1) J's suggestion.
2) Sarah's ONE suggestion.
3) Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
4) Then We Came to the End
5) Working Stiff
6) Down and Out in Paris and London
7) Atlas Shrugged
It's that time of the year again...That's right, those short little periods of my life where I'm not in school! And that means...I will be reading books again!
During a drink with a couple of classmates after the last exam, we somehow got into a long discussion about a couple of books that we really liked, and ended up just having one of those really great conversations with people you don't really know. What came out of it was a string of emails where we suggested books to each other. (To get it out of the way, my initial suggestions, which erred heavily on the safe side, were Bel Canto by Anna Patchett (a million thanks for that one, M.!), God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, and The Omnivore's Dilemma just for good measure.) (one of them promptly read Bel Canto in two days and fell in love with it.)
So, the first suggestion I got was What is the What by Dave Eggers. I have to say, this was among the more intense books I've read, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking for a worthwhile book to pick up (and hasn't read any of my initial suggestions).
I don't really have anything interesting to comment about it, except that if you're wary of Dave Eggers because you're generally irritated by the Jonathan-Safran-Foer-Dave-Eggers-Nicole-Krauss-or-who-the-hell-ever-contemporary-literary-star smarminess and over cleverness, that is NOT an issue that I encountered with this book at all. (No, I haven't read any other Eggers. I only read one Foer book and thought it sucked. And I couldn't finish Krauss' novel even after reading half of it.)The second suggestion I got was Snow by Orhan Pamuk. I will start that next.
(For the record, I've been reading off-and-on The Echo Maker by Richard Powers, The Sportswriter by Richard Ford, and The Emperor's Children by Claire Messud. All three novels are supposed to be spectacular -- all three novels have not been able to draw me in thus far, and have become of the victim of Iread70pagesofit3monthsagoandprobablywon'ttryagainitis. It's a tragic disease.
That brings me to my real point in all of this: I would like your book suggestions! Hopefully I will gather enough suggestions from friends so that I won't have to waste any time with shitty books. I'm going to assume for the moment that you are at least a little bit like me, and always like it when other people share in something you love...so here's the sweetener: I promise I will read the book you suggest.
So here are the "rules" which I'm laying out only to avoid possible abuses, mostly by RS. (yeah, that's right, bitch.)
1) You must have read the book yourself.
2) You must have enjoyed the book.
3) You may only suggest one book.
4) Don't be a dick.
I know that no one really comes online or checks this anymore now that school's out, but even if you stumble across this post much later, please post your suggestion anyway, because I am notified whenever someone comments.
Cool. Thanks. This is my gratitude expressed in celebration.
And yes, I am that far off the ground. Although we have (badly) deliberately tried to hide the fact that I am leaping off of a huge rock onto the sand, the fact that I would do so so recklessly from such a height is cool enough for me to come clean about it.
36 comments:
my mom and i have a stack of audiobooks we're [verb]ing as we drive west.
i have a suggestion for you, but i'll tell you over the phone.
j
oh, and there's this.
j
ok, i'm going to violate the rules and suggest more than one, but that's because i would like for you to do the same for me. i am in one of those lulls where i can't immediately find anything i want to read (so email me!) what is the what has been on my list for awhile, but i just read a long way gone (beah, who came to talk at UB) and am a little child-soldiered out. but here are a few suggestions:
cereus blooms at night (shani mootoo): so i inherited this book from ting. she took some gender studies/india literature class, so there are 'gender issues' in this book (mostly people dressing as alternate genders). but it is one of the most intense, haunting, sad books i've ever read. i'm not sure i am actually suggesting it because it's really good (it is) or because i need someone to be able to yell 'holy fuck' at regarding this book.
cryptonomicon (neil stephenson): this is really really long. but really good.
world war z (max brooks): this is actually a really really fun, good book. it's about how an actual war with zombies would go down. told through the stories of people all over the world. great airplane book. it's actually really interestingly about tactics and such, not just 'OMGZOMBIES'
any of many haruki murakami books. especially: wild sheep chase or hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world. these are kind of weird, but i like him.
Sarah: Fair enough. But for now, you just have to suggest one or else I can't keep my promise, and I won't get to the rest until I make it through everyone's suggestion. Have you read the ones on my list?
