Vera, or Faith, by Gary Shteyngart. Super charming and hilarious book told from the point of view of a ten year-old girl maybe ten years into the future whose family is comedically falling apart.

Well since I have started writing LGBTQ+ fiction, I decided it was time to be reading some ha ha. So over the summer/fall I have read:

Martyr! - Kaveh Akbar 4.5/5
Under The Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune 4.0/5
Bath Haus - PJ Vernon 4.0/5
We Could Be So Good - Cat Sebastian 3.5/5
Giovanni’s Room - James Baldwin 5.0+/5

But now I am switching things up and jumping into Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski. I did like House Of Leaves but IMO it did seem a little too clever/precious for its own good despite its riskiness. I read it ages ago and just now found out about its cult classic status. I am basically going into Tom’s Crossing blind and TBH I realize it is classified as a horror novel which I definitely don’t read a lot of. It is Thick AF so hopefully I will make it through lol.

Dave N. wrote: Thu Nov 13, 2025 2:15 pm I loved Stoner so much, I decided to read the other two John Williams books. Butcher’s Crossing was a fun read, a book about buffalo hunters in the time when the buffalo were dwindling. I’m currently reading Augustus, and I’m having a hard time digging in. It’s his book about the life of Caesar Augustus that won the National Book Award in 1971. Going to push through a little while longer in hopes it’ll get me interested.

He wrote a book called Nothing But the Night that came out in 1948, but he wanted no association with the book later in life. I don’t think it’s easy to find.

NYRB was recently printing it. It's a great series actually, IMO.

https://www.nyrb.com/products/nothing-b ... 3699623988

turnbullac wrote: Mon Nov 17, 2025 8:40 am
But now I am switching things up and jumping into Tom’s Crossing by Mark Z. Danielewski. I did like House Of Leaves but IMO it did seem a little too clever/precious for its own good despite its riskiness.

Just heard about this guy but comparisons to DF Wallace are throwing me off.

The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli. Pretty good so far.

With respect, what the fuck is this lady on about? RFK JR d got her that silly?

Into the Void - Geezer Butlers book on Sabbath
… it’s no literary masterpiece, but is very entertaining. What’s great is the backstory of his childhood and all their pasts in working class Birmingham and their very rapid rise to fame - they were really just clueless young dudes in their early 20s FFS!

"Flesh" by David Szalay.

The most skeletal prose I have ever read. Szalay makes Raymond Carver feel baroque in comparison,
And the story is tremendously gripping.

Master craftsman at work

The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld. Decent so far, 15% in I suppose.

just started Les Misérables... I'll follow up with my thoughts in about five to six years.