Terminalcoffee discussion

I have 499 books on my shelves. Can you recommend something gripping for me to take on the plane in a few weeks? I'm planning on doing some hard-core pleasure reading during that vacation. So set me up!

The Tenant - Roland Topor

Fucking awesome.

Okay, I just did a compare books with you and I see we have very similar tastes is general fiction. For you, I'd recommend Bel Canto or The Thirteenth Tale A Novel. You might also have fun with the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde.

Sorry, I see you read "The Thirteenth Tale".

That looks equal parts terrifying and gripping, Matthew. I put it at the top of my to-read shelf. :D


I'd like to also read The Lightning Thief but not that week. I want something I can disappear within.



Sandi, I'm sorry to say I hated Bel Canto and have already loved the Thirteenth Tale. Thanks, though. I'm intrigued by Fforde.

Oh, it's amazing, Sally. If you like it, perhaps you'd be interested in seeing the Polanski film.

Le Locataire/The Tenant was released to a limited number of French and American theatres in May/June of '76.

The novel was published in 1964.

I have a few other recommendations:

Aurélia - Gérard de Nerval (One of my personal favourites. It's impossible to describe how much I love this story.)

The Summer Book - Tove Jansson (Wonderful little novel)

Dark Spring - Unica Zürn (Might be a tad too depressing for "pleasure reading".)

The Street of Crocodiles - Bruno Schulz (Some of the most amazing imagery ever put to paper.)



More if you want 'em!

How about Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Sally? It's huge and rich, half Jane Austen, half Charles de Lint, with some Napoleonic War historical fiction in there, too.

Or The Master and Margarita, which you've got on your to-read shelf, and which I want to read, too.

Or The Deptford Trilogy by Robertson Davies, three books that make up one story, with interesting characters and increasingly arcane lives. And an underlying mystery, too. It's REALLY good.

Great timing, Sallers! Borders has a 40% coupon today and I'm in the mood to buy...but I should resist, because I have a couple unread books already. Oh, that never stops me.

I've tried that Charles deLint guy but I can't get into him.

Right, Jackie! I'd forgotten about The M&M - good call!

We have a lot of books in common too...
Maybe To Say Nothing of the Dog
or Fun Home A Family Tragicomic?

Thanks Sarah Pi!

Another vote for Jasper Fforde... he's fantastic.

I recently read Not Me A Novel by Michael Lavigne and it was really intriguing.

I'm going to compare books with you now to see what you like.

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I'm trying to get over your 2-star rating for Pride and Prejudice. I've only recently learned that some people don't like Jane Austen, and it's still difficult for me to get my head around!

How about Brideshead Revisited?
Or I Am the Messenger?

I already offered to send you The Gold Coast, Ms. Sally... I just need a mailing addy for you (I sent mine to you in an email)! :)

Have you read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell yet, Sally? I keep hearing how great it is.

Yes, Heidi. It took me a bit to get A Thousand Veils back from my mom. I'll be sending it your way very, very soon.

Jackie, I can picture the cover in my mind, so I'm pretty sure I've considered reading it before, but I don't recall any details from the book, so probably not.

Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: "Have you read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell yet, Sally? I keep hearing how great it is."

The Sparrow is absolutely amazing.

See? What'd I tell you, Sally...

I recommend all the books that Jackie recommended! :)

Would love to discuss M&M with someone.

The Painted Bird by Jerzy Kosinski or The Tin Drum by Gunter Grass, both set in WWII. Engrossing and intelligent reads, imho.

I'm digging Bangkok 8...might go with some Bryson soon...not in the mood to tackle anything too intense...

Has anyone read The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye? I think I will read it.

@ Random Anthony; Charles de Lint writes a LOT of books, so some of them are a bit "unedited"/could use more work, but the Newford Short stories (like Spirit in the Wires) are the best, so maybe you should start there :-)

Pascal Mercier "Night train to Lisbon" is great - so are Somerset Maugham's short stories.
I also love Jasper Fforde and Storm Front by Jim Butcher is also great vacation literature.

Lobstergirl wrote: "Has anyone read The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye? I think I will read it."

I have it at home. It's size is intimidating and I never pick it off the shelf. I'll be interested in your thoughts if you read it.

The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.

It's among my ten favorite of all time:

http://fantasyhandbook.wordpress.com/...

If I had a magic wand I would take Michael's bad apostrophe and give it to Bun.

It's really Michael's that was driving me crazy.

If I were a mod I would have a zero tolerance policy for the extra apostrophe. You would have an hour to edit your post or it would be GONE.

Twice yesterday I edited posts just moments after creating them -- once to add an apostrophe, and once to remove one.

::Makes mental note not to let LG be a moderator. Clearly she would become drunk with power.::

Everyone would be sobered by the experience, though.

Every time I go to the library The Man in the High Castle is NEVER there. NEVER. EVER. Every single copy is ALWAYS checked out. I've been checking for more than a year now.

Lobstergirl wrote: "Every time I go to the library The Man in the High Castle is NEVER there. NEVER. EVER. Every single copy is ALWAYS checked out. I've been checking for more than a year now."

interlibrary loan?

I won't have to do that. I can put a recall on it. I'm just flabbergasted that the book is so in demand.

Maybe it isn't. Maybe somebody lost it a year ago and they haven't replaced it.Or they moved away and took it with them.

Lobstergirl wrote: "It's really Michael's that was driving me crazy.

If I were a mod I would have a zero tolerance policy for the extra apostrophe. You would have an hour to edit your post or it would be GONE."

What's wrong with apostrophe's?

That's just apostrophic.

Jackie "the Librarian" wrote: "Have you read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell yet, Sally? I keep hearing how great it is."

2nd. That book was fantastic.

The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis was great.

Do you mean you have 499 books that you haven't read?

Apostrophic. Nice.

Who, me? I have bazillions of books I haven't read. I think that what I meant two years ago was that I had 499 books on my to-read shelf.

Sarah Pi wrote: "Maybe it isn't. Maybe somebody lost it a year ago and they haven't replaced it.Or they moved away and took it with them."

No, because in our online system you can see the due date, and the due dates are always in the future. If it were overdue the due date would be in the past.

Lobstergirl wrote: "Sarah Pi wrote: "Maybe it isn't. Maybe somebody lost it a year ago and they haven't replaced it.Or they moved away and took it with them."

No, because in our online system you can see the due dat..."

Can't you put it on hold? Our library system has 15 copies available and no hold requests.

Yes, I will have to put it on hold so one of those Dick nerds will have to surrender it to me. I was just amazed it was so constantly unavailable. You expect that more with a new release.

Dick nerds.

♥ Dick nerds ♥ :)

So what's the problem?

As long as that's Canadian dollars, fine.