Question as I haven't read China Mieville yet, but am planning to very soon: How would you differentiate "New Weird" as a genre from "Bizzaro Fiction" as both derive from similar influences? Is it just the fantasy and sci fi component? Or does the horror component of Bizarro make New weird uncomfortable and want to separate themselves from being perceived as trash?

Interesting question. Not sure I've read anything that could be considered "Bizarro" but there is a pretty strong fantasy/sci fi vibe in New Weird, especially Mieville. Perdido Street Station (maybe my fav of Mieville's) has a pretty strong urban Lovecraftian horror vibe going on too. I think New Weird has a bit more of a speculative fiction thing going on.

From the New Weird wikipedia page:
In comparing The New Weird to Bizarro fiction, Rose O'Keefe of Eraserhead Press claims that "People buy New Weird because they want cutting edge speculative fiction with a literary slant. It’s kind of like slipstream with a side of weirdness."[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Weird

Just started Instinct by James Patterson.

Not too shabby, I’m intrigued.
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Not so much for the "high brow" crowd, but I just finished the Trilogy - "One second after", "One year after" and "The Final Day" by William R. Forstchen
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Damned fine books in the vein of Stephen King's "The Stand".

Historical fiction. Not everyone's cuppa tea but if you like - late Roman fiction, well done. https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_s...d=L0YI6JUG53HX

Local JoCo lie-berry has 'em all, I bought 'em 2nd hand myself because I like to read these again.

ETA: Author's name is Harry Sidebottom. 12 year old that lives in my head always calls him 'Hairy Bottomside'.

PROS AND CONS - The Criminals who play in the NFL

I'm currently reading the collaboration between Stephen King and his son Owen called Sleeping Beauties.Almost 1/2 thru the 700 pages and it has been a page turner,just hoping I'm not headed toward another IT ending.

Currently reading In Cold Blood by Capote. About halfway thru and so far I’ve been mesmerized.

Really good thus far.

I’m a sucker for true crime books.

I recently picked up Empire Of Pain from the MCPL.

The story of the Sackler family, inventors of Oxy. It’s a historical look at the family and how they acquired the incredible wealth from the drug they marketed.

Would recommend.

Two weeks ago I finished "A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness" by Nassir Ghaemi. I found this to be a very good read that profiles eight great leaders from history (albeit a little repetitive at times), and goes beyond the correlation of genius to madness. I would also recommend this as a good summer read (or listen if that's your thing).

Just yesterday I started "The Abolition of Man" by C.S. Lewis-- will likely finish it this afternoon.

Been reading all the Jack Reacher novels by Lee Childs.
Usually get through 2 a week. Last week I started one and got about 100 pages in before I figured out I had read it before.
Damn short term memory loss…
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I’ve taken at least 10 recommendations from this thread then it faded off the board. I particularly liked 4 or 5 that Frazod and Banyon recommended back in 06/07?.

Also To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild was a tremendous read about the state of the Europe and the world before, during and after WWI.

Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner. I recommend that. Read that, Will the Irish Clown. Let's see how much reading comprehension you actually have.

The whole thing is an allegory to Samuel 2 so read that first.

That's right, the old testament. Yes. Faulkner did that.

I haven't read a book from start to finish for about 15 years. The last books I read were sales focused or comedy books.

Just never a big priority.

My mom and our next door neighbor's Mom, both would each read 2-3 books a week. I think they must have read 1,000 books in 10 years. They read at night, in bed, at the beach, at the kid's ball games, anytime they had.

Ironically they both died of brain cancer 3 months apart.