The Book Thread Book • Page 165

After my wife recommending it for a year, I’m starting Beartown!

 

Can confirm that Beartown is incredible, the most I've been engrossed in a story in some time. I am so pumped it is a trilogy and so excited to start the next two.

Check TW's if you read it though, the last 200 pages are all about a specific TW and like ... only about that.

 

Im not sure if it’s been done her before but I’ve been reading short stories. Wondering what’s everyone’s favorite short story? Mine at the moment is Alyosha the Pot by Tolstoy: Alyosha the Pot
It’s amazing how many emotions this story can evoke in so few words.

 

Favorites off the top of my head:
"The Jaunt" by Stephen King
"A Perfect Day For Bananafish" by JD Salinger
"The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury

I tend to go for novels over short stories, but I have a bunch of collections on my shelf that I should get to (including a Tolstoy collection with "Alyosha the Pot").

 

A Perfect Day for Bananafish is one of my favorites. All of Nine Stories is so good, I need to revisit it, particularly Teddy.

 

"2001: A Space Odyssey" by Arthur C. Clarke was phenomenal. It provides a lot of awesome context that Kubrick didn't touch on in his film. I have such a newfound understanding and love for the final act of the film now and it's absolutely beautiful.

 

trying to read more this year. currently reading killers of the flower moon even though I’ve seen the movie I know the book is more about the investigation so I’m interested in getting this perspective on it. also almost done with Jason Schrier’s Press Reset. I know he’s gotten some pushback for it but I must admit I am very much looking forward to his forthcoming book on Blizzard Entertainment as someone who grew up with Blizzard being the holy grail of gaming and sunk years and years of my life into their IP I know it’s going to be a hard read but Schreier is a great writer and reporter in my opinion I trust him to handle it well.

 

What push back has he gotten?

 

people mad he held onto the stories of mistreatment to monetize them in a book rather than come forward during the huge scandal. I don’t really care about it but a lot of people on Twitter were mad. I’m not going to pretend to know how journalists pick and choose what to report on and when or why content is held for books. And if it’s for monetization I mean whatever he’s a writer making a living and based on his previous two books it’s worth the cost to read what he has to say, in my personal opinion

 

Was reading City of Thieves by David Benioff while I was on the cruise the last week. Pretty good read so far, I’m almost done. And interesting concept of how he’s telling his grandfathers story using fiction to fill in the gaps. I once had someone ask me to do that for them because I have a degree in journalism but I’m no author

 

I think I’m a little late to the party but I recently started reading Where Are Your Boys Tonight. Really great read for anyone who grew up in or following this scene. I think my favorite little tidbit so far has been Chris Carrabba talking about a party he was at in 2002 where Eminem was telling him how much he liked Dashboard and naming songs off the album.

Also interesting to read how many people had such negative things to share about BN, especially Jesse.

 

I started yesterday and I’m a few chapters in. It’s been a nice trip back into the memory bank.

 

I’m a simple man. I see Grady Hendrix and I’m down to give it a shot.

 

I just finished reading “Strangers” by Taichi Yamada. Quick read. I haven’t seen All of Us Strangers but I know they’re slightly different. I enjoyed the story though. The translation from Japanese made it awkward at times.

 

I’m about 80% done with My Heart is a Chainsaw. Stephen Graham Jones is undefeated.

 

his new one comes out like 2 months later here than there and I'm Mad About It

 

I’m going to jump right into Don’t Fear the Reaper right after.

 

only 200 pages left of 2666 lol. it’s already proved itself a masterpiece but I’m ready for some closure. not sure if I’ll get it though

 

The audiobook for My Heart is a Chainsaw was awesome. The audiobook for Don’t Fear the Reaper is going to be a little more challenging with different perspectives and the voices aren’t as enjoyable, haha.

 

Lit Twit is buzzing about this

 

Always trying to avoid the discourse on Lit Twit, it can be a real poisonous well. What’s this week’s particular fixation about? The text of the review is a little too small to read.

 

Pretty venomous takedown of Lauren Oyler's new book. Oyler was known for being a pretty harsh lit critic who wrote some scathing shit about other artists in the past few years. Here's the digital version:
Star Struck

 

this fucking book. THIS fucking book.

900 mesmerizing pages and so worth it. I feel like anything I read after this will pale in comparison.

 

My goal was to finish this before I saw them and I see them on Tuesday. Couldn’t be more stoked to see them now.