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A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius | Dave Eggers
e~Heartbreaking? Certainly. Staggering? Yes, Ie(tm)d say so. And if genius is capturing the universal in a fresh and memorable way, call it that tooe(tm) Anthony Quinn, Sunday Times e~Is this how all orphans would speak e" eoeI am at once pitiful and monstrous, I knowe e" if they had Dave Eggerse(tm)s prodigious linguistic gifts? For he does write wonderfully, and this is an extremely impressive debute(tm) John Banville, Irish Times e~A virtuosic piece of writing, a big, daring, manic-depressive stew of a book that noisily announces the debut of a talented e" yes, staggeringly talented e" new writere(tm) e" Michiko Kakutani, New York Times e~Exhilarating . . . Profoundly moving, occasionally angry and often hilarious . . . A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius is, finally, a finite book of jest, which is why it succeeds so brilliantlye(tm) e" New York Times Book Review e~What is really shocking and exciting is the booke(tm)s sheer rage. AHWOSG is truly ferocious, like any work of genius. Eggers e" self-reliant, transcendent, expansive e" is Emersone(tm)s ideal Young American. [The book] does itself justice: it is a settling of accounts. And it is almost too good to be believede(tm) e" London Review of Books e~A hilarious book . . . In it, literary gamesmanship and self-consciousness are trained on lifee(tm)s most unendurable experience, used to examine a memory too scorching to stare at, as one views an eclipse by projecting sunlight onto paper through a pinholee(tm) e" Time e~Eggers evokes the terrible beauty of youth like a young Bob Dylan, frothing with furious anger . . . He takes us close, shows us as much as he can bear . . . His book is a comic and moving witness that transcends and transgresses formal boundariese(tm) e" Washington Post
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review
chhroberts
Panpan

My main problem with this book is that I don't like how the author comes across. By the end, my feelings about him were that he is narcassistic, melodramatic and generally not someone I'd want to spend any time with. His colloquial writing style is an acquired taste but as much as it suits a memoir, at times it felt unorganised and chaotic. I understand the appeal of reading this as something different and unusual but it's just not for me.

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chhroberts
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Just finished One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest and now straight onto my next book! I wanted to change it up after reading three classics in a row and next read something more modern. My next book is A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers which was recommended to me from my Dad! Only just started today but this section gives me a feeling of how the rest of the book will be! Very much looking forward to it.

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Caffeinated_Reader
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#77 of my year. His books have been on my tbr list for a very long time and I‘m happy to finally check one of them off. It‘s currently 4:43am and I still can‘t sleep so I‘m going to have some tea, begin this book, and hope for a mellow day today 🌻

Caffeinated_Reader I enjoyed this book maybe a bit too much. Dave writes with so much cheeky humor and the way he mentally processes his thoughts that flash and jump so quickly and are pretentious as fuck made me cackle so loudly. Yes I‘ve had similar thoughts but to read them out loud was thoroughly entertaining. 4y
Caffeinated_Reader This is like a sneak peek of seeing what someone thinks versus what‘s actually said and I thought it was brilliant. I really love the way he handled things with Toph and just over all think this book was genius. The preface and acknowledgement parts are worth reading and should not be skipped in my opinion. I would give this infinite amount of stars! It‘s so great. 4y
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Readerann
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Pickpick

It bogged down in a couple of places, but mostly lived up to its title. Excellent narration.

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Readerann
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Final #24in48 total : 16:47:00.
Not bad, but was hoping for a bit more. I read 3 complete shortish books, listened to 1 on audio, and read part of 3 others (944 pages). Best of all, I enjoyed everything I read. It was great fun hanging with you all. Can‘t wait to do it again! 🥰

julesG 👏👏👏👏👏 5y
MemoirsForMe Way to go! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
Megabooks 👍🏻👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
24 likes1 stack add3 comments
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davidhasalife
Pickpick

Finally, finally, finally

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ForCuriosity
Pickpick

I loved this book. The way he writes is the same way we think. Sometimes in full sentences or going into fantasies in our heads. I highly recommend this book.

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ForCuriosity
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This is honestly so true sometimes

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ForCuriosity
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Still the acknowledgment section 😂

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ForCuriosity
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I‘m only on the acknowledgements section

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ForCuriosity
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Starting this book for the “Banned” books project at school. Banned book week starts on the 23rd and was made to give credit to books that have been challenged or banned in different school districts or libraries. ( look it up to learn more about it) I‘m excited to give this one a read, I‘ve only read a bit and my friend had to ask me why I was laughing in class. So it‘s already looking good

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UnabridgedPod
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I don‘t know how we‘re EVER going to be able to decide where we‘re going when....there‘s SUCH a@good line up this year! #nationalbookfestival #nationalbookfestival2018

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aimelou26
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Bailedbailed

I haven‘t bailed on many books over the years but I just couldn‘t finish this. In part it was due to how much the characters infuriated me, this is a memoir; their behaviours put me on edge and not in a good way. I also struggled to concentrate, it‘s written colloquially but it‘s all over the place and difficult to digest. The faults I find are purely personal but I know I won‘t be able to pick it back up again and that‘s always a disappointment.

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aimelou26
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💎 Introvert
💎 Do more
💎 Movie
💎 Heart says cook, OCD says clean
💎 Go back to a book you love; a book you know by heart and you‘re already invested in. Get yourself back into your reading rhythm & then take on your new adventures.

#bookslumpblues @hermyknee

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BookaholicNatty
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This is the second book by Dave Eggers I have found this week. This one looks good!!! The other one I had found was What is the What. Any Dave Eggers fans? Did you like this book of his?

Lcsmcat I loved What is the What, but this one left me cold. I‘ll be interested to see what you think. 7y
LMJenkins This is the book that put him on the map, semi-autobiographical, I think. Thumbs up from me. 👍🏼 7y
SqueakyChu What is the What is excellent! 7y
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Suet624 👍🏼👍🏼Genius. (edited) 7y
cherinium This was the first book of his I read. I absolutely love it! Definitely one of my favorite books. It's a great study of the power of fierce brotherly love. 7y
shaynarae What is the What was my first Dave Eggers book, and I read that two months ago at the recommendation of a huge fan of his. I‘m not rushing out to get more Dave Eggers books, but I‘m certainly not opposed to him either. 7y
Titania What Is the What is my vote! Moving and I learned so much (and still adore the title). 7y
SleepyDragon I enjoyed both immensely. These are the only two of his that I have read so far. His style is odd, but I like it. I have also read a McSweeney collection he edited, so I like offbeat stuff like that. 7y
BarbaraBB This was the first Eggers I read and I loved it. He is such an original author, all his books are completely different 💜 7y
Kaye I didn‘t like this one at all , but I hope you do. I also didn‘t like The Martian, and cannot get a blooming thing out of the Ove book, so I must just have weird taste in books. 7y
BookaholicNatty @Kaye everyone has there own taste in books and there is nothing wrong with that!!! Your definitely not a weirdo!!! ❤️😍😍😘 7y
Kaye Thank you @BookaholicNatty Have you ever had a book like that, that everyone else thinks is great, but you cannot see the fascination in it yourself ? 7y
BookaholicNatty @kaye I most definitely have!!!!! I‘m just trying to think what book it was 7y
BookaholicNatty I need to look through my list bc I feel like there was one popular one I read lately that I didn‘t like. But I can‘t remember!!!!! #bookloverproblems 7y
BookaholicNatty Oh wait it was annihilation by Jeff vandermeer @kaye have you read that one? 7y
Kaye No I saw it mentioned a lot on here but I haven‘t tried it. 7y
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bookandcat
Bailedbailed

This was meant to be a #freakyfriday book - I have owned this book for years and had every intention to read it. However, I don't think I can at this point in my life, because it's explicit about Eggers' parents' deaths from cancer.
My father passed away from cancer a few years ago. I am not able to relive it at this time. The first few pages brought me right back there, in a bad way.
I'm sorry, @zeljka - one day I hope to finish it in your honor.

