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Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Huntn
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Finally finished:
Citizen Clem: A Biography of Attlee: Winner of the Orwell Prize Paperback – 7 Sep 2017
by John Bew (Author)
Highly recommended.
Citizen Clem: A Biography of Attlee: Winner of the Orwell Prize Paperback – 7 Sep 2017
by John Bew (Author)
Highly recommended.
I'm re-reading some of Dana Gioia's poetry this evening. Love some of his work. He's an American who "grew up speaking Italian in a Mexican neighborhood" in southern California. He's a former poet laureate of the US (chosen by Bush 43), and a writer cast in the mold of Wallace Stevens in the sense that he too toiled by day in corporate America for a long time while writing at night.
Like Stevens leaving Aetna, Gioia eventually succumbed to a number of the muses and chucked a day job at General Foods. His true callings turned out to be not only poetry but song cycles, libretti, translations, literary criticism and a six year stint chairing the National Endowment of the Arts.
Impetus for Gioia's resignation from General Foods apparently had its genesis in the response to a 1991 piece he had written for The Atlantic, titled "Can Poetry Matter?". The answer has appeared to be yes, and of course not just for readers of The Atlantic.
I just find it fascinating that the guy who asked that question is also the guy who was credited with having turned around a decline in Jell-O sales back in the 1980s. You just never know how these corporate dudes are gonna turn out. Give 'em access to the office supplies cabinet and some of them take all the paper and pens and go AWOL chasing after the nine daughters of Zeus...
Source on Gioia background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Gioia
Earlier today I had bumped into something @BigMcGuire had said in another thread (now locked) that reminded me so much of one of Dana Gioia's California poems.
Like Stevens leaving Aetna, Gioia eventually succumbed to a number of the muses and chucked a day job at General Foods. His true callings turned out to be not only poetry but song cycles, libretti, translations, literary criticism and a six year stint chairing the National Endowment of the Arts.
Impetus for Gioia's resignation from General Foods apparently had its genesis in the response to a 1991 piece he had written for The Atlantic, titled "Can Poetry Matter?". The answer has appeared to be yes, and of course not just for readers of The Atlantic.
I just find it fascinating that the guy who asked that question is also the guy who was credited with having turned around a decline in Jell-O sales back in the 1980s. You just never know how these corporate dudes are gonna turn out. Give 'em access to the office supplies cabinet and some of them take all the paper and pens and go AWOL chasing after the nine daughters of Zeus...
Source on Gioia background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Gioia
Earlier today I had bumped into something @BigMcGuire had said in another thread (now locked) that reminded me so much of one of Dana Gioia's California poems.
"I could get used to the rain, love the rain. We get rain here in the high desert of California like 2-4 times a year. 
"
Found a link to the poem on Gioia's website, it's so fine. Enjoy. "
Source on Gioia background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_Gioia
Earlier today I had bumped into something @BigMcGuire had said in another thread (now locked) that reminded me so much of one of Dana Gioia's California poems.
"I could get used to the rain, love the rain. We get rain here in the high desert of California like 2-4 times a year.Found a link to the poem on Gioia's website, it's so fine. Enjoy.
Awesome. Wife and I just read. Lol, so very applicable to where we are now. We both had a good laugh. Thank you.
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Ordered as well. I’m hoping to get a dozen or more books read this year. Thanks for the recommendation.
Currently reading Decoding the Universe by Charles Seife and Bloody Sixteen by Peter Fey.
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Actually, I like the "Roman" stuff written by Robert Harris; some of it is excellent.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and the short story collection Prayers to Broken Stones by Dan Simmons.
Both are pretty awesome.
Both are pretty awesome.
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, and the short story collection Prayers to Broken Stones by Dan Simmons.
Both are pretty awesome.
Pride and Prejudice is brilliant; one of those books that is as fresh and powerful today as it must have been when it was first published.
I begrudgingly bought Stephen King's new book, The Outsider, and it's not bad. It's a step up from typical King writing. Get a decent Mothman vibe from it for some reason. This is one of the few King novels I enjoy.
After my prior exploits of trying to get various members to buy two buys I had my eyes set on but wasn't sure about, and that adventure failing, I took an easy out.
After my prior exploits of trying to get various members to buy two buys I had my eyes set on but wasn't sure about, and that adventure failing, I took an easy out.
