Books. (Again).

posted by mihow on January 10th, 2007

Alright, people (and Missy, who helped me with the last one), I am nearing the end of Prep and I need a new book waiting in the wing the moment I am done with it. (It’s either that or I’ll watch even more television and we can’t have that.)

I’m really enjoying Prep. Prior that, I read Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster. I wasn’t crazy about it at all but I LOVED The Booklyn Follies, which I read right before Illusions.

The Internet helped me out before. Perhaps I should just see the older post? But I thought that maybe someone out there just read something that they want others (like me) to check out, like, right now. So, let ‘em rip. Pretty please?

25 Responses to “Books. (Again).”

  1. Missy Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 10:21 AM

    The Looming Tower! Guests of the Ayatollah! I do recommend more television of the Up series variety.

  2. mihow Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 11:29 AM

    I want to borrow that when you’re done.

  3. chandler Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 11:41 AM

    i highly recommend Galatea 2.2 (http://www.amazon.com/Galatea-2-2-Novel-Richard-Powers/dp/0060976926) The description might sound like sci-fi, but it isn’t. It’s a hard book to sell though, so you’ll just have to trust me!

  4. raphaelle Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 12:18 PM

    Neil Gaiman- pick one.. pick 2. they are nice and good. Enjoy. If you want graphic novels read the Sandman series, if you want a nice story that is adventure type and will add to getting freaked out on subways read Neverwhere. The short story collections are very good.

  5. mihow Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 01:48 PM

    Thanks, folks. I will check them out tomorrow when I visit the bookstore. Chandler, I trust you.

    And to all you lurkers… the ones who are reading this and who aren’t making any suggestions… I pinch your tiny heads!

    Or do you just not read. Maybe you just don’t read. Are you reading this? Does this make sense?

    aquleka kaore I flaro porafleir

    That’s what I thought.

  6. Meghan Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 02:56 PM

    At risk of sounding like a broken record..( I think this is the third time I am recommending this book to you) A Fine Balance by Rohinto Mistry.

    Meghan

  7. jenblossom Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 03:28 PM

    The two books I read last year that had the biggest impact on me were Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and Nina Planck’s “Real Food.” Now, both of them are obviously food-related non-fiction, so that may not be what you are looking for, but they are eye-opening. They completely changed the way we shop, cook and eat.

    Fiction-wise, I just started “The Assistant” by Bernard Malamud, and I am enjoying it.

  8. mihow Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 03:53 PM

    Meghan, yeah, I know. I’m sorry. Third time’s a charm, though!

  9. bkgunner Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 05:06 PM

    I’m currently reading 安徒生童话。 (an tu sheng tonghua). It’s a collection of short tales. The first story (丑小鸭 – chou xiao ya) was an uplifting story about how a misunderstood baby duck grows into a beautiful swan!

    Especially given your recent mood, I highly recommend it. All the stories seem to end happily!

  10. Meghan Says:
    January 10th, 2007 at 05:23 PM

    No pressure Michele.

  11. doug Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 12:10 AM

    I shall de-lurk then… I’d feel guilty otherwise given that I work in a bookshop!

    Richard Powers is amazing, but I’d recommend ‘The Time Of Our Singing’ which is definitely not sci-fi, but its one of the most brilliant books I have ever read. You have to have the time and energy for it, though, maybe a better holiday book than one when you’re busy and tired.

    Jeffrey Eugenides is good, I’d go with ‘Middlesex’ but ‘The Virgin Suicides’ is also good (and short!)

    Arturo Perez-Reverte writes very clever mysteries. I’m just finishing my third one of his books now – I can highly Seville Communion or The Flanders Panel.

  12. doug Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 12:10 AM

    “highly recommend”, that is…

  13. doug Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 12:32 AM

    Just looked at Prep on Amazon – in a similar vein, perhaps, ‘I Am Charlotte Simmons’ by Tom Wolfe. Don’t let the fact that President Bush enjoyed it put you off.

  14. Meshbetty Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 06:02 AM

    I am currently reading: How Soccer Explains the world: An unlikely theory of Globalization by Franklin Foer.

    http://www.amazon.com/How-Soccer-Explains-World-Globalization/dp/0060731427/sr=8-1/qid=1168531125/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-9469734-5097629?ie=UTF8&s=books

    I know it sounds kinda boring and such but it is quite an interesting and easy read. Especially if you like internaitonal soccer. Check it out I have learned a bunch about the history of rival teams, what hooligans go through as they get too old to fight, what it is like for Nigerians players to be the only black players for a team in the Ukraine, etc…..

  15. ralph wiggum Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 08:49 AM

    Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.

    I’m not quite done with it yet, but it is very good so far.

  16. nico Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 08:50 AM

    hahaha! Totally not from ralph wiggum. the i.d. stayed up from a previous post.

  17. mihow Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 08:53 AM

    Awwww, it’s Nico’s alter ego!

    I’m going to pick up what Ralph suggested as well as Meghan’s suggestion, methinks. That means I have to go to the city, tho. That blows.

  18. mihow Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 08:55 AM

    Dammit, why does Oprah have to put her stupid seal on everything?

    I’m ordering them from Amazon. We’re “prime”. So I can get it next day for nothing. :] So, I think I might get a few more suggested above.

    Thanks guys!

  19. Meghan Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 11:31 AM

    I feel like my reputation is now on the line. What if you hate it? Will I be banned from Mihow.com?

    M

  20. greg Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 11:39 AM

    did you ever get norwegian wood? or was that someone else who didn’t have it? i forget. i can’t give any suggestings, all i seem to read these days are textbooks and what kathleen calls “nerd books” (math, physics and electronics) ; )

  21. mae Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 11:54 AM

    I’d like to recommend “Lamb” by Christopher Moore.

  22. doug Says:
    January 11th, 2007 at 02:15 PM

    I just got Gilead for Xmas. Housekeeping by her was brilliant.

  23. hthr Says:
    January 12th, 2007 at 04:56 AM

    i second ‘norwegian wood.’

  24. sheryl Says:
    January 12th, 2007 at 07:31 AM

    I agree with jenblossom. Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan was powerful. I also was really affected by the Botany of Desire by the same author.

    My favorite fiction author right now is Haruki Murakami. Really ANYTHING by him, short stories or novels. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Kafka On The Shore, and Wind-up Bird Chronicle are probably his most popular books. OK, and Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino is a must-read.

    And I recently re-read Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich. Which this time, I loved.

  25. mihow Says:
    January 12th, 2007 at 09:20 AM

    Thank you, everyone.

    Chandler, for the record, the book you suggested made me feel a little stupid just reading about what it’s about.

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