Laramore Black's picture
Laramore Black from Joplin, Missouri is reading Mario Kart 8 March 31, 2012 - 3:52pm

I am hoping I find the time to finish "Transubstantiate" and starting "Praise of Motherhood" soon.

Grigori Black's picture
Grigori Black from US is reading Radium Girls by Amanda Gowin April 2, 2012 - 2:29am

Excerpt from Maher's book: "Idiom Savant - New Rule: Instead of using the expression 'It is what it is,' just shut up."

 

This would be awesome. It would keep me out of prison. Every time I hear that expression, my vision goes red and I want to beat the person to death with their own intestines. What's the sound of one hand clapping? It sounds suspiciously like some idiot getting the shit slapped out of them.

 

Chris Davis's picture
Chris Davis from Indiana is reading A Feast of Snakes by Harry Crews April 6, 2012 - 10:20am

early last month I started buying as many Harry Crews novels as I could afford (found a reasonably priced 1st edition of Gospel Singer signed by him which I'm more than happy about) while waiting for them to get shipped to me Harry Crews passed away. So all the free time I have in April will be reading his work. Finished Florida Frenzy, reading Feast of Snakes now, after that i will start on Childhood or This Thing Don't Lead to Heaven.

Renfield's picture
Renfield from Hell is reading 20th Century Ghosts April 6, 2012 - 10:47am

^ I'm reading Celebration in his memory. Also on Faulkner's As I Lay Dying which is going by like a breeze.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 6, 2012 - 11:28am

I'm reading Suck It, Wonder Woman! by Olivia Munn (with Mac Montadon), Peter and Wendy, by J.M. Barrie, a bunch of comics (Damn it, Comixology with the .99 sales), and waiting for a credit on Audible so I can get Christopher Moore's new book, Sacre Bleu.

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 6, 2012 - 12:37pm

I just started rereading heinlein's stranger in a strange land.

Jose F. Diaz's picture
Jose F. Diaz from Boston is reading Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel April 6, 2012 - 12:45pm

Continuing the Game of Throne series. It is a series I'm beginning to love to hate.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 6, 2012 - 12:56pm

Nikki, I've wondered about that book for years. One of the writers in Esquire that I really like recommended it a long time ago.

Nikki Guerlain's picture
Nikki Guerlain from Portlandia April 6, 2012 - 1:36pm

It's amazing. One of my favorites. I read it for the first time in third grade. Ive been obsessed with grokking ever since. Read it. :-)

AgonyAgatha's picture
AgonyAgatha from Suffolk UK April 6, 2012 - 1:37pm

Nearly finished reading Squirrel meets Chipmunk: a wicked bestiary by David Sedaris.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 6, 2012 - 3:16pm

Nikki - I guess I'll just have to add it to my to-read tower.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 6, 2012 - 3:54pm

Stranger in a Strange Land is fantastic.  Really damn amazing.

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons April 7, 2012 - 1:05pm

Oh I'm a big Flannery O'Conner fan! I can't remember the title of the story but the one about the car wreck with the grandmother is awesome. I thought I would love McCarthy but I had a little trouble getting started on All The Pretty Horses. Maybe it was just my mood at the time andI should try it again. Courtney, I loved Middlesex.  I just finished The Paris Wife, about Hemingway's first wife. It's a great story, and well-written. Makes Hemingway and his second wife look like assholes though.  Lastly, i just agreed with some business friends to read War and Peace. None of us have read it. I guess it's a "bucket list" kind of thing. So, I'm delving in to read it and share the best of times worst of times experience with friends. Anyone else want to read it too?

 

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 7, 2012 - 2:34pm

Cove, that O'conner story is A Good Man is Hard to Find.

Covewriter's picture
Covewriter from Nashville, Tennessee is reading & Sons April 7, 2012 - 7:27pm

I thought that but was too lazy to look it up. I still remember some of hte imagery from that.

