What are you reading?

[muchado]

So, I'm currently reading Moll Flanders, but I have been looking longingly at the copy of The Fault in Our Stars that I was given as a Christmas gift. Does that count for anything? I just need to bite the bullet and read it. I know it won't take me more than a day or two. 

 

Also - I LOVE the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. They are absolutely wonderful. 

[dazedandbemused]

So, I'm currently reading Moll Flanders, but I have been looking longingly at the copy of The Fault in Our Stars that I was given as a Christmas gift. Does that count for anything? I just need to bite the bullet and read it. I know it won't take me more than a day or two. 

 

Also - I LOVE the Lizzie Bennet Diaries. They are absolutely wonderful. 

 

I will just say this: I cried for the last 40 pages of The Fault in Our Stars and I am not a crier. I gave it to my department chair to read, and when he gave it back he looked, and sounded, like he had recently had a good cry too. Read at your own peril because that book might chew you up and spit you out.

 

But I still loved it.

[SleepyAlligator]

I'm currently being bored nearly to tears by the Grundrisse, but just finished Franco Moretti's Graphs, Maps, and Trees which is a fascinating read. 

[thebeatgoeson]

I'm reading Margaret Cavendish's Blazing World and Doreen Massey's Space, Place and Gender, just like this time last year.  Massey's book is spot on; several times through, and I still want to pick it up (almost) every day. 

[t1racyjacks]

Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country

[champagne]

Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country

 

One of my favorites. Just FYI, if you're feeling down about rejections, probably not the best pick-me-up. Then again, if we were in literature for the pick-me-up, we would be sorely lost.

[beet-nik]

Then again, if we were in literature for the pick-me-up, we would be sorely lost.

 

As true as it gets.

[slvitale]

The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. You know, Chinese New Year...

[chaucerettescs]

Just re-read The Hunger Games triology.

 

Re-reading Through the Looking-Glass and Dracula for Eric Rabkin's Coursera class.

 

Also reading Les Misèrables and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

 

I am juggling big time.

[lisajay]

Just re-read The Hunger Games triology.

 

out of curiosity, have you read the running man? i haven't read the hunger games, but would be curious to hear from someone who's read both. i've heard the comparisons of the hunger games to battle royale, but i think both must've inspired by stephen king.

 

also, love love love your avatar. la la la la la....

[dazedandbemused]

Just re-read The Hunger Games triology.

 

What did you think of the Hunger Games on the second run? I'm curious because almost everyone I know who's read it twice said that they just sped through the story the first time, but that they were unable to look past the writing the second time.

[chaucerettescs]

out of curiosity, have you read the running man? i haven't read the hunger games, but would be curious to hear from someone who's read both. i've heard the comparisons of the hunger games to battle royale, but i think both must've inspired by stephen king.

 

also, love love love your avatar. la la la la la....

 

I'm familiar with The Running Man, but have not actually read it. I've heard the premise is similar and that Stephen King himself has made the comparison (though I know he's a fan of The Hunger Games), so I'd be really interested in reading it. 

 

 

What did you think of the Hunger Games on the second run? I'm curious because almost everyone I know who's read it twice said that they just sped through the story the first time, but that they were unable to look past the writing the second time.

 

It's interesting. The writing was indeed a little more difficult to overlook the second time 'round, but, in weird ways, I appreciated the story itself more. The first time around, I strongly disliked Mockingjay, but the second time... I appreciated it more. It's still uncomfortably rushed (I sincerely think it will make a better [2] film), but I like how it doesn't make any of the conflicts or resolutions easy for its characters. I don't want to be a jerk and post spoilers on here, so I'll just say that I like how it addresses problems I've had with other YA series that deal with war/a revolution. Basically, how it acknowledges that even victories in these situations can have serious psychological ramifications and that if you're reading the series just for the love triangle or just to see some glorious revolution led by children, you're missing the point of the series. 

 

That said... yeah, I'm still not crazy about the writing. My issue has less to do with style, though, and more to do with the lack of real world-building. This is interesting speculative fiction! Let us dwell a moment!

Edited February 8, 2013 by chaucerettescs

[dazedandbemused]

I'm familiar with The Running Man, but have not actually read it. I've heard the premise is similar and that Stephen King himself has made the comparison (though I know he's a fan of The Hunger Games), so I'd be really interested in reading it. 

 

 

 

It's interesting. The writing was indeed a little more difficult to overlook the second time 'round, but, in weird ways, I appreciated the story itself more. The first time around, I strongly disliked Mockingjay, but the second time... I appreciated it more. It's still uncomfortably rushed (I sincerely think it will make a better [2] film), but I like how it doesn't make any of the conflicts or resolutions easy for its characters. I don't want to be a jerk and post spoilers on here, so I'll just say that I like how it addresses problems I've had with other YA series that deal with war/a revolution. Basically, how it acknowledges that even victories in these situations can have serious psychological ramifications and that if you're reading the series just for the love triangle or just to see some glorious revolution led by children, you're missing the point of the series. 

