After years and bloody years of walking into bookshops to be told how bloody great bloody Ian bloody Rankin's crime novels are, well, goddamnit, I have almost completed Dead Souls, and its' terrific.
Can I now go back to reading Tennyson, pretentious wanker that I am?
Oh, could I feel as I have felt, or be what I have been, Or weep as I could once have wept, o'er many a vanished scene; As springs in deserts found seem sweet, all brackish though they be, So, midst the withered waste of life, those tears would flow to me.
Posts: 2230 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
Originally posted by Ishmaels Coffin: After years and bloody years of walking into bookshops to be told how bloody great bloody Ian bloody Rankin's crime novels are, well, goddamnit, I have almost completed Dead Souls, and its' terrific.
Yes! Ian Rankin is right up there with P. D. James for my favorite mystery/crime author. Resurrection Men and A Question of Blood are two of my personal favorites.
During my holiday break, I've read The Remains of the Day and am currently about two-thirds of the way through Special Topics in Calamity Physics. It's all kendocubano's fault. His posts have reminded me of books I've been intending to read and haven't yet, so I've tackled two of them. The Remains of the Day was wonderful. I read Never Let Me Go last year, but if I didn't know, I probably wouldn't have suspected they were by the same author, given the enormous difference in subject matter. Remains, although not nearly as disturbing as Never Let Me Go, was sad and moving and I don't think I'll soon forget it. It was much more satisfying than the little I remember of the movie, which I saw as a teenager. Have any of you read the rest of Ishiguro's novels? If so, how do they rank, in your opinion? I just purchased When We Were Orphans this evening with a Christmas giftcard.
As for Special Topics, I loved the first third but I thought part 2 dragged. Now that I've started part 3, it's getting much better again.
_______________________ I was born to laugh I learned to laugh through my tears
Posts: 246 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 14 August 2006
Right now I'm reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami. I'm almost done with Into the Wild and it's interesting because we're going to go to Alaska this upcoming summer (which means I also want to read Call of the Wild before we go).
Sacamos los pesados revólveres (de pronto hubo revólveres en el sueño) y alegremente dimos muerte a los dioses.
Posts: 178 | Location: the back of your mind | Registered: 29 June 2004
I just started "I Am Legend" by Richard Matheson. It's good so far and really a unique spin on the vampire novel. I am also reading "Nietzsche: Volumes 1 and 2" by Martin Heidegger. It's slow, but an interesting view of two important continental philosophers.
After "Legend" I will be starting "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco, which is supposedly quite a challenging read.
I never hated any of you/I loved you all at the time
Posts: 563 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 27 September 2006
Originally posted by Ginny: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami.
I re-read this recently myself. He's one of my favorites.
quote:
Originally posted by DrAwesome: I will be starting "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco, which is supposedly quite a challenging read.
Most of his stuff is.
I just started Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike. I picked up the bargain hardcover a few years ago and its been sitting on my shelf since. It's only a couple hundred pages so I thought I'd give it a shot.
Posts: 3130 | Location: FoCo | Registered: 07 January 2005
Hi! If you like good fantasy novels, and books, than I suppose you also like to play with fantasy themed RPGs. I would like to get your attