Book Choice

[Rod Hagen]

Hi. Going to NYC for the weekend (not working.) Finishing David Sedaris's newest, amusing, book. Need to bring another. For those who have read both would you choose Donna Tartt's "The Little Friend" or "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger"? Why? If you've only read one or the other, what did you think of it. THANKS!

[Rick Munroe]

>Finishing

>David Sedaris's newest, amusing, book.

 

What is it about? Another collection of essays or...?

[Guest DrBedlow]

It is another collection of essays. The usual very drole semi-factual family memories. I got the unabridged audio book version of that and the one his sister Amy co-wrote called "Wigfield".

 

I found all of the stories as usual very amusing, and I particularly like his delivery (especially the live recording of one story about his brother Paul, with a line about how Paul compares running his floor sanding business to giving a blow job).

[Guest HonkingGoose]

I read and thoroughly enjoyed the Time Traveler's Wife--very unusual.

[larbord]

I am going back a bit, but if you haven't read it, I would highly recommend "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay". Read this before the movie comes out. I don't know of a single person that has read this book and not fallen in love with it.:+

[ready182]

I recommend Harry Potter !

[Rod Hagen]

Thanks everyone. I'm back.

While in NYC this weekend I read:

 

David Sedaris's new book

David Cooper's "Closer"

"The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time" which is probably one of the 5 most brilliant, and original books, I've ever read.

The latest, thick, New Yorker Magazine

and I'm finishing "The Time Traveler's Wife"

 

Of all this, I recommend "The Curious Incident" above all, even Sedaris. It's a remarkable story. Plausible and fresh.

[bigguyinpasadena]

I have just started reading Sedarias'new book-do any of you reading(have read)it find his tone is getting-welllll not darker perhaps more of a "melancholic rememberance"to it?

I am taking The Moon and Sixpense to read in the airport and on the plane.

[skins1]

I agree "the curious incident" was excellent. one of my top 5.

 

augusten burroughs "running with scissors" and "dry" are both wonderful as well.

[Rod Hagen]

BigGuy, "Moon and Sixpence" is...warm and tropical. Hopefully you have it in a collection so that you can reread the short "Rain" and give The Painted Veil a read too, and then think about how DH Lawrence would have handled the same story. Enjoy.

 

"Dry" and "Running with" are both perfect toilet books. He's setting himself up to be the next Sedaris, obviously. The small problem is that his stories are certainly more fantasy than memoir. Nevertheless, it's enjoyable.

 

April New York Trip:

"The Spotted Pig" overrated restaurant.

"Bug" overrated play

"Turkish Kitchen" underrated restaurant.

 

June NY Trip:

"The Assassins" sucks

"Broadway: The Golden Age" fun film. Director was there for question and answer afterward.

[bigguyinpasadena]

Rod,is the Broadway movie narrated bu Michael Feinstein?

Do you agree with me on Sedaris's tone changing?

[Rod Hagen]

>Rod,is the Broadway movie narrated bu Michael Feinstein?

>Do you agree with me on Sedaris's tone changing?

 

No. Yes. (Sedaris seems to have grown up).

[Rod Hagen]

>No. Yes. (Sedaris seems to have grown up).

 

Broadway: The Golden Age

http://imdb.com/title/tt0303797/

[Guest gentle guy]

Just finished reading Haddon's "Curious Incident." I agree--a wonderfully amazing book.

 

I would also recommend "The Kite Runner."

[Samai139]

Please tell me who wrote: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. Thanks.

[bigguyinpasadena]

Just finishing up The Curious Incedent>>>>What is it that y'all found so amazing?I enjoyed the author having his protaganist not being able to "editorialize"-as an autistic would not be able to do that,and I can see that writing from this POV would take a lot of talent as it is so foriegn to most of us.

I did enjoy the book.

[+ Lucky]

RE: Book Choice At Swim

 

I read the Sedaris book, but quickly became bored and finally skimmed the last pages.

Last year a book was discussed here that I recently read: At Swim Two Boys by Jamie McNeill. I thought it was absolutely beautiful.

[Guest gentle guy]

Author's name

 

Mark Haddon.

[Guest rohale]

RE: Author's name

 

I just read a book titled " The Boy Who Could Kick Pigs " authored by Tom Baker. I actually found it terribly funny and witty. A good book to read and pass the time with when one is on an airline.

 

Rohale

[+ Lucky]

RE: Author's name

 

"The Boy Who Could Kick Pigs"

 

Do you think the security forces are going to allow that book on an airline?

[Trixie]

RE: Kavalier & Clay

 

I started to read it, and in fact did not fall in love with it. I found it so boring that I couldn't finish it. I am also a friend of the author's gardener, who finds the author a total idiot.

(This has nothing to do with the author's capabilities as a writer... I disliked his book long before my friend began gardening for him.)

Yet a different friend began reading the Time Traveller's Wife and found it lacking. Great premise, he said, but no real story therein. The twist is the Time Traveller (and his wife) spend a lot of time naked. OOO-la-la!

It's old, old now, but if you haven't read it, try "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles" by Haruki Murikami. It will catch your attenion by the first page, and has the best description of a live human skinning that has ever been put to pen and ink.

 

Trix

[Guest rohale]

RE: Author's name

 

>"The Boy Who Could Kick Pigs"

>

>Do you think the security forces are going to allow that book

>on an airline?

 

No one at Gatwick Airport or LAX complained. There was one passenger who I struck up a conversation heading backing to LA and she found the title to be amusing. That was it really :-)

 

Rohale

[Pelican1]

RE: Author's name

 

I've just become a huge fan of Paul Russell. I liked Sea of Tranquillity, and LOVED "The Coming Storm," about a 25-year old man from NYC who moves to upstate NY to teach at an all-boys academy (high school) and ends up having a sexual relationship with one of his 15-year old students. It was riveting!! The first book that got me hard AND made me cry in the same sitting (although, admittedly, I'm new at reading gay literature -- have read about 5 books in this genre...) Anyone else read any Paul Russell books?

[+ Hoover42]

RE: Author's name

 

Hey Pelican,

 

Have you read Alan Hollinghurst?

 

You might like The Folding Star (hard to find, though).

 

...Hoover

[spiro3]

RE: Book Choice At Swim

 

>I read the Sedaris book, but quickly became bored and finally

>skimmed the last pages.

 

Are you humor- deficient? Or come from a happy family? I've been up all night reading this book, and trying hard not to laugh out loud and wake up the family......Apropos of this group is the story "Blood Work" about the time Sedaris works at a housecleaning service and the client mistakes him for an sex worker. Hilarious.

 

Let me put in a plug for Kent Haruf's new work "Eventide" Not gay related, but just a beautifully evocative novel of life on the Colorado plains.