What are you reading right now?

[Guybrush]

I'm currently reading Hiroshima by John Hersey, the book from 1946 that finally informed the western world a little bit about what it was like in Hiroshima when they dropped the atomic bomb.



An important piece of litterature / journalism and well written as well, it is generally considered important in ushering in the new journalism that used story-telling techniques from fiction to tell non-fiction stories.

[Janszoon]

I'm currently reading Hiroshima by John Hersey, the book from 1946 that finally informed the western world a little bit about what it was like in Hiroshima when they dropped the atomic bomb.



An important piece of litterature / journalism and well written as well, it is generally considered important in ushering in the new journalism that used story-telling techniques from fiction to tell non-fiction stories.

My mother gave me that book when I was 12 or 13 and it definitely had a big impact on me.

[jadis]

Moralism Is Ruining Cultural Criticism
The left has embraced an approach long favored by the evangelical right.

When I was growing up in a conservative evangelical community, one of the top priorities was to manage children's consumption of art. The effort was based on a fairly straightforward aesthetic theory: Every artwork has a clear message, and consuming messages that conflict with Christianity will harm one's faith.

[Janszoon]

Americanah—Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Just finished it this morning. It was ok, but I wasn't exactly blown away by it. It's kind of a meandering story that I guess is supposed to be more character driven than plot driven, but not many of the characters are very compelling. I appreciated some of the "you can't go home again" sensibility in the later parts of the book though.

[jadis]

The new conservative arguments for an un-modern America

very good

[Lisnaholic]

My mother gave me that book when I was 12 or 13 and it definitely had a big impact on me.

This was the edition that I found in a secondhand bookshop; I was about 16 at the time and still recall some of JH's ghastly images.



Yes, I think you're right, Guybrush: this was an early example of journalism expanding its range and ambition, to become New Journalism.

[Guybrush]

By the way, I've started on Crash by J. G. Ballard:



I'm enjoying it so far. What's not to like about all these descriptions of people crashing cars? Bodies mangled, getting stabbed by their own stick shifts while their blood and semen squirts onto the dashboard, etc.

Thanks for the rec, @jadis !

[degrassi.knoll]

It's been a long time since I've been motivated to read fiction.

[Lexi Darling]

Someone on another corner of the internet I frequent recommended The 2 Hour Cocktail Party by Nick Gray, which I've been reading to get a good handle on improving my hosting skills and help me create and maintain IRL friendships and connections. I exclusively read practical nonfiction and this is right up my alley.

[Lisnaholic]

^ Practical non-fiction is a genre I associate with work/study stuff and I don't think I've ever dipped into it by choice - and even less so today, when a quick google search can usually solve the kinds of problems/ doubts I have. So I don't think our tastes in reading overlap at all, Mrs. Waffles

Here's a book you definitely won't want to bother with ! I came across it without any prior knowledge or expectations, but have been enjoying it over the last couple of weeks:-

 

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but this book about a doomed slave uprising in Haiti is well-written and tells its story through a series of precisely-described set pieces, which is why the reviewer wrote "reads like a dream" on the cover. This is historical fiction that dodges the normal clichés of historical fiction and delivers the reader to some vivid, unexpected places.

[Lexi Darling]

^ Practical non-fiction is a genre I associate with work/study stuff and I don't think I've ever dipped into it by choice - and even less so today, when a quick google search can usually solve the kinds of problems/ doubts I have these days. So I don't think our tastes in reading overlap at all, Mrs. Waffles

Here's a book you definitely won't want to bother with ! I came across it without any prior knowledge or expectations, but have been enjoying it over the last couple of weeks:-

 

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction, but this book about a doomed slave uprising in Haiti is well-written and tells its story through a series of precisely-described set pieces, which is why the reviewer wrote "reads like a dream" on the cover. This is historical fiction that dodges the normal clichés of historical fiction and delivers the reader to some vivid, unexpected places.

These days Google is so full of trash AI generated answers that I've personally found it unusable for anything but the most basic stuff. I like going in depth, and honestly I do consider it work related as a lot of it is related to my domestic lifestyle. You get a lot more insight into the theory of the practical tasks as well. I'm passionate about the little things, for sure.

I like fiction too, but I find a lot more enjoyment in writing it rather than reading it. So that's a fair assessment haha.

[Guybrush]

I bought this old book:







So I read this quite a bit in my teens as I borrowed it from our local library. I bought this one second hand and of course made sure it's the same edition as the one I read way back.

There was a time when I was a teenager when I thought some of this stuff might be true. I did a blood ritual or two and tried calling on spirits, etc.

Today I'm the most pragmatic skeptic I know and I've long been embarrassed by this phase in my teens, especially on the rare occasions it comes up  in discussion by people who remember it. BUT the realizations I eventually came to were stepping stones on my way to scepticism.

I do think that those occult topics are still a lot of fun and this book is a great source of inspiration for occult world building. So.. looking forward to retreading some of my witchy teenage past 😄

[jadis]

It's a fascinating topic in many ways

Have you heard of this Danish silent classic? I got into it cause they released the English version with Burroughs narrating. Even bought the Criterion DVD. Some of the sex scenes are really something   

[Guybrush]

It's a fascinating topic in many ways

Have you heard of this Danish silent classic? I got into it cause they released the English version with Burroughs narrating. Even bought the Criterion DVD. Some of the sex scenes are really something   

Some regional content problems makes this youtube video unavailable to me. What is the title?

[jadis]

Häxan: Witchcraft Through The Ages (1922)

https://www.criterion.com/films/352-hxan