OtisTheBulldog's picture
OtisTheBulldog from Somerville, MA is reading The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz April 7, 2012 - 7:51pm

I just finished Steve Erickson's These Dreams of You today for bookclub. In my mailbox arrived We Live Inside You for this month's bookclub. Accompanying that in the little brown cardboard box is The Walking Dead Compendium which is the first 48 issues. I've read a bit of that and I'm about to get down with a little more before turning in for the night.

Regarding All The Pretty Horses, I've not read any McCarthy yet. I picked up that one as a used paperback freebie for buying a hardcover book at a local bookstore (killer deal, right?) I started it and got about 15 pages in before too much time passed that I even remember how it starts. I remember it wasn't easy to get into though (admittedly, 15 pages is hardly much of a sample size). So I will probably pick up Blood Meridian and maybe The Road before getting back to All The Pretty Horses and moving on with that trilogy. But I like to switch up authors so that last sentence seems like something that will not be accomplished by the time the world ends in December.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 8, 2012 - 7:45am

Shit, Marvel Unlimited.  Well... there's my reading for a few months.  YAY!

(also Sacre Bleu, by Christopher Moore)

Brandon's picture
Brandon from KCMO is reading Made to Break April 10, 2012 - 6:52am

Let me know how Sacre Bleu is.  Got an ARC of it months ago and never got around to reading it.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 10, 2012 - 8:30am

It's good.  I finished it in two hikes (audio book - 11 hours or so).  The humor is pretty standard Christopher Moore (which I really like).  The main character's best friend is the funniest part (just like Biff from Lamb).  The storyline is easy to follow and has a good amount of truth and absurdity.  I love when Moore makes real people say hilarious things.  He has a way of doing it that makes me wish they had really said these things.

There are a few info dump moments where the characters have to tell you what's going on, but it's not too heavy handed (except one specific moment in a side-story involving Oscar Wilde where I'm reminded that a writer should trust his audience to be smarter than he thinks they are).

If you like Moore, this is more.  If you don't, this won't change your mind.

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 10, 2012 - 7:40pm

Starting We Live Inside You by Jeremy Robert Johnson. I've been really excited to start this one, but I've been holding off until I was closer to the Book Club discussion time. Well, it's only a few weeks away! So I can start haha.

wickedvoodoo's picture
wickedvoodoo from Mansfield, England is reading stuff. April 16, 2012 - 10:12am

Ditto, Pete. I'm taking We Live Inside You to work with me tonight, hopefully the shift will be a quiet one and I can make a start on it. I loved ADA so I'm really looking forward to this one.

Mike Mckay's picture
Mike Mckay is reading God's Ashtray April 16, 2012 - 11:02pm

Currently reading Halo: Evolutions not bad at all, really great considering it had mixed reviews but I'm a fan of the series anyways so what is there not to like?

Mike Mckay's picture
Mike Mckay is reading God's Ashtray April 16, 2012 - 11:10pm

Please Mr. Macintosh behave yourself.

Courtney's picture
Courtney from the Midwest is reading Monkey: A Journey to the West and a thousand college textbooks April 16, 2012 - 11:22pm

I haven't made any headway with O'Conner or McCarthy because I went crazy with my paycheck and bought too many books to add to my already lengthy "currently reading" stack.

I've read the first chapters of Teacher Man by Frank McCourt something like seven times now because it gets lost every time I start it. I skipped those chapters and made it through every page but the last twenty today and it's beautiful, infuriating, and heart-wrenching.
Henry and June by Anais Nin irritates me because it's intoxicating but the sex is so basic for the emphasis placed on it; I know it was written seventy years ago, but I want to throw the book every time I read her rants about "penis-sucking."
Then my boyfriend bought me Tropic of Cancer by Miller to prove he wasn't freaked out by the fact that I love Henry Miller, so I have that one and Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch to tackle next.
I bought The Nick Adams Stories by Hemingway last week and started reading them between taking guests at work.

