Books you read in 2020

Discussion in 'TMB Book Club' started by Kevintensity, Jan 6, 2020.

  1. joey jo-jo jr shabadoo

    joey jo-jo jr shabadoo you know for me, the action is the juice

    1. Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner
    2. Red Cavalry by Isaac Babel
    3. Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
    4. Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
    5. The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson
    6. I'm Thinking of Ending Things by Iain Reid
    7. The End of Eddy by Édouard Louis
    8. The Idiot by Elif Batuman
    9. The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky
    10. Normal People by Sally Rooney
    11. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
    12. Grimscribe by Thomas Ligotti
    13. Amiable with Big Teeth by Claude McKay
    14. Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
    15. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Friedrich Nietzsche
    16. The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
    17. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
    18. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
    19. The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
    20. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
     
  2. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
    Donor
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    1. The Shadow of What Was Lost (Licanius #1) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    2. An Echo of Things to Come (Licanius #2) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Light of All That Falls (Licanius #3) - James Islington (10/10)
    4. Starsight (Skyward #2) - Brandon Sanderson (7.5/10)
    5. The Prestige - Christopher Priest (7.5/10)
    6. American Gods - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    7. Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    8. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    9. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    10. Stardust - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    11. Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    12. Shadowblack (Spellslinger #2) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    13. Charmcaster (Spellslinger #3) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    14. Soulbinder (Spellslinger #4) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    15. Queenslayer (Spellslinger #5) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    16. Crownbreaker (Spellslinger #6) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
     
  3. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Black Ops (Expeditionary Force #4) by Craig Alanson (7/10)
    2. The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington, by Brad Meltzer (6/10)
    3. Blood of Elves (The Witcher #1) by Andrzej Sapkowski (8/10)
    4. Time of Contempt (The Witcher #2) by Andrzej Sapkowski (7/10)
    5. Family Secrets: The Case That Cripled the Chicago Mob, by Jeff Coen (8/10)
    6. Baptism by Fire (The Witcher #3) by Andrzej Sapkowsi (7/10)
    7. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (7.5/10)
    8. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (6/10)
    9. Last of the Mohicans by James Fienmore Cooper (7/10)
    10. Into the Fire (Orphan X #5) by Gregg Horowitz (8.5/10)
    11. The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston (8.5/10)
    12. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (7/10)
    13. Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War, by S.C Gwynne (8.5/10)
    14. The Power of the Dog (Power of the Dog #1) by Don Winslow (9/10)
    15. The Cartel (Power of the Dog #2) by Don Winslow (9/10)
    16. The Border (Power of the Dog #3) by Don Winslow (9/10)
    17. The Field of Blood, by Joanne B Freeman (7.5/10)
    18. Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel (7/10)
    19. A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen (7/10)
    20. Savages by Don Winslow (6/10)
    21. The Kings of Cool by Don Winslow(7/10)
    22. The Force by Don Winslow (8/10)
    23. Sea of Poppies (Ibis #1) by Amitav Ghosh (8/10)
    24. River of Smoke (Ibis #2) by Amitav Ghosh (7/10)
    25. Deacon King Kong by James McBride (8/10)
    26. New Waves by Kevin Ngyuen (7/10)
    27. Flood of Fire (Ibis #3) by Amitav Ghosh (7.5)
    28. Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories and the Hunt for Putin's Spies by Gordon Corera (8.5/10)

    Deacon King Kong -
    A drunk deacon in 70s Brooklyn walks up and shoots a corner drug dealer. This is about the fallout in the community. Just a really good novel. Good characters, Author is really good at getting you attached to them. It's not a big thriller but a good twist that ties everyone together. Really good book

    New Waves- Two platonic work friends steal their company's data before they quit. One of them dies shortly after and it's left on the other to sort things out. Really good social commentary on the modern world of tech and online persona ect. Good short read

    Flood of Fire - This was the last book in the Ibis trilogy abotu the opium wars. This wasnt as action packed or plot driven as I thought it would be, but still glad I read it. Another trilogy w good character and plot development. It was long and dragged at spots, but glad I read it. I learned a lot about colonial india and china. A lot from the book and also from having to look up exactly where locations where and what titles meant ect.

    Russians Among Us This was awesome. Real story about the sleeper agents russia had here (and still has) in America. These people are what The Americans is based on. It was pretty much like reading a LeCarre or Jason Matthews novel, but everything was real.
     
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  4. clemsonvianj

    clemsonvianj Well-Known Member
    Donor

    1. Wooden: A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court by John Wooden (6/10)
    2. How to Lie With Maps by Mark Monmonier (6/10)
    3. The Sports Gene by David Epstein (8/10)
    4. The Path of Least Resistance by Robert Fritz (5/10)
    5. The Art of War by Sun Tzu (5/10)
    6. Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs by Ken Jennings (9/10)
    7. Why We Get Sick: The New Science of Darwinian Medicine by Randolph Nesse (7/10)
    8. Born to Run by Christopher McDougall (9/10)
    9. The Man Behind the Maps: Legendary Ski Artist James Niehues by James Niehues (6/10)
    10. Ultimate Journeys for Two by Mike Howard (6/10)
    11. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou (9/10)
    12. Stillness is the Key by Ryan Holiday (8.5/10)
    13. Range by David Epstein (9/10)
    14. Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold (8.5/10)
    15. HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essential (6/10)
    16. Finite and Infinite Games by James Carse (4/10)
    17. Natural Born Heroes by Christpher McDougall (9/10)
    18. Conspiracy by Ryan Holiday (8/10)
    19. The of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli (9/10)
    20. The Most Important Thing Illuminated by Howard Marks (8/10)
    21. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield (9/10)
    22. The 5 Love Langues by Gary Chapman (9/10)
    23. The Push: A Climber's Search for the Path by Tommy Caldwell (9/10)
    24. White Fagility by Robin DiAngelo (8/10)
    25. Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins (8.5/10)
     
