Books moral and immoral

[dbell1]

You can have him. My literary BF is Gray Pierce from the James Rollins Sigma series. I don't like pale thin men.

[Buzz]

I am VERY MUCH looking forward to my first summer off as a teacher and I plan on reading to keep myself from constantly running around town and spending money. I have asked before and you all never let me down. Can anyone suggest some must read books for the summer? I don't care what kind of book, I will sort through later and I should have time to read a few so I can try a little of everything. I do think I would prefer to not read something that is part of a series with more than 3 books or so. I want to be able to finish anything I read over the summer because I know once school starts up again I wont have time to read much. Thanks in advance, I can't wait to begin stocking up for the summer!

Here is a list of books from my collection that I hope you would give a try too:

A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah
Generation Me - Jean Twenge
Schindler's List - Thomas Keneally
City of Thieves - David Benioff
The Necklace and other tales by Guy de Maupassant
Shake Hands with the Devil - Romeo Dallaire
Graceland - Chris Abani
The Winter Queen - Boris Akunin
The Perfect Game - W. William Winokur
The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh
Shutter Island - Dennis Lahane
The Paradox of Choice - Barry Schwartz
Water - Bapsi Sidhwa
Travels with my Trombone - Henry Shukman
Behind Hitler's Lines - Thomas H. Taylor
The Amber Room - Steve Berry
Last of the Old Breed - Eugene B. Sledge

[Prancer]

I am teaching Intro to Lit and when I teach Intro to Lit, I require my students to read a novel from a long list I give them. I openly confess to not having read all the books on the list and always read one of the ones I've missed as penance. My penance novel this time is The Way of All Flesh. I am not sure that "scathingly funny" is how I would describe it. It has its moments, but then there's the rest of it.

When I have had enough of it, I read What is the What and wish I could just read it. I really like the way Dave Eggers writes and the story is gripping.

When I finish The Way of All Flesh, I will move on to another book from the list (I read a lot faster than my poor students do) and I am trying to decide between One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Maltese Falcon. I have The Maltese Falcon, but I've never been able to get past the first chapter . Does anyone know if it gets better? I kind of suspect the hardboiled detective who calls his girl a doll while staring at her fantastic legs isn't for me, but maybe I am being shortsighted.

I also have Square Peg: My Story and What It Means for Raising Innovators, Visionaries, and Out-of-the-Box Thinkers , which I think will be interesting from a teaching perspective.

I also have a trashy novel for when things get particularly dire (as they are wont to do with Intro to Lit). I can't remember the name, but I think it involves kilts.

[michiruwater]

I haven't read any of Hammett's stuff yet, but I'm working my way through Chandler in between more serious books. Generally, I veer between a couple opinions depending upon what is going on in the chapter: woah that description was actually pretty awesome (which may or may not happen with Hammett, as I don't know his writing style yet), huh that was actually a pretty good twist, oh that was actually a pretty bad twist, and a mixture of cringe/LMAO/did people actually think like this then? at all the ridiculously over-the-top, hardboiled, homophobic, racist, misogynistic stuff, depending upon how ridiculous or mean I think it is from my 21st century white female perspective.

So, the detective who calls his girl a doll while staring at her fantastic legs would probably just make me gigglecringe, but if you can't come at it from that angle probably it's not something you'd want to read (unless you're the sort of person who thinks that sort of thing is charming or cool).

[Prancer]

I haven't read any of Hammett's stuff yet, but I'm working my way through Chandler in between more serious books. Generally, I veer between a couple opinions depending upon what is going on in the chapter: woah that description was actually pretty awesome (which may or may not happen with Hammett, as I don't know his writing style yet), huh that was actually a pretty good twist, oh that was actually a pretty bad twist, and a mixture of cringe/LMAO/did people actually think like this then? at all the ridiculously over-the-top, hardboiled, homophobic, racist, misogynistic stuff, depending upon how ridiculous or mean I think it is from my 21st century white female perspective.

So, the detective who calls his girl a doll while staring at her fantastic legs would probably just make me gigglecringe, but if you can't come at it from that angle probably it's not something you'd want to read (unless you're the sort of person who thinks that sort of thing is charming or cool).

Gigglecringe is about it, but it all just seems so......contrived, maybe? Like you said, did people REALLY think (and talk) like this?

