What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (8 Viewers)

[hermie]

re-read Jesus' Son

one of my favourite books. i love denis johnson. have you read Angels? it's great

Yeah it's amazing. Never quite knew where to start with his novels. Read Tree of Smoke, that's pretty good. I'll bump that one up the list. Cheers

 

[Jim Daniels]

Recently finished Graceland by Chris Abani

Very good. Nice style and lingo. Strong characters.

 

[Jim Daniels]

Now re-reading Life of Pi cause I don't remember finishing it first time around.

In fairness, it's beautifully written - particularly the first section. Not sure whether I want to see the movie.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

hmm, i thought Life of Pi was pretty lame. enjoyed the movie though.

I'm reading The World According to Garp by John Irvine. Enjoying it so far. Funny, engrossing and easy to get lost in.

 

[Psycho Punk]

Great book Garp.

 

[rettucs]

I'm reading a Dan Simmons book at the moment and really enjoying it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1847249329/?tag=thumpedcom04-21

I'm about 2/3rds the way through that. Jaysus he likes to drag it out a bit, doesn't he.

Its a great read. It has that feel of an old-style classic to it, but the story, though really good, is a pile of old nonsense.

and why those characters? surely the story would have worked if the main protagonists were a couple of nobodies?

 

[David Kronenbourg]

I'm about 2/3rds the way through that. Jaysus he likes to drag it out a bit, doesn't he.

Its a great read. It has that feel of an old-style classic to it, but the story, though really good, is a pile of old nonsense.

and why those characters? surely the story would have worked if the main protagonists were a couple of nobodies?

Dunno man. i gave up after a hundred pages or so. Wasn't really grabbing me. Also I'd read some stinking review which gave away the entire back story of the main villain which made me livid and kind of made reading it seem pointless.

 

[rettucs]

Dunno man. i gave up after a hundred pages or so. Wasn't really grabbing me. Also I'd read some stinking review which gave away the entire back story of the main villain which made me livid and kind of made reading it seem pointless.

I feel like its only really getting going now. In the first half or so there was a couple of really gripping episodes bit also lots and lots of this kind of skirting around the actual plot which got a bit boring I thought. The good bits are good and the later into the book you get there seems to be less and less of that filler.

I'll be back when I finish it for a final verdict.

I just wish to fuck he didn't use Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins though. I don't know anything about them, beyond what any joe bloggs knows, so I just find the whole thing a bit strange.

 

[jonah]

Availing of all of the free preview paperbacks at work:

Enjoying this quite a bit, though its that horrible thing where one narrative voice grabs me and I find myself skimming over the other. So like, nearly really good?

 

[dunderhead]

new Donna Tartt after eleven years confirmed. has gotten a title and release date, The Goldfinch, October 2013.

From amazon,
The author of the classic bestsellers The Secret History and The Little Friend returns with a brilliant, highly anticipated new novel.

A young boy in New York City, Theo Decker, miraculously survives an explosion that takes the life of his mother. Alone and determined to avoid being taken in by the city as an orphan, Theo scrambles between nights in friends' apartments and on the city streets. He becomes entranced by the one thing that reminds him of his mother: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that soon draws Theo into the art underworld.

Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America. It is a story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and a drama of almost unbearable acuity and power.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

new Donna Tartt after eleven years confirmed. has gotten a title and release date, The Goldfinch, October 2013.

From amazon,
The author of the classic bestsellers The Secret History and The Little Friend returns with a brilliant, highly anticipated new novel.

A young boy in New York City, Theo Decker, miraculously survives an explosion that takes the life of his mother. Alone and determined to avoid being taken in by the city as an orphan, Theo scrambles between nights in friends' apartments and on the city streets. He becomes entranced by the one thing that reminds him of his mother: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that soon draws Theo into the art underworld.

Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present-day America. It is a story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and a drama of almost unbearable acuity and power.

nice one. i love her first two books

 

[Jim Daniels]

Picked up three books for €9.97 in Chapters. Bargain!

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Occasions of Sin: Sex and Society in Modern Ireland by Diarmaid Ferriter. Quite interesting, the country was mental there for a while.

Billy Liar by Keith Waterhouse. Anything written in the 50s and set in Yorkshire is alright with me. this was a great read though, very entertaining.

The Dark by John Banville. I havent read a book with so much wanking in it since The Hand-Reared Boy by Brian Aldiss. I can see why Archbishop McQuaid took exception to it. I've always steered clear of McGahern for some reason, I can't think what it might be now. I enjoyed this one.

 

[jonah]

Woo new Donna Tartt. Didn't enjoy the little friend, but THE SECRET HISTORY <3 <3 <3 <3

I've just finished this, and ugh, I loved it so much:

Just really engaging. I've never read anything by John Green that I don't like, and even though you occasionally come across cheesy things that he very nearly gets wrong, their almost-ness makes it all even better. WAH.

 

[rettucs]

Dunno man. i gave up after a hundred pages or so. Wasn't really grabbing me. Also I'd read some stinking review which gave away the entire back story of the main villain which made me livid and kind of made reading it seem pointless.

finished this last night. Haven't a clue what it was about.

load of bollox.

 

[jonah]

Followed up Will Grayson there with An Abundance of Katherines, and its definitely my least favourite of John Green's novels, which still makes it quite good. Just didn't tickle my fancy in the end.

 

[rettucs]

read it in pretty much a single (long) sitting yesterday.

Incredible read.

 

[jonah]

wow, i missed commenting on the midnight zoo and american gods!!! so much love for both.

 

[rettucs]

reading this and its great. Thats 2 great books in a row. On a roll after so much crap!

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Deadwood by Pete Dexter. It's very good but not as lurid as the tv show, which I fucking love. It's slower paced and more measured. Dexter unsuccessfully tried to sue David Milch and co for stealing his ideas. Charlie Utter is the main character in Dexter's version and apparently he was just a footnote in the history books before Dexter but then Milch made him a main character in the HBO series. All the characters are very different in the book though and I think the lawsuit was dismissed. Milch claims he never read the book. Anyway, it's excellent. Dexter is well worth checking out.