I can't really remember whether I liked CitR on first reading or not, which is odd since it must have something to do with why I ended up reading everything else by Salinger. I feel pretty meh about CitR, but still love Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey.
Also, I am large with the A Separate Peace hate. In fact, I feel rather spiteful about it, and happy whenever someone says something bad about it, which is an oddly personal reaction to the book. I think mainly I just really disliked my English teacher that year (poor thing -- I always disliked my English teachers), and resented how much she went on about the symbolism.
Harry Turtledove wrote a short story called "Catcher in the Rhine" about Holden touring Germany and transported back to the time of Wagner's Ring. Funny, and kind of helps see why some people like Holden in spite of how annoying he was.
[Edit] In short story collection "Chicks in the Mail" of the "Chicks in Chainmail" series.
Something I've always wanted to read about, which I just haven't gotten around to, is the story of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
Would anyone have any recs for books that cover it well?
What else should I buy from BN.com today? OBVIOUSLY I'm buying Jilli's book, but if I spend $25 they'll courier it to my office FOR FREE.
What hard SF/space opera thingy should I be reading but aren't? Does Alastair Reynolds have any books out I haven't read?
Have you read
Th1rt3en?
I just read
The Mysterious Benedict Society.
If you like
The Westing Game
you will like this. It's probably targeted at 5th graders or so, so even though it's chunky it's a quick read.
Have you read Th1rt3en?
Yes - I liked the worldbuildling more than the story.
the story of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.
Her autobiography is entitled The Heart Has Its Reasons, so if you want to read her side of it you can check it out.
I liked the worldbuildling more than the story
I agree. I'm fresh out of sci-fi/space opera stuff tho. Still slogging thru
Perdido Street Station
(which isn't space opera), and missing early Bujold.
I went with Daemon [link] - I was going to wait until it came out in paperback, but hey, free shipping!
Still slogging thru Perdido Street Station
Mieville is not a quick, easy read, no. But that book is pretty awesome, even if it leaves you feeling really dirty. We get it, dude, New Crobuzón is REALLY STANK.
I went with Daemon
Ooh, a friend of mine reviewed that a while ago and interviewed the author. It sounds really cool.
