Now reading...

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

[Brad]

Just finished Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises. Not too sure what to make of the obvious anti semitism in there, which is an underlying theme of the book as villain of the piece, Robert Cohn, is Jewish.

[BruceH]

"The Masque of Manana" (short story collection)---Robert Sheckley. I miss this guy.

[ep1str0phy]

The Origins of the Urban Crisis : Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit - Thomas Sugrue. An eye-opener, to say the least.

That's on my reading list--what do you think?

[ghost of miles]

Located THE GREAT BLACK WAY and am more than halfway through--and yesterday I blew through Thomas Merton's NO MAN IS AN ISLAND. I had to set the Miller aside, with intentions of picking it up again soon; sometimes there's a certain sameness to his style, or tone, that wears on me after a bit.

[Shawn]

I know it's not "literature"...but Clive Cussler has been my favorite author since 1981. He's intelligent, he actually does what he rights about and his books are FUN!!! Man, what a great word...too bad us adults tend to forget what it really means.

[medjuck]

The Shadow of the Wind. Anyone else read it?

[Guest sailor]

Suicide: What Really Happens in the Afterlife? (Paperback)

by Jon Klimo, Pamela Rae Heath

Just started thumbing thorugh my copy.

Edited August 28, 2006 by sailor

[jlhoots]

Amy Hempel: The Complete Stories

Great writing (IMHO).

[paul secor]

Adam Hastett: You Are Not a Stranger Here - Disturbing and interesting short stories read on a recommendation from ghost of miles on this thread. Thanks for the rec.

[Matthew]

Ron Powers: Mark Twain: A Life. Kind of an up and down book. The facts are pretty straight forward but the writing style, at times, is over the top. Calls Twain the first "Rock Star," which, while cute, doesn't help toward any deeper understanding of Clemens. Too "slangy" in style also, so I think this book will age badly. Saying that however, it is worth reading if you happen come across it on sale.

Edited August 11, 2006 by Matthew

[ghost of miles]

Adam Hastett: You Are Not a Stranger Here - Disturbing and interesting short stories read on a recommendation from ghost of miles on this thread. Thanks for the rec.

Glad you're finding it compelling, Paul. I really do hope Haslett doesn't abandon fiction completely for the law.

I'm still making my way through AMONG THE DEAD CITIES, a philosophical inquiry into the Allied bombing of population centers during WWII. Just checked out a Peter Lorre biography, THE LOST ONE, and am hoping to spend some time with it this weekend.

Edited August 11, 2006 by ghost of miles

[Tim McG]

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt.

[BruceH]

The Discoveries, by Alan Lightman. I know that Lightman is also a novelist, but I find his prose a little lacking at times. Still, an interesting book.

[ejp626]

Am rereading The Pickwick Papers slowly.

I'm also going to take Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland with me on my trip to Japan. I only read one Murakami from early in his career, and want to see how he developed.

[Kalo]

Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Ken Silverman

[ghost of miles]

Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Ken Silverman

Kalo, I just got that book a couple weeks ago--ordered it after my wife & I saw a segment related to Houdini on a PBS program. Looks to be a good read.

[BruceH]

Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Ken Silverman

Kalo, I just got that book a couple weeks ago--ordered it after my wife & I saw a segment related to Houdini on a PBS program. Looks to be a good read.

I used to have a copy, but it made an amazing escape from my collection.

Edited August 15, 2006 by BruceH

[etherbored]

haruki murakami: afterdark

[JohnJ]

Am rereading The Pickwick Papers slowly.

I'm also going to take Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland with me on my trip to Japan. I only read one Murakami from early in his career, and want to see how he developed.

Murakami seems to be more popular than ever. I have been a big fan since reading 'A Wild Sheep Chase' in the early 90's and just started 'Kafka on the Shore'.

'Hard Boiled Wonderland' is actually my least favorite Murakami, I found it a difficult read.

[etherbored]

I'm also going to take Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland with me on my trip to Japan. I only read one Murakami from early in his career, and want to see how he developed.

Murakami seems to be more popular than ever. I have been a big fan since reading 'A Wild Sheep Chase' in the early 90's and just started 'Kafka on the Shore'.

'Hard Boiled Wonderland' is actually my least favorite Murakami, I found it a difficult read.

'kafka...' is a great read. long, like 'the wind up bird chronicle', but more satisfying.

'pinball 1973' and 'hear the wind sing', his first novellas, are very short and evocative. these two introduce and establish characters that seem to visit most of his work.

have you read either 'dance, dance, dance' or the non-fiction work 'underground'?

there's also an anthology of short stories (in english) coming on august 29th.

one of, if not my favorite contemporary writers,

-e-

ps: 'hard boiled wonderland' is so odd because the writer attempts to create a complete subterranean world that just loses the reader (IMHO).

[JohnJ]

I'm also going to take Murakami's Hard Boiled Wonderland with me on my trip to Japan. I only read one Murakami from early in his career, and want to see how he developed.

Murakami seems to be more popular than ever. I have been a big fan since reading 'A Wild Sheep Chase' in the early 90's and just started 'Kafka on the Shore'.

'Hard Boiled Wonderland' is actually my least favorite Murakami, I found it a difficult read.

'kafka...' is a great read. long, like 'the wind up bird chronicle', but more satisfying.

'pinball 1973' and 'hear the wind sing', his first novellas, are very short and evocative. these two introduce and establish characters that seem to visit most of his work.

have you read either 'dance, dance, dance' or the non-fiction work 'underground'?

there's also an anthology of short stories (in english) coming on august 29th.

one of, if not my favorite contemporary writers,

-e-

ps: 'hard boiled wonderland' is so odd because the writer attempts to create a complete subterranean world that just loses the reader (IMHO).

etherbored, I bought and read 'Pinball 1973' and 'Hear the Wind Sing' when I first heard about Murakami and agree with your assessment. Really enoyed both of them and they would indeed make a good introduction to Murakami along with 'Norwegian Wood'. I have read 'Dance, Dance, Dance', which as I remember is a kind of sequel to 'Wild Sheep Chase' largely set in Hawaii. Loved that too, actually 'Hard Boiled Wonderland' remains the only Murakami I am less than enthusiastic about. Have not read 'Underground' though.

Readers of this board might enjoy 'East of the Sun, West of the Moon' where the main protaganist owns a jazz club. Wonderful novel.

Anyway, Murakami is probably my favorite contemporary novelist too.

[Kalo]

Houdini!!! The Career of Ehrich Weiss by Ken Silverman

Kalo, I just got that book a couple weeks ago--ordered it after my wife & I saw a segment related to Houdini on a PBS program. Looks to be a good read.

Been meaning to read this for a while. Houdini was one of my childhood heroes. I'm more than halfway through the book and am finding it to be a very good, scrupulous biography.

[ghost of miles]

John Cavanagh's Piper at the Gates of Dawn entry in the intriguing 33 1/3 series.

Edited August 21, 2006 by ghost of miles

[jlhoots]

T.C. Boyle: Talk, Talk

BTW if you haven't read Drop City, get on it right now.