Books: What are you reading tonight?

I found the audiobook for Outlive to be the way to go. It’s been a life-changer for me and definitely a contributing factor in my losing 35 lbs over the last year - nutrition, exercise, SLEEP being the main areas of focus.

Name of the Rose is truly elite. What a writer.

Shame about her sexual abuse with her husband of several children and their daughter though.

Live de Life by Joan F. Harrington.

This is the story of she and her husband building a second home in St. Kitts, and their experiences in spending so much time down there. They spend part of the year here and part in Providence.

IDK, didn't like it as much as the previous book about the couple in Mexico. Seemed like there was more "it's not like the States" in here rather than them adjusting to island life.

Not a terrible amount; it's clear that they love the place. Just a bit here & there that put me off a little.

Finished most of Disgrace by Coetzee, Booker Prize winner.

He's an excellent writer [Nobel 4 years later] but didn't love it.

I found it very melancholic.

It's a real lesson in separating the artist from the art. Depressing stuff.

Tales from the Torrid Zone by Alexander Frater.

Frater's grandfather was a Presbyterian missionary in Vanuatu. His father was a doctor there, and founded the first hospital.

This is a collection of his stories from traveling around the tropics. Mostly centered on Vanuatu and the South Pacific, but not completely; some from South America and Africa, among other spots.

A few of the stories interested me. Nothing compelling, and I'd say the book fell short of being interesting overall. Can't recommend, but also wouldn't say definitely skip.

Travel Unscripted by Mark Murphy.

Murphy and his team make travel shows. As you'd expect, they are unscripted--to the extent possible, anyway, based on local customs and regulations. This is a collection of stories from their escapades. Some of them moderately interesting, but nothing that made me say, "wow, I want to experience that>" (or not, I suppose).

When I googled, I only found references to the book, not a show, so maybe they never got much traction.

From the dustcover picture and, indeed, the blurb on the front cover from Rudy Maxa, I think he was trying to be an Anthony Bourdain, or maybe pick up from him (published 2012). Don't think he was up to that level, but it may have been early in his career.

Started both James [not loving it so far] and Grossman's new Arthurian tale [ok so far].

Top 10 novels since WW2 [not going to be all the classics]:

Catch-22 - Heller
Bridge of Birds - B. Hughart
The Name of the Rose - Eco
Crying of Lot 40 - Pynchon
The Names - DeLillo

The Wasp Factory - Banks
Pale Fire - Nabokov
Atonement - McEwan
Infinite Jest - D. F. Wallace
Wittgenstein's Mistress - D. Markson

Do you put The Names over all of DeLillo's other stuff?

I did and I do. Underworld is so great. White Noise is great and justly praised.

I prefer The Names. I've read almost his entire main oeuvre, leaving out only the very early ones that aren't good, maybe I'll get to them someday.

For his earlier works, Running Dog has some brilliant bits in it....looking for actual Hitler pr0n, you can't beat that setup.

Libra is okay, fine, not great. The later stuff isn't that good.

TBH, I need to re-read Underworld again front to back. I'm saving it for a rainy day.

OK, The Names goes in the queue.

White Noise was so good that I had to put it down until I could stop laughing.

Underworld doesn't live up to the promise of its first chapter imo.

Of course I forgot:

Suttree/Blood Meridian -- McCarthy.

blood meridian
fear and loathing
get shorty

Galore by Michael Crummey - re read this on the recommendation of this forum. My thoughts on this are going to be suitably rambling.

It's like the Newfoundland version of One Hundred Years of Solitude. Which isn't entirely a compliment as I didn't like that book. I preferred Galore, although some of the problems are similar. It rarely gets under the skin of its characters, because there are loads of them and they all seem semi-metaphorical. The personalities are there to serve a purpose rather than be engaging, compelling people. Maybe this is an intrinisc limitation of magical realism? The novel evokes a sense of place and atmosphere, but not credible human beings.

Part One is stronger than the second part. The locale Crummey depicts is somehow drab and colourful at the same time. It's an insular community that fosters strange traditions like the 'mummers' who disguise themselves, then humiliate some member of the community by revealing their dark secret. Cast offs and weirdos are somehow drawn to Paradise Deep.

Part Two is overly meandering, and frequently consulting the family tree becomes necessary to keep track of who people are. Later passages turn into a recitation of events rather than a narrative.

I don't regret reading Galore, but do wish there was more of a focus on characters and narrative. After reading Shipping News and this, I still have no desire to go to Newfoundland. I just have no interest in maritime life.

Top Novels of This Century, in some order, it's the cool new thing:

The Underground Railroad
The Sellout
All the Light We Cannot See
The Amazing...Kavalier and Clay
Atonement

Number 9Dream
Never Let Me Go
Brooklyn
The Corrections
Conversations with Friends

A Visit from the Goon Squad
The Road
The Great Swindle
Submission
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

^
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

What a wonderful book.

I'm reading the recently deceased Walter Shapiro's excellent book on the 2004 Democratic primaries: One Car Caravan. I love political campaign books a lot, and this is one of the very best. Way better than Hunter Thompson's self-indulgent rantings.

This is a great list. I haven’t read a few of these.

A couple of thoughts:

1) cloud atlas over number9 dream
2) 1Q84
3) A Gentleman in Moscow
4) Station Eleven
5) Wolf Hall

Not eligible by 3 months: Plainsong by Kent Haruf

Wittgenstein's Mistress is great. My picks would include two by Gilbert Sorrentino, Markson's friend, Steelwork and Mulligan Stew. Never heard of Bridge of Birds.

I'd probably pick Stoner by John Williams and Song of Solomon, which is in its ambition and execution perfect, by Toni Morrison.

I read a good thriller yesterday, a page-turner. I was impressed, maybe not thrilled exactly but pretty good feels were produced! The Farm by Tom Rob Smith. Strange story about a Swedish lady and her family, her dark past, and whether she's now nutso crazy or just very weird. I'm gonna read this guy's other books now, starting with Child 44.

Read Greg Iles’s latest Penn Cage installment Southern Man. Decent page turner but leans too hard into present day politics, is overly convoluted, and about 200 pages too long.

Yeah I also meant to put Rules of Civility on the list, a notch above Moscow for me.

Would also put Skippy Dies up there, may have to make this a top 20 list. Add a Murakami also.

Cloud Atlas might not make my top 3 list of his works: The...Jacob De Zoet is also quite amazing. And I love Black Swan Green as well. They're all great.

Again, for me, 1q84 doesn't measure up to the best of his works.