What are you reading?

[Lizardqueen]

In case any of you ever turn off the idiot box and delve into the written word I thought I'd find out what you like to read. I read for pleasure many hours a day. From books (almost exclusively non-fiction), newspapers, and magazines, to maps, shampoo bottles, and TVgasm, I love me some reading. I guess I'd like to know what you enjoy reading. What are you reading now? What are your favorite books? Why do you love them?
I just finished reading Jesus Land by Julia Scheeres. I highly recommend it if you appreciate memoirs. Now I'm almost done with Ava Gardner's autobiography. That's who my avatar picture is by the way.

Wow I made that post so long with books that it wouldn't post!

[brutal youth]

I just read the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. I usually don't like female authors but it was an excellent read. Currently reading American Tabloid by James Ellroy. I'll dabble into most any genre besides romance. Gag me. Any good recommendations on worthwhile current horror authors? I'm spent on Stephen King and Peter Straub.

[Firecat]

I've actually been trying to catch up on some "classics"...books I should have read, but never got around too. (Like "The Picture of Dorian Gray," "Catcher in the Rye," "Fahrenheit 451"..). I'm taking suggestions on what to read next.

My favorites are "The Autobiography of Malcolm X," "The Art of War" (of course there are several different translations) and "Guerilla Warfare"

I find more time to read magazines though. Like "The American Conservative"..."Top Gear"..."Evo"...and a bunch of other car mags.

[Lizardqueen]

Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven
Land of a Thousand Hills by Rosamond Halsey Carr
Destined to Witness by Hans J. Massaquoi
I Thought My Father Was God by NPR's National Story Project
A Man Without A Country by Kurt Vonnegut
These are all memoirs I have read. Please forgive author errors(off the top of my head).

I read The Poisonwood Bible several years ago and liked it. I remember being disappointed by the ending.

[Hardly@Work]

So I just finished posting on the Tivo thread tha tyo atart this thread and then voila! Its here, thank you LQ.

So just finished Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell, her Assasination Vacation is also very witty.

Recently read The Devil Wears Prada before the movie comes out, but while I enjoyed the fashion aspects of it, it just plodded along, couldn't ever really feel sympathetic towards the main character.

[Firecat]

I have "Da Vinci Code" with me...but I'm waiting for the movie :D

[zoobabe]

I just bought 5 books at Half-Price Books, so far I finished Anyone You Want Me To Be, and will probably read Bad Hair Day next b/c it seems funny. I like true crime, horror, mystery, animal/primate info., and funny single girl struggles to find love stories:D I also like celeb autobigraphies. I picked up Simon Cowell's on the clearance rack for $1! (poor Simon)

I also read magazines like USWeekly and People, but currently only subscribe to Jane magazine (which used to be my very fave but now seems to be going in a strange direction now that Jane Pratt is not the editor anymore).

My favorite books are She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, and Beach Music by Pat Conroy. I also like Alice Hoffman (River King was great), John Irving and Rebecca Wells' "Ya-Ya' books.

[zoobabe]

almost forgot: The Harry Potter series is great too. I'm a big fan!

[ndonohue]

I've been reading Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen. It's the story of Cohen's extended family, who founded the company that produces Sweet and Low. It's a pretty engrossing read--it's got family drama, organized crime, and artificial sweeteners, so there's something for everyone.

[brutal youth]

zoobabe- did you read I know this much is true (wally lamb)? If not, it is great.

[zoobabe]

zoobabe- did you read I know this much is true (wally lamb)? If not, it is great.

yes I did. I wish he write another one. He's one of the best male writers as far as writing from a woman's perspective goes.



I forgot to mention another book that I picked up on a lark and really enjoyed. It was by Bill Bryson (travel writer) about his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail. I forget the name but it was really funny. Like I had to put the book down and wipe the tears from my eyes funny. I think it was called 'Through The Woods' or something like that.

[susanarosa]

"A Walk in the Woods" is the Bill Bryson one you're thinking of. I also have his one about traveling in Great Britain but I haven't read that yet.

I just read Something Blue by Emily Giffin. Already read Something Borrowed last year. Really good book.

I love all of Phillipa Gregory's books, the Favored Child, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Queen's Fool, the Virgin's Lover...

Also read all of Marian Keyes, the Shopoholic Series, Laurie Notaro, Anna Maxted, Alisa Valdes-Rodrigeuz, Cara Lockwood...

Lots and lots of chick lit, basically!

[ndonohue]

<snip>

I just read Something Blue by Emily Giffin. Already read Something Borrowed last year. Really good book.
<snip>

Also read all of Marian Keyes, the Shopoholic Series, Laurie Notaro, Anna Maxted, Alisa Valdes-Rodrigeuz, Cara Lockwood...

Lots and lots of chick lit, basically!

That cracks me up, susanarosa. I just finished Something Blue on Sunday.

I also picked up the newest Marian Keyes today...I think it just came out. And I'm on the library hold list for Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's latest.

[whawha]

Magazines: Rolling Stone, Time, Newsweek, Juxtapoz, Maxim, Stuff, Esquire, Details, Men's Journal, Men's Health, Men's Life, Entertainment Weekly, Us, OK!, Blender, Wizard, Strategy & Business, Inc, Fast Company

(tax write-off, dontchaknow!)

Books: Most recently--Dispatches by Michael Herr, Choke by Chuck Palahniuk and Never Come Morning by Nelson Algren

Newspapers: New Yotk Times, AZ Republic, New Times

Blogs: TVGasm (of course!), Gawker, DoubleViking, Drawn!, Boing Boing

[Mulv]

Hi All,
I'm new and jumping in with both feet. My fav. books include a lot of Virginia Woolf, Jane Eyre, The English Patient, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, My Antonia, David Sedaris books (Dress Your Family in Courdory and Demin, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Barrel Fever, etc.), Bill Bryson books (A Walk in the Woods, Notes from a Small Island, A Short History of Nearly Everything), John Adams by David McCollough, The United States of Europe by T.R. Reid (not to be bossy, but I highly, highly, highly recommend everyone read this) and some others I can't think of right now.

Theoretically, I am currently reading The World is Flat by New York Times Op-ed columnist Tom Friedman, but in reality, I haven't turned a page in that book in over a week. It's a vegetable book - you know it's good for you, but it's still not much fun.

I would really like to read 1776 by David McCollough. I have a David McCollough biography on Teddy Roosevelt that is in my "to-read" pile as well.

[Lizardqueen]

Mulv, I'm in CT too. David Sedaris is hysterically funny. I will spontaneously think of that essay about his younger brother Paul (?) called something like "You Can't Kill the Rooster" and just about die laughing. And I read it a couple of years ago.

[Mulv]

You Can't Kill the Rooster is my favorite of all his stories, too. Seriously people, you're missing out if you haven't read it. It is, in all honesty, probably the funniest thing I've ever read.

[jennilicious]

yay! I love David Sedaris also. I can never remember the names of specific stories, but I do laugh til I have tears. Anything that features Amy prominently is near and dear to me. I recently read Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs, and I found him kind of similar to Sedaris-just really funny and involving.
Some of my other recent favorites are The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon, and The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams-he's kind of a sci fi writer, which I usually steer clear of, but it's really a very well written fantasy story that isn't too fantastical, if that makes sense :)

[jelliepair]

Zoobabe - you took the books right off my shelf ..."My favorite books are She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb, and Beach Music by Pat Conroy. I also like Alice Hoffman (River King was great), John Irving and Rebecca Wells' "Ya-Ya' books." I ADORE Pat Conroy, John Irving, Rebecca Wells and Wally Lamb and have read everything they have ever written including Pat Conroys biographical book about his experiences teaching in the rural south.

I just finished "Please Stop Laughing at Me" by Jodee Blanco about children brutalizing and bullying other children - what a sad book and also "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey. No matter if he made the whole thing up it was a fabulous and very moving book!!

Other favorite authors are Jonathon Kellerman, Anne River Siddons, Donna Tartt, Anita Shreve, Robert B. Parker, and just about anything I can get my hands on. I read at least two books a week and I am my local small time library's favorite guinea pig as they give me all the new books that no one knows the author and make me read them first. Problem with reading so many books is that they sometimes all run together if they arent "great".

I am excited about this thread - I am printing it out and going to the library this weekend...

[zoobabe]

."[/I] I ADORE Pat Conroy, John Irving, Rebecca Wells and Wally Lamb and have read everything they have ever written including Pat Conroys biographical book about his experiences teaching in the rural south.



I read that Pat Conroy book too jellie. Rebecca Wells has another Ya-Ya book out now, but I didn't but it yet cuz it's still in hardback. I'm getting ready to start one now about a woman teaching a gorilla sign language (a novel kind of based on the Koko experience I guess), and I also bought In Her shoes b/c I saw the movie but never read the book and I like that author too (Jennifer Weiner).

[tati]

yay, readers! I read a lot, as I've found it to the best way to kill time on a crowded subway train. Mostly fiction, tho i'm trying to venture into the non-fiction category, with some mild success. Currently reading & enjoying Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld, but before that I labored thru The Line of Beauty by Hollingwurst (sp? i forgot). Was OK. I enjoyed Life of Pia, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night, and even a non-fiction book, Shadow Divers, about amateur divers who found a WW2 sub. off the coast of NJ. One of my favorite authors is Kate Atkinson (Behind the Scenes at the Library) On weekend, I like to read about as much as I can from the NYT. well happy reading everyone!

[Madam Pomfrey]

I'm reading through the Harry Potter series again, currently on book 3.

So many of my favorites have been mentioned here. I have enjoyed all of Barbara Kingsolver's books and Wally Lamb and I LOVE Billie Letts also. I was just in the bookstore the other day and saw she has a new one. Maybe that will break me out of my Potter frenzy for a while.

My all time favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. I read it every year and learn something new each time.

I'm taking notes on this thread so I can stock up on some good reads for Summer!

