in the early 80's. He then went on to a more high profile gig at WRDU. In recent years he's been through several ups and downs in the industry, the most recent of which involved himself and all of the other announcers at 96 Rock in Raleigh getting canned in favor of a totally automated format that doesn't utilize any on air announcers (live or otherwise). He's not exactly Hemingway as a writer but as someone that's spent some time in the radio business myself, it's cool to find out some of the behind the scenes stuff about the local market.

[catsway]

Reading an e-book by Tim Dorsey (of Serge A. Storms fame) called Squall Lines, a collection of Tim's early writings as a college newspaper editor, cub reporter, newspaper editor, magazine editor, etc. You can read his early influences as Serge comes to life.

[Saltx3]

Half way through this one...I like it.