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    Abby Winters Book Club

    Hey gang,

    I was looking for books to read a while ago when I realized that all of our wonderful models are so smart and insightful that that probably have lots of good reading suggestions. I noticed several videos where the models are either reading or talking about favorite books, so I decided to take up some of their suggestions.

    I've also talked to several models about books on the boards, including with Livia, who just started reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides upon my suggestion (so nice!). I thought I'd start a thread for everyone to join in the fun and suggest and talk about books!

    My journey into reading books suggested by models started out with Americanah, an amazing novel by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie that Willa and Maely are discussing at the beginning of their girl-girl. It's a fascinating story about a woman from Nigeria who comes to the U.S. to study and her experiences with racial issues and cultural differences. Highly recommended. Thanks for the idea, girls!

    Next up is The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, which I just bought upon the recommendation of no fewer than three models! Mila has mentioned that it's one of her favorites, Luna is reading it in her girl-girl Flora and Billie recently talked about it in her solo. How could I turn down those endorsements? Looking forward to it.

    Also on my list are Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, recommended by Bobbie, and The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, which Anahi enthuses over to Beatrix in their girl-girl.

    Any other bookworm members and models who want to share their suggestion or talk about what's on your reading list, this is the place!
    Last edited by massfan3; 3 August 2015, 04:32 AM.

    #2
    Originally posted by massfan3 View Post
    Any other bookworm members and models who want to share their suggestion or talk about what's on your reading list, this is the place!
    I've always been a huge fan of vintage horror: Algernon Blackwood, MR James, Sheridan Le Fanu, Clark Ashton Smith. Elizabeth Gaskell. There are many others. (I omit Lovecraft because listing him as a favorite horror writer is like listing Hemingway as a favorite authority on drinking and hunting: it's just a given.) If you plug those names into Google, you should be able to find at least a few stories posted in full.

    Also, since this IS a site focused on sexuality, I'd suggest Anne McClintock's _Imperial Leather_, specifically the bits about Hannah Cullwick and Arthur Munby. Also Burgo Partridge's _History of Orgies_.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by mdj812 View Post

      Also, since this IS a site focused on sexuality, I'd suggest Anne McClintock's _Imperial Leather_, specifically the bits about Hannah Cullwick and Arthur Munby. Also Burgo Partridge's _History of Orgies_.
      Oh I'd be interested in more reading recommendations on sexuality! I am a big fan of anything by Georges Bataille (not just Story of the Eye), Jean Cocteau's Le Livre blanc, Story of O... try to think of some more later.

      Currently I am reading Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, one of his many graphic novel series. I would say that his Doom Patrol series is much better, especially if you have a knowledge of art history, philosophy, and some postmodern theory. I wrote my thesis last year on Neil Gaiman's The Sandman so I've just been working my way through a lot of the graphic novels written during that time period when not reading other kinds of literature.

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        #4
        I’m a huge fan of J.G. Ballard. I recommend The Unlimited Dream Company, a transformation of a Thames-side suburban town (near where I live) into a desire driven surreal kingdom by a messianic lunatic called Blake. High Rise, the collapse of civilisation contained within the microcosm of a luxury high rise complex. And of course Crash, the obsessive sexual psychopathology of the modern world as represented by the automobile accident-not for the faint hearted or easily offended. Also Super-Cannes, Concrete Island, The Kindness of Women, (a sequel to Empire of the Sun) and The Atrocity Exhibition (not a novel but interlinked experimental short stories)

        He drew from science fiction, surrealist art, the everyday world and his own unique ideas and imagination-to combine the apocalyptic with individual spiritual transcendence.

        Also like Angela Carter, Michael Moorcock, the horror writers mentioned by mdj812, Ramsey Campbell, Alan Moore, earth based or near future SF, weird fantasy and horror. The list could go on forever.

