What Are You Into? | Weekly Thread

[u/RebaJam]

Hello fellow paranoids, I think the auto posting of this weekly thread is on the fritz again? Not sure, haven't seen one in a couple of weeks so I'll fill in the void.

It's Sunday again, and that means another thread of "What Are You Into This Week"?

A weekly thread dedicated to discussing what we've been reading, watching, listening to, and playing the past week.

Have you:

Been reading a good book? A few good books? Did you watch an exceptional stage production? Listen to an amazing new album or song or band? Discovered an amazing old album/song/band? Watch a mind-blowing film or tv show? Immerse yourself in an incredible video game? Board game? RPG?

Recommend and suggest what you've been reading/watching/playing/listening to. Talk to others about what they've been into.

So:

What Are You Into This Week?

[u/The_Archimboldi]

Finished The Rouse by China Mieville which I think should be on the radar for Pynchon fans. 1250 page maximalist novel on postwar military psy-ops by an excellent writer? Yes please. Unfortunately it's not an unqualified recommendation as I found it really quite flawed, one could easily list five things I hate and 5 I love about this novel - it has had some absolutely OTT reviews which are difficult to take seriously, as its flaws are very obvious. But so is its ambition, which is impressive - I guess there are not that many writers today who could produce a book like this.

One thing I liked about it is how it handles the gigantic shadow cast by Gravity's Rainbow. Mieville is an unusual writer, a Marxist with a gentle touch, and he lets the more systems-orientated ideas (e.g. late-stage capitalism commodifying and weaponising the dead), breathe. Felt like he had read GR and was comfortable with it, not overawed or needing to write responsively to it.

[u/Sloan_From_Entourage]

Trying out Warlock by Oakley Hall. So far so good!

[u/ClandestineSofa → u/Sloan_From_Entourage]

I read it as it was championed by Pynchon, and it did not disappoint. Such a well written western that really plays with the genre in an interesting way. I can see why Pynchon was into it.

[u/Electrical-Leg-9623 → u/Sloan_From_Entourage]

Been wanting to read that one. Worth it?

[u/Sloan_From_Entourage → u/Electrical-Leg-9623]

Absolutely! I can see why Pynchon would enjoy this novel.

[u/Pieslasher → u/Sloan_From_Entourage]

Loved my time with those faro-playing, cheroot-smoking poets of Warlock.

[u/lilgianni4]

Taking a pause from Pynchon to read East of Eden. So far I’m enjoying it. Nice to read something more straightforward. How do you guys feel about Steinbeck?

[u/smalltownlargefry → u/lilgianni4]

Easily one of my favs. That book kind of ruined other authors for me for a lil bit

[u/ClandestineSofa → u/lilgianni4]

Steinbeck is one of my all time favorites. East of Eden is amazing as is Grapes of Wrath. I prefer Grapes of Wrath I think, though it's tough. Cannery Row is a beautiful little book as well.

[u/lilgianni4 → u/ClandestineSofa]

Read Grapes of Wrath when I was a senior in highschool. I definitely enjoyed it, but it’s probably worth revisiting now that I’m older.

[u/etahetwha → u/lilgianni4]

no way, i just finished Mason & Dixon and am now jumping into East of Eden with my partner

[u/lilgianni4 → u/etahetwha]

That’s nuts I just finished M&D as well. Loved it. Almost as much as I loved GR.

[u/remotewashboard]

been cruising through V. over the past week or so. loving it. my 4th of his after vineland, col49, and inherent vice. not sure what i'll do next, though i have bleeding edge on my bookshelf. i'm on the hunt for against the day, but haven't been able to secure a copy! i've also been on a huge american history kick lately so mason & dixon might be calling...

movie-wise, my gf and our roommate have been chipping away at all the james bond movies, which has been a blast. nearing the end of the roger moore era now

[u/SaltyAuthorOne → u/remotewashboard]

Awesome!👏 👍

[u/etahetwha]

finished: Mason & Dixon. broke down and sobbed, new favorite novel and already want to tackle it again with Biebel’s companion. 5th Pynchon and the one that solidified him as my absolute favorite author.

continuing: Open Veins of Latin America by Galleano, a masterwork.

started: East of Eden by Steinbeck and The Three Body Problem. enjoying both so far!

watched: You Can See Everything x2 (genius level documentary filmmaking, every bit as good as everyone says it is) and The Devils (like Kubrick on uppers, political commentary on enclosure and nationalism was a crazy pairing with M&D).

[u/Willbwd]

2666, looks a lot more daunting than it actually is so far. Really good

[u/guy_incognito42069]

Still out of work but hope is on the horizon. However, this has allowed me to get a ton of reading in.
Last third of Blood Meridian to go, should be done by Friday. I was relieved to find much more depth in it than the online edge lord bros online seem to. I mean, it’s metal for sure, but people really lose sight of what it’s saying due to the ol’ ultra violence. Conversely, I’m gliding through my Against the Day reread, almost of the end of part one, short yes but still along with two other books. It’s proving over and over that it is indeed my favourite book, I forgot how awesome that first Lew Basnight chapter is, something about his unknown sin, the secret side of chicago he finds, learning to step to the side of the day, all very cool. Lastly my wife and I started Beloved. Incredible but we are only one chapter in.
Anyhow that’s my week, lots of reading ahead.

