sugaree
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:47:51 GMT -5
From Im2718
I read that book. Very interesting read :shock:
It is not well written and you can feel her anger when you read the book but what a life....
It seems like their marriage was based on her supplying his day to day needs more like a day to day manager/housekeeper then a wife. She felt like she was not loved by him just used.
I think the Bowie's autobiography is due to come out this year and it will be interesting to hear his side.
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:48:31 GMT -5
From gelly14
May i recommend one of my all time favorite books
The Last Temptation of Christ by Nikos Kazantzakis
Nikos Kazantzakis was one of the most important writers and philosophers of modern Greece.
The book was included by the Roman Catholic Church in the index of Prohibited Books and also the Greek Orthodox Church excommunicated him.He didnt have a proper burier the church denied it, and on his epitaph are his words " i hope for nothing. I fear nothing. I am free"
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:49:20 GMT -5
From Buderschnookie
I just finished a quite remarkable book- Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese. It was truly an excellent piece of writing. Very rarely does a book surprise me like this one did- I had a literal "gasp" moment where I actually had to set it aside for a bit to regroup and gather my thoughts. It made interesting a geographic location I previously had no interest in, taught me a culture's history I had never paid attention to, and forced me to acknowledge things about myself that I did know but had conveniently forgotten.
One of those books where the characters are so finely drawn that even after you close the last page you wish them well and hope that life treats them kindly.
It's one I'm certain I will revisit in the future- a real treat.
Next Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby. It's a hysterical and very insightful look at fandom, message boards, being overinvested in an artist, and what fame can do to people.
The Sculptor by Gregory Funaro is free on Kindle right now and a very entertaining "super smart serial killer" in the Hannibal vein with a lot of Michelangelo/Italian art history focus.
Preposterous, but good if you like gooshy body parts and novel methods of body manipulation/transformation.
And ETA last recommendation of the day- light reading alert!
Ladies, ladies, ladies- not a classic "bodice ripper" by any means but quite graphic (lots of sex and violence) is the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward. Eight books so far, each one better than the last. They are six foot six smoking hot sexy vampire hunk warriors, each deeply flawed and damaged with an engrossing backstory full of pain and tragedy, and eventual redemption.
Highly recommended if it sounds even the least bit interesting to you- in the mythology of their world they do remarkable good for mankind, not evil at all.
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:50:09 GMT -5
From crispy
I love the idea of this thread! And I'd like to add my definite thumbs up to this one. Not just Kavalier & Klay (which I believe was one of Adam's favorite books) , but just about anything written by Michael Chabon. He's one of my favorite authors, and he has a series of essays called Manhood for Amateurs that came out in paperback last fall. Really a wonderful writer. I'm also reading The Warmth of Other Suns, which is a really fascinating account of the Great Migration (where much of the black south simply left because the oppression was so great).
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:50:49 GMT -5
From Im2718
Crispy did you read his book "The Yiddish Policemen's Union"? I love his imagination and the world he built in that book.
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:51:41 GMT -5
From crispy
lm2718, I did and loved it. The man's imagination is amazing and his way with prose - he's one of the few authors I read that I should keep a yellow highlighter nearby because there are so many phrases that I want to return to and just savor. He has a very dry sense of humor and I find his stuff very funny. How about earlier things: Mysteries of Pittsburgh, anyone? And Wonder Boys, The Final Solution, and an early YA story that I thought was terrific called Summerland. That one was a fantasy adventure involving alternate universes and baseball.
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:52:37 GMT -5
From Im2718
I read Summerland and loved it but not as much as the other two. I would love to have a chat with him. His imagination is crazy the alternate universes he builds are really captivating.
In Kavalier and Clay I loved how he used the story of the Golem of Prague, the Hero sidekick relationship in comics (guessing this is what probably caught Adam's attention).
In the Yiddish Policemen the whole idea of what will happen if the results of WW2 were different and the state of Israel wouldn't have been created and the idea of a leased Jewish state in Alaska is just beyond. This is all on a background of a murder investigation - amazing.
I didn't read his earlier work, thanks for reminding me I will order them now.
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:53:24 GMT -5
From Willowgarden
I love English Tudor history as well and have read probably all of Alison Weir's books. My favorite period of history though is ancient Rome. I loved the Colleen McCullough Rome books and loved the HBO Rome series. I think Eber mentioned that he was watching this series as well.
Cassie, I am getting my Kindle this weekend and am looking forward to reading again unless there is an Adam music video leak. The first book I am going to buy on Kindle is Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother. I am Chinese and am interested in this subject.
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:54:10 GMT -5
From Herovillain
Here is something that I believe the unusual history and nature lovers from this board will enjoy: "The Hatchet" by Mihail Sadoveanu. He's a romanian writer, but the book is available in English, as far as I can tell from Amazon.
It's a murder mystery situated in a mountainous and rural area of 19th century Romania. You will be amazed at the strength of character and deductive skills that the leading lady possess. :lol:
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Post by sugaree on Feb 28, 2011 16:54:44 GMT -5
From AlisonWillowgarden, I forgot about the Rome series. I always wanted to watch that so I added it to my Netflix queue. Thanks for reminding me! Buderschnookie, what's wrong with a good "bodice ripper" every once in a while? Wink One of my favorites is Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I haven't read them in years (and I only read the first four) but I have been planning on revisiting them. They are part historical fiction (18th century Scotland), part fantasy (time travel/witchcraft), lots of medicine, plenty of battles, detailed descriptions of Highland flora and fauna (Gabaldon used to be a professor of ecology), a strong female character, and total hotness of Highlanders in kilts Very Happy. They are pretty steamy. I recommended the series to a friend and received a personal "thank you" from her husband Laughing. Here is an interesting interview with the genre defying author. I think she would fit in here on Atop quite nicely. januarymagazine.com/profiles/gabaldon.html
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