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What'cha Reading?

Colors

The Destroyer
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
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so/sx
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig: awful. Manages to insult two genres at once- historical fiction and chick lit. Contains two female protagonists so we can hate no their faux feminism from two different centuries. Spies so insipid they get caught on a recon mission cause they're too busy groping each other. Completely ignores the chance to teach real history or compare/constrast the social values (attitudes towards "birthright" and monarchy, gender roles, patriotism, etc) in favor of poorly executed romantic tropes. I should've read a Harlequin instead.

The Burn Journals by Brent Runyon: Author chronicles his one year of recovery after he sets himself on fire in a suicide attempt in the eighth grade. What makes it work is that Runyon chooses to write it in the present tense- moment to moment- we seeing portraits of initial reactions, not the retconned "message" or rationalization we humans are so prone to adding. In some ways, this sort of cut close for me.

Monster by Walter Dean Myers and Christopher Myers: Is written as a 16 yr old's account of his trial for felony murder... who decides to generally write it as a movie adaptation (complete with shots and cuts). An interesting conceit which allows you to both see the protagonist from a personal perspective and a more detached 3rd person perspective. Pretty good.
 
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Sniffles

Guest
The Vision of Christopher Dawson - Araceli Duque


This excerpt particularly interested me:
"Despite his brilliance and insight, Dawson has been surprisingly ignored in academia and beyond. One of the reasons for this neglect is perhaps his vast erudition, which makes any study of his daunting, if not intimidating."

Trust me Mr. Dawson, I know the feeling.
 

bronte

New member
Joined
Nov 4, 2008
Messages
168
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infp
Martin Rowson The Dog Allusion. Gods, pets and how to be human.

A book about being an atheist written by a humanist instead of a scientist - brilliant insight, subtle, generous (to those with relgious beliefs) and often laugh aloud funny - really recommend it.
 

Ardea

o edward cullen!
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Dec 3, 2008
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Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

I love him.
 

ZiL

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Nov 27, 2007
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I was TRYING to read Anna Karenina, but school has started again and I've got a lot of reading for that to do...

I've also got the last Harry Potter book on loan from a friend.

But right now I have to go read How to Read an Oral Poem by John Miles Foley. Hmmm, what does my new buddy J.M.F. (aka John, M'Fer!) have in store for me?
 

SillySapienne

`~~Philosoflying~~`
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
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I am almost done with the second book of the Twilight series and I am scared, this series is like a drug, what will I do once I finished my stash?!?!?

I need more romance, GIVE IT TO ME, NOW!!!

:D
 

Eldanen

Arcesso pulli gingerios!
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
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The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces, 4th edition, vol. I.
 

Colors

The Destroyer
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Weetzie Bat by Francseca Lia Block- a reread. I love the author's use of imagery and sort of a poetic approach to prose. It's all very much from Weetzie's point of view... that perhaps she has a tendency to romanticize and be too carefree- but don't we all want a little to see the magic in the world- for the simplest, equisite pleasures. On reread it's definitely interesting to compare Weetzie's world-perception to My-Secret-Agent-Lover-Man's (and in later books, to Cherokee's and Witch Baby's).

The Dead Fathers Club by Matt Haig- a modern retelling of Hamlet... with Hamlet recast as Phillip Noble, an 11 yr old boy whose dad has just died. Is meant to work on two levels, one the classic ghost-story level and on the Phillip-is-going-crazy level. Does a good job of humanizing the characters (especially Ophelia/Leah, I thought), but the unravelling of the plot in the last fourth didn't do either level justice.
 

swordpath

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Oct 24, 2007
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Just bought this:

the_road.jpg


Weird, as I never buy fictional books. I think I'm going to get "Blood Meridian" soon by the same author.
 

Ghetto_mocha

New member
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
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The Power of Kindness by Pierro Ferrucci. Amazing! And A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain, which is way too funny...
 
B

ByMySword

Guest
For school:

Writing History: A Guide for Students by William Kelleher Storey

The Mexico Reader: History, Culture, Politics by Gilbert M. Joseph & Timothy J. Henderson

Revising Prose by Richard A. Lanham

For fun:

Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr by Nancy Isenburg
 
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