[pandaren brewmaster]

Love love love the Harry Potter series. I've read the first three at least 10 times each, and the newer ones a couple times through. Besides that, I read a lot of Chuck Palahniuk (Choke, Fight Club, Lullaby, Survivor), I adore Rebecca Wells's Ya-Ya series (zoobabe, the newest one is out in paperback now, I saw it in Best Buy the other day, of all places), and I still like to re-read Orson Scott Card's work (the Ender series, etc). Oh and the Little House series will always have a special place in my heart :) . Since I've been at school, I haven't had much time to look for anything new but now that its summer I have time again and you all had some great selections. Here I come, library!

[Lizardqueen]

Well I just finished Ava Gardner's autobiography. What an amazing woman. She started with such humble beginnings and became one of the most sought after actresses of her time. Reading this further cemented the idea that it doesn't hurt to be gorgeous. The cool thing about the book was that several chapters were written by friends and aquaintences. They were unafraid to write about her whole being, which, being human, was sometimes unflattering. But that just made her all the more appealing. It's also great to learn that she was a big boozer with a dirty mouth. I knew I felt a kinship with her. Incidentally George C. Scott beat the living shit out of her a few times. Now I have to go read his biography. My affection for classic movies has led me to read biographies of my favorite actors, all of which I can recommend. They include: Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Katharine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy, James Cagney, and some others. It so much more rich and impressive than the gossip about the "stars" that we get today.

[brutal youth]

I've seen many mentions of the Harry Potter series- are there no Lord of the Rings fans here besides me? Read it when I was 13 and several times since- they only get better.

[ElectraGlide]

I just finished Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland. I'd recommend it to anyone, DC fan or not. It's pretty dark. One of his best, IMO, right up there with Microserfs.

Right now I'm reading Diary by Chuck Palahniuk.

[sg-dub]

Vanity Fair and Harpers

Just finished "The Know it All" about a guy like me who read the entire Encyclopedia Brittanica.

Now it's on to Saul Bellow's "Henderson the Rain King" (It's on the Top 100 I'm reading.)

Or "Assassination Vacation."

[JerseyGirl]

I just read the Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver.

Gasp! I read that and The Bean Trees in seventh grade (man, I feel like a kid right now) and I loved them. I just finished re-reading Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld and I fell in love with it all over again. From the cover it looks like it's one of those light, fluffy 'chick-lit' books but it's definitely not. Besides that I read a lot of Mary Higgins Clark, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Crusie and the obligatory rich-girl-teen-drama books that are out now such as GossipGirl, The A-List, The Insiders and The Clique.

[Madam Pomfrey]

I've seen many mentions of the Harry Potter series- are there no Lord of the Rings fans here besides me? Read it when I was 13 and several times since- they only get better.


Brutal youth, I think that series is going to be my next obsession! I watched the first movie on tv a couple of weeks ago with my son and we were both glued to the screen. Yeah, I'm a little late watching this.:rolleyes:

I bought The Hobbit for my son and he's enjoying it, along with nightly reading from The Chronicles of Narnia (which I just saw this weekend for the first time!) He's 9 and I'm thrilled he's getting the reading bug so early.


Jersey Girl, I loved The Bean Trees also.

[samynoodle]

I'm reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. I can see why it won the Pulitzer. I read In Cold Blood like once a year. I don't know why but I became facinated with it in middle school and have just turned it into a habit. I also recommend Messiah by Gore Vidal (oddly enough if you google Gore Vidal the first link is one by my college journalism professor that has a bitchin' perm mullet and the best fake versace glasses ever). Also if you're into TLoTR, my alma matter- the University of Pittsburgh-actually offers a class in elvish and other made up languages. I won't lie, I got an A.

[OD-TV]

I am just about to finish Augusten Burroughs new book "Possible Side Effects" - I really like it. I have read all of his books as well as Sedaris and all Of John Irving. One of my faves that I always go back and re-read is "Confederacy of Dunces" - hilarious.

[tvaholic]

I've been a Stephen King fan since I was a teenager, and I do enjoy a lot of the "commercial" authors like Grisham & Crichton. I just read "State of Fear"-great book-it's to the global warming crisis what "The Da Vinci Code" is to the Catholic Church. A fictional story loosely based on fact that makes you question what you hear every day. Also just started getting into Reich's books(her books/character is the basis of "Bones" tv show), Jeffrey Deaver ("The Bone Colector," etc.), and also enjoy true crime novels. I guess I have a bit of a dark streak-but one of the best true crime books I ever read was "Bully," I couldn't put it down & read about 3/4 of the book in one sitting.

Fave classics:
Where the Red Fern Grows
A Seperate Peace
To Kill a Mockingbird
Heart of Darkness
Murder by Death

[zoobabe]

I just finished that book about the gorilla keeper at the zoo. It's called Unspoken. I didn't realize when I bought it that it was a Christian book, so it was a little preachy at the end for me. I won't even go into how she explained the whole evolution/creation controversy. The author must have done her research though, b/c the gorilla facts were correct.

[samynoodle]

guess I have a bit of a dark streak-but one of the best true crime books I ever read was "Bully," I couldn't put it down & read about 3/4 of the book in one sitting.


OMG! Bully!!!!!! When I was in high school I think there were like 9 of us that read it in 5 days. We even wrote Jim Schutze and included a picture of us and he sent us back autographed copies. He signed it something like "Always seek the truth." It was amazing. The movie doesn't even do justice to it but makes for a good show.

[tvaholic]

samynoodle-I never saw the movie-did that have Brad Renfro in it or am I thinking of someone else? That is so cool about the author! Maybe I should write him too since I loaned it to someone about 8 years ago & haven't seen it since.

[tvaholic]

zoobabe-love the ape! Another one of my favorite books is "Walking With the Great Apes," about Dian Fossey, Birute Galdikes (sp?), and Jane Goodall. Of course I've read "Gorillas in the Mist" a few times too, first time back in the ancient days of high school.
Fellow animal lover here!

[zoobabe]

tvaholic- glad to hear it. There are a lot of cool books about apes (fiction and non) out there. The Parrot's Lament andThe Octopus and the Orangutan both by Eugene Linden have some really good animal stories in them. I could tell you some hysterical stories about how scary-smart my apes are and how they try and get one over on us all the time. One of the best fiction books I read about apes is called Great Apes by Will Self. It's kind of like a combo of Metamorphisis and Planet Of The Apes, but it was clever and well-written.

Jane Goodall was my inspiration and I finally got to meet her a few years ago and show her my chimp tattoo! She was lovely and signed my book and I cried after I left (at least not in front of her) b/c one of my dreams had come true that day! I met Birute at a workshop, but only briefly.

[derder]

I believe all my favs have been mentioned...
John Irving, Augusten Burroughs, and David Sedaris. And David Sedaris's sister is Amy Sedaris who is my imaginary bff. She has a new book coming out any minute now titled "I like you". I can't wait until it is out. And "A Prayer for Owen Meany" may very well be my favorite book ever.
Oh yeah, and Steinbeck. I love John Steinbeck. Especially "East of Eden" and "The Grapes of Wrath".

[zoobabe]

A Prayer For Owen Meany is my fave Irving book!

[Madam Pomfrey]

Jane Goodall was my inspiration and I finally got to meet her a few years ago and show her my chimp tattoo! She was lovely and signed my book and I cried after I left (at least not in front of her) b/c one of my dreams had come true that day! I met Birute at a workshop, but only briefly.

zoobabe, that brought a tear to my eye! What a wonderful experience. I can't imagine being able to keep my senses about me in the same situation. Being in the presence of someone you admire and who had such an impact on your life- wow.

[samynoodle]

Zoobabe - Have you ever read The Red Ape ? It's more anthro based but makes a few excellent points about Asain orangutans being humankind's closest relatives. It really makes you stop and think.

TVaholic - Yes, it's dear old brad in the staring role as Marty. Actually the cast is pretty interesting as a whole. Nick Stalh, Rachel Miner, Bijou Phillips. If anyone seriously needs a good beach read for the summer I'd totally vote for this book.

[zoobabe]

zoobabe, that brought a tear to my eye! What a wonderful experience. I can't imagine being able to keep my senses about me in the same situation. Being in the presence of someone you admire and who had such an impact on your life- wow.

yes Madam- it was a great day! I'm bad about crying, so I was proud of me too!

[zoobabe]

[QUOTE=samynoodle]Zoobabe - Have you ever read The Red Ape ? It's more anthro based but makes a few excellent points about Asain orangutans being humankind's closest relatives. It really makes you stop and think.

I have heard of it, but I don't think I've read it. From my POV- the bonobo is our closest relative though. One of my "boys" that I care for is on the cover of a very well known book about bonobos, He's a superstar!:D

[msCCRN]

Hello fellow readers:
You have all mentioned some great books and authors. I am taking notes for my summer reading list.

tvaholic, I love that you listed A Separate Peace on your classics list. I read it years ago and now I think I may have to re-read it (although I remember it made me cry).

Derder, I'm a Steinbeck lover too! I always think of Doc in Cannery Row and his desire for a beer milkshake--always makes me laugh!

I like to read true-crime (for my dark side) and biographies. I guess I think other people have REALLY lived life, and I do it vicariously (does that make sense?).

Right now I am reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire since my friends are reading it. Then we are going to watch The Wizard of Oz and see if we have a different perspective on the whole thing.

[madduxgirl]

I'm currently reading "The DaVinci Code". I know, boring. A few of my other favorites are "Odd Thomas" by Dean Koontz, "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Seabold, "Walden and Civil Disobedience" by Thoreau, anything by Shakespeare, and the entire Harry Potter series. I know people tend to think of Harry Potter as a kids series, but J.K. Rowling is a very engaging and creative writer, no matter what your age. If you haven't read any of the books I would highly recommend it.

[Firecat]

the entire Harry Potter series. I know people tend to think of Harry Potter as a kids series, but J.K. Rowling is a very engaging and creative writer, no matter what your age. If you haven't read any of the books I would highly recommend it.