 

That said... yeah, I'm still not crazy about the writing. My issue has less to do with style, though, and more to do with the lack of real world-building. This is interesting speculative fiction! Let us dwell a moment!

I had the same reaction to Mockingjay too! First time I was all "Really? That's it?" but having read it again, it's so obvious that almost any other ending would have been glossing over the intensity of the story far too much. Also, I loved Peeta the first time, hated him the second. He was a little too perfect and his...change in the last book didn't really fix my opinion of that.

[lisajay]

I'm familiar with The Running Man, but have not actually read it. I've heard the premise is similar and that Stephen King himself has made the comparison (though I know he's a fan of The Hunger Games), so I'd be really interested in reading it.

you should. super quick read, but really well done.

[OctaviaButlerfan]

Just re-read The Hunger Games triology.

 

Re-reading Through the Looking-Glass and Dracula for Eric Rabkin's Coursera class.

 

Also reading Les Misèrables and The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

 

I am juggling big time.

 

Cool. How is being in a class with Rabkin?

[chaucerettescs]

Cool. How is being in a class with Rabkin?

 

Haha, it's only an online audit, so it isn't really like a normal classroom experience. However, I've met him a few times in person and have friends who studied with him at Michigan. He is a pretty difficult grader and can be a bit of egoist, but definitely has the brilliance to back himself up. Some of his analyses are a touch too traditional for me, but I'm interested in the collaborative projects he's working on like The Genre Evolution Project.

[jazzyd]

Just started The White Boy Shuffle by Paul Beatty and am already in love after the first paragraph. I'm incorporating two novels of his into my senior thesis and I know right now I won't have to worry about a lack of literary analysis. I could probably write an entire essay on that first paragraph alone! 

[JeremiahParadise]

Just started Teju Cole's Open City. Any opinions to offer, folks? I've not read too much about it. I liked Cole's "small fates" on the Twitter, etc, so I decided to give this novel a shot.

[thatjewishgirl]

I love that so many people are reading Les Miserables! Was this decision prompted by the release of the movie? I think about this book all the time because when I was in my late teens, I got a half sleeve tattoo completely dedicated to the novel and much to my adult chagrin, my students bring it up constantly. 

 

I am reading all the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels. I'm obsessed with all things Holmes right now.

[not ready for prime-time]

I knew I would need some macabre hilarity to ease the overwhelming feelings of futility, rejection, and despair that coincide with this process so of course I turned to Vonnegut (I like to laugh at my pain). Working my way through Hocus Pocus now and then it's on to Galapagos and Mother Night. 

 

I threw in some YA lit recently just to spice things up and read Divergent (not bad but I don't know if I'm going to stick with the series) and am about halfway through Wildwood because I like the Decemberists!

[practical cat]

I knew I would need some macabre hilarity to ease the overwhelming feelings of futility, rejection, and despair that coincide with this process so of course I turned to Vonnegut (I like to laugh at my pain). Working my way through Hocus Pocus now and then it's on to Galapagos and Mother Night. 

 

I threw in some YA lit recently just to spice things up and read Divergent (not bad but I don't know if I'm going to stick with the series) and am about halfway through Wildwood because I like the Decemberists!

I do NOT recommend Insurgent. Divergent was OK and it is all down hill from there. Unfortunately.

[not ready for prime-time]

Totally agree. I thought Divergent was precisely "OK" but I'm wary about the next two because I feel that the world she built isn't sufficiently complex enough to hold more story lines or further plot development (and I'm definitely sure the character development won't carry my interest through another two books)!

[dazedandbemused]

Yeah, it's kind of sad how not great Insurgent is. I mean, Divergent wasn't breaking any records, but I'm seriously disappointed in how the sequel ended and I can't see the third being at all satisfactory.

[not ready for prime-time]

Oh how I love making pretentious snap judgements about young adult literature - it's why I have so many elementary school teachers for friends!

[collikl]

Do you think the Divergent film with Shaileen Woodley is going to be good? (It's also interesting that they're turning the YA series Delirium into a tv show with Emma Roberts. . .)

 

While I admit Insurgent wasn't as good, I still found it compelling, and Tris to be a readable narrator; I think I'll stick it out for the third book (which based on the end of Insurgent, don't you think it should be named Emergent?!)

 

And I'm halfway through Gone Girl, which is amazingly addicting. Has anyone read Nicole Krauss' Great House? I think it's next on my list. I loved The History of Love, but this one has gotten mixed reviews.