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  • Jun 24, 2022
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    This is one of the worst books I've ever managed to finish so well done to me for that I guess. I picked it up cause I really liked the premise of a woman slowly becoming disengaged with ordinary life and descending into madness - brought to mind Edith's Diary by Highsmith which I loved. But this book had absolutely nothing to it, just page after page of empty, vapid s***e by someone who seems to think that writing a female character who is an absolute d***head is enough of a premise for an entire novel. I love books where the protagonists are bad people but that can't be the whole f***ing plot!

    I felt nothing for 300 pages and then it is capped off by the most offensively bad "faux deep" ending you could possibly imagine and in a way I'm glad I stuck around for that because it did at least make me feel something, even if that feeling was unbridled rage.

    A lot of positive reviews of this say it is an accurate portrayal of depression and I guess I have to concede that that is true, as it read like one big endless slog and at times it made me think that life wasn't worth living any more. Maybe that was the point I dunno, but that doesn't make it good.

  • Jun 24, 2022
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    1 reply
    Bizzle

    This is one of the worst books I've ever managed to finish so well done to me for that I guess. I picked it up cause I really liked the premise of a woman slowly becoming disengaged with ordinary life and descending into madness - brought to mind Edith's Diary by Highsmith which I loved. But this book had absolutely nothing to it, just page after page of empty, vapid s***e by someone who seems to think that writing a female character who is an absolute d***head is enough of a premise for an entire novel. I love books where the protagonists are bad people but that can't be the whole f***ing plot!

    I felt nothing for 300 pages and then it is capped off by the most offensively bad "faux deep" ending you could possibly imagine and in a way I'm glad I stuck around for that because it did at least make me feel something, even if that feeling was unbridled rage.

    A lot of positive reviews of this say it is an accurate portrayal of depression and I guess I have to concede that that is true, as it read like one big endless slog and at times it made me think that life wasn't worth living any more. Maybe that was the point I dunno, but that doesn't make it good.

    had this on my to read list and was actually just thinking about starting it soon

    I read Homesick for Another World and liked it. Moshfegh is very celebrated but also seems pretty polarizing. she's got this new book Lapvona that I might check out too

  • Jun 24, 2022
    kogoyos

    had this on my to read list and was actually just thinking about starting it soon

    I read Homesick for Another World and liked it. Moshfegh is very celebrated but also seems pretty polarizing. she's got this new book Lapvona that I might check out too

    Yeah she seems almost cultishly adored in some circles but god I absolutely hated it so much that I've been put off reading anything else by her for a while. Give it a go though, would be interested to see if you get anything out of it

  • Jun 25, 2022

    Been meaning to read this forever and finally got it, it’s crazy and amazing. Some parts were slightly heavy-handed ie all the authors views that are laid out thru character dialogue (I realize their importance tho) and maybe a bit too many secondary characters. Other than that might end up in my all-time favorites. Need more CIA literature, wanna read Killing Hope next

    P.S. it’s super funny

  • Piranesi

    Between 3.5/5 and 4/5

    I guess this lived up to the hype? Piranesi was a fascinating character and I thought him finding out that the labyrinth was a cage but still wanting to stay was very sad but also telling about how the human psyche will condition itself to suit its circumstances

    My gripe was that I couldn't tell heads or tails about where anything was in this world and I couldn't visualise any of the action. Still, the story was interesting enough to read through but this is not my kinda read so this is one of those one and done reads. The author is good with weaving the story together however.

  • Jun 27, 2022

    My summer of non fiction begins. I’m mostly doing this to figure out where my internist in art/design lies. I’m hoping by reading a lot of books I’ve chosen I can start to narrow down my focus and ideas. Also much cheaper to do this then go get masters.

