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What are you reading right now?

babu, I read an earlier edition of that when it was called The Reviews that Caused the Rumpus (you can see why the title was changed). A very funny read, I thought, although it is very sad that he writes mostly about what he hates than likes. The occasional articles where he shares his enthusiasms make you want to go and see stuff .

I've posted this link before, but if you have never come across it , prepare to lose at least ten minutes. I recommend starting with 'naughty boys' and 'put your hand on the goat'.

palp

I've just finished 'Housekeeping' by Marilynne Robinson, which is about female vagrants, transience & loss. More fun than it sounds, actually.
 
rod said:
Darren

Iain writes some very twisted stuff, doesn't he!

If "Wasp Factory" is your first Banks novel, try one of his others. I particularly enjoyed "Espedair Street", the tale of a rock star who has fallen from grace and lives in a church in Glasgow.

"The Bridge" is another dark, twisted story. But my favourite is "The Business", see the website write up. It certainly fired my imagination, it is one of my all-time fave novels.
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Really enjoyed that one. The BBC did a radio play version years ago and it didn't work too well but the book was enjoyable. The Crow Road was a good one of his, I've never been tempted to the science fiction ones, not read any of his in years must have a look at some more recent ones.
 
OffColour said:
Now the dross of Da Vinci is out the way I can get back to some proper reading.

Next on the list:

Charles Bukowski "Ham on Rye" - Never read a thing by him before so I'll see how it goes.

Will Self "Dr Mukti and Other Tales of Woe" - Love Will Self even if the dictionary has to come out occasionally.]

Gary
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Post Office is a good one, he's an old deviant though.
 
stevec67 said:
"Indulgent" is a good word to describe a lot of Steinbeck, his language is fantastic. I also like Tortilla Flat and especially Cannery Row, they are great and IMO better than Wayward Bus. Grapes of Wrath is his finest but don't expect it to be indulgent or happy.

I can't get on with Hemingway though, OTOH, even though both are men writing for men about men in a man's world.
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Sweet Thursday is another good Steinbeck one set on Cannery Row. East of Eden is also a good read.

Some of Hemigways books are good such as:
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Farewell to Arms

As for his supposed involvement in the Spanish civil war then that is a bit dubious.

For that read Laurie Lee's A Moment of War, he also wrote Cider with Rosie which is quite a good read.
 
A good read and watching the film afterwards was a real letdown, the film would have been so much better if it had followed the original story, Oscar or no Oscar.

Another good read set in the Asian continent is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the film was also a good representation of the book. He also wrote A Thousand Splendid Suns which is even better, lets hope the film in the making is in the same league as the Kite Runner.
 
"Tonto Woman and other western stories" A collection of cowboy tales by Elmore Leonard. Plotting tighter than a gnats chuff, lots of picaresque detail and highly readable.
 
Ideas and Integrities - Buckminster Fuller. Nice re-press of a book long out of print, and no less relevant in terms of the metaphorical challenges he poses 'designers' nearly 50years later. I enjoyed it as a student, and appreciate it even more now.
 
Jonathan Strange and Mr.Norrell by Susanna Clarke...for the 3rd time!

An absolutely splendid book if yyou like Fairies, English Magic and Jane Austen.

The best fantastical book of the last 70 years some wag said...of the ones I have read I would have to agree.


Paul
 
Recently read Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father, very interesting. Currently reading McMafia by Misha Glenny having previously read one of his books on the Balkans both good books.
 
John French (aka Drumbo), Beefheart: Through the Eyes of Magic. Definitive history, depressing about the extent of the Captain's psychological and physical violence towards the various members of his groups, but also underscores just how awesome the music of the all the Magic Bands was.
 
martin clark said:
Ideas and Integrities - Buckminster Fuller. Nice re-press of a book long out of print, and no less relevant in terms of the metaphorical challenges he poses 'designers' nearly 50years later. I enjoyed it as a student, and appreciate it even more now.
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I read loads of Bucky when I was a student too. Will track this down.
 
Tarkovsky edited by Nathan dunne. 500 pages of 'political, philosophical and cultural' analysis of his work, and lots of previously unpublished images, film stills and photographs. Can't say I understand all the points being made, but it's interesting all the same and (obviously) has some great images. So many of his film frames could be exhibited as still photography.
 
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