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  5. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
    Donor TMB OG
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    1. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    2. Child of God - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon (4.5/10)
    4. Fire Sermon - Wright Morris (9/10)
    5. The Field of Vision - Wright Morris (7/10)
    6. The Throwback Special - Chris Bachelder (3/10)*
    7. Slow Man - J.M. Coetzee (6.5/10)*
    8. Ghosts - John Banville (6.5/10)
    9. Solo Faces - James Salter (10/10)
    10. The Year of Silence - Madison Smartt Bell (7/10)
    11. The Hunters - James Salter (9.5/10)
    12. Lunch at the Piccadilly - Clyde Edgerton (4/10)
    13. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy (10/10)
    14. The Floating Opera - John Barth (8.5/10)
    15. Reflections in a Golden Eye - Carson McCullers (8/10)
    16. Play It as It Lays - Joan Didion (6/10)
    17. The Color of Night - Madison Smartt Bell (6.5/10)
    18. Clock Without Hands - Carson McCullers (10/10)
    19. Dusk and Other Stories - James Salter (7/10)
    20. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    21. Quarantine - Jim Crace (7.5/10)
    22. Lancelot - Walker Percy (6.5/10)
    23. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett (8/10)
    24. The Stranger - Albert Camus (8/10)* (reread)
    25. Suttree - Cormac McCarthy (10/10 (reread)
    26. The End of the Road - John Barth (8/10)
    27. Canada - Richard Ford (9.5/10)

    This was an extraordinary book. The story revolves around a 15-year-old boy living in Montana who is essentially abandoned when his parents decide to rob a bank in North Dakota. It was so moving. The story was enthralling and the writing was so elite. It was 418 pages but split into like 70 chapters, which, when combined with the engaging plot, made for a real page-turner

    * reflects adjusted rating based on further consideration
     
    #205 Cornelius Suttree, May 3, 2020
    Last edited: May 3, 2020
  6. Tangman

    Tangman Well-Known Member
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    I've heard of Ford because of The Sportswriter (assume you've read that already) but this guy seems pretty wild:

    Ford once sent Alice Hoffman a copy of one of her books with bullet holes in it after she angered him by unfavorably reviewing The Sportswriter.[30]

    Ford once spat on Colson Whitehead after a negative review of A Multitude of Sins, resulting in speculation that the incident may have been racially motivated rather than a matter of critical differences.[31]
     
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  7. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    he was born in MS fwiw

    yeah I'll probably re-read that in the near future and make my way through its sequels for the first time (it's now a 4-part series)
     
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  8. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    1. The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression / Andrew Solomon (9/10)
    2. The Edifice Complex: How The Rich And Powerful (And Their Architects) Shape The World (6.5/10)
    3. Educated: A Memoir / Tara Westover (7/10)
    4. Train Dreams (A Novella) / Denis Johnson (10/10)
    5. From Bacteria To Bach And Back: The Evolution Of Minds / Daniel Dennett (6/10)
    6. Breaking New Ground: A Pictorial History Of Saluda County (5/10)
    7. The Southern Country Editor / Thomas D. Clark (6/10)
    8. The Stand / Stephen King (7.5/10) *reread*
    9. Jesus' Son: Stories / Denis Johnson (10/10)
    10. Prague: A Novel / Arthur Phillips (8/10)

    11. The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write (The Stories Behind Every Song) (9/10)
    Great read for a Beatles fan, but also just for a musician or songwriter. I learned a ton by seeing how they put their music together, what their influences and formative experiences were, etc. It was more interesting than I thought -- figured the stories behind the songs were cut and dry but dude had to do some research to pull all this together, piecing together various accounts, sorting through conflicting info etc.


    Up Next --
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  9. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    upload_2020-5-5_12-17-1.jpeg
     
  10. Tangman

    Tangman Well-Known Member
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    don't want to spoil the book but you will dislike a certain band member after reading this one if memory serves
     
    TC likes this.
  11. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
    Donor TMB OG
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    1. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    2. Child of God - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon (4.5/10)
    4. Fire Sermon - Wright Morris (9/10)
    5. The Field of Vision - Wright Morris (7/10)
    6. The Throwback Special - Chris Bachelder (3/10)
    7. Slow Man - J.M. Coetzee (6.5/10)
    8. Ghosts - John Banville (6.5/10)
    9. Solo Faces - James Salter (10/10)
    10. The Year of Silence - Madison Smartt Bell (7/10)
    11. The Hunters - James Salter (9.5/10)
    12. Lunch at the Piccadilly - Clyde Edgerton (4/10)
    13. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy (10/10)
    14. The Floating Opera - John Barth (8.5/10)
    15. Reflections in a Golden Eye - Carson McCullers (8/10)
    16. Play It as It Lays - Joan Didion (6/10)
    17. The Color of Night - Madison Smartt Bell (6.5/10)
    18. Clock Without Hands - Carson McCullers (10/10)
    19. Dusk and Other Stories - James Salter (7/10)
    20. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    21. Quarantine - Jim Crace (7.5/10)
    22. Lancelot - Walker Percy (6.5/10)
    23. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett (8/10)
    24. The Stranger - Albert Camus (8/10) (reread)
    25. Suttree - Cormac McCarthy (10/10 (reread)
    26. The End of the Road - John Barth (8/10)
    27. Canada - Richard Ford (9.5/10)
    28. The Thanatos Syndrome - Walker Percy (7.5/10)

