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

[Cornu Ammonis]

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

That looks interesting. How is it? I'm judging it purely by the cover here.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

That looks interesting. How is it? I'm judging it purely by the cover here.

It's a mixed bag, I'm about a quarter of the way through it and it's mostly poorly written, badly edited "I know stuff" essays with little insight. Some wasted opportunities too (and interview with Philip Pullman where the questions seem to be longer than his answers, it's a bit Dave Fanning). However, some of the articles are interesting and worth reading. I know someone who contributed to it but haven't reached their chapter yet.

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

Worth buying?

 

[Lili Marlene]

It's a mixed bag, I'm about a quarter of the way through it and it's mostly poorly written, badly edited "I know stuff" essays with little insight. Some wasted opportunities too (and interview with Philip Pullman where the questions seem to be longer than his answers, it's a bit Dave Fanning). However, some of the articles are interesting and worth reading. I know someone who contributed to it but haven't reached their chapter yet.

Philip Pullman is a notoriously bad interviewee, summary of all interviews with him: "I dunno, I'm just a storyteller".

 

[therealjohnny]

I've been meaning to get this. One of my favourite groups on facebook.

It's a mixed bag, I'm about a quarter of the way through it and it's mostly poorly written, badly edited "I know stuff" essays with little insight. Some wasted opportunities too (and interview with Philip Pullman where the questions seem to be longer than his answers, it's a bit Dave Fanning). However, some of the articles are interesting and worth reading. I know someone who contributed to it but haven't reached their chapter yet.

EDIT:

Oh

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Some of it is geared more towards the "I believe in faeries" brigade which is putting me right off. However, I have to reserve final judgement until I get to the end.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I've been meaning to get this. One of my favourite groups on facebook.



EDIT:

Oh

If you're already into that group then it might be more up your street than mine, I'm not a member of it but can only assume the book reflects the interests and discussions on the group given that it's the same folk (ho-ho!) involved.

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

so, finished this yesterday;

Its a meaty enough book in terms of its size, but its light going. I started it last friday week and got through it handy enough.

I won't say too much because its a book you could spoil the hell out of for someone. Basically though, the whole book is one big build-up to a single event, which can be dangerous if that event turns out to be anti-climatic. Suffice to say, it doesn't disappoint. The climax of the book is excellently well done and for that reason alone I would whole-heartedly endorse this. There are parts that seem a little flowery and superfluous and it could have been a whole lot shorter than it is (likewise he could have made it far longer if he so wished - when you finish the book I think you'll take my meaning).

I mentioned before that no doubt this would be made into a movie. I'm not so sure now. Some King books, though excellent book, made dud movies. I think this could be one of those, though I'm not so sure.

Anyway, yea, its great.

Watching episode 1 here

 

[rettucs]

Watching episode 1 here

which one was that again? the JFK one?

 

[Scientician 0.8]

This book is fun. You'd read it in an hour. It gives a run through of pop art up to the early '70s. It contains loads of colour reproductions of the works for reference. I HATED pop art when I was younger but I have come to see the merit in a lot of it although I am still not entirely convinced.

I have also discovered the below beaut.
Standard Station, Amarillo, Texas, (1963) by Ed Ruscha

 

[7 - No tomorrow]

which one was that again? the JFK one?

Yes

 

[тхеодоре кацзынски]

I started this before I started defending the monarchy, maybe there's a link there.
Enjoyable anyway, the author argues that the Anglican church is central to Englishness, this despite the Anglican church not being very strongly attended, indeed, as the blurb says "the church is simply the empty building at the end of the road, visited for the first time, if at all, when dead".
Educational too, I never realised that Anglicanism was so close to Catholicism, I foolishly imagined all Protestant services to be without ceremony and their churches without ornamentation, apparently not the case for the C. of E, or I assume its counterparts here and elsewhere.
My one complaint is that I'm already close to finishing it.

 

[GO]

Deepak Chopra ..The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success

Paul Williams ..Crimewars

Both excellent so far

 

[Scientician 0.8]

I started this before I started defending the monarchy, maybe there's a link there.
Enjoyable anyway, the author argues that the Anglican church is central to Englishness, this despite the Anglican church not being very strongly attended, indeed, as the blurb says "the church is simply the empty building at the end of the road, visited for the first time, if at all, when dead".
Educational too, I never realised that Anglicanism was so close to Catholicism, I foolishly imagined all Protestant services to be without ceremony and their churches without ornamentation, apparently not the case for the C. of E, or I assume its counterparts here and elsewhere.
My one complaint is that I'm already close to finishing it.

Read an interview with an Anglican bishop one time and he said that his work now was mainly "hatches, matches and dispatches."

 

[eoinzy2000]

The Night Circus - Morgenstern.
Quiet entertainment. Enjoyed it. Not the greatest book on the planet, but nice bit of fantasy all the same. Good wee escape.

 

[travispickle]

I'm nearly finished All The Light We Cannot See - not sure how I feel about it really, it's a bit "book clubby". I started off being annoyed about the overly lyrical writing, then just got into the story, which is a bit of a page turner. I'll be happy to finish it though.
I've also been reading and very much enjoying A Manual For Cleaning Women - short stories by Lucia Berlin.

 

[Jim Daniels]

The Night Circus - Morgenstern.
Quiet entertainment. Enjoyed it. Not the greatest book on the planet, but nice bit of fantasy all the same. Good wee escape.

Love that book! It's a great wee escape alright! Waiting for more from the author

 

[Jim Daniels]

I'm nearly finished All The Light We Cannot See - not sure how I feel about it really, it's a bit "book clubby". I started off being annoyed about the overly lyrical writing, then just got into the story, which is a bit of a page turner. I'll be happy to finish it though.
I've also been reading and very much enjoying A Manual For Cleaning Women - short stories by Lucia Berlin.

I'm just over half way through, and am enjoying it. Love the short chapters, which keep it pacy. I know what you mean though - it is certainly written for a mainstream audience. But that's ok, and even thinking this (which I do frequently) while reading it on the bus, makes me feel like a patronising arse.

Can't wait for A Manual For Cleaning Women. I much prefer paperbacks, but have been told it wont be available in that format until late summer/ Autumn. Might have to break my own no-hardback rules this time.

 

[Lili Marlene]

Been waiting for A Manual for Cleaning Women to be available at an affordable price myself, it was 35 quid or something last time I looked.