I’m reading a pretty entertaining book right now, called “Everything I’m Cracked Up to Be: A Rock & Roll Fairy Tale.” Author Jennifer Trynin tells the story of her rapid ascent as a popular musician in the mid-90s, and the subsequent implosion of her career. (You might remember Trynin’s song “February,” which was the only single of hers I knew.)
As the book jacket says, “Major labels offered millions of dollars in deals. Billboard put her on the cover. Everyone knew she was the next big thing. But then she wasn’t. Catapulted to the edge of rock stardom, Trynin plummeted back down to earth.”
She’s a good writer, and the book is an easy read that really pulls you along. It’s just the kind of book I need at the moment, after having taken months to finish Christopher Isherwood’s excellent “Berlin Stories,” and abandoning Charles Kaiser’s “1968,” which was just way too politically focused for me. (I just don’t care that much about Eugene McCarthy.)
I also recently read Ian Frazier’s “Gone to New York,” a collection of his essays and articles from The New Yorker, which was terrific. I love a good New York book.
So, what’s everyone else reading? Any recommendations?
I'm not a fiction reader, mostly, though as of this coming Saturday I'll be reading the final Harry Potter book. I love Harry Potter! He's a real mystic: his family treats him like sh*t, his friends get jealous and won't speak to him for a year at a time, his romantic life sucks, and when he's doing his most incredible magic, the experience for him is just like blundering through the fun house at a carnival. Later people tell him how brilliant he was. In the moment, he's a mixed up mess.
ReplyDeleteNot that I'm suggesting you read Harry Potter. One of my fav bloggers has been writing about Paul Auster books. There are some great NY books!
I tend to read nonfiction more than fiction. I have been reading the current crop of anti-supernatural books that have come out recently.
ReplyDeleteSam Harris - End of Faith
Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion
Christopher Hitchens - God is not Great.
And the hilarious Julia Sweeny book, Letting go of God.
just took this out of the library:
ReplyDeleteLiam O'Flaherty: The Collected Short Stories Vol 2 so far it is good.
Recommend Maeve Brennan's New York short stories
"The Long Winded Lady"
or the New York stories (very short short stories) of John McNulty "This place on third avenue"
have you read the philip pullman trilogy - his dark materials? you must. starting with northern lights.
ReplyDeletei am reading 'special topics in calamity physics' at the mo!
Darling, as a doctoral student I haven't read a book for entertainment in YEARS. I'm serious. The best I can do is skimming magazines - I just get too tired of reading. So, you enjoy it for me, at least until I finish school in December. Hope you have been well!
ReplyDeleteyes, pod is right about the pullman.
ReplyDelete(tho i think the US edition might have been called something diff....)