(Summer) Reading
June 20th, 2005I’d like to think that I’m above all the business. But I’m not. I don’t believe in chain letters, or filling out those email surveys that are 70 pages long and ask very personal questions that only a special someone should know. However.
Gail has tagged me with the lit shit. And I’m a sucker for summer reading lists, even if I never read them.
Number of books I own:
Too many to count, but not enough that a garage sale following either my death or catastrophe would warrant embarassment (as in, “lordy, that’s so many books… how did they fit all of them in that house?”). Enough to make a mover grumble and for the shelves in the basement to have to be double stacked (easy with paperbooks, not so much with hardbacks).
Last book I bought:
Technically, Heather bought it, but I read it the second she put it down, Leaving the Saints, How I Lost the Mormons and Found my Faith by Martha Beck. I dig on this stuff, especially when it’s as insider as this one. People leaving any religion is a big deal to me, and when people leave the one I grew up with, I’m doubly interested.
Last book I read:
Mr. Paradise by Elmore Leonard. It was a father’s day gift from Leta or Chuck. I read it on the Vancouver trip and it was good.
Five books that mean a lot to me:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. For many years after I read this book, it was the only way to describe how I lived, minus the drugs. I tried to change, but when Heather and I got together, it only amplified after a long silence. I’m speaking of the craziness.
Of Human Bondage by M. Somerset Maugham. I had to choose this from a reading list in an ethics and values class. Like Thomas Hardy, but with the main characters only bruised and battered, not torn apart and eviscerated from the inside out. Reminded me of my time in England, with the ruddy cheeks and staying in the one room that has the fire.
I will be torn a new one for what I’m about to type, but this one really got to me. Maybe because of where I was in my life, maybe because I’m a sucker or maybe because it’s good. I loved A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. Loved it. Maybe because I suffered a slightly similar loss as I entered adulthood.
Airships by Barry Hannah. During my time at a music magazine, I was surrounded by grad students getting Masters of Fine Art (MFA) in creative writing. There is a scene in The Addiction that characterizes your average MFA student; Lili Taylor goes off on a tangent, name dropping authors that only grad students would know with the unencumbered arrogance that only grad students have. Anyway, I asked them what they thought good literature was (we went the rounds about the value of knowing about past works, particularly those regarded as “classics”… I’m a big fat classicist, how bourgeois) and they suggested this book. So I finally bought it used and the stories are so good that one in particular vaulted itself to the top of my favorites. “Testimony of Pilot” blew my shit away. So good.
Of course, I could probably name a dozen books that mean a lot to me and the moment I publish this, I’ll second, third and fourth guess it.
Book(s) I wished I’d written:
Underworld by Don Delillo. American Tabloid by James Ellroy. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems by Richard Ferber.
Yow. Long.
I’d tag Heather, but she’d kill me. o
Well done. I can relate to your list and the way you explain your choices. I felt the world wobble slightly on its axis down there at the bottom, when I saw you mention “American Tabloid.” I just finished that piece of viscera two nights ago, and know what you mean. Not to mention the non-sleeping baby phenomenon.
underworld is just amazing… one of those books you read that reminds you of precisely why you aren’t writing the great american novel — the depth and breadth of that book just blows me away… its a rare mind that can produce something so expansive. re: HWOSG, did you not feel that the 2nd half of that book could’ve used some, uhh, editing? eggers is *the man*, and the first 1/2 of that book is pretty stunning, but the second half felt a tad, i dunno, repetitive.
though you didn’t ask for recommendations, i think you’d really like The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, in light of your selections here. a great read, and humbling in a manner similar to Underworld. check it out if you get a chance.
so how did you like ‘Leaving the Saints, How I Lost the Mormons and Found my Faith’ by Martha Beck? I have been meaning to get around to that one…..
if you liked “a heartbreaking work…” you should read his second book “you shall know our velocity”. it is fiction this time and i almost cried at the end because i did not want it to be over. he has such an amazing touch with words
I have never read any of those books, I do however love to read. Right now I am working my way through my third series of trashy VC Andrews books.
One of my favorites that are not trashy:
Kaffir Boy by Mark Mathabane. (http://tinyurl.com/a6uy5 the first chapter)
Wow, so much high-brow reading going on…
Have a little fun, read “Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal” by Christopher Moore. It’s one of the funniest books I’ve ever read and it’s not even sacreligious (okay, that may be open to interpretation. And I probably spelled sacreligious wrong. Sue me).
Or, if you’re not into reading about the exploits of Biff, read “Bloodsucking Fiends” by the same author. The Animals are hilarious.
ohhh, tag her, TAG HER! please! she won’t kill you, and we’ll love you both more for learning her literary preferences. it was great to learn yours. thanks!!!
Why would you get torn a new one for citing “A Heartbreaking Tale of Staggering Genius”?
i’m with heather…i loved “heartbreaking”, and the part where he’s wrestling with toph and he describes the elbow and ankle maneuvers. how can you read “so at present he is coming at me, on his knees, elbow first, slapping it with his left palm, looking like an angry, masochistic double-amputee” and not break into hysterical laughter?
ok so i looked that up. sue me.
I too loved “Heartbraking”.
The husband is reading underworld.
I’ve been meaning to read “Fear and Loathing”.
I love the book list, but I’m STUNNED that you mentioned the movie The Addiction. It was such an interesting take on the whole vampire/addiction thing, I find myself thinking about the movie frequently (course, I’m in recovery, so that could be why–I always think of Christopher Walken saying “I defecate now. Can you say that?”).
Wow. What an obscure reference!
Have you read “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail”? Terrific stuff, some of the most honest and insightful political journalism I’ve ever read. “Great Shark Hunt”, “Hell’s Angels” — with HST it’s all good until about 1976.
its light humourous faire, but well worth its weight in snorts and belly laughs. Either of these 2 by author David Sedaris:
ME TALK PRETTY ONE DAY
or
DRESS YOUR FAMILY IN DENIM & COURDROY
There are passages where i would be laughing hysterically into the pages. I didnt think text could *DO* that to me anymore. Sedaris has restored my faith in comedic writing.
OH!
and on the HST tip:
“PROUD HIGHWAY”
Its a massive text filled with all the letters and correspondences he wrote from his late high-school days all the way out to his working for TIME in NYC. Which spanned the time he spent in San Juan PR where he wrote his first novel, The RUM DIARIES. Which is being made into a movie, in which Depp will once again reprise his role as The Good Doctor.
BTW: Having read F&L in LV a solid dozen times PRIOR to the film of the same… i often considered the book to be simply “unfilmable” However, Terry Gilliam is simply: *The Shit*
Just to put it out there because it’s sort of Eggers-like (only quite better, in my not so humble opinion).
http://tinyurl.com/7jycd
If (the universal) you haven’t already read it, I think it was quite wonderful and sad.
great tag! i think that is my favorite of the ones i have seen. books rule, i love books. i will be leaving some ass pants a lot of books and they’d better keep them and pass them on to the next ass pants or i will be very very mad!
i am FOR SURE going to read the RM book mentioned!
“I don’t believe in chain letters, or filling out those email surveys that are 70 pages long and ask very personal questions that only a special someone should know.”
That made me snort. Considering we’ve all read about some of your more memorable shits at dooce.com.
Cindi: I liked Leaving the Saints.
Nobody: F&L on the Campaign Trail is a fantastic work. As is Proud Highway. Proud Highway shows a deeper HST than perhaps previously revealed.
Seannarae: Agreed on Sedaris. Fantastic.
Anne: I think referring to them as “memorable shits” might be a bit overstated. At least not memorable to me.
Due to the lateness of the post, I neglected to thank Gail for the tag. Thanks, Gail!
Dave Eggers is the man. I always feel like a sellout when I mention him and Joey Geobel, but those men can write some damn good contemporary pieces. I have yet to read the rest of Eggers’ work (due to my lack of WINNING on the the devil that is Ebay), but I hear “You Should Know Our Velocity” is just as amazing.
I really enjoy A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius too and often cite it as a favourite book. This has one of two reactions; the person Iím conversing with has either never heard of the book or will give me a withering stare as if I just admitted to a passion for collecting porcelain cats in my spare time.
I’m happy there are a few more “Heartbreaking” lovers in the comments. I feel slightly less daggy.
The Eggers novel is one of the best contemporary novels written. The Maugham work is one of the best, too, for its time. If you haven’t read it, try “Lolita,” it’s disturbing but a great novel. Barry Hannah’s “Ray” is excellent, too. Anyone reading this should also read some of Larry Brown’s stuff for the best Southern Lit of its time.
I too love David Sedaris. I’m currently reading “Dress your family….”
If you haven’t read any of his stuff yet, I highly recommend it. You would appreciate his sarcasm.
HWOSG is awesome. Thanks to you, Jon, I read ‘Under The Banner of Heaven’ by Jon Krakauer. Scary shit, especially since it’s true.
Thanks for your faves!
Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything Is Illuminated is truly righteous.
And not to do the name dropping thing, but I stood outside a conference building in Chattanooga smoking a cigarette with this badly dressed little man, and then when we went inside, he went to the other side of the table in the front of the room. You know, cause he was Barry Hannah. I made a little poo in my drawers.
