But what should I read? aka List-making party!

[wheeker]

Some options of many:

Fierce Pajamas: An Anthology ...
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Clarke
The Host, Meyer
Between the Bridge and the River, Ferguson
As She Climbed Across the Table, Lethem
Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris
The View from Saturday (you know who you are), Konigsburg
Arrows of the Queen, Lackey
Poison Study, Snyder
Body Double,

Comments

Here's the relaxing and fun that I've read off that list & recommend:

[colubra]

Me Talk Pretty One Day, Sedaris
Watchmen
World War Z, Brooks
The Time Traveler's Wife, Niffenegger
Good Omens, Pratchett, Gaiman
Storm Front, Butcher
Lamb..., Moore
Fool, Moore

I would also like to anti-recommend this one, as it was all 'I am clever and can use a gimmick' instead of plotful. Also, the characters all seemed eminently dislikeable.

Only Revolutions, Danielewski

Re: Here's the relaxing and fun that I've read off that list & recommend:

[wheeker]

Excellent. Are those in order of strength-of-suggestion or simply the ones from the list you most recommend? The anti-recommendation is also appreciated.

Here! Have a drink-of-your-choice for joining my listy listmaker listography. I'd say 'on me' but that just reads wrong.

TPQ

Re: Here's the relaxing and fun that I've read off that list & recommend:

[colubra]

They're in order of 'here's how Wheeker ordered 'em'. I just used your list and clipped at it.

Fool is easily the best book I read that was published in the last year- though in fairness, I could wallpaper a room of my house with book spines when I got canned a year ago, and have been doing a lot of rereading rather than buying-- and also, I am a Shakespeare geek.
The anti-recommend is based in me not finishing the book. I did not set it aside lightly: I did, in fact, throw it, with great force.

Also, if you enjoy the Dickensian, 'Portrait of Mrs. Charbuque' by I-think-Jeffrey-Ford and 'Little, Big' by John Crowley are high on my reccs list for you. If you dislike Dickens (and have tried him as a non-assigned author), you'll hate both.
And if you're a biped, I suspect you'd enjoy Jonathan Carroll's 'Outside the Dog Museum'.

Re: Here's the relaxing and fun that I've read off that list & recommend:

[wheeker]

Ah, Colubra, you do say it just the right way.

I found myself incredibly interested in 'Fool' specifically, and in Moore in general, when I heard him interviewed on Talk of the Nation (I think, because it was midday PST and people were calling in) on public radio (I know). What a fascinating interview and the type of person whose intellect and unscripted, dry sense of humor drag me closer for an intrigued look. He talked about his research for 'Fool'. I'm hooked. For some reason I thought it had either not come out yet or was recently out. I'll have to check for it. I can't believe I haven't yet read any of his books.

I'm a medium Dickens appreciatress; but I'll look those up as well on one of my bookstore trips. I don't share this information with most, but I am indeed a biped and I LOVE recommendations. Thanks again.

TPQ

[icecreamemperor]

Naturally you should read all the books on the list that I recognize or have read, and none of those other ones which are clearly rubbish. You should particularly read books that I have recommended to you in the past, because they are the most important books to read.

[wheeker]

Of course they are (it is). Any additional suggestions if I happen to finish one particular selection?

TPQ

[vaxhacker]

I enjoyed Good Omens and American Gods quite a bit. Arrows of the Queen is an old favorite of my wife's, and I thought it was good as well, although Lackey feels more like "comfortable fun read" to me than "omg, wow, literary work of note", but sometimes I'm just in the mood for something to entertain me.

[wheeker]

This break is all about entertainment. If something literary happens to slide in under the radar, I suppose I'll survive. Thanks for the feedback.

TPQ

[missv]

I dunno if you have any interest in audiobooks but all of Sedaris' stuff is even funnier in that format. The books make me laugh but listening to him actually reading them makes me howl and pee myself.

I haven't read much "fluffy" stuff lately....unless you count Go Dog, Go! and Goodnight Moon. But, yeah, Time Travelers Wife and The Red Tent are quite good. I also enjoyed Bourdain's book. If you're into foodie things like that, I'd also recommend Jacques Pepin's autobiography The Apprentice and Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone. And have you read Peter Mayles' books about his life in Provence? Those have been around forever but I reread them periodically because they're the perfect summer reading. Oh, and Three Cups of Tea and The Glass Castle are worth picking up if you'd like to add a bit more non-fiction to your list.

[wheeker]

You know, Mr. Wheeker and I were just discussing this. When he does pieces on 'This American Life' I adore him. My husband has read his work, but doesn't enjoy it as much this way. I may need to buy some of his stuff on audio. Any of his that you'd suggest I start with, in particular?

Thank you for the additional suggestions. Have you read 'In the Merde'? It's either also by Mayle or a take off on his style. My dad recommended it. Lovely books to look into -- one of my favorite ways to spend free time. Merci!

TPQ

[missv]

They're all good. I have a sentimental fondness for Naked because its the first of his books that I read. And of course, Holidays on Ice is required listening during our drive home for Christmas. But Me Talk Pretty... might actually be a good one to start with. Its mostly about his experience living in France and trying to learn the language. His new one When You Are Engulfed in Flames is his further adventures in being an expatriate. Very funny stuff.

I haven't read In the Merde. I typically enjoy fish-out-of-water stories like that, so I'll have to toss it in my Hold Queue at the library. I need to get some personal reading in there. Lately, its been nothing but Waldorf education guides and kiddie CDs. (Did you know Barenaked Ladies and They Might Be Giants have childrens' albums?)

[missv]

Oh, and one to avoid.... The Memory Keeper's Daughter. When I visited my mom in January, it was the only thing she had laying around that I hadn't already read. It was that or her stack of People magazines and Spiegel catalogs. In the end, I should have stuck with the periodicals because Memory Keeper was terrible.

[dreamlesssleep]

I agree that Sedaris is always better on audiobook.

Watchmen is excellent. I enjoyed American Gods.

[wheeker]

Just ordered 3 of them used. Looking forward to driving places now.

I'm about a quarter through Watchmen and put AG down halfway through. Need to pick them back up. You get to a point when you wonder if you should just start over (at least when it's been awhile -- AG). Nice to see you, btw.

TPQ