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

[rettucs]

Reading 'The Sorrows of Mexico' - THE SORROWS OF MEXICO

Its a collection of short pieces by various journalists about some of the corruption and 'rule-of-law' imposed by the drug cartels.

A great read but some of the stories are fairly shocking. A lot of them come back to the same single incident (where 43 student teachers were 'disappeared' on their way to a protest).

Kind of apt given the election results in Mexico this weekend.

 

[travispickle]

I've recently read my first book by Stefan Zweig, The Post Office Girl, and I absolutely loved it. Picked up a novella of his called Chess recently and that was also fantastic, so am looking out for more of his. I'm currently reading WG Sebald's Austerlitz. I'd guess a few Thumpeders might have read it? I'm about 3/4's of the way in but only now feel like I'm starting to enjoy it, though it's a desperately sad story; still it's beautifully written, some passages deserve a re-read. Sebald was someone I have been meaning to check out; but not sure I'd go another book after this one!

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I've recently read my first book by Stefan Zweig, The Post Office Girl, and I absolutely loved it. Picked up a novella of his called Chess recently and that was also fantastic, so am looking out for more of his. I'm currently reading WG Sebald's Austerlitz. I'd guess a few Thumpeders might have read it? I'm about 3/4's of the way in but only now feel like I'm starting to enjoy it, though it's a desperately sad story; still it's beautifully written, some passages deserve a re-read. Sebald was someone I have been meaning to check out; but not sure I'd go another book after this one!

I’ve read Austerlitz and I liked it but I’d highly recommend The Rings of Saturn. It is one of the best novels ever written.

 

[travispickle]

I’ve read Austerlitz and I liked it but I’d highly recommend The Rings of Saturn. It is one of the best novels ever written.

I'm aware of it alright, but haven't read it; I might give it a go, but would need to take a long break after Austerlitz.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I'm aware of it alright, but haven't read it; I might give it a go, but would need to take a long break after Austerlitz.

It’s similar in style so yeah, get a few other books read first.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

I liked The Rings Of Saturn more than Austerlitz too but I think it might just be because it was the first Sebald book I read and Austerlitz wasn't such a surprise

 

[hugh]

+1 for Rings Of Saturn. I found Auserlitz a bit of a slog. Anyone read any of the others?

 

[billygannon]

I read Middlemarch recently.

It's the best novel I've ever read - and I don't think I'll ever read any better.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

+1 for Rings Of Saturn. I found Auserlitz a bit of a slog. Anyone read any of the others?

Yeah, they're basically all the same style. One (the earliest I think) wasn't as good as the others, as far as I recall

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

+1 for Rings Of Saturn. I found Auserlitz a bit of a slog. Anyone read any of the others?

I read one other and it wasn't as good as either Austerlitz or Rings of Saturn.

 

[travispickle]

I've ordered Rings from the library; should have it in a few weeks

 

[Lili Marlene]

The Power of Three by Diana Wynne Jones

One of those authors i've been meaning to explore for a while now, picked this up in a charity shop recently. It's definitely for children and i'd say aged 10 or 11 i'd have liked it a lot but as an adult it reads a bit dull.

It kind of maps some mythology i'm not that familiar with (I assume Welsh) onto the moorlands in 70's Britain and then works in an all out race-war between the various factions who all call themselves "people" and the others something else (humans are considered to be "giants").

The plot is tremendously convoluted and I probably wouldn't recommend it as a good read to anyone but there were some interesting bits in there, the race stuff would probably get kids thinking and I like the total immersion into the fantasy without any tedious worrying about getting the "world-building" right that modern books are so obsessed with.

It's definitely doing something, dunno if it quite gets where it wants to get to, but i'll read some more by her anyway.

 

[dunderhead]

all the names by jose saramago. first one i've read by him. really liked it. where to next?
there are little kingdoms by kevin barry. read the other collection of shorts by him last year. both as great as each other
we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson. absoluetly loved this. brilliant

 

[travispickle]

Trudged through the last few chapters of Sebald's Rings of Saturn, which I did not enjoy as much as Austerlitz, and feel fairly sure I do not need to read another Sebald as long as I live.
I dabbled a bit with Ballard's Crash, but left it after a few chapters - for the moment.
Now onto Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; pretty enjoyable so far.

 

[hermie]

Also reading Ballard at the minute. Concrete Island. Oh and I found Lincoln in the Bardo to be brilliant.

 

[MacDara]

I've had Lincoln in the Bardo in the to-read folder on my Kindle for ages; I've enjoyed some of Saunders' short stories before so I'll consider your recommendation another nudge in that direction.

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Grimscribe: His Life and Works by Thomas Ligotti. Really creepy short stories

 

[hermie]

I've had Lincoln in the Bardo in the to-read folder on my Kindle for ages; I've enjoyed some of Saunders' short stories before so I'll consider your recommendation another nudge in that direction.

Not quite as good as the Tenth of December but well worth a read.

 

[hugh]

I read Lincoln In The Bardon a while ago because my sis in law gave me a copy. I admired it but didn't like it much.

I've become obsessed with this 1930s spy thriller writer called Eric Ambler recently. Read three in a row and they are all brilliant.

Also digging The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Trudged through the last few chapters of Sebald's Rings of Saturn, which I did not enjoy as much as Austerlitz, and feel fairly sure I do not need to read another Sebald as long as I live.
I dabbled a bit with Ballard's Crash, but left it after a few chapters - for the moment.
Now onto Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil; pretty enjoyable so far.

I'll never trust your opinions on books again. No love for Rings of Saturn or Crash? I can't be dealing with that.