    Often times a book like this will play out where the author or authors will talk about ways to fix things but never actually go into enough detail and the reader is left with a bunch of mastabatory theory and jargon. Fortunately, the book is not like this. Drew and Troy did a wonderful job discussing climate change and capitalism’s inability to fix it and approaching climate with natural solutions opposed to the current lefts ideas of geoenginering. Although at times it felt a little idealistic the authors are aware of it and have grounded their philosophy in Utopian thinking which is often very idealistic. There is a fun game you can play online as well and the beginning and end of the book are fiction pieces to help expand on their ideas. 8/10

    Helen Hester is a GREAT philosopher and I think her intention with the book is present but ultimately if felt overly academic and mastabatory. She has wonderful lectures and talks that I honestly felt did more for me then the book did. I have no problem with academia word speak. I want to make that abundantly clear as I have read some pretty out there philosophy/ cultural critique and I do find it important to do so, but there is a point where sometimes it feels like it’s useless. Towards the end you start to even wonder if it was just made for her colleges and friends which is unfortunate because the ideas and philosophy of the future of feminism is important now more than ever. But it just felt like a lack of vision and more like critiquing than than offering ideas. It constantly felt like she would reach some sort of crescendo but it never came. There was interesting concepts discussed regarding the cybernetics and globalism as a way to liberate and democratize the freedom of one’s body through technology. Infact the chapter she goes into depth about that and the first chapter regarding pregnancy of the future are really fire. After digging I guess there’s a book called the Xneofemenist Manifesto which is prelude so maybe the ideas are more concrete there and this book was a response to a lot of the questions being asked. If so, very poor marketing.
    Overall 6/10

    Nick Sernik never disappoints. Platform Capitalism helps establish an understanding of what mode capitalism has taken form of at this moment in time and brings up wonderful insight on the technology that it’s involved in and the implications of it if it goes unchecked. He also goes into detail on how we ended up where we are at and we’re we might end up. Highly recommend.
    Overall 10/10

    I picked up this book last year and read most of it. I took and break and decided to pick up where I left off. Truly fascinating. A wonderful manifesto for building a better future. Nick Sernik and Alex Williams break down some basics on the political and social problems that are ultimately disrupting any type of progress in the world. Capitalism is essentially and inherently unable to progress any type of true technological, ecological and infrastructural project due to market based constraints. They also take on the full automation philosophy approach and make it feel less abrasive and depressing. Often times when philosophers discuss automation it’s very much NRX dark enlightenment bullshit and I do believe that hinders the possibilities of automation as it gives people a bad taste in their mouth. Any future that involves progress lies outside of the frame of capitalism and we can not do it alone. Wonderfully worded and concise.

    10/10

  • Jun 27, 2022
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    Fat City by Leonard Gardner

    4/5

    There's something about boxing during its glory days that I can always appreciate, the fighters had stories. Enter this great novel Fat City which centers around two boxers, one barely amateur and one past his prime, trying to survive not just the opponent but life it self. Gardner paints a picture of the struggles of poverty, hard labor, relationships, and alcoholism with the best in an early 1960's Stockton California setting. But what hits hardest is that moment when both characters realize they may be doomed to walk the same line in and out of the ring.

    Would recommend for anyone who's a fan of the sport of boxing, gritty authors like Denis Johnson and Don Carpenter, films like Raging Bull and The Wrestler, and anyone looking for an easy short read at only 183 pages.

  • Jun 28, 2022
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    Haven’t read a good historical fiction book in a minute and this was great. Super entertaining circumstances, great imagery, and the character of Kolya was just so fun and enjoyable to read about.

  • Jun 28, 2022
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    Finished these two recently:

    Awful book.Only finished it because it was very short and easy to go through.
    The first part of the book is boring, mundane and it seems like the writer has no idea about the stuff he is writing about.
    I guess it picks up in the second part but its still mind numbing.
    I only picked the paperback up for a dollar so I guess it wasn't a total waste.

    You know when a perfect book comes across you at a pivotal moment in your life?
    That's what Siddhartha did to me.
    Very enlightening and I think a big "North Star" type of guide in my life.
    Perfect.

  • Jun 28, 2022

    Going through Brandon Sandersons Stormlight Archive series again with the physicals.

    Best series I’ve ever read by miles.

