The Book Thread Book • Page 23

Finishing up Carrie Fisher's Wishful Drinking. Didn't know she was such a funny writer.

After this I'm starting The Disaster Artist.

 

I'm addicted to entering GR giveaways. I won a digital copy of a kid's story book today. 100 copies were given out so it's not that special

 

I enter in like all of the ones they email me and I never win haha.

 

I always go through the first five pages of most popular authors and most requested. I rarely win, though.

 

That's what I do every morning

 

I really want to win the Sarah Maas book they've got up there.

 

I'll try to remember in the morning and I'll sign up for that one too. If I win I'll send it to you. :)

 

Just placed my first thrift books order. Definitely a better deal than buying used on Amazon on paying shipping on each book.

 

Got my Thriftbooks order. Not super thrilled that "acceptable" can mean a cover that has a huge chunk ripped off of it, but other than that it was a good experience. Got here fairly quickly, too.

 

Andromeda Strain

 

That's way worse than any Acceptable book I've gotten. I think the worst I've gotten was a well-worn softcover with a coffee stain, but for the most part, in my experience, Acceptable just means visibly distressed.

 

Yeah on the FAQ it says "acceptable" means the cover should be intact so I emailed them. The site says they have 107 copies of the book so seems like there's plenty to replace it with or just refund me. I felt bad complaining about it when the books were like $3 each, but it was the third book in a trilogy so I prefer they all at least be in somewhat similar condition haha.

 

I started A Little Life and it is super enticing. Grad school seems to just be impeding my opportunities to read it. Any one else read it?

I heard a lot of buzz about it being too heavy but I am not currently feeling that way.

 

Thriftbooks customer service was great. They sent me a new copy of the book and told me to just donate the other one.

Also, for any of you Neil Gaiman fans, I did a podcast with @becky kovach on American Gods. Went up yesterday. American Gods

 

Read this earlier this year.

It's a very strange and polarizing read for many it seems. I personally loved it from time to time and hated it from time to time and not in a way that some stories or characters want you to hate them - like clear, obvious villains (hope that makes sense). It's also ridiculously unrealistic and eye rolling at times. In the end I guess I liked it but it could have been so much better.

 

Just started The Godfather. The first chapter is mammoth and is very good. However, since that chapter i cant stop reading it and have to force myself to put it down. I am loving it.

Any books similar to this anyone recommends?

 

Yeah, honestly, the entire last part of the book was just too much. It was such a good portrayal of a character dealing with an onslaught of tragedies and still making it through and I just didn't feel the ending fit the character or the story well enough. It felt like a total cop-out and I know this sounds absurd but like way too much to put onto a character. I understand that was kind of the point but it was so much that it no longer felt realistic in the end. I loved it before the last part because as horrific as it was, it was all a very realistic heartbreaking chain of events.

 

Found a good book called Peopleware that talks about managing a software development team. Really good info so far. Some of the info is validating (allowing room for creativity or "playing around" is good), some of it's eye opening (don't go so damn hard on the deadlines/how to make effective deadlines).

 

On a Nick Flynn kick. Currently reading The Ticking Is The Bomb

 

Just released a podcast on 1984 by George Orwell. Welcome To Geekdom Episode 029: 1984

 

Agreed.

My other issues - especially with the main character we're supposed to feel sympathetic for and follow the most - is that we're with him for so long I get sick of him / dislike him. Like, he's supposed to be the one we connect with most and adore and I got so sick of him after awhile and I'm like, "man, this is not going well if I hate / find the main character this annoying" haha. Also with how often he apologized... I swear he was written to say, "I'm sorry" every. single. page.

And as far as realism... every single damn person in this book is super smart and super rich. There are - aside from the main character we follow - no real problems to overcome or issues addressed! Everyone went to a great school, most have great parents, they have this great group of friends that continues to expand, everyone's on a fucking overseas vacation 24/7, everyone's great at their job. blah. Maybe it's just me but I connect better with - and enjoy - books that are a bit depressing and dark more than anything else and this shit was the complete opposite - aside from the really, really out of normal brutal moments.

And lastly, for the main character with the terrible past - when did he learn all these goddamn skills? we're with him for most of his childhood / adolescence (through the flashbacks) so when did he learn piano, or his medical skills, or his lawyer skills, or any of the other dozen of amazing abilities and skills he has? really began to feel like an impossible amount of time for so many skills and trades to be learned for someone in his position and his life.

tl;dr - A Little Life has a lot of flaws that piss me off.

 

read By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham the last two days and i totally have a new favorite book. (not like, "#1 favorite book, but a book i consider a favorite).

i love when you find a book that just connects with you / speaks to you. usually i know within a first few pages as for me it is generally based on how the story is written more than what the story is and By Nightfall follows this trend. I've never read Cunningham before but definitely focusing on reading more of his stuff once I'm done with my TBR shelf (yeah, like that will go away). Reminded me tone wise of DeLillo but not as cryptic.

 

Yeah, honestly, the everyone having millions of dollars made no sense. Like even with scholarships and all they wouldn't be able to be doing what they were doing. Hahaha I would forget they had money and be like wait, how are they just in London?!

I didn't mind the apologizing because it fits with the type of life he had when he was younger and there is like a one sentence explanation to how he got his skills but I'm mostly with you. Other than Jude dealing with his past everything else was just I am rich and privileged problems and not realistic at all.

 

spending a lot of time watching "bookshelf tour" videos on youtube. most are pretty fun / neat to see what people have, hear how excited they are about books and see how they have their massive collections set up. also makes me greedy and want more books...

...until you realize that it seems like most of these videos are filled with huge hardcover books that take up a shitload of space. also, it seems like the majority of the content is YA fantasy books which is... not my focus or interest. i swear, every video contains that "City of _____" series which makes me laugh. have yet to see a single video contain a SINGLE Steinbeck, Hemingway, DeLillo, Murakami or David Mitchell novel which is heresy to me!