        Specifically sexy literature I find horny and well-written are Lost Girls (a graphic novel by Alan Moore and illustrated by Melinda Gebbie) Delta of Venus, mostly 19th century writers contained in the Illustrated Anthology of Erotica (3 Vols) Fanny Hill, and the Mammoth Book of Erotica (lots of vols)

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          #5
          This is not sexy but incredibly funny, and personally I think the world needs more to laugh at. Anyhow it's title is The Girl Who Saved The King of Sweden, the second book by Jonas Jonasson. There are just a handful of books that have actually had me laughing out loud as I read (perhaps due to my odd sense of humour?) and this one tops the list.
          I've just got hold of his first novel The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared and so looking forward to reading it.

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            #6
            Originally posted by Bobbie_AW View Post
            Oh I'd be interested in more reading recommendations on sexuality! I am a big fan of anything by Georges Bataille (not just Story of the Eye), Jean Cocteau's Le Livre blanc, Story of O... try to think of some more later.

            Currently I am reading Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, one of his many graphic novel series. I would say that his Doom Patrol series is much better, especially if you have a knowledge of art history, philosophy, and some postmodern theory. I wrote my thesis last year on Neil Gaiman's The Sandman so I've just been working my way through a lot of the graphic novels written during that time period when not reading other kinds of literature.
            I'm sorry to have to disappoint--my interests/recommendations are mostly of an academic bent and not particularly relevant to your interests--but I do want to mention Ruth Karras's Doing Unto Others: Sexuality in Medieval Europe, both because it's an exceptional work of scholarship, and because I love the title. John Boswell also did some very influential work on homosexuality in medieval Europe, as well as in the broader context of Christianity. His stuff is on Amazon, so there's that. It's not exactly beach reading, but if you're interested in the subject, there you are.

            I haven't read much of Gaiman, but I love what I have seen--Smoke and Mirrors, American Gods--Good Omens is fantastic--but I haven't read Sandman. What drew you to it, as a topic for a thesis? What did you write about it? And why do you focus on graphic novels in the first place?

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              #7
              Originally posted by mdj812 View Post
              I haven't read Sandman. What drew you to it
              It just occurred to me that this might be construed as a terrible, terrible pun. If you laughed, you're welcome. If you groaned, I apologize.

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                #8
                I'm glad this post generated some response, and I hope some reading ideas! I just wanted to post again to say that I finished reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and it was amazing! Thanks to Mila, Luna and Billie for recommending it.

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                  #9
                  Love this thread, and I hope we can keep it alive. I know there are lots of readers on the boards, members and models, and I can't always remember who said what or where to go to find book recommendations (especially if a model is like me and has 30+ pages to wade through). A consolidated space to go to when I'm looking for something to read is nice!

                  I haven't picked a book up since Christmas holidays, when I put down Catch-22 without finishing it. I almost always finish books I read, so perhaps this failure is the reason for my hiatus. I've been all about reading and watching books and movies that my husband loved, which have been a little outside my usual genres of sci-fi and fantasy.

                  The last books I read that I enjoyed were Norwegian Wood, Breakfast at Tiffany's (which is way better than the movie), and The Picture of Dorian Gray. 1Q84 is very much on my to-do list.

                  Now this is a second hand recommendation, but a good friend of mine (who's favorite book is The Unbearable Lightness of Being, and yes I enjoyed it very much too!) said he really enjoyed the writing of Stefan Zweg which was the inspiration for The Grand Budapest Hotel, which I adored. "No, the hotel I keep for Agatha. We were happy here, for a little while."

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                    #10
                    Thanks for your contribution Renae! I'm glad to provide this central space for book lovers. Dorian Gray is one of my favorites! I'd read a lot of Wilde's plays long ago and I loved them, but I put off reading the novel since several people told me they didn't like it as much. But it was fantastic when I finally read it. Every sentence is so beautifully written, just like his plays, and the sense of impending doom was so wonderfully creepy. Livia asked me about book recommendations on her thread, which inspired me to start this one, and I suggested Dorian Gray to her. She'd already read it and loved it, too.

                    I haven't read any of Murakami's novels, but I have enjoyed some of his short stories: I'll have to take a look at Norwegian Wood and IQ84. I looked up Zweig after watching The Grand Budapest Hotel, and he sounds interesting as well. Keep us posted about anything else you read, Renae!

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                      #11
                      Due to a superbusy month, still taking my time to enjoy Middlesex. Thanks again for the tip!

