What book are you currently reading?

manny wrote:

Fargo Rock City: A Heavy Metal Odyssey in Rural North Dakota by Chuck Klosterman, I believe FF, mentioned it, so picked it up at the library,  very very funny

Obviously, this book speaks to most of us on here, so the enjoyment factor is pretty contagious throughout. It blends the decade of the 80's, with small town Americana, and heavy metal, all the while creating an undeniable fit of nostalgia for old guys like us. His writing after this book reflects more current topics in his life, new musical "Odysseys", yet much of what he talks about in later installments is rooted in days gone by. I would read his books in order, even though one wouldn't have to do that, as they are stand alone books, and continuity never comes into play going from one book to another. "Sex, Drugs, & Cocoa Puffs" is his next book, and it's essentially a foray into pop culture, and since Chuck is our age, much of what he talks about will strike an accord with that generation.

I liked Klosterman's Fargo Rock City and his collection of essays IV but found Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs and Killing Yourself to Live to be tough slogs. Sometimes the psuedo-intellectual/hipster sociology B.S. gets way too deep in there.

Fat Freddy wrote:

Sometimes the psuedo-intellectual/hipster sociology B.S. gets way too deep in there.

I think it depends on the writer for me. There's a ton of depth to Klosterman; he's a pseudo-intellectual, and I don't mind (what some might consider) his over analyzation of various subject matter. Every once in a while, you will see him interviewed for the "30 For 30" documentaries on ESPN, and I love how he paints a picture of that individual who's being discussed. He will not only delve into what his own personal beliefs were regarding that athlete, but he often goes into the social consciousness during that time and how it related to that athlete. The Bo Jackson "30 For 30" documentary was a prime example of Klosterman being in the zone!

Currently, The Fishing Widow by Amy K. Marshall. After that, back to The Collected Short Fiction of C.J. Cherryh.

This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti

Johnny Carson - by Henry Bushkin - I just finished this one. It's Bushkin's memoir of his 18 year stint as Carson's attorney, friend, fixer, tennis partner, etc... Lots of interesting tidbits about Johnny here, but he will forever remain an enigma. Carson was a private person that had no interest in the limelight when he was not performing. Bushkin's book fleshes out Carson somewhat, but there will always be gaps because Johnny played everything close to the vest. If you watched Carson this will be an interesting book, but don't expect a full biography.

Last Train to Memphis; The Rise of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick

I was wandering around the library while my son was in his Science Fiction Book Club group and found this in the recommended reading section:




So, I checked it out.

Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick

2010 Odyssey Two by Arthur C Clarke

Im debating on whether to pick up "My Life with Deth" or "This is a Call" both books id love to read

Just finished off:

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Not sure what I'm going to get next...

Started reading "Parasite" (or perhaps it's "Parasites," I'm not 100 percent sure and I'm too lazy to go check) by Mira Grant - another medical sci-fi/horror thriller from the author of the "Newsflesh" zombie trilogy I read earlier this year. Good stuff so far.

I haven't reported my reading for a while. Not sure why, I just haven't visited the thread, I guess. I am currently reading A Dance With Dragons, the fifth in the Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin.

I just finished Joyland by Stephen King. That was a very good read. Not a typical King novel, but a nice departure. Kind of emotional at the end. I may have wiped a tear or two, even though I knew that ending was coming.

I also read the excellent Pine Deep trilogy by Jonathan Maberry, a twist on all of the horror archetypes in one fell swoop, vampires, werewolves, and zombies (sort of) all connected with the ancient horror trope. Ghost Road Blues, Dead Man's Song, and Bad Moon Rising are the individual book titles. Very slow developing, but in a good way. Recommended!

Amusing Ourselves to Death - Neil Postman

My Year of Flops: One Man's Journey Deep Into the Heart of Cinematic Failure by Nathan Rabin

...The Onion's film critic spent an entire year watching some of the biggest box office bombs ever made, and then wrote a book about the experience. It's a frickin hoot so far.

Just finished Kurt Vonnegut's Bluebeard that I had started awhile back. Now time to finish the last issue of Shock Totem.

Gasping for Airtime (Two Years in the Trenches of Saturday Night Live) by Jay Mohr (2004).
good book that gives details about how he felt during that time (1993–1995),
and also gives stories and small tidbits about the cast (Chris Farley, Norm MacDonald, Phil Hartman etc.)

Got reading for a class coming up in January. Currently reading The Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb, and Williams. Not nearly as bad as I feared. Actually, it's quite good.

Ghosts of Manila: The Fateful Blood Feud Between Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier by Mark Kram

Great book. For once, someone has the guts to demythologize Ali.

Life Code by Dr. Phil

The Squared Circle - Life, Death and Professional Wrestling by David Shoemaker - probably that best history of professional wrestling ever written. If you've read the Dead Wrestler of the Week posts on Deadspin.com by the Masked Man then this book will be familiar to you, because David Shoemaker is The Masked Man.

The early history of pro wrestling is very interesting and there was a lot of information that I had never read before. Good stuff.

Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal.

Sutekh wrote:

Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal.

That's a good one. Read it earlier this year.

Just finished Martin Popoff's  2 Minutes to Midnight : An Iron Maiden Day By Day , getting ready to start his Metallica: The Complete  Illustrated History

American Gods by Neil Gaiman