*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[Dexter Deadwood]

The Soul of Man under Socialism - Oscar Wilde.

(First time reading anything by Wilde, only just started it but it is already provoking thought and some conflict, hope i can stick with it.)

 

[8115]

Mini and Me. It's really good. I have just read Silver Linings Playbook and a book called The Cadaver Games. They were both readable but basically pulp.

 

[8115]

Also reading Balti Britain by Ziauddin Sardar. I am taking a break, it is good but hard going.

 

[sojourner]

Got 'Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class' by Owen Jones out of the library, so have had to put 'Empire of the Sun' by JG Ballard on hold, in case there's anyone else wanting 'Chavs' after me (had to fucking well return The Spirit Level before finishing it cos of that ).

'Chavs' - only one chapter in so far, and 100% agree with everything he says.

'Empire of the Sun' - err, wow! Well THAT explains a hell of a lot in 'The Unlimited Dream Company' then! Finding this book massively interesting. So much historical stuff I didn't know, for a start. All he went through as well. Incredible.

One thing which has irked me about the Owen Jones book - why the Z?

 

[TruXta]

Finally got started on The Master and Margarita.

 

[sojourner]

Finally got started on The Master and Margarita.

Ooo let me know how you get on with it. It's one of my favourite books of all time.

 

[TruXta]

Ooo let me know how you get on with it. It's one of my favourite books of all time.

Only managed 3 pages last night, might just start from the beginning again.

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin.

 

[Orang Utan]

Just finished Chris Beckett's Dark Eden - wow, mind blown. Beautiful writing and what an amazing story that's totally unpredictable all the way through. Can't recommend it highly enough.

 

[starfish]

Hit Man by Lawrence Block. Need a bit of pulpy crime thriller after the beautiful bizarreness of Brazil.

 

[Cheesypoof]

'Chavs' - only one chapter in so far, and 100% agree with everything he says.

i might read that, so long as its witty too and not too sociologically heavy.

Just finished Ask the Dust, by John Fante. What a wonder! Actually soj, if you havent read him yet, i think you'd love it.

Also a book from a Doors roadie, Doug Cameron. Substandard, read it in two hours. I realised that i have 9 books about The Doors - i know my stuff!! Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugarman is probably the best written. If you are interested in Los Angeles and the heady days of Laurel Canyon, I highly recommend. Now its The Rocky Road by Eamonn Dunphy, great stuff, he's quite cynical (and truthful) about old Ireland (and no time for Dev, same as me!)

 

[DotCommunist]

i might read that, so long as its witty too and not too sociologically heavy.

Just finished Ask the Dust, by John Fante. What a wonder! Actually soj, if you havent read him yet, i think you'd love it.

Also a book from a Doors roadie, Doug Cameron. Substandard, read it in two hours. I realised that i have 9 books about The Doors - i know my stuff!! Wonderland Avenue by Danny Sugarman is probably the best written. If you are interested in Los Angeles and the heady days of Laurel Canyon, I highly recommend. Now its The Rocky Road by Eamonn Dunphy, great stuff, he's quite cynical (and truthful) about old Ireland (and no time for Dev, same as me!)

Chavs is quitelight going- one of the best phrases in it is when Owen describes poor-bashing by the middle classes as 'socially acceptable liberal bigotry'

It probably won't tell you anything you don't already know but it does make it plain and in text. Owen Jones comes in for a lot of stick for being a labourite 'face' but the book itself is worth your time, if only so you can go 'fucking spot on' at certain bits

 

[BoatieBird]

Horns by Joe Hill.
It's been on the list since May Kasahara raved about it in the summer.
Really enjoying it so far, cheers May

 

[TruXta]

Just finished Blood Meridian. Gonna restart Master and Margarita now.

 

[sojourner]

Just finished Ask the Dust, by John Fante. What a wonder! Actually soj, if you havent read him yet, i think you'd love it.

Cheers for the recommendation - I'll see if they've got it in the library

Chavs is quitelight going- one of the best phrases in it is when Owen describes poor-bashing by the middle classes as 'socially acceptable liberal bigotry'

It probably won't tell you anything you don't already know but it does make it plain and in text. Owen Jones comes in for a lot of stick for being a labourite 'face' but the book itself is worth your time, if only so you can go 'fucking spot on' at certain bits

^^ this, very much this. Actually, there are some ASTOUNDING statistics in there. I read one out to the fella the other night and he couldn't believe it. The number of council dwellings built each year after WW2 and before Thatcher was 75,000. In 1999, that number was 84.