                      I realised the other day that I never really paid attention to (auto)biographies. I wondered if anyone could recommend one they found impressive.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Livia_V View Post
                        I realised the other day that I never really paid attention to (auto)biographies. I wondered if anyone could recommend one they found impressive.
                        Here are three of my favorite autobiographies/memoirs:

                        "A River Runs Through It" by Norman MacClean

                        The book is a collection of three stories set in Montana: the first the title piece about fly fishing with his brother, the second about a summer spent working in a logging camp, and the last about the end of the season of a summer spent working for the National Forest Service during the early years on its existence. The stories provide a window into a time and a way of life that doesn't really exist anymore in the modern world, while at the same time showing that people still share many of the same emotions and experiences today even through so much in the world is outwardly different.

                        The writing itself is beautiful, Norman is one of those writers who can write with all the emotions of a fiction writer in a non-fiction setting. From his writing you can feel how much he loved both the landscape of Montana he spent most of his life in and the people he is writing about. The title story is one of the most moving things about family that I have read.

                        "Love is a Mixtape" by Rob Sheffield

                        This is a memoir Rob wrote after his wife Renee passed away suddenly, inspired by going through a box of mixtapes they had made for each other. Each chapter tells the story of their relationship through memories associated with one of the tapes. It's a very moving and heartfelt book.

                        "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

                        What I love about this book is for all of the momentous things he was able to accomplish how humble, honest, and down to earth he remained through it all. History remembers him as an almost deified figure, but through his story he comes across as being a very human and sometimes flawed man very much like the rest of us. It is a truly inspiring story especially about the power of forgiveness.

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                          #13
                          some nice suggestions in the list, I am also a huuge fan of george bataille, as well as a reasonably big fan of J.G. Ballard! and oscar wilde is pretty good too. I didn't read Mandela's book which you mentioned, trebor, but I just saw the movie they made of it about 3 days ago, I thought it was pretty good and was happy it was also willing to be a bit critical of him and depicted also how a lot of people in the anti-apartheid movement were quite unhappy with his actions later in life (is that in the book as well?).

                          even though I studied literature as my B.A. I actually almost never read fiction anymore, which is kind of sad. I'm always reading boring theoretical books, for school partly but also even in my free time (some recent favorites were 'testo junkie' by beatriz preciado about biopolitics and the fluidity of gender and a collection of essays by audre lorde) ... but I am finally finding time to sit down with some sci-fi, I've just got 'left hand of darkness' and 'the dispossessed' by ursula k. le guin which I've been meaning to read FOREVER so I'm excited for that.

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                            #14
                            As biographies go, I'll recommend this one.

                            Alan Alda: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed

                            OK. You can laugh at me if you want, because this may strike you as an odd recommendation, and because, at the age of 31, I feel odd mentioning it. But Alda's been around the block: the man who played a very congenial Hawkeye Pierce on MASH also witnessed, as a child, his Vaudevillian parents scream and shout and brandish weapons at one another; and he can tell you, first-hand, why, no matter your despair at the loss of a beloved pet, taxidermy is not the answer. I'm serious.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Nina_Q View Post
                              I didn't read Mandela's book which you mentioned, trebor, but I just saw the movie they made of it about 3 days ago, I thought it was pretty good and was happy it was also willing to be a bit critical of him and depicted also how a lot of people in the anti-apartheid movement were quite unhappy with his actions later in life (is that in the book as well?).
                              I haven't had a chance to see the film. The book is pretty up front about all of the internal conflicts within the ANC.

                              One of my favorite parts of the book was the opening chapter where Mandela was describing where he grew up. He gave a beautiful and vivid description of where he grew up. I had a similar feeling after reading the opening as I did with a River Runs Through It, its a window into a time and in some ways simpler way of life that doesn't really exist anymore.

                              Originally posted by mdj812 View Post
                              As biographies go, I'll recommend this one.

