Monday lit bit

[yendi]

"Here," said Mr. Thomson, "is a novel ready to your hand: all you
have to do is to work up the scenery, develop the characters, and
improve the style."

"My dear fellow," said I, "they are just the three things that I
would rather die than set my hand to. It shall be published as it
stands."

"But it's so bald," objected Mr. Thomson.

"I believe there is nothing so noble as baldness," replied I, "and
I am sure there is nothing so interesting. I would have all
literature bald, and all authors (if you like) but one."

--Robert Louis Stevenson, The Master of Ballantrae: A Winter's Tale

Henry James, incidentally, called Ballantrae "the intensest throb of my literary life." I wouldn't go quite that far, but it's a damned fun novel (and a sorely underappreciated one).

I haven't gone on much about my reading lately, as I'm reading at least one, and often two, books a week for review, which limits both my time and the books I can talk about. But non-review reading has included Stevenson, Junot Diaz, Ishmael Reed, David Gilmour (the one who wrote The Film Club, not the guitarist for the band that's generally underwhelmed me), Octavia Butler, Jim Steinmeyer, and others. I've been lax in logging them, alas, so I know I'm forgetting some folks (and not even mentioning graphic novel authors).

The point is, still reading, even if not posting about it.

So, what've all of you been reading?

Comments

[chris-walsh.livejournal.com]

I haven't been too literary in my reading lately, but there have been books:

The companion book to Michael Palin's Around the World in 80 Days, his diary of his 1988 trip. (He made it in 79 days, seven hours. I remember the series: he got back to the Reform Club in London and Terry Gilliam asked, "So Michael, what was it like hiding in a BBC closet for 79 days?")

kradical's Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Blackout, about Spike versus slayer Nikki Wood in 1977 New York. Set right before and right after that summer's blackout. Fun, quick book. And Keith, obviously, loves New York City, its difficulties and problems and all.

I've also started Fight Club, the first novel by Chuck Palahniuk I've read (I'd previously read Fugitives and Refugees, his guide to Portland). I think Palahniuk's an interesting guy -- I love how mild and amused he comes off in interviews -- but I already know I don't want to think like him. And today's commute reading is Steve Martin's Pure Drivel.

[yendi]

I really enjoyed Blackout, both for the feel of NYC in the '70s, and for the overall writing.

FIght Club is a messed-up book (as is everything Chuck writes). Damned fun, though.

[cassildra.livejournal.com]

Palahniuk is interesting, but I much preferred some of his other stuff. (The book that had a lot of the same themes as Fight Club but isn't the same... It involves a road trip... Ugh, I need to hit the library again. The title Haunted is sticking in my head, but that's not right.)

[elizabear.livejournal.com]

Review books! :)

Also Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, which was fun, and Jacques Pepin's autobiography The Apprentice, which is very good.

[yendi]

I couldn't get too into P&P&Z; I like the idea (and the opening line), but the book just couldn't carry the joke for me.

[raidingparty.livejournal.com]

The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat, and Other Tales.

Just finished reading Warrens of the Ratmen.

In the process of reading House of Leaves, but because of the density, it really is a process.

[yendi]

I've been reading Sacks since high school, and that was the first of his books I read. Love it.

House of Leaves is definitely a long read. Worth getting through at least once, though.

[norda.livejournal.com]

My current bathtub book is TOM JONES by Henry Fielding.

On my bedside table are THE MAGICIAN'S ELEPHANT by Kate DiCamillo, EREC REX by Kaza Kingsley, INSTITUTIONAL MEMORY by garyfrank, and TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY by John Steinbeck. That last is usually one I read ritually in summer after I finish my annual re-read of Ray Bradbury's DANDELION WINE, but nothing about 2009 has been normal or routine, and I'm staggering about just trying to keep the world from crashing. Thus TRAVELS will be an autumn sipping this year.

[yendi]

I also split reading into different locations (and keep backup books in the backpack).

And I adore Fielding. Although I prefer Joseph Andrews to Tom Jones.

[lurkerwithout.livejournal.com]

Neal Asher, Andrew Vachss and then whatever I can find thats cheery to get over the desire to burn down the world that comes from reading Vachss...

[yendi]

Weirdly, although Vachss's books are about as dark as it gets, the very fact that he exists gives me some hope for the world.

[galdrin.livejournal.com]

Reading Weapons of Choice by John Birmingham.

Re-reading Dark Sleeper by Jeffrey Barlowe (to get ready for The House in the High Wood and then Strange Cargo.)

... and because they were just fun:

Re-reading Conquistador by S.M. Stirling and Midshipwizard Halcyon Blythe by James M. Ward.

[yendi]

I've been woefully behind on any and all re-reading, other than of graphic novels. I find that with so little time, even comfort re-reads don't happen as often as I'd like.

[cassildra.livejournal.com]

I am working my way through Jim Butcher's Codex Alera, which is fun and well-written. It's a nice break from the other book I've been working on, A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. It's good, but awfully dense.

[yendi]

*nod* I've read Zinn, and he's damned good, and worth making it through, no matter how long it takes.

[cassildra.livejournal.com]

I'm enjoying it, don't get me wrong. I love how he's making me think. It's just so much information, and while I'm aware dates don't really matter as much as what happened, it's still a lot to internalize and remember. Thankfully, Zinn doesn't mention dates often, except as a frame of reference.

I'm up to Andrew Jackson v. the Indians, and I keep wondering, "which part of this is the Trail of Tears?" because I haven't seen him use that term yet. Although, maybe that's because it's become so mainstream? I dunno.

Sorry, just kind of musing at ya :)

[trochee.livejournal.com]

Octavian Nothing. Highly recommended, and might be worth reading alongside the People's History that cassildra mentions above.

[graydown.livejournal.com]

I finally read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Eurgh. Then some de Lint short stories, and now I'm working on Born to Kvetch

Unfortunately the pile of Books To Read is not smaller, because I broke down, went to a bookstore, and dragged home both halves of Illium. And some Cherryh. And... sigh.