SomeoneSomethingJr's picture
SomeoneSomethingJr from the oh so heavenly town of Oslo is reading The Right Madness by James Crumley April 17, 2012 - 2:09am

I found the most amazing bookstore the other day, filled up with beat and noir.
Got my hands on "The Right Madness" by James Crumley and I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read anything by this man before.

Kirk's picture
Admin
Kirk from Pingree Grove, IL is reading The Book Of The New Sun April 17, 2012 - 8:35am

I'm doing Foundation's Edge, the 4th book of Asimov's Foundation Series. The entire series is so great and these are hard to put down.

Leah's picture
Leah from North Carolina is reading Hilarity Ensues, The Secret Garden, and Dostoevsky's Complete Works April 17, 2012 - 11:39am

I love Flannery O'Connor. I think it's mostly her characters. When I was an undergrad, we read "A Good Man is Hard to Find." I told my professor that the grandmother reminds me of my grandma. She laughed. Someone else told me that I should have more respect for my grandmother, but I was serious...it wasn't a joke. I love The Road  as well, but I threw that book so many times (out of frustration that I can NEVER even be on the same level as McCarthy).

 

I'm reading The Secret Garden right now. It was one of my favorite books as a child so I decided to try to see why I loved it so much. Luckily, I still like it :)

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters April 18, 2012 - 6:43pm

Hello,

We have received new release date information related to the order you placed on March 21, 2012. The item(s) listed below will actually ship sooner than we originally expected based on the new release date:

  Phil Jourdan "Praise of Motherhood"
    Previous estimated arrival date: May 21, 2012 - May 23, 2012
    New estimated arrival date: April 25, 2012 - April 27, 2012

 

Ooooooooooo

 

Jason C's picture
Jason C from Quad Cities, Iowa is reading Growing Up Dead In Texas by Stephen Graham Jones April 18, 2012 - 7:40pm

Growing Up Dead In Texas by Stephen Graham Jones

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig April 18, 2012 - 7:48pm

I'm reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. It is non-fiction, and tells the story of Henrietta Lacks' cells (the famous HeLa cells used in just about everything), her life, and how the questionable ethics used in taking and cultivating the cells affected her family. It's pretty good so far.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 18, 2012 - 8:24pm

Just started The Outlaw Album, by Daniel Woodrell.  Short stories in much the same vein as Knockemstiff - brutal stuff.  The stories aren't linked like Knockemstiff, but it has the same atmosphere and type of characters.  I'm loving it so far.  

Fylh's picture
Fylh from from from is reading is from is reading is reading is reading reading is reading April 18, 2012 - 8:34pm

Avery:

Interesting... I wonder why.

Dorian Grey's picture
Dorian Grey from Transexual, Transylvania is reading "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck April 18, 2012 - 9:19pm

Mario Puzo's The Godfather, which I began and never finished years ago. I had forgotten how dirty I feel when Puzo describes either a sex scene or how big Sonny Corelone's dick is. Also, I've been slowly trudging through Bram Stoker's Dracula for some time now.

Mike Mckay's picture
Mike Mckay is reading God's Ashtray April 19, 2012 - 12:36am

Anyone recommend some good noir or transgressive around here?

Bradley Sands's picture
Bradley Sands from Boston is reading Greil Marcus's The History of Rock 'N' Roll in Ten Songs April 19, 2012 - 2:15am

Transgressive noir=Matthew Stokoe's High Life

jyh's picture
jyh from VA is reading whatever he feels like April 19, 2012 - 8:51am

http://www.goodreads.com/J_Y_Hopkins

57th Franz Kafka by Rudy Rucker -- he's a cyberpunk writer, but some of it borders on bizarro/surreal.  Anybody have thoughts on the connection between the two genres?  I've seen it mentioned somewhere that bizarro picks up where cyberpunk left off, but I've read too little of either to know if that's a good generalization.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 19, 2012 - 9:31am

Even after reading books lable transgressive and looking up the definition and the wiki, and all that.... I'm still unable to figure out what the fuck it means.  It's a broad definition that covers almost half the books I've ever read.  So I recommend reading Daniel Woodrell, because that's currently the author I'm in love with.  Winter's Bone is amazing, and his book of short stories the Outlaw Album has characters that are achingly fucked up.

