BOOKS I JUST READ

LAURA INGALLS

Sat, 26 Dec 2009 11:48:06 -0500

Yesterday, Christmas Day, I sped through my favorite Little House on the Prairie book, The Long Winter. It seemed appropriate to read a book about being trapped with your family through blizzards on Christmas. Just joking! I love that installation of the series because it switches back and forth from different point of views, and it describes an epic struggle to survive- one which many of us could not imagine in our present time.

I read it really fast, just like the old days, when I was in elementary school and reading so voraciously and intensely that I wouldn’t be able to hear anyone speak to me. I’ve gotten in trouble more than once for ignoring people while I was reading. And I felt that way again while re-reading The Long Winter. I feel excited to share this series with my future offspring because it’s kind of shaped my worldview. I’ve been able to progress in my reading, my life choices and certainly been able to admire different lifestyles in different times thanks to Laura’s insight and descriptive writing.

PYNCHON EPIC-NESS

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:59:19 -0500

On Saturday I finally closed “Against the Day” by Thomas Pynchon for the last time. I had been expecting a grand finale at the end of the book, and instead I got a light shift and a slight ebb. So much happened in this behemoth of novel that the calm ending seemed appropriate. I will never stop wondering what happened to all the characters after the book was over, it was that kind of story. I feel like I have unresolved issues with a lot of the characters, and I wanted some closure. I suppose being left in a state of “wanting more” means the writer is good, that the book is good. Against the Day is so long, however, that I wanted the Delayed Satisfaction of knowing what happened- all loose ends tied.

There were some really strong female characters in this book, and that made me happy. I enjoyed the flashing scenery, from Mexico to the Balkans. There was so much to take in, linguistically, languages, settings and people that I felt that I had to submit to the book, be almost broken by it. It took me a hundred pages to be able to say I liked it. But then I really liked it.

Undertaking such a huge project was really good for me- and I feel pretty happy that I finally read this giant book. I’ll be posting some quotes that I especially loved soon.

And I started “An Adultery” by Alexander Theroux.

How To Stereotype People By Their Favorite Author

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:43:06 -0500

How To Stereotype People By Their Favorite Author:

amyl:

(via negevrockcity)

Do these apply to you?

Thomas Pynchon

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:45:05 -0500

So far I am more than halfway through Against the Day.

It’s really heavy. Physically.

libraryland: MasterworkDarwin’s On the Origin of Species by...

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:08:37 -0500

libraryland:

Masterwork
Darwin’s On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection was published on Nov. 24, 1859, and instantly became a best seller. Perhaps its most famous passage: “From so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.”

"Last thing: In attempting to convince you to buy this book, or check it out of your library, it’s..."

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:12:24 -0500

“Last thing: In attempting to convince you to buy this book, or check it out of your library, it’s useful to tell you that the author is a normal person. Dave Wallace — and he is commonly known as such — keeps big sloppy dogs and has never dressed them in taffeta or made them wear raincoats. He has complained often about sweating too much when he gives public readings, so much so that he wears a bandana to keep the perspiration from soaking the pages below him. He was once a nationally ranked tennis player, and he cares about good government. He is from the Midwest—east-central Illinois, to be specific, which is an intensely normal part of the country (not far, in fact, from a city, no joke, named Normal). So he is normal, and regular, and ordinary, and this is his extraordinary, and irregular, and not-normal achievement, a thing that will outlast him and you and me, but will help future people understand us — how we felt, how we lived, what we gave to each other and why.”

- Dave Eggers, from the foreword to the paperback edition of Infinite Jest. (via incandenza)

I CRY ALL THE TIME THINKING ABOUT THIS

DOUBLEX

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:31:05 -0500

DOUBLEX

A while ago I read...

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:12:28 -0500

Have you ever read and loved a book that no one else believes is good? This has happened to me a few times, especially when I’ve recommended a book to someone. For some reason, if they don’t read the book I am a little hurt.

Maybe I take book recommendations too seriously. One book I recall this happening to is The Painted Bird by Jezy Kosinski. I read this book, loved it, and told someone about it. They never read it, and I continued to wonder why.

Has anyone ignored a recommendation you’ve made before?

book lovers never go to bed alone cross stitch

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:45:04 -0500

book lovers never go to bed alone cross stitch:

provided by caitlin!

libraryland: itsjanna: I just finished Margaret Atwood’s Oryx...

