Now reading...

[jazzbo]

I couldn't bear not having that Chandler "voice" so I started re-re-re-re-reading "The Long Goodbye."

[ejp626]

In the midst of reading:

"Manias, Panics and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises" (by Charles P. Kindleberger) - highly recommended. I only wish I had read this 18, 12 or even 3 months ago.

"Essays on the Great Depression" (by Ben Bernanke) - Only started, but it's quite interesting. Probably too dry and academic for casual readers, but those with a solid grounding in economics may find it useful. I'd be interested in any recommendations for a more generalist but economically-literate history book on the Great Depression.

"War and Peace" - about 2/3 of the way through.

I don't know about the grounding in economics, but you could check out David Kennedy's Freedom from Fear, which is part of the Oxford History of the US.

Also, if you are going for the epic, you might be interested in Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate, which is about the Battle of Stalingrad.

I just finished Oscar Wao and was really disappointed in the ending, which while foretold early in the book, seemed so utterly pointless. That's probably all I can say without giving too much away.

[sal]

Im taking yet another break from my 1000+ page book on Middle Eastern history and picking up a couple books I can bring with me to South Carolina this Thanksgiving.

"Welcome to the Monkey House" - Kurt Vonnegut

"Last Night at the Lobster - "Stewart O'Nan"

[Larry Kart]

All the Martin Cruz Smith/Arkady Renko novels after "Gorky Park." Am in the middle of "Wolves Eat Dogs."So far, I like "Red Square" the best. As a friend said, at the end it's almost as good as Stendhal. Too bad (for me) that there's only one left after this one. Start writing, Martin.

[Larry Kart]

Also, if you are going for the epic, you might be interested in Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate, which is about the Battle of Stalingrad.

A great book. And it's about more than Stalingrad, though that portion of the book is almost beyond belief; at one point, Grossman even takes us inside a gas chamber at Treblinka -- an impossible scene to render, one might think, but he does it. Grossman, BTW, was, I believe, the first journalist (he was in the front line, with the troops) to write an account of the death camps, in 1944. Also, just about the whole story of the Soviet intelligentsia during this period is here, plus the Battle of Kursk, etc.

[Elissa]

Alan Furst's The Polish Officer. Awfully good, too.

[jlhoots]

Zadie Smith : On Beauty

[Kalo]

I've been working my way through David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest." Until I began reading it, I had no idea that it is largely set in a near-future version of the Boston neighborhood I live in: Allston, MA. Pretty amazing so far, though I've had to spell it with other, shorter books.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I'd be interested in any recommendations for a more generalist but economically-literate history book on the Great Depression.

Try Galbraith's "The great crash". Very witty. Of course, it comes with an agenda, but you know that.

MG

[BillF]

Frederik Pohl, Platinum Pohl: Collected Best Stories.

[sal]

I read Franz Kafka's story "The Metamorphosis" yesterday. It was a really sad story, not only because of the main character and his attempts to hang onto his humanity, but also how easily he was discarded by his family once they realized they really didn't need him anymore. A pretty bleak view on life, yet captivating at the same time. I think I'm going to check out more of Kafka's work.

Next up, "Confessions of a Crap Artist" by Philip K Dick.

[BruceH]

I've been working my way through David Foster Wallace's "Infinite Jest." Until I began reading it, I had no idea that it is largely set in a near-future version of the Boston neighborhood I live in: Allston, MA.

Wha?

Frederik Pohl, Platinum Pohl: Collected Best Stories.

[king ubu]

George L. Mosse - German Jews beyond Judaism

A most fascinating and insight-ful book, one of the best I've read - and highly enlightening lecture for anyone interested in German culture (particularly literature) during the years of the Weimar republic.

[Serioza]

Patrick O'Brian- The Reverse of the Medal

[Jazzmoose]

Starwell by Alexei Panshin. I've read Rite of Passage before, of course, but never anything else by this author. It's a breezy book, sort of a 'comedy of manners' approach, at least so far.

[BruceH]

Starwell by Alexei Panshin. I've read Rite of Passage before, of course, but never anything else by this author. It's a breezy book, sort of a 'comedy of manners' approach, at least so far.

Frankly I wasn't aware that Panshin had written anything other than Rite of Passage and Heinlein In Dimension. Learn somethin' every day, ya do.

[Jazzmoose]

I was surprised as well. It's the first in a series of three books, followed by The Thurb Revolution and Masque World featuring the character Anthony Villiers, and of course, Torve the Trog.

Now, if I could only find a similar surprise with Sterling Lanier. I'd love to read more by him!

[BruceH]

Isn't he the one who wrote Hiero's Journey?

[Jazzmoose]

Yeah. I really enjoyed that book, far more than most 'post-holocaust SF'. Maybe it was the morse...

[BruceH]

I recall really enjoying Edgar Pangborn's Davy. Haven't reread it since, so it's hard to say how good it really is.

[Jazzmoose]

I recall really enjoying Edgar Pangborn's Davy. Haven't reread it since, so it's hard to say how good it really is.

That one's on my list of 'never read SF classics to watch for', but haven't run across it in the local stores yet. Yeah, I'm sure it's on Amazon or some such, but half the fun of old books is finding them in a local used book store...

[jazzbo]

I recall really enjoying Edgar Pangborn's Davy. Haven't reread it since, so it's hard to say how good it really is.

Reread his "Judgment of Eve" lately which was fun; I need to dig out Davy et al. Still savoring the delicious mood of Chandler. (The Long Goodbye, currently).

[Serioza]

[BruceH]

I recall really enjoying Edgar Pangborn's Davy. Haven't reread it since, so it's hard to say how good it really is.

That one's on my list of 'never read SF classics to watch for', but haven't run across it in the local stores yet. Yeah, I'm sure it's on Amazon or some such, but half the fun of old books is finding them in a local used book store...

I agree.

[blajay]

George L. Mosse - German Jews beyond Judaism

A most fascinating and insight-ful book, one of the best I've read - and highly enlightening lecture for anyone interested in German culture (particularly literature) during the years of the Weimar republic.

Great. His work on fascism and sexuality is essential. I actually had a college professor that had a close romantic relationship with Mosse when Mosse was his professor/advisor many years ago.