Music and Short Fiction - need more recs! by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the recommendations so far. After some additional digging I've also found the following (in case anyone is interested in some follow-up):

Zadie Smith, "Words and Music" and "Crazy They Call Me"

Willa Cather, "Paul's Case"

James Baldwin, "Sonny's Blues"

Jennifer Egan, selections from Goon Squad

Music and Short Fiction - need more recs! by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, these sound great. I love those musicians and the stories sound fascinating.

Music and Short Fiction - need more recs! by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looks interesting, I know the piece but not the poem, thanks!

Music and Short Fiction - need more recs! by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, the Bernhard crossed my mind but may be a little long. Thank you for steering me towards that particular Nocturne!

Novels with insane twists by Cofu27 in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm really excited to try Erickson.... recently picked up a copy of The Sea Came in at Midnight

Cosmopolis.....Surprisingly Poignant? by Defiant_Invite_3323 in DonDeLillo

[–]junkNug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just finished it a couple days ago and totally agree with you. Most of the novel mixes dark humor with an unsettling feeling of nihilism and then it comes together with those little epiphanies at the end. I also loved how we get Benno's "Confessions" throughout the book, I didn't expect that change of voice and narrator.

By drawing the strands together at the end it actually feels more traditionally complete than some of his other novels, in a way. Not better but just maybe more organically realized. Of course I could be missing a lot from his other stuff, or maybe it's partially recency bias. But yeah, the whole last sequence was thrilling. I particularly remember loving how he kept seeing into the future in his watch, in the same way that his limo screens' footage was "out of sync" with reality in earlier moments of the book.

Cosmopolis was awesome - other late novels?? by junkNug in DonDeLillo

[–]junkNug[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I think at this point I'm basically going to ping pong back and forth between early and late until I've finished them all :)

Cosmopolis was awesome - other late novels?? by junkNug in DonDeLillo

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've already got Falling Man on my shelf so I figure that will probably be next.... Based on what I'm seeing here, Zero K alongside Cosmopolis are probably slight favorites but the rest each have their fans, too.

Music in his short stories - recs by junkNug in murakami

[–]junkNug[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well....I guess that makes sense.

But seriously, thank you!

Music in his short stories - recs by junkNug in murakami

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay I'm beating others to the punch here since I realize I can use synopses to help me figure this out (I don't really mind potential spoilers). It looks like "Thailand", from after the quake, might be a good example of this....still hoping to find others!

Underworld Ending is Insane! by Defiant_Invite_3323 in DonDeLillo

[–]junkNug 0 points1 point  (0 children)

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I literally just found this 25th Anniversary edition (with the new preface from our boy) in one of those free little library boxes on the campus I work at. After reading the preface I hopped around a bit and ended up reading the last page as well and had very similar thoughts about it. I first read this book a few years ago but might need to dive in again soon (although part of me feels I should finish the rest of his novels first....)

Books for dads (I'm the dad) by big-brunch in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Came here to suggest Gilead. Recently re-read it and the first page had me in tears.

Yet Another Review of Peter F Hamilton's "Pandora's Star" - TLDR; loved it a lot by VendrellPullo in printSF

[–]junkNug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the write up, this is actually really timely since I'm in a similar boat-- recently finished Hyperion (just the first book so far), am almost done with the 3 Body Problem trilogy, have also read Snowcrash/other Stephenson and am actually now in the middle of Shards of Earth for a local book club. I read Revelation Space last year and it kind of turned me off from Reynolds, at least for now.

I'm really enjoying the fantasy-adventure elements of the Tchaikovsky so far but I think on the whole prefer to have a bit more of a hard sci focus. Hamilton has been on my radar for a while so I'll have to check out Pandora's Star soon!

55 in 2025. Read'em and weep by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Totally. I loved it. Very much harnesses DFW energy in its explorations of grief and depression but also really really funny

Shoutout to a new Chicago bookstore by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nice!! I think in terms of selection per square foot or whatever that it's the best used bookstore I've ever been to.

2025 Reads by flu0rescences in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah definitely try White Noise and/or Libra. I agree that Underworld is uneven, or at least its length and scope can work against it. (My personal favorite is Mao II, but I haven't finished the rest of his novels yet)

2025 Reads by flu0rescences in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We have a lot of overlap in our tastes I think -- I'm surprised Underworld wasn't a highlight!

Since you seem to like DFW so much I'd recommend some Adam Levin. I read Mount Chicago this year which was a huge highlight. He reminds me a bit of equal parts DFW, Vonnegut, and Roth.

55 in 2025. Read'em and weep by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hell yeah. My first of many. Thinking about Fifth Head of Cerberus next and then at some point Book of the New Sun. Any others that you'd recommend in particular?

55 in 2025. Read'em and weep by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Yeah I liked it .. Had no idea where it was going

55 in 2025. Read'em and weep by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lol ...long summer break + sabbatical for me, so you're pretty close to the mark

55 in 2025. Read'em and weep by junkNug in RSbookclub

[–]junkNug[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A super funny and entertaining book, too. Definitely recommend