*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[Voley]

A Decent Ride - Irvine Welsh

Juice Terry waxes lyrical on life in general while shagging everything that moves. You know the drill by now, I expect. Not one of his best but still funny at times. Has that ominous feeling that everything's about to go to shit bigtime that a lot of his books have. Always liked that about him. Not read anything by him for a while and it's been nice to get reacquainted with the atrocious folk that populate his mind.

 

[campanula]

I have 'The Tiger and the Wolf, dottie - will pass it your way if it's any good.

 

[Greebo]

Gone to ground - Marie Jalowicz Simon

 

[colbhoy]

Just started The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins.

 

[weltweit]

Picked up The Associate, by John Grisham to read while I wait for the books I requested to come through. Half way through and enjoying it so far. Haven't read any Grisham before. It keeps you wanting to turn pages and this one is large print so easy on the eye.

 

[Dr. Furface]

Sellevision by Augusten Burroughs. A friend recommended him to me and suggested I start with this one - a novel set in a US home shopping channel.

 

[Voley]

I've just started on the first book of Game Of Thrones, having enjoyed the TV series so much. You might not hear from me for a while.

 

[MrSki]

I've just started on the first book of Game Of Thrones, having enjoyed the TV series so much. You might not hear from me for a while.

I have been reading these. I have been picking them up in charity shops for a pound but can't find the second part of book five so have put it on hold till it appears on a shelf for a quid.

 

[Greebo]

What would Satan do? - Anthony Miller

Satan's got fed up with God using him as a scapegoat, so he's quit his work in Hell and is walking the Earth in the USA. Meanwhile, God has decided to start the End times (including the rapture, apolcalytic weather, and various plagues) whether Satan's doing his side of it or not. Satan is, of course, pretty pissed off about this.

 

[sojourner]

Kate Adie, The Kindness of Strangers, whilst gnashing quite badly when she displays her sickening privilege and attitudes. I thought I would quite like it, and I do in parts, but by god, you can tell her fucking background.

 

[D'wards]

The new Irvine Welsh - The Blade Artist. Its the same old Welsh really - i like the underlying violence in the character (and of course not so underlying), but it makes no sense really. Begbie was a great character in the Trainspotting books, but the rehabilitation of him as loving artist is just too far-fetched.

 

[belboid]

The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud.

A reply to L'Etranger narrated by 'the Arab's' brother. Seems pretty good from the opening chapter - “Mama’s still alive today”

 

[Voley]

The new Irvine Welsh - The Blade Artist. Its the same old Welsh really - i like the underlying violence in the character (and of course not so underlying), but it makes no sense really. Begbie was a great character in the Trainspotting books, but the rehabilitation of him as loving artist is just too far-fetched.

I just finished A Decent Ride and had mixed feelings too. Bringing Juice Terry back for another book - not a bad thing at all - and it was genuinely funny at first but wore thin quickly. By the time we'd reached the incest/necrophilia bit I thought he'd run out of ideas and was just resorting to shock tactics to try and maintain interest. Pity. I love him when he's on form.

 

[stockwelljonny]

Rabbit, Run by John Updike - saw John Updike on a list of books you should read and having never ready any picked this one. Have really enjoyed it, in particular the quality of the writing, think its quite remarkable. Read somewhere Updike described as being like a fish in water in terms of his agility with language and plot, and that rings true. Its a story of a 27 year old man in middle America, a former high school sports star now coming to turns with married life. A great read. Have now ordered various other Updikes on amazon for pennies..

 

[weltweit]

Just started

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
by Robert Pirsig

Just getting into it at the mo and liking it so far.

 

[neonwilderness]

I finished The Lewis Man by Peter May the other day. I enjoyed it but didn't realise that it was part of a trilogy, so I hope I haven't spoilt it too much by reading the second book first.

 

[belboid]

I finished The Lewis Man by Peter May the other day. I enjoyed it but didn't realise that it was part of a trilogy, so I hope I haven't spoilt it too much by reading the second book first.

mrs b did that, but it didn't matter too much. You have discovered one thing you shouldn't have, iyswim, but it shouldn't ruin the first one.

 

[neonwilderness]

mrs b did that, but it didn't matter too much. You have discovered one thing you shouldn't have, iyswim, but it shouldn't ruin the first one.

Yeah it worked ok as a standalone book, it didn't seem like anything was missing from the story. I'll keep an eye out for the others next time I'm at the market.