    Published in 1987, this was Percy's last novel. A disgraced psychiatrist returns to his small town in Louisiana and notices people acting oddly. What follows is a medical mystery thriller. Like the other Percy works I've read, the protagonist is flawed and seems to embrace a detached or almost existential outlook on life. As I've mentioned previously, would recommend his works to anyone but especially folks from LA/NOLA or with ties to LSU/Tulane. Percy apparently went to medical school at Columbia. Just a little bit smarter than your average author and this plot shows that
     
    #211 Cornelius Suttree, May 8, 2020
    Last edited: May 8, 2020
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  12. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    1. The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression / Andrew Solomon (9/10)
    2. The Edifice Complex: How The Rich And Powerful (And Their Architects) Shape The World (6.5/10)
    3. Educated: A Memoir / Tara Westover (7/10)
    4. Train Dreams (A Novella) / Denis Johnson (10/10)
    5. From Bacteria To Bach And Back: The Evolution Of Minds / Daniel Dennett (6/10)
    6. Breaking New Ground: A Pictorial History Of Saluda County (5/10)
    7. The Southern Country Editor / Thomas D. Clark (6/10)
    8. The Stand / Stephen King (7.5/10) *reread*
    9. Jesus' Son: Stories / Denis Johnson (10/10)
    10. Prague: A Novel / Arthur Phillips (8/10)
    11. The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write (The Stories Behind Every Song) (9/10)

    12. Midnight Riders: The Story Of The Allman Brothers Band (7.5/10)
    Solid music biography. Never realized how much hardcore drugs these guys were on...I knew about psychedelics but they were on coke, heroin, PCP etc like it was going out of style. Also didn't know Gregg Allman was Shawn Kemp level with the baby mamas. Has like 5 different ones.


    Up Next --
    [​IMG]
     
  13. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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  14. CBH

    CBH Well-Known Member
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    1. The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage by Keith Grave 6/10
    2. An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz 4/10
    3. Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe 8/10
    4. Daughter of War (Pike Logan #13) by Brad Taylor 7/10
    5. Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning by Leslie Odom Jr. 8/10
    6. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders 8/10
    7. Quarters: The Accommodation of the British Army and the Coming of the American Revolution by John G. McCurdy 10/10
    8. The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus By Richard Preston 9/10
    9. Moscow Rules (Gabriel Allon #8) by Daniel Silva 8/10
    10. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen 6/10
    11. Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid 8/10
    12. Solo Faces by James Salter 7/10
    13. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou 9/10
    14. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead 8/10
    15. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson 7/10
    16. Wild Bill: The True Story of the American Frontier's First Gunfighter by Tom Clavin 7/10
    17. "I Heard You Paint Houses", Updated Edition: Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran and Closing the Case on Jimmy Hoffa by Charles Brandt 7/10
    18. Power Down (Dewey Andreas #1) by Ben Coes 8/10
    19. Fleishman is in Trouble by Taffy Brodesser-Akner 8/10

    20. The Affair (Jack Reacher #16) by Lee Child 7/10 This was good not great, somehow I ended up getting out of order in reading the series but this was a flashback book so it didn't interfere with the stories at all.

    21. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson 9.5/10 This was my favorite of any of Larson's books that I have read. It was very well written and very interesting to me and the information about Churchill was outstanding.

    22. The Kremlin's Candidate (Red Sparrow #3) by Jason Matthews 9/10 This was the best of the trilogy for me and was very enjoyable throughout. It was the first that was really something I didn't want to put down to go to work or bed. Didn't love the ending but it was fitting for the story I think.

    23. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones 8/10 I thought this was a very good book and was very well written, it just wasn't as enjoyable as some other books I've read. It is a different type of book than what I normally read and it was nice to read something that was a little different.
     
  15. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
    Donor TMB OG
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    1. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    2. Child of God - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon (4.5/10)
    4. Fire Sermon - Wright Morris (9/10)
    5. The Field of Vision - Wright Morris (7/10)
    6. The Throwback Special - Chris Bachelder (3/10)
    7. Slow Man - J.M. Coetzee (6.5/10)
    8. Ghosts - John Banville (6.5/10)
    9. Solo Faces - James Salter (10/10)
    10. The Year of Silence - Madison Smartt Bell (7/10)
    11. The Hunters - James Salter (9.5/10)
    12. Lunch at the Piccadilly - Clyde Edgerton (4/10)
    13. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy (10/10)
    14. The Floating Opera - John Barth (8.5/10)
    15. Reflections in a Golden Eye - Carson McCullers (8/10)
    16. Play It as It Lays - Joan Didion (5/10)*
    17. The Color of Night - Madison Smartt Bell (6.5/10)
    18. Clock Without Hands - Carson McCullers (10/10)
    19. Dusk and Other Stories - James Salter (7/10)
    20. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    21. Quarantine - Jim Crace (6/10)*
    22. Lancelot - Walker Percy (6.5/10)
    23. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett (8/10)
    24. The Stranger - Albert Camus (8/10) (reread)
    25. Suttree - Cormac McCarthy (10/10 (reread)
    26. The End of the Road - John Barth (8/10)
    27. Canada - Richard Ford (9.5/10)
    28. The Thanatos Syndrome - Walker Percy (7.5/10)
    29. The Angel Esmeralda - Don DeLillo (7/10)