lynneamch hugs 7y
zezeki I'm really sorry to hear about your dad. I should've put trigger warnings, I forgot that there some scenes that can be quite disturbing. Sorry for putting you in uncomfortable situation. 7y
bookandcat @zeljka it's okay, who would know? I actually listed it as a trigger on my original application but I don't think that got passed on to anybody who would have been able to warn me, haha. I hope to get through the book one day, but it just hit too close to home right now. 7y
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bookandcat @zeljka I have now read every other book on your list though, whether this month or prior to this month! I truly enjoyed :-) 7y
zezeki @bookandcat I should've started reading before April, but I've realized too late that I'm not good with sticking to the plan 😁, so I'll contiune in May. 7y
bookandcat @zeljka my list had so many chunksters on it, too much for one month, especially when other books are calling one's name! 😂 7y
zezeki @bookandcat Yep, I gave my self too many challanges, and I'm not very good at reading several books at the same time. 7y
33 likes7 comments
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bookandcat
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Had anyone ever read the copyright page of this book? (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) #freakyfriday

zezeki I forgot about this 😂😂 7y
28 likes1 comment
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Lcsmcat
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I know many people love this book, but I don‘t get it. #🤷🏻‍♀️ To me it was whiny, navel-gazing - not heartbreaking and definitely not genius. #emojinov @RealLifeReading

AmyG I never quite got it either. I did like his book Zeitoun. 7y
Melissa_J I bailed on this one fifty pages from the end! It‘s one of the few books I‘ve read that I absolutely hated. 7y
Natasha.C.Barnes I haven't read it--Eggers is exactly the kind of white dude I'm taking a break from reading these days. 7y
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Kaye I didn‘t like it either. I don‘t care if he‘s a white dude or not. The book would get 1 star from me and lucky to get that. 7y
bitterbear My dad died when I was 7 and my mom when I was 17... This book touched a huge nerve in me.... It was painful and therapeutic. 7y
LeahBergen I wasn't a fan either. 👎🏻 7y
Lcsmcat @bitterbear I‘m sorry about your parents. And it was heartbreaking that his younger brother lost his parents so young; but Eggert was so focused on what a great brother he was that I wasn‘t heartbroken for him. 7y
bitterbear @Lcsmcat ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ we all have different opinions and tastes... This book made me cry and miss my mom 7y
bitterbear I think that's why I loved it so much... I wasn't so impressed with his other books. 7y
batsy Something has always put me off his work. 7y
39 likes10 comments
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MrBook
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Today's author spotlight: Dave Eggers! The 47-year-old native Bostonian lives in San Francisco. He is founder of the literary journal McSweeney's, co-founder of the literary project 826 Valencia, co-founder of the human rights non-profit Voice of Witness, and founder of ScholarMatch, a program that matches up donors with college students in need of tuition money. He appears on Beck's album, "The Information". #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow

Yeah_I_Read Love him! 7y
CoffeeK8 I've never read him before, but now I feel like I have to! What an amazing person. 7y
emilyesears I had no idea he was associated with all those things! Wow! 7y
Creadnorthey Wow I never knew- I love him for this (not so much for his 1st book though...) 7y
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Well-ReadNeck
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#junetunz #thatjokeisntfunnyanymore

This was the first Dave Eggers I picked up and it took me years and lots of cajoling by bookish friends to get me to read anything else by him. (And, I'll admit, I've only read one other book).

pilardib I failed the first time haha 7y
violabrain I really disliked this book, too. 7y
julesG I couldn't finish this book and have yet to try another by him. 7y
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Melissa_J I bailed on this one with 50 pages to go!! 7y
Tamra Have you tried his book about the lost boys of Sudan? Heartbreaking, harrowing, funny, and life affirming all at the same time. It was one of those eye opener reads for me. (edited) 7y
ReadingEnvy I almost always bail on Eggers. I'm not sure what it is! 7y
DragonSadhana I could not get into this book, but years later I read Eggers' Zeitoun. Zeitoun is amazing. It's one man's story in the wake of hurricane Katrina, and the sh$t that goes down because he's a brown guy who decided to stay behind to look over his buildings. It made me angry, but it is also hopeful. Truly good. (edited) 7y
lanac I tried the Circle and while I finished it, it was a choir. 7y
Alena I have loved many Eggers, but this pic says it all. #staggeringmediocrity 7y
Well-ReadNeck @Alena #staggeringmediocrity 😂😂😂 (edited) 7y
Cinfhen Graphics are hilarious 😂😂😂 7y
112 likes1 stack add11 comments
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Yanes
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I heard so much about this book...

