jjackunrau's books from LibraryThing

The Writer as Migrant by Ha Jin

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:39:14 -0400

University Of Chicago Press (2008), Hardcover, 112 pages

Mainspring by Jay Lake

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:31:08 -0400

Tor Science Fiction (2008), Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages

Glasshouse by Charles Stross

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:05:35 -0400

Ace (2007), Paperback, 352 pages

Singularity Sky by Charles Stross

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 19:00:54 -0400

Ace (2004), Paperback, 352 pages

Halting State by Charles Stross

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:59:27 -0400

Ace (2008), Edition: Reprint, Paperback, 336 pages

Lady of Mazes by Karl Schroeder

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 18:58:04 -0400

Tor Science Fiction (2006), Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages

Pygmy by Chuck Palahniuk

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:48:01 -0400

jjackunrau's review: "Pygmy is the first Chuck Palahniuk book I’ve read in years. And if I didn’t have a history of liking his books, there’s no way I would have finished it. There’s not a lot of substance and he tries masking that lack by a gimmicky writing style instead of an interesting story. Pygmy is the nickname (none other is given) for a 12 year old exchange student from some unnamed authoritarian country who’s come with a group of other operatives to commit a gigantic terrorist act in the U.S. They’re all in an American middle school and Pygmy sees the horrible American oppressors for what they are. The mom is addicted to vibrators, the dad is slack jawed and obese, and both of them get roofied by their kids, “pig dog” brother and “cat sister.” There’s sodomy, pedophilia and a school shooting, none of which are very pleasant. One of the problems with Palahniuk books is how they all kind of feel the same, but they’ve been trying to top each other in shocking content as time goes by. He tries to get away from the sameyness in Pygmy by using a stilted horrible writing style bent on parodying how a non-native English speaker might write using literal translations from a language that had a very different grammar than English. The narrator says things like “legs of operative me made small parade through no healed door” for “I walked into the room.” There is no respite from this apart from the very few times you get a line of dialogue from some other character. It forces you to parse every little thing, which is sort of the point, as you’re supposed to be re-analyzing the grand old American life through this character who hates it. So the unpleasantness is intentional. The thing that sort of moved me from being a big Palahniuk fan to a person who’ll read his books if they’re around and free was seeing him do a reading/Q&A thing a couple of years ago. He was very intent on proving his edginess by talking and writing about things no one talks about. I don’t mind gross horrible stories but in his words he’s going for a pure visceral reaction. Once I realized he’s not interested in challenging the intellect but only the intestines a lot of the shine wore off. And there’s not a lot to this book really. “America is corrupt and soulless. Pygmy’s country is worse. Authoritarianism is bad. Thinking for yourself is good.” Thanks there, Chuck. http://thedubiousmonk.net/2009/06/19/book-review-pygmy/"
Doubleday Canada (2009), Hardcover, 256 pages

The Eye of the Needle: The Unique World of Microminiatures of Hagop Sandaldjian by Ralph Rugoff

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:46:54 -0400

Museum of Jurassic Technology (1996), Paperback, 95 pages

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:04:27 -0400

Corgi (1990), Mass Market Paperback

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:01:48 -0400

CORGI CHILDRENS (2002), Edition: New Ed, Paperback, 272 pages

Aye, and Gomorrah: And Other Stories by Samuel R. Delany

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:58:21 -0400

Vintage (2003), Paperback, 400 pages

English by Wang Gang

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:58:10 -0400

Viking USA (2009), Hardcover, 320 pages

The Sirens of Titan: A Novel by Kurt Vonnegut

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:59 -0400

Dial Press Trade Paperback (1998), Paperback, 336 pages

China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. Mchugh

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:46 -0400

Orb Books (1997), Edition: 0, Paperback, 320 pages

Atrocity Exhibition by J G Ballard

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:35 -0400

UK General Books (2001), Edition: 1, Paperback, 192 pages

Software by Rudy Von B. Rucker

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:24 -0400

HarperCollins Canada / Science Fictio (1987), Edition: Reissue, Paperback, 176 pages

Last Love Poems of Paul Eluard by Paul Eluard

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:13 -0400

Black Widow Press/Commonwealth Books, Inc. (2006), Edition: Bilingual, Paperback, 176 pages

Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:57:02 -0400

Orb Books (2009), Edition: 1st edition, Paperback, 304 pages

Beats, The by Harvey E Pekar

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:56:48 -0400

Fsg Adult (2009), Edition: 1, Hardcover, 208 pages

A Million Open Doors by John Barnes

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 03:56:37 -0400

Tor Books (1993), Edition: 0, Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages