Books you've read in 2022

Jark said:
after finishing The Secret History (an instant all timer, I cried when I finished reading) I'm craving a reread of The Rules of Atraction but it's out of print here so I'll get it in the UK at Christmas... but I want it now. I'm in such a mood for American ACADEMIA FICTION right now
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loved both and have re-read both several times , especially Rules
 
The Queen Of Pop needs to return to save us all @jivafox

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Suedey said:
I'd also recommend Queen Of Pop Haniya's A Little Life but that might be a bit much :(
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I definitely don't wanna read A Little Life :D I don't think I can deal

what else is there in the gay or homoerotic liberal academic fiction GENRE? please advise. otherwise I'll just read Call Me By Your Name again
 
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I've always steered clear of Abe. I just don't like surrealism, be it books, art or movies

I also hate dreams in books and movies. as pointless as in real life (unless they're the NOF kind)
 
Mats said:
I've always steered clear of Abe. I just don't like surrealism, be it books, art or movies

I also hate dreams in books and movies. as pointless as in real life (unless they're the NOF kind)
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Well, you should’ve told me that before I bought THREE books by this bitch. :bad:

This is the disadvantage of refusing any kind of spoilers and picking books by vague descriptions only.

Now I’m stuck with this and it feels like I’ll never finish it.
 
Mats said:
I've always steered clear of Abe. I just don't like surrealism, be it books, art or movies

I also hate dreams in books and movies. as pointless as in real life (unless they're the NOF kind)
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But you used to like Murakmi hun so what gives?

Agreed re: NOF. Let's NOF it up
 
wondering if I can get two more books in before year's end. I reckon one will be Yu Hua's To Live but I'm unsure about the other one
 
Mats said:
wondering if I can get two more books in before year's end. I reckon one will be Yu Hua's To Live but I'm unsure about the other one
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Same here
I just started The Passenger (hi @jivafox ) and it's already pulled me in.
It's my 25th book of the year, so if that's all I read till the end of the year I will have completed my Goodreads challenge :angel:

No art pamphlets this year for me @RaspberrySwirl :eyes:
 
Jark said:
I finished My Year of Rest & Relaxation. I feel torn about it.

on the one hand I like the commitment to making the narrator a bitch, so thoroughly dislikable and full of self-loathing. the emptiness of severe depression was rendered interesting. some of the gradual ways Mossfegh slips in details that reveal how fucked up and drug-dependent narrator is feel really clever and catch you by surprise, and for a book about sleep it's not BORING.

on the other, the 9/11 ending felt tacked on even though you saw it coming a mile off. if narrator has found things to live for and really does appreciate her friend now, wouldn't it be more effective ending the diary on September 10th with optimism for the future? or is she still highly depressed and only deluding herself that the sleep diet worked, hence why she finds it "beautiful" to watch Reva plunging to her death from the twin towers?

I tore through so I guess I really enjoyed it despite some of the uncertainties and lingering doubts.
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I know it's become somewhat of a CLICHE to read in 2022, but I adored My Year of Rest & Relaxation.
Such a bonkers premise, and her writing and world-building really pull you in. It's very hard to put down I found.
I like that she seems to write to entertain herself also - and I attribute a lot of the ending that you mention to that part of the authors personality. She'd just written an utterly ludicrous book full of AWFUL AWFUL characters - how far could she push it on the final couple of pages? I loved the utter ridiculous melodrama of it all, almost an ironic comment on books having to have a profound ending.

I also loved Lapvona her recent follow up. Very much THE PRINCESS BRIDE written through a morbid and sarcastic adult filter. Again her world-building is great, albeit a little over-stuffed with characters.
I saw Mossfegh do a talk when it came out, and she's SO dry and sardonic in person. Truly the closest to Daria in human form I've ever witnessed.
 
My Year of Rest & Relaxation was such an iconic read. I mean, especially the audiobook and the party where she
has a poo.

Pachinko is also on my to-read list pretty much permanently. I think it's been on my bedside table for about a year now!

That being said, I am currently reading Junky. Believe it or not Mopsy I've never read any Burroughs!
 
I read that in Year 7 and my English teacher loudly told me in front of the class that it was BORING because people who take drugs are BORING.

Even at that age I knew that if somebody had slipped Pip some E then it would have made Great Expectations a lot more BEARABLE.
 
on a related note, I'm currently listening to this nakedly salacious podcast called Once Upon a Time at Bennington about the college days of Ellis, Tartt and Jonathan Lethem.

it's full of contributions from eccentric nobodies who happened to go to Bennington at the same time and seem to recall every detail about who was fucking who and snorting what. it's FABULOUS :disco:

 
Jark said:
on a related note, I'm currently listening to this nakedly salacious podcast called Once Upon a Time at Bennington about the college days of Ellis, Tartt and Jonathan Lethem.

it's full of contributions from eccentric nobodies who happened to go to Bennington at the same time and seem to recall every detail about who was fucking who and snorting what. it's FABULOUS :disco:

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I've only heard the episode about The Secret History. people were not pleased with being the source inspiration for certain characters :D
 
The final chapter is so empowering and heartbreaking at the same time. I'm glad you stuck with it and enjoyed it.

A little fanmail moment (Lisa López in memoriam): I actually wrote an email to him in September to thank him for the book and lo and behold he replied a few weeks ago :disco:

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I’m reading a Wallander Crime Novel again because they’re always perfect for this time of year
 
I recently finished Miki Berenyi formally of the band LUSH's memoir, and it's REALLY good. One of the best music memoirs I've read (the all-time best is of course Boy George's truly iconic roller-coaster ride Take It Like A Man :disco: )

I'd only discovered Lush's shoegaze years in the past few years myself, having only been familiar with the Britpop-esque Lushlife album previously - so it's really interesting to get her take on the band, especially as they were quite successful on the American indie scene at the time with their shoegaze material as opposed to the UK. Her simmering feud with band member Emma is quite delicious to take in.

Miki is SUCH a good writer. A total natural. The book often feels like she's having a natter with you down the pub than a memoir. Her writing talent really elevates the book. It's been ranked in a lot of end of year lists mainly due to how well it's written.

Interestingly it's broken into two halves - the first half focusing on her life pre-20 years old, and the second half mainly on Lush.
I usually HATE the growing up chapters of memoirs and sometimes skip them - but her story is really very interesting. She had a bizarre and often very dark upbringing, and the first half is packed with surreal stories. At times it does feel like she may be telling a TALL TALE* about an antic she got up to, or misremembering an event from 45 years ago but it's still very interesting to read.

*(I don't mean this in relation to the dark content in the book of course!)
 
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