*What book are you reading ?

[bezzer]

all the lees...

cider with rosy - Laurie lee

To kill a mocking bird - Harper lee

cider with rosy- absolutely gorgeous biographical book about a boy growing up in a Cotswold village after the first world war...full of nostalgia and happy funny memories, lovely stuff.

To kill a mocking bird- remember reading this at school and it bored the socks of me, but have decided to give it another go, since so many peeps have said it was a good book. in fact I think it had more to do with me hating school and GCSE English lit, than disliking the book.

 

[haggy]

I took a few days off work last week and read Mother London by Michael Moorcock. I'd read it b4 when it came out, but reading it again 15 years later... fucking excellent.

King Of The City is good too - in a similar vein and - I think - actually touted as a sequal, tho there are real characters in it and its more up to date (if you can call 70's rock has beens up to date)

Still ploughing thru Gaddis' A Frolic of his Own and still laughing.

 

[chemical_girl__]

Originally posted by sojourner
bit stuck now tho...after reading a post about Lolita on here, i might try again with that (got a bit stuck/sick re the paedophilia)

well, i did stick to it, and it is really well worth it!

oranges, u were totally right, i completely agree!

i have learnt so many new words, and i like to think i know a few anyway........ i love nabokov's use of expression, and the strange, stilted, musical metaphors!


brilliant! go with lolita!

 

[sojourner]

Originally posted by chemical_girl__
well, i did stick to it, and it is really well worth it!

brilliant! go with lolita!

reet then, i will then, it's just that beginning bit is so bleeuurrghhh...but if i can get through marabou stork nightmares i can make it through that!

cheers!

 

[sojourner]

Originally posted by NVP
Just finished 'Siddhartha' by Hermann Hesse.

Loved it. Possibly the most uplifting, optimistic book I've ever read.

Ta, Han.

do u know, i've had this book on my shelves for a good 5 years now, and not once had a flick through, never mind a serious read...must put it on my list, it's had quite a few mentions on here

 

[chemical_girl__]

Originally posted by bezzer
To kill a mocking bird- remember reading this at school and it bored the socks of me, but have decided to give it another go, since so many peeps have said it was a good book. in fact I think it had more to do with me hating school and GCSE English lit, than disliking the book.

i read this last summer, of my own accord, cause i wanted to know what all the fuss was about............ and im still wondering



ok, the second part is pretty good........... but i just thought the first half was dull, long-winded and pretty much pointless. ok, lee was laying the scene........... but it doesnt take that long!

and the idea of illustrating prejudice through a trial......... yes, influential with regards to 'snow falling on cedars' etc, but 'a passage to india' was the original.

the book was just nostalgia and reminiscence, and though it is well written, i didnt think very interesting!

 

[chemical_girl__]

err well, beings it's the point of this thread....... im off on a 20 day driving holiday tomorrow, so am taking -

a clockwork orange - anthony burgess, and

sophie's world - jostein i-cant-remember

to read in the car with me!

 

[Voley]

Just started 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life: The History of the Disc Jockey' by Bill Brewster and Frank Broughton.

Only just started it but so far it's a right load of old crap.

The writers reckon that DJ's fulfill the role of modern-day shaman's; amazing beings capable of inducing transcendence in their devotees. Hmmm. They're not just blokes that play records, then.

I'm gonna persevere but I'm only three chapters in and I'm already filled with loathing.

 

[devit]

NVP, keep reading... I really enjoyed it, more when it got to the point of 70s disco onwards., disco to house music, the drugs etc. It only goes down hill again with stories of the shitty <so called> "superstar" DJs. Most of 'em are wankers

there maybe some jealousy on my part in the last statement

 

[bezzer]

chemical_girl__



a clockwork orange - anthony burgess, a heavy book to take on the road. I don’t think I could read it twice. Books like nineteen eighty-four, clockwork orange and brave new world, I find far too disturbing and bleak. In retrospect, given the choice I wish that I had never read them in the first place.

Anyhow just starting to read – to kill a mocking bird – will try to keep an open mind to the second half…but I did just have a quick look at – a passage to India – on the Amazon (looks good). So if it bores my socks off for a second time, I might just give E M Forster. A go…

cheers

 

[starfish]

Ive just started reading Rubicon Beach by Steve Erikson.

 

[Orangesanlemons]

Originally posted by chemical_girl__
well, i did stick to it, and it is really well worth it!

oranges, u were totally right, i completely agree!

'Eyyyyy...'

Glad you enjoyed it, chemical girl.
Just finished 'How The Dead Live' by Will Self. The usual Self word-play and leaps of the imagination, but there's real warmth and beauty in this one. He writes it like he actually cares, and it's all the better for it.

 

[Power]

Originally posted by bezzer
chemical_girl__
Anyhow just starting to read – to kill a mocking bird – will try to keep an open mind to the second half…but I did just have a quick look at – a passage to India – on the Amazon (looks good). So if it bores my socks off for a second time, I might just give E M Forster. A go…

cheers

persevere...put passage to india out of your mind whilst reading it, if you can, and concentrate on when and where this book was written, and the implications of it then. not just the big stuff in the book (not giving anything away speak.. )but also the little things, like the kids reactions realtive to the grown-ups.

enjoy.

