Reading Poll #2

[jwgh]

While I was in New Jersey this past weekend I went to the Montclair Book Center, a used bookstore that I have fond memories of (I lived in Montclair from 1997 to 1999). So I got a bunch more books.

Add those to the books I already had in my 'to-read' pile and you end up with this:

[Poll #1005324]

As always, do not let ignorance of any or all of the books prevent you from voting! Also, if you have any comments about any of these books or authors please let me know.

Comments

note to myself

[jwgh]

Kibologist (and non-LJ user) Rid admits to having read the Macleod and says it was quite good.

Re: note to myself

[paracelsvs.livejournal.com]

Kibologist (and LJ user) myself also admits to having read it.

I killed off most of an 11-hour ferry ride by sitting on the top deck reading it. It was entertaining but maybe not really as brilliant as his other books. But still, very decent.

It's sort of an inverse Rendezvous With Rama, in a way.

[fredfred.livejournal.com]

You've got some nice books there. Rainbow's End was pretty good -- good 'beach' sf reading if not actually awesome like previous Vinge. I've heard good things about Camouflage -- nice review in Publisher's Weekly recently, apparently.

But as to my recommendation: _Up in the Old Hotel_ is a remarkable, evocative, earthy, funny, strange collection. The two long pieces about Joe Gould are highlights of the book; but there's so much good stuff, especially if you love New York and seafood and the history of real people -- many of them down-and-out.

[jwgh]

Thanks! I think I will read the Mitchell soon one way or another.

[katrinkles.livejournal.com]

in case you're wondering why, i chose the book with the word "lagoon" in it because i like the water.
:)

I chose it because

[vardissakheli.livejournal.com]

I am still happily lingering over Ribofunk.

[jwgh]

As it happens, that's the book I took with me to lunch today, so I'm glad to see that it is coming out ahead in the polls.

The second chapter opens in Narragansett with a description of johnnycakes.

[katrinkles.livejournal.com]

mmmm, johnnycakes . . .

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

I said Rainbows End because I am reading it. Well, I started reading it, and then I saw that John Varley's The Ophiuchi Hotline is back in print, bought the paperback and devoured it. And then I was in the mood for difficult outré New Wave stuff and started reading Samuel Delany's Dhalgren. So I think it'll be a while before I get back to the Vinge, longer if I start into the new Pynchon first.

[mmcirvin.livejournal.com]

...Not to say that the Varley is itself difficult outré New Wave stuff; it's fast-reading outré 1970s solar-system baroque, and highly recommended.

[jwgh]

I would kind of like to read it before the Hugos are announced, but there's time yet.

The nice thing about this poll is that the ones that are getting a lot of votes are ones that I was strongly inclined to read first anyway, and enough other things are getting a vote or two that this poll will continue to be useful as I work my way down the reading list.

[sunburn.livejournal.com]

One of Varley's books in that universe, either Ophiuchi Hotline or Steel Beach (I'm pretty sure it was OH) has one of my absolute favorite scenes in any SF book. I'd ruin it in telling; suffice to say its the scene with the snack machine on Pluto.

I haven't read any other Varley; his Wizard/Titan/Whatsit books looked a little to fantasy for my tastes.

Also re-issued, I noticed yesterday, is Iain M. Banks' "The Start of the Art," the short story collection that includes several Culture stories, including the title story which features The Culture's visit to Earth back in 1977-8.

[paracelsvs.livejournal.com]

State of the Art, that is.

It is very good. It also contains the story Road of Skulls, which just makes me giggle and giggle.