KimyReizeger Posted April 28, 2010 Report Share Posted April 28, 2010 Orwell's 'Keep The Aspidistra Flying'. .Oh, the memories.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daemonia Posted May 17, 2010 Report Share Posted May 17, 2010 Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoCitizen Posted May 21, 2010 Report Share Posted May 21, 2010 I went to Northfield Academy......what's a book??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirsten Posted May 27, 2010 Report Share Posted May 27, 2010 Kurt Vonnegut's 'Bagombo Snuff Box'. I love this man, I love him so much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3CR816 Posted May 31, 2010 Report Share Posted May 31, 2010 Dalton Trumbo's 'Johhny Got His Gun' was the last book I finished. It took me a while to get through, in all honesty. It's utterly, utterly bleak, but the best anti-war books seem to recognise the absurdity in the situation, I find. 'One' by Metallica is based on this book, fact-fans!I'm reading 'Pattern Recognition' by William Gibson. Really good so far. I might even prefer it to Neuromancer. It still feels cyberpunky despite being set and released about 7 years ago. Some of it's even archaic! (Characters carrying mini DVD players around with them seems odd in light of the amount of common devices that play video that have been released in the past few years). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaTsunami Posted June 1, 2010 Report Share Posted June 1, 2010 Kurt Vonnegut's 'Bagombo Snuff Box'. I love this man, I love him so much.I read 'Slaughterhouse 5' for the first time ever yesterday and loved it. Definitely going to try and read more Vonnegut over the summer.Not sure what to read next. Started Calvino's 'If on a winters night a traveller..' the other day and couldn't get into it. I quite fancy reading 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Dostoyevsky or 'The Dharma Bums' by Kerouac. Depends which one the 2nd hand store has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3CR816 Posted June 1, 2010 Report Share Posted June 1, 2010 I read 'Slaughterhouse 5' for the first time ever yesterday and loved it. Definitely going to try and read more Vonnegut over the summer.Not sure what to read next. Started Calvino's 'If on a winters night a traveller..' the other day and couldn't get into it. I quite fancy reading 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Dostoyevsky or 'The Dharma Bums' by Kerouac. Depends which one the 2nd hand store has.GASP! I thought you'd have been up to speed on Kurt (we're on first name terms). You're in for some treats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirsten Posted June 1, 2010 Report Share Posted June 1, 2010 I read 'Slaughterhouse 5' for the first time ever yesterday and loved it. Definitely going to try and read more Vonnegut over the summer.Hooray! I recommend 'Breakfast of Champions'. Also, 'Armageddon In Retrospect' which is a collection of essays and short stories to do with war and peace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaki Posted June 1, 2010 Report Share Posted June 1, 2010 While on holidayRage Simon Conway. Action/Thriller based in Kuwait and Iraq during the second gulf war. I had just finished a Le Carre so it probably seemed poorer than it was. Started off reasonably promising before descending into preposterous farce. Chasing the Dead Tim Weaver. Thriller about a former journalist turned missing persons finderwho halfway through the book turns commando. Started off reasonably promising before descending into preposterous farce.Doors Open Ian Rankin. This is his first non-Rebus one that Ive read and I enjoyed it. It was more light-hearted and humorous than the series. An excellent writer one of my favourites. Valdez is Coming Elmore Leonard. One of his earlier Westerns the ultimate tale of revenge, integrity and moral justice. Loved it. Now reading.Stormy Weather Carl Hiaasen. Much like all his other books so far. Enjoyable, funny, multi-character caper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway. First I've ever read by him, pretty good. Anyone have any advice on what else is worth checking out by him? I've already got a copy of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' that I picked up cheap in a charity shop... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Currently reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell after having finished the rather enjoyable Millenium series by Steig Larsson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vega Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 'The Old Man and the Sea' by Ernest Hemingway. First I've ever read by him, pretty good. Anyone have any advice on what else is worth checking out by him? I've already got a copy of 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' that I picked up cheap in a charity shop...Aye, his stuff is always about in charity shops. I've got 'A Farewell To Arms' to tackle soon. Will let you know how it goes. I'm currently battling through 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. Seems like one of those which has gained "classic" status and was going cheap in the Oxfam book shop. Started reading it during the beginning of my exam revision and I'm now very confused - there have been numerous murders and I have no idea who was related/linked to who. Might have to admit defeat and start again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaki Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I'm currently battling through 'The Big Sleep' by Raymond Chandler. Seems like one of those which has gained "classic" status and was going cheap in the Oxfam book shop. Started reading it during the beginning of my exam revision and I'm now very confused - there have been numerous murders and I have no idea who was related/linked to who. Might have to admit defeat and start again.I would start it again so you get the most out of it! It is regarded as a classic not least because it shaped the genre of hard-boiled, private eye-led crime noir (a larger genre than it sounds!). It also gave rise to the adjective "Chandleresque" which lazy book reviewers ascribe to any laconic private eye novel. Not that any of that is a reason to read on, I thought it was an excellent read. