whatcha reading?
Having been under the weather a bit, and utterly exhausted by the yapping of the newsheads on MSNBC and CNN and the rest, I have been reading more than my usual a lot.
Inspired by Al's recent posts on Naomi Klein's End of America, I gave up trying to find it at the library and it's just arrived from Amazon today. I did, however, snag her Shock Doctrine just yesterday, a book I've put off reading because I find it so horrifying.
On a more escapist note, I've just finished That Old Ace in the Hole, Annie Proulx's story of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, the wretchedness of corporate hog farms, and finding community in unexpected places. Wonderful, especially for anyone who's ever lived anywhere near the prairie.
I've just put Kiara Brinkman's Up High in the Trees, again thanks to Al. So since all of us loosely connected blogger folk have such great tastes in reading material, what are you reading? What have you just read? What do you recommend for the library list?
Inspired by Al's recent posts on Naomi Klein's End of America, I gave up trying to find it at the library and it's just arrived from Amazon today. I did, however, snag her Shock Doctrine just yesterday, a book I've put off reading because I find it so horrifying.
On a more escapist note, I've just finished That Old Ace in the Hole, Annie Proulx's story of the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles, the wretchedness of corporate hog farms, and finding community in unexpected places. Wonderful, especially for anyone who's ever lived anywhere near the prairie.
I've just put Kiara Brinkman's Up High in the Trees, again thanks to Al. So since all of us loosely connected blogger folk have such great tastes in reading material, what are you reading? What have you just read? What do you recommend for the library list?
Labels: i'd rather read a book, whatcha reading?
posted by BigAssBelle at 9:54 AM
13 Comments:
Hiya Belle! I saw your blog title and it brought a big smile to my face because I'm a southern belle too so I just wanted to stop by and say hello! Have a great weekend!
Here's hoping you enjoy them both!
For as much as The End of America is depressing and puts one in a perpetual "on the edge of your seat" mode, Brinkman's book does a great job of taking you away from all of it, for a little while anyway. i was glad I read them in the order I did.
I am in between books at the moment, so now was the perfect time to read your post! I have three that I want to start, but need to go pick them up. Funny, but two of the three were also Al related. Give a guy a classroom, and all of a sudden its reading assignments for everyone! :)
I'm reading "A Distant Mirror" and "Vanity Fair". Nice long books as I wait for warm weather to arrive.
"Armageddon in Retrospect" I've been in a Vonnegut mood the last few weeks.
I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. I found it on the bookshelf of the laundry room of our building. It has distracted me from The Letters of Noel Coward.
I keep meaning to write and tell you that I read Hit By a Farm a couple of months ago after your sterling recommendation. Loved it; it was very much up my alley.
Just finished Julia Child's posthumous My Life In France, which was really very enjoyable -- I highly recommend it.
Now I'm on to The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, which I never got around to when it was big a couple years ago. I'm also expecting a delivery from amazon any day now: the late Octavia Butler's Fledgling, which is an African-American vampire tale -- I really don't do vampires, but Butler was an interesting woman regarded as one of the few Af-Am women who tackled the science fiction genre. I read her Kindred a year or two ago and thought it was great.
I can't read that Shock Doctrine kind of stuff -- I don't want to read every gory detail of how screwed up our country/world is in my precious free time. It's enough reading a daily paper and listening to public radio.
Hugs to you!
Hey Lynette,
YOU need a break from the somber world of the politicos. I just finished reading another of the old Scandinavian Bill Holm's books. Some of his writing, yes, is a bit....uh. BUT. THIS BOOK: "The Heart Can be Filled Anywhere on Earth" ... just a treatise on life written in such loving poetry about his Icelandic ancestors, about life in the heartland: Minneota, Minnesota, inspired me completely. I hope you get to read, "The Music of Failure"...despite that title, it was pure joy.
Hi Lynette-
Why I read YOU of course, and a few other bloggers I truly admire.
And for books? I'm rereading Capote. Just finished "In Cold Blood", now rereading "Breakfast at Tiffany's".
I just finished Allison Hantschel's book
"It doesn't end with us" The story of the Daily Cardinal.
(Allison is Athenae is of First Draft). It's a great historical non-fiction book about the student newspaper at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. It's really about the heart of journalism. It's a gripping read, As I read it I was wondering, "What happens next?" I could see whole movies made out of individual chapters in the life of this 115 year old student newspaper. And since Madison was in the heart of the Vietnam protests (and someone blew up a building there during the protest of that war) it was fascinating to read how the student journalists deal with the issues of the day. I can tell you they did a hell of a lot better than the adult journalists at our mainstream papers.
http://www.heritagebooks.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=HBI&Product_Code=S4447&Category_Code=
I also read a great book by Martha Stout, the author of "The Sociopath next door" (I wonder if she lives by Cheney?)
The Paranoia Switch: How Terror Rewires Our Brains and Reshapes Our Behavior--and How We Can Reclaim Our Courage
http://www.amazon.com/Paranoia-Switch-Rewires-Reshapes-Behavior/dp/0374229996
This book points out just who and how we were manipulated by our politicians and the cable news and radio talkers. She compares the work that she does as a therapist treating people with post traumatic stress disorders with many of us in the country. It is really a facinating read. I do wish that her "What to do about it" section would have been stronger because her case to say what happened to us is really powerful.
The book reminded me of the movie "The Corporation" because if gave me a metaphor that allows me to see a situation in a fresh way.
I have no fun SF books that I'm reading right now, although I really enjoyed "Soon I will be Invincible" a very funny book from the point of view of the Super Villains in comic books.
That's my two quatloos worth.
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I haven't read much so preparing for my move at the end of last month, but I did read "In the City of Shy Hunters" which while a bit disappointing in the end, was still a compelling read. Also I read "The Ladies of Grace Adieu" by Susanna Clarke, which is a fun collection of fanciful short stories. Lastly was "A Foreskin's Lament" which might interest you in the light of your not too long ago post about God. It's a formerly Chasidic man's memoir of his breaking away from his traditions. Funny and angry. Just like you.
I haven't been very successful with reading of late -- too damn busy, and I fall asleep after a page or 2 at night. Slow going!
I'm finally finally getting around to reading Black, White, and Jewish by Rebecca Walker, and am about 1/3 of the way in.
I just finished Change Me into Zeus's Daughter by Barbara Robinette Moss. I thought it would be horribly depressing, but somehow she makes it ... not.
I've got Killing Rage by bell hooks going too, but just haven't gotten very far into it.
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