The Book Thread Book • Page 175

What I have read so far this year, with rating (1-5). Pretty happy so far.

 

Heres my year so far. No ratings but hated Babel

 

what was your issue with Babel?

 

Didnt like the writing. bad prose, bad sentences.
The novel was hamfisted enough without the author interjecting her opinions directly with foot notes.
Characters felt stupid when the author didnt like them.
The magic system was dumb, I get its a metaphor but its spends so time much explaining it.

Overall I didnt like what the novel had to say about history, the author should of written an essay about colonialism and language instead. In contrast to War and Peace (which straight up has a history essay) where the characters are complex, flawed and products of there environment, Babels heros are magically imbued with 2020 philosophy & morality and the villains are evil buffoons. Colonialism bad is such an unambitious message, when you look for why it happened or what were the causes there's nothing, just an evil magic dad.

Minor gripe example. A foot note tell us how stupid it is to believe in the bible and uses real linguistics evidence to back its point. The next chapter a disliked character is chastised for disrespecting Islam and Vodou.

 

I adored the Poppy War trilogy and hated Babel. Kinda thought I was alone on the second part until now.

 

Favorite from this year is either The Shards by BEE or Blood Meridian. Least is probably Shadow Prey, the 2nd of the Lucas Davenport books.

 

Gave my Brother Blood Meridian for his birthday, going to read it again when he starts

 

Author interview with Spark Bird's publisher and me, talking about the book, the writing process, past/future plans, etc.

30 Questions with Thirty West

 

Also here is my 2024 list so far with ratings out of ten

Drinkers of the Wind - Carl Raswan ...................................................... 7/10
Orlando - Virginia Woolf ...................................................................... 6.5/10
The Water Statues - Fleur Jaeggy ......................................................... 8/10
Miss Lonelyhearts - Nathanael West .................................................... 8.5/10
Delta of Venus - Anaïs Nin .................................................................. 9/10
Briggflatts - Basil Bunting .................................................................... 8/10
2666 - Roberto Bolaño ........................................................................ 9.5/10
An Apprenticeship or The Book of Pleasures - Clarice Lispector .......... 9/10
Franny and Zooey - J.D. Salinger ......................................................... 3/10
The Tartar Steppe (aka The Stronghold) - Dino Buzzati ....................... 6.5/10
Diving Into the Wreck - Adrienne Rich ................................................. 7/10
Oracle Night - Paul Auster ................................................................... 7/10
Offshore - Penelope Fitzgerald ............................................................ 5/10
The Mountains Sing - Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai ....................................... 7.5/10
A Tale for the Time Being - Ruth Ozeki ............................................... 6.5/10
Adventures in Immediate Irreality - Max Blecher ................................. 9/10
Spark Bird - Jonathan Koven/me, Julian Shendelman, Danny DeRock .. 100/10
All That's Left to You - Ghassan Kanafani ........................................... 8/10
Escaping Emily - Alexandra Naughton, David Estringel, Risha Ordas ... 6/10
Sens-Plastique - Malcolm de Chazal ................................................... 10/10
All Things Holy and Heathen - Chelsea Jackson .................................. 9/10
The Fourth Century - Édouard Glissant ............................................... 8.5/10
Choose Your Own Beginning - Amy Saul-Zerby .................................. 6.5/10
In the Cairngorms - Nan Shepherd ..................................................... 7/10
Everything is a Deathly Flower - Maneo Mohale .................................. 8/10

 

In Stephen Graham Jones' New Horror Novel, A Vampire Searches for Justice (Exclusive)

 

Finished Under the Banner of Heaven which was great. Now am reading Ghosts of the Tsunami by Richard Lloyd Parry but I prob won't finish it by the time it's due and there's 1 person waiting. I need to stop reading books on Libby and finish one of the zillion physical copies I have but haven't read.

 

Incredible shopping spree today for Philly’s city-wide Bookstore Crawl and to celebrate my bday weekend!

 

Calvino is one of my favorites but I haven’t read that one yet.

 

Happy Birthday! looks like a great haul

 

got I Was a Teenage Slasher at the store today. I've looked in every bookshop around here and none seem to have Horror Movie by Tremblay, gonna have to get it online

 

I’m now reading her follow up, Brainwyrms. Like her previous novel, I almost stopped reading it about 50 pages in but then I started finding myself enamored with it. I’ve seen people complain about her lack of subtlety, but I think the bigger problem is a lack of focus; this one is pretty all over the place in a way that sometimes feels a little sloppy, like a hodgepodge of scenes that don’t always work in favor of the narrative. That said, I’m super into it and despite it making me feel sick to stomach a couple of times (and counting) because it’s so fucking vile, I get excited when I have time to pick it up.

I think she has a Kathe Koja level masterpiece in her if she really hones her craft.

 

Salinger’s short stories go pretty hard

 

I’d argue “A Perfect Day For Bananafish” is among the best ever.

 

I tried Franny and Zooey earlier this year and found myself very annoyed by the characters and their dialogue.

 

that book is great

 

I liked Catcher. Still have to try Bananafish

 

Started Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin. I haven’t read Manhunt, but this is pretty good so far.

 

Manhunts good

 

I don’t pick up on any connections between Horror Movie and the Indian Lake trilogy - but if it’s there then hell yeah!

 

I'm about 40% through this on audiobook. It's made me pretty emotional at times. So many things they talk about are things that I knew I wasn't the only one feeling, but I've never been able to really talk about with anyone. I'm loving it.