This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

Callan57 · 15-05-2011 12:25AM

An Evening of Long Goodbyes by Paul Murray

[-0-] · 15-05-2011 09:40AM

Nausea -- Jean-Paul Sartre.

Vim Fuego · 15-05-2011 10:11AM

tim_holsters wrote: »

Vim I'll be putting in an order with the book depository soon. I've never heard of Jesse Bullington but I'm all for blasphemy so I'm asking you to put your head on a block here. Should I go for it?

Definitely go for it, it's quite a unique read. It's very violent and chock-full of black humour, despicable acts and mythical evil beasts. The brothers speak like they're in the tv series Deadwood (despite starting in 1364 Germany). I really liked it. Plenty of reviews on amazon for more opinions. Jesus is a proper bitchswine according to the brothers.

Also, you can judge this one by its brilliant cover art:

Sad-Tale-of-Brothers-Grossbart-Jesse-Bullington-Orbit.jpg

Sad-Tale-of-Brothers-Grossbart-Jesse-Bullington-Orbit.jpg

tim_holsters · 15-05-2011 06:20PM

Good stuff. I'll get it next time I'm buying. Interesting what you say about Deadwood I loved that series.

brentan · 15-05-2011 10:39PM

There was something very weird about how the inhabitants of Deadwood went about their business in that dog eat world while looking and sounding like characters from Dickens or Jane Austin. I think the contrast between the uncivilised behaviour carried out by people speaking in such civilised, well-structured language added to the shock.

Vim Fuego · 15-05-2011 11:36PM

My favourite part of Deadwood was when Wild Bill used the c-word in the most devastating way in one of his exchanges with the character who plays cards and goads him (can't remember his name). Stunning profanity.

Back to the books, I've spent my entire day finishing Ender's Game. Really wonderful sci-fi, couldn't put it down. Written in 1985, I thought it was interesting that the internet in this world influenced politics in one of the subplots.

rmchmufc · 16-05-2011 12:05AM

currently reading a book called leadbelly, its about a real life gangland war that took place in melbourne over a ten year period. became interested when i watched the tv series underbelly which is based on the book.

Vim Fuego · 16-05-2011 05:09PM

So far today, I've gotten to the half-way point of Island by Richard Laymon.

It's told in the form of the journal of a 19-year-old guy who goes on holidays to the Caribbean with his girlfriend's family only to have their boat explode while they're on a deserted island having a picnic. The opening line is "Today, the yacht exploded".

Then the killings begin....

It's a horror I guess but I'm finding it more funny than anything else. The narrator Rupert is a sex-obsessed teen who can't stop describing his female companions' bikini bodies as well as the grisly stuff. I'm roaring through it and having a great time. It would be an excellent holiday book (unless you're going to the Caribbean and hiring a boat).

Nice intro from Dean Koontz as well describing his late friend's personality and his family. I've only discovered Laymon so it's sad to hear he's passed away, even if it was a decade ago.

tim_holsters · 16-05-2011 06:12PM

brentan wrote: »

There was something very weird about how the inhabitants of Deadwood went about their business in that dog eat world while looking and sounding like characters from Dickens or Jane Austin. I think the contrast between the uncivilised behaviour carried out by people speaking in such civilised, well-structured language added to the shock.

I'd go along with that.

tim_holsters · 16-05-2011 06:20PM

Vim Fuego wrote: »

My favourite part of Deadwood was when Wild Bill used the c-word in the most devastating way in one of his exchanges with the character who plays cards and goads him (can't remember his name). Stunning profanity.

Back to the books, I've spent my entire day finishing Ender's Game. Really wonderful sci-fi, couldn't put it down. Written in 1985, I thought it was interesting that the internet in this world influenced politics in one of the subplots.

I've heard of Ender's Game but knew nothing about it other than that it's sci-fi.

I've never really read sci-fi unless you count Philip K. Dick, until recently when I started on Iain M. Banks culture books. I read the first 2 and enjoyed them so I got the 3rd one. I think there's 11 in all. Very impressed with the ideas and imagination of Banks and good plots too.

Vim Fuego · 16-05-2011 06:33PM

tim_holsters wrote: »

I've heard of Ender's Game but knew nothing about it other than that it's sci-fi.

I've never really read sci-fi unless you count Philip K. Dick, until recently when I started on Iain M. Banks culture books. I read the first 2 and enjoyed them so I got the 3rd one. I think there's 11 in all. Very impressed with the ideas and imagination of Banks and good plots too.

Ender's Game would be similar to Player of Games, perhaps a little less sophisticated than Banks' Culture universe but I liked them both.

I've read up to Against A Dark Background with IMB so far, Player of Games remains my favourite.

tim_holsters · 16-05-2011 06:44PM

Vim Fuego wrote: »

Ender's Game would be similar to Player of Games, perhaps a little less sophisticated than Banks' Culture universe but I liked them both.

I've read up to Against A Dark Background with IMB so far, Player of Games remains my favourite.

I liked Player of Games more than Consider Phlebas. I'm hoping the upward trend continues with Use of Weapons.

Callan57 · 17-05-2011 08:16PM

Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

Vim Fuego · 17-05-2011 09:50PM

About halfway through Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk. Not sure how I feel about this one yet. It feels like an extended short story from Haunted (which I really didn't like) but it seems to be building up nicely to an inevitably messed up ending. I'll never look at another mass gang-bang video the same way again :pac:

I dunno, I used to lap up this mental sicko fiction back when I was younger (Irvine Welsh particularly) but I'm just not that bothered with it anymore.

Vim Fuego · 18-05-2011 06:44PM

I've finished Snuff. Not very good really, thought it was interesting to start off with that you're dealing with Mr. 600, Mr. 72 and Mr. 137, but it never really went anywhere interesting. Just random porn and non-porn facts, a 'meh' ending and a few gross bits. After reading this and Haunted, I'm starting to lose faith in Mr. Palahniuk. I have Survivor on my shelf, and if that doesn't pan out, I don't think I'll bother with the rest of his output.

I'm reading Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman now. Much better, I've finished the first couple of stories and liked them all, especially the story of the cat fighting off some unseen evil every night - The Price.

the_syco · 20-05-2011 10:39AM

Reading "Stealing the Network; How to Own the Box". Hacker fiction. Quite odd, but at the same time, entertaining.

Callan57 · 20-05-2011 11:33AM

The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde

Vim Fuego · 20-05-2011 02:44PM

Finished Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman. Most of my thoughts are in the Gaiman thread, overall it was quite good apart from the inevitable duff stories in the collection.

Now to continue on with my James Ellroy fascination and American Tabloid.

tim_holsters · 20-05-2011 05:03PM

Mennonite In A Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. An entertaining quick read with some genuine laugh out loud moments.

musical.x · 20-05-2011 09:55PM

Sourcery by terry pratchett

Bajingo · 20-05-2011 10:39PM

Coward at the Bridge by James Delingpole

Belle E. Flops · 21-05-2011 02:21PM

Have just started reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe at the moment. Also still reading the Portable Dorothy Parker.

21-05-2011 03:25PM

Finished "Light of other days"; enjoying Middlemarch now

BizzyLizzie · 22-05-2011 01:39AM

Finished 'Room' by Emma Donoghue today and 'The Rule of Four' by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason yesterday. 'The Rule of Four' was rubbish imo but 'Room' was great. I read it from cover to cover today, really enjoyed it

Next up on the list is 'Starbook' by Ben Okri. I've read a few pages of it and it feels like it could be slow going but I've heard great things so I'm going to keep going

AnnyHallsal · 22-05-2011 03:49PM

Joe Dunthorne, Submarine, inspired by the film and the excellent price offered by HMV

Callan57 · 23-05-2011 02:51PM

Finished The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde and I'm just starting on
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson

AnnyHallsal · 24-05-2011 06:27PM

Ian McEwan, Amsterdam

Callan57 · 25-05-2011 10:48AM

I've started Anne Enright's Yesterday's Weather ... I'm on the fourth story & really enjoying it.

Eramen · 25-05-2011 09:18PM

The Essential Tales of Anton Chekhov - a collection of his mostly later, and in my opinion, better - short stories.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Tales-Chekhov-P/dp/1862073007/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1306354512&sr=8-2

epgc3fyqirnbsx · 25-05-2011 10:30PM

Reading Post Office by Bukowski. Hilarious so far, not dissimlar from working in retail

This Week I are mostly reading (contd)

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