You read for fun?!

[Yeahduff]

Perhaps I'll seek that out. Reminds me of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, told from the perspective of a mentally ill person. Not particularly true to life, but the way the guy saw the world in this fog, and how people's sizes were seen based on the power they had rather than the literal amount of space they took up was very cool.

[Yeahduff]

So having finished The Namesake I'm pretty sure I'm gonna die alone wishing I was named something else. Otherwise a nice light read.

I'm thinking about reading Norman Mailer now. Fuck, I was supposed to go to the library today. Oh well.

[Yeahduff]

They didn't have The Naked and the Dead at the library, so the next logical choice was Charles Bukowski.

[Nanda]

I've put myself on a self-imposed ban from the library until I read at least 5 books from one of the enormous stack of purchased and unread books in my house. Unfortunately, most of them are sociology books, and I'm in the mood for fiction.

In other news, I recently finished Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach, and like Stiff and Spook before it, it's terrific.

[Yeahduff]

So, what is that, kind of about how weird we are about sex, or.....?

Man, Bukowski was fucked up.

[Nanda]

It's about all the scientific studies that have been done about sex over the years, many of them very strange. She talks about the odlies, like Kinsey and Masters and Johnson, and she explores the new studies being done today. The topics range from why and how we react to sexual stimulus physically, to why some people with spinal injuries are still able to achieve orgasm, penile implants, and discovering whether or not the vaginal orgasm actually exists. And I don't know if you've read her other books, but she's incredibly witty, which makes it a joy to read. One reviewer said "I'd read Mary Roach on the history of Quonset huts...," and I have to agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly.

[Yeahduff]

Well that sounds like fun. I rarely read non-fiction but that's got my attention. I bet a friend of mine has her books......

I've reached the point in the book where Bukowski shows his vulnerable side. Two of the stories actually had female protagonists.

[Nanda]

You should definately check them out. Her first one, Stiff: The curious lives of human cadavers is fan-freakin-tastic. I can't recommend it enough. She tells you about all the scientific things that cadavers are used for. Her second, Spook: Science takes on the afterlife is good, but not as good, because there's nothing conclusive to be found on that subject. Still, entertaining. And Bonk is almost as good as Stiff, maybe as good, depending on the reader. All very fast, easy and entertaining reads - great for people who don't usually like non-fiction.

[Man in a suit]

I've read a review of Bonk, so I've merely heard that it's a good read. It sounds, by all accounts, to be very interesting.

I just finished The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. It's kind of the anti-"Starship Troopers". Philosophically speaking that is, both books are military hard sci-fi. The set up is pretty familiar, Earth gets into a space war with the first other sentient race they meet. What's interesting is the method of transportation. Some crazy discoveries have led to the ability to travel at speeds near the speed of light, which triggers all sorts of fun with relativity. So considerably less time passes for the soldiers on the transports than does home on Earth, and each time they return, it becomes much different. It also means that by the time they arrive at their battle, their weapons may be obsolete. Throw in the military jerking its soldiers around,and it comes as no surprise to learn that the author is a Vietnam vet. Quite a fascinating book. There are two more, Forever Peace and Forever Free.

[Man in a suit]

Well, now that it seems I've killed the thread, I'll talk about Forever Peace by Haldeman. Not really a sequel to Forever War, it's more of a re-examination of some of its ideas. Pretty interesting, although it seemed want to be three different kinds of book. At first it was military sci-fi, then the middle part seemed to be all about interpersonal relationships (and lots of sex), and the end was a techno-espionage thriller. An enjoyable read, but less something than the first one.... I just don't know what what the something is.

[Mo]

Ok so, after not logging into this place in FOREVER, I come here today to inform you that I just finished reading "The Time Traveler's Wife".

Oh. My. God.

I've been literally freaking weeping for I don't know how many hours as I read through the last third of the book. I mean... Crap. I guess when a book overwhelms you emotionally like this, it must be pretty damn good. Or maybe it's the meds I'm on. But seriously... I'm depressed now. Which means I need more 8:1.

Also I'm going to go read a happy lighthearted book next before I kill myself or something.


So, hell yeah... I loved it.

[Yeahduff]

Glad I could, um, ruin your day.

But yeah, that's an intense book. I feel like everyone should read it. I might reread it this fall.

8:1 will return shortly, hopefully next week.

Well, now that it seems I've killed the thread, I'll talk about Forever Peace by Haldeman. Not really a sequel to Forever War, it's more of a re-examination of some of its ideas. Pretty interesting, although it seemed want to be three different kinds of book. At first it was military sci-fi, then the middle part seemed to be all about interpersonal relationships (and lots of sex), and the end was a techno-espionage thriller. An enjoyable read, but less something than the first one.... I just don't know what what the something is.

Sign me up.

I actually started reading Spook. Since I don't know what the author looks like and it's told in first person I've been imagining it's Nanda talking. This happened with this bookish hipster girl who was telling me about The Second Sex; ever since I see her face any time someone mentions Simone de Beauvoir.

Anyway, fun read thus far.

[Mo]

Glad I could, um, ruin your day.

Yeah right, so... Come back tomorrow?

[Nanda]

I actually started reading Spook. Since I don't know what the author looks like and it's told in first person I've been imagining it's Nanda talking.

Heh, awesome. That pleases me more than when my boss told me how she went to see Juno and kept elbowing her boyfriend and whispering, "Oh my god, that's Nanda."

[Yeahduff]

Truly you are an inspiration.

Right now I'm reading about the curious practice of soulweighing.

[Man in a suit]

(and lots of sex)

Sign me up.

You're such a man. But then, so am I.

Just finished a book called Rules by Cynthia Lord. It's a pretty typical award list book (it's one of the books on the voting list for next year's Rebecca Caudill award -http://www.rebeccacaudill.org). It's about a girl who writes rules to help her younger brother through everyday situations (he has autism), and all the typical "I want to be popular but I'm afraid of being judged for being compassionate" stuff. Honestly, I wanted to enjoy this one more than I did, as my coworkers all seem pretty enthused about it.

I'm also in the middle of Beautiful Minds by Maddalena Bearzi and Craig B. Stanford. It's about the convergent evolution of intelligence in cetaceans and the great apes. Currently I'm not sure if I find the book interesting or if it doesn't seem like anything new to me. I'll report back when I finish.

By the way, does anybody else use Library Thing? I find to be quite handy.

Kayo, shutting up.

[Yeahduff]

Knee deep in our new president's first book, Dreams From My Father. Pretty good. Reads like a story, and it's just kinda weird/neat to have this intimate portrait of the president as a young man. I mean, it was written when he was like 35 and had no idea he would be president, so there's an honesty and candidness that's sometimes... disarming. If you're not a fan of the guy it might not be worth the effort, but it's very interesting either way. And makes me hate all those assholes who were mocking community organizers even more.

[Mo]

Currently reading Elizabeth Wurtzel's Prozac Nation.

[Mo]

There's plenty of time to read in this clinic. Since coming here, I have read the following:

Kim Edwards: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Marianne Fredriksson: Hanna's Daughters (in Norwegian)
Louisa May Alcott: Little Women

Plus one other book I don't remember right now which wasn't very interesting anyway. I honestly didn't notice that all these books had women in their title until now!

I am currently re-reading The adventures of Tom Sawyer, and then I'll either read Jane Austen or Douglas Adams, depending on my mood...

[Yeahduff]

I really need to pick up a book. High time I read some Jane Austen, especially since she's the cool thing to do right now. Tom Sawyer is a jam.