What'cha readin'?
Last night I went to Barnes & Noble. Reading has become one of my most passionate passions. Right up there with crossword puzzles. I read about a book a week. So I spend a lot of time in B&N. I have a few rules that I adhere to when shopping for reading materials:
- I don't read any author whose books take up more than one full shelf in the bookstore.
- I typically steer clear of chick lit (except maybe if I'm looking for an occasional beach read).
- I don't mind if Oprah has chosen a book that I have, completely by coincidence, chosen to read. But I always try and find an edition that doesn't stamp a big "book club" symbol on it somewhere.
- I like classics, espeically ones I've never read (I went to high school in Mississippi afterall).
- I'm not opposed to reading books that were made into movies if they fit my other criteria.
I'm just looking for well-written novels with somewhat unique plotlines. Which is not easy. Especially when you stroll the aisles and find yourself saying, "Read that one. Read it. Read it. Read it."
Recently I've enjoyed Heir to the Glittering World, The Poisonwood Bible, Forever (not the Judy Blume one), High Fidelty, Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Last night I went with Trainspotting and Anna Karenina (not the O version), which I read once several years ago but for some reason I'm thinking that I never finished it. It's 754 pages for heaven's sake.
Since I just finished my annual reading of Pride & Prejudice I thought I'd go with the junkies in Trainspotting. Imagine my surprise when I began reading this:
The sweat wis lashing oafay Sick Boy; he wis trembling. Ah wis jist sitting thair, focusing oan the telly, tryin no tae notice the cunt. He wis bringing me doon. Ah tried tae keep my attention oan the Jean-Claude Van Damme video.
Huh? What the fuck is THIS? The whole book's not like this, is it?? I flip through. Well that was a big waste of $13.95. I can't read this shit.
And speaking of which....while I was perusing the Teen section with an eye out for anything that might entice My Kid to crack open a book, I found something called ttyl. Amazon explains it this way:
Audacious author Lauren Myracle accomplishes something of a literary miracle in her second young-adult novel, ttyl (Internet instant messaging shorthand for "talk to you later"), as she crafts an epistolary novel entirely out of IM transcripts between three high-school girls.
Yes, you read that right: AN ENTIRE BOOK WRITTEN IN 'IM.' "Literary miracle" my ass. She ought to be horse-whipped for contributing to the illiteracy of our youth.
Oo! I have a book I love that I recommend to everyone (male and female). So far, everyone else has loved it, too. It's called Motherless Brooklyn and the author is Jonathan Lethem.
I'm a bookaholic too but I HATE paying retail for books, and they just closed my favorite local discount bookstore. Wah!
Posted by
Badger |
7:11 PM
cool - thanks. I'm always looking for suggestions.
Posted by
Kalisa |
9:30 PM
Kalisah vs. the book written in english as it is spoken by the scots.
I didn't know that Breakfast at Tiffany's was a book, much less by Truman Capote who of course has the hype of the movie. I guess I missed that if/when a "based on the book by Truman Capote" was ever flashed across the screen when watching the movie. Consequently I'll be picking that one up.
PS: Do you have any suggestions for plane reads? I'm going to England in a month from now. I do have a mental "to-read list" but suggestions are always good.
Posted by
Vanessa |
1:27 AM
kalisah
trainspotting is a very difficult read, as are all irving welsh's books. however, he writes how they talk...which if you take the time to figure it out, can sometimes be worth it. (remember how the first time you watched trainspotting you didn't really understand what they were saying? same difference) although i will say, it's quite a graphic book. if you are wanting to go with something that...different...i would go with invisible monsters by chuck palahniuk (or any of his novels - not short story collections). he's the guy who wrote fight club. he has a fascinating, yet warped, way of storytelling.
breakfast at tiffany's. excellent book.
have you read the red tent? it's good too.
good luck on your reading mission.
Posted by
Carrie Ann |
9:04 AM
K, that is my same exact list of req's for books. Except, I HATE it when big fat Oprah puts one of my books on her lame-head list. Like when she put East of Eden on her list, I was pissed for so long because that book and Of Human Bondage are my read once a year books.
Posted by
melati |
10:04 AM
I loved "East of Eden." And I find it terribly egotisical of Oprah to have the adacity to tell America what it should read.
Posted by
Kalisa |
2:08 PM
You mean to tell me the Memphis Tigers are going to the Elite Eight and you are writing about book reading... you know I am just joking with you but...
GO TIGERS!
Posted by
Anonymous |
3:03 PM
OMG this town is going NUTS!
Yesterday I was at the post office and the guy behind the counter was ending every transaction with "Go Tigers!"
Posted by
Kalisa |
3:42 PM