Short Post....

Flesh Gothic.

Edward Lee

Under the Banner of Heaven

I swear I didn't stop reading books over the past few months. I've actually read quite a bit. Including Vonnegut's newest, some Hunter and have started embarking on the Dylan Chronicles. But, I just finished Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer. I'm not sure if anyone else has read any of his books, but I have read almost all of them. And love them, of course. The first time I read a book of his was Into Thin Air a first hand account of the "most disastrous" season of Mt. Everest. The way Krakauer writes is just amazing. I feel like I'm on the edge of my seat the whole time. Most of the time we know the outcome to the story, but the back story and build up is just written so well, you can't help but get caught up in it! Next I read Into the Wild a true story about a young man who goes off into the Alaska wilderness (his favorite book is London's Call of the Wild) and struggles to survive. These are amazing stories backed by an amazing writer. So, I went and bought UtBoH. I definitely did not regret it. It's tag line says that it's about "violent faith", which it is, but so much more. I learned so much while reading this book. How Mormonism was founded, when it was and all the trails it went through. It's truly captivating. And while I am not a Mormon, I find their "Zion" National Park in Utah one of the most breathtaking places in the US. So anyway, not only did I learn a lot about Mormon history and of our own history as an emerging country.

Definitely worth the read.

The Year In Reading

Wow! Has it really been two months since we gathered for a naked discussion? I apologize for my absence. I have ridiculously erratic reading habits, sometimes reading three or four books at once. Anyway, I thought we might consider a slight change in direction: instead of reading the same book, we each stick to our own reading lists, and post on what we're reading and carry on discussions that way. In so doing, we can introduce each other to new authors and titles. Just an idea.

Anyway, my clothing is off, and I'm ready to talk shop. I've got a list of some of the best books I read this past year. It's only a partial list, since my memory is fading and I don't keep a reading journal. I would recommend the following:

1. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess. You can print off a glossary online to help you through the thick slang. When you're used to it, it's almost like you're reading in another language. I'm not sure why I like Alex and his droogs, and I haven't taken the time to reason it out, either.

2. The Girl Next Door, by Jack Ketchum. If you've never read Ketchum, his writing packs quite a wallop, as this novel will demonstrate. It's heartbreaking and horrific, one of those stories that will never quite leave you. Fair warning, though: this is one brutal read. I must have a masochistic streak, 'cause this one wore me out.

3. The Loch, by Steve Alten. This one is about the Loch Ness Monster legend, and incorporates the latest theories on what might be lurking in the deep, dark waters of Loch Ness. Loads of fun.

4. Bless the Child, by Cathy Cash Spellman. About a woman who adopts her granddaughter, only to have her drug-addict daughter return to take the child. The daughter has married a rich, handsome man who happens to belong to a satanic cult. Another one that must've appealed to my masochistic streak. As much as I like to look at Kim Basinger, the movie version of this sucked. The book is brutal but fascinating as it incorporates many different religious and occultic perspectives.

5. A Christmas Carol. Hadn't read this one since 8th grade. One of the greatest stories ever written, I think. Ghosts and Christmas?? Sure, that'll work.

6. Anno Dracula, by Kim Newman. Actually, this was my fourth read of this book, which is one of my all-time favorites. Dracula is married to Queen Victoria. Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Jekyll, Oscar Wilde, the gang's all here!

7. A Rendezvous in Averoigne, by Clark Ashton Smith. Includes fantasy tales about several mythical lands, including Hyperborea, referenced in several Lovecraft tales. Includes one of the best short stories I've ever read, "The Colossus of Ylourgne." Great stuff.

8. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelly. Yes, I finally finished it. Not a very easy read for me, but worth the trip. Didn't realize that the bride of the monster was in this one. All of this conceived by a teenage girl. I would be so proud . . .

9. At the Mountains of Madness, by H.P. Lovecraft. An Antarctic expedition discovers evidence of a forgotten race. The airplane ride over the vast, deserted ruins in the Antarctica mountains is a tour de force of imagination.

I'm sure there are more. Currently reading: The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner; The Prestige by Christoper Priest (which has taught me a new word: prestidigitator); The Great God Pan, by Arthur Machen; Looking for Carroll Beckwith, supposedly the most documented case of reincarnation ever.

And how has your year in books been?

"To Every Person Who Ever Loved a Cat"

I have a recommendation for all my fellow cat lovers. My Cat Spit McGee, by Willie Morris (My Dog Skip) is the story of a dog lover and avowed cat-hater who is slowly won over by a precocious little kitten.
It's entertaining to see someone new to the world of cats discovering all the things I take for granted.
It's a quick read, only about 140 pages. A warning, though: you may need a Kleenex or two.

Dan Brown Had the Last Laugh

I put off reading the "Da Vinci Code" for several years. In fact, I didn't think I would ever read it. But then, the book began worming its way into the most unlikely conversations. People I respected were sprinkling it into discussions about the Western world's belief system. Salon.com did several editorials on it, our local bookseller, "Longfellow Books", planned a lecture on the damn thing.

I was trapped. I had to read it.

I settled down one night next to Johnny Damned and opened it to page one. Almost immediately I was beside myself with laughter. Poor JD got no reading of his own done that night, as I felt to compelled to quote and read what was causing my hysterics.

I defy you to read these excerpts and not laugh.

"He raised his hand to bang on the glass, but out of the darkness below, a figure appeared, striding up the curving staircase. The man was stocky and dark, almost Neanderthal, dressed in a dark double-breasted suit that strained to cover his wide shoulders. He advanced with unmistakable authority on squat, powerful legs."

"Captain Bezu Fache carried himself like an angry ox... As he advanced, his dark eyes seemed to scorch the earth before him, radiating a fiery clarity that forecast his reputation for unblinking severity in all matters."

"Now, having returned to France for the first time since being arrested and shipped to prison in Andorra, Silas could feel his homeland testing him, dragging violent memories from his redeemed soul."

I chuckled and guffawed my way through these paragraphs, but continued to read nonetheless. Around page 198 I grew strangely silent. JD was finally able to concentrate on his own book again. Around midnight, JD turned out his light. I continued to read. At 4:00AM, JD woke up to use the bathroom. The sound of pages being turned was the only indication that I was alive.

At 5:30AM, I finished the book and had to admit: I was hooked. I was ashamed. I was now a number among his 7.35 million readers. He had my money, and he had stolen a night's sleep from me. Who was laughing now?

New Book

This may be a little pre-emptive, but does anyone have any ideas for the next Naked Book?

Who's Done?

Alright, we'll move discussion to those that are done here.

I'll finish soon, I swear!

Banned Books Week

Hello, fellow Naked Readers! Just a quick heads-up that September 24-30 is Banned Books Week. The American Library Association has a fascinating list of the most challenged books of the last century.
This list will be handy for us to (in the words of Stephen King) "find out what they don't want you to know, because that's what you need to know!"

Chapters 1-5

Alright, so we are going to have discussion in the comments for Chapters 1-5. How far along is everyone? I thought 5 was a good discussion point, things seem like they are getting ready to get good.