Ciao!

The following are the books I really enjoyed reading:
1. Jeffrey Eugenides: The Middlesex
2. Alan Holinghurst: The Line of Beauty
3. J.M. Coetze: Disgrace
4. Ian McEwan: Amsterdam
5. Arundhati Roy: The God of Small Things
6. Sheri Reynolds: The Rapture of Canaan

I hope you'll like some of them, too. N.

Some good recommendations there, Nenad. I'd add The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, by Michael Chabon. I think you can trust Pulitzer.

Oh, Miguel, when you wrote, "But, if your "yoga" section's as big as your "classics" section, I'm just not so sure." - this is why I consciously avoided Athena! And I agree that internet resources are the better way to research quality reading material. Otherwise you're relying on dustcover propaganda.

I usually take recommendations from literary friends (like Alison, or Bret).

I'll be reading Middlesex next. So, I recommend that. We can compare notes :)

Chabon's book is on my summer list. But I liked Chabon's Wonder Boys, even the movie based on the book was fantastic (one of my favorites). N.

I started Kavalier & Clay a while back, but never finished it. I do plan on finishing that, too.

I used to work at Athena last year

I had good experiences with The Plague by Camus and Ape & Essence by Huxley

How do you guys know that the reviews you read on Amazon are good too. These are recomendations from people who know as much from good literature as the next guy or gal.

The way I pick a book is depending on if it interests me or not. I read the back cover to see what it is about (totally disregarding recommendations). After I read it, I make de decision wheter it was good or not. Otherwise how would I know. I have not read it yet. And, since other poeple, for sure, have different tastes than me, I might as well go by my own taste.

Now, I am not saying one shouldn't read recommendations, I do too, but they should not be "the" reason I buy a book.

And, what Miguel says, about going into a store with the intent of buying a book and two hours later coming empty handed is totally true. Those stores are not reader friendly.

The books I'm reading this last week are Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad series. It's on financial management (about time I start). I'm reading 3 of them back to back, the one I highly recommend is called Prophecy. Look it's not propaganda, even if the title is suspect. I consider it as opening my mind and imagination the last some days. A similar effect as reading Atlas Shrugged.

If u like travel reading, try Paul Theroux (a writer with a mature perspective) and Pico Iyer -Lady & the Monk, Video Night in Kathmandu are great. Cuba and the Night is so-so. = )

so, lets see...

i'm working on phillip k. dick's "a scanner darkly" in preparation for richard linklater's crazy animated version hitting theatres sometime in the next few years. (2006?)

i just finished up parasites like us by adam johnson. very nice that the catastrophe isn't used in it's normal... "oh shit! how are they going to survive!?" way.

i'd also recommend the 33 1/3 series put out by continuum books. to sum them up quite simply, a very concise book on an album. to expound a bit, the author gives a short synopsis on a recording artist/band's history, what is happening to them at the time when they record a specific album, and how it affects the band. so far i've read joy division's "unknown pleasures," neil young's "harvest, and the smith's "meat is murder." ...and i've already picked up the replacement's "let it be" and my bloody valentine's "loveless."

can't forget mentioning johnathan lethem... try motherless brooklyn over fortress of solitude.

middlesex is a great read too!

It's not so much that I trust all the Amazon.com reader recommendations, either. But it does help that they're longer, more detailed, and that there are both positive & negative ones. I've actually found them quite useful/insightful in the past.

But what I really like are the recommendations Amazon.com itself gives me, based on recent purchases, etc. Their technology is quite impressive.

Though how I could spend all that time in a bookstore & not have someone even come up to me w/ "can I help you find something?" just blows my mind.

Thanks also to everyone for the recommendations, I'll definitely consider all of them (the ones I've not already read, at least).

I will say this over and over again, but what's wrong with the canon? You mean to tell me that you have read ALL of the classics??? Cummon! Get real. Read/buy a classic if you can't figure out what to pick up.

Meanwhile, I'm reading the worst Terry Pratchet novel ever.

Love,
Micah

"The Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan- excellent- it will make you think about our relationship with plants from a different historical prespective. Here's your precious amazon review (I'm the same way) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375760393/qid=1114669980/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/104-0340641-2727910?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Hope all is well!