I'm a huge fan of the movies.....and I plan on watching the Da Vinci Code movie rather than reading the book. Yeah, I know...i'm pathetic. :o

[Lizardqueen]

msCCRN,
Check out the biographies I posted first. Especially the non-hollywood old timers (unless you're into that). They are WONDERFUL memoirs. A couple of others I can highly recommend are:
Don't Let's Go To The Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller
The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
Dream Catcher by Margaret Salinger (daughter of J.D.)
At Home in the World by Joyce Maynard (teenage lover of J.D.)

here are the others so you don't have to search
Ada Blackjack by Jennifer Niven
Destined to Witness by Hans J. Massaquoi
Land of a Thousand Hills by Rosamond Halsey Carr

[msCCRN]

Thanks for the suggestions Lizardqueen.
Jeannette Walls, isn't she the entertainment reporter/socialite who's mother is homeless and lives on the streets in New York?

[Lizardqueen]

Indeed she is. Fabulous read.
Just remembered a couple more:
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genious by Dave Eggers
The Glory of it All by Sean Wilsey

[ObstinantGirl]

I've seen many mentions of the Harry Potter series- are there no Lord of the Rings fans here besides me? Read it when I was 13 and several times since- they only get better.
I agree! Love them, love the movies too!
I've also always been a big fan of CS Lewis...the Chronicles of Narnia. My set from childhood was very worn, and then my older son read & reread them, until they were literally falling apart! We had to replace the set.
Same thing happened to my Little House on the Prairie set of books, which I still love rereading!

I mostly enjoy easy-reading, escapism sorts of books. I like my books like I like my TV! Anything Maeve Binchy, Rosamunde Pilcher, and most books by John Grisham. Yeah, I know! Not heavy lit, by any means! But it's what I most enjoy.

[palmtree]

I am reading the Bad Twin. I'm such a LOST freak right now and I need something to hold me through the summer. I've read all the Harry Potter books over and over again; didn't like the movies. I used to read a book a day; then I had kids so now it's like a page a day. I should finish Bad Twin by this time next year.

[BaskEtcAse]

Hi all,

Have been a reader (lurker) on this site since Big Brother last year and I hardly ever post. But I do like to read when I am not staring at the TV and now that seasons are done, I can get a little reading in. (Except that I am so lost in the Lost Experience that my reading time is shortening!)

I am on a Jeffrey Deaver kick now (starting the fourth one tonight). I also love Nelson De Mille (The Gold Coast was HILarious). I totally enjoyed the Harry Potter books too. I am always looking for a good author to try so thanks for all the recommendations!

[Lizardqueen]

I'm just finishing up The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky by Ken Dornstein. It is the story of how he spent years trying to reconcile the fact that his older, cuter, more brilliant brother died in the Pan Am flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland. I like this book a great deal and recommend it to those of you who enjoy real stories about interesting people.

[TinkerbellAPixie]

Zoobabe, I'm starting to think you are my twin by another Mother. I started college to go into primate studies but was sorta diverted from my plan.

I just bought 5 books at Half-Price Books.
I also read magazines like USWeekly and People, but currently only subscribe to Jane magazine (which used to be my very fave but now seems to be going in a strange direction now that Jane Pratt is not the editor anymore).


I love to go to the discount shelves at the book store and grab piles of books that I haven't heard any buzz about to see what sort of treasures I can find. And... I used to have a subscription to Jane but it really has changed so much I don't really care for it anymore. It all started going downhill when they stopped the Sexual Position of the month feature. lol

Some of my recent favorite books - like a few of you "The Lovely Bones", I also liked "Sea Glass", "Holding Out" is a great book about American women uniting on a sexual strike until they get congress to take care of a wife-beating Supreme Court Judge.

I'm currently reading a little summer chickie book called "Strapless", it's sorta romantic, sillyish stuff. The book equivalent of junk food. Sometimes you need something like that to cleanse the palette before diving back into something meatier.

[zoobabe]

you're very sweet to me Tink-thank you!:)

I just finished Simon Cowell's book. It only covered the gossip from AI season 1 and 2, but probably the most interesting one was that Corey Clark was alleged to have had a threesome with Kimberly Caldwell and Trenyce.:eek: Kind of funny considering what we now know about him and Paula.

[ObstinantGirl]

I just finished Simon Cowell's book.

CLUNK!

You are now listening to the sound of ObstinantGirl logging off, grabbing her purse, digging out the credit card, and logging onto Amazon.com to seek out this newly discovered book of Simon The Snarkmaster Cowell's...

[ElectraGlide]

I also love Nelson De Mille (The Gold Coast was HILarious).

A friend recently introduced me to Nelson DeMille's writing and I'm hooked. I've only read three: The General's Daughter (better than the movie), The Goald Coast, and Up Country (my favorite so far).

[palmtree]

A friend recently introduced me to Nelson DeMille's writing and I'm hooked. I've only read three: The General's Daughter (better than the movie), The Goald Coast, and Up Country (my favorite so far).

See I thought the movie was pretty good so if the book is better than that then I have to read it. Never heard of the author before but I'm always looking for new authors. I used to read Lawrence Sanders a lot; especially his McNally series, they take place in Florida. They were murder mysteries but hilarious as hell. Every once in a while I go back and reread my classics, Pride and Prejudice, Jane Eyre (all time favorite) and so forth.

[BaskEtcAse]

ElectraGlide, I enjoyed Up Country too...I think that De Mille is very sarcastic in his writing which I enjoy (I can be quite sarcastic too:rolleyes: ). I'd definitely recommend him to anyone looking for new authors.

I mostly enjoy crime dramas (books and TV), although I used to read a lot of true crime in my teens (my mother thought I was taking notes to use later in life)!:D

[Bauer's Sweetheart]

I'm reading "The Devil Wears Prada." I know, I'm probably the last person on Earth to do so, but it was on sale at Target and the latest issue of the Enquirer hadn't hit the stands yet. I love a good trashy read - I started it yesterday and I should be done tonight.

As far as more serious reading, one of my favorite authors I have found recently is Carol Goodman - she writes mysteries but they are set with some kind of intellectual/academic context. One involves a Latin teacher at a girls' school, and the Latin works they study influence the developments of the story; another's plot depends on art. And not in a pat "DaVinci Code" kind of way - I honestly felt smarter when I was done reading her books.

[zoobabe]

CLUNK!

You are now listening to the sound of ObstinantGirl logging off, grabbing her purse, digging out the credit card, and logging onto Amazon.com to seek out this newly discovered book of Simon The Snarkmaster Cowell's...

don't do it OG! I bought it at Half-Priced books for $1 in the clearance racks. Send me a PM with your address and I'll mail it to you. It was a good, easy read and I found out more about the behind the scenes action on AI.

[chick110]

I'm mostly a junk reader. I read romances just because I can scan them and I don't have to think. (scary, huh?) I have enjoyed reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Still can't get through The Shining because of a fear of wasps (stepped on a nest as a child--they give me the heebie-jeebies). :eek: Read John Grisham for a while until I realized all of the stories were too similar. Love Hemingway and Faulkner. I will get on a kick where I will read books from the same genre, like biographies or nature/science books. Last Summer, I read the autobiography of Maureen O'Hara (love her acting) and a biography of Cary Grant. I may get into them again, but right now, I am impatiently waiting for my copy of Bad Twin to arrive by mail. I got it cheap and used and hopefully it will come anyday now so I can start reading it...

[Tabby Lavalamp]

I just finished reading The Handmaid's Tail by Margaret Atwood and Castle Waiting, a graphic novel. Currently I'm reading Bandit Queen Boogie by Sparkle Hayter, one of my favourite writers, as well as having several magazines going, one of mystery short stories, a couple of skeptic's magazines, and the latest Harper's.

[TinkerbellAPixie]

I just finished reading The Handmaid's Tail by Margaret Atwood.

That was a good, albeit weird, book. I read it after catching the also-weird movie.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0099731/

[jennilicious]

I usually don't do what Oprah tells people to do because she's not the boss of me, but a friend passed along one of her book club selections and it's amazing. Night by Elie Wiesel. It's a tiny little thing, I finished it in an hour, and I think that's the way to do it-uninterrupted and quick. It's really moving and good.

[Tabby Lavalamp]

That was a good, albeit weird, book. I read it after catching the also-weird movie.

http://imdb.com/title/tt0099731/
There are times I look around today and find the book as a cautionary tale eerily prophetic.

And I can't believe I called it "The Handmaid's Tail" instead of "Tale", but there is a reference in the story to just that homonym.

[Lizardqueen]

So, after finishing the latest biography about Jimi Hendrix (he had such a tragic upbringing and met such a quick and horrible end...) I grabbed Sinatra: The Life by Anthony Summers. Well I'm just getting to the being married to Ava Gardner part and it's making me furious. She's really being a nasty twat to Frank when he's at his lowest point. Of course it occurs to me that the book I just finished about her was an autobiography. That explains why she always came out smelling like a rose. Duh. But she's still pretty damn hot.

[kron]

some of my favorite authors are:

Jennifer Weiner
Nicholas Sparks
Wally Lamb
Jodi Picoult

I recommend any of their books.

I just recently picked up "Nanny Diaries" b/c I want to read it before the movie is released.

[Clair]

My faves:

Lonesome Dove
The Stand
The Pillars of the Earth
The Clan of the Cave Bear Series
The Outlander Series

[jelliepair]

Is anyone else a John Irving fan?

I am currently reading his newest ("Until I Find You" which is like a bazillion pages long and I cant put it down - GREAT book for anyone who might like his twisted mind.

Another good book that I picked up from Costco is called "pretty little dirty" by Amanda Boyden. If you had a rough childhood or ever dabbled in party-ables, this is a book that will hit home.

[zoobabe]

Is anyone else a John Irving fan?

I am currently reading his newest ("Until I Find You" which is like a bazillion pages long and I cant put it down - GREAT book for anyone who might like his twisted mind.

I like him jellie. i didn't even know he HAD a new one out! Thanks!

[ElectraGlide]

I just started re-reading a book I've had since high school, Everything Looks Impressive by Hugh Kennedy. I imagined this was how college would be when I eventually got there. Not so much, it turned out, because I didn't have a) money or b) the grades for an Ivy League school. But this is a book I can read over and over and still love it as much as I did 12 years ago.

