Just finished Nomadland by Jessica Broder. She’s a journalism professor who spent 3 years in and off living in a van and documenting the stories of other people who do that, primarily out of necessity, and primarily people who are at least in their 60s.
I enjoyed it. Interesting, depressing and sometimes inspiring…at least to me. Maybe not for everyone, but it is my cup of tea.
Thanks to @zikzak for the recommendation.
Just finished “My Year of Rest and Relaxation,” by Ottessa Moshfegh. Wiki describes it:
Moshfegh’s second novel, it is set in New York City in 2000 and 2001 and follows an unnamed protagonist as she gradually escalates her use of prescription medications in an attempt to sleep for an entire year
I really enjoyed it. Read this faster than anything in a while.
Reading Ray Bradbury’s The October Country in honor of October. Man, that guy could create a world and drag you into it so quickly. I think Bradbury got pigeonholed as a “sci-fi” author and people didn’t take him as seriously as they should have.
Sounds good.
This one requires a process, but I’m announcing my intention to read War and Peace. Interlibrary loan requested. See you on the other side.
If you want to start a book club, I’ll consider reading it alongside you.
been reading a lot lately:
up to 26/40 on my goodreads challenge for 2019, not gonna make it, can’t really make up for the couple months i basically didnt read at all.
How to Be an Antiracist, Ilbram X Kendi: I had read this guys book “stamped from the beginning” a couple years ago, which was about the history of racism. would recommend this book if you want to learn more about how to approach racial thinking.
Where We Go from Here: Two years in the resistance: Bernie sanders book to followup from the election. It basically reads like a journal of various dates after the election talking about what he was doing but it mostly rehashes stuff that you already know about what he supports. I wouldn’t really recommend, it was a gift from someone.
Revival by Stephen King: had started this book months ago and then had let it set, jumped back into it and enjoyed the rest of it. Fairly standard King Novel with a bit of supernatural but not a lot. The ending was solid as well.
Missoula: Rape and the Justice system in a college town by Jon Krakauer. First book of his that I’ve read but liked it a lot, wasn’t sure how readable it would be but i flew through it. I hadn’t heard of the underlying stories before but man it makes you mad, at least some of the rapists were convicted. I also learned some things I didn’t previously know, rape statistics/acquantiance rape etc.
A False Report: A True Story of Rape in America by Christian Miller. This is the book that the new netflix series “Unbelievable” is based off. I actually watched half of the first episode before reading the book and stopped when it got to the part where the cop goes to see the foster mom. It was easier reading the book but no less maddening. Would recommend.
Also:
Currently reading:
Fault Lines: [A History of the United States Since 1974 by Kevin Kruse. I’ve read White Flight and One Nation Under God and were both great. Looks like its going to be a long read but i’m already learning a ton about the 70s.
1Q84: I’m more than halfway through this but I’ve stopped twice, haven’t read any of it in the last couple months. I plan to finish it.
The Grinders Manual - i’ve read this once about a year ago but going back through it again as i was thinking of playing some more online soon. Its really good for learning how to play holdem these days 6max.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, two sons, and an unlikely road to manhood: kind of an autobiography by Tanehisi Coates. I’ve read a lot of his writing and enjoy it.
Sure. I don’t have it yet, but should soon.
I will check out The Echo Maker.
Finally finished reading The Overstory. You’re right, some stretches were better. But I also think I just didn’t understand where those stories were going, and wonder if re-reading (no plans to do this, already given away the book) would make me feel differently.
But what am amazing book. Fuck. I was literally crying in the Philadelphia airport reading parts of it … I think fundamentally it is a book about enlightenment that happens to also be about trees.
For any of you that like ebooks haymarketbooks.org is currently having a sale until the 11th where all their ebooks are 90% off. Most of the ebooks on their site range from $10-$20 so you end up spending a dollar or two per book
Do young people read books? Maybe I should just Google that…
What a strange industry when you can just do a 90% off sale.
Yes. Yes they do. They love books.
I am reduced to reading self- help books. Currently, one called The Confidence Gap. Fml
The book arrived at my local library today. I’ll probably pick it up this evening.
I just picked it up today. Probably will start reading it tonight. I probably won’t be doing more than an hour a day max and am not a super fast reader, so you can catch up if you don’t have it yet.
I feel like The Stand is the worst thing I’ve ever read all the way through. I type that and also feel like it can’t be true but I think it is.
Stalling on 1983 after blitzing through the first three in the Red Riding quartet - it’s kind of misnamed, not too much action set in 1983, and it looks to be revisiting and expanding on the gaudy, sophomoric fictional serial murders of the first entry. Disappointing. Thomas Ligotti’s My Work Is Not Yet Done is next on the pile, looks enticingly slim.
Oddly enough I bumped this because goddamn Matt Christman tweeted about King’s new book The Institute so I read it over the weekend and fuck I think ol’ Steve hoodwinked me again.