2018 50 Book Challenge

[Steve B.]

56. North to The Rails Louis L'Amour 1971

OK- I'm out of Louis L'Amour. Bummer.

A tenderfoot dude becomes a real Western guy on a cattle drive.

 

[clockwise]

Clockwise counting 54/50: Massimo Carlotto - The Master of Knots (2002)

Carlotto's Alligator series has a team of ex-convicts as private investigators of unusual cases in an Italy full of corruption and violence. The Alligator, whose real name is Marco, is a Calvados-swigging alcoholic jazz club owner. His story is based on Carlotto's own background, as a left wing youth activist who has served a lengthy jail sentence to which he had been unjustly sentenced.

In the Master of Knots, the Alligator investigators tries to put a stop to snuff movie productions by delving into the dark world of the S & M scene. It is also a story of police brutality at the 2001 Genoa G8 meeting.

The Alligator books are good examples of the Mediterranean Noir but less impressive in comparison with Carlotto's best, e.g. The Goodbye Kiss.

 

[noob in 89]

# 23-ISH: POST OFFICE, BY CHARLES BUKOWSKI


There is actually something heartwarming about reading an outdated, overtly misogynistic, and sometimes racist paean to Charles Bukowski, written by Charles Bukowski. Tough and lean, Hemingway-esque and masturbatory, you just don't find 'em like this anymore. It's just not in fashion. Sleep disorder prevents me from accurate description, but I give it a hearty thumbs up. If you read just one novel by Bukowski, read Ham & Rye (the one about his youth). But if you read two, read this. Then read it again.

 

[noob in 89]



OK- I'm out of Louis L'Amour. Bummer.

As in you've read like, all of them? That is a lot!

 

[Steve B.]



As in you've read like, all of them? That is a lot!

No- just all the ones my Dad had. Once I polish off all the other books in my queue I'll probably cruise back for some more.

 

[noob in 89]

Oh, very nice. I'm due to receive the set from my grandfather (hopefully not too soon) who read them all back in the day. I have appraised him of your efforts and he agrees -- lots of girl-winning to look forward to.

 

[Steve B.]

A complete set???

Awesome.

Now we just have to get Clockwise to read a couple...

 

[Geoffrey Firmin]

9 The Game Changer How to use the science of motivation with the power of game design to shift behaviour, shape culture and make clever happen. by Dr Jason Fox.

Read a review of this in the AFR Boss Magazine so far read the first chapter and found it insightful hoping to draw a few things out of this and combine it with the Pomodoro Technique to focus and increase my own literary output.

 

[LonerMatt]

1. All Tomorrow's Parties
2. Undivided: Part 3
3. High Fidelity
4. Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World
5. Polysyllabic Spree
6. Armageddon in Retrospect
7. South of the Border, West of the Sun
8. What we talk about when we talk about love
9. Norweigan Wood
10. The Master and Margherita
11. The Fault in Our Stars
12. Of Mice and Men
13.Fade to Black
14. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
15. Watchmen
16. Captains Courageous
17. A Brief History of Time
18. The Trial
19. Wind up Bird Chronicle
20. A Visit from the Goon Squad
21. Neuromancer
22. Count Zero
23. Shadowboxing
24. Hell's Angels
25. Anansi Boys
26. Steelheart
27. A Hero of Our Time
28. Mona Lisa Overdrive
29. The Complete Collection of Flannery O'Connor
30. The Last Blues Dance
31. Gularabulu
32. The Glass Canoe
33. The Lies of Locke Lamora
34. Handmaid's Tale
35. Girt
36. Museum of Innocence
37. Neverwhere
38. The Ghost's Child
39. Picnic at Hanging Rock
40. Submarine
41. Name of the Wind
42. Wise Man's Fear

41. Name of the Wind
42. Wise Man's Fear

Epic self-indulgent fantasy. Stuff that I can't put down, despite it's obivous flaws. I don't think these are books others would enjoy here, so I'll skip a detailed review. If you're interested the other reading thread is discussing them currently. 1500 pages in 3 days is a fair ******* effort though.

