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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Haswell
Jul 29, 2008
64,228
46,660
In a coffee shop.
Just started "Love in the Time of Cholera", Márquez. After the first 50 pages or so - I absolutely love it. The writing style, the language, the story, everything!
A little too macho for my taste (well, that is the man, the time and the place all coming through), and, while I prefer Isabel Allende, I loved some of what Márquez had written.
 
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txa1265

macrumors 65816
Aug 15, 2002
1,045
307
Corning, NY
A little too macho for my taste (well, that is the man, the time and the place all coming through), and, while I prefer Isabel Allende, I loved some of what Márquez had written.
I get what you're saying, but find Marquez more palatable than say VS Naipaul whose insufferable blinding misogyny really brought A Bend in the River down (reread that in September).
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Haswell
Jul 29, 2008
64,228
46,660
In a coffee shop.
I get what you're saying, but find Marquez more palatable than say VS Naipaul whose insufferable blinding misogyny really brought A Bend in the River down (reread that in September).
Oh, yes, a heartfelt amen re misogyny and VS Naipaul.

The thing is, I used to really like (and, this is some time ago) the writing of Marquez, One Hundred Years of Solitude is an excellent, and very powerful work, as is Chronicle of a Death Foretold - until I discovered that I preferred the writing of others (such as Isabel Allende - read her amazing work The House of the Spirits) a lot better.

The thing is, my tolerance for macho writing and misogyny - never great - has, in recent years, reduced still further.
 

Chuckeee

macrumors 68000
Aug 18, 2023
1,989
5,513
Southern California

xxFoxtail

macrumors 6502a
Nov 8, 2015
535
814
NY
I'm just about finished with Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. I'm someone who's been a minimalist for about seven years now, but always struggled on how I'm able to cut back on my device usage. I'd recommend it for anyone trying to cut back on social media and wants some general guidance on how to minimize their phone/tablet/whatever usage. Ironically, I read it on my iPhone.
 

fanboy-ish

macrumors 6502
Apr 1, 2022
275
288
"Uncontrollable, a novel" by Sara Staggs.

It's an easy read, definitely a page-turner, an absorbing novel, however some parts, when she talks about her disease, are highly relatable only to people who have epilepsy, people who don't might find it a tad difficult to fully grasp the concepts she's expressing in the book.
 
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Kung

macrumors 6502
Feb 3, 2006
454
456
Evidently my current reading is fluff by comparison. LOL

"Oathbringer" by Brandon Sanderson.
 

Crowbot

macrumors 68000
May 29, 2018
1,744
4,016
NYC
Screenshot 2023-12-05 at 10.25.52 AM.jpg
A short story. This version in the Apple bookstore has lots of backstory and new illustrations.
 

Chuckeee

macrumors 68000
Aug 18, 2023
1,989
5,513
Southern California
Just finished Sharon Shinn’s Whispering Woods it’s the 4th of a fantasy series. While it could stand on it own there are many references to previous books and the first book Trouble Waters is still the best
 

KaliYoni

macrumors 68000
Feb 19, 2016
1,734
3,829
Part way through A Game of Birds and Wolves The Ingenious Young Women Whose Secret Board Game Helped Win World War II by Simon Parkin.
It is the story of a group of British WRENS who war-gamed the German U-Boats in WWII.
Impressively well-written.

I recommend Parkin's book as well!

A good follow-on is this documentary about Elizebeth Smith Friedman (it may only be viewable in the US):

and this book:
www.amazon.com/Woman-Who-Smashed-Codes-Outwitted/dp/0062430513
 
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fanboy-ish

macrumors 6502
Apr 1, 2022
275
288
Finished "Uncontrollable" by Sara Staggs yesterday evening, highly enjoyable.

Today I'll start "Sacred Lives" by Ian Bone and then "The Art Thief" by Michael Finkel.
 

Chuckeee

macrumors 68000
Aug 18, 2023
1,989
5,513
Southern California

Exactly half...

But now I've got some research to do...
I have read 20 out of 30 but I I don’t agree with his ranking. Several of the ones I have read, I would consider to be academically significant, but I would not consider them particularly good much less the best.
 
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Scepticalscribe

macrumors Haswell
Jul 29, 2008
64,228
46,660
In a coffee shop.
I have read 20 out of 30 but I I don’t agree with his ranking. Several of the ones I have read, I would consider to be academically significant, but I would not consider them particularly good much less the best.
I have read almost all of them, and I agree (completely) with you.

In fact, I cringed at the inclusion of some, and would contest the inclusion of others.
 
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BB1970

macrumors 6502
May 19, 2009
416
1,138
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
By Gabrielle Zevin

I’ve gone back to physical books (though I will do iPad in a pinch).
It’s reignited my love for reading novels.
 
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