To read or not to read, etc

[afuna]

Three days into my vacation, and I have helped clean the downstairs guestroom, cut the dog's hair, figured out that 10am in the summer is not a good time to go running, and finished reading seven books. My to-read pile is steadily shrinking, which is a pleasant thing, though I still have two more shelves worth of books to read (which is an even more pleasant thing).

These are what I've finished reading lately: The Dreaming Place, Gold Unicorn (I'm beginning to feel like I just don't get Tanith Lee. Hmm), first two books of Redwall, Tower of Glass (which I was happy to read until the casual fridging at the end), The Dark Elf trilogy (Forgotten Realms *G* Would you believe this is the first time I've read of Drizzt? Though I get the impression that a bunch of my friends like him), and Nightflyers (mmmm GRRM).

I'm also steadily making headway on the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire (thank Gutenberg), but I only read it on my phone during stolen moments, so it's going to take a while to finish.

Anyway, so I've been staring at my to-read pile, and I'm beginning to think that some of these are skippable:

1.) Atlas Shrugged

My impression of this book is that it's meant to be deep and meaningful, with people talking about philosophy, but not necessarily living it in a consistent fashion. It's one of those generic giftbooks -- you know, one of those that you get because the giver knows you like reading, and the book is on the best sellers list or Oprah or something, and it's supposed to be poignant and if you read it you'll grow as a person or something. I feel like I could at least try, but I feel also that I don't want to read a book out of a feeling of obligation, so maybe one of you might be able to give me a hint, as to whether to give this book a chance?

2.) Chronicles of the Cheysuli

Shapechangers! Which is classic enough that maybe I should give it a try. And I've read some of the short stories from random old fantasy anthologies and it seemed okay enough, but I've been feeling really anxious while reading the first book. I've just gotten so tired of reading stories where rape is a central element to the story. In the first book, the central character spends her time as an unwilling baby incubator. Let the woman do something else already, come on :-( So maybe I need to skip this series for now/completely. Does it get better along the way? Is it worth struggling through the first book or two?

3.) Random novels in contemporary settings. Most of these are good for an afternoon, but they're like candy when I want steak. I sometimes feel like I'm wasting time reading things that don't captivate me completely (but I have to read them once I get started, no matter how bored I am, because I've started), so I may drop these instead of even starting.

Comments

[oona]

Good god! Your reading schedule wears me out. I'm going to bed now. :-p

[pauamma]

"Reading is hard, let's go sleeping"? :-)

[afuna]

*giggle* Sweet dreams!

[lauredhel]

Atlas Shrugged? You could maybe burn it for warmth, or something.

What would I know, though? I somehow got through Battlefield Earth. That was a long time ago, though, and my ability/will to get through books by people whose philosophies I abhor has faded with time.

[ursamajor]

Atlas Shrugged? Honestly, from friends that have read it, it seems to be a very polarizing book. I read Ayn Rand's other opus magnum in high school (The Fountainhead) and found it really depressing; if AS is anything like TF, it'll be a fairly slow grind.

[azurelunatic]

I zipped through both of them, but yeah, they are not light reading really.

The important points to take away from Atlas Shrugged:

Pride in a job well done is important, and the most romantic thing *ever* is when someone presents you with something they have made that they're proud of. And if you're married to someone who looks at the first fruits of your hard labors and scoffs at it, then ditch the hardhearted bitch at the first opportunity.
Slacking and cutting corners is a mark of someone who has insufficient self-worth and lacks the virtue of honest pride in a job well-done.
Fucking slackers are destroying the world. *huff*
Even if you're a fucking competent mofo with a healthy dose of honest pride, when a SUPER-competent mofo with ENORMOUS pride in his SUPERBLY well-done work comes along, you've lost your best girl, because he's SO MUCH MORE VIRILE than you. [insert tree branch macro here?]
Someday, all the competent people in the world will GO FORM THEIR OWN COMMUNE IN THE MOUNTAINS, and the slackers can suck it and clean up their own crumbling shambling horror of a world and economy. (Thus the title. Atlas was carrying the weight of the world, but shrugged, and ditched those mofos.)
It is better to be the BEST fucking hamburger short order cook in the WORLD, and HAPPY, than a miserable high-powered executive.

In summary: D's pride thread is more uplifting, go read some of that instead. ;)

[branchandroot]

*grins* I was going to say something about AS, but this says it already. Totally agree that the pride threads are a more satisfying read.

[pauamma]

It sounds like "Letting in the jungle" (from The Second Jungle Book) is more uplifting. And it's a tale of cold-blooded, destructive revenge.

[afuna]

In summary: D's pride thread is more uplifting, go read some of that instead. ;)

Hah, good idea! *salutes* And thank you for the summary.

[vlion]

I have a friend who is reading Atlas Shrugged right now. He enjoys the critique of progressivism, but isn't sure he buys the philosophy.

[branchandroot]

I have to admit, I ditched the Cheysuli books after the second one. It only gets better so as to get a good runup at the next appalling thing. Roberson seems to spend a lot of time exploring the crappy-ass position of women in society and how resistance to that happens, and I'd be down with that except that in the process she spends a /lot/ of time mediating on all the hideous things that society does to women to keep them in line.

Stay away from Gael Baudino, too.

[afuna]

*winces*

That sounds a lot like the Sworddancer series, also by Roberson, and I had a difficult time going through those books. (It also sounds a lot like Terry Goodkind).

Thank you for the advice. I don't think I'd be able to go through those books these days; will stay well away!

[draigwen]

I've yet to read the Drizzt books, even though he turned up in roleplaying games many years ago. I guess I should eventually get around to reading them...

[kateshort]

Yay, Redwall! :) Fun stuff.

I think I'd page through Atlas Shrugged, if only so you know what you're missing. It's one of those books that people "should" read / canon / etc., and I think I'd like to read it someday, but if you read the first 10 pages and hate it, you can just glom off of Azz's summary. :D

[afuna]

I skimmed kinda, but I couldn't get into it!

Redwall makes me feel like a kid again *g*

[pauamma]

Tower of glass... the Silverberg novel?

[afuna]

*nods* Yes.

[zhelana]

I wouldn't bother with atlas shrugged. It's not even good philosophy and it's awfully long to get to the point that we shouldn't ever do anything for anyone without getting paid.

[azurelunatic]

She seems to totally miss the thing where money is not the only measure of personal value. It's perhaps the only freely-exchangeable measure of same, and one of the easiest-to-measure, but ... you know, my volunteer position at DW is paid in love and gossip, my volunteer position at LJ is paid in love, vgifts, gossip, and paid time, and both of them give me an amazing amount of experience and training. Hardly worthless.