Final Blog: 3rd Quarter

Right now i'm reading the near 700 page The Bonfire of the Vanities, and it's going well enough that i'm about one fifth done and I really like the book. The book should take me to the midpoint of fourth quarter at least, after that I'm probably going to end the year with either some Raymond Chandler or James Ellroy, both detective novelists. As of now I've completed all the genre requirements and feel that i've read a diverse amount of books, but all books that were enjoyable except for my poetry book the unbearable Push by Sapphire. My favorite book of this quarter is a tie between The Name is Archer by Ross MacDonald and Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. Both are detective novels, but both are hugely different. The former is a classic, but cut into short stories full of sensational characters, gritty narrative, and pulpy dialogue. The latter is psychological horror full of twists and bone crunching suspense. I loved both of them for different reasons, and reading wise this is probably my best reading quarter as I've read varied books and haven't dropped anything. I've learned that I like to read three different types of books, one being what I like to call "accomplished pulp novels" that aren't just quick violent reads, but also a product of smart writers bending what literature can do. The other kind of books are more modern classics by famous authors like Wolfe, Thompson and others. The other types of books are ones that interest me whether they apply to me or my beliefs, or based on movies I like or have an interest in.