  • Jun 28, 2022
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    1 reply
    kiddash3r

    Finished these two recently:

    Awful book.Only finished it because it was very short and easy to go through.
    The first part of the book is boring, mundane and it seems like the writer has no idea about the stuff he is writing about.
    I guess it picks up in the second part but its still mind numbing.
    I only picked the paperback up for a dollar so I guess it wasn't a total waste.

    You know when a perfect book comes across you at a pivotal moment in your life?
    That's what Siddhartha did to me.
    Very enlightening and I think a big "North Star" type of guide in my life.
    Perfect.

    Siddhartha a classic

    lotta people have been inspired by that book and it's still as timeless as ever

    as much as I loved Siddhartha, Narcissus & Goldmund felt like an even more serendipitous read for me

    Herman Hesse is underrated

  • Jun 29, 2022

    First self help book I’ve read that is actually good

  • Jun 30, 2022

    Good thread @op

    Didn’t know this existed

  • Jun 30, 2022
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    1 reply

    I will start

    Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work

    Do we have discussions itt cause I have read the xenofeminism book as well

  • Jun 30, 2022
    FREE AUBREY

    I will start

    Inventing the Future: Postcapitalism and a World Without Work

    Do we have discussions itt cause I have read the xenofeminism book as well

    yea feel free to drop your thoughts on books you've read in here if you see other people posting/discussing them

    no strict rules itt

  • Jul 1, 2022
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    Young D

    Haven’t read a good historical fiction book in a minute and this was great. Super entertaining circumstances, great imagery, and the character of Kolya was just so fun and enjoyable to read about.

    what’s the book about the cover got me interested

  • Jul 1, 2022
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    acabo de compro unos libros clásicos, vi que has leído los detectives salvajes, que opinas sobrelo? @op

    y también tienes recomendaciones? es mejor si los libros me recomiendas son mas o menos fácil, estoy tratando de aprender el español. ya he leído uno que fue hecho para los adolescentes, como young adult, y fue bueno, esto me ensena que yo puedo entender bastante bien...

    todo lo que quiero es una libro que tiene lenguaje que es común, no quiero algo que es bastante dificil y tiene palabras difíciles que no sirve nada en realidad

    así que tienes recomendaciones? el genero no me importa - gracias carnal

  • Jul 1, 2022
    Womanpuncher69

    what’s the book about the cover got me interested

    It’s basically with the premise that a grandpa is telling his grandson the story of how he travels over enemy lines in WWII during the siege of Leningrad in Russia to get a dozen eggs for a colonel as a way to gain their ration card back because he got arrested and had it taken from him. He goes on the journey with another guy in a similar predicament. Along the way they see some crazy s*** as you would imagine. It does a super good job of giving a look at what Leningrad might have been like during that time, while keeping a very light and often humorous tone.

  • Jul 1, 2022
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    1 reply
    space0cadet

    acabo de compro unos libros clásicos, vi que has leído los detectives salvajes, que opinas sobrelo? @op

    y también tienes recomendaciones? es mejor si los libros me recomiendas son mas o menos fácil, estoy tratando de aprender el español. ya he leído uno que fue hecho para los adolescentes, como young adult, y fue bueno, esto me ensena que yo puedo entender bastante bien...

    todo lo que quiero es una libro que tiene lenguaje que es común, no quiero algo que es bastante dificil y tiene palabras difíciles que no sirve nada en realidad

    así que tienes recomendaciones? el genero no me importa - gracias carnal

    me encantó los detectives salvaje, uno de mis favoritos que he leído este año pero lo leí en inglés. estoy pensando en leerlo de nuevo en español

    despues de ese libro empecé a leer más en español. leí tres libros de Bolaño: Llamadas Telefónicas, Una Estrella Distante, y Putas Asesinas. todos eran buenos y lo que me gusta mucho de Bolaño es que usa lenguaje simple. creo que sus libros son perfectos para alguien aprendiendo español

    ahora estoy leyendo en español Las Cosas Que Perdimos En El Fuego por Mariana Enríquez. es una colleción de cuentos raros o un poco de terror. me gusta mucho y Enríquez también escribe con lenguaje simple. tiene muchos otros libros también