And so the story begins 🤓

Sarah83 Worum geht es? Die Beschreibung hier ist so seltsam. 🤔 8y
Yanes @Sarah83 Es geht um die Brüder Dave und Toph deren Eltern kurz nacheinander an Krebs sterben. Die Brüder fahren kurzentschlossen mit dem Auto nach Kalifornien um Abenteuer zu erleben. Das Buch beruht teilweise auf wahren Begebenheiten des Autors und ist laut Kritik kontrovers, tragisch, und absurd witzig. Bisher ist der Weg nunetwas steinig ? auf den ersten Seiten gibt es z. B. "Richtlinien und Empfehlungen zur Steigerung des Lesevergnügens" und ein nicht enden wollendes Vorwort. Trotzdem bin ich gespannt ob der Hype um das Buch stimmt oder nicht... 8y
Sarah83 Ich bin gespannt, was du dazu noch so schreibst. Hatte vorher davon noch nicht gehört. 😉 8y
5 likes3 comments
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cherinium

Recommended to me by a bookstore employee several years ago, I instantly fell in love. Over the years, I've recommended it many times; but I have not read it more than that one time. I'm now revisiting it in the #audiobook format, and I am in love all over again! What a wonderful look at the bonds that make a family. The ferocious love of brothers who are thrust into an unconventional family relationship is as touching as it laugh-inducing. 💔

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Jas16
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San Francisco has many but Dave Eggers is my pick for #localauthor. I am woefully behind on his novels but like what I've read and appreciate his nonprofit work. I still remember recommending this book to my mother over the phone and her telling me later that when she went to the bookstore she ended up asking for "A Really Good Book With An Awesome Story." #aprilbookshowers

TrishB Love your Mums title 😀💝 8y
BeckaroniAndCheese That's awesome 😂 8y
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Lauren.Archer
Pickpick

What a wonderful book! I had no i idea this was a memoir when I grabbed it. What Dave Eggers went through and he came out the other side was so great. Highly recommend this one.

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Lauren.Archer
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I adore Dave Eggers!!!

HotCocoaReads I've had this on my shelves for years. I really need to get to it! 8y
shutterbug_mama Ohhhh I read that back in 2006 (I think) and I LOVED IT!!! I would like to re-read it sometime! It's a book that I've kept and have moved it from place to place. Hope you enjoy it! 8y
jennw1212 One of my favorite books. 8y
ApoptyGina69 Definitely a favorite! He's the best. 8y
118 likes7 stack adds4 comments
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BarbaraJean
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A few of my favorites for #riotgrams #greatdedication. Starting on the top left: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius (Dave Eggers), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Mark Twain), House of Hades (Rick Riordan), and Tiger Lily (Jodi Lynn Anderson). I read the last one solely based on the dedication. 😊

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ApoptyGina69
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#bookishGoods. TOTE-mania! The plain-looking one in the center is a limited, numbered one from Litographs.com featuring the complete text in minuscule print of the above Dave Eggers book. I also have a t-shirt from them with the complete text of Anna Karenina on it. #RiotGram

Bookworm83 I am a collector of bookish tote bags, as well 😍😍😍 8y
Crystalblu I remember when Jon bought you the Eggers one! 8y
56 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Libby1
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Nope. Life is too short. 😩

#ReadJanuary
#DNF
@RealLifeReading

LeahBergen It was a "so-so" for me. I read it in a book club and others loved it. 8y
Marchpane This graphic 😂😂😂 8y
Balibee146 Epic use of stickers - you gave me a much needed laugh :-) 8y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB Loved the pic 😄😄 8y
julesG Went through it, but only because I listened to the audiobook. Would've bailed otherwise. 8y
LauraBeth When this book first came out I was lured in by all of the hype. And I hated it and bailed. It's been 16 years - I wonder if I should go back to it and try it again 😀 8y
Libby1 Thanks for the encouragement, @LeahBergen , @Marchpane , @Balibee146 , @TrishB , @julesG , @LauraBeth . 😃 8y
60 likes3 stack adds7 comments
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Sharpeipup
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#readjanuary day 10: the books that elude me OR #booksthateveryoneelsehasreasbutme

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RiaWritten
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It has begun! Check us out at https://thewritershippress.com or on Facebook at https://m.facebook.com/thewritershippress :)

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mauveandrosysky
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Mehso-so

I had a lot to say about this one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24705380

CherylDeFranceschi Fan-fricking-tastic review!!!! Perfection! ❤ 8y
mauveandrosysky @CherylDeFranceschi thank you! This one seems to be so divisive. I'm glad to know there's someone out there who identifies with my thoughts about it. 8y
Ericmanciniwriter Wow you knocked this out of the park. 8y
35 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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julesG
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Made a twig and leaf for a baby hat. My friend will have to attach it to the hat herself since the baby was gifted the hat this past Saturday already.