I bought that a couple of weeks ago but have not started it yet. Last King book I read was Mr Mercedes and I thought that was pretty good too. I think he is a decent writer when he moves away from his horror. He used to be excellent at that but I find now he loses his way half way through the book at he starts to write too supernatural. I think he's best when he sticks to a more "normal" story. Oh, I forgot, the last book of his I read was Joyland. Thought that was good too.
“What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book and a cup of coffee?”
British novelist Anthony Trollope (1815-1862)
British novelist Anthony Trollope (1815-1862)
Now, now. Somewhere one of those books is on a look-into list... right behind the beach reads... yes, the Ronan Farrow one.. "War on Peace". I loved the sample, with its talk of budget cuts to the State Department in the 90s, perhaps not quite steep enough to rival the current ones in this administration. The earlier ones caused infrastructure uproar, so to speak, in some of our embassies abroad... sewer gas in the one in Beijing, and jerry-rigging a satellite dish to the roof of the one in Sarajevo with bits of a barbecue grill... it's only my own budget keeping me from hitting BUY at the end of the sample. That and hoping the library will pick it up but there's probably already a waiting list. With your past (or ongoing?) galley proofing connections you can't round up a review copy from a friend of a friend of a?
Meanwhile even from the beach reads I'm taking a break, to read Clapton's autobiography. Amazing his obsession with the guitar, no matter the terrible instruments he stuck himself with (from economic necessity) at the outset while trying to teach himself how to play. Good thing for the planet that he persevered...
sometimes one book leads to another.......I've just started RIMBAUD, a biography of the poet written by Graham Robb. It's a recommendation found in Paul Theroux's Dark Star Safari, which I've just finished reading. While traveling across Ethiopia, Theroux goes to Harar, the city where Rimbaud ended up after abandoning poetry and Europe.
What an unexpected place to end up.......I like the occasional biography, so I've found a copy and have started on it
What an unexpected place to end up.......I like the occasional biography, so I've found a copy and have started on it
I may hold out until Costco carries one or both of them. They eventually do. Should be cheaper than anywhere else. Costco's, or at least the one we shop at, has been carrying some wonderful travel books revolving around food and food culture. Big hardbacks. They were out of a few I wanted to pick up the last time we were there, though.
Though, if you're into it, I would check out Memories of Gascony and Classic Koffman, both by Pierre Koffman, from your library if they carry it. Terrific reads.
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I went into a bookstore (BN since indies have closed down for the most part) and aimlessly wandered around trying to see what would grab my undivided attention. Also, because I wanted a simple iced coffee and that BN is the only one with a Starbucks that does a cold brew of their very light blonde roast. Anyway, I was checking out the non-fiction and then the mysteries and landed on the King book. Read the synopsis and it sounded alright. It isn't a bad book and it's a departure from typical King style, which is probably why I'm smitten with it to a point.
Just finished: https://www.amazon.com/Superdove-Pigeon-Took-Manhattan-World/dp/0061259160
Superdove by Courtney Humphries
Pretty cool book considering I've had a Pigeon for a pet for the last 15 years. Now that I'm married, we have 3! The two we had ended up being male+female so they had a kid (hence 3 pigeons). They're really cool pets, we let them roam the house with bird diapers, and they love to cuddle.
Was quite the read - learned a lot more about them than I wanted to.
Superdove by Courtney Humphries
Pretty cool book considering I've had a Pigeon for a pet for the last 15 years. Now that I'm married, we have 3! The two we had ended up being male+female so they had a kid (hence 3 pigeons). They're really cool pets, we let them roam the house with bird diapers, and they love to cuddle.
Was quite the read - learned a lot more about them than I wanted to.
Attachments
I ran into many articles on topics from this book but this is the first time I'll finally sit through the main source.
Just finished Decoding the Universe by Charles Seife. Wow what a read. An incredibly deep read but easy enough so that a dumb dumb like me could follow and keep very interested for most of the book. If you ever wanted to know how the universe works, down to the atoms and out to black holes, understand how the speed of light and quantum physics works, know about Hawking's work and more... this is a great book to check out.
Manage to snag this from my local library amazingly. Love libraries and book stores. Slowly making my way through a massive list of books I want to read this year.
Manage to snag this from my local library amazingly. Love libraries and book stores.
Slowly making my way through a massive list of books I want to read this year.
No, still using my 2nd generation Paperwhite. It is still going strong after many years.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson of courseI'm always looking for outstanding thrillers, adventures, fantasy, science fiction, and mysteries/court room dramas. Suggestions appreciated!
Still working on Eragon.