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Bret "Hitman" Hart - My Real Life In The Cartoon World Of Professional Wrestling.Lots of drugs and sex so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paranoid Android Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I read 'Slaughterhouse 5' for the first time ever yesterday and loved it. Definitely going to try and read more Vonnegut over the summer.Not sure what to read next. Started Calvino's 'If on a winters night a traveller..' the other day and couldn't get into it. I quite fancy reading 'The Brothers Karamazov' by Dostoyevsky or 'The Dharma Bums' by Kerouac. Depends which one the 2nd hand store has.Yeah you should read any Vonnegut you can get your hands on. My favourite might be Cat's Cradle.And you should read The Brothers Karamazov, it's fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vega Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I would start it again so you get the most out of it! It is regarded as a classic not least because it shaped the genre of hard-boiled, private eye-led crime noir (a larger genre than it sounds!). It also gave rise to the adjective "Chandleresque" which lazy book reviewers ascribe to any laconic private eye novel. Not that any of that is a reason to read on, I thought it was an excellent read. Will start again, cheers min. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaTsunami Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Saw Alan Warner had a new book out so bought that. I was then extremely excited to see it was a sequel to his earlier novel The Sopranos which I adored so I stopped reading everything else and read it in an evening. Wonderful book, very funny and very sad. Much like The Sopranos there are some genuine laugh out loud moments. I'm just not sure how I feel about the ending. When I first read it I thought it was very well worked, but now I'm not so sure on hindsight. I think I still like it though. Reading 'Cats Cradle' by Vonnegut next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 Saw Alan Warner had a new book out so bought that. I was then extremely excited to see it was a sequel to his earlier novel The Sopranos which I adored so I stopped reading everything else and read it in an evening. Wonderful book, very funny and very sad. Much like The Sopranos there are some genuine laugh out loud moments. I'm just not sure how I feel about the ending. When I first read it I thought it was very well worked, but now I'm not so sure on hindsight. I think I still like it though. Reading 'Cats Cradle' by Vonnegut next.Woah, that's weird, I was just pondering the other day what happened to Alan Warner, I'll need to get that...I must also get around to reading 'The Man Who Walked', I've had it for years and never tackled it as yet...'The Sopranos' was ace... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaTsunami Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I would definitely recommend it. I'd heard a while back he was writing a sort of follow-up but I spotted this by chance when I was in Waterstones at the weekend. It's called 'The Stars in the Bright Sky'. I started 'The Man Who Walks' then stopped about a third of the way through because it was during my...2nd year of uni I think and I had course reading I needed to do. Have you read 'These Demented Lands'? The follow-on from 'Morvern Callar'? Might take 'The Man Who Walks' to America with me. I've got Kerouac's 'Big Sur' to read as well as Stephen Ambrose's 'Undaunted Courage' about Lewis and Clarke while I'm on the Empire Builder line out East! Retracing their route! I'm a geek! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 I would definitely recommend it. I'd heard a while back he was writing a sort of follow-up but I spotted this by chance when I was in Waterstones at the weekend. It's called 'The Stars in the Bright Sky'. I started 'The Man Who Walks' then stopped about a third of the way through because it was during my...2nd year of uni I think and I had course reading I needed to do. Have you read 'These Demented Lands'? The follow-on from 'Morvern Callar'? Might take 'The Man Who Walks' to America with me. I've got Kerouac's 'Big Sur' to read as well as Stephen Ambrose's 'Undaunted Courage' about Lewis and Clarke while I'm on the Empire Builder line out East! Retracing their route! I'm a geek!Yeah I started with 'Morvern Callar', it was a spur of the moment buy and then I just got his other books as they came out...'These Demented Lands' was a bit of a slog TBH...so far I'm liking every other book by him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaTsunami Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 I'm with you on 'These Demented Lands', it felt like he was trying too hard at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3CR816 Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Saw Alan Warner had a new book out so bought that. I was then extremely excited to see it was a sequel to his earlier novel The Sopranos which I adored so I stopped reading everything else and read it in an evening. Wonderful book, very funny and very sad. Much like The Sopranos there are some genuine laugh out loud moments. I'm just not sure how I feel about the ending. When I first read it I thought it was very well worked, but now I'm not so sure on hindsight. I think I still like it though. Reading 'Cats Cradle' by Vonnegut next.Cats Cradle is very good, but I bit closer to actual sci-fi than some of his other stuff. Not quite Player Piano or Sirens of Titan in that regard, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 Aye, his stuff is always about in charity shops. I've got 'A Farewell To Arms' to tackle soon. Will let you know how it goes. In case you are interested, HMV are selling a book called The Essential Hemingway for 3 quid which has the entirety of his first book Fiesta plus a load of short storiesalso has excerpts from a few of his novels but I probably wont read these bits as Ill likely read the books at some point, enjoyed The Old Man and the Sea. I always find these inclusions of chapters from books weird Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monster Zero Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 After buying a pile of those green Penguin Classics that Waterstones were selling for 2 quid each in an effort to read some literary evergreens I am now reading 'Treasure Island' by Robert Louis Stevenson. It's right good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarmaTsunami Posted June 10, 2010 Report Share Posted June 10, 2010 Finished 'Cats Cradle' last night. I had some fucked up dreams let me tell you. Very good book though, I'll definitely be seeking out more Vonnegut.After being distracted by this and the new Alan Warner I'm going back to Jonathan Franzen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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