OMG BOOKS! ... for people who read books

[Aaron]

I'm reading the new king book, so far really good!

HMM I may have to get it. Let me know what you think when you're done. I started Under the dome and never finished it. (I'm over half way into it.) It's what I read when my computer shits the bed... And so far my pc has been doing great. So I haven't read anything of it for awhile...

[luna]

You never finished under the dome!?

You need to finish that then get the new one, I'm 30% through and definitely recommend it

[Aaron]

Ya, I know I need to. I think I'm around page 700ish.  I should be able to do it in an afternoon.

[doom]

I'm guessing you're reading the revised version? I've only ever read the original, I picked it up at a used book store ages ago. I'll probably pick up the revised next time I'm ready to take the journey again

Yeah, tis the revised edition. Im excited to be back on this series again.

[kristin]

Murakami's 1Q84 will be arriving on my doorstep tomorrow. Yay!

[rynne]

I finished Samuel's The Man Who Collected Machen and Connell's The Life of Polycrates and am partway through Cisco's The Narrator. 

Of the three, Machen was the only one that was really what I was expecting from a "Weird" author.  It reads like an homage---but not a pastiche---of Lovecraft and Ligotti and a bit of Borges, with multiple stories dealing with corrupting influences of language, texts and communication. Polycrates, on the other hand, strikes me not as Weird but pure Decadence; being largely concerned with sumptuous character studies of people in tremendous and often self-inflicted physical, sexual and moral decline. The Narrator, so far, is the odd one out. It seems like a dream of a fantasy novel, where the hero and titular Narrator's experiences of war-horror and wonderment are sometimes obscured by hazy unreality (whether due to the Narrator or the author is uncertain).

[Goose]

Finished The Path of Daggers, Book 8 of The Wheel of Time last night. Despite the bad reviews, I really liked it, but I think that's because my attitude towards these books has changed. The first few books were fairly huge, epic stories, kinda like movies. Then things slowly transitioned so that the timeframe of these books is significantly condensed, and now they're more like smaller episodes of a larger story. Viewed in that light, TPoD was really satsifying. Just about every plotline moved forward a bit, there's some new twists, and there's a billion ways things could go. Definitely gotta keep reading.

[chimera]

Of the three, Machen was the only one that was really what I was expecting from a "Weird" author.  It reads like an homage---but not a pastiche---of Lovecraft and Ligotti and a bit of Borges, with multiple stories dealing with corrupting influences of language, texts and communication.

D'oh!  I can't believe I didn't mention Samuels to you!  I read The White Hands years ago, probably too long a while for me to remember.  But yes, his writing reminds me a lot of Machen, so it's funny that he would write a story thus titled.  If you enjoyed that collection then you should definitely get The White Hands.

[kristin]

I just reread Doug Coupland's Life After God. Still a life-changer.

[chimera]

For anyone who hasn't read it yet, Justin Cronin's The Passage is The Stand for the 21st Century, with less religious overtones.  But really well-written.

[r00]

I may have to check that out.  The Stand is one of the best books I have ever read and IMO the King book that will be considered a classic 100 years from now.

[Aaron]

I may have to check that out.  The Stand is one of the best books I have ever read and IMO the King book that will be considered a classic 100 years from now.

Ya this. Even with as much of a Dark Tower fanboi as I am, The Stand is his masterpiece. (and as soon as I read Girl with dragon tattoo I will pick this book up.)

I also think that the book started my love for the post apocalyptic/end times stuff.

[kristin]

For anyone who hasn't read it yet, Justin Cronin's The Passage is The Stand for the 21st Century, with less religious overtones.  But really well-written.

Anytime you strongly recommend anything, I'm all over it. I'm still forever in debt to you for introducing me to Donna Tartt. Speaking of which, I hear that she is actually coming out with a new book this year!

[luna]

For anyone who hasn't read it yet, Justin Cronin's The Passage is The Stand for the 21st Century, with less religious overtones.  But really well-written.

ooh this is definitely next on my list

[chimera]

Anytime you strongly recommend anything, I'm all over it. I'm still forever in debt to you for introducing me to Donna Tartt. Speaking of which, I hear that she is actually coming out with a new book this year!

Seriously?  YAY!
Here's another one for you: Sara Gran.  She's lit-fic but she puts a bit of genre spin on it.  Have enjoyed all her novels but Dope is the one which really hooked me, it's so pitch-perfect it's like it time-traveled from 1950 or thereabouts.