    This is DeLillo's first collection of short stories, published in 2011. They were written between 1979 and 2011 and are in chronological order. The collection was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction in 2012. DeLillo is one of my top five favorite authors so this was fun to read over the past week, pretty light but still met the book/week goal I set entering 2020

    *denotes adjusted rating after further reflection
     
    #215 Cornelius Suttree, May 15, 2020
    Last edited: May 15, 2020
  16. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    1. The Shadow of What Was Lost (Licanius #1) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    2. An Echo of Things to Come (Licanius #2) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Light of All That Falls (Licanius #3) - James Islington (10/10)
    4. Starsight (Skyward #2) - Brandon Sanderson (7.5/10)
    5. The Prestige - Christopher Priest (7.5/10)
    6. American Gods - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    7. Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    8. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    9. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    10. Stardust - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    11. Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    12. Shadowblack (Spellslinger #2) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    13. Charmcaster (Spellslinger #3) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    14. Soulbinder (Spellslinger #4) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    15. Queenslayer (Spellslinger #5) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    16. Crownbreaker (Spellslinger #6) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    17. The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) - Mark Lawrence (8.5/10)
     
  17. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    1. The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson - 7.5/10
    2. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow - 8/10
    3. The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner - Finished Frederick Douglass by David Blight last year. This book was so fantastic. Second Founding is on my list.
    4. The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells - 7/10
    5. Uncanny Valley by Anna Weiner - 3/10
    6. The Economists' Hour by Binyamin Applebaum - 8/10
    7. The Shadow of Vesuvius by Daisy Dunn - 8/10. Biography of Pliny the Younger. Finished it in preparation for my trip to Rome schedule for May this year which will obviously not be happening. But still fun.
    8. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - 8.5/10. About the Blitz coupled with Churchill's speeches to the public and vying to get Roosevelt involved. Very good.
    9. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy - 9.5/10
    10. Empire of the Summer Moon by SC Gwynne - 9/10. Truly amazing. Learned so much. Have his biography of Stonewall Jackson on deck.
    11. Supreme Inequality by Adam Cohen - 7/10. Recent history of Supreme Court rulings and impact on workers, the poor, etc. Depressing read, but good context.
    12. Barbarian Days by William Finnegan - 9/10. Surfing memoir fixed with a literary autobiography from writer at New Yorker. Fantastic quarantine read. Got me inspired to get back into snowboarding.
     
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  18. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    I've had several people mention to me they really enjoyed Barbarian Days
     
  19. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
    Donor TMB OG
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    1. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    2. Child of God - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon (4.5/10)
    4. Fire Sermon - Wright Morris (9/10)
    5. The Field of Vision - Wright Morris (7/10)
    6. The Throwback Special - Chris Bachelder (3/10)
    7. Slow Man - J.M. Coetzee (6.5/10)
    8. Ghosts - John Banville (6.5/10)
    9. Solo Faces - James Salter (10/10)
    10. The Year of Silence - Madison Smartt Bell (7/10)
    11. The Hunters - James Salter (9.5/10)
    12. Lunch at the Piccadilly - Clyde Edgerton (4/10)
    13. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy (10/10)
    14. The Floating Opera - John Barth (8.5/10)
    15. Reflections in a Golden Eye - Carson McCullers (8/10)
    16. Play It as It Lays - Joan Didion (5/10)
    17. The Color of Night - Madison Smartt Bell (6.5/10)
    18. Clock Without Hands - Carson McCullers (10/10)
    19. Dusk and Other Stories - James Salter (7/10)
    20. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    21. Quarantine - Jim Crace (6/10)
    22. Lancelot - Walker Percy (6.5/10)
    23. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett (8/10)
    24. The Stranger - Albert Camus (8/10) (reread)
    25. Suttree - Cormac McCarthy (10/10 (reread)
    26. The End of the Road - John Barth (8/10)
    27. Canada - Richard Ford (9.5/10)
    28. The Thanatos Syndrome - Walker Percy (7.5/10)
    29. The Angel Esmeralda - Don DeLillo (7/10)

    30. The Last Gentleman - Walker Percy (8/10)

    Published in 1966, this was Percy's second novel. The protagonist was the easiest to like among the Percy stories I've read so far. He is a Princeton dropout from a proud Southern family who struggles with his mental health and works as a night janitor in NYC, where he falls in love with a Southern belle. That sets in motion a story that is as entertaining as it is touching

    31. A Sport and a Pastime - James Salter (7.5/10)

    Published in 1967, in a decade of sexual revolution, this is easily the most explicitly erotic book I've read. A Yale dropout is in provincial France when he meets a young woman. The book is 185 pages broken into 37 chapters and it details their intense romance. There is a real sense of passion or tension from the first page to the last. It is apparently very popular in France and for good reason, it's a classic. Reynolds Price from the NYTimes said this: "As nearly perfect as any American fiction I know"
     
    #219 Cornelius Suttree, May 21, 2020
    Last edited: May 22, 2020
  20. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    1) The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 8.5/10
    2) The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch 8/10
    3) The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 8/10
    4) Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman 7/10
    5) The Hot Zone by Richard Preston 8.5/10
    6) Atomic Habits by James Clear 8/10
    7) The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup 7.5/10
    8) Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski 6/10
    9) Belichick by Ian O'Connor 8/10
    10) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 9/10
    11) Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 9.5/10
    12) The Stand by Stephen King 9.25/10

    Started this beast of a book about a month or so ago, read most of it in the past week. M-o-o-n that spells done, laws yes. Once the characters started coming together I got really hooked. Thought the good guys were done when Stu went down. The walking dude had them in the first half, not gonna lie.
     