 

[haggy]

Originally posted by starfish
Ive just started reading Rubicon Beach by Steve Erikson.

oh boy oh boy

let us know what you think of it. i can't get enough of him.
The Sea Came in At Midnight and Days Between Stations are astonishing.....

 

[Voley]

Originally posted by astral1
NVP, keep reading... I really enjoyed it, more when it got to the point of 70s disco onwards., disco to house music, the drugs etc.

Yeah, it does perk up a bit after the first few chapters. I'm onto the bit about Northern Soul at the moment and that's genuinely well-researched and well-written.

I cringed when I read the following though: 'The DJ created rock 'n' roll'. It wasn't the people in the bands, then? Just the bloke that played the record on the radio? Lordy.

 

[Power]

that book just encourages coldblooded murder of all dj's.

 

[Soft as Shite]

Just finished "Naive. Super" Erland Loe (Norweigen Novelist)

The narrator drops out of his MA to find out the meaning of his life and whether his place in the world matters. He spends his time hammering on one of those children's hammer and peg things and making lists, becoming obsessed with time and whether it exists/ matters.

It will inspire you to make your own lists and heal yourself through fun and games.......sounds good?

lovely little uplifting novel

 

[Voley]

Originally posted by Power
that book just encourages coldblooded murder of all dj's.

It's not all bad then.

 

[Power]

Originally posted by NVP
It's not all bad then.

 

[Voley]

Given up with all that DJ's Are The New Gods nonsense and am about halfway through 'Colarine' by Neil Gaiman.

It's very good: a seriously spooky fairy-tale-cum-surreal-nightmare-thingy all from the perspective of this cool little kid.

It's advertised as a kid's book but I'm not sure I'd give it to a child to read. It's all ever-so-slightly disturbing. Reminds me of Grimm's Fairy Tales a bit and Alice in Wonderland too. But with added weirdness.

Not my usual thing but me sister recommended it and I'm enjoying it a lot.

 

[Nina]

I REALLY enjoyed 'To Kill a Mockingbird'.....for me one of few books with a good ending.

I didn't enjoy 'A passage to India' anywhere near as much, smacked too much of Orwell's Burmese Days for me.

Try 'Burmese Days' if you fancy a good India/British colonial bastards story. Very touching. Great stuff.

Anyhow, I'm on Fury by Rushdie. Pretentious old bollocks about not very much in the first 50 pages but now I'm near the end...it's getting much better.

Eureka! I have staying power

 

[Random One]

I've been trying to read Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk for the past 4 months!!! Just can't get into it properly, it's just not as enticing as Choke or (to a lesser extent) Survivor.

 

[Nina]

Random one, just set aside 6 hours and go at it! I thought it was lush....could really see it being turned into a movie...

Have to get my hands on Survivor. Loved Choke too. Is that the one where he refers to his penis as 'my dog'?

'Me and my dog' and his sperm as 'little soldiers'

Cracked me up, thought that was just great.

His new book out soon. Rewrite of Rosemary's Baby. Can't wait... just wish I could pronounce his surname

 

[Random One]

Originally posted by Nina
Random one, just set aside 6 hours and go at it! I thought it was lush....could really see it being turned into a movie...

Think i might try that.

Survivor is being turned into a film i think. When u read it ul see why too. Yeah Choke is the one where he refers to his penis as his 'dog'.

I loved Choke it was really provocative, but not with the content but in his style of writing. From the very first page u get into this ''fuck you im gonna read this, hit me with everything u got'' kinda mode, coz of the way palahniuk basically tells u not to carry on reading coz u wont like it.

I think Choke would make an excellent film, but can see why Survivor is the safer option for a film.

Survivor takes a bit of effort to get through, especially the mid-section but it makes sense why that is, when u get to the end of it. Definitely worth the effort

 

[Random One]

Originally posted by Nina
... just wish I could pronounce his surname

hehe. i always say it is pala-nook. have no idea how its supposed to be said though!

 

[Nina]

Originally posted by Random One
.

I loved Choke it was really provocative, but not with the content but in his style of writing. From the very first page u get into this ''fuck you im gonna read this, hit me with everything u got'' kinda mode, coz of the way palahniuk basically tells u not to carry on reading coz u wont like it.

Ooh, had forgotten about that. That was a real classy start to a book.

I say Palah neeook but your way is much easier,...will go with Mr P for now I reckon. or 'that bloke who wrote Fight Club'

 

[Random One]

Originally posted by Nina

I say Palah neeook but your way is much easier,...will go with Mr P for now I reckon. or 'that bloke who wrote Fight Club'

Hehe! Mr P sounds good to me

Oh and btw To kill a mockingbird is a very good read. Reading as a text for exams kind of killed it for me. But the second time round it was much more enjoyable. Althought the first quarter is a bit of a drain, too much descriptive text imo.

I started passage to India, but was to slow for me.

 

[Nina]

...and there is no way Mr P's Choke could be a movie...all that unglamorous fucking and pocketless trouser shuffling! Censors would ruin it.

I'll shut up now, cos this is a book thread after all



I say go with Burmese days....just amazing literature from 'The God known as Orwell'

(oops, said I'd shut up. DAMN!)

 

[Random One]

 

[Julie]

I just read Stupid White Men. While I've been informed recently that US right-wingers find him a "commie", propogandist, bullshit artist making a fortune at disenfranchised people's expense I really admire him. The book was a page turner. Very, very interesting reading.