*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[little_legs]

I just finished the 3rd installment of Knausgaard's My Struggle aka Boyhood Island.

In the 3rd book Knausgaard writes about his childhood and youth spent on an island in Norway. Even though he was brought up thousands of miles away from where I was brought up, I could relate to a lot of things he writes about. Regardless where you come from, the memories of the place you grew up in and of the people you spent your childhood with stay with you forever. I don't really think much about the neighborhood I grew up in these days because I could not wait to escape it, not because growing up there was unpleasant but because I could not wait to be on my own. But I could still tell you about every mulberry tree in our neighborhood and tell you which one of them bears black and which one bears yellow berries, I could still point out the best pine tree to climb and pee from, the best fields to steal your sunflower pits from, even if the trees and fields aren't there any more.

There is a lot about his relationships with his parents in this book, in particular about the constant fear of his father which is pretty disturbing.

 

[sojourner]

Finished Big Brother by Lionel Shriver. Turned out really quite good in the end.

Read Portrait of the Artist as a Young Simian too last night, by Monkey Poet. Wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

Going to start Maskboy by James Wheale at lunchtime.

 

[DotCommunist]

Worked my way through 'Godlike Machines- finishes with a real headfuck from Greg Egan.

Have moved onto Zima Blue and Other Stories by Alistair Reynolds. Quite good so far. I seem to be on an anthologies trip this year

 

[Dillinger4]

The Towel of Basel by Adam LeBor

The inside story of the central bankers' secret bank is an 80 year history of an institution that was designed to escape public scrutiny and to emphasize discretion, even as it became a leading architect of the global financial system. It's the engine at the heart of the financialization of everything. Six times a year, the world's most powerful and exclusive club meets in an unexceptional office building in Basel, Switzerland. They are central bankers, the presidents of national banks, such as the US Federal Reserve, the Bundesbank of Germany and the Bank of England. They have come to Basel to attend the Global Economy Meetings at the Bank for International Settlements. The discussions at the BIS meeting, the information that is shared there, the deals that are brokered and the subsequent decisions that the bankers take, shape all of our lives. The main job of a central banker is coordinate interest rates, regulate credit and the money supply and, especially in these austerity-obsessed times, work to prevent inflation. In short: these men control fiscal policy in the developed world. That means that the men gathered at the BIS influence how much money we have in our pockets and bank accounts, how much that money is worth and how safe it will be. Central bankers now "seem more powerful than politicians," wrote the Economist, "holding the destiny of the global economy in their hands". The Economist understated the case. Thanks in part to the global financial crisis, the attendees at the BIS bi-monthly meetings have seen their power reach unprecedented levels. Central bankers now shape the destiny, not just of their national economies and of the global economy, but of nations themselves.

 

[weltweit]

I just read the war memoirs of a man who served with my dad in WWII. It was much better written than I had expected. I read it cover to cover in one day and had to keep reminding myself it was a real story where friends and colleagues being injured or killed were actual people, that it was not a fictional story. The author led a bit of a charmed life, narrowly avoiding injury or worse on a number of occasions. I think of it as a bit of eyewitness history and am very glad to have read it.

 

[little_legs]

The Good Lord Bird by James McBride

 

[BoatieBird]

Postcards by Annie Proulx, only a few pages in but enjoying it very much so far.
I had an appointment this morning, I arrived early looking forward to 10 minutes reading and was miffed to be called in before I'd even had chance to switch on my kindle

 

[MellySingsDoom]

Got 2 on the go atm:

"Physical Resistance" by Dave Hann - a book covering a century of anti-fascism, and have only got as far as the aftermath of Cable Street so far (next up is the Spanish Revolution), but it's been an engaging and informative read, with a fair few things I've learned along the way. Definitely looking forward to the rest of this one.

"Xerox Ferox - The Wild World of the Horror Film Fanzine" by John Szpunar - a very large tome (nearly 800 pages) covering the whole horror 'zine scene (mainly the US and UK) from the mid 1950's onwards. Starts off in a quite gentle and restrained fashion, but really kicks in with the stuff on "Sleazoid Express" (2 chapters' worth) - nigh-on uproarious in places, with many a tale about the late Bill Landis (not all of it positive!), and his candid on-the-spot reportage of the early 1980's Times Square/42nd Street axis. The Jim Morton/"Trashola" chapter is pretty decent as well, and Bob Martin ("Fangoria" head honcho) comes across as a genuinely sound guy. Plenty more to come, inc. the (extensive) 1980's/1990's UK 'zine stuff.

 

[sojourner]

Postcards by Annie Proulx, only a few pages in but enjoying it very much so far.

 

[May Kasahara]

Expo '58 by Jonathan Coe. Not as immediately engaging as others I've read by him, but has certainly made me snort out loud a few times so far. Also resonant because my best pal currently lives in Belgium and I have enjoyed many a slagging of all things Belgique from her

 

[Obnoxiousness]

Carrie - Stephen King.

This was his break-through novel, and it's much better than I anticipated. Perhaps he's sold twice as many books as Charles Dickens for a reason? My (great) expectations were not high... but King has impressed me.

 

[Dillinger4]

Red Shelley by Paul Foot

from a review on amazon

This incisive analysis of Shelley's political work was a truly inspirational read! The driving force is the idea that Shelley has been misinterpreted since his work was first published, by conservative and reactionary scholars who refuted Shelley's strong, often radical political messages - atheism, feminism, republicanism (each examined in detail) - because they offended, or opposed the idea of Shelley as the "ineffectual angel" of Romantic lyricism. It presents a far more exciting aspect of Shelley's poetry, who was more philosopher than perhaps all of his popular contemporaries.

