Books you have read/Want to read : suggestions and recommendations

[Jennifer]

I see The Woman in White is coming up next month. I am going to try to join that !

[Traveller]

Hi Jennifer! I've been feeling despondent because nobody seems to have time for our reads, despite initially expressing interest. Glad you're interested, hope it sticks. XD

I'm going to make a few suggestions soon about the way we do things, that might help to take the pressure off, and I sincerely hope will encourage more participation. :)

[Cecily]

I'm sorry, Trav. I'm not a good group person, as the timing is rarely right for me. I like to choose what to read and when - and I often change my plans at short notice. If there's a group read of the right book at the right time, or of a book near the top of my TBR, that's great, but lately, I've barely been looking in the groups, as I'm struggling to keep up with friends' updates and my own reading and reviewing.

[Saski]

While in California I pulled The Castle, Guild and Ros ... , and Hamlet out from the library (ah, to have a library once again within walking distance) and started each of them, but I really needed others to keep me going. Bad timing on my part, I guess.

If I have it, I will try to jump in here. Oh, and I will be back in So Calif., the summer (sigh! Land of excruciatingly high temps, pollution, traffic, and libraries), so then I might have more options to participate.

[Jennifer]

Traveller wrote: "Hi Jennifer! I've been feeling despondent because nobody seems to have time for our reads, despite initially expressing interest. Glad you're interested, hope it sticks. XD

I'm going to make a few..."

Some books need a push...and I have a feeling this is one of them and if I am ever going to read it, well it seems soon would be the time. :)

So many books, so little time and then there are the things that we like to re-read as well.

I really want to read Smilla's Sense of Snow...I was hoping to read it with the group, but other things happened. Like White Noise, and The Enchanted which are my favorite books of the year. I am not sure if they will be beat.

[Derek]

So, I chose Smilla over White Noise and I've finally (like 5 minutes ago) finished it. And I need something short and easy before I start White Noise.

[Derek]

Ruth wrote: "Land of excruciatingly high temps, pollution, traffic, and libraries"

1 out of 4 ain't bad? I had a decent library system in Nova Scotia without any of that downside, though. Too bad about the library in Plymouth.

[Jennifer]

Derek wrote: "So, I chose Smilla over White Noise and I've finally (like 5 minutes ago) finished it. And I need something short and easy before I start White Noise."

I don't know, I didn't think it was "challenging" in the sense that I couldn't identify with it. I actually found myself identifying with pretty much all of it. It home on so many levels. I am still thinking about it, and my life and the grocery store and, and and. I loved every bit of it.

[Traveller]

Derek wrote: "So, I chose Smilla over White Noise and I've finally (like 5 minutes ago) finished it. And I need something short and easy before I start White Noise."

You're about to read White Noise? ...so since a whole bunch of us want ed to read that, shall we make that out next read then, since people don't seem to be very interested in our current line-up.... :P Wait, let me introduce my suggestions for a new system here. Instead of doing discussions where we get together "live', I've been thinking of starting a kind of data base -like structure, where I open one or two threads on every book we said we had wanted to read, and on which each person can post a review -like comment, which will take the time-pressure off of a lot of people. Of course, we can always comment on other people's comments, but we can do it anytime after initial creation of the thread.

Then, in addition to that, we cherry-pick some discussions to still do in the 'close-reading" format that we used to do. I'll let you people decide which those should be.

What do y'all think?

[Derek]

Jennifer was reading White Noise with another group we're in, and I just couldn't get to it (I've hardly read anything for weeks...). But I have all of their comments (it generated quite a lot) queued up waiting for me to read the book.

The suggested format sounds good. There's too much going on at once, now.

[Amy (Other Amy)]

It's worth a try. The current schedule has proven unsustainable for the traditional way of close discussion.

[Traveller]

Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "It's worth a try. The current schedule has proven unsustainable for the traditional way of close discussion."

It does seem so, unfortunately. Shows you how unrealistic our expectations are. Oh, well. :)

Derek wrote: "Jennifer was reading White Noise with another group we're in, and I just couldn't get to it (I've hardly read anything for weeks...). But I have all of their comments (it generated quite a lot) que..."

Huh, here I've been wanting to do Don de Lillo for the longest time, but you keep telling me that you don't like po-mo!

[Jennifer]

Traveller wrote: "Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "It's worth a try. The current schedule has proven unsustainable for the traditional way of close discussion."

It does seem so, unfortunately. Shows you how unrealistic our ..."

But...I don't think I like Post Modern either. Frankly I am not sure what makes something post modern, or whatever other labels we put on books. I would participate in a discussion if you read it here. I would love to talk about the rain and the grocery store with you all!

[Jennifer]

I think a different format would be good, sometimes it is confusing.

[Derek]

Traveller wrote: "I've been wanting to do Don de Lillo for the longest time, but you keep telling me that you don't like po-mo! "

I don't. Why do you think I chose Smilla over White Noise? And I still haven't started White Noise.

[Amy (Other Amy)]

Traveller wrote: "Amy (Other Amy) wrote: "It's worth a try. The current schedule has proven unsustainable for the traditional way of close discussion."

It does seem so, unfortunately. Shows you how unrealistic our ..."

That was also worth a try at the time. Now we know and can try something else. It is all to the good.

[Traveller]

Yeah, you only learn by doing, eh? I will make an announcement about this soon then...

