*What book are you reading ?

[Dirty Martini]

That sounds interesting

It was good in the end. I'd like to read more of Hannah's stuff. I've read one of his novels, which was great, but he doesn't seem to be much in print in the UK.

The long story collection is worth getting hold of, for Stanley Elkin's very bizarre The Making of Ashenden alone ...

 

[Johnny Canuck3]

The Spanish Civil War, by Anthony Beevor.

 

[starfish]

Knots & Crosses by Ian Rankin, while i wait for Waterstones to order me The Con Man by McBain.

 

[marty21]

all families are psychotic - douglas coupland

 

[quimcunx]

Terrorist, John Updike

 

[Dillinger4]

all families are psychotic - douglas coupland

What do you think of it?

And did you read 'Life after God' first?

 

[quimcunx]

Finally reading "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie. Had to wait ages for the library to get it in then they got 2 in at once!
Great so far!

Couldn't finish it I don't think. found it dull. Enjoyed The Grimus though.

 

[quimcunx]

jpod.

not enjoying it at all. which is a shame. lots of people seem to like it, but i'm just not getting it. maybe it's shit? i'm reluctant to think that coupland's written a crap book, but it's possible.

anyway. waste of 7.99.

this was my first coupland. I enjoyed some parts more than others. Enough to try something else by him, anyway.

 

[quimcunx]

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins - absolutely brilliant - clear, calm and so well argued - I was led to believe that it was an arrogant rant but not so. Thank you Richard for giving this lazy atheist ammunition against the legions of superstitious irrationalists out there.

There was a bit near the front where he took a stance on what famous scientists believed that read a little defensively, but then he is defending against what others have written. Overall I really enjoyed it. And I feel more confident with challenging 'respect' for peoples' delusions.. e2a: said that already.

also I knew morals didn't come from god, the bible, or religion. thank you, Richard, for sorting my thoughts out on that.

 

[marty21]

What do you think of it?

And did you read 'Life after God' first?

i forgot the order

only about 30 pages in so far, enjoying it

 

[Balbi]

The Princess Bride

 

[rollinder]

Paul Cornell - British Summertime
finally bought a copy
- makes a lot more sense than the first time I read it, so many ideas
fuck

angels = demons = money or the whole concept/ideolegy that money/power symbolises/stands for embodied as the demonic opersite of the word made flesh

and a gently socialist / relgious alternative future where people are killed by terrorists for refusing to accept money.

 

[Zorra]

I am reading 'The conference of the Birds' by Farid ud-din Attar.

I *heart* this book, great stuff

I am getting quite into my 12th Century Persian Mystic Poetry.

Me too, perhaps excessivly - I learnt Farsi and wrote my thesis on Ibn al Arabi I've got loads of stuff if you wanna borrow it

 

[Dubversion]

The Princess Bride

SO much better than the shonky movie

 

[N_igma]

Hemmingway-A Farewell to Arms.

It's a bit shit but I've started so I'll have to finish lol.

 

[baldrick]

this was my first coupland. I enjoyed some parts more than others. Enough to try something else by him, anyway.

eleanor rigby made me cry and girlfriend in a coma is also pretty good. not read any others, will have to check out life after god etc.

 

[quimcunx]

eleanor rigby made me cry and girlfriend in a coma is also pretty good. not read any others, will have to check out life after god etc.

thanks for the tips.

 

[Fledgling]

Another attempt at the "famous russian novels" pile which threatens to consume me not only by their ingenious verbosity and brick-like authority, but also by my mounting guilt of leaving them unloved and unfinished at crucial moments...

Well I've started Borhers Karamazov finally, bought it in March. Was tempted to put it off because I am perturbed by large books but buying something and not reading it is bad and more importantly this might turn out to be one of the greatest books I've read.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Just finished Dostoevsky's - 'House of The Dead'. Very interesting read of prison life in Siberia!

Next up, Dostoevsky's - 'The Brothers Karamazov'.

996 pages to go!

 

[Barking_Mad]

Well I've started Borhers Karamazov finally, bought it in March. Was tempted to put it off because I am perturbed by large books but buying something and not reading it is bad and more importantly this might turn out to be one of the greatest books I've read.

oh well im on page 1, ill let you know what i think.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Hemmingway-A Farewell to Arms.

It's a bit shit but I've started so I'll have to finish lol.

Nonsense, life's too short to continue ploughing thru any particular book that you don't enjoy. My shelves are full of book-marked editions that i swear i'll get back too, let alone the ones that i start reading and then palm off unfinished to charidee shops.

I've just found and started My Granny Made Me An Anarchist by Stuart Christie (since being given it last May for my birthday, it had managed to lodge itself under the bed somehow and i didn't know where it was) - it's had me laughing out loud already which is always a good sign.

 

[Superdupastupor]

Player Piano - Kurt Vonnegut

Enjoying it far more than expected. It turns out that I can pretty much read it as an analogy of my life at the moment. The problems the protaganist is facing are largly the same as my own.
I am going to finnish the book before I make any firm desicions IRL
hope he doesn't do anything rash mind

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Re-reading lots this week. Ishiguro - Never Let Me Go, Rupert Thompson - The Book of Revelation and everything by Geoff Nicholson.

Not a lot of work on at the moment. Anyone else confused that Geoff Nicholson is so low on the general radar?

 

[Dirty Martini]

Finished A State of Denmark

A grim ride, I liked it, but not as much as the other stuff of Raymond's that I've read.

I'm waiting for some books to turn up, so it'll be one of those next.

 

[chooch]

Finished A State of Denmark
A grim ride, I liked it, but not as much as the other stuff of Raymond's that I've read.

How many others you read? I've only done The Crust on its Uppers, which (as you know) I liked a lot. Was this one as chirpily dark?

 

[Dirty Martini]

How many others you read? I've only done The Crust on its Uppers, which (as you know) I liked a lot. Was this one as chirpily dark?

I've read Crust, I Was Dora Suarez and The Devil's Home On Leave, and'm waiting to borrow He Died With His Eyes Open.

This one's dark and bitter and not too chirpy, though there are moments of comedy. I appreciate his style, which is very far from elegant, more than I like it. He wrenches the words out -- there are lots of elbows and knees. It's a big contrast to Crust I think, which is smooth and artful.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Miami Blues by Charles Willeford

 

[jeff_leigh]

Adrian Mole & The WMD - Sue Townsend

 

[Yu_Gi_Oh]

Koba the dread, by Martin Amis.

I don't like communists anymore.

 

[hotelinsane]

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis.
For the millionth time.