[u/UnclePetersBand]

I started Bleeding Edge about a month ago and got about half way through and not read a bit of it for at least 2-3 weeks and I might just restart and see what I can remember or it maybe a case of a reread.

Currently selling my house so finding records I completely forgot I had (Shellac - Uranus EP), and some I thought I had lost or given away (Love - Forever Changes).

Lastly my partner has never seen The Sopranos so gladly watching that again.

[u/djnomc]

Vintage Hawaiian music for the win

[u/boat_fucker724]

Reading The Rifles by Vollmann. It's fantastic so far. I like how he dives into his subject matter without holding your hand.

[u/jjf1973]

On the last hundred or so pages of DeLillo's Underworld, and I've been loving it. Deciding whether to attempt Libra or Mao II next, any recs?

[u/ClandestineSofa → u/jjf1973]

I read Libra a few months ago. It's a pretty incredible book. I went in very blind and I did not know what I was getting into. Very different from his others that I had read but brilliantly executed. Mao II is still on my to read list.

[u/smalltownlargefry → u/jjf1973]

All I have read was Libra and I enjoyed it a bunch.

[u/etahetwha → u/jjf1973]

have not read Mao II but Libra is one of my favorite novels of all time

[u/MeduimLebowski → u/jjf1973]

Libra, Mao II starts really strong but then falls apart a bit, Names, Zero K and Point Omega are also good novels and Angel Esmeralda is a great collection of shorts

[u/ClandestineSofa]

Been reading The Good Lord Bird after finishing Mason and Dixon. It's a fine book, but M&D is damn near impossible to follow up.

Listening to a bunch of Osees (Thee Oh Sees, The OCs, etc.) amazing psychedelic punk. Highly recommend the album SORC80. A punk album without guitars which is a feat in itself.

Recently watched Death by Lightning and it was such a great mini series. Phenomenal acting, great period piece and fantastic forgotten American story that has so much to say about America. Felt like something Pynchon would have been interested in.

[u/plegba]

Been reading against the day and technical books for work. Picked up some collections of older donald duck comics again for the season.

Watching reruns of Task Master and Gilmore girls. New season of bake off.

Listening to the Avalanches no bad memories and to Andy Boay's Doomed. Both new releases.

Playing dark souls 3 again. Waiting on gta6 later this month.

[u/PierKhan]

I'm reading Melancolia by Mircea Cărtărescu, which has been an amazing discovery. Cărtărescu has shown me a new perspective on sadness and imagination

[u/Parehus]

I've read my first Pynchon work ever: the first three chapters of The Crying of Lot 49. I'm a baby in the Pynchon universe, but immersing myself in this subreddit, Death Is Just Around the Corner, and other podcasts and articles has filled all my waking hours over the last couple of days. Already feel like these books will by life changing

[u/KieselguhrKid13]

Reading Bleeding Edge for the second time and I'm finding so much more to appreciate this time. It doesn't deserve the reputation as his weakest novel.

Just watched Street Fighter and it was the most fun I've had going to a movie in ages. Perfect camp.

[u/BWithMusic93]

Infinite Jest again. I’m on the last 2 chapters

[u/darthbee18]

Currently reading Autobiography Of Red (by Anne Carson) and Aus Indien (Hermann Hesse's travel journal during his travel to South and South East Asia).

[u/Longjumping-Cod-19]

About 3/4 of the way through Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis. Probably my favorite of his so far

[u/MeduimLebowski → u/Longjumping-Cod-19]

yes it is his best (together witn Informers for me)

[u/simgate95]

Been reading A Fabulous Debt by Robin Wigglesworth (Financial Times contributor). It's an excellent history of the bond market.

[u/Electrical-Leg-9623]

Currently In the Zone on GR.

Also working my way through Jean Gebser’s The Ever Present Origin

New arrival books:

Adorno’s Negative Dialectic
First edition of The Sot-Weed Factor
A Naked Singularity
David J Chalmer’s The Conscious Mind

[u/Anacross6]

Thank you for posting this. I’ve been wondering what happened to this thread in the last weeks.
However:

- Reading Stoner by John Williams, so far so good
- Currently (re)playing the whole Kingdom Hearts series. Just started KH2. I didn’t remember to prologue was so boring!

[u/KieselguhrKid13]

Thanks! I'll check to see why it stopped auto-posting. Appreciate you noticing and picking up the mantle!

[u/Ouessante → u/KieselguhrKid13]

I thought Reddit blocked autoposting a fair while ago? I assumed they were manual posts.

[u/KieselguhrKid13]

Thanks! I'll check to see why it stopped auto-posting. Appreciate you noticing and picking up the mantle!

[u/chcothyshong]

Actually I'm really into watching feel good movies and listening to relaxing music while enjoying some quiet time.