BOOKS THREAD

I just finished Charlie Savage's "Takeover." I know, I know, political and al that. But Savage won his Pulitzer for plowing through documents the rest of the Beltway crowd couldn't be bothered to look at. This book gives context to great reporting, and it's downright scary.

 

Over the weekend, I finished reading "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon." It was fascinating, but I think I might be sorry I read it. I love Zevon, but the guy was just a complete dick and a really bad drunk.

Anyway, the book was great and it's made me dig out all my Zevon albums. I saw him live twice, including just before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He had a cough, which he attributed to a cold from having been up in Canada. Turns out it was mesothelioma.

 

So I checked out Shantaram today. I have three weeks to read 936 pages or I will once again become a delinquent in the eyes of my local library. Should be an interesting race against time.

 

Books thread, what happened to you? Come back! We need you!

 

I read Jacobs' Know It All, and pretty much enjoyed it. But I think I'm going to avoid the Bible one, seems a bit too much of a gimmick (yes, even more than reading the entire encyclopedia). His style grew a bit tiresome after he wrote an Esquire story about meeting a guy who never lies and trying to follow his lead by blurting out "the truth" to everyone in his life.

 

bump

 

I finished The Bell Jar 2 nights ago. Disappointing ending. Sort of just blah.

But I do have a question for some of the women here: When Esther finally opens her legs for the first time and has sex with Irwin the math nerdling professor, she doesn't stop bleeding and goes to a hospital. The doctor says her case is one in a million, but it doesn't elaborate. What does that mean? Does she have a cherry tree up there or something? Or did Irwin bust her cherry, and it was the start of her period? Clarification would be nice. Thanks.

 

Xan,
Never heard of it before. Wish I could help. Sorry.

 

Mr. Zevon was nothing but cordial when I was around him. But boy did that guy love a drink. Or two. Or five.

 

I'm glad to hear that. I've been listening to his CDs a lot lately. The guy was a genius.

 

Candian SJ'ers might take an interest in this:

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20071016/gg_awards_071016/20071016?hub=TopStories

Governor General's Literary Awards finalists revealed. Boy, this is going to be a tough one.