                              Alan Alda: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed
                              This was a great book! I was a big fan of Alan Alda on MASH and later of his hosting of the Scientific American Frontiers program. The stories about growing up in the Vaudeville world with his parents were funny and fascinating. I particularly loved the reference to the "tit singer", I had never heard that reference before.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Hey gang, it's been a while since this thread was active, so I thought I'd check in and see what everyone has been reading! I just finished the biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow that the musical Hamilton is based on, and it was really good. I haven't seen the play yet, even though I work a few blocks from the theater in New York, since tickets are hard to come by, but I have listened to the soundtrack, and it was fascinating to see how many lines from the songs come directly from the book, including quotes from Hamilton's letters. The book is well-written though quite long, so I'm thinking I should read something a bit lighter next. Recommendations welcome!

                                Also, Renae, I read Norwegian Wood by Murakami upon your recommendation a while ago, and really enjoyed it. His writing style is really beautiful.

                                Comment


                                  #17
                                  Friend of mine wrote a great book tht got published a while back - well worth checking out, it's called Eidolons.

                                  When TK dies in a car accident, the Grim Reaper offers …

                                  Comment


                                    #18
                                    Oh wow, you took my recommendation! The last book I read was 1Q84. It's quite strange. I think I enjoyed the mood of Norwegian Wood more.

                                    I need to read more! I just feel this pressure that I am not fulfilling my potential or accomplishing enough, and so I feel too guilty to read. It's weird and doesn't really make sense. I started War and Peace and lost motivation after about page 30. I hate how Russians have a million names, and he isn't consistent with how he refers to people. It's so hard to follow. I liked Ana Karenina, but this seemed much more dense.

                                    I haven't seen Hamilton either, besides being always booked up, its so expensive! I am excited though that I'm going to see Then She Fell, the immersive Alice in Wonderland play. I love Punch Drunk's productions (I saw one in London - The Drowned Man, and the one still playing in NYC - Sleep No More). I love any art form that you can get inside - like installation art. I think it would be cool to get into installation art, but I don't know how one really does that without being an established artist already!

                                    I was thinking the other day that I've seen so many recommendations here over the years, and I need to go back and see them all and start into them! Might be a bit of work. Plus I know there are other models who have given out recommendations. A legit book club would be cool too. But probably hard to keep up. I've never been in a real book club!

                                    Stevetod, your friend's book sounds really interesting! I *should* check it out. Apologies if I don't get around to it...

                                    I'm currently sick and haven't been in years! It's a good time to have a book to read as I don't want to get out of bed, but I can't watch my shows without my boyfriend. I am rewatching Seinfeld (first time for him) and while Elaine's outfits certainly don't stand the test of time, I really think the show does.

                                    I've been playing around with an autobiographical novel in my mind for a while and I've been thinking of it more than ever lately. I've had a few people in my life tell me 'I should write a book.' But I mostly think they don't know what they're talking about. I think I've got an interesting format and story worked out though. I can't help but fantasize about it getting picked up by HBO and made into a kickass tv show. I novel really is a huge project though, and I don't know if I can let go of my self-consciousness and self-hatred to get more than a page out.

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                                      #19
                                      Originally posted by renae_d View Post
                                      Oh wow, you took my recommendation! The last book I read was 1Q84. It's quite strange. I think I enjoyed the mood of Norwegian Wood more.
                                      Indeed I did! I believe I've read three books now because AW models recommended them (that one, Americanah and The Unbearable Lightness of Being) and they've all been fantastic. In addition to all the other wonderful things about you, Abby girls tend to have great taste in literature, I've found. I realized after reading Norwegian Wood that it's atypical for Murakami and almost all his other work is more surreal. I'll let you know if I read more of him.

                                      I've had the same experience with Russian literature. I almost always finish books I start, but I couldn't get through The Brothers Karamazov. Those crazy names really are a hindrance. I haven't attempted War and Peace (I think Charlie Brown has discouraged me) or Anna Karenina, but maybe someday.

                                      I somehow haven't heard of Then She Fell, but it sounds great! You'll have to let me know what you think when you see it. I have seen Sleep No More, which is absolutely amazing. It's such a unique experience and I love the combinations of Shakespeare and film noir in an immersive environment. I keep the mask on the bookshelf in my living room. Installation art is indeed intriguing: your fellow model Juliana did some installation pieces in art school, which we discussed in a playdate. Maybe she has some ideas on how to get into it.