[chick110]

I took my kids to the library so they'd have stuff to do between school and Summer camp. I decided to look for one of my favorite authors when *I* was a kid. I found one book by that author, so I told my son that he should read it. Of course, I read it first, just to see if it was still as good as I remembered. It was. And he loved it too. So, I went online to see if I could find more by the author since our library only has ONE book from the whole series... I've got the whole set now! So, I've been reading all the Trick books by Scott Corbett and then passing them onto my son when I'm done. Still waiting for two more so we will be able to say we've read the whole series. :)

[Bauer's Sweetheart]

My favorite series when I was a kid was Trixie Belden - she was a girl detective, although everyone around her except her best friend always tried to discourage her mystery solving habit. They recently re-released the Trixie series in a nice hardback edition, so far they are up to book #15. I have been buying them "for my daughters" but so far I am the only one who has read them!

[poor, dead shannon]

good pal of mine thinks i should read (because i never have) so she bought me 2 audiobooks for my 2 hour daily commute: Dan Brown's Angels & Demons (ending sucked ass) and of course the Da vinci Code (halfway thru now).

Audiobooks are weird, and take getting used to (no daydreaming allowed or you get lost easily) and may not even belong in a "what are you reading" thread... but i was bored.

i think i should hit up some classics that thru the years i've gotten by without having read.... any suggestions for a guy that has never had luck finishing an entire book before... ever.

funny thing is, i still somehow managed two degrees :) to protect the innocent i will leave out the names of my institutions of learning..... haha

PDS

[deltoro]

i think i should hit up some classics that thru the years i've gotten by without having read.... any suggestions for a guy that has never had luck finishing an entire book before... ever.
PDS

"Curious George" :p

[Lizardqueen]

poor, dead shannon I read almost no fiction, but some books come to mind. I highly recommend trying The Godfather by Mario Puzo. It is an easy, engaging read. I read it several summers in a row at the beach because it was very entertaining. Also Kurt Vonnegut is great. I enjoyed Bluebeard and Breakfast of Champions. Don't worry about "War and Peace" or "The Brothers Karamazov" (yawn) they'll still be around when and if you get the reading bug.

[Bauer's Sweetheart]

i think i should hit up some classics that thru the years i've gotten by without having read.... any suggestions for a guy that has never had luck finishing an entire book before... ever.

PDS

Try "Chances" by Jackie Collins. It might be embarrassing to let somebody else see you reading it but it will be worth it. A very easy and entertaining read, and then if you like it, she has written several other books about the main characters. You need to start with the fluffy stuff to get your reading muscles acclimated!

[zoobabe]

PDS- i think you should try "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Of Mice and Men". Both are good and guy-friendly. Also- "A Seperate Peace" was one of my faves.

[derder]

PDS
Zoobabe is right- Of Mice and Men is a beautiful classic- Steinbeck is a brilliant writer. Also check out The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden. Those are all really beautiful, powerful stories.
And If you want good, campy fun... then Jackie Collins Hollywood Wives is a blast! Another good campy beach read is Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. I got thru that in about four hours (no breaks).
Sidney Sheldon is another authur who writes lots of fun easy reads. Check out Master of the Game.
And I noticed earlier that people were discussing their favorite Junior High/ High School authors. SE Hinton was my absolute favorite.

[HoneyBunny]

PDS -
The War of the Worlds - H.G. Wells
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson


hb
p.s deltoro - that was funny!

[plethLaura]

PDS:

I know a guy who doesn't like to read but read a copy of Michael Crichton's "Timeline" in a weekend. He said the first chapter reeled him in.

[poor, dead shannon]

PDS:

I know a guy who doesn't like to read but read a copy of Michael Crichton's "Timeline" in a weekend. He said the first chapter reeled him in.


Interesting. I finished DaVinci Code, and am ready to move to something less filling, if ya know what i mean. poor, dead boone (who bought me the dan brown audiobooks) says i would love crichton or grisham. i also love the non-horror stephen king stuff (a la "shawshank" and "green mile") so any suggestions in that vein would be welcome too!!!

thanks all for the "classics" suggestions. i guess books are like TV shows... you wanna spread the word when you find one you like huh?

ultimately i think we're gonna go with "all the king's men" in preparation for the movie release in september. she'll read, i'll listen.

but i still need something between now and then... i'll look up Timeline, plethLaura. thx

[poor, dead shannon]

"Curious George" :p
Unlike Honey bunny, I did not find this funny.

I have chosen not to read, but i do know how :)

[jampony]

Anybody out there like serial novels? I like them better because I enjoy getting to know the characters. I think that's why I tend to watch television shows more than movies. Anyway, here are some of my favorite authors: Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell, Clive Cussler, Jeffery Deaver, Jonathon Kellerman, James Patterson and John Sanford. As for my favorite books ever, I have to admit I loved Timeline. I also really enjoyed Sarum by Edward Rutherford. I guess I like that historical crap mixed in with my fiction even if it's not entirely accurate. Must be why I was such a Hercules/Xena fan. Either that, or I am a complete nerd like everyone says.

[HoneyBunny]

Anybody out there like serial novels? I like them better because I enjoy getting to know the characters. I think that's why I tend to watch television shows more than movies. Anyway, here are some of my favorite authors: Clive Cussler.

jampony -
Dirk Pitt and I go way back...


hb

[msCCRN]

Anybody out there like serial novels? I like them better because I enjoy getting to know the characters. I think that's why I tend to watch television shows more than movies. Anyway, here are some of my favorite authors: Dean Koontz, Patricia Cornwell...

I loved Patricia Cornwell's first 3 books. After a while the Scarpetta character started to bother me. She was the Chief Medical Examiner, and a gourmet cook, and a wonderful decorator, and she helped raise her niece who is gay, and she dated a guy in FBI , and she befriended a cop nobody else could put up with, and she helps to solve puzzling cases while being stalked by a killer, and ...
You get the idea? I haven't read any of her books since Blowfly, maybe I should give her another chance?

[Clair]

Steven King's The Stand is a book you might like. Very, very well written. One of my personal favs.

[Clair]

Try the Diana Gabaldon series. The first book is called Outlander and it's sooooo good. I've read it at least four times. There will be seven books in the series - she's written six so far.

[jampony]

I loved Patricia Cornwell's first 3 books. After a while the Scarpetta character started to bother me ... maybe I should give her another chance?
I'm not sure if the later books were any better or if I just kept reading out of loyalty (same reason I'm still watching Stargate). But I do remember thinking "give me a break" a couple of times when I read about some of the crazy soap opera-ish things that would happen to her and her family. Maybe she ran out of material. I wonder if that's why Patrica Cornwell introduced a whole new character/series.

Dirk Pitt and I go way back...

hb
Have you read any of the first Dirk Pitt books? I read the very first one right after I read the last one and I could really see how Dirk's character changed over the years. I'm not sure when the first book was written but it felt like something straight out of the 70s... by the end of the first chapter he's having indiscriminate sex on a beach with a stranger... with no protection! :eek:

Try the Diana Gabaldon series. The first book is called Outlander and it's sooooo good. I've read it at least four times. There will be seven books in the series - she's written six so far.
Thanks! I've never even heard of her but I'll look into it.

[HoneyBunny]

Have you read any of the first Dirk Pitt books? I read the very first one right after I read the last one and I could really see how Dirk's character changed over the years. I'm not sure when the first book was written but it felt like something straight out of the 70s... by the end of the first chapter he's having indiscriminate sex on a beach with a stranger... with no protection!

I have read all the Dirk Pitt books at least twice. (I used to be a Corp. Trainer and traveled all the time) In the early novels Dirk is more like the Sean Connery James Bond...they both look yummy, are great at what they do and love to get them some Pussy Galore. In the later books - Clive gives Dirk more of a 'responsibly sensitive' side.
Ya gotta love a guy who lives in an old plane hangar and collects vintage cars.

hb

[angiemarie]

I listen to audiobooks at work and here are some of the ones I liked best.

The Rottweiller, and 13 Steps Down by Ruth Rendell (actually, I would recommend any book by Ruth Rendell, she is amazing)
Dress Your Family In Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris (any book by David Sedaris is going to be funny and touching)
The Shape of Snakes, and Acid Row by Minette Walters (amazing psychological mysteries)
The Dark Tower series by Stephen King
Double Shot by Dianne Mott Davidson (mystery and foodie porn, two, two pleasures in one!)
Freakanomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (any "economics" book that has a chapter titled "Why do crack dealers still live with their mother's?" is going to be interesting)
Fraud by David Rakoff
Assassination Vacation, and The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell
On Beauty by Zadie Smith (Howard's End updated for the new millenium)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (this story really spooked me)
Drama City by George Pelecannos
and finally, The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, a really good fantasy read

[tati]

)
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (this story really spooked me)


So u liked it angiemarie? I almost ddn't finish ths book, mostly b/c i found it boring at times & the narrating character's style was so odd---the way she told her story struck me as strange, with all these little boring asides. I finally finished it yesterday. The book has gotten great reviews so that's why I was eager to read it---unfortunately i think many of those reviews often touch upon a key part of the plot that is better left for the reader to discover. Since I already knew it, I was expecting it & not really shocked. I wish they had gone into things a bit more.

[angiemarie]

Yes, Tati, I really liked Never Let Me Go. I had know idea what it was about when I started reading it. (Well, listening to it, it was an audiobook) I was completely caught up in trying to figure out where the hell this all was going.


***spoilers, don't read this part if you want to be surprised by this book***

This book fascinated me, because even when I was finished I still had so many questions. Like, why didn't they just leave? Why did they all just submit to the "donation" process. And, if all the kids were just going to be used for their "parts", why did they make them learn history, math etc. I think the matter of fact tone of the book freaked me out the most. The narrator and all her school chums were so passive when they got to be adults, were they genetically programmed that way? Or was it the school environment that taught them to just accept?

I probably read way too much into this book!

