D

ps – I’ve updated the “books read” column with results of the surveys, and the past books list with the comments. 8 folks responded–thanks!

I was wondering also if folks might be interested in a bit of white elephant gifting for the next meeting on December 17th (Saturday) at Greg’s house–whaddayasay? Find something interesting, stupid, crazy, or weird and wrap it and bring it. (It’s a good way to get rid of shit.) The deal is to take turns either choosing an unopened gift or taking something already opened (then that person opens something new). Good to be last…

See y’all soon!

Derick

Making my way along beersandabook blog history, I have modified the chronological element of the past book list. Why? Because apparently I have nothing else to do while I drink beer late at night. In any case, it needed to be done to assuage the OCD tendencies which many years of matrimony have graced upon my soul by osmosis. So whatever the fuck, there you have it.

Holy crap–what is especially interesting is the fact that through 4 years now (49 months), there have only been 6 months where we didn’t read and meet about a book. And in so doing, a few orphan, forgotten books have come to light which should have their due attention to be rated. Later.

It’s testament to you fuckers wanting to drink beer at least once a month whether or not you actually read a book. In any case, cheers!

Night-night.

D

And so for something else to waste your time with if you’re interested, I’ve created some surveys (as the free SurveyMonkey limits you to 10 questions each) to rank all the massive amounts of books we’ve read (40 actually) in the club thus far.  (The first meeting was this same time of year-ish 2007 with me, Jason, Michael, and some other nameless dude who fell by the wayside in attendance.)  They are chronologically in order from 1 (oldest) to 40 (latest).  The rankings are from 1-crap to 5-stellar with a didn’t read choice along with comment field.  They are located here:

“http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KYTKLBZ” (1-10)
“http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KQX968H” (11-20)
“http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KQGRNDW” (21-30)
“http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KQ6RWZY” (31-40)

I’ll compile the results to share at Greg’s next month.

Cheers!

Derick

Here are my book picks.

1. Christine Falls:  A Novel by Benjamin Black.  2008.  369 pp.  This is a crime novel set in 1950s Dublin by the low-brow alter ego of John Banville, writer of  Booker-prize winning novels.  Genre-fiction has proved irresistible for Banville; this is his fourth crime novel under a pseudonym.  In an excellent review of these  books, James Woods reports the author muttering to himself as he turns from his literary manuscripts to the pleasures of genre:  “Banville, you slut!”  The public library as several copies; the U has one.
2. The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry. 1999. 336 pages.  This novel, another Irish one, comes highly recommended from a friend.  The book is set in the early 20th century.  The public library has a copy and so does the U.
3. I really should have chosen Ulysses to round out the Irish theme, but instead opted for something completely different:  The Wave by Susan Casey.  2010.  352 pages.  This is a nonfiction book about the science and sport of monster waves, along with plenty of death and destruction.  The public library has six copies.

Jeff

I sent out wordpress invites to those who aren’t authors of the site yet. Sorry to those I missed all this time. I also updated the book list on the Past Books page and the Side Bar. And finally I changed the theme. Do you like it, or should I continue to fiddle around with it? I liked how the list of books in the sidebar was bulleted with this theme.

Jeff is our next decider. We all await a post from him with three book choices. I also liked Michael’s use of the poll function. It seemed to work well.

PICK #1: “Volt” by Alan Heathcock
Eight killer stories revolving around a fictional western town called Krafton. Somewhat like Cormac McCarthy in the barenaked, rough west genre, but imminently readable prose that draws you in from the first sentence. Some praise: “…through [Krafton's] street and farms and minds spin questions about civilization and wilderness, lawkeeping and lawlessness, faith and faithlessness.” – Anthony Doerr. “Alan Heathcock doesn’t so much write stories as fire them like bullets–they speed into the reader’s consciousness and zip toward an impact that feels both stunning and irreversable. These are stories that arrive fast, hit hard, and linger.” -Keith Lee Morris.
An excerpt from the story about a guy who can take any punch from any man: “Two young men waited outside. One wore a thin beard and smoked against the stoop rail. The other had an upturned nose, like a snout, and eyes that didn’t blink. Winslow stepped down by Ham. The pig man balled a fist. Winslow instinctively tightened. The punch cracked like a dry branch, and the man ran in circles with his wrist between his thighs, dropped to the dirt like an animal shot. Ham hugged Winslow’s neck. ‘Told you my boy’s a rock,’ he cackled into the night. ‘A goddamn human rock.’”
Just 207 pages. $10.95 at Amazon

PICK #2: “Full Dark, No Stars” by Stephen King
Yes, THAT Stephen King. You know, we haven’t done any of the horror genre, and these are less of the supernatural, UFO-type King fiction, and more of the dark, human tales. He’s a good writer, even though I think he’s a bit of a mainstream biotch. Some praise: “Full Dark, No Stars is an extraordinary collection, thrillingly merciless, and a career high point.” —The Telegraph (UK). “The man ain’t whistlin’ Dixie. Returning to the novella—possibly his brightest canvas—King provides four raw looks at the limits of greed, revenge, and self-deception.” -Daniel Kraus.
An excerpt: “She marched across the yard, raising dust with her dainty town shoes, went into the house, and slammed the door. Henry turned to look at me. There was blood at the corner of his mouth and his lower lip was swelling. The rage in his eyes was of the raw, pure sort that only adolescents can feel. It is rage that doesn’t count the cost. He nodded his head. I nodded back, just as gravely, but inside the Conniving Man was grinning. That slap was her death-warrant.”
576 pages (that typically turn quickly), $9.99 on Amazon

PICK #3: “Mothers and Sons” by Colm Toibin
No fantastic trickery with language here–just really good storytelling. Toibin is an Irish author of several award-winning novels, and this collection of nine stories is intelligent and satisfying. Some praise: “These nine tales read like miniature novels; they are so assuredly paced and plangent in tone that it is no exaggeration to compare them to Joyce’s classic Dubliners.” – John Freeman. “Everything we’ve come to expect of Toibin: chilled, sharp prose revealing complex, contradictory feelings, and an equally acute eye for the way character and environment trigger action … A beautiful, seamless, affecting piece of writing.” -The Seattle Times.
An excerpt from the story about an everyday thief who stole a collection of art including a Rembrandt: “Everyone in the dormitory remained still; no one made a sound. It did not stop. Finally, when the two boys opened the door and tried to make their way to their beds in the darkness, the silence became even more intense. As they lay in bed crying and sobbing, the other boys did not make a sound. He wished he knew the names of the boys who had been punished and wondered if he would know them in the morning, if they would look different because of what had happened.”
Just $288 pages, $11.70 at Amazon