 

[California Dreamer]



Spoiler: List

1. All Tomorrow's Parties

2. Undivided: Part 3

3. High Fidelity

4. Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World

5. Polysyllabic Spree

6. Armageddon in Retrospect

7. South of the Border, West of the Sun

8. What we talk about when we talk about love

9. Norweigan Wood
10. The Master and Margherita
11. The Fault in Our Stars
12. Of Mice and Men
13.Fade to Black
14. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
15. Watchmen
16. Captains Courageous
17. A Brief History of Time
18. The Trial
19. Wind up Bird Chronicle
20. A Visit from the Goon Squad
21. Neuromancer
22. Count Zero
23. Shadowboxing
24. Hell's Angels
25. Anansi Boys
26. Steelheart
27. A Hero of Our Time
28. Mona Lisa Overdrive
29. The Complete Collection of Flannery O'Connor
30. The Last Blues Dance
31. Gularabulu
32. The Glass Canoe
33. The Lies of Locke Lamora
34. Handmaid's Tale
35. Girt
36. Museum of Innocence
37. Neverwhere
38. The Ghost's Child
39. Picnic at Hanging Rock
40. Submarine
41. Name of the Wind
42. Wise Man's Fear

1500 pages in 3 days is a fair ******* effort though.

"What I did on my holidays", by Matt.

My wife is just lounging around the house and organising lunch with her girl friends, so kudos to you.

 

[LonerMatt]

1. All Tomorrow's Parties
2. Undivided: Part 3
3. High Fidelity
4. Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World
5. Polysyllabic Spree
6. Armageddon in Retrospect
7. South of the Border, West of the Sun
8. What we talk about when we talk about love
9. Norweigan Wood
10. The Master and Margherita
11. The Fault in Our Stars
12. Of Mice and Men
13.Fade to Black
14. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
15. Watchmen
16. Captains Courageous
17. A Brief History of Time
18. The Trial
19. Wind up Bird Chronicle
20. A Visit from the Goon Squad
21. Neuromancer
22. Count Zero
23. Shadowboxing
24. Hell's Angels
25. Anansi Boys
26. Steelheart
27. A Hero of Our Time
28. Mona Lisa Overdrive
29. The Complete Collection of Flannery O'Connor
30. The Last Blues Dance
31. Gularabulu
32. The Glass Canoe
33. The Lies of Locke Lamora
34. Handmaid's Tale
35. Girt
36. Museum of Innocence
37. Neverwhere
38. The Ghost's Child
39. Picnic at Hanging Rock
40. Submarine
41. Name of the Wind
42. Wise Man's Fear
43. A Million Little Pieces

43. A Million Little Pieces

This book was a nearly perfect blend of Ken Kessey and Brad Easton Ellis. The author (Jame Frey) has created an autobiographical story about his rehabilitation and the process and people he meets. An alcoholic and an addict, Frey consistently refers to himself as a '*************'.

The protagonist is an incredibly likable and relatable main character. He is ethical, has struggles, and is, many times, incredibly vivid and unromantic in his description of addiction and the life he lead. His battles with the nature of his rehabilitation (AA's 12 step program) are consistent, and his rational is both ethical and contagious. He is direct, blunt, honest and mature. These characteristics also make his rehabilitation itself somewhat unique and interesting (relative to the others in the clinic).

The minor characters are interesting and insightful. The stories they tell each other about addiction are darkly humourous, but the raw and devastation effects of these choices are consistently re-inforced. Many of the characters find addiction too difficult to deal with. Many of them break down. Several of them are pure evil. Through building these relationships, Frey's story is, in some parts at least, heart-warming.

Throughout the narrative, Frey's ability to describe emotion and breakdown is a real strength of his writing, and is one of the main reasons that a book dealing with such dark, rare and violent experiences is, ultimately, excellent. More brutal than Kessey, less stark and soulless than Ellis, I would definitely recommend anyone who loved either author to check this book out.

"An Addict is an Addict. It doesn't matter if you're white, yellow, black, green or Martian, rich, poor or somewhere in the middle, the Most Famous Person on the Planet, or the Most Unknown. It doesn't matter whether the addiction is drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, crime or the Flinstones. The life of an Addict is always the same. There is no excitement, no glamour, no fun. There are no good times, there is no joy, there is no happiness. There is no future, there is no escape. There is only obsession. All encompassing, fully enveloping, completely overwhelming obsession. To make light of it, to brag about it, to revel in the mock glory of it is not in any way, shape of form close to the truth, that is all that matters, the truth. That this man standing in front of us is lying is heresy."

 

[noob in 89]



I don't think these are books others would enjoy here, so I'll skip a detailed review. If you're interested the other reading thread is discussing them currently. 1500 pages in 3 days is a fair ******* effort though.