[tati]

***spoilers, don't read this part if you want to be surprised by this book***

This book fascinated me, because even when I was finished I still had so many questions. Like, why didn't they just leave? Why did they all just submit to the "donation" process. And, if all the kids were just going to be used for their "parts", why did they make them learn history, math etc. I think the matter of fact tone of the book freaked me out the most. The narrator and all her school chums were so passive when they got to be adults, were they genetically programmed that way? Or was it the school environment that taught them to just accept?

I probably read way too much into this book!

Angie, i've read a lot of readers' comments that raise the same questions you did, such as, why don't the kids just leave (after the Cottages), especially if they are allowed to come and go in the 'real world'? Why are they educated at all? Others have mentioned that they were seemingly brainwashed at the school & would never even consider 'leaving'---unthinkable, you're supposed to be a donor, what else is there to do. Unfortunately, i read about the cloning bit before starting ths book so I was expecting it all along & it ddn't come as a real surprise---I wish I hadn't known, otherwise I think i mite've been surprised & creeped out, as you were. I have a feeling that this would prolly be a great book to have as an audiobook, that would add a nice element. As it is, I found the narrator overly chatty & boringly so at times. Nywys, glad 2 tlk about the book, it's great to have others' perspectives on ths book!

[zoobabe]

I'm reviving this thread to say that I bought four books at Half Price books yesterday for $7.50! Sweet! One celeb biography (Liz Smith), one scary one, One paperback by Anna Qindlen (b/c I had only read Black and Blue by her), and one of those woman gets to know herself through her travails type novel. :)

[jelliepair]

1. RUN dont walk to the store and buy James Frey's books - "A Million Little Pieces" and "My Friend Leonard". Read them twice - at least - I am currently on my third time. I cant tell you how amazing these books are - I am intralled - and if you do read them, **spoiler-esh** they are graphic, sometimes gross, heartwrenching, amazing, well written, inspiring and tragic.

2. Zoobabe - way back at the beginning of this post you mentioned you wish Wally Lamb wrote another book besides "She's come Undone" - He did, its called "I know this much is true" - it is amazing (but not as good as the first one).

3. Lastly, Anyone interested in forming a book swap? Maybe we could organize all the book geeks here on the site and ship our favorite "just reads" to eachother...You know you would get your books back (if you want them) because you can call people out here on the site if you dont... Good idea? Bad??

[jennilicious]

Lastly, Anyone interested in forming a book swap? Maybe we could organize all the book geeks here on the site and ship our favorite "just reads" to eachother...You know you would get your books back (if you want them) because you can call people out here on the site if you dont... Good idea? Bad??

I think this is a great idea, jelliepair! I also get a ton of books at Half Price books, and I'd rather pass them along to someone who I can get feedback and opinions from than just recycle them back to Half Price or give them to my sister for a garage sale. Count me in.

[zoobabe]

2. Zoobabe - way back at the beginning of this post you mentioned you wish Wally Lamb wrote another book besides "She's come Undone" - He did, its called "I know this much is true" - it is amazing (but not as good as the first one).

That wasn't me jellie. I read both of his books. I do wish he'd write another one though.

[Adriana]

all the suggestions already said are awesome. here's some i never tire of
ANYTHING by:

angelou, robert bencheley, bret easton ellis, f. scott fitzgerald, marc connelly, george kauffman, la bute, dorothy parker, chuck pahlahiuk, robert sherwood, w.m. thackeray, oscar wilde, and alexander woolcott
you cannot go wrong with any of their work

biographies on anyone you love, admire, or hate are always good too

[whawha]

"The Sound of One Hand Clapping" by Toby Young. It's a follow-up to "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People," a true story of his getting fired from Vanity Fair. He's a dry British writer that dishes dirt on all sorts of celebs he comes in contact with as a reporter.

['tonyagasm']

the pearl by: im to lazy to go find it

[jennilicious]

way back at the beginning of this post you mentioned you wish Wally Lamb wrote another book besides "She's come Undone" - He did, its called "I know this much is true" - it is amazing (but not as good as the first one).


I went down to Waco this weekend for a family visit and their secondhand book store had both these books for $1 each!! I bought them based on the raves I read here. I just started She's Come Undone and really like it so far.

[EdHill]

Just started, or got back to really, the Complete Annotated Sherlock Holmes.

[HoneyBunny]

Just started, or got back to really, the Complete Annotated Sherlock Holmes.


"But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them."
SH - The Adventure of the Three Gables


hb

[elle]

East of Eden by John Steinback, I've just started but it's really good so far, I definitly reccomend it!

[sg-dub]

Jennilicious - When I was a wee undergrad at UConn taking summer sessions, I used to hang out all day at the library (no AC at the ghetto squatter apt I was subletting). Turns out, Wally Lamb was next to me day after day writing that book. I had no frigging idea until it came out and i was at the Co-op and saw there was a book-signing. I used to always go in and listen and all that; keep in mind this was summer in Storrs which is a total ghost town. So Wally read a few pages for the 5 of us gathered (way pre-Oprah) and I said, "Dude, were you writing this 2 yrs ago in the basement at the library all summer long?"

So I actually bought that book (which made it like the 2nd book I ever actually bought back then), read it, and was amazed that this unassuming dude could write so well from the POV of a teenage girl. So there you go.

Anyway, I'm 1/2-way through Phillip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint." I now know where Howard Stern got his entire schtick.

[angiemarie]

Just started, or got back to really, the Complete Annotated Sherlock Holmes.

Victorian London is the best! And Dr. Watson is the kindest, most patient friend a coked-up detective could ever have. ;)

[subgenre]

Anybody out there like serial novels?


Lawrence Block writes funny, quirky New York mysteries in his Bernie Rhodenbarr series. His Matthew Scudder books are dark and moody ~ you should read them in order because the character really changes over time. Interesting!

I really like mystery/suspense novels that follow characters or situations. These are Junk Food for my brain. I can devour them easily because a lot of the background work is known.

I just recently picked up Scott Turow. He is a lawyer-turned-author but he is an amazing storyteller! His novels all take place in fictional Kindle County (like Derry, Maine, for you Stephen King fans). He is a more erudite Grisham.

Other serial mystery writers I like are

Marcia Muller (excellent, quirky, feminist San Fran P.I.),
Nevada Barr (outdoorsy, female National Park Ranger),
John Sandford (tough-as-nails Prey series in Minneapolis/St. Paul),
Val McDermid (her psychological profiler featured in Wire in the Blood was a BBC Mystery Movie ~ thrilling!), and
Richard North Patterson (a thinking man's Grisham).

Garnethill by Denise Mina is a great, saucy, Scottish mystery. Lots of fun and had me calling people "wee ba'irns" for a week.

If I like one book by an author, I tend to go on a binge and read any & all by them.

[subgenre]

Lately, I have been on a World War One binge. I have always felt a connection to that time in history. I "discovered" a great historical novelist by the name of Jeff Shaara. His father, Michael Shaara, wrote Killer Angels about the Civil War, and Jeff followed that up with Gods & Generals . I discovered Shaara through his WWI novel To the Last Man, which tells the story of the Great War through several different viewpoints, including the Red Baron, a lowly American trench soldier and General Pershing. I am now reading his novel of the American Revolution named Rise to Rebellion, which tells the story through Ben Franklin and John Adams' points of view.

I have also read some other war novels:

Red Badge of Courage ~ the seminal war novel about the Civil War
and
All's Quiet on the Western Front ~ about the horrors of WWI.

It's quite interesting for me since I am not usually too interested in war history, but for those who are, these are amazing novels!

[zoobabe]

Jennilicious - When I was a wee undergrad at UConn taking summer sessions, I used to hang out all day at the library (no AC at the ghetto squatter apt I was subletting). Turns out, Wally Lamb was next to me day after day writing that book. I had no frigging idea until it came out and i was at the Co-op and saw there was a book-signing. I used to always go in and listen and all that; keep in mind this was summer in Storrs which is a total ghost town. So Wally read a few pages for the 5 of us gathered (way pre-Oprah) and I said, "Dude, were you writing this 2 yrs ago in the basement at the library all summer long?"

So I actually bought that book (which made it like the 2nd book I ever actually bought back then), read it, and was amazed that this unassuming dude could write so well from the POV of a teenage girl. So there you go.


that's a cool story sg-dub! He really does write like I think a woman would. I was amazed at this also and that's why the story really got to me.

[EdHill]

Victorian London is the best! And Dr. Watson is the kindest, most patient friend a coked-up detective could ever have. ;)

tell me about it. Every christmas I reread The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.

And when Im done with the complete Doyle works, I have Caleb Carr's The Italian Secretary, A Holmes adventure he wrote last year. Which is odd for me because I rarely read fiction.

[subgenre]

Oh! I can't believe no one mentioned Raymond Chandler and Dashiel Hammet. Both of these men transmogrified the hard-boiled private eye detective fiction. From their works came such Bogart classics as The Maltese Falcon (Hammet) and The Big Sleep (Chandler).

Plus, these are written in the 20's and 40's. From a sociological viewpoint, these works are a testament to the culture of the times. Example, in one of Hammet's stories written in the 20's, a character in appreciation of being helped exclaimed that it was "very white of him" to help him out. I love litle quirks of language like that. And then thank God that I live in such an enlightened era as 21st century America.

[EdHill]

I have read some of Hammett's works. his first novel Red Harvest, was good. And so over the top bloody.

[sg-dub]

I stick to Cormac McCarthey for my over the top bloodiness.

Caleb Carr's "The Alienest" was excellent too, Ed.

(Isn't this fun... pretending that we read books?!)

[EdHill]

Yes I read the Alienist when it came out. It took a while to get going but it was good. And in a Project Runway tie in, the climax of the book took place in the now long gone giant Croton aqueduct that is now the NYC library, which is next to Bryant Park showcase of NY Fashion week. And Bryant Park used to be the Giant Crystal Cathedral .

I am a geek god.

