Excellent list Shark and glad to see one of my all-time faves Dandelion Wine has been given a nod by you.

Julie's Wolf Pack and Alone are two which strike my interest and will definitely look them up.

Might I also add Into the Wild by Krakauer, The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway, Goodbye To a River by Graves and When the Legends Die by Borland?

Chris, start with book #1, Julie of the Wolves.

And thanks for all the great additions to the list: "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air" are both great books, and especially ~cold~! Excellent suggestions from a fellow Texian.

"Cyrano de Bergerac"

I much liked Steve Martin's rendition of this classic... ;-]

At first I thought you had a stroke. Maybe you read the directions and decided to become a critic acuz yer post ta. So I read everything. And I would like you to be my grandfather and read to me every day. I charge $10 an hour, but I listen.

I enjoyed your list and will definitely check out your Warren Harding recommendation.

For me, the definition of a cold story is To Build a Fire, not a book but a short story by Jack London, who could join this list. I think of Jack London as the YA's Joe "Heart of Darkness" Conrad (who's a book in himself).

I'd like to apologize for the above paragraph. I can't find a proper excuse. dirtbrain should weigh in on your list, Shark.

Summer books, summer books, what the fuck is a summer book? Just the category makes me sick. What's it like, beach reading? Stuff you can easily look up from or fall asleep to while you're coaxing your skin cells into malignancy? No book is worth that.

That's why I'm with you, Shark, in bookofjoe's Shark Aquarium, swimming around thinking about getting around to reading.

Here'a good one I'm reading right now. It's The Grapes of Wrath by William Faulkner, I mean John Steinbeck. I always get them mixed up. The same for Peewee Hermann and Paul Rubens (who would be very good summer reading, if he wrote).

The reason I don't write reviews should be getting clear by this point. Anyways (and what critic ever says "anyways"?)it's a fine book, considered a classic, and, like all film adaptations, the movie is to be avoided, spurned, not treated as equal in any way. Henry Fonda was his generation's Tom Hanks, until his kids wrecked it all. I could forgive Jane for Hanoi, but Barbarella pushes it. Klute was memorable, but why? Nobody knows. Her brother? The loser? What's his name? Peter Fonda. Yes. Of him I am not. It started with Easy Rider, which was improvised mostly, and that's fine, in itself, as long as you're a good enough actor, which he was not. So you look at this brooding, uncomfortable silent guy and you wonder what's going on inside? Then you realize, oh: he's acting. He's thinking about acting and dialogue and stuff. Am I off track, Shark?

Of course I am. Thanks for the list. I've decided I'm too strange to review stuff, and much too goddamn folksie.

c

CW, thanks for the comments, especially the browbeating about the "summer books" approach.

How cheezy of me to go with that! (But the NY Times [6/6 edition] and I are bastions of 'summer' marketing, babe.)

But dammit, man, it's my "legitimate" contribution to the site. I get emails asking to see my 'sunny' side, and as you all know, my sunny side doesn't do politics or social commentary.

And apparently, you didn't get the memo that says you have to change styles when you jump categories at BC. Sharks are not allowed in the BOOKS section, so I had to tap my inner 'cable access' book reviewer to get in the friggin' door.

To Build a Fire - Jack London --should definitely go in the 'cold' category. I can't believe I left it off! I love London, and also want to recommend "The Sea Wolf" as one of the best philosophical-adventure stories ever written. A lot of critics diss this book, especially the last third wherein he brings in the babe, but I think it's key to understanding both London and contemporary humankind's dilemma.

And before Mac-whats-her-name jumps in to lecture us on what a racist dick Jack London was... all I can say is:

--SHUT THE FUCK UP--

in advance.

London was an incredibly complex man with many contradictions and internal conflicts -- too complicated for whats-her-name's monochromatic world view.

re: Grapes of Wrath - I've always been in a tiny minority of film lovers who think that movie kinda sucks.

As for Peter Fonda, he was banned from the "Artistic Roll Call" when he made a TV commercial for American Express; a close-up of his card says "member since 1968" -- which means that when he was making a movie about drug dealers and the evils of the capitalist pig culture, this Hollywood Hippie was carrying around a friggin' AE card.

Do I stray?

Good.

Looks like it's just you and me, CW, so pull up a chair -- and as the ringside announcer says, "Get' Ready to Ramble!"

xxoo
S

very nice list Shark, thanks, I like your reviews very much, and CW, I am certain yours would be excellent as well.

Summer reading? How lame.

Do you have nothing better to do in the summer than read all of those books.

Talking about a buzz kill. I'd hate to have you at a social event.

Actually, well-read people are the MOST interesting to have at a party. The point of "summer reading" is something entertaining and/or edifying to do while you are relaxing on vacation, etc as opposed to, say, drinking all day at the beach, you could read for a while. But, John - who is most fascinating of all at a party - you just keep that buzz going. Good idea.

The buzz kill thing was a figure of speech. I guess you've never heard that before.

Being well read is fine as long as there is some relevant substance to it.

I prefer non-fiction, reference and current events. I'm not envisioning a black tie event where people are talking about Dandelion Wine.

"Buzz-kill"

Ohhh. Pretty articulate, John, but it actually pegs you as a semi-literate window-licker.

"...I prefer non-fiction, reference and current events. I'm not envisioning a black tie event where people are talking about Dandelion Wine."

Whatta dick.

And John, if you want come to BC and try to condescend to people who are vastly superior to your limited little arrogant ass, you'll have to take a number and wait in line.

I'm not being arrogant. I have never been to a social event of any kind where well read people are talking about the contents of a novel.

Vastly superior? Lol! Quit crying. No one is going to beat you up and take your books. Lunch money maybe.

"...I have never been to a social event of any kind where well read people are talking about the contents of a novel."

Sorta speaks for itself, that.

heh.

Sorry shark but the tea parties and bridge club is for the ladies. Of course Oprah may let you set at one of her round table book club chats.

nice stereotyping there...try thinking next time around.

I loved Steinbeck's novel, but John Ford's film of The Grapes of Wrath is hardly inferior; many people think it's a better film than a book, if only because Ford's images are more striking than Steinbeck's prose. Personally, I think they are about equal.

Screw you guys. I think parties are lame. Talk about buzzkill! By the grace of God will I never attend one.

Seriously (somewhat), I distinctly remember being at a hardcore (music, not porn--for example, The Descendents, Motorhead, The Misfits) punk party at some rental house in downtown Ann Arbor, fifteen to twenty years ago, talking about A Clockwork Orange, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, On the Road, In Cold Blood , The Naked and the Dead, Bill the Cat, and of course, The Catcher in the Rye (is there ever a party where Holden Caulfield doesn't apply?), with the taste of vodka, Faygo Rock n' Rye and puke in my mouth. Actually, I'm not sure if I puked before or after this conversation. But I wouldn't trade those memories for anything (well maybe for some Stolichnaya or something). Parties and talking about books do go together. And, if you happen upon a well-read woman, your ability to discuss more than Archie comics might come in handy (sorry for the lame pun, but "come in handy" is exactly where you will be if you don't start reading some books).

Sorry to piss on your summer reading post (or puke or whatever). Thanks for the suggestions, guys (hey, where are all the ladies at? Was there a chick book post somewhere else? I don't always limit the books I read based on gender stereotypes, but I won't be reading Flowers in the Attic or Nora Roberts anytime soon).

I have read about half the books on your list, and I can't argue with your choices.

I'd add Matt Ruff's Fool on the Hill for obscure cult classic.

IMO the Douglas Fairbanks Captain Blood was much better.