 

[rubbershoes]

Carrie - Stephen King.

This was his break-through novel, and it's much better than I anticipated. Perhaps he's sold twice as many books as Charles Dickens for a reason?

Increased world population, lower production costs and far, far more global logistics means that Stephen King should have sold 20 times as many as Charles Dickens. maybe he has..

 

[marty21]

talking of Dickens - just started Oliver Twist - enjoying it

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

Carrie - Stephen King.

This was his break-through novel, and it's much better than I anticipated. Perhaps he's sold twice as many books as Charles Dickens for a reason? My (great) expectations were not high... but King has impressed me.

I really loved his early stuff. His new stuff annoys me. I think he's reached that point where editors are afraid to say "Look, Steve, this would really work better if you cut 100 pages."

 

[Orang Utan]

I tried to read Cell last year and it was virtually unreadable. Not a patch on The Shining and Salem's Lot

 

[DotCommunist]

Jon Meaney 'Context' its a sequel to his first big hitter 'Paradox'. An entire below ground exo colony society whose strata are literally class indicators. Lords and Masters on Primum Stratae, descending in standards of living to the bottom dirt poor level. Kind of neo-fuedalism.

Our hero fucked up the leading of a revolution and now has pieces to pick up, wounds to heal etc

 

[Yuwipi Woman]

I tried to read Cell last year and it was virtually unreadable. Not a patch on The Shining and Salem's Lot

I don't even try to read his stuff any more.

 

[Betsy]

The book I'm reading at the moment is the slimmest of volumes but is perfect in every way - it is Children On Their Birthdays by Truman Capote.

"Truman Capote's bewitching short stories, many of which were set in the Deep South of his youth, are among his finest works. Perceptive, sensitive and eloquent, filled with brooding atmosphere and gorgeous description, these three stories tell of genteel eccentrics, evocative childhood memories and a malevolent nocturnal meeting."

 

[Dexter Deadwood]

American Rust - Philipp Meyer.

 

[Cheesypoof]

Carrie - Stephen King.

This was his break-through novel, and it's much better than I anticipated. Perhaps he's sold twice as many books as Charles Dickens for a reason? My (great) expectations were not high... but King has impressed me.

Stephen King is a true wonder - I have The Shining somewhere around and have never read it!! But feasted through most of his works like many teenagers....he is actually brilliant though.

 

[Cheesypoof]

The book I'm reading at the moment is the slimmest of volumes but is perfect in every way - it is Children On Their Birthdays by Truman Capote.

"Truman Capote's bewitching short stories, many of which were set in the Deep South of his youth, are among his finest works. Perceptive, sensitive and eloquent, filled with brooding atmosphere and gorgeous description, these three stories tell of genteel eccentrics, evocative childhood memories and a malevolent nocturnal meeting."

I love him so much. Which reminds me - need to order Answered Prayers soon.

 

[DotCommunist]

Stephen King is a true wonder - I have The Shining somewhere around and have never read it!! But feasted through most of his works like many teenagers....he is actually brilliant though.

The Shining is probably one of his best imo, next to the unedited version of The Stand and my fave 'Needful Things' which is incredibly sinister.

His sci fi is...not so good Al.

He's never exactly subtle but then he doesn't need to be lol

 

[weltweit]

I am back reading Sahara by Michael Palin, got half way through last time before starting other books, I am interested in it but not flipping pages like I hope to ..

 

[Betsy]

I love him so much. Which reminds me - need to order Answered Prayers soon.

I was a written word Truman Capote virgin before Children On Their Birthdays. I heard it read on Radio 4 (Extra ?) and was hooked. He writes so beautifully - not a word is wasted. I was already a big fan of the two film adaptations of In True Blood with the late lamented Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote) and Toby Jones (Infamous) I will definitely seek out more of his work. I can understand why you love him,Cheesypoof.

 

[jeff_leigh]

Women - Charles Bukowski

 

[campanula]

Prague Cemetery - Umberto Eco - not enjoying it that much but nowt else to read at bedtime so.......
Have sent off for The Jupiter War . last in Neal Asher's Owner trilogy (why are sf authors unable to manage a single volume?)

 

[sojourner]

Women - Charles Bukowski

What do you think, jeff_leigh ?

I had the misfortune to read that as my intro to Bukowski, and it scarred me for life. The misogyny dripping from each and every page made me want to smash his stupid fucking face in with a cricket bat.

So many of my poetry friends think the sun shines out of his arse but I just cannot get my head round my loathing of him.

 

[Orang Utan]

Butting in, I read Post Office recently and here's what I said about it

Charle Bukowski - Post Office
This is great, despite Chinaski/Bukoswki being a rapist and a misosgynist.
I'm not sure i get his attitude to women.
Is he really that horrible? I am finding it hard to distinguish between the character and the writer here.
BUT his description of what it's like working a shitty job is spot on and I wish I had his attitude when I worked them.

I was also puzzled at other people's admiration of him as this misogyny does seem to thoroughly colour his work. Maybe he gets away with cos he also hates men and he does portray the drudgery and injustice of the workplace so very well.
And of course he writes about the booze perfectly.

 

[marty21]

talking of Dickens - just started Oliver Twist - enjoying it

and enjoying the fact that there is a character called Charley Bates in it, who is a mate of the Artful Dodger, and he is referred to as Master Bates on several occasions