[jennilicious]

Jennilicious - When I was a wee undergrad at UConn taking summer sessions, I used to hang out all day at the library (no AC at the ghetto squatter apt I was subletting). Turns out, Wally Lamb was next to me day after day writing that book. I had no frigging idea until it came out and i was at the Co-op and saw there was a book-signing. I used to always go in and listen and all that; keep in mind this was summer in Storrs which is a total ghost town. So Wally read a few pages for the 5 of us gathered (way pre-Oprah) and I said, "Dude, were you writing this 2 yrs ago in the basement at the library all summer long?"

So I actually bought that book (which made it like the 2nd book I ever actually bought back then), read it, and was amazed that this unassuming dude could write so well from the POV of a teenage girl. So there you go.

Anyway, I'm 1/2-way through Phillip Roth's "Portnoy's Complaint." I now know where Howard Stern got his entire schtick.

I love that story! That's really very cool.
And I really like Howard Stern-for like ten minutes at a time. I'll put that Roth book on my list too though

[subgenre]

I am a geek god.


Ah, it all begins to make sense now.

EdHill is a Geek God.

LizardQueen is his Judas.

We lowly TVGasm readers are his disciples.

And all his cooter jokes are a DaVinci code, that once broken will lead us all to Nirvana. Which is located somewhere in Connecticut. Who'da thunk it?

[subgenre]

[QUOTE=sg-dub]I stick to Cormac McCarthey for my over the top bloodiness.

[QUOTE]


Oohh... I loves me some over the top bloodiness.

*lickes her lips*
:p

[whawha]

Yes I read the Alienist when it came out. It took a while to get going but it was good. And in a Project Runway tie in, the climax of the book took place in the now long gone giant Croton aqueduct that is now the NYC library, which is next to Bryant Park showcase of NY Fashion week. And Bryant Park used to be the Giant Crystal Cathedral .

I am a geek god.


The Alienist got me into The Devil and the White City...the nonfiction recounting of America's first serial killer and the World's Fair in Chicago. Have you read it?

[EdHill]

And all his cooter jokes are a DaVinci code, that once broken will lead us all to Nirvana. Which is located somewhere in Connecticut. Who'da thunk it?

Follow the clues and it will lead you to the Holy Cooter.

[chick110]

Wow, just like Treasure Hunters!! ;)

[subgenre]

Follow the clues and it will lead you to the Holy Cooter.


Um... aren't all cooters "hole-y"? Ain't that the point of a cooter?

[subgenre]

The Alienist got me into The Devil and the White City...the nonfiction recounting of America's first serial killer and the World's Fair in Chicago. Have you read it?

Wow. Sounds good, whawha.

A topic for another thread, but what is the obsession with serial killers? Kind of weird. They are not as abundant ~ thank Kee-rist ~ as shows like CSI and authors like John Sandford make them out to be. I guess it's the whole delving into the pot of Eeeevil that a serial killer's mind is.

[Lizardqueen]

Ah, it all begins to make sense now.

EdHill is a Geek God.

LizardQueen is his Judas.

We lowly TVGasm readers are his disciples.

And all his cooter jokes are a DaVinci code, that once broken will lead us all to Nirvana. Which is located somewhere in Connecticut. Who'da thunk it?
Judas? Moi? I always fancied myself the Helga to EdHill's Andrew Wyeth (albeit a WAY tanner and hotter Helga, but whatever).

------------------------------------------------------------
I wanted The Alienist to be a lot better than it really was, or is that just my distaste for fiction?
And speaking of serial killers... wha wha you've got yourself 2 current serial killers now. Are you staying in nights? Though I must say I long for the days of wicked crazy ass serial killers a la Ted Bundy, The Zodiac, etc. Nowadays these assholes are just sniping randomly. I like the good old fashioned "You look just like my mother....I hate my mother..."

[whawha]

Judas? Moi? I always fancied myself the Helga to EdHill's Andrew Wyeth (albeit a WAY tanner and hotter Helga, but whatever).

------------------------------------------------------------
I wanted The Alienist to be a lot better than it really was, or is that just my distaste for fiction?
And speaking of serial killers... wha wha you've got yourself 2 current serial killers now. Are you staying in nights? Though I must say I long for the days of wicked crazy ass serial killers a la Ted Bundy, The Zodiac, etc. Nowadays these assholes are just sniping randomly. I like the good old fashioned "You look just like my mother....I hate my mother..."


Dude...I actually go out more. AZ is a carry state, meaning everyone is strapped. The people getting shot are the ones jogging or riding a bike...and we all know you don't put your holster on when you're doing that. So I think these nutbags are taking that which won't shoot back...

Actually, it is kinda creepy. When I lived in Chicago, you kinda expected violence. But among the pristine mesas?

And there has been a "classic escalation" (see, you CAN learn something from Criminal Minds, Numb3rs and CSI!). The one guy started out by shooting horses and stray dogs. Then he went to shooting at people.

[Mulv]

Follow the clues and it will lead you to the Holy Cooter.

Is that what that big neon cross looming over I-84 in Waterbury is supposed to be?

[sg-dub]

Ever been up to the Cross over 84? It's dope.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=holyland+waterbury&btnG=Google+Search

[Lizardqueen]

Dude...I actually go out more. AZ is a carry state, meaning everyone is strapped. The people getting shot are the ones jogging or riding a bike...and we all know you don't put your holster on when you're doing that. So I think these nutbags are taking that which won't shoot back...

Dude, I LOVE open carry states. Up here in CT they are much loathed and scoffed at. Whenever I have to present ID I use my pistol permit. People turn it over and say "What IS this? Is this a valid form of identification?" I should just hand them a stick figure drawing and my phone bill, asking me stupid questions like that.

Actually, it is kinda creepy. When I lived in Chicago, you kinda expected violence. But among the pristine mesas?

And there has been a "classic escalation" (see, you CAN learn something from Criminal Minds, Numb3rs and CSI!). The one guy started out by shooting horses and stray dogs. Then he went to shooting at people.

Shooting animals is the gateway drug to becoming a serial killer. But seriously, what kind of pussy ass serial killers are we nurturing here in this country?

[EdHill]

Is that what that big neon cross looming over I-84 in Waterbury is supposed to be?

I was just in Waterbury monday to see Bill Clinton. That town is a shit hole. Makes Hard Hittin' New Britain look like Paris.

[whawha]

Dude, I LOVE open carry states. Up here in CT they are much loathed and scoffed at. Whenever I have to present ID I use my pistol permit. People turn it over and say "What IS this? Is this a valid form of identification?" I should just hand them a stick figure drawing and my phone bill, asking me stupid questions like that.


I useta always use my FOI card as ID when I lived in Chicago. Same response. Even the turning over part...like there was something on the back that says "Surprise!"

[Lizardqueen]

Well I finally wrapped up "Breakfast of Champions" by Kurt Vonnegut. It's a very funny read that I just kept putting down while reading other books. (Fiction is hard for me to get into. Ever since I was getting my doctorate at HARVARD, dontcha know?) I highly recommend it, and any of Vonnegut's writing actually (have I mentioned that I'm a doctor? From HARVARD?)

Now I am reading, and LOVING, "Two For the Road; Our Love Affair With American Food" by Connecticut's own Jane and Michael Stern. As someone who can read a cookbook from cover to cover without actually cooking, this is right up my alley. It chronicles the Stern's life as travelling food writers. I love reading about their affection for roots food. It's very Anthony Bourdain without the aging hipster thing. The prose is engaging and amusing. I very much enjoyed their desciption of eating EdHill's favorite appetizer, Rocky Mountain Oysters. I truly feel that if I met the Sterns, we would be fast friends. Kinda like how I'm convinced that when George Clooney and I bump into each other at a cocktail party he's never going to look at another woman again.

Please let me know of any food writing that you have enjoyed, besides the obvious magazines, I'm thinking more along the lines of beach reading.

[ScotyUtah]

Currently reading "Hiking the Wasatch" as I'm trying to discover the trails that are so close to my house. Just finished Paranoia by Joseph Finder - it was a quick, entertaining read. Summertime reading for me is not too deep.

[sg-dub]

LQ - Big fan of Kitchen Confidential and A Cooks Tour - Bourdain.

New book "Heat" by Bill Buford is great so far (You can catch me at borders reading it little by little).

Gastronaut is very good - forget the author and don't feel like looking now.

The Omnivore's Dilemma by M. Pollan is really interesting, but not quite beach reading.

I love good food writing... love it.

Hamanassett?

[Lizardqueen]

Quonochontaug?

[sg-dub]

Misquomagut?

[Lizardqueen]

By the way, yay! Thanks for the tips. Bourdain's books, along with "Ass Angels 4", had been recommended, but I haven't gotten to them yet. Here's a great little quote from the Stern's book that I read this morning - "Like veined cheese, sourdough bread, and vintage wine, great country ham awakens that special fascination taste buds have for flavors that teeter on the refined side of rot." LOVE it!

[sg-dub]

just though of My Year in Provence too... though since I actually read it while in Provence, it was all the better.

[Lizardqueen]

just though of My Year in Provence too... though since I actually read it while in Provence, it was all the better.


I have been told to read this too. Isn't it "A Year In Provence"? Details, details...

[ObstinantGirl]

I love looking at PICTURES of gorgeous food/dishes! :p
But if the recipes or description go beyond a couple of paragraphs, then my brain seems to shut off and/or change channels. I love food, and I want to love cooking, but I just don't. I'm working on it!

Anyway, I re-purchased all of James Herriot's books for our vacation (we'd loaned them out years ago & never gotten them back), and spent as much time as possible in the hammock reading and laughing and crying at his stories about being a country vet. Good stuff.

[msCCRN]

Please let me know of any food writing that you have enjoyed, besides the obvious magazines, I'm thinking more along the lines of beach reading.

Dare I recommend to our Resident Diva, Under the Tuscan Sun. Forget about the movie (which had little in common with the book). The book is filled with wonderful descriptions of the architecture, food, and people of this beautiful region of Italy. Reminds of my father and all his urgings to mangia!

[Lizardqueen]

Dare I recommend to our Resident Diva, Under the Tuscan Sun. Forget about the movie (which had little in common with the book). The book is filled with wonderful descriptions of the architecture, food, and people of this beautiful region of Italy. Reminds of my father and all his urgings to mangia!

Yes, you may dare msCCRN. ;) I did request the suggestions after all. But I'm getting a little steamed with J-Unit. I specifically told him that I want my organic ass's milk bath drawn at 8 pm EST, along with a hot young boy in a loincloth to feed me peeled grapes as I soak my divalicious bones. :p

[subgenre]

The Alienist got me into The Devil and the White City...the nonfiction recounting of America's first serial killer and the World's Fair in Chicago. Have you read it?


Whawha ~ I looked for this book at my local library (The Cuyahoga County Library, one of the top 3 in the United States ~ Go Browns!) but it did not compute. Who is this by? If I am gonna read nonfiction, I want it to be bloody and historical.

[subgenre]

I stick to Cormac McCarthey for my over the top bloodiness.

Caleb Carr's "The Alienest" was excellent too, Ed.

(Isn't this fun... pretending that we read books?!)


Speaking of bloodiness... are you sure you meant Cormac McCarthy? He writes cowboy books. Are they bloody? And are they really cowboy-ish? I loves me some violence but not the "Yee Haw" variety. If that makes any sense at all.

[whawha]

Whawha ~ I looked for this book at my local library (The Cuyahoga County Library, one of the top 3 in the United States ~ Go Browns!) but it did not compute. Who is this by? If I am gonna read nonfiction, I want it to be bloody and historical.

Erik Larson, baby!

The wild thing about the late 1800s was the civility mixed with brutality. It was nothing for Chicago to have 600 murders in six months...today people would riot about that, but then it was no biggie. And if a horse that was drawing a carriage died, they'd just leave it in the street to rot. Commuter trains didn't have crossings. It was common to see the remains of a person sheared in two on the tracks. Wild.

And don't get me started on the serial killer...who built soundproof torture chambers in his hotel, preying on tourists coming to the fair. Read it!

[Lizardqueen]

Erik Larson, baby!

The wild thing about the late 1800s was the civility mixed with brutality. It was nothing for Chicago to have 600 murders in six months...today people would riot about that, but then it was no biggie. And if a horse that was drawing a carriage died, they'd just leave it in the street to rot. Commuter trains didn't have crossings. It was common to see the remains of a person sheared in two on the tracks. Wild.

And don't get me started on the serial killer...who built soundproof torture chambers in his hotel, preying on tourists coming to the fair. Read it!

Sounds like my kind of killer. ;) Did he have a nickname? Also I'm confused about wether this is fiction or non-fiction. Historical fiction perhaps?

[whawha]

Sounds like my kind of killer. ;) Did he have a nickname? Also I'm confused about wether this is fiction or non-fiction. Historical fiction perhaps?


No! It's real! The book was put together using letters and news reports of the day. The focus is that this guy was the first modern serial killer...back then they didn't give them cute names. The writer juxtaposes the serial killer's quest with the building of the World's Fair in Chicago (the White City). The killer wanted to strike it rich with the fair, and built a hotel to house visitors. One thing led to another and the killing began!

A sidenote: the extensive quotes from letters really illuminate how far we've fallen as a "literate" society. Even the most common man wrote eloquently then, because it was a primary communications form. Amazing to see...

[Pekmboyd]

No! It's real! The book was put together using letters and news reports of the day. The focus is that this guy was the first modern serial killer...back then they didn't give them cute names. The writer juxtaposes the serial killer's quest with the building of the World's Fair in Chicago (the White City). The killer wanted to strike it rich with the fair, and built a hotel to house visitors. One thing led to another and the killing began!

A sidenote: the extensive quotes from letters really illuminate how far we've fallen as a "literate" society. Even the most common man wrote eloquently then, because it was a primary communications form. Amazing to see...


Not sure how I missed the beginning of this conversation, but I've also read The Devil and the White City, and I have to say it is probably the most well-written book I've read in recent memory, and I don't usually care for historical novels. I cannot recommend it highly enough - even my husband, who admits to having read only two entire books in his lifetime, read it and loved it.

[tati]

I really liked the Alienist so I will add Devil & the White City to my list---that book got a lot of good reviews, it was on NYT bestsellers 4 a long time but I never paid attention. I'm trying to read more non-fiction to vary my reading a bit & i'm near the end of 'Under the banner of heaven'. It starts out w/ the murder of a young woman & her baby---by her hubby's brother. Turns out hubby & his brothers are extreme Mormon Fundamentalist & they follow some crazy rules (that they themselves conveniently set). Not exactly summer beach reading but it's a good read. Frustrating, no doubt, as it shows what some people will do in the name of religion, but fascinating nonetheless.

[Lizardqueen]

Everything I've read by Jon Krakauer is superb. Not sure if we've mentioned him yet or not. I highly recommend his writing.

[EdHill]

OK, so I'm now reading Heat by Bill Buford and loving it. It's a wonder Mario Batali isn't 800 pounds much less 300 after reading about his life. Funnily enough a friend of mine who lies in Manahattan has offered to let me borrow his apt next weekend so I might check out a meal at Babbo. COuld be a good time for a NYC happy hour.

[tati]

Batali strikes me as smug & slightly condescending on his shows (not Bobby Flay levels, but still) but 2 professional chefs I know rave about Batali, saying he's a chef's chef b/c he really knows his food (both have met him). I stand corrected. I'm dying to read Heat b/c I want the dirt on his kitchen. I've eaten at Lupa & Babbo, yum yum both times!

[Lizardqueen]

OK, so I'm now reading Heat by Bill Buford and loving it. It's a wonder Mario Batali isn't 800 pounds much less 300 after reading about his life. Funnily enough a friend of mine who lies in Manahattan has offered to let me borrow his apt next weekend so I might check out a meal at Babbo. COuld be a good time for a NYC happy hour.

Who knew that lying could be such a lucrative career? That is my kinda gig! Oh, I get it. He's a lawyer.

[EdHill]

Batali strikes me as smug & slightly condescending on his shows (not Bobby Flay levels, but still) but 2 professional chefs I know rave about Batali, saying he's a chef's chef b/c he really knows his food (both have met him). I stand corrected. I'm dying to read Heat b/c I want the dirt on his kitchen. I've eaten at Lupa & Babbo, yum yum both times!

Yeah im looking forward to Babbo. I've never had authentic italian, beef tongue and all, before so im looking forward to it. Not so much the 100 price tag but hey, Sometime EdHill just needs to find time for EdHill, knowhatimean?

[BSL]

I was just in Waterbury monday to see Bill Clinton

Ok, seriously, I've lived in DC for 7 years now and I have yet to meet Bill Clinton. I thought it would be so much easier when he was out of the White House. What's an attractive, 20-something girl gotta do to meet Bill Clinton? Wait, don't answer that...

So, EdHill...even though it's bad manners to ask...who are you voting for in the Senate primary on the 8th?

[sg-dub]

RE: Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian"

"The men as they rode turned black in the sun from the blood on their clothes and their faces and then paled slowly in the rising dust until they assumed once more the color of the land through which they passed." If what we call "horror" can be seen as including any literature that has dark, horrific subject matter, then Blood Meridian is, in this reviewer's estimation, the best horror novel ever written. It's a perverse, picaresque Western about bounty hunters for Indian scalps near the Texas-Mexico border in the 1850s--a ragged caravan of indiscriminate killers led by an unforgettable human monster called "The Judge." Imagine the imagery of Sam Peckinpah and Heironymus Bosch as written by William Faulkner, and you'll have just an inkling of this novel's power. From the opening scenes about a 14-year-old Tennessee boy who joins the band of hunters to the extraordinary, mythic ending, this is an American classic about extreme violence.

Don't front on my man Cormac.

[sg-dub]

LQ, Re: Krakauer:

"Into the Wild" is in my top 10 books of all time, period. Chris McCandless has stuck with me for years now. Powerful book.

"Under the Banner of Heaven" is great too, but then again, Mormonism falls under that "Truth is stranger than fiction" thing, so that's easy.

[msCCRN]

Who knew that lying could be such a lucrative career? That is my kinda gig! Oh, I get it. He's a lawyer.

You are too witty. I had to read that post a couple of times to get it :D
I see yet again why you are our Resident Diva.

[Lizardqueen]

LQ, Re: Krakauer:

"Into the Wild" is in my top 10 books of all time, period. Chris McCandless has stuck with me for years now. Powerful book.

"Under the Banner of Heaven" is great too, but then again, Mormonism falls under that "Truth is stranger than fiction" thing, so that's easy.

Chris McCandless was full of balls. I have much respect for him. He randomly enters my thoughts on a regular basis. If only more people had radical principles and rejected society's demands to be productive members of the rat race. But instead people thought he was "mentally ill". So dear readers, do pick up "Into the Wild" it is a short book and a worthwhile read that will resonate with you for many moons.

"Under the Banner of Heaven" freaked me the fuck out! Very disturbing, but I'm glad I read it.

[subgenre]

RE: Cormac McCarthy's "Blood Meridian"

Don't front on my man Cormac.

Whoa, sg-dub! Step back a bit and take a deep, cleansing breath. I was only curious if this was the same author you said was bloody. I know that the West was a very violent time period in our history, but many of the Westerns I have read or seen on TV depict a more wholesome, men-in-white-hats type of place. That's all. Thanks for the info and I will look into this book.

[subgenre]

Whawha ~ The Devil IN the White City. I have it on reserve at the library. Let you know what I think when I read it.

This is my 100th post!!!

I am now officially "TVGasm Entourage" ~ HUZZAH!

[subgenre]

I picked up "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb last night. I am already 3/4 of the way through it. Sometimes, having no cable and no internet at home can be a GOOD thing!

[tati]

I picked up "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb last night. I am already 3/4 of the way through it. Sometimes, having no cable and no internet at home can be a GOOD thing!

no cable & Internet at home? impressive! i can survive w/o one but not both. I ddn't have 'net at home until June of ths yr, but i was able to get my 'net fix at work in the meantime.

where do u watch most of ur TV thn, at work, online, etc?

btw, i read She's Come Undone a few yrs ago, but I rem'br really liking it & being even more impressed by the male author writing of a female character, quite realistic. (another poster ment'd ths) His other book abt the twin bros. was good, but not as much. It was a lot longer, for starters, & I saw the ending coming a mile away.

