I'm 191st on the list in Seattle. :) What can I say? We're a literate town, that likes to use the online catalog.

Okay, I adored it at the time. But it's been 20 years.

Wolfing good book!

ION, I've started Warren Ellis's Crooked Little Vein. It's hilarious so far, but so very, very wrong. WE is a sick, twisted fuck. I mean, really, Godzilla Bukkake in the first 40 pages? WTF?

Whitefonted because 1) might be a plot point and A) really disturbing (though hilarious in a sick way).

I read Moby Dick for the first time last year and loved it, but I'll admit to skimming through the catalogue of whales. I understand the point of it, but...so many whales...

Most of the "I have to explain this process to you in great detail because otherwise you won't understand this minor thing that happens later on" digressions are fantastic if only because of the writing. And the Fuck You Darwin, Whales Are Fish bit that kicks off the catalogue of whales is great. But after three or four whales, I think Melville's point is made and the rest of that section can be safely skimmed.

It's neat trying to figure out what makes an infodump tangent a slog vs a fascinating digression - in Les Miserables I love the Paris sewer system chapter but have yet to get through Waterloo. Anathem was one of my favorite books of the last decade, but I had no desire to keep going with the Baroque Cycle after Quicksilver.

I think I need to re-read Moby Dick. Maybe skipping the infodump parts. Because I remember it as a fine novella screaming to escape from a too-much novel.

Sometimes I think that I should try Moby Dick. Then I remember that I barely got through a short story by Melville without my head exploding. And then I decide I should read some more Dumas instead.

Crooked Little Vein, on the other hand, is hilarious. Re your whitefont -- I think it starts with that because it gets so, so much worse later. Heh.

I think it starts with that because it gets so, so much worse later. Heh.

Heh. And yikes!

Simon is *all about* the WTF-y detail that you're glad you know way later on...I think I see the attraction from his part. Corwood, I know. I think being nervous and wanting to make an impression on this person, who quite frankly, changed my life, would lead me to do something stupid, like make my first non-virtual remark to him something like "My mom says, if you're such a genius, why do you look so disheveled on television. She gave James Taylor a pass, but he's, like, lucky to be here. You know? You're not color-blind, are you?" (My mother *does* say that, but the smart money says that's not the best open ever. And I think this makes my mom a fake, ball-breaking MIL) But maybe I'd get this:

SIMON: You've got spunk.
ME(verklempt) Thank you, sir.

SIMON : Jesus, I fuckin' hate spunk. ETA: Ok, all y'all, um, Dick-heads, I'll give it a shot by the end of the year...you've read it here, first. If ain't nobody burned it, looking for Moby's ID and shit. I hear the dude *doesn't even* speak English.

I'm 191st on the list in Seattle. :) What can I say? We're a literate town, that likes to use the online catalog.

Yeah, I'm something like 165 for the third Dragon Tattoo book.

I actually have Suzanne Collins as a saved search so I can obsessively check the catalog because I do not want to have to wait for that one.

It's neat trying to figure out what makes an infodump tangent a slog vs a fascinating digression - in Les Miserables I love the Paris sewer system chapter but have yet to get through Waterloo.

I was just talking with someone this week about how they wanted to read Les Mis but it was so intimidating because of its length. The first thing I said was, well, you can skip the whole Waterloo section.

Anathem was one of my favorite books of the last decade,

I need to re-read that. And read some more Stephenson. Anathem was the first thing of his that I read -- any recommendations as to what I should tackle next? Snow Crash or Cryptonomicon ?

Un-Stephenson-y, I just yesterday found out that Anne Lamott has a new book out, which is a sequel to Crooked Little Heart . I ordered it at 3:00 p.m. yesterday from Amazon, and it was delivered at 12:30 today. I did NOT select one-day shipping. It was a weird Zappos moment. But -- new book, woot!!!

I'd say Snow Crash to get the flavor of his early work.