Utah's picture
Moderator
Utah from Fort Worth, TX is reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry April 19, 2012 - 9:46am

SomeoneSomethingJr said, "Got my hands on "The Right Madness" by James Crumley and I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read anything by this man before."

No one has read James Crumley.  And I have no idea why.  He was a noir crime deity.  He died in 2008 and it's one of the only times in my adult life I've cried.

Okay, I didn't cry.  But if he had been, like, my dad or a favorite uncle I bet I would've.

And seriously, a great writer.  The Last Good Kiss is fucking amazing.  I pimp this book as much as I can.  Everybody read this book.

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 19, 2012 - 10:06am

Utah totally cried.

Matt Attack's picture
Matt Attack from Richmond, Va. is reading As I Lay Dying, William Faulkner April 19, 2012 - 10:15am

I just started the 2012 Ikea home furnishing catalog because I am bored at work....I am really hoping it picks up, not much of a narrative. 

 

Also, he totally cried. 

XyZy's picture
XyZy from New York City is reading Seveneves and Animal Money April 19, 2012 - 12:25pm


Hello,

We have received new release date information related to the order you placed on March 21, 2012. The item(s) listed below will actually ship sooner than we originally expected based on the new release date:

  Phil Jourdan "Praise of Motherhood"
    Previous estimated arrival date: May 21, 2012 - May 23, 2012
    New estimated arrival date: April 25, 2012 - April 27, 2012

Yeah... I got kind of excited, and then I realized I'm going to be out of town next week, so now I'm mad I won't have a new book to read on the plane...

But I suppose it will be there for me when I get back. So I should be happy for that?

Nope, still mad.

Fylh's picture
Fylh from from from is reading is from is reading is reading is reading reading is reading April 19, 2012 - 3:24pm

Hey Clint, if you want a review PDF of it (assuming you have an ereader) I'm happy to send you that...

Fabio Deotto's picture
Fabio Deotto from Italy is reading "Sunset Park" by Paul Auster April 20, 2012 - 12:56am

I Just finished The City and the City, by China Mieville. But I read the italian version and it was poorly translated by some guy who had probably been paid too little (it's something that happens way too often, here in this lousy country). Has anyone read it in original, is it also poorly written or what?

Yesterday I started Ready Player One

Bradley Sands's picture
Bradley Sands from Boston is reading Greil Marcus's The History of Rock 'N' Roll in Ten Songs April 20, 2012 - 4:29pm

It wasn't poorly written.

avery of the dead's picture
avery of the dead from Kentucky is reading Cipher Sisters April 25, 2012 - 3:36pm

Got it!

Fylh's picture
Fylh from from from is reading is from is reading is reading is reading reading is reading April 25, 2012 - 3:49pm

Nice! You should post that on my Facebook page!

I hope you enjoy it...

bryanhowie's picture
bryanhowie from FW, ID is reading East of Eden. Steinbeck is FUCKING AMAZING. April 25, 2012 - 11:27pm

Avery, I demand you stop being so cute.  It's competing with your serial killer like need to be remembered for your serial killer like need to be remembered as the thing you'll be remembered for.

 

ReneeAPickup's picture
Class Facilitator
ReneeAPickup from Southern California is reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig April 25, 2012 - 6:47pm

Nice, Avery!

 

I am now between books, and reading some short stories. I have a big stack of books next to the bed but I am having commitment issues.

aliensoul77's picture
aliensoul77 from a cold distant star is reading the writing on the wall. April 26, 2012 - 2:24am

I got a copy of Phil's book too.  I'm going to post a picture of it with me naked and his book covering my genitals.  Is that okay?  You want that on your facebook, Fyhl?

Pete's picture
Pete from Detroit is reading Red Dragon April 26, 2012 - 5:26am

I say, go for it.