Friday, April 27, 2007 at 09:13am
I have been really taking advantage of our local library lately. I find myself reading more, and flying through books. I stopped in there yesterday to return some and pick up a few more. I got You Don’t Love Me Yet
by Jonathan Lethem and A Dirty Job
by Christopher Moore. I don’t know which one to read first! To be honest, I just started White Teeth
by Zadie Smith, but it hasn’t GRABBED me yet. Maybe I need to give it some more time?
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Date
Friday, 27 Apr 07 at 9:13 am
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Freakgirl Approved
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El Gato on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:20 am
Jonathan Lethem was a guest speaker here at the Free Library about a month ago. Good speaker. Good writer.
El Gato on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:27 am
PS Speaking of guest speakers, our own Greater Czarina will be a guest speaker of Philly Fantastic this evening at our Center City Barnes & Noble, if anyone here lives in Philly. Two of the writers featured in the current SPACE & TIME will be doing readings as well. Show starts at 7:30.
GeekBoy on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:34 am
El Gato, GC told me about that, and I wish I could make it. But I’ll freely admit to still being a bit too gun shy about attempting another Friday evening trip into Philly so soon after last weekend’s fiasco.
Michelle on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:43 am
I think I read both of those. I was a bit disappointed in the new Jonathan Lethem.
I am very happy to hear you are using the library more often. As a librarian I am biased but libraries rock!
Chuck on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:45 am
Fiasco? FIASCO?
freakgirl on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 9:50 am
heh.
GeekBoy on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:02 am
Only the driving part of the show, my friend.
Although … Yeti’s snoring …
sandra on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:23 am
I wish I could get through my books faster, but as it stands I read for about an hour if I can before bed. Right now I’m reading something called “Water for Elephants”, which is OK. While on vacation recently I got through 3 books, one of which I read in a day and it depressed the SHIT out of me - The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. So lovely, and yet so utterly bleak. BLEAK!
Michael on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:27 am
I’ll wait to see what you think of “Dirty Job”. I haven’t LOVED Christopher Moore since “Lamb” (still one of my all-time favorite reads, though).
I’m reading “Special Topics In Calamity Physics” by Marisha Pessl. Some are turned off by all her literary references or by the paucity of plot for the first 250 pp., but I’m enjoying every well-turned phrase. She tickles me.
Malia on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:30 am
If the book version of White Teeth doesn’t pull you in, you could always trade for the BBC TV adaption. I enjoyed the book, but, honestly, I found the TV-version more exiting and more fun. It aired in 2002, I believe. I watched it on PBS. Here’s a link to a review: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/ent.....260893.stm
As the author put it:
“Channel Four’s adaption of White Teeth lives up to the book but arguably betters it.”
Michael on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:30 am
PS I just read Sandra’s comment. You all MUST read “The Road”. Seriously. Must. I’m the decider. Bleak, yes, but GORGEOUSLY so. Right, Sandra?
Marjon on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:41 am
Isn’t The Road the new Oprah’s Bookclub choice?
I’m reading about Bill Bryson’s hike on the Appalachian Trail. And after that there’s about a zillion other books in this house I haven’t read yet. I seem to be able to read when I’m on vacation. A book a day is nothing then. But when I’m at home and working, I can read about 2 pages and then I fall asleep on the book.
Michael on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:57 am
Oprah did just pick it, Marjon. It’s a bit of a departure for her. I know I can be a little freehanded with the superlatives, but it’s really one of the best things I’ve ever read.
I love Bryson, too. “A Walk in the Woods” is one of his best, but I also really enjoyed “A Short History of Nearly Everything”, which is just what the title suggests. I gave it to my then 12 year old nephew while on vacation and he still talks about it two years later.
freakgirl on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 10:59 am
I don’t work full-time, which gives me more reading time. But I get most of my reading done in the tub, on the treadmill, and before bed sometimes. On vacation I can go through four books in a week.
sandra on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 11:12 am
Michael, yes, I loved The Road. So so beautiful, but did I mention it was BLEAK?? Funny that you mentioned “Calamity…” as that was another book I read while on vacation. I enjoyed it, though her style reminded me of Dave Eggers a lot. I wasn’t turned off by the twist at all - it was strange, but that made me like it more.
freakgirl on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 11:22 am
I’ve been waiting for “Calamity” to be returned to the library.
Hugh on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Michael is channeling my reading list. (cue scary music.)
A Dirty Job was lots of fun.
The Road was not any fun at all, but man that guy can write.
I’m reading a total piece of crap right now, because I couldn’t decide between the Lethem (who I don’t love,) and Special Topics… which I should have snagged from the library. Hope it’s there tomorrow.
Rain on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 12:52 pm
Have to agree about “The Road.” It was one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read, and yes, bleak. I was amazed at how much horror he could convey in one or two sentences. It’s not a book to be speed read, but luckily you don’t really have to as it is a fast read. I finished it in a few hours this week. (And while it was indeed picked by Oprah, don’t forget, it also just won the Pulitzer for fiction!)
I also read “A Dirty Job” right before it, and it was amusing. I like reading books set in my city. It also kind of pairs up well with “The Road;” father protecting a child against some pretty evil forces…
kyle on Friday, April 27, 2007 at 2:59 pm
I tried reading “White Teeth” a while back, and couldn’t get into it either. Let us know if you stick with it, and if you’re glad you did. Never been a huge Christopher Moore fan, although a couple of friends love everything he does.
I’ll nth the praise for “The Road”. I’m reading “The Night Gardener” by George Pelecanos right now - I’m not usually one for genre fiction, but it’s pretty great so far. The author also writes for “The Wire”, so he gets some bonus points.