And while quickly knitting this up, I finished listening to the audiobook. (Darn! Should have made this a Review!) [no pun intended]

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mauveandrosysky
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Ericmanciniwriter Not sure about the context, but this makes me think of when I take my daughter to events where it's still mostly moms (edited) 8y
mauveandrosysky @Eamann ha, that's pretty much exactly what he was talking about: talking to moms 8y
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mauveandrosysky
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mauveandrosysky

Question: as someone who is enamored of David Foster Wallace am I going to love this or hate this?

BookishFeminist I really enjoyed it & consider it one of my favorites and also enjoy DFW. It's been a while since I've read it though. 8y
mauveandrosysky @BookishFeminist awesome! That's good to know. I love McSweeney's but have somehow made it this far without reading any of Eggers' books. AHWOSG has been on my shelf forever though and I have The Circle arriving in the next couple days so I'll be remedying that soon! 8y
Megabooks It really bothered me, but I was in college in the hospital when I read it. I couldn't speak to it as a real adult. 8y
See All 7 Comments
mauveandrosysky @Ebooksandcooks are you a fan of DFW? 8y
Megabooks I've never read him, but I've intended to. What do you recommend? 8y
mauveandrosysky @Ebooksandcooks oh ok, yeah, I was specifically curious about this in relation to DFW because they are often compared so I got the impression that I might thereby be inevitably disappointed by this given the pedestal I hold DFW on, haha. But I'm going to give it a try I think. As for DFW, I always tell people that his nonfiction essays are the best place to start! If you like those, you'll probably like his (more demanding) fiction. 8y
Ericmanciniwriter It's no DFW but I think you'll like it 8y
19 likes1 stack add7 comments
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julesG
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Finished this shawl, eventually.
I'm so glad there are audiobooks, otherwise I would never get my knitting done. I have been told there are people who can actually read while knitting. Or knit while reading? Well, I can't. So it's audiobooks for me.

#audiobook #sadbutupliftingstory

EloisaJames Gorgeous! 8y
julesG @EloisaJames Thank you! 8y
9 likes2 comments
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julesG
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Listening to this #Audiobook while #knitting. I bought it as part of a Humble Bundle some time ago.
So far it is quite nice to listen to.

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manifestsanity
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I still remember this Modern Humorist parody nearly two decades later. "The Publishing Phenomenon of the Year" attributed to "J.K. Eggers." Published from 2000-2003, I read Modern Humorist religiously. The archive is still available online.

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AGirlAndHerBooks
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I loved this book SO much. I read it in 2003 and it was the first book to truly make me laugh out loud ... despite its tragedies. Dave Eggers is pitch perfect and made me an insta-fan. #octphotochallenge #memorablememoirs

HollyQ Co-sign. It actually lives up to its title. 8y
18 likes5 stack adds1 comment
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nextgenhouse
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Today I got to meet Dave Eggers. I told him how I came to read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius when I was 17, 16 years ago. He wrote this in my battered paperback. I nearly cried with the joy you feel when you get to say something to someone you've wanted to talk to for 16 years but never thought you would get the chance. Thanks to Penguin Bookshop for selling me his newest book, which I am excited to devour soon, at age 33. 💞📖

BookishMarginalia That is amazing! 8y
nextgenhouse @BookishMarginalia He was the best. Couldn't have been more kind. 8y
LauraBeth Wow! Awesome 😀 8y
8 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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tracyramone
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Pickpick

Dave Eggers is a literary genius. This book was beautiful she unlike anything sugar I've ever read. Every time I read a book of his I go through this. This one is my favorite. #thatswhatsheread #2016readingchallenge #readhard #readharder #readingharderest #bibliomaniac #booknerd #allthebooks

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shawnduffy
Pickpick

A little tiring at times but enjoyable and funny.

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Bethanyhope
Pickpick

Love is book!

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