J: awesome.
I've decided to just start deleting anonymous comments.
Not for any content-based reasons...or anything resembling "principles" of the blog or other stupid shit. It's nothing like that.
No, I'm doing it solely for spite. Because you annoy me.
The best book I've read in years is still The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.
Also, you look incredibly asian in that picture.
Then We Came to the End, by Joshua Ferris. It was so funny that I couldn't read it on the train (people thought I was a maniac) or before going to bed (laughing too hard to fall asleep). I'm also going to cheat and email you a whole list, ha.
-M.
Working Stiff by Grant Stoddard
It's not that great of a book, but it's so dirty that it's enjoyable.
If you haven't already (and to relieve all this artsy fartsy crap), read Kitchen Confidential (Anthony Bourdain). Quick read. AWESOME (you liked Heat for the most part, right?)
- hauben
Hauben, go again. I've already read that.
Down and Out in Paris and London (Orwell). Also totally awesome (and one of Bourdain's favorites).
The Novelization of Caddy Shack.
Pete
Fine, if you don't like anonymous comments, I'm just going to make up names, then you won't know whose real and whose fake (like with boobs. But without the fun of checking)
Hubert
I like boobs.
Ellen
Me too!
Portia
Then we should hang out
Ellen
Yes, we should. We can talk about how secretly we really aren't gay, we are just trying to get men to like us more.
Wait, Portia was that last one you, or was it Rosie being desperate again?
Ellen
Don't Ask
Portia
...and don't tell.
Ellen
Haha Ellen, you're so funny.
K.D.
Bite me K.D. I told you I never wanted to talk to you again, especially after you used my razor to shave your upper lip.
Ellen
nice adjustment to the title, btw
Thanks for the list. I have been looking for recommendations. I don't have any recs for you right now but will let you know.
DA
DA: You gotta have ONE book recommendation from that long long life of yours that you've lived thus far.
RS: Are you serious? Jesus.
Wasn't me. But I'd recommend Atlas Shrugged. My. Favorite. Book. Ever.
RS
I simply can't imagine that there is ANYONE else in my life who could AND would write something like that. If you're lying to me, I will use the phrase "New Deal Akbar" in everyday conversation with you for years to come.
I guess assumed you would suggest something Objectivist or Republican, but at least that's a book that seems worth reading. I read the Fountainhead and Anthem previously and more or less enjoyed them...well, at least The Fountainhead.
If you end up reading and enjoying Cryptonomicon, you should also try checking out Quicksilver by the same author.
That's a dare.
I was not a fan of Anthem, but I enjoyed The Fountainhead. Atlas Shrugged is Rand's magnum opus, and has been cited by most corporate titans as their most infuential book. I highly recommend it.
Also, I don't lay claim to anything that isn't particularly funny, and I'm still debating the humor of the previous comments.
RS
I'm familiar with Objectivism, and am not the least surprised that most "corporate titans" stand so firmly by it. (I started writing another rant about how utterly wrong i think it is as a philosophy and then decided it wasn't worth it.) I'll still read it though.
Def. read its founding document before you critique it. Then you rant to your hearts content, and I'll debate right along with you.
RS
oh, and read atlas shrugged before they undoubtedly destroy it with the movie they are planning on making (starring angelina jolie). sigh.
oh, and i second embo's suggestion.
OHH, and i totally forgot. you should read some neil gaiman. especially 'american gods'. embo, you would like it too, it's the book that sent me on that ridiculous quest to find rock city.
Despite the fact that I've been to Rock City myself...I would like to comment that I don't think YOU can blame anyone for sending you to Rock City. You were born to find Rock City.
If you haven't read it yet (I doubt you have), check out Jose Canseco's "Juiced". It is a quick read. If you followed the various roid scandals and read the Mitchell Report, you'll be amazed at Canseco's accuracy in the book. Even if you didn't follow the stuff, it is entertaining and includes some unintentionally funny pictures.
If I'm only allowed one suggestion, I rescind my previous recommendation and offer: The Septembers of Shiraz. It was so good that I finished it in one sitting. Seriously. Do it.
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