*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[pennimania]

I am giving Ali Campbell a break - I am finding the post 9/11 stuff quite painful...

Guilty pleasure - Thunder Over Castle Rising by Fanny Cradock, grand bit of mental chewing gum


Now about to start Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg.

 

[sojourner]

Shelagh Delaney - Sweetly Sings the Donkey

A collection of her short stories. Ace.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Now about to start Confessions of a Justified Sinner by James Hogg.

That's one of the maddest books ever written. Fantastic.

 

[pennimania]

That's one of the maddest books ever written. Fantastic.

mr mania bangs on about it ALL the time so I thought I better get stuck in

 

[Roadkill]

Charles Nicholl - The Fruit Palace.

 

[colbhoy]

I'm reading The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, the book on which the film Gettysburg was based. Borrowed from my dad who is fascinated by the American Civil war. It's a gripping read so far.

 

[mozzy]

Charles Nicholl - The Fruit Palace.

That's a brilliant book!! I remember reading that quite some time ago - it was one of the first books i read which sparked my interest in politics/philosophy. I found it in a charity shop and still have it! It really opened my eyes about the political system. Soz, won't say too much....!

 

[Roadkill]

That's a brilliant book!! I remember reading that quite some time ago - it was one of the first books i read which sparked my interest in politics/philosophy. I found it in a charity shop and still have it! It really opened my eyes about the political system. Soz, won't say too much....!

Yes, my sister recommended it for much the same reasons!

I've only read a couple of chapters, but I'm impressed so far.

It reminds me a bit of Isabel Fonseca's Bury Me Standing - which if you've not read I couldn't recommend too highly.

 

[mozzy]

Yes, my sister recommended it for much the same reasons!

I've only read a couple of chapters, but I'm impressed so far.

It reminds me a bit of Isabel Fonseca's Bury Me Standing - which if you've not read I couldn't recommend too highly.

Cheers, I will have to check that out - i have to admit i have not heard of this so it will be something new!

 

[ChrisC]

Rage of a Demon King, Raymond E. Feist. He's my Facebook friend aswell now.

 

[Gingerman]

Nemesis :The Battle For Japan 1944-45 by Max Hastings,enjoying it v much.

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

Today I will start Twenty thousand streets under the sky. Looks good but long, not sure if my current lack of concentration will thwart the effort but I haven't got anything else to read and it's been in the pending pile for a while

 

[belboid]

Today I will start Twenty thousand streets under the sky. Looks good but long, not sure if my current lack of concentration will thwart the effort but I haven't got anything else to read and it's been in the pending pile for a while

aaah, a great book that. Very easy to read so sohludn't take that long. Check out his Hangover Square as well

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

will do
have just ordered love on the dole which I'm eager to read. one book at a time...

 

[Fictionist]

God's Caliph (Religious authority in the first centuries of Islam) - Patricia Crone & Martin Hinds

 

[Dirty Martini]

Today I will start Twenty thousand streets under the sky. Looks good but long, not sure if my current lack of concentration will thwart the effort but I haven't got anything else to read and it's been in the pending pile for a while

I second belboid on this. Fantastic stuff. You can read them as three separate novels, to keep the concentration up

 

[Pickman's model]

Today I will start Twenty thousand streets under the sky. Looks good but long, not sure if my current lack of concentration will thwart the effort but I haven't got anything else to read and it's been in the pending pile for a while

got that too recently looks well a laugh

 

[ShiftyBagLady]

got that too recently

What's that, pending piles?

 

[Threshers_Flail]

John Steinbeck - Grapes Of Wrath.

Gave up 20 pages in last time, the descriptive style annoyed me, was reading the Mayor Of Casterbridge in school at the time so I think I was just desperate for some meaningful narrative. Anyways, second time round, and I'm enjoying it, only about 80 pages in mind you.

Cheers to Isitme for that thread a while back, made me glance over to my bookshelf and think, "why not?"

 

[sojourner]

Started reading The Suckers Kiss by Alan Parker last night

It's okay

 

[pootle]

I need to read more whilst I've got the summer hols off from uni so have got two books on the go - a v trashy effort called "My Big Fat Teenage Diary" which is actually very sad and depressing in parts about a teenage, overweight girl with some mental ill health issues.

Am also reading Stephen Pinker's "Stuff of Thought" which isn't the easiest going but v, v interesting and thought provoking.

 

[Fedayn]

aaah, a great book that. Very easy to read so sohludn't take that long. Check out his Hangover Square as well

Bought Hangover Square today, once that's done will start 20,000 streets.

 

[Fedayn]

It reminds me a bit of Isabel Fonseca's Bury Me Standing - which if you've not read I couldn't recommend too highly.

Brilliant book.

 

[Spion]

Bought Hangover Square today, once that's done will start 20,000 streets.

Hamilton's Slaves of Solitude is really good too

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Bought Hangover Square today, once that's done will start 20,000 streets.

Yep, I recommended this (Hangover Sq)after reading it on my hols recently, it's marvellous I think, dark humour, gripping writing style, great the way he manages to get you into the protagonist's head and some cracking characters. A page turner as they say, want to check out the other 2 books (part of a trilogy apparently).

 

[Spion]

A page turner as they say, want to check out the other 2 books (part of a trilogy apparently).

it's not. Hangover Sq is a standalone. You're thinking of The Gorse Trilogy, which is, unsurprisingly, a trilogy, and quite good tho not as good as the others mentioned here or 20,000 streets under the sky which is also a trilogy and is absolutely blinding

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

it's not. Hangover Sq is a standalone. You're thinking of The Gorse Trilogy, which is, unsurprisingly, a trilogy, and quite good tho not as good as the others mentioned here or 20,000 streets under the sky which is also a trilogy and is absolutely blinding

i'll check the preface and report back sah! (sure it said it was part of a 3-some but could well be wrong...)

 

[rollinder]

just read
Morecambe and wise the autobiography -
basically the two of them talking (in character, but mostly seriously rather than joking - apparently interviewed together by a man with a tape recorder) about how they met/career so far etc. Most of the book's describing their times on the child star and adult variety circuit before they even first appeared on television- fascinating & disturbing from a social history pov.
+ Quentin Crisp - How To Become A Virgin and am currently halfway through Henry Miller - Tropic Of Cancer (have to keep double checking the date it was originally written)

 

[purves grundy]

Perry Anderson's 'Imagined Communites'. One of those big uns I'd never got around to reading. Origins of nationalism and all that. If not always convincing, it's beautifully written.

 

[big eejit]

Just finished Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvist. Really good, one of those books that causes strangers on the train to start a "what a brilliant book..." conversation with you.

Saw the film a few months ago and I actually preferred the film's treatment of the story.The book adds a lot more story. but I do think it's one of those 'film better the book' events.

Just started The English by Jeremy Paxman.