The 2008 Book Thread

[enterprikayak]

Couldn't find the old one.

So I just read (at Priso's insistence) The Neon Bible by John Kennedy Toole. He's the guy who later wrote Confederacy of Dunces (and then killed himself) (and the won the Pulitzer prize posthumously) and he wrote this Neon Bible when he was only 16.

It's quite weird and good. And short.

Anyone else read this one?

[Distracted]

Haven't read it, but I've read "Confederacy of Dunces" and I'd have to say that not only do I not understand what the fuss was all about, but I can honestly say that I have no desire to read any more of the man's work. He was a mental case. All I remember about "Confederacy of Dunces" is that the main character was a hot dog vendor in the French Quarter in New Orleans and wanted to know dogs in the biblical sense. And if I'm not mistaken, the book was semi-autobiographical.

[justTripn]

I've been sick lately and reading this:

http://www.ken-follett.com/bibliography ... t_end.html

"World Without End" by Ken Follett.

It's a plot-driven page turner set in England in the 1300s! It's VERY easy to read. I think I've learned something about writing from reading this. It's written for someone with a memory as bad as mine or reading habits like mine. I read several chapters, put the book down, pick it up a month later, And I can jump right in where I left off because the author reminds you all the time who is who and what went before. It's like,

Godwyn saw the one-armed monk and thought back to that day, 15 years ago, when Thomas had been a knight and had come to the priory with a severe arm-wound. Godwyn still hadn't learned anything of Thomas's secret life before joining the priory.

But Godwyn's cousin Caris was coming for a visit. He had always resented Caris since that time when . . . . ect.

Or whatever.

Also, with regard to the "He said, she said" problem. (How to stick it in and remind people who is speaking.) The author often simple says

Caris spoke: "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah."

It works great!

[Alelou]

I'm reading The Testament of Gideon Mack, a novel about a Scottish minister who doesn't believe in God, then spends three days with the devil and goes back and freaks out everybody in his small town by telling them how great it was. I know, it sounds utterly nuts but it's strangely compelling.

Before that I read Into the Woods by Jean Hegland, which is about two sisters trying to survive after the gas runs out and the economy grinds to a halt and civilization slowly disappears. Not that different from some of the threads we've had here. A good read if you're feeling apocalyptic, although I'm not sure too many guys would like it. (My favorite post-apocalyptic novel remains Alas Babylon, by Pat Frank -- totally blew me away when I was a teenager. I suppose I might not think it's so great now, but I don't want to reread it and find out.)

Also reading a great book of poems, "What Narcissism Means to Me" by Tony Hoagland.

[justTripn]

Oooo, "What Narcissim Means to Me" I read that. It's amazing.

[enterprikayak]

I've been sick lately and reading this:

http://www.ken-follett.com/bibliography ... t_end.html

"World Without End" by Ken Follett.
!

Um, freeeeeeaky. My mailman just showed up and delivered that VERY BOOK to my little doorstep. We think alike!

[Chris]

Just finished reading what Lady Rainbow has written so far of her Switcheroo series over at Fanfic.net. Now, reading Agatha Christie's The Secret Adversary.

[Reanok]

Reading a book about Strange and unusual weather phenomamons.

[vero3110]

Reading "Silent in the grave" by Deanna Raybourn. It's a mystery set in London in 1886, very entertaining. I bought it a couple of weeks ago through Amazon, it's the first book by this author that I read. The funny thing is that when I got it and looked at its front, the name "Deanna" sounded so familiar and then I remembered TNG and Troy, I guess my subconscious had something to do with this buy.

Vero

[Distracted]

RIP, Robert Asprin.

He was a funny guy and a fellow SCAer who lived in New Orleans. I didn't know him personally, but I have friends in the SCA who do. On a slightly more cheerful note, I do have it on good authority from a close friend that he died peacefully and completely unexpectedly with no known medical problems. He was found in bed with a Terry Pratchett novel in one hand and his glasses in the other. He was only 62.

[blacknblue]

Dangit!

I loved his first few MythInc. books. His later ones got out of hand, but his early ones were great. Shit. I will miss him.

[Linda]

Uh, not reading anything anyone would find very interesting right now, just the manuals for the boat and its electronic toys. Jim and me have a friend who just retired as a city electrician. He has a lot of time on his hands and his next project is rewiring our boat. We are bundling wires into tubes and putting a new fuse box in at the steering station. It is has a see through cover and the latest in marine fuses - these ones with prongs instead of the glass cylinder kind. Actually the boat will be safer and more efficient after we finish this work. But it is not as exciting reading manuals as it is reading fan fiction. Guess that is why I am not an engineer.

[vero3110]

Just finished reading "Silent in the Sanctuary" by Deanna Raybourne. It's her second book, the first one was pretty entertaining too.
Really liked it, it's a mystery set in Victorian England. Reminded me of Agatha Christie, actually, lots of peculiar characters, a dead body, haunted Abbey, a couple of Lords... I guess you get the picture. It also has a bit of romance, which was good.

Vero

[Chris]

Reading:Roman Blood by Steven Saylor. It's a murder mystery set in 78 A.D.

[Asso]

Starting to read "Quattrocento", by Susana Fortes.
Well, I'll see.