[michiruwater]

Well, hardboiled novels kind of are my trash reading these days. I just can't do romance novels and other standard trash. I'd rather read the contrived hardboiled stuff than the contrived trashy romance stuff any day.

I definitely don't think anyone talked like that.

[dbell1]

I read "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoulet last night. Started at 6:00 and stayed up until 1:30 to finish it. I laughed, I cried, I rolled my eyes at some amazing coincidences. Had no idea it was about a baker and a Nazi war criminal when I ordered it from the library. This is one book that will stay with me for a long time. And I'll be buying the hardcover. It's the kind of book that I'll reread. Just fabulous in parts.

I think I need some light reading today.

[A.H.Black]

I am currently reading "The Lady in the Lake" by Chandler. Mysteries are my staple for relaxing reading. I'm liking Chandler. His detail of description - especially character description - is excellent. I'm also working my way through several Tony Hillerman mysteries.

Also, I just finished "Bambi". I found an old, hashed copy. It was missing the last page, but I didn't miss it. I'm confident I know how it ended. I am also still slogging through "Vanity Fair". I respect it as a classic but I can't say I'm loving the read. I don't think I like any of the characters at all. I know I'm not supposed to, but I like my characters to be likeable.

[Marge_Simpson]

You can have him. My literary BF is Gray Pierce from the James Rollins Sigma series. I don't like pale thin men.

Mine is Severus Snape.

[michiruwater]

Yours and a huge number of fangirls all over the internet Who would have thought the dour, sarcastic, mean, conflicted, unattractively described man would be so popular with the ladies?

[Marge_Simpson]

He's not dour, he is just misunderstood.

I have a Snape action figure (with removable cape) that I bought when the first film came out. I found it in a sale bin for $2.99. It has been perched next to my computer ever since.

[michiruwater]

Oh, don't worry, I'm with you. I've been reading HG/SS fanfiction since I was 11

The four books in the Hangman's Daughter series are all $0.99 today for Kindle. I don't know much about them but I've heard some buzz.

[Artemis@BC]

Yours and a huge number of fangirls all over the internet Who would have thought the dour, sarcastic, mean, conflicted, unattractively described man would be so popular with the ladies?

It's that "I could change him, he just needs love" thing I think.

That, plus Alan Rickman.

[michiruwater]

Plus his voice specifically, I think Though I may be wrong about that.

[zaphyre14]

I hunkered down with YA SF over the weekend: Cassandra Clare's "City of Ashes." I liked it, although the angsty brother/sister duo is getting a bit tiring. I give the author credit for worldbuilding, though. My omly quibble is that I kept wondering how these teenagers are able to get away with virtually no adult supervision and with never going to school. But I'll pick up the third one, the next time I'm in Walmart.

I then moved on to M.J. Rose's "The Book of Lost Fragrances" - a paranormal/reincarnation tale centering around the perfume industry and a quest for a mysterious Egyptian formula for the perfect scent.

[LilJen]

I read "The Storyteller" by Jodi Picoulet last night. Started at 6:00 and stayed up until 1:30 to finish it. I laughed, I cried, I rolled my eyes at some amazing coincidences. Had no idea it was about a baker and a Nazi war criminal when I ordered it from the library. This is one book that will stay with me for a long time. And I'll be buying the hardcover. It's the kind of book that I'll reread. Just fabulous in parts.

I think I need some light reading today.

That's Jodi Picoult in a nutshell. Laugh, cry, amazing coincidences, tough moral issues bathed in amazing coincidences, lawyers.

[Wyliefan]

Yours and a huge number of fangirls all over the internet Who would have thought the dour, sarcastic, mean, conflicted, unattractively described man would be so popular with the ladies?

Oh, come now. Sydney Carton was winning over the ladies before Snape was born or thought of. (I know quite a few women who are in love with both of them!)

[rfisher]

Just realize that he's MY LITERARY BOYFRIEND. rfisher is gonna come in here and be all "oh, no, he's MINE," but he isn't.

Damn straight I am. I even read the blog page.

[Prancer]

Yours and a huge number of fangirls all over the internet Who would have thought the dour, sarcastic, mean, conflicted, unattractively described man would be so popular with the ladies?

Every woman adores a Fascist,
The boot in the face, the brute
Brute heart of a brute like you.

[Wyliefan]

Sylvia Plath was ahead of her time.