[whawha]

Whawha ~ The Devil IN the White City. I have it on reserve at the library. Let you know what I think when I read it.

This is my 100th post!!!

I am now officially "TVGasm Entourage" ~ HUZZAH!

Congrats! Do you want to be Turtle or Johnny Drama? I got dibs on E!

[DickeyD]

I was just up north at my cottage resort for a week when i went into their 'library' (aka a collection of books people have left behind over the years) and found this one book called The Viking Funeral... i got intrigued.

As I read it, it seemed to be more and more like an episode (or day) of 24 (even though it takes place over 2 weeks). It's really suspenseful, and it has to do with something that is actually happening in our society apparently. So I would check it out if I were you - I don't remember the author, but really, how many non-historical books have the word Viking in their title?

[subgenre]

[QUOTE=tati]no cable & Internet at home? impressive! i can survive w/o one but not both. I ddn't have 'net at home until June of ths yr, but i was able to get my 'net fix at work in the meantime.

where do u watch most of ur TV thn, at work, online, etc? [QUOTE]

Oh, I have TV. Trust me, I HAVE TV. It's just the old fashioned kind with 3 channels and rabbit ears. My internet just went kerplooey. This is not a lifestyle choice. I am just too damned poor at the moment to have all the fancy gadgets like cable, much less a TiVo and other wonders of this modern age. *sigh* :(

[wendy_loohoo]

I am reading Men in Blue from the Badge of Honor series by W. E. B. Griffin and Waking up in Charleston by Sherryl Woods.

Two very different books, the first is from the BF, well I actually raided his bookshelf because he was procrastinating. It is a few years old but it is a nice cop series, I will probably end up finishing not only the book but the series.

The other is what I read at home or work...you standard happy ending romance/fiction book. I am a romantic at heart so what are you gonna do? :)

[CrazyTrain]

3/4 through Prep and I just love it! I can't put it down but alas I have to :(

[angiemarie]

3/4 through Prep and I just love it! I can't put it down but alas I have to :(

I thought this book was pretty good. The author really captured the terrible awkwardness and humiliations of adolescence. I would get so embarrassed/upset for the main character I would have to put the book down. :o

Do you know if this author has written anything else?

[Pekmboyd]

I thought this book was pretty good. The author really captured the terrible awkwardness and humiliations of adolescence. I would get so embarrassed/upset for the main character I would have to put the book down. :o

Do you know if this author has written anything else?


Her second book is The Man of My Dreams - came out a few months ago but I haven't read it yet.

[Lizardqueen]

Ok, I finally paid my exorbitant library fines. I'm delighted to be the proud borrower of Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly". And I'm sorry EdHill, but Bourdain is looking good on the cover. He looks young, tall, slim, veiny, buck rat teeth carefully covered by his fleshy lips. What could be hotter? I can't wait to start reading. If only I could tear myself away from TVgasm.;)

[sarah d.]

Tony Bourdain looks effin' amazing on the cover of Kitchen Confidential. I may have missed people already talking about this cause I kinda skipped through this thread, but if you haven't yet, read his book 'Cook's Tour', I liked it even more than Confidential and I wasn't sure that was possible. His writing reminds me so much of HST, the man is my bona fide new hero. Yay Tony :infatuated2:

[CrazyTrain]

Her second book is The Man of My Dreams - came out a few months ago but I haven't read it yet.

Thanks for that info! I will definately check into that! :D

[EdHill]

Ok, I finally paid my exorbitant library fines. I'm delighted to be the proud borrower of Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly". And I'm sorry EdHill, but Bourdain is looking good on the cover. He looks young, tall, slim, veiny, buck rat teeth carefully covered by his fleshy lips. What could be hotter? I can't wait to start reading. If only I could tear myself away from TVgasm.;)

Yeah he's got that "Im so strung out on herion ill suck your dick for a dollar" look that first attracted you to me.

[Mulv]

Yeah he's got that "Im so strung out on herion ill suck your dick for a dollar" look that first attracted you to me.

Ok, there's so much to work with in this one exchange that my brain is actually imploding.

Wow...just, wow.

[Pekmboyd]

Thanks for that info! I will definately check into that! :D

I checked this out of the library and read it this weekend - still good, not as good as Prep but she has a very honest way of writing that I'm pretty drawn to.

[chick110]

Ok, there's so much to work with in this one exchange that my brain is actually imploding.

Wow...just, wow.

LOL, I was thinking about adding it to that topic, best paragraph ever written... ;)

[brutal youth]

Chris McCandless was full of balls. I have much respect for him. He randomly enters my thoughts on a regular basis. If only more people had radical principles and rejected society's demands to be productive members of the rat race. But instead people thought he was "mentally ill". So dear readers, do pick up "Into the Wild" it is a short book and a worthwhile read that will resonate with you for many moons.



I also loved Into the Wild and have yet to read any others, but it's funny, because the first thing I thought of when seeing Grizzly Man was of this book- and I know we already discussed it in another thread, but the comparison of the two... Grizzly man seemed like a lost little boy living in an imaginary world, whereas Chris was a philosopher...

And am I the only one who liked Wally Lamb's I know this Much is True more than She's Come Undone? Anyone? I think the whole schizophrenic twin thing just plays into my morbid taste.

[Lizardqueen]

I also loved Into the Wild and have yet to read any others, but it's funny, because the first thing I thought of when seeing Grizzly Man was of this book- and I know we already discussed it in another thread, but the comparison of the two... Grizzly man seemed like a lost little boy living in an imaginary world, whereas Chris was a philosopher...

And am I the only one who liked Wally Lamb's I know this Much is True more than She's Come Undone? Anyone? I think the whole schizophrenic twin thing just plays into my morbid taste.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/

[brutal youth]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0758758/

SWEET!

[Lizardqueen]

So I was just talking to a fellow cartographomaniac and I remembered a much appreciated book I read a while ago. It's called "The Island of Lost Maps: A True Story of Cartographic Crime" by Miles Harvey. It's the tale of a guy who is found to have ripped off some of the most prestigious book rooms in all of acedemia. (Wow. Reading that back to myself it sounds really boring.) It's actually pretty exciting and intertwines this story of map thievery with the history of mapmaking. It's oddly similar to the recent arrest of CT's own E. Forbes Smiley, only Smiley's crimes took place a decade later. How 'bout this, I recommend it to anyone who is interested in maps.;)

[EdHill]

Maps are for LOSERS!

[Lizardqueen]

Maps are for LOSERS!
Very funny you cartographophile! I really think they are more for geeks and dorks.

[HoneyBunny]

Maps are for LOSERS!

I thought men liked maps...
Where else does an inch = a mile?



hb

[sg-dub]

I'm in awe.

Ed's anti-maps comment was a direct hit to me. I'm obsessed with maps; have been since I was a kid. be still my beating heart.

[bevo]

Has anyone read Running With Scissors, and would you recommend it? I recently saw a trailer for the movie, so I'm curious if the book is any good.

[Pekmboyd]

Has anyone read Running With Scissors, and would you recommend it? I recently saw a trailer for the movie, so I'm curious if the book is any good.

I have, and I would recommend it...if you've read anything by David Sedaris you'd probably like Augusten Burroughs' books too...but they may both be an aquired taste for some people. I personally get a kick out of their sense of humor.

[ScotyUtah]

I too am obsessed with maps. Use them just about everyday. Right now I'm reading the 2006/2007 gear guides for Ski, Skiing and Powder magazines.

[Lizardqueen]

I finished Anthony Boudain's "Kitchen Confidential" and must say that I greatly enjoyed it. He has a great way with words and I appreciated reading about the seedy side of the hospitality industry. I'm in the middle of his newest book "The Nasty Bits". It's a compilation of his writings. Very good. Tonight at 10 the Travel Channel is doing a special on his recent trip to Beirut, Lebanon. They started taping the show the day before the bombign began. The trailers look pretty powerful.

[Bauer's Sweetheart]

Did we ever discuss favorite magazines? I subscribe to about 15 different ones (my husband is unhappy with that, but think of all the money I am saving by not picking them up at the grocery store.) Here are the ones he will NEVER convince me to give up:

1) The New Yorker
2) The National Enquirer
3) Down East (the magazine of Maine)
4) Entertainment Weekly (especially the ones with Stephen King's column)
5) Sunset

I just got him a subscription to Outside magazine and that's pretty good too!

[sg-dub]

good one...

newsweek
vanity fair
Atlantic Monthly
Harpers
Playboy
apex to zenith

and I check out my wife's
Allure and
Instyle

and we get like 5 different versions of
Parenting
Child
etc.

[ScotyUtah]

Magazines:

Ski
Skiing
Powder
Entertainment Weekly
ESPN the Magazine
Maxim
Sunset
Outside
Giant
Consumer Reports
Blender
I know I'm forgetting others my wife gets.

[HoneyBunny]

Entertainment Weekly
InStyle
the AAA magazine
Surfer
Real Simple
W
MAD



hb

[jenny10girl]

Us Weekly. I am addicted to it. Feel free to laugh now.

[zoobabe]

Us Weekly. I am addicted to it. Feel free to laugh now.

I love it jenny! No laughing here. I don't subscibe anymore though, 'cuz it's kinda pricey.

[jenny10girl]

I love it jenny! No laughing here. I don't subscibe anymore though, 'cuz it's kinda pricey.

I sneak it in with the groceries...shhh... :innocent:

[angiemarie]

The only magazine I get is Entertainment Weekly. I love how they grade everything, and their website is pretty good, too. Not as cool as Tvgasm though!

Am I only the only person who gets in the longest line at the grocery store so I can read all the gossip mags for free? :shifty:

[zoobabe]

The only magazine I get is Entertainment Weekly. I love how they grade everything, and their website is pretty good, too. Not as cool as Tvgasm though!

Am I only the only person who gets in the longest line at the grocery store so I can read all the gossip mags for free? :shifty:

half the time I don't ev