GeekNights Book Club: The Hunger Games

Rym

Tonight on the GeekNights Book Club, we review Suzanne Collins'The Hunger Games. It's catching like wildfire, and dubious as we were, we had to see what all the fuss was about. The verdict? It's pretty good. Not great. Not particularly memorable. But, an enjoyable read well worth its short length and engaging story. Also, Rym hipstered up with some PBRs at Control-Flow.

http://frontrowcrew.com/geeknights/20120419/the-hunger-games/

The next book (Scott's choice) will be 1Q84 by Haruki-Murakami.

Coldguy

That was a nice chiptune lineup you went to. Knife City consists of some of the members of Anamanaguchi (the drummer I believe) and their first LP is free via bandcamp.

Speaking of Chiptunes, are you thinking about heading to the blip festival? It a 3 day chip tune festival is a real venue. Other chiptune events you might like are byte night, Boston 8 bit, and 8static (the latter streams their shows each month).

I know my chiptunes too well...

Rym

Knife City consists of some of the members of Anamanaguchi (the drummer I believe) and their first LP is free via bandcamp.

This fact was explained to me repeatedly and un-asked-for throughout the evening. =P

WindUpBird

I think it's very obvious just by my username that I am extremely interested in what you guys think of 1Q84. I've been waiting till I get back to the states to buy dead tree copies, but I'll buy it and read it so I can join in the discussion.

Apreche

I think it's very obvious just by my username that I am extremely interested in what you guys think of 1Q84. I've been waiting till I get back to the states to buy dead tree copies, but I'll buy it and read it so I can join in the discussion.

I do not know what the connection is between 1Q84 and WindUpBird.

WindUpBird

You don't read a lot of Murakami, do you, Scott?

Sail

That was a nice chiptune lineup you went to. Knife City consists of some of the members of Anamanaguchi (the drummer I believe) and their first LP is free via bandcamp.

It is the solo project of Luke. And frankly, I don't think it's very good.

Apreche

You don't read a lot of Murakami, do you, Scott?

I have never read any. That's sort of the point.

Coldguy

That was a nice chiptune lineup you went to. Knife City consists of some of the members of Anamanaguchi (the drummer I believe) and their first LP is free via bandcamp.

It is the solo project of Luke. And frankly, I don't think it's very good.

Notice I didn't mention my opinion of the band itself (for the record I agree).

WindUpBird

You don't read a lot of Murakami, do you, Scott?

I have never read any. That's sort of the point.

I don't blame you for starting with 1Q84, but I'm rather surprised you haven't read any of his work before. He's like the Thomas Pynchon of Contemporary Japanese Lit.

Apreche

You don't read a lot of Murakami, do you, Scott?

I have never read any. That's sort of the point.

I don't blame you for starting with 1Q84, but I'm rather surprised you haven't read any of his work before. He's like the Thomas Pynchon of Contemporary Japanese Lit.

I don't know who Thomas Pynchon is. All I knew was that there is a Japanese author named Murakami that is crazy popular. I also know it's not the pop artist Murakami is not the same person.

Neito

I think it's very obvious just by my username that I am extremely interested in what you guys think of 1Q84. I've been waiting till I get back to the states to buy dead tree copies, but I'll buy it and read it so I can join in the discussion.

I do not know what the connection is between 1Q84 and WindUpBird.

Murikami also wrote a book called the Windup Bird Chronicle.

He's also a big influence, from what I've heard, on Yoji Enokido.

Apreche

I think it's very obvious just by my username that I am extremely interested in what you guys think of 1Q84. I've been waiting till I get back to the states to buy dead tree copies, but I'll buy it and read it so I can join in the discussion.

I do not know what the connection is between 1Q84 and WindUpBird.

Murikami also wrote a book called the Windup Bird Chronicle.

WindUpBird

I don't know who Thomas Pynchon is.

V.? Gravity's Rainbow? The Crying of Lot 49? He'll probably get a Nobel Prize for Literature, and he was a guest on The Simpsons:



Broaden your horizons, dude!

Apreche

I don't know who Thomas Pynchon is.

V.? Gravity's Rainbow? The Crying of Lot 49? He'll probably get a Nobel Prize for Literature, and he was a guest on The Simpsons:



Broaden your horizons, dude!

I have never heard of any of those things. I would have to use the Google and the Wikipedia.

Neito

Eh. Pynchon and Murikami are kinda the "acceptable" lapses. Pomo isn't exactly mainstream.

EDIT: Though, honestly, if you liked the weirder parts of Eva and Utena, Pynchon and Murakami are right down your alley.

WindUpBird

Eh. Pynchon and Murikami are kinda the "acceptable" lapses. Pomo isn't exactly mainstream.

Okay, I'll grant that. I just think Scott would really enjoy both. Particularly Gravity's Rainbow and 1Q84.

Now, David Foster Wallace, that's where shit gets really weird.

Josh Bytes

Yoshitoshi Abe was influenced by one of Murakami's novels when he made Haibane Renmei. That's about all I know about him.

MATATAT

I was having a chat with my Japanese Civ teacher when I had that class and she told to check out Underground by him. When I read about Kafka on the Shore that sounds pretty damn cool to me.

WindUpBird

Underground is fucking rough. But yeah, Kafka on the Shore and Norwegian Wood are both pretty good starting points, along with Sputnik Sweetheart.

Rochelle

You guys really should go watch the movie. I'm in the middle of the review right now. Go watch it a matinee. It's worth it. I give it a 85/100. I think you will like the scenes you want to see. The dress wasn't as great as I wanted it to be, but I had high hopes to begin with.

Edit: It also puts a smile on my face that you guys are excited about wanting to see the fashion of the series.