Hey, I'm interested. Part of the joy of this this thread is finding stuff outside your your experience, I guess. I usually just keep quiet and make a list, though, as it's hard to comment on things you haven't read.

In other news, I'm reading William Gass's The Tunnel, a long, sprawling, apparently shapeless work thirty years in the making. One of those books you wish you'd found earlier, when duties were few, and time was limitless. Anyone read it? It's probably going to take me another two weeks to finish.

 

[Steve B.]

57. The Assassin 1993 W.E.B. Griffin

The usual gang of suspect catchers foil an attempt to blow up the Vice President, and discover the identity of a dirty cop importing drugs at the airport.

Pretty Good

 

[California Dreamer]



Spoiler: List

1. All Tomorrow's Parties

2. Undivided: Part 3

3. High Fidelity

4. Hard Boiled Wonderland at the End of the World

5. Polysyllabic Spree

6. Armageddon in Retrospect

7. South of the Border, West of the Sun

8. What we talk about when we talk about love

9. Norweigan Wood
10. The Master and Margherita
11. The Fault in Our Stars
12. Of Mice and Men
13.Fade to Black
14. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
15. Watchmen
16. Captains Courageous
17. A Brief History of Time
18. The Trial
19. Wind up Bird Chronicle
20. A Visit from the Goon Squad
21. Neuromancer
22. Count Zero
23. Shadowboxing
24. Hell's Angels
25. Anansi Boys
26. Steelheart
27. A Hero of Our Time
28. Mona Lisa Overdrive
29. The Complete Collection of Flannery O'Connor
30. The Last Blues Dance
31. Gularabulu
32. The Glass Canoe
33. The Lies of Locke Lamora
34. Handmaid's Tale
35. Girt
36. Museum of Innocence
37. Neverwhere
38. The Ghost's Child
39. Picnic at Hanging Rock
40. Submarine
41. Name of the Wind
42. Wise Man's Fear
43. A Million Little Pieces

43. A Million Little Pieces

This book was a nearly perfect blend of Ken Kessey and Brad Easton Ellis. The author (Jame Frey) has created an autobiographical story about his rehabilitation and the process and people he meets. An alcoholic and an addict, Frey consistently refers to himself as a '*************'.

The protagonist is an incredibly likable and relatable main character. He is ethical, has struggles, and is, many times, incredibly vivid and unromantic in his description of addiction and the life he lead. His battles with the nature of his rehabilitation (AA's 12 step program) are consistent, and his rational is both ethical and contagious. He is direct, blunt, honest and mature. These characteristics also make his rehabilitation itself somewhat unique and interesting (relative to the others in the clinic).

The minor characters are interesting and insightful. The stories they tell each other about addiction are darkly humourous, but the raw and devastation effects of these choices are consistently re-inforced. Many of the characters find addiction too difficult to deal with. Many of them break down. Several of them are pure evil. Through building these relationships, Frey's story is, in some parts at least, heart-warming.

Throughout the narrative, Frey's ability to describe emotion and breakdown is a real strength of his writing, and is one of the main reasons that a book dealing with such dark, rare and violent experiences is, ultimately, excellent. More brutal than Kessey, less stark and soulless than Ellis, I would definitely recommend anyone who loved either author to check this book out.

"An Addict is an Addict. It doesn't matter if you're white, yellow, black, green or Martian, rich, poor or somewhere in the middle, the Most Famous Person on the Planet, or the Most Unknown. It doesn't matter whether the addiction is drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, crime or the Flinstones. The life of an Addict is always the same. There is no excitement, no glamour, no fun. There are no good times, there is no joy, there is no happiness. There is no future, there is no escape. There is only obsession. All encompassing, fully enveloping, completely overwhelming obsession. To make light of it, to brag about it, to revel in the mock glory of it is not in any way, shape of form close to the truth, that is all that matters, the truth. That this man standing in front of us is lying is heresy."

My memory is struggling here, but wasn't this the book that was originally lauded on Oprah and then there was some massvie scandal about Frey having made most of it up? I remember reading it; the scene where he has dental surgery sure stuck in my mind!

 

[Steve B.]

58. The Left Handed Woman Peter Handke 1976

[COLOR=FF00AA]THE LIST[/COLOR]

Novelette about a woman who has just separated from her husband.

I enjoyed it. A-