Attila by John Man. What a fascinating character, this Attila. Certainly more than a barbarian. Pop quiz. If God wanted to punish Europeans for their sins, who would he send?
What Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Dana Jean
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I'm currently reading Christine, but haven't picked it up in almost two weeks. I think I might need a short story collection, like Skeleton Crew, or maybe something non-horror. One of my many baseball books, perhaps.Oh, yes! I fall into bad slumps once or twice a year. Typically I reread an old King favorite to get me out--his writing is so comforting to me.Carrie usually does the trick.
When going through an especially hard time, I found I couldn't read anything. The words just wouldn't stay in my head and made no sense. I was used to reading all the time, and even using it as a form of escape, so I was really frustrated. One thing I did was try to read one page a night in the book I had started. I know that sounds like very little, but if I could get through one page and understand it, then I would close the book and try it again the next day.
Like AchtungBaby said, Mr. King is who broke me out of my slump. I had watched Misery with my son, and picked it up off my shelf. I read a couple of pages, and everything around me was gone. It felt like I was reading the novel for the first time. I (re)read Misery in two days, and then reread Gerald's Game as well. Since then, I still don't read as much as I used to, but I don't struggle with it like I had been. I hope you'll be able to break your slump soon.
It happened to me once. I couldn't/wouldn't read anything for about a year and I have no idea why. As suddenly as it came, it went.
Good luck!
It happens to everybody. You'll know when it's time to pick up a book and start reading again. Give it time.
....but for a reading hard on lasting longer than 4 hours...please consult your physician....
EXACTLY! It was the title that kept me from it so far! I'm only about a quarter of the way in, but it's decent popular history. The author makes some suppositions that I think aren't on the most solid ground, but none have been wild yet. In a way, it reminds me of Cornwell's first book about Jack the Ripper (I see that she has a second one out now): she's done study, but makes some leaps in logic that aren't the most scholarly. This one is definitely easy to read, though--a good step between good historical fiction and a deep historical text, as those are sometimes quite dry to read.
Gwendy's Button Box( up to Chapter 14)
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"American Fire" by Monica Hesse. Bizarre non-fiction account of serial arsonist Charles Smith and his girlfriend who set numerous fires to abandoned buildings in VA a couple years ago. Smith comes off as a somewhat sympathetic character who may have been manipulated into this mess by his girlfriend. It is also an account of the declining fortunes of rural America. Anyone who wonders off the path to a rural town in America gets the sense of complete decline. Downtown areas with closed doors and former mansions in disrepair. Populations fleeing for the cities. If the rural American town is not completely dead, it certainly is in a state of decline. I think that is something that influenced the recent election and came as a shock to those who ever get out of the major cities.
Book Review: 'American Fire,' By Monica Hesse : NPR
Book Review: 'American Fire,' By Monica Hesse : NPR
This is a good one. First in a trilogy. The second book is kind of slow but the third one is great (from what I hear anyway as I haven't had the time to read it yet).
Ok, but Cornwells Ripper book made a few to many assumptions on extremely shaky basis for my taste. I've started the first chapter in The Dark Ages book and so far he makes clear what are facts, what are reaonable assumptions and why and what are speculation/guesses. In cornwells book the line between these cathegories were never quite clear. The dryness you mention is a sickness that comes partly from an unability to write well and partly in an uninterest in making anyone less educated than the author understand. It is also more difficult to do that and keep the historical integrity of the book. If you havent read the historian Marc Morris and his book on Vilhelm the conqueror i can recommend it. It shows that it can be done.
same here. i've been kind of waiting for paperback cause i don't buy hardcovers that often (price and space) . . . but i feel like it's been slow going for this particular set of books. enjoyed the first two.
I have the whole trilogy waiting for me, so that should keep me reading for a while...
Oh, I agree. It is possible to do, but not easy. Thank you for the rec on Morris--I'm going to look that up!
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