                                      Best of luck if you endeavor to write your novel! You do seem to have a led an interesting life that could make for a good book. Hope you feel better soon and can resume rewatching Seinfeld. I love the idea of watching the show with someone who's never seen it before. It's one of my favorite things ever. I've seen every episode multiple times, and it still makes me laugh.

                                      Comment


                                        #20
                                        Hey there, lovely bookworms!
                                        I'd like to share with you the book I'm reading right now: Bodypositive Power by Megan Jay Crabbe aka Bodyposipanda. It's a book about the bodypositive philosophy and about how everybody's beautiful, even society tries to bind our self-love into buying diets and products. It's a total boost to self-esteem.

                                        Comment


                                          #21
                                          Originally posted by massfan3 View Post
                                          I somehow haven't heard of Then She Fell, but it sounds great! You'll have to let me know what you think when you see it. I have seen Sleep No More, which is absolutely amazing. It's such a unique experience and I love the combinations of Shakespeare and film noir in an immersive environment. I keep the mask on the bookshelf in my living room. Installation art is indeed intriguing: your fellow model Juliana did some installation pieces in art school, which we discussed in a playdate. Maybe she has some ideas on how to get into it.

                                          Best of luck if you endeavor to write your novel! You do seem to have a led an interesting life that could make for a good book. Hope you feel better soon and can resume rewatching Seinfeld. I love the idea of watching the show with someone who's never seen it before. It's one of my favorite things ever. I've seen every episode multiple times, and it still makes me laugh.
                                          Well personally I still prefer Sleep No More. In Then She Fell, you aren't allowed to roam freely. Being confined made me feel more like an audience member and less immersive. However, there were some unique aspects which I did enjoy. Because it is much smaller and the way they organize it, there are a few instances where you are completely alone with another actor with whom you interact which is kind of unnerving and cool!

                                          I am still sick!!! I feel like I am never going to stop coughing!

                                          Comment


                                            #22
                                            Thanks for the review of Then She Fell. Being alone with one of the actors sounds intriguing. They did that a few times in Sleep No More, taking someone into a room alone, though not with me. I kept wondering what was going on in there...

                                            Get well soon!

                                            Comment


                                              #23
                                              I've recently finished Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly and I'm delighted. It's a short fantasy novel about a dragon menace and a legendary dragonslayer who can fight it. However, this dragonslayer is not like the ballads say, and there's an evil sorceress conspiracy behind the dragon.

                                              The main character is Jenny, a mage who struggles between her magic professional life and her personal life devoted to her family. In a fantasy alegory, this books proposes an interesting debate about family conciliation and self-love. It surprises me there's no videogame or movie adaptation! Also, I can hardly find some fan art about it.

                                              Comment


                                                #24
                                                Originally posted by irene_a View Post
                                                Hey there, lovely bookworms!
                                                I'd like to share with you the book I'm reading right now: Bodypositive Power by Megan Jay Crabbe aka Bodyposipanda. It's a book about the bodypositive philosophy and about how everybody's beautiful, even society tries to bind our self-love into buying diets and products. It's a total boost to self-esteem.
                                                sounds like an interesting read ....I've stopped reading books/novels apart from when on holiday,,,,but perhaps on my next one I'll get hold of this ...

                                                Comment


                                                  #25
                                                  Dragonsbane sounds like a good a read, Irene! It does sound like something that would make for an interesting movie: female protagonists and dragons both seem to be in vogue these days in Hollywood, so I wonder if producers have come across this book lately...

                                                  Thanks for keeping the book club thread going, Irene! I just finished Killers of the Flower Moon, a crazy true-crime book about a series of murders of wealthy Native Americans in the 1920s. I'm a huge fan of the author's magazine writing, though it seems to lose a bit of its kick stretched out to 400 pages, but it's an astonishing story. I also recently read The Handmaid's Tale, having put off watching the show until I could read the classic book first, and it's as fantastic as everyone says. I'll watch the show soon.

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