...and we definitely must grab White Noise- I've read parts of it, and there's lots of social commentary in there. :)

[Saski]

White Noise sounds good to me, especially since I have it on the shelf. :)

[Amy (Other Amy)]

Good grief. I just discovered that my favorite band is named after a chapter in White Noise - now I feel like an under-educated dweeb. (I am always a dweeb. I just hate being an under-educated one.)

[Ronald]

I don't remember there being chapter names in White Noise. But it's been a while since I read it. What is your favorite band?

[Amy (Other Amy)]

Airborne Toxic Event

[Ronald]

Oh, okay. I'd have to look at my copy at home, but I think that is an overall section of the book. Also, I've never heard of that band, apparently I'm out of touch :)

[Amy (Other Amy)]

They're an indie band, so you're probably not that out of touch. I don't think I've ever heard them on the radio. They scratch the rock'n'roll balladeers itch perfectly where I am concerned.

You're probably right about the section vs. chapter; I just saw the phrase in a review as I was scanning the page and went 'Wha?!'

[Sumant]

Here is my re-read review of The Great Hunt 2nd book in WOT series.

[Sumant]

Here is my review of To ride hell's chasm.

[Sumant]

Here is my review of The dreaming void which is the 1st book in Void trilogy.

Spoiler alert regarding the review.

[Derek]

Sumant, if you use the "add book/author" link above the comment box, you don't need to cut & paste URLs—and we get the convenience of the author name when mousing over the link.

Also, I think, it will open a new tab when we click on the link, rather than taking me away from this page as it did.

[Sumant]

Derek wrote: "Sumant, if you use the "add book/author" link above the comment box, you don't need to cut & paste URLs—and we get the convenience of the author name when mousing over the link.

Also, I think, it ..."

Thanks!

[Sumant]

Here is my review of The Fall of Hyperion.

[Yolande]

I want to put the prescribed books for the course I'm tutoring (Colonial and Postcolonial African Literature) on here in case anyone is interested in discussing one or more of them just because, unfortunately, these are the only books I have time to read at the moment. I thought it might be interesting :p Right now I'm reading "A Raisin in the Sun."

A Raisin in the Sun
Nervous Conditions
Seven Steps to Heaven
The New Century of South African Poetry

[Jibran]

^ Great titles. Thanks, Yolande :)

[Sumant]

Here is my my review for The Dragon Reborn.

[Sumant]

Here is my review of The Farthest Shore really loved it!.

[Sumant]

Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far.

[Derek]

Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far."

Hah! That's one of Traveller's faves. I really have to give it another try...

[Jennifer]

Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far."

Hah! That's one of Traveller's faves. I really have to give it another try..."

I read them all when I was like 19. I don't think I really understood much. I have them all literally on my book shelf, with the intention of re-reading them now that I am older and might be able to understand them. That and The Gormenghast Novels.

[Derek]

I gave Gormenghast a try last year. I don't think I'll be doing it again.

But my wife gave me the Wolfe books, the summer before we were married, so it would have been my 28th birthday, so I don't have your excuse! But I still think I must have missed too much.

[Sumant]

Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far."

Hah! That's one of Traveller's faves. I really have to give it another try..."

Wolfe is really hard to understand but he challenges you so much that you get drawn into his books. But sometimes it just gets too much overwhelming for the reader to understand all the cryptography.

[Sumant]

Jennifer wrote: "Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far."

Hah! That's one of Traveller's faves. I really have to give i..."

Gormenghast is awesome I really loved the first two books haven't read the last one.

[Sumant]

Here is my review of prince of fools. It's definitely a good one time read.

[Sumant]

Finished reading Endymion and here is my review for it, this book convinced me that entropy does exist in the universe :(.

[Sumant]

Guys are you planning to read all the four 4 books of The Book of the New Sun

[Madly Jane]

Sumant wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far."

Hah! That's one of Traveller's faves. I real..."

That's one of my all time favorite books, too. I bought the edition with all three books included as one, which is the way it should be read. It's one of my big influences.

[Madly Jane]

Melinda Jane Harrison (Girls and Their Goblins) wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic books I have read so far."

Hah! That's one of Traveller'..."

Goremenghast! (for clarity)

[Sumant]

Melinda Jane Harrison (Girls and Their Goblins) wrote: "Melinda Jane Harrison (Girls and Their Goblins) wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Finished Sword of lictor and here is my review for it, one of the most cryptic b..."

True that although the first two books are not as cryptic as The Book of the New Sun

[Sumant]

Here is my review of Changes

[Traveller]

Yolande wrote: "I want to put the prescribed books for the course I'm tutoring (Colonial and Postcolonial African Literature) on here in case anyone is interested in discussing one or more of them just because, un..."

Ah, I've read Nervous Conditions, and remember it quite well for the interesting view it gives one on traditional African society. :)

[Sumant]

Here is my review for Titus Alone.

[Derek]

Sumant wrote: "Guys are you planning to read all the four 4 books of The Book of the New Sun"

Well, I guess I am. At least I finished The Shadow of the Torturer and am well into The Claw of the Conciliator. I can't say I'm any more impressed than the first time. I particularly despise ending a novel without any conclusion. Even more annoyed that the second book begins weeks, maybe months, later without explaining what happened at the end of book 1.

[Jennifer]

Derek wrote: "Sumant wrote: "Guys are you planning to read all the four 4 books of The Book of the New Sun"

Well, I guess I am. At least I finished The Shadow of the Torturer and am w..."

Oh inspiration to do a reread myself.