    así que te recomendaría algo de Bolaño o Enríquez. también te recomiendo si puedes leer en kindle o un e-reader, es un gran ayudo. puedes tocar una palabra que no sabes y te da la definición así no más

    preguntame al fin del año y voy a tener más recomendaciones

  • Jul 1, 2022
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    1 reply
    kogoyos

    me encantó los detectives salvaje, uno de mis favoritos que he leído este año pero lo leí en inglés. estoy pensando en leerlo de nuevo en español

    despues de ese libro empecé a leer más en español. leí tres libros de Bolaño: Llamadas Telefónicas, Una Estrella Distante, y Putas Asesinas. todos eran buenos y lo que me gusta mucho de Bolaño es que usa lenguaje simple. creo que sus libros son perfectos para alguien aprendiendo español

    ahora estoy leyendo en español Las Cosas Que Perdimos En El Fuego por Mariana Enríquez. es una colleción de cuentos raros o un poco de terror. me gusta mucho y Enríquez también escribe con lenguaje simple. tiene muchos otros libros también

    así que te recomendaría algo de Bolaño o Enríquez. también te recomiendo si puedes leer en kindle o un e-reader, es un gran ayudo. puedes tocar una palabra que no sabes y te da la definición así no más

    preguntame al fin del año y voy a tener más recomendaciones

    muchísimas gracias !
    voy a checarlos - también tienes un e-reader / kindle? cuánto cuesta y cómo va por tus ojos? el razón por la que estoy un poco vacilante de comprar un kindle / ereader es porque estoy enfrente la pantalla casi casi todo el día por trabajo

  • Jul 1, 2022
    space0cadet

    muchísimas gracias !
    voy a checarlos - también tienes un e-reader / kindle? cuánto cuesta y cómo va por tus ojos? el razón por la que estoy un poco vacilante de comprar un kindle / ereader es porque estoy enfrente la pantalla casi casi todo el día por trabajo

    de nada loco

    yo tengo un Kindle Paperwhite y es buenísimo. creo que lo compré por como 80 dólares hace un par de años. La pantalla es distinta que un celular o tableta, puedes leer horas sin que le molesta tus ojos. yo lo recomiendo mucho, especialmente si estas leyendo en otras idiomas

  • Jul 6, 2022

    Not very often do people get to witness a one of kind philosopher / thinker in their prime. James Bridle has created a book that comes along every so often and it’s a wonderful thing to have it exist. Ways of being covers a fascinating amount of information and history by wonderfully intertwining it with machines, nature, and the intelligence of the earth. The perfect book for someone who wants to look at the world through a different lens. Bridles ideas of intelligence and the way we can adopt machines to better fit the world at large is brilliant. Also trees and fungi talk, crabs are computers, birds make human friends, slime moulds plan city’s, and John Cage. 10/10 for me.

  • Jul 6, 2022
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    two more Spanish language books

    Putas Asesinas by Roberto Bolaño

    Bolaño's second collection of published short stories. I liked Llamadas Telefónicas a bit better but this one still had some memorable stories and although he sometimes loses me when he gets deep into poetry references, there's something about his prose that makes his books enchanting.

    7.5/10

    Las Cosas que Perdimos En El Fuego by Marianna Enriquez

    collection of Gothic horror short stories based in Argentina. some of the stories were quite haunting and Enriquez did a good job of capturing Argentinian culture. will definitely read more from her.

    8/10

  • Jul 7, 2022
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    JD Salinger - The Catcher in the Rye (I spent 10min tryna embed an image with no results so there)

    I’m French and this was literally the second English book I read in my life, first one being the Biography of Nipsey that came out a year or two ago.

    Considering that I’m very fond of literature, especially French, I must say I was really annoyed by the style of this book. The abysmally poor vocabulary, the infinite repetitions, the horrifyingly slow rhythm… I don’t even really get the mass appeal of the book, nor do i particularly understand the praise, but the ending was very sweet - I mean very sweet and all.

    On to Brave New World by Aldous Huxley.

    Oh and if any of you would like some french literature recommendations, feel free to ask. I have tremendously enjoyed the works of Marguerite Yourcenar recently.

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