Recommend A Book/What Are You Reading?

[johngotty]

I always love these b/c NTers usually give some good choices.

Here's a short writeup of a few books I've read in the past few weeks.

http://smokingsection.rawkus.com/TSS/?p=2655


Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem

A murder mystery with the lead character being a detective with a mean case of Tourette's syndrome, word to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. A little confusing attimes, but that may be part of the draw.

No Lights, No Sirens: The Corruption and Redemption of an Inner City Cop by Robert Cea

Can't wait on The Wire or want something to read in between weekly episodes? This story of a corrupt cop & his "Redemption" is more abouttheir crooked ways, cop slang &crackheads…and a page-turner.

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman

I actually picked this one up after seeing it recommended in Complex a few months ago. If you're a fan of pop culture & music as a whole, this onemight be for you. Any author that can effortlessly ramble & relate on topics ranging from The Dixie Chicks to the 80's Lakers-Celts rivalry and BillyJoel. Very well-written & funny but a bit prolonged at times.

Snitch: Informants, Cooperators, and the Corruption of Justice by Ethan Brown

Personal bias aside, this book clocks in a notch under Queens Reigns Supreme. It starts as if you can plan on being completely overwhelmed by thelegal jargon involved, which can be discouraging. But with poignant examples of the foul relationship between DA's, informants & the federal guidelinesthat influence them, Ethan manages to break it down to a level of understanding to where you'll be able to hold conversations on 5K motions, mandatoryminimums & downward departures in sentencing guidelines. Edutainment at it's finest.

The Book of Useless Information by Noel Botham

One of the best bathroom readerers ever. I've literally found myself in conversations about this book on planes, @ work & in the drive-thru line @Dairy Queen (hey, the lady asked). One of the Amazon reviews on the first page says "I found enough false information in this book that it renders thebook useless, unless you like to spend your time searching Google to verify facts…". @#@+%@%%$%$#, I didn't say I believed everything in the book…butI was damn sure entertaining & it made my mind drift, imagining some of the possibilities. Buy it used & enjoy.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People by Toby Young

I actually picked this one up after having tried to read Carnegie's How To Win Friends & Influence People. After a few chapters, I deemedmy fate to be that I'd have a lonely funeral & that it was useless to maintain my personal Myspace because I'd rather not have friends @ the costof reading such a boring tome.

Unless there's some jewel hidden in the latter, pick up Young's book instead and prepare to laugh as he details his rise & fall in NewYork's print media. If you deal with the music industry, labels, promotional companies and the ilk, you will be able to relate. If you don't, afterreading this, you'll be glad you don't have to.

 

[shapeshiftah]

check out "devil in the white city" by erik larson.

 

[big j 33]

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman

I actually picked this one up after seeing it recommended in Complex a few months ago. If you're a fan of pop culture & music as a whole, this one might be for you. Any author that can effortlessly ramble & relate on topics ranging from The Dixie Chicks to the 80's Lakers-Celts rivalry and Billy Joel. Very well-written & funny but a bit prolonged at times.

My man.... I was going to come here and say "If you're a fan of pop culture check this book out"

I just picked up Chuck Klosterman IV, his next book, so far it's not bad, but it's different than Sex, Drugs..

 

[craftsy21]

I'm reading Post Office by Charles Bukowski

 

[johngotty]

Big J - Did you like it?

I liked the way it was written & some parts were funny as hell. But then some parts, he was on some whole other stuff that was irrelevant to me, maybe b/cI just didn't care about the topics. Sorry but Billy Joel just isn't THAT interesting, no matter how good he tried to sell it lol (which was good b/c Idid keep reading).

 

[big j 33]

Big J - Did you like it?

I liked the way it was written & some parts were funny as hell. But then some parts, he was on some whole other stuff that was irrelevant to me, maybe b/c I just didn't care about the topics. Sorry but Billy Joel just isn't THAT interesting, no matter how good he tried to sell it lol (which was good b/c I did keep reading).
Yeah I liked it a lot, but you're right it was really hit and miss. I'm a Billy Joel fan and I didn't think it was that good. Butwhen he was writing about the Celtics/Lakers, cereal, the Left Behind (hysterical for me because I want to a Christian middle school and everyone LOVED thatstuff), the Real World, Saved By The Bell, etc, I was dying laughing and thought it was written well.

That's why it was kind of hard for me to recommend this book to people because there's no way you can agree with him on EVERYTHING. But looking pastsome of the topics, I thought it was smartly written, tied together brilliantly with pop culture references, analysis on his own life, and general criticism ofEVERYTHING... which is great for a cynical bastard like myself.

From what I've read of his next book IV, it's a collection of his old articles and some added comments on itthroughout, and it isn't bad, but it's lacking what Sex had, but it's also early on so I'll see.

 

[nyvictory45]

Right now I'm reading Brave New World. I dunno what to really recommend right now except my usual answer of On the Road by Kerouac.

 

[big j 33]

Right now I'm reading Brave New World. I dunno what to really recommend right now except my usual answer of On the Road by Kerouac.
Both good books, I had to read Brave New World for AP Lang and I liked it a lot. And I picked up On the Road on my own and lovedit. I'm actually giving it to my brother for a birthday gift because I think he'd like it too.

 

[skeeetskeeet]

My Bloody Life.

Its about the life of a Latin King, a notorious gang. HIGHLY recommended.

 

[joshhassolex]

Originally Posted by SkeeetSkeeet

My Bloody Life.

Its about the life of a Latin King, a notorious gang. HIGHLY recommended.

w0rd. i was gonna say that.

 

[certifiedflyboi23]

Goosebumps by R.L Stine

 

[johngotty]

*takes notes * My Bloody Life *takes notes *

 

[blazinjkid]

i've read all of Klosterman's stuff. IV and Killing Yourself to Live are both pretty good as well, so check those out if you likedSex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. he comes off as pretentious and snobby as hell at times, but a lot of his pop culture parallels to real-life situationsare hilarious because they're so on point.

right now i'm reading Paulo Coehlo- The Zahir. i'd recommend any and all of his books...

 

[bgetsbusy]

"Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster" - Michael Eric Dyson

Just finished "The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography" - Sidney Poitier

 

[icykicks79]

Malcolm X bio

 

[imaballerballer]

i always recommend "the five people you meet in heaven"
right now im reading a book called "middlesex" and after that it's malcolm x's autobiography

 

[heavily weighted]

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Its very intense. When I tried to read it like 5 years ago I had difficulty, but I read it last year. Highlyrecommended.

 

[bifl43]

the wolf of wall street by jordan belfort...don't write this one off, deffinitely check it out.

 

[ebayologist]

Been reading "Designing Design" by Kenya Hara... If you like/have an interest in design or are a designer yourself of really any sort you'dprobably like it...

 

[LOLOMGWTFBBQ]

I've mentioned these two so many times on NT, lol. Ah well...

-Battle Royale
-I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell

 

[jomitm]

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Conspiracy

i'm halfway through and i'm not gonna lie i'm liking it

i wouldn't be reading this if it weren't for bio class requirement but i surprisingly find it interesting

 

[jordanhead2]

About 100 pgs. into I am Legend....and so far the book and movie have NOTHING in common. Prettygood book though.

 

[john23friend85]

Reading Batman: A Death in the Family again, great stuff, but on a more serious note I just started reading "Feed" by M.T. Anderson and it'sscary to think about how close our society is to becoming what society is in this book.

 

[chriscendo]

i heard 'cool time' was a great book..

 

[targiu23]

Anything by Agatha Christie read all poirot mysteries a year ago and am currently deciding to read the marples. Her other novels are good I just read towardzero.