oriana’s Profile

752 ratings (4.04 avg)
847 reviews
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http://www.goodreads.com/oriana_l

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oriana’s Bookshelves

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oriana is Currently Reading

oriana is currently reading:

Woke Up Lonely

by Fiona Maazel (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: the-new-new-new-new-thing, currently-reading

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oriana said: "So look, Amazon bought Goodreads so they could turn us all into data and capture the elusive beast "discoverability" (a beast in large part created because all the goddamn bookstores were driven out of business by, um, Amazon). Which makes me kind of...more So look, Amazon bought Goodreads so they could turn us all into data and capture the elusive beast "discoverability" (a beast in large part created because all the goddamn bookstores were driven out of business by, um, Amazon). Which makes me kind of want to cloak and deny what brings me to a book, right? Just to at least make them work for it. But then for fuck's sake, I leave these little breadcrumb-reviews of how I heard of a particular book for myself, because I do not go out and buy every book I want the very second I want it (if only!), and I will want to remember, many moons hence when I am scrolling through this list, why I to-read-ed something or another. So refusing to leave myself these notes would be a classic case of cutting off nose to spite face. So no.

And honestly, it's not like the discoverability I will lead great god Amazon to would be such a surprise—I am a product of my demographic, my location, my habits. Obviously I read what Vice tells me to, what Flavorpill tells me to, what the wonderful authors I love and friends I respect tell me to. Isn't everyone like this? Why did goddamn Amazon have to buy Goodreads, presumably signaling the death of its innocence, its neutrality, and its candor, just to fucking find that out?

Gah, it is so sad and stupid. Whatever.

So look, let me just come right out with it: Hey Amazon overlords, guess what! I read about this book in Flavorwire (which I love), wherein Heidi Juliavatis (whom I love) is quoted as saying this (which I love):

Woke Up Lonely is the novel equivalent of a sonic boom — it builds, it explodes, it leaves your ears, mind, and soul ringing for days. Who else writes sentences like this, who else writes sound art prose that transports a heart-killing story of human frailty, susceptibility, loyalty, and isolation? No one.

So what do you know, that's three... what's the opposite of a strike? Unstrike? Fine, that's three unstrikes for Fiona which means I now very very badly want to read this book.

Got that? Now can you please retract your Goodreads purchase since I've gone ahead and solved it for you?

Please?(less) "

Apr 29, 2013 07:07am · see review

oriana is currently reading:

Nevada

by Imogen Binnie (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

read in March, 2013

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Mar 25, 2013 08:47am

oriana is currently reading:

Rage Is Back

by Adam Mansbach (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: the-new-new-new-new-thing, currently-reading

read in February, 2013

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oriana said: "I had pretty much dismissed this guy as a doofus after the idiotic Go the Fuck to Sleep took off like goddamn wildfire. But OMG how good does this book sound?? Plus check out this terrific & heartbreaking piece he wrote for the Awl about New York...more "

Feb 06, 2013 02:38pm · see review

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oriana's Recent Updates

oriana liked Elisabeth Watson's review of The People of Forever Are Not Afraid: " I can't begin to say how sad I was to watch the unity and gravitational center of this book start to crumble and then sort of whirl apart around half-way through. I'd been looking forward to this book for weeks before Editors Buzz at BEA, and it w... " Read more of this review »
3 hours, 23 min ago · see review
oriana rated a book 3 of 5 stars The People of Forever Are Not Afraid by Shani Boianjiu read in April, 2013	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
If it takes me more than a week to read a book, that book is either super long or super un-compelling. People of Forever is just over 200 pgs, so sadly, this is the latter. I grabbed this proof for $1 at the Strand on the strength of the title alone....more
3 hours, 25 min ago · see review
oriana liked karen's review of Sex with a Gargoyle: " i know i said i was through with monster erotica for a while, but that was before free gargoyle porn! i was raised never to look free gargoyle porn in the mouth. it just encourages it... so a few helpful tips about choosing your monster lover, if g... " Read more of this review »
May 17, 2013 10:44pm · see review
oriana liked karen's review of Bough Down: " i was afraid to read this book. i was afraid it was going to knock something loose in me, emotionally, and that it would be the book to cut the "i-don't-cry-at-books-karen" to her knees. this is a book written by dfw's widow, after his suicide, an... " Read more of this review »
May 13, 2013 03:35pm · see review
oriana marked as to-read: Erasure by Percival Everett	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 13, 2013 02:43pm
oriana made a comment on her review of You Are Not a Stranger Here "Neat, I'll check it out. Thx for the rec! "
May 13, 2013 02:43pm · see review
oriana made a comment on MJ Nicholls's review of Gilligan's Wake: A Novel "Aw! Thanks MJ. "
May 13, 2013 10:50am · see review
oriana liked MJ Nicholls's review of Gilligan's Wake: " First-rate wordplay and outstanding mindbendery in evidence, but narratively nothing particularly interesting past the p68 point. Strained pastiche, overly long surreal dream sequences, a Pynchonian tedium for neolonames-as-characters that disappe... " Read more of this review »
May 13, 2013 09:41am · see review
oriana made a comment on her review of Arkansas "Oh damn, it's been like five years since I read this, so sadly no, I don't remember it very well. I'm definitely going to re-read it one of these days...more "
May 12, 2013 09:04am · see review