One thing I'm curious about (indeed, almost curious enough to make a separate thread) is what authors or books you all consider particular letdowns. More specifically, what authors wowed you with a couple works, but proved to be disappointments when viewed through the scope of their entire body of work?
For me, Alfred Bester is probably the best example. Now, I normally hate sci-fi...but Bester's The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination are fantastic, genre-defying works of genuine literary merit. Every other novel the man wrote? Utter garbage.
Tom Robbins would be another great example. Jitterbug Perfume is a damned good book, showcasing what happens when a skillful wordsmith uses a work not only to tell a great story well, but to show what is possible when an artist is genuinely having fun with his work. Most of the rest of his oeuvre, while enjoyable, lacks the composure and/or gravitas to be considered important.
Oh hey new Dresden Files book has an actual release date now.
"Small Favor" is coming out on April 1.
I'm looking forward to this.
EDIT: For an extra "Oh hey" the first four chapters are up on Butcher's website.
If you aren't reading these books, you should be.
Actually scratch that.
I like them, which probably means they're horrible.
In all seriousness, it's like Harry Potter grew up and became a bad-ass.
The series is about Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard/P.I. He's the guy who gets called when the really strange shit is going on, when the troll decides to come out from under the bridge, literally.
The first few are fairly straight-forward "Cops need help, call the wizard", but the last 4 or 5 have involved a war between the supernatural powers that Harry started, and have dropped the "cops need help" bit almost entirely.
I do a horrible job explaining things like this, the wiki article is better at it.
I picked up a couple of Discworld books over the weekend, as well as Volume 2 of the Baroque Cycle. I like the Baroque cycle but it's so fucking dense. I think the only reason I picked this up is because I'm determined to find out what happens to Jack Shaftoe.
I got this itch to read some Hunter S. Thompson books.
So, I go to the library to check some out.
Missing. All but two, which have been checked out for over a month.
oh, man, The Remains of the Day was just heartbreaking in a quiet sort of way, wasn't it? I loved it when I read it for the first time a few weeks ago.
I got this itch to read some Hunter S. Thompson books.
So, I go to the library to check some out.
Missing. All but two, which have been checked out for over a month.
go buy fear and loathing! it's short and probably cheap
Posts
The posts in this thread since its resurrection are a great illustration of why part of me shudders every time a book thread appears.
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Perhaps you should retire to your ivory tower, milord?
:P
You can assume that any messages relayed to you have been carried down by a tiny, bespectacled valet.
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Chop chop! Your crumpet break was over thirty seconds ago. I knew that giving you five minutes off every 12 hours would lead to you taking liberties.
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I'll let the latter part lie, if only because you're so very right about the first part, and Martin is so good anyway.
For me, Alfred Bester is probably the best example. Now, I normally hate sci-fi...but Bester's The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination are fantastic, genre-defying works of genuine literary merit. Every other novel the man wrote? Utter garbage.
Tom Robbins would be another great example. Jitterbug Perfume is a damned good book, showcasing what happens when a skillful wordsmith uses a work not only to tell a great story well, but to show what is possible when an artist is genuinely having fun with his work. Most of the rest of his oeuvre, while enjoyable, lacks the composure and/or gravitas to be considered important.
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
"Small Favor" is coming out on April 1.
I'm looking forward to this.
EDIT: For an extra "Oh hey" the first four chapters are up on Butcher's website.
If you aren't reading these books, you should be.
Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Last.fm | Pandora | LibraryThing | formspring | Blue Moon over Seattle (MCFC)
that's the one about the recon marines, right? i've read that. good book.
I like them, which probably means they're horrible.
In all seriousness, it's like Harry Potter grew up and became a bad-ass.
The series is about Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard/P.I. He's the guy who gets called when the really strange shit is going on, when the troll decides to come out from under the bridge, literally.
The first few are fairly straight-forward "Cops need help, call the wizard", but the last 4 or 5 have involved a war between the supernatural powers that Harry started, and have dropped the "cops need help" bit almost entirely.
I do a horrible job explaining things like this, the wiki article is better at it.
So, I go to the library to check some out.
Missing. All but two, which have been checked out for over a month.
fuck you! i will not hear good words about austen or james!
fuck them both!
Stupid idea stealing business aside, Jonathan Safran Foer is awesome.
go buy fear and loathing! it's short and probably cheap
When did books get so expensive?
All the books at Borders that I looked were $14.