BTW, good luck on finding a hot girl-on-girl conference.
“Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything Is Illuminated is truly righteous.”
So glad someone else here agrees. Hey Ashby, have you read his wife’s latest book? The History of Love? It’s also quite good. Not AS good but good. Also very sad.
This is the second time today that “A Heartbreaking Work…” has appeared in front of me today, so it’s going to the top of the list.
Have you read any Larry Brown? He is/was often compared to Barry Hannah. I love his short stories and creative non-fiction, and highly recommend both. His novels are good (especially Dirty Work) but not quite as good as the others.
I always marvel at people’s reading list. For me, I never had the patience to read ‘for pleasure’. Give me a non-fiction book on politics, and you’ll hold my attention for at least 3/4 of the way.
Give me a tech book, and I’ll dip into whatever sections I need to know now or that I find interesting.
Fiction? Nothing ever inspires me.
(Shameless plug because I love him)
Charlie, tech books eh? check out my husband’s book on PHP5. :] I hear it’s superb. It means almost nothing to me, tho. WAY over my head for the most part.
http://tinyurl.com/dm773
regarding tech books:
does *anyone else* have these texts next to their favourite shitter? i dont know what it is, but i seem to retain more software/coding tips & tricks whilst on the pot then i do seated at a workstation. i know, i know, too much info. but perhaps someone else out there noticed the same temporal connection between the evacuation of waste and the retention of knowledge.
mihow - I just finished “History of Love” about a week ago. I definitely need to read more of Krauss’ work. Her character development was pretty good, and the level of detail she put into the story was amazing.
“Everything is Illuminated” was amazing so I have high expectations for JSF’s new book. I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.
While I’m typing stuff, I’ll mention a book that I haven’t read but sounds fairly interesting: The Future Dictionary of America. Anyone read it? Just wondering.
JSF’s new book made me cry and laugh repeatedly. Sometimes, on the same page. Glad to hear you loved History of Love. I’m about half way through. While no one will ever touch Eugenides (hehe), you’re right, thus far I must say her character development is pretty amazing.
“A Heatbreaking Work…” is one of the best books I’ve ever read, though Faulkner tops my list with “As I Lay Dying” or “Sound and the Fury.” It’s always a toss up depending on the day. Good list though, I’m a big fan of most of them.
A Heartbreaking… is on my shelf but haven’t had the time but based on the comments, I should make some. I saw James Ellroy speak at Chicago Public Library and he blew me away. My jaw hung open the entire lecture. He is one amazingly foul mouthed talented individual. And I mean that in a good way. Plus he took the time to be sweet to a lowly peon like me. We all should aspire to write something as good as American Tabloid. From one bibliophile to another, your list rocked.
The HST reference sent me back to “Great Shark Hunt” last night, and I was struck by how much bloggers owe to him. Check out this nugget from his description of the Freak Power campaign in Aspen’s 1969 mayoral election:
“None of us even knew Joe Edwards. For weeks we had joked about our ìghost candidateî who emerged from time to time to insist that he was the helpless creature of some mysterious Political Machine that had caused his phone to ring one Saturday at midnight, and told him he was running for Mayor.
Which was more or less true. I had called him in a frenzy, full of booze and resentment at a rumor that a gaggle of local powermongers had already met and decided who Aspenís next mayor would be . . . . I was sitting in Peggy Cliffordí living room when I heard about it, and, as I recall, we both agreed that the fuckers had gone too far this time. . . .
But at the time it seemed necessary to come up with a candidate whose Strange Tastes and Para-Legal Behavior were absolutely beyond question . . . a man whose candidacy would torture the outer limits of political gall, whose name would strike fear and shock the heart of every burgher, and whose massive unsuitability for the job would cause even the most apolitical drug-child in the townís most degenerate commune to shout, ìYes! I must vote for that man!î
Tech Books on the commode: The only times I take them there is when I am struggling over a particular issue, but that has to involve a tight deadline.
Mihow: the problem you had is that you were looking for a plot.
Right on…Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas has to be one of my all-time favourites. But any other day, it could just as well be Catcher in the Rye.
The Time Traveler’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
I am finally getting around to reading something meaty about my new homeland, the Flint Hills of Kansas. PrairyErth (a deep map) by William Least Heat~Moon.
btw…thanks for the link to the top 50 websites. I had no idea how many great blogs I was missing out on…(weeps as she thinks of more hours in front of the computer).
I, too, love reading about people leaving their “faith”. My father is a retired church pastor. I’m a pornographer. I guess you could say I left my faith. If it interests you, I was interviewed by a man named Luke Ford about my religious background.