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 14:16:58 -0500

libraryland:

itsjanna:

I just finished Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake and yikes was it good.

I’m a big Atwood fan already, and I like her even more with every book of hers I read. Oryx and Crake has now replaced Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (which replaced Fahrenheit 451, which replaced Brave New World, which replaced 1984 (shut up, all the cool kids read sci-fi (ok, 1984 is never categorized as sci-fi, but whatever))) as my favorite dystopian future scenario novel. I don’t think it’s moving lower on my list anytime soon.

lotusohm: (via bookshelves) Such a good minimalistic option!

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:16:20 -0400

lotusohm:

(via bookshelves)

Such a good minimalistic option!

HUGE PROJECT

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:28:21 -0400

I have recently undertaken a ginormous project- by starting Against the Day by Thomas Pynchon. I am very excited about reading a huge tome again, which I haven’t done since Infinite Jest two summers ago. (Man I cannot believe it has really been that long!) My former policy with this little blog I write is to only chronicle Books I Just Read- to have an accurate running tally of books I read. Since I won’t be done with ATD for a while, I have decided to intermittently update about books I HAVE read. In the past. That I liked. I hope this ends up ok, I don’t want to get off track with my actual goal. But rest assured, I will have read all the books I write about here, and I will only choose favorites to write about.

I don’t want BOOKSIJUSTREAD to be too boring and not post anything until I finish this behemoth of a novel.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:05:50 -0400

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?

OK, after this I won’t talk about Dawkins for a while… http://booksijustread.tumblr.com/

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 15:40:16 -0400

OK, after this I won’t talk about Dawkins for a while… http://booksijustread.tumblr.com/

Oh, Dawkins you are an adorable man with an illegible signature.

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:15:21 -0400

Oh, Dawkins you are an adorable man with an illegible signature.

DAWKINS BOOK: FINISHED FINALLY

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:13:00 -0400

It took me a long time to read Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth because I’m not used to reading non-fiction. I was incredibly interested in the subject matter and read my little heart out. I felt like I was in college again, reading non-fiction! It was fun, and inspired me to be more educational with the books I choose to read from now on. And then I got to see a moderated discussion, featuring Dawkins himself discussing his book. It was really amazing.

This book was at all times engaging and interesting, even though there is a definite period of “review” for people who paid attention during science classes throughout their life. I was really into biology for a while- my teachers were always impressed with my abilities to name bones and muscles and whatever. That was a long time ago, but this book brought it all back, along with all the Discovery channel watching I did with my father. I think evolution is one of the most important scientific discoveries, and should be taught as such. So does Dawkins.

He goes through, step by step, why evolution is true. His methodology consists of thorough explanations of various experiments that prove evolution, the fossil record, carbon dating and dendrology, and more. He even explains some linguistic ambiguities and the way words like “theory” contribute to miseducation and ignorance regarding evolution. Most importantly, I feel armored against “history deniers,” as Dawkins calls them, and learned enough on the subject to defend my instincts and opinions. I was even more pleased to learn that Dawkins is working on a children’s book equivalent, and plan on buying it for my children and all the children for whom I ever have gift giving opportunities.

My favorite part of the book was Dawkins description of a very interesting biological experiment involving the evolution of e-coli. The experiment’s results prove undeniably that evolution happens, and the details and care that went into it are astounding.

If you read only one non-fiction book this year, make it The Greatest Show on Earth.

"I recently established a charitable foundation dedicated to promoting ‘Reason and..."

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:11:08 -0400

“I recently established a charitable foundation dedicated to promoting ‘Reason and Science.’ During the protracted, extremely expensive, and ultimately successful negotiations to obtain charitable status, I received a letter from the British Charity Commission dated 28 September 2006 which contained the following: ‘It is not clear how the advancement of science tends towards the mental and moral improvement of humanism and rationalism.’ Religious organization, by contrast, are assumed to benefit humanity without any obligation to demonstrate it and even, apparently, if they are actively engaged in promoting scientific falsehood.”

- Richard Dawkins, The Greatest Show on Earth

These kinds of crazy conundrums can dominate my brain if I’m not careful.

(via bookshelves)

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:06:42 -0400

(via bookshelves)

lotusohm: (via booklover) TEARS

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 18:48:25 -0400

lotusohm:

(via booklover)

TEARS

NYT BOOK ART LINK

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:00:01 -0400

NYT BOOK ART LINK