I just finished and loved Cloud Atlas but would never think of it as being sci-fi. It is really good and worth reading though.

but would never think of it as being sci-fi.

Most of it doesn't read like SF, but OTOH, half of it takes place in 2 future time periods, one of which is explicitly SFish (enslaved human clones etc) and the other of which is the post-apocalyptic remains of the other.

Yeah, it makes sense, Jessica, I just wouldn't have thought to classify it as sci-fi. Of course it's totally also historical fiction and contemporary too. Man, I loved that book. I just started his Black Swan Green last night. It's very stressful!

New Skulduggery Pleasant book: I has it!!!

Maybe I'll wait until the trip this weekend to read it.

Okay, that was a big fat lie. I'll probably be up WAY too late tonight reading it.

Oh I'm jealous... mine hasn't arrived yet which means that my brother said he mailed it but in fact probably forgot to go to post office on base before the holiday (they stick to US holidays on base) - man, siblings - you just can't trust 'em.

In the last week I had two random people (bartender, waitress) comment (enthusiastically) on the book I was reading.

I'm curious which book y'all have read which garnered the most comments and attention.

Also points if anybody can guess which book I was reading. You clue is that it was a novel that was translated into English in the early nineties and it's the sort of book you might expect hip waitresses and bartenders to comment upon.

(Focus on the translation element. This writer was The Hip Foreign Writer of the 90s, comparable to Bolano's current cachet.)

I'm curious which book y'all have read which garnered the most comments and attention.

Not the most, but this makes me think of my Rats Saw God experience.

Not the most, but this makes me think of my Rats Saw God experience.

Books are one of the only things which will prompt this kind of discussion. Where it's somewhat socially acceptable to breach the privacy envelope and comment.

Which I personally like, though I know most people prefer their shields up and at full power.

Though you do seem to have a lot of conversations with strangers, P-Cow. Particularly in line for events.

Helter Skelter. A Year On The Killing Streets(Although, yes, I talk about that one like a missionary does her Bible, and mention it on my dating profile.) Although strange(as in unknown to me) dudes in particular do mention that they've taken my reccommendation of it.

The Odyssey. Perhaps it was the way I was chuckling at times as I read it. Then people would ask, "What class are you reading that for?" and they were baffled when I said, "Oh, I just wanted to read it."