  21. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    1. The Shadow of What Was Lost (Licanius #1) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    2. An Echo of Things to Come (Licanius #2) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Light of All That Falls (Licanius #3) - James Islington (10/10)
    4. Starsight (Skyward #2) - Brandon Sanderson (7.5/10)
    5. The Prestige - Christopher Priest (7.5/10)
    6. American Gods - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    7. Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    8. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    9. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    10. Stardust - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    11. Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    12. Shadowblack (Spellslinger #2) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    13. Charmcaster (Spellslinger #3) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    14. Soulbinder (Spellslinger #4) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    15. Queenslayer (Spellslinger #5) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    16. Crownbreaker (Spellslinger #6) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    17. The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) - Mark Lawrence (8.5/10)
    18. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
     
  22. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    1. Black Ops (Expeditionary Force #4) by Craig Alanson (7/10)
    2. The First Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill George Washington, by Brad Meltzer (6/10)
    3. Blood of Elves (The Witcher #1) by Andrzej Sapkowski (8/10)
    4. Time of Contempt (The Witcher #2) by Andrzej Sapkowski (7/10)
    5. Family Secrets: The Case That Cripled the Chicago Mob, by Jeff Coen (8/10)
    6. Baptism by Fire (The Witcher #3) by Andrzej Sapkowsi (7/10)
    7. Lock Every Door by Riley Sager (7.5/10)
    8. Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi (6/10)
    9. Last of the Mohicans by James Fienmore Cooper (7/10)
    10. Into the Fire (Orphan X #5) by Gregg Horowitz (8.5/10)
    11. The Hot Zone, by Richard Preston (8.5/10)
    12. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins (7/10)
    13. Hymns of the Republic: The Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War, by S.C Gwynne (8.5/10)
    14. The Power of the Dog (Power of the Dog #1) by Don Winslow (9/10)
    15. The Cartel (Power of the Dog #2) by Don Winslow (9/10)
    16. The Border (Power of the Dog #3) by Don Winslow (9/10)
    17. The Field of Blood, by Joanne B Freeman (7.5/10)
    18. Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel (7/10)
    19. A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen (7/10)
    20. Savages by Don Winslow (6/10)
    21. The Kings of Cool by Don Winslow(7/10)
    22. The Force by Don Winslow (8/10)
    23. Sea of Poppies (Ibis #1) by Amitav Ghosh (8/10)
    24. River of Smoke (Ibis #2) by Amitav Ghosh (7/10)
    25. Deacon King Kong by James McBride (8/10)
    26. New Waves by Kevin Ngyuen (7/10)
    27. Flood of Fire (Ibis #3) by Amitav Ghosh (7.5)
    28. Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories and the Hunt for Putin's Spies by Gordon Corera (8.5/10)
    29. The Glass Hotel by Emily St John, Mandel (7/10)
    30. Wolf Hall, by Hillary Mantel (7/10)
    31. The End of October, by Lawerence Wright (8.5/10)
    32. The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (4/10)
    33. The Enemy of All Mankind by Steven Johnson (8/10)


    The Glass Hotel - Good story about a Ponzi Scheme and the fall out. I liked Station 11 so I gave this a shot. More about the characters growth than plot driven. Liked it, didnt love it. Glad I read it.

    The End of October - This was great. It's about a global pandemic and countries scrambling to ....welll do what's happening right now. The serendipity of this dude researching, writing this novel over the past few years only have it hit in the middle of real life pandemic. The book is really plot driven, with great characters. You can tell this guy is a journalist. Well written, good pacing ect.

    Wolf Hall - I cant tell if I actually liked this book, or am just proud of myself for finishing it. My knowledge of English History, or lack thereof kind of hurt my enjoyment. I'll probably read the other two books, but hopefully they're nto as much of a chore.

    The Ballad or Songbird and Snakes - Wooooooooof. This is the worst book that Ive actually finished in a really long time. I was excited to hear about a prequel to the Hunger Games. When I found out it was about President Snow, I got less excited. This book stunk. I kept waiting for it to take a turn and it never did. If it wasnt in the Hunger Games universe, I probably wouldnt have finished.

    Enemy of all Mankind - Loved this book. havent read much about the age of piracy. Learned a lot. Makes me want to dive into other stuff about Pirates and that era.



    I really need to update more often.
     
  23. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    1) The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 8.5/10
    2) The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch 8/10
    3) The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 8/10
    4) Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman 7/10
    5) The Hot Zone by Richard Preston 8.5/10
    6) Atomic Habits by James Clear 8/10
    7) The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup 7.5/10
    8) Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski 6/10
    9) Belichick by Ian O'Connor 8/10
    10) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 9/10
    11) Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 9.5/10
    12) The Stand by Stephen King 9.25/10
    13) The Office by Andy Greene 10/10*

    *Rating heavily influenced by being such a big fan of the show
     
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  24. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    1. The Noonday Demon: An Atlas Of Depression / Andrew Solomon (9/10)
    2. The Edifice Complex: How The Rich And Powerful (And Their Architects) Shape The World (6.5/10)
    3. Educated: A Memoir / Tara Westover (7/10)
    4. Train Dreams (A Novella) / Denis Johnson (10/10)
    5. From Bacteria To Bach And Back: The Evolution Of Minds / Daniel Dennett (6/10)
    6. Breaking New Ground: A Pictorial History Of Saluda County (5/10)
    7. The Southern Country Editor / Thomas D. Clark (6/10)
    8. The Stand / Stephen King (7.5/10) *reread*
    9. Jesus' Son: Stories / Denis Johnson (10/10)
    10. Prague: A Novel / Arthur Phillips (8/10)
    11. The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write (The Stories Behind Every Song) (9/10)
    12. Midnight Riders: The Story Of The Allman Brothers Band (7.5/10)

