- 1,737
- Massachusetts
- Ettick_
Which book are you currently reading?
- Thread starter made in holland
- 1,632 comments
- 122,132 views
- 966
I was really impressed with it. I also remember having to make a concerted effort to read more current fiction when I was in school, as it wasn't easy at times. I also decided to focus my MA thesis on a then still living author, Saul Bellow, even though his work had never been assigned in a class.
I'd also recommend Cormac McCarthy, but only if you want to be immersed in, at times, a devastatingly effective incredibly bleak world view. All the Pretty Horses is probably the lightest, but I've never forgotten a cauterizing a wound passage. Blood Meridian is probably the darkest, even just for having quite possibly the most evil antagonist in literature.
There's also David Foster Wallace, with a much different writing style and varied quite a bit on whether he was writing an essay or news article, short story or epic novel. If you want a small dose, you may want to check out The Girl with Curious Hair, a short story collection.
But I definitely recommend reading Diaz's Oscar Wao, especially as he has an interesting approach I'd not really seen before. Nothing like stream of consciousness, but rather that of an intense story-teller of a narrator.
- 24,619
- Anoka, MN
I've been kind of burnt out on reading lately so I haven't read much since my last post.
The Bourne Ultimatum - Robert Ludlum
It wasn't as good as the first two, but it was still an insanely good read and a fitting end to the original trilogy. I'm still undecided as to whether I want to read the continuation novels.
NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
If it wasn't for the fact I knew Joe is Stephen King's son I would have thought this was another of King's alternate pen names as the writing is very identical. Thankfully Joe seems a tad better at ending his books than his dad. I would certainly suggest this book for anyone that likes Stephen King style books.
The Girl in the Spider's Web - David Lagercrantz
This books seems like it's going to end up in the "Love it or hate it" column based on the reviews I've seen. Personally, I fall into the "hate it" category. Mikael and Lisbeth almost seem like completely different characters and the writing doesn't even feel close to Stieg's. I will give David credit for attempting to continue a story that sadly died with the original author, but sometimes it's best to let things end in mystery.
I just started City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, I'm not sure what to expect after the second book.
The Bourne Ultimatum - Robert Ludlum
It wasn't as good as the first two, but it was still an insanely good read and a fitting end to the original trilogy. I'm still undecided as to whether I want to read the continuation novels.
NOS4A2 - Joe Hill
If it wasn't for the fact I knew Joe is Stephen King's son I would have thought this was another of King's alternate pen names as the writing is very identical. Thankfully Joe seems a tad better at ending his books than his dad. I would certainly suggest this book for anyone that likes Stephen King style books.
The Girl in the Spider's Web - David Lagercrantz
This books seems like it's going to end up in the "Love it or hate it" column based on the reviews I've seen. Personally, I fall into the "hate it" category. Mikael and Lisbeth almost seem like completely different characters and the writing doesn't even feel close to Stieg's. I will give David credit for attempting to continue a story that sadly died with the original author, but sometimes it's best to let things end in mystery.
I just started City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin, I'm not sure what to expect after the second book.
- 6,281
- Ottawa
- Pyano1132
- 28,470
- Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- Johnnypenso
Set a few years after A Time to Kill, Jake Brigance is the estate lawyer for the wealthiest men in the county who handwrote a will just before committing suicide and left most of his money to his black maid/caregiver. I've read most of Grisham's novels, this one is a little different but very good nonetheless.
- 24,619
- Anoka, MN
The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
It was a very worthy finale to the trilogy and certainly redeemed the second book. My only major gripe is that...
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
Overall it was a pretty good spy novel and certainly a superb effort from a first time author. It does seem to ramble on at points though and for some reason there's a recipe at the end of every chapter which disrupts the flow a little.
It was a very worthy finale to the trilogy and certainly redeemed the second book. My only major gripe is that...
After they kill Zero it jumps 1000 years into the future and at that point it falls apart. Cronin should have just given a brief summary of what life is like instead of going super in depth with boring characters.
Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews
Overall it was a pretty good spy novel and certainly a superb effort from a first time author. It does seem to ramble on at points though and for some reason there's a recipe at the end of every chapter which disrupts the flow a little.
- 29,986
- Thailand
The Silmarillion.
It's so much more enjoyable and makes so much more sense 20 years on from when I first attempted it.
- 3,835
- Leiria
I just finished The Girls in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz and @Northstar, a few posts above, hits the nail on the head with this one. It completly lost it's magic compared to Stieg's books. The style, the enviroment, even the the characters lost part of themsleves, their charisma. David tried too hard and, unfourtunately, failed.
I now started The Firm by John Grisham. It started kinda eh, but it might get better, I'll see.
I now started The Firm by John Grisham. It started kinda eh, but it might get better, I'll see.
- 6,131
- London
- SomaEightyFour
- MrVerloc
Finished this last week:
The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, trans. by Robin Buss
Really liked it, dragged a bit at times in the middle but the the last 400 pages made up for it.
Followed it up with this:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Really depressing and even disturbing considering the current climate in US/UK politics.
Currently halfway through Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, really enjoying it so far, it's the first book I've read by him and I have The Brothers Karamazov lined up as well.
Other recent books were A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (first half was good but it straddled that fine line between a story about a hard life and manipulative misery lit later on), A Secret History by Donna Tartt (liked it, captured that collegiate feel very well), and The Cursed Child script/stageplay (utter trash, I know I misplaced it somewhere in the house but I can't be bothered to even look for it).
The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, trans. by Robin Buss
Really liked it, dragged a bit at times in the middle but the the last 400 pages made up for it.
Followed it up with this:
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Really depressing and even disturbing considering the current climate in US/UK politics.
Currently halfway through Crime and Punishment by Dostoevsky, really enjoying it so far, it's the first book I've read by him and I have The Brothers Karamazov lined up as well.
Other recent books were A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (first half was good but it straddled that fine line between a story about a hard life and manipulative misery lit later on), A Secret History by Donna Tartt (liked it, captured that collegiate feel very well), and The Cursed Child script/stageplay (utter trash, I know I misplaced it somewhere in the house but I can't be bothered to even look for it).
- 7,689
- Michigan
- Rallywgn81
I've watched the movie, and the TV series. Still need to read the book though.
Just finished the third book in the Temeraire series. Going to have to get the next two soon. But, at the moment I am going back through the second Mystborn series again. Brandon Sanderson is a phenomenal writer.
Just finished the third book in the Temeraire series. Going to have to get the next two soon. But, at the moment I am going back through the second Mystborn series again. Brandon Sanderson is a phenomenal writer.
- 24,619
- Anoka, MN
The Odessa File - Frederick Forsyth
A very good book, I would even go as far as saying I liked it better than The Day of the Jackal.
The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris
Harris is extremely good at building suspense.
The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton
This book is like a firework, it fizzles right when it's at the peak. It's still a great book but the ending leaves you wanting more of a conclusion.
A very good book, I would even go as far as saying I liked it better than The Day of the Jackal.
The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris
Harris is extremely good at building suspense.
The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton
This book is like a firework, it fizzles right when it's at the peak. It's still a great book but the ending leaves you wanting more of a conclusion.
