BOOKS THREAD

"The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant" is a 10-volume series by Stephen R. Donaldson. The main character is a writer who's been afflicted with leprosy which has left him bitter and withdrawn. When he finds himself in The Land where he is healed he refuses to accept it as true since his health relies on his unwavering attention to his illness. Great characters and a clear good/evil struggle. I think you might like this.

 

Awesome, thanks, HC!

 

I'm not a big fantasy reader but that series really grabbed me. Let me know what you think of it.

 

It's not my go-to genre, but but I dabble in it when there's nothing else I know I want to read. Right now, I've got a long commute and am going through audiobooks like crazy. So a nice, long series is just what the Dr ordered.

 

I was halfway through Telegraph Avenue when I realized nothing had happened and I was bored to death, so I bailed. Lovely writing, but man, a plot would be nice.

 

Based on recommendation here, I just finished Russo's Everybody's Fool.
Loved it.
Going to go back and read Nobody's Fool.

 

Seconding Thomas Covenant.

I'm thinking of bailing on Arlo Crawford's "A Farm Dies Once A Year." Reading this gives me the impression the author is his own biggest fan. He comes off like the spoiled little rich child in every "Little Rascals" short. What makes it cringe-worthy is that it seems to be inadvertent.

Finished before that: Wade Davis' "The Serpent and the Rainbow." The Wes Craven movie made Dr. Davis look look like an Indiana Jones manque' who couldn't keep from stepping on his own dick. The truth is far more interesting. There is some scientific sleuthing and a lot of sidestepping cultural landmines. Worth reading if you haven't had the pleasure.

 

I'm re-reading "Doctor Sleep."

Much to BYM2's chagrin, I've pre-ordered Phil Collins' autobiography.

 

About halfway the 'Hotel New Hampshire' as my first crack at John Irving. I think I'd be enjoying it more if I hadn't seen the movie.

I've also finally started looking into wuxia as my next genre interest. A much easier pursuit now than it would've been in my teens. I love the Information Age.
So I found a site on which wuxia enthusiasts share their own amateur translations of novels from the original Chinese. I'm reading Jin Yong's 'Demigods and and Semi-Devils.'
I love kungfu movies and have always wanted to read the source material.
Thank you, Internet!

 

Not prime Irving, but I still remember referring to Danny Ainge as the Mormon Fucking Arm of the Law.

Just started "The Fourth Hand," not one of his better-known books, but two chapters in, already the kind of creepy/sick tale that will make the room dusty before it's over.

 

Just opened a box of books in my garage as we try to rearrange it and there is "Trouble Is My Business," a collection of Raymond Chandler short stories. So much for chores. Key lines so far. "It was good Scotch. In fact, it was perfect."

 

I used to think the best writing on the disaster that was Altamont was in You Can't Always Get What You Want, the memoir by Sam Cutler, at the time the Stones' tour manager and the guy who got left behind to deal with the mess. But Joel Selvin's new book, Altamont, covers all the bases and is absolutely essential reading for Stones' fans or anyone interested in how this debacle came to be.

Started the Springsteen book yesterday.