What Are You Reading Now.

I got John Grisham's The Racketeer from the library the other day. How is it every convention on writing stresses being brief and concise and getting to the point and these 'name' writers start off with three chapters of backstory?

 

Same reason Michael Jordan got to take all the steps in the world before one of his jumpshots without getting called for travelling: Everybody knew what came after would entertain the shit outta the fans.

 

Two reasons:

1) Weakness in one area can be compensated for by strength in another. I haven't read Grisham, but my guess is that his strengths as a writer are greater than his weaknesses. Jimi Hendrix couldn't sing to save his life, but his guitar playing blew away just about every other rock guitarist on the planet at the time.

2) Grisham is already the author of many bestsellers. He has already built a large audience. He can therefore get away with things unknown writers would be penalized for.

 

I haven't read anything by Grisham lately, but I remember thinking the same thing while reading The Partner. Then I got about 2/3rds of the way through and I was like, 'yeah, okay. I guess that was necessary. '

 

I'm reading two:

- "Mr. Mercedes" by Stephen King
- "The Martian" by Andy Weir

I'm enjoying both books a lot and I wish I had more time (and a private place) to read them.

 

I’m currently working through two books, Farseer: Assasin’a Apprentice is my “new book,” which I listen to the audiobook of when I can pay good attention. I’m also listening to The Way of Kings again on the side, but mostly when I can’t pay full attention to the audiobook. That’s part of a broader relisten to ththe stormlight books which I want to complete, so I can pick up on the small things and relive the first two in context of Oathbringer, the third.

 

Term papers.

I got through four, only sixty-odd more to go.

 

I've finished Clive Barker's Books of Blood (All 6 volumes).

I plan on starting to read his first novel 'The Damnation Game' this weekend.

 

Finally got around to reading Lolita. 100 pages in and it's much less complex than I thought. Though the language is dense in places, it's certainly funny. I can't help but feel the random French insertions are a little pretentious and unneeded, but I suppose H.H is supposed to be an overly verbose English professor.

 

H.H. is a rotten soul who tries to justify his own existence by impressing himself with his own intellect. That's my read on the character, anyway.

 

I never got through Mr Mercedes, not sure why, but The Martian was great.

Got up to date with Ben Aaronovitch`s Peter Grant series over Christmas, really awesome. Now reading The Great Gatsby (honestly I`ve never read it) and working my way through a couple of Sci-Fi mag`s, Lightspeed and Asimov`s Science Fiction. Also got Ted Chiang`s The Lifecycle Of Software Objects to read.
Sigh, too many books......

 

I just read the chapter where Mrs. Humbert has her accident. Mr. Humbert is truly a sociopath. He plays the whole thing into his own hands and emulates all of his emotions.

 

F. Scott Fitzgerald is a writer I admire greatly, The Great Gatsby being indicative of why this is the case.

 

I`ve never read anything of his ever, until now. It is an interesting read, the wording they used in those days really gave you an insight as to their mastery of the English language. Sometimes though I find myself having to re-read some passages because I just never got the meaning.

 

I'm really look forward to The Martian. Mr. Mercedes has been enjoyable, too. Luckily I move into the house tomorrow so I can choose one to binge read.

I didn't care for The Great Gatsby, but it might be personal preference. It's just not a genre or story that's interesting to me.

 

Totally get why, it`s an interesting book but at times not easy to read. I`m reading it because I`d heard so much about the author I was curious. That and the kindle version was free on amazon. I`m actually enjoying it now but it took a while to get into it.
You`ll love The Martian.

 

Done. Seriously dissapointed with this one. I slogged through it, but it was one giant let down from the first page to the last.

 

I'm into history, but not into that time period particularly; it's far too modern for me. It was something hard for me to get into and to enjoy. I can't imagine reading it again, but I also can't imagine rereading The Two Towers (which means something given that I love J.R.R. Tolkien and have a The Hobbit themed tattoo). I understand the importance of The Great Gatsby in relation to literature and what it can tell of a certain view of the 1920s, but it's not my cup of tea. It's a bit how like not everyone likes Of Mice and Men or Lord of the Flies, both stories that I adore and can reread time and again.

Anyway, I hope people enjoy The Great Gatsby if they can. If not, I still think they should try to read it.

 

A bunch of self help books - makes me realize how dumb I have become.

 

I'm betting that in a week, this book will be very popular in this thread.

 

Artemis by Andy Weir.

 

A Christmas present from my husband was The Wind That Shakes The Barley ...the first in a trilogy of novels about the life of Robert Burns, published in 1946 by James Barke. I'm loving it. Especially as Barke has taken the time to really make the settings come to life ...and I've been to most of those places!

It's not a book I would have enjoyed so much 30-40 years ago, because then I wasn't familiar with the archaic Scots dialogue that the characters speak in the story. Now that I am familiar with most of the words, phrases and references they use, I'm loving the book.

 

The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay. It's been just the book I've been looking for so long: a fictional world without any fantasy elements. Something I am especially interested in, since they are exceptionally rare, and is exactly what I am trying to write myself.

Though it does not pretend to be a reimagining of Moorish Spain, (even the map looks like Western Europe) Ifind I forgive this because it's not a period of history I'm terribly familiar with, in any case. After failing to get through the last several books I've tried to read, I'm glad that this one has captured my attention.

 

The Trial, Kafka. Very difficult. The first paragraph is three pages long. The author also does not break paragraphs for dialog. I am nearly through it, but only because I am not a quitter.