    13. Dune / Frank Herbert (6/10)
    Meh.



    Up Next --
    [​IMG]
     
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  25. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    1. No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    2. Child of God - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Crying of Lot 49 - Thomas Pynchon (4.5/10)
    4. Fire Sermon - Wright Morris (9/10)
    5. The Field of Vision - Wright Morris (7/10)
    6. The Throwback Special - Chris Bachelder (3/10)
    7. Slow Man - J.M. Coetzee (6.5/10)
    8. Ghosts - John Banville (6.5/10)
    9. Solo Faces - James Salter (10/10)
    10. The Year of Silence - Madison Smartt Bell (7/10)
    11. The Hunters - James Salter (9.5/10)
    12. Lunch at the Piccadilly - Clyde Edgerton (4/10)
    13. The Moviegoer - Walker Percy (10/10)
    14. The Floating Opera - John Barth (8.5/10)
    15. Reflections in a Golden Eye - Carson McCullers (8/10)
    16. Play It as It Lays - Joan Didion (5/10)
    17. The Color of Night - Madison Smartt Bell (6.5/10)
    18. Clock Without Hands - Carson McCullers (10/10)
    19. Dusk and Other Stories - James Salter (7/10)
    20. Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy (10/10) (reread)
    21. Quarantine - Jim Crace (6/10)
    22. Lancelot - Walker Percy (6.5/10)
    23. State of Wonder - Ann Patchett (8/10)
    24. The Stranger - Albert Camus (8/10) (reread)
    25. Suttree - Cormac McCarthy (10/10 (reread)
    26. The End of the Road - John Barth (8/10)
    27. Canada - Richard Ford (9.5/10)
    28. The Thanatos Syndrome - Walker Percy (7.5/10)
    29. The Angel Esmeralda - Don DeLillo (7/10)
    30. The Last Gentleman - Walker Percy (8/10)
    31. A Sport and a Pastime - James Salter (7.5/10)

    32. Vineland - Thomas Pynchon (0.5/10)


    Published in 1990, this was Pynchon's follow-up effort to Gravity's Rainbow, released 17 years earlier. It is excruciatingly bad. Set in 1984, Pynchon uses flashbacks to detail a small group of eccentric characters who are clashing with Republican agents of the war on drugs in Northern California. The most forced, corny and tedious book I can remember reading. It reads like it was written by someone who has never even smelled weed let alone experimented with hard drugs. Characters had names like Zoyd, Prairie, Ditzah, Frenesi, Billy Barf, Count Drugula, etc and they all use language straight out of Scooby Doo. Frankly I am pissed I read this over Memorial Day because the weather was so perfect and it detracted from what was otherwise a relaxing weekend. Instead of the word "really", which should hardly ever appear in a work of literature, Pynchon uses "rilly"....and does so about 250 times. I struggled to read this within a week, not because it's long or because it's challenging, but because it was just awful

    33. The Last Hurrah - Edwin O'Connor (9.5/10)

    Now, THIS book, on the other hand, was an absolute pleasure to read and not just because it came on the heels of such garbage. Published in 1956, it tells the story of the final push for public office by the last of a dying breed of Irish big city bosses. O'Connor never names the city, but it's clearly Boston. The main character is corrupt but has a larger than life personality. It traces his efforts to rally support while also spending a significant amount of time looking at things through the eyes of his opponents. It is regarded as one of the best political novels ever written and is also seen as one of the finest pieces of Irish-American literature. It's expertly written and the story is really engaging. I frequently found myself laughing aloud. Highly recommend to this board, especially in an election year
     
  26. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Yikes at that Pynchon review. I believe you also hated crying of lot 49? (Could have been someone else in this thread). I really like that one though
     
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  27. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Also for some reason Pynchon and Vonnegut run together in my head. Anybody else or that just me
     
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  28. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    I didn't like Crying of Lot 49. But for the most part I enjoyed Bleeding Edge and Inherent Vice, although both of them were pretty corny at times. Yuppificiation? Lol come on

    I'm with you. I like Vonnegut much more though. They write with a postmodern style and employ biting satire. They're also regarded as two of the best American authors of the late 20th century (Cormac McCarthy, Don DeLillo, Philip Roth, John Updike, EL Doctorow, Pynchon and Vonnegut seem to get the most critical acclaim IMO...sucks Saul Bellow was born in Canada). I think they both also attended Cornell (Ithaca is gorges!)

    for American postmodern writers, John Barth shits on them both based on the two books I've read of his though. William Gaddis too

    I enjoyed reading this, basically just order all the books listed here:

    https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2012/jul/23/great-american-novelist-tournament-final-32
     
    #228 Cornelius Suttree, Jun 3, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2020
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  29. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Cornelius Suttree are you familiar with Philip Johnson? I never saw him in any cannon of American authors but after reading 2 books I’m convinced he’s among th best

    *Denis Johnson
     
    #229 TC, Jun 3, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2020
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  30. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    I assume you mean Denis? I had never heard of him till seeing your ratings for his books this year. Looking him up he definitely looks like someone I need to read. National Book Award for Tree of Smoke. Was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction on several occasions :ballin:

    looks like he did the Iowa Writers' Workshop which is just a powerhouse factory :ohgosh:
     
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  31. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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    Yep, fucked that one up haha. Was thinking Philip with one L but it’s Denis with one S :facepalm:

    I have tree of smoke. Gonna be interesting bc his style is so economical, and this is his longest book. No idea what it’ll take him 500 pages to say
     
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  32. Tangman

    Tangman Well-Known Member
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    Have you done the Updike Rabbit series? I want to get around to that soon. It's a blessing and curse that there is so much stuff I want to read.
     
