Jump to content
TSM Forums
Sign in to follow this  
Guest Sylvan Grenier

Book recommendations

Recommended Posts

I started with Still Life W/ Woodpecker...and that led me to read them all. I would suggest starting with either that, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, or Another Roadside Attraction.

 

Fierce Invalids was awesome, Villa Incognito not as much.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I read Another Roadside Attraction first and was so taken by the book I read everything else available by Robbins.

 

ARA is still my favorite (probably because of reading it first), but in addition to the ones mentioned above I would strongly recommend Jitterbug Perfume. One of these two or Still Life would be where I would start.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just started reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being on my lunch break. I should be done with this before the weekend's over at this rate. It's the kind of book that makes me want to do nothing but hunker over a keyboard and write myself.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Vitamin X

Anyone ever check out How I Became Stupid by Martin Page? I have it on hold for me at work, it's a short read but I'm going through a couple books beforehand (including Revolting Youth, the sequel to Youth In Revolt which I have heard is not as good).

 

I'm the kind of guy that has a queue of books ready to read but I can only consume one at a time.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Felonies!

I'd like to find a book about the glory days of FM radio, when mainstream stuff was still on the AM band.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest Agent of Oblivion

Has anyone else read Gogol's Dead Souls? I almost picked it up at the library the other day, since I was in the mood for something darkly comedic and satirical.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest "Go, Mordecai!"

Hey, Snuffy, I got Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 for my birthday.

 

Hey, Inc, I also got Gravity's Rainbow.

 

Hey, viva, I was going to buy some Garcia Marquez (filed under G) today, but I didn't know which to get. Again. I need to consult this thread before I shop.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

For Garcia Marquez, I'm on the fence as to whether his best work is One Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera. I'd go One Hundred Years of Solitude first just because it's his most well-known and the one that won him the Nobel Prize.

 

As for me, after finishing and very much enjoying the new Stephen King book, I started reading Tomcat In Love by the second best author of this last half-decade/century, Tim O'Brien. So far, it's widely hilarious and extremely well-written. I love Tim O'Brien.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest "Go, Mordecai!"

The reason I didn't buy 100YoS was because the cover said "the newest selection in Oprah's book club!" on it. I'm so shallow.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, I saw the episode of Oprah where her and 7 other soccer moms were discussing Garcia Marquez over margaritas. There were lots of "umms" and "uhhs" and "I had no idea what was going on...". Oprah should stick to Steinbeck.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest "Go, Mordecai!"

My mom got the Faulkner boxed set. If there's a way I can de-Oprah that, I'm going to assume possession. It's just sitting in the basement.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Yeah, I'm not sure how Oprah stumbled onto Faulkner or Garcia Marquez for her book club. Middle-aged women shouldn't be reading that stuff. It'll just confuse them. However, Oprah does endorse Toni Morrison, and I love Toni Morrison.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest "Go, Mordecai!"
Middle-aged women shouldn't be reading that stuff. It'll just confuse them.

Quality literature is the exclusive domain of twentysomething males!

 

I turned 20 today. Ugh.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think most of the Oprah book club things are just stickers. My mom got the Faulkner box set and was able to peel them off easily.

 

I made a mistake in choosing to read Gravity's Rainbow now; it's a bit large to carry back and forth to work, and not ideal for the short bursts of reading I get on the metro. Good so far, though.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest "Go, Mordecai!"

I'm on page 125 now. I really like it. Nixon hasn't even gotten that much attention yet, since it's still primary season, so Humphrey and Muskie are getting the worst of it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

×