JFF: What are the last three books you read?

Currently reading: (long read)
The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker

Prior:
Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosely.
Ring (Ring, #1) by Koji Suzuki.  Will be reading the second book (Spiral) soon enough.

Touristy/coffee table book:
No Access New York City: The City's Hidden Treasures, Haunts, and Forgotten Places by Jamie McDonald. Not really deserving of its New York Times mention.

Graphic novels:
Joyride Vol. 1 (reread) and Vol.2 by Jackson Lanzing.

Finished:
The Collapsing Empire (The Interdependency #1) by John Scalzi;
The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker;
Joyride Vol. 3 by Jackson Lanzing.  The concluding volume is a mild letdown.

The Life of a Union Army Sharpshooter The diaries and letters of JT Farnham.
Invasion The alternate history of the German Invasion of Britain July 1940.
The Tunnels of Cuchi about the underground warfare during the Viet Nam War.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland - Amazing and imaginative!
Grimm's Fairy Tales - Oh.  My.  Gosh.  Fascinating.
The Complete Works of Hans Christian Andersen - Wow!  What beautiful and intriguing reading.

I am currently readin an anthology of short stories by Anton Chekhov.

Before that I read 'Aquí volverá a temblar' a book by Ricardo Becerra, the man that was responsible for handling the emergency of 2017 earthquake in Mexico City and to whom I own coming back to my home after three months in the street. Its a collection of all the things he saw and the recomendations to face the next eartquake of the City.


And before I read a marvelous novel called The Man Who Loved Dogs a marvelous work by Cuban novelist Leobardo Padura about Lev Trotski assasination in Mexico.

The Art of Recklessness by Dean Young (re-read: about the second time in six years, not including reading parts here and there))

The Book of Light (poems) by Lucille Clifton (re-read to the nth power)

The War by Margeurite Duras (memoir unlike any other memoir) (third re-read in many years as I first read it as a teenager: one of my very first favorite adult books)

I'd strongly recommend all three (and I think even people who don't like poetry could like Clifton; she's very accessible yet still very lyrical and musical; this book moves - one could read it in an hour and feel like a even less time went by))

Mythologies (or Everyday Myths) by Roland Barthes. Barthes tries to find out what cultural things like books, pictures, and of course TV and movies, tell about society. For example, in 1950s France, he sees a magazine cover showing a young black soldier saluting. It's a real photo, not accompanied by any literal message, but still it carries a myth: black soldiers are proud to serve France. The picture is natural (it really exists just like that), the message behind the picture is cultural (manmade), and the twist is that we are supposed to perceive the message as natural as well. The book goes on to give less obvious examples but that's the basic approach.

Dark Days by James Baldwin.

Truth and Politics by Hannah Arendt. It's always great to read Hannah Arendt. She also gave a legendary interview to German journalist Günter Gaus, which can be found on Youtube with English subtitles.

Mike Nelson's Movie Megacheese by Michael J. Nelson - Finally, realistic movie opinions that sound down to earth and un-tainted by Hollywood!

Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters - MST3K's star hilariously and relatably weighs in on life's issues: everything from T.V. to social situations to childhood dreams to spa days to an uncle's "wisdom."  Same wit but but somehow more enjoyable than Movie Megacheese. 

The Lord of the Rings, The Lord of the Rings and........The Lord of the Rings!

Last Eight Books I Read:
The Forensic Certified Public Accountant series by Dwight David Thrash.  Please look for it on Kindle.  It is delightful.  ;)

A Room of One's Own, Virginia Woolf.

To Have or To Be?, Erich Fromm.

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee. What a sweet depiction of childhood events. But I basically have to agree with Roger Ebert's review of the film: this is a story from a more naive time that uses the black people as props for a white savior/coming of age arc. The book is better because it is more suited to give a wider range of characters depth and complexities. The strength of the story lies in its little incidents and characterizations, not in the big events.

At the end I was like, "and that's it - all is fine again? Does no one raise any more questions about how Tom Robinson was treated?"

Finished The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Flavia de Luce #10) by Bradley, Alan. Love this series though this, the latest book seemed kind of rushed to the publisher. Still enjoyable.

Homesick for Another World: Book of well written short stories about really repugnant monstrous, unlikable people. By Moshfegh, Ottessa.  Can't recommend. Really hesitating now if I want to continue reading her much hyped recent work as the novels seem to possibly feature similar characters to her short stories.

Norse Mythology by Gaiman, Neil. One can easily see Neil's personality through his interpretation of the Norse myth stories. But I didn't really enjoy them like I would his original fare.

Rosewater by Thompson, Tade. A great original work of science fiction and the opening volley to what should be a necessary read trilogy (regardless of whether one is into science fiction or not).

Impossible Fortress (on sale on Audible) Jason Rekulak.  Think Stephen King's Stand By Me ... but takes place in the 80s and the dead body is a Playboy Magazine and our protagonist is a nerdy video game programmer/prodigy.

All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1) (sci-fi novella that could be allegory for slavery) by Wells, Martha

Giant Days: Not On the Test Edition Vol. 1, 2, and 3 by Allison, John. I can't get enough of cheeky, slice of life graphic novels like this.

Tales from the Inner City by Tan, Shaun (surrealist illustrated book of short stories). Really quick and mildly interesting.

Royal City, Vol. 1: Next of Kin: Can't recommend this critically praised dirty, gloomy, dysfuctional family drama based graphic novel with no likable characters to be seen.

The Rhesus Chart (Laundry Files, #5) by Stross, Charles *

Dangerous Household Items Poetry by Orr, David

Don't bother:
Reset by Andrews, Brian 
Casanova: Acedia, Vol. 1 by Fraction, Matt

Pretty darn good stuff:
We Are Legion (Bobiverse, #1 by Taylor, Dennis 
Goldie Vance Vol. 1 by Larson, Hope
Dead Moon (Threshold, #3) by Clines, Peter 

Never-Ending Birds: Poems by Baker, David

The Annihilation Score (Laundry Files, #6) by Stross, Charles The first of the series to not center around usual protagonist, Bob Howard but centers on his wife, Dr. Domonique "Mo" O'Brien

Dreadful Company (Dr. Greta Helsing, #2) by Shaw, Vivian 

On A Sunbeam by Walden, Tillie

Strange Practice (Dr. Greta Helsing, #1) by Vivian Shaw

Curently reading: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain. Narrated by Nick Offerman.

Stalled on rereading The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon.

Finished:



Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 2: A Recipe for Disaster

Space Battle Lunchtime Vol. 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion
Riess, Natalie




Part of It: Comics and Confessions
Schrag, Ariel *




Lost and Wanted