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  33. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    I've only read Rabbit, Run and it was awesome
     
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  34. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    Relatively recently read in order:

    A Gentleman in Moscow
    The Nightingale
    All the Light We Cannot See
    Cloud Atlas
    Shantaram
    11/22/63
    Stargirl
    Shōgun
    Blood Meridian
    The Sojourn
    The Martian
    All the Pretty Horses
    Ready Player One
    Solo Faces
    The Hunger Games
    Catching Fire
    Mockingjay

    Only one I didn't really like/love was Solo Faces.
    Loved the climbing parts but the rest just wasn't for me. Rand was a kinda a dick.
     
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  35. Tangman

    Tangman Well-Known Member
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    1) Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families (J. Anthony Lukas) - 9.5/10 -
    2) Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA, and the Secret History of the Sixties (Tom O'Neill) - 6.5/10
    3) Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov) - 8.5/10
    4) The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus (Richard Preston) - 7.5/10
    5) One Nation Under God: How Corporate America Invented Christian America (Kevin M. Kruse) - 7/10
    6) The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World (Niall Ferguson) - 6/10
    7) Field of Blood: Violence in Congress and the Road to Civil War (Joanne B. Freeman) - 8/10
    8) The Dog of the South (Charles Portis) - 9/10 -
    I think this is one of the funniest books I've ever read. Basic premise is an aimless guy from Little Rock sees a friend he helped bail out of jail take off to Mexico with his live-in girlfriend and follows them South. I read a review that stated "his work reflects an America whose overwrought sense of self had over time gone from point of pride to postmodern joke" and I think that hits on one of his major themes here. Ancillary characters are mostly conmen with a grandiose sense of ability and self-importance. Frankly it's hard to kind of hard for me to explain but it's not long and worth a read IMO. Of Portis' works, I had only read True Grit previously and this is several levels better.
    9) What It Takes: The Way to the White House (Richard Ben Cramer) - 9/10 - An exhaustive (1100 pages) look at the primaries of the 1988 election. Cramer was given what appears to be almost total access to 6 different campaigns (Bush, Dole, Dukakis, Biden, Gephardt, Hart) and produced a great work of nonfiction. He mentions at the beginning that he did not see Jesse Jackson coming and regretted it. A little slow in the first half as he provides political history and background on all 6 but once he gets into the politicking it flows wonderfully. I might have found the parts about Hart most gripping; I knew the general story but not the details. Lots of Biden if you're interested in that story in the coming months. Highly recommend.
    10) Miss Lonelyhearts (Nathanael West) - 8/10 - A very dark and black Expressionist novella. The main character, Miss Lonelyhearts, is a man who writes an advice column in New York in the early 30s. The advice column is a joke to the rest of the newspaper but ML realizes that the letters he receives show true suffering and despair. This realization sends him into a existential crisis where he stays for most of the proceedings. A withering rebuke of American culture.
    11) Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil (Susan Neiman) - 8/10 - Neiman talks about the ways in which Germany has atoned for Nazi atrocities and how we Americans might learn from them in atoning for our legacy of slavery and racism. She's a American Jewish philosopher who has lived in Germany for the last 35 years, for those unfamiliar. I was unaware of how long it took for Germany to really atone for the Holocaust (and how East and West Germany differed in the commitment to atonement); it is apparently a fairly recent deal. She's careful to point out the differences but some enlightening takes from folks in both countries. Worth a read for sure.

    Up Next: 1) Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow 2) The Heart is a Lonely Hunter 3) Thy Neighbor's Wife
     
  36. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    TC, started a new book yesterday. And while I won't reveal what it is, I will share it's an edition from 1989. At the back it lists a bunch of other Vintage Contemporaries you can order by mail (those were the days). Angels, Fiskadoro and The Stars at Noon (all the novels Johnson had published by the time of print) are listed there. So that means in the late 80s he was considered one of the best writers in America, or at the very least a contemporary of the author I'm reading

    literary detective work IMO
     
    #236 Cornelius Suttree, Jun 5, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2020
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  37. TC

    TC Peter, 53, from Toxteth
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  38. Upton^2

    Upton^2 blocked just a park away, but I can't really say
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    ]1. The British Are Coming by Rick Atkinson - 7.5/10
    2. Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow - 8/10
    3. The Fiery Trial by Eric Foner - Finished Frederick Douglass by David Blight last year. This book was so fantastic. Second Founding is on my list.
    4. The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells - 7/10
    5. Uncanny Valley by Anna Weiner - 3/10
    6. The Economists' Hour by Binyamin Applebaum - 8/10
    7. The Shadow of Vesuvius by Daisy Dunn - 8/10. Biography of Pliny the Younger. Finished it in preparation for my trip to Rome schedule for May this year which will obviously not be happening. But still fun.
    8. The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson - 8.5/10. About the Blitz coupled with Churchill's speeches to the public and vying to get Roosevelt involved. Very good.
    9. Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy - 9.5/10
    10. Empire of the Summer Moon by SC Gwynne - 9/10. Truly amazing. Learned so much. Have his biography of Stonewall Jackson on deck.
    11. Supreme Inequality by Adam Cohen - 7/10. Recent history of Supreme Court rulings and impact on workers, the poor, etc. Depressing read, but good context.
    12. Barbarian Days by William Finnegan - 9/10. Surfing memoir fixed with a literary autobiography from writer at New Yorker. Fantastic quarantine read. Got me inspired to get back into snowboarding.
    13. The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen - 8/10. A theme in my last 2 books I think since being stuck inside. Cool adventure/travel memoir but lots of really interesting Buddhist history/thought.
     
