What Book Did You Read Last Night??? (7 Viewers)

[David Kronenbourg]

I finished Game of Thrones today. Amazing. Loads more backstory than the TV show

 

[Cormcolash]

Read it years ago, don't think I ever read the last part though, might have to get hold of that

 

[Scientician 0.8]

Went through my bookshelves yesterday and pulled out all the ones I haven't read yet. A 2 ft high pile.

Sigh.

You need a kindle, then you'd half a half an inch high pile of books you hadn't read.

 

[pete]

Out of sight out of mind, innit.

 

[St. Fechin]

I had an extended flick through these:

oddly depressing from what I read so far.

Surprisingly progressive.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Just finished Asylum Piece by Anna Kavan. Not very good, short angsty pieces about paranoia and madness that only misunderstood teens could enjoy. I read another of hers recently called The Parson which was also angst-ridden and morbid but it was also very good and quite exciting at times. I'm not sure what I think of Kavan yet.

Room At The Top by John Braine was before this. Not as good as The Vodi but you can't go wrong with these english post war dramas really.

Electric Eden by Rob Young.

Electric Eden" documents one of the great untold stories of British music over the past century. While ostensibly purporting to be a history of that much derided (though currently fashionable) four-letter word, 'folk', "Electric Eden" will be a magnificent survey of the visionary, topographic and esoteric impulses that have driven the margins of British visionary folk music from Vaughan Williams and Holst to The Incredible String Band, Nick Drake, John Martyn and Aphex Twin.

This started off enjoyably but went a bit off the rails about half way through and the bitty, unfocused, all-over-the-placeness of it became a bit tiresome.

I've just ordered The City & The City by China Miéville and The Borribles by Michael De Larrabeiti. I'll have to read something else in the meantime.

 

[Jim Daniels]

Just finished "You Know Who You Are" by Ben Dolnick. Pretty good take on the Coming of age theme. Its been done plenty of times, but is well written.
The blurb says "bittersweet, funny, so fondly told and so very smart".

Just starting "A Visit to the Goon Squad" by Jennifer Egan, cause I've fallen for the hype and its holiday season.
The Blurb says .."Incredibly affecting, sad, funny and wise".

Those blurbs and their adjective loving ways...

 

[David Kronenbourg]

Shaney I started Frankenstein Unbound yesterday. Good so far

 

[hugh]

Read Goon Squad on my holidays. It's enjoyable in parts but doesn't really add up to much at the end of the day.

Kingsley Amis - Kings English - love that book. Must read it again some time.

 

[jonah]

sigh.

 

[SomethingManic]

Depressing times, Jonah?

 

[jonah]

Haha, no just a lovely, lovely book.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

I read The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter when I was about 20 but didn't think much of it at the time. I suspect it is the kind of book I'd like if I read it now. It'll have to wait.

 

[SomethingManic]

I read The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter when I was about 20 but didn't think much of it at the time. I suspect it is the kind of book I'd like if I read it now. It'll have to wait.

Why?

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Why?

Well, at the time I read it I was mainly interested in very plotty stuff like Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, Iain Banks, Leon Uris etc and the McCullers one was just a bit too slow moving for me then. Now I like calm slow novels. It'll have to wait for a reread because I have a pile of other books that I want to read.

 

[fobster]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0399155082/?tag=thumpedcom-20

Just finished this. Short stories on war and peace from a variety of angles. A very readable collection of stories.

 

[rettucs]

have been reading sports biographies mostly this summer. Taking a break from those for a bit (2 more lined up to read though). Reading this now;

don't know what to make of it really. Beautifully written by in large but I'm a third of the ways through and I can't see where its going. Hard enough to follow at times too. Its short though so I'll persist.

 

[travispickle]

Currently reading "We need to talk about Kevin" - by Lionel Shriver, which I'm enjoying. Heavy going in places, but great writing
I recently discovered Jon McGregor and snapped up all 3 of his novels, which are fantastic. Most recently finished "So many ways to begin" - tremendous stuff

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

The City & The City by China Miéville. It was alright. The first half was very enjoyable schlocky page-turner detective stuff. No character development at all, not much in the way of scene setting, shite dialogue and so on but the exciting plot kept it going. it went off the rails towards the end and finished up like an episode of scooby doo. there may or may not have been masks pulled off baddies heads. 3 out of 5.



next up The Borrible Trilogy by Michael De Larrabeiti

 

[hugh]

The City & The City by China Miéville. It was alright. The first half was very enjoyable schlocky page-turner detective stuff. No character development at all, not much in the way of scene setting, shite dialogue and so on but the exciting plot kept it going. it went off the rails towards the end and finished up like an episode of scooby doo. there may or may not have been masks pulled off baddies heads. 3 out of 5.

Pretty much exactly how I felt about it. But I wouldn't say it has a great plot as such, more that there are great concepts and ideas there but it just runs out of steam and doesn't really go anywhere. I've read a few of his at this stage and it's the same each time. They should be great .. but they're not. I dunno .. maybe he should just come up with ideas/concepts for novels and then get someone else to actually write them.