Eighty fucking four!

I am absolutely loving it btw, and I don't quite understand the disdain that is shown towards him. He's hugely articulate and intelligent and I can't see what he's doing 'wrong'. If I was angry before reading this btw, I am spitting fucking furious now.

 

[DotCommunist]

I can't see what he's doing 'wrong'.

chief complaint is that he's Labour left and actively pro-labour. A lot of people think thats a waste of time and has been for ages now.

 

[ringo]

The Shipping News - Annie Proulx - absolutely loving this

 

[Cheesypoof]

Cheers for the recommendation - I'll see if they've got it in the library .

Ask the Dust is astounding. The copy I had included an introduction from Charles Bukowski who wrote:

'Fante was my god and I knew that the gods should be left alone, one didn’t bang at their door. Let me say that the way of his words and the way of his way are the same: Strong and good and warm.
That’s enough. Now this book is yours.'

 

[sojourner]

chief complaint is that he's Labour left and actively pro-labour. A lot of people think thats a waste of time and has been for ages now.

Right. Well, I think it's a waste of time too. He does point out in the book that all of the Labour party now are middle-class, doesn't he, and this was something I was discussing with the fella recently. He believes in reformation of Labour, whereas I don't think that's possible now. I got the impression from that book that Jones sees it as a problem too. Mind, it was written 2 years ago.

 

[sojourner]

The Shipping News - Annie Proulx - absolutely loving this

One of my favourite writers of all time is Annie Proulx. And this one is excellent. They all are tbh.

 

[ringo]

One of my favourite writers of all time is Annie Proulx. And this one is excellent. They all are tbh.

Its been sat on my bookshelf for ages, no idea how I came by it, but now I want to read everything she's done and see the fillum when I'm done with the book. Didn't realise she wrote Brokeback Mountain either.

 

[sojourner]

Its been sat on my bookshelf for ages, no idea how I came by it, but now I want to read everything she's done and see the fillum when I'm done with the book. Didn't realise she wrote Brokeback Mountain either.

There has only been one book that I wasn't as mad on as the rest, and that was the last one she released - another collection of short stories.

Ah you should deffo work your way through her writings - she's a total one-off. I think That Old Ace In The Hole is one of my fave books of all time. Oh, and Accordion Crimes.

 

[DotCommunist]

Right. Well, I think it's a waste of time too. He does point out in the book that all of the Labour party now are middle-class, doesn't he, and this was something I was discussing with the fella recently. He believes in reformation of Labour, whereas I don't think that's possible now. I got the impression from that book that Jones sees it as a problem too. Mind, it was written 2 years ago.

for sure- Its where I'm at too. I think a lot of the annoyance/disdain is from not him wasting his own time in the labour left but convincing others to do the same, as if the last 20 years never happened and we can reclaim the party etc. While claiming he isn't part of that world.

 

[sojourner]

for sure- Its where I'm at too. I think a lot of the annoyance/disdain is from not him wasting his own time in the labour left but convincing others to do the same, as if the last 20 years never happened and we can reclaim the party etc. While claiming he isn't part of that world.

Aye, see what you're saying, and it seems him and the fella are on the same lines. Cheers dots

 

[seventh bullet]

Totalitarianism: The Inner History of the Cold War - Abbott Gleason

 

[sojourner]

Bollocks - library don't have that book, Cheesy

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

A Storm of Swords - George R. R. Martin.

A good read but way too long (two books really)
Whoever was responsible for not editing ought to be put to the sword. I've had my fill of Westeros for now.

 

[DotCommunist]

A good read but way too long (two books really)
Whoever was responsible for not editing ought to be put to the sword. I've had my fill of Westeros for now.

you say that now, but the new series on TV is out soon.


I'm re-reading Glasshouse in anticipation of buying the follow up

 

[Buckaroo]

Winterval reading is Antony Beevor's 'Stalingrad'. Got it for fifty cents in a pop up tat shop. Another bullet by bullet account no doubt.

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

you say that now, but the new series on TV is out soon.


I'm re-reading Glasshouse in anticipation of buying the follow up

Oh i'll definitely want some of that. Season 3 approximated to halfway through A Storm of Swords, season 4 will finish it off. So i'm ahead at the moment and will probably finish the others before season 4 airs probably in April 2014.