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  39. billdozer

    billdozer Well-Known Member
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    1. The Shadow of What Was Lost (Licanius #1) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    2. An Echo of Things to Come (Licanius #2) - James Islington (10/10) (reread)
    3. The Light of All That Falls (Licanius #3) - James Islington (10/10)
    4. Starsight (Skyward #2) - Brandon Sanderson (7.5/10)
    5. The Prestige - Christopher Priest (7.5/10)
    6. American Gods - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    7. Norse Mythology - Neil Gaiman (7.5/10)
    8. Good Omens - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    9. Neverwhere - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    10. Stardust - Neil Gaiman (8.5/10)
    11. Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    12. Shadowblack (Spellslinger #2) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    13. Charmcaster (Spellslinger #3) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    14. Soulbinder (Spellslinger #4) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    15. Queenslayer (Spellslinger #5) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    16. Crownbreaker (Spellslinger #6) - Sebastien de Castell (8.5/10)
    17. The Girl and the Stars (Book of the Ice #1) - Mark Lawrence (8.5/10)
    18. Red Rising (Red Rising #1) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
    19. Golden Son (Red Rising #2) - Pierce Brown (9/10)
     
  40. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    Getting to read the Red Rising books for the first time... so jealous
     
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  41. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    Never read them either. Good huh?

    They're not like Solo Faces are they? This is joke.
     
  42. The Blackfish

    The Blackfish The Fish in Black
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    They’re not perfect but definitely belong in the books you can’t put down thread.
     
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  43. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    Started reading a week or two ago. Only about 25% in. Really enjoy the mentions of streets and areas I know from Knoxville from having lived here the past year. Took this picture on a walk yesterday Cornelius Suttree
     

    Attached Files:

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  44. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    that's awesome man

    hopefully you end up liking it more than Solo Faces hah. I crack up just thinking about one of the side characters you meet early on
     
  45. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    That was me that didn't like Solo. I mean he may have too...
     
  46. BP

    BP Bout to Regulate.
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    Titan: The life of J D Rockefeller Sr- Ron Chernow
    Conquistador- Buddy Levy
    Washington's Spies- Alexander Rose
    On the Road- Jack Kerouac
    Jungle of Stone-William Caelsen
    Granite Mountain-Brenden McDonough
    Cant Hurt Me- David Goggins
    Under the Banner of Heaven-Jon Krakauer
    Troublemaker-Leah Remini
    In the Garden of Beasts- Erik Larson
    A Thousand Lives-Julia Scheeres
     
  47. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    1) The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 8.5/10
    2) The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch 8/10
    3) The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 8/10
    4) Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman 7/10
    5) The Hot Zone by Richard Preston 8.5/10
    6) Atomic Habits by James Clear 8/10
    7) The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup 7.5/10
    8) Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski 6/10
    9) Belichick by Ian O'Connor 8/10
    10) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 9/10
    11) Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 9.5/10
    12) The Stand by Stephen King 9.25/10
    13) The Office by Andy Greene 10/10
    14) Suttree by Cormac McCarthy 9/10

    Thought the writing was great, found myself rereading some passages out of enjoyment which I really don't do a lot. Laughed a lot more than I would have expected going in. The more I think about it the more I like it.
     

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  48. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    re: Suttree

    the dialogue between Sut and Harrogate includes some of the funniest lines I've ever read. Gene's schemes are a non-stop source of humor

    Suttree's relationship with Ab Jones is one of my favorite friendships in literary history. He befriends so many marginalized people and willingly embraces people forced to live on the fringes of society, pretty admirable for a white man from a wealthy family in the Jim Crow South :ohgosh:

    and I get so misty at the end when those young black boys see a body being hauled off Suttree's houseboat and one says "shit, old Suttree ain't dead"
     
    #248 Cornelius Suttree, Jun 15, 2020
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2020
    Kevintensity likes this.
  49. Fargin' Icehole

    Fargin' Icehole 50% soulless
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    "People were always getting ready for tomorrow. I didnt believe in that. Tomorrow wasnt getting ready for them. It didnt even know they were there."

    Just finished The Road. Top 5 book for me.
     
  50. Kevintensity

    Kevintensity Poster/Posting Game Coordinator
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    1) The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 8.5/10
    2) The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch 8/10
    3) The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski 8/10
    4) Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman 7/10
    5) The Hot Zone by Richard Preston 8.5/10
    6) Atomic Habits by James Clear 8/10
    7) The Chestnut Man by Soren Sveistrup 7.5/10
    8) Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski 6/10
    9) Belichick by Ian O'Connor 8/10
    10) Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro 9/10
    11) Shoe Dog by Phil Knight 9.5/10
    12) The Stand by Stephen King 9.25/10
    13) The Office by Andy Greene 10/10
    14) Suttree by Cormac McCarthy 9/10
    15) Devil in the White City by Erik Larson 7/10

    Didn't have much interest in the world's fair part until the fair actually started in the book. The rest was pretty good though