Comments on: Wrapped up in Books 2007, Part II

By: Walker Weede

Walker Weede — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:49:38 +0000

An Arsonists Guide… I bloody loved this book! I thank Jags for puting me hip to it. As she’s done with many great short stories. (Sea Oak…) And how cool was it that Joshua Furst took us up on our offer to hang with us at Grumpys ? I have yet to finish his book but it’s not for lack of interest. See Ya…

By: david

david — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:55:01 +0000

I agree on most counts, except for The Road (which I enjoyed) and Love Is a Mixtape (enjoyable in a mushy, music nerd type of way, but hardly one of my favorite non-fiction books of the year).

Thanks for the list, and as always, for the book recommendations.

By: bakiwop

bakiwop — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 23:33:03 +0000

i think so, but for the life of me i can’t remember the ending.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:15:02 +0000

Did you even finish the book?

By: bakiwop

bakiwop — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 17:12:05 +0000

i am, i am. however, since this is /your/ website i will of course surrender to most any punishment you deem fit - except for changing my mind about that book!

By: Jaskson

Jaskson — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 16:00:58 +0000

You should try http://www.swaptree.com. Great site for freebooks, cds, dvds, and video games.

By: Jodi

Jodi — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:31:39 +0000

Bakiwop, you’d better be giving thanks to the US Constitution right about now.

And Tony, I think 100 pages is sufficient. Unless, of course, it’s unreadable gobbledy gook like The Boy Who Cried Freebird, then 40 pages is plenty.

By: bakiwop

bakiwop — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:15:13 +0000

“An Arsonist’s Guide to Writers’ Homes in New England, Brock Clarke” - don’t do it man! just don’t do it! won’t anybody think of the children! for all that is good and decent in this world, put…the book…down, and slowly walk away. and keep your hands where I can see them!

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 13:47:20 +0000

Question: How long do you give a seemingly bad book to redeem itself? I was previously working under the 1/3 rule (at least read a third of the book, and if it doesn’t grab you by then, then you are OK to give it up). Yet recently I’ve found that 1/3 is just too much, and I’ve been wanting to dump a book much earlier. Is that wrong? Am I a bad person?

By: Jodi

Jodi — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:55:13 +0000

No, I haven’t read it. Crapstackistan was the first book I’d read by Shteyngart. I’d give him another shot. He has potential. I’ll see if I can mooch the Russian book.