Three of you just liked a blatant spam post.
Since itās 9 11, reupping my recommendation for The Only Plane in the Sky, preferably the audio book if you can get it. Itās as close to being there as you get without having been there. I donāt think Iāve audibly said āoh my godā or had to stop doing what I was doing to relisten to a part with another audio book.
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1Q84
Almost done with part 1
Itās weird. But I also am very intrigued.
I read the first two books in the Alien Invasion Sci-Fi series āSalvationā by Peter Hamilton. Iād never read anything by him before and picked up the first one because I confused him with Peter Watts.
Non spoiler overview - book is set in a few different time lines, thereās at least a couple of alien civilizations that have made contact with Earth. We know, thanks to the time line set in the far future, that it all goes horribly wrong for the humans and we become the hunted. Iāve flown through the first two books, theyāre pretty well written. Plot relies a lot on Quantum Entanglement which in this universe allows portals for immediate travel. We jump around in the time lines discovering how it goes poorly for us.
Second book had some odd sex scenes that make me think Peter Hamilton is a freak and a very weird dude, and wasnāt quite as good as the first, but Iām hyped for the library to deliver the third and final book. Itās fun - couple of plot bits donāt make a ton of sense if I really think about it, but thereās some interesting aliens, explosions, fun technology. Itās a good time.
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Currently enjoying Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik. Itās basically a novelized fairy tale written from the voices of several of the characters and itās excellent imo, one of those books that doesnāt need to explain anything but you can immediately understand the world and everything thatās happening in it.
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Good to hear, Iām interested. Loved Uprooted.
Place your bets!
https://sports.ladbrokes.com/event/tv-specials/awards/nobel-prize/2022-nobel-prize-for-literature/237158012/all-markets
I feel like a kid cramming for finals. I read Delilloās The Silence and Murnaneās Border Districts yesterday. Iāll read Fosseās The Boathouse today. Maybe Ernauxās Shame if Iām super disciplined.
If Rushdie does win I suppose it proves that getting stabbed in the eyeball is a good career move, although I wouldnāt recommend it for you folks. Drinks are on me if Pynchon or Delillo win.
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TIL Judy Blume is still alive.
Just finished Never Let Me Go.
Very good. Definitely one that will stick with me.
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Reading Dune for the first time! Itās really good. I started it once about 20 years ago and never got very far, for some reason
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Ishiguro is so so good
I read the giants book. Itās weird but also loved it. Remains of the day. Also great.
My favorite book in the series is God-Emperor of Dune. I hope you can make it through all of the books that Frank Herbert wrote in the series.
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Yes a great book. In summer 2011 I rented an apartment for a month in Greenwich Village from an NYU professor who was out of town for the summer. I had heard of this book but not read it, it was sitting on his bookshelf. I read the whole thing over lunch breaks at Washington Square. None of this is relevant but itās one of the more vivid recollections I have of reading a book where I can actually remember the time and place. George RR Martinās Dance With Dragons came out around the same time, I also burned through that one in the park.
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I re-read Dune before the new movie came out, was much better than I remembered.
I never finished the second Dune book, I liked the movie and book 1 though.
Iām trying to work my way through Broke by Brandon Adams and itās such a slog.
Iāve been reading and re-reading Steinbeck and David Mitchell
Canāt get enough.
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I feel like I should follow up on Slouching Towards Utopia since I mentioned it at least twice in other threads. Started off strong, then immediately went to shit and never redeemed itself. No unique insights. No support for the stated thesis. Just a pointless recitation of known things that happened.
Thanks for follow up, Iāll take it off my list
Finished the āBand of Brothersā audiobook.
Very good. Painted a really good picture of soldiers life in WW2 and a few parts of the war I didnt know much about, such as operation Market Garden, and the battle of the bulge.
Lots of āgreatest generationā, praise for soldiers dying for freedom stuff, but it didnt detract from the book.