 

[inva]

Spin Cycle by Zoe Strachan
About a third of the way into this and liking it a lot. Nothing much has happened yet but the characters draw you in well and there's a dark edge to it that I suppose will be brought out more later on.

 

[ringo]

Rabbit, Run by John Updike - saw John Updike on a list of books you should read and having never ready any picked this one. Have really enjoyed it, in particular the quality of the writing, think its quite remarkable. Read somewhere Updike described as being like a fish in water in terms of his agility with language and plot, and that rings true. Its a story of a 27 year old man in middle America, a former high school sports star now coming to turns with married life. A great read. Have now ordered various other Updikes on amazon for pennies..

I bought the set of four in the series years ago as I generally like 20th Century US fiction, especially Pulitzer Prize winners of this type. I got a bit lost with it and gave up, but have been reading Richard Ford's US everyman trilogy The Sportswriter and have really enjoyed it, so will be going back to the Rabbit series soon I reckon. Thne baby in the bath bit still haunts me.

 

[D'wards]

The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh - in retrospect his worst book - and he has provided us with some contenders in the last decade. It just made no sense - the horrible violent acts perpetrated by the characters seemingly without any hint of the law getting involved, and with only scant motivation.

He was always one of my favourite authors, but he ain't alf brought his own average down over the last few titles.

 

[DotCommunist]

The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh - in retrospect his worst book - and he has provided us with some contenders in the last decade. It just made no sense - the horrible violent acts perpetrated by the characters seemingly without any hint of the law getting involved, and with only scant motivation.

He was always one of my favourite authors, but he ain't alf brought his own average down over the last few titles.

is it worse than Bedroom Secrets of The Masterchefs? I've been meaning to pick it up for completest reasons but if its not at least as good as skag boys I'm wondering wat the point is

 

[D'wards]

is it worse than Bedroom Secrets of The Masterchefs? I've been meaning to pick it up for completest reasons but if its not at least as good as skag boys I'm wondering wat the point is

I think so - its just makes no sense - the character has so many unbelievable contradictions and motivations.
Maybe i'm being harsh because Begbie was a great creation - the "functioning" psychopath who plies his trade in the pubs and clubs. I feel Welsh has sullied his own character

 

[DotCommunist]

I think so - its just makes no sense - the character has so many unbelievable contradictions and motivations.
Maybe i'm being harsh because Begbie was a great creation - the "functioning" psychopath who plies his trade in the pubs and clubs. I feel Welsh has sullied his own character

shame. I knew it'd be difficult to show how such a man is made but things like Glue made me think he's up to the task. Eh maybe he's been phoning them in for longer than I care to admit

 

[sojourner]

Gave up on the Kate Adie. It was shit.

 

[D'wards]

shame. I knew it'd be difficult to show how such a man is made but things like Glue made me think he's up to the task. Eh maybe he's been phoning them in for longer than I care to admit

This review sums up my feelings, in a more eloquent way
The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh review – a troublesome follow-up to Trainspotting

 

[stockwelljonny]

I bought the set of four in the series years ago as I generally like 20th Century US fiction, especially Pulitzer Prize winners of this type. I got a bit lost with it and gave up, but have been reading Richard Ford's US everyman trilogy The Sportswriter and have really enjoyed it, so will be going back to the Rabbit series soon I reckon. Thne baby in the bath bit still haunts me.

Yes, the baby in the bath is pure horror. I read the Sportswriter last year and really enjoyed it.

Am now reading Rebel Footprints - A Guide to London's Radical History - By David Rosenburg which is fascinating and inspirational about the start of the unions in London, chartism and the match girls

 

[inva]

Spin Cycle by Zoe Strachan
About a third of the way into this and liking it a lot. Nothing much has happened yet but the characters draw you in well and there's a dark edge to it that I suppose will be brought out more later on.

Finished this now, it was good. I'll have to see about getting more of her books.

 

[Voley]

I've just started on the first book of Game Of Thrones, having enjoyed the TV series so much. You might not hear from me for a while.

Not sure I'll finish this tbh. Don't like his writing style much. Plot's great, like, loads of good characters etc etc but I knew that already. I'll stick with it for a bit longer but might just end up watching the telly programme.

 

[Orang Utan]

Not sure I'll finish this tbh. Don't like his writing style much. Plot's great, like, loads of good characters etc etc but I knew that already. I'll stick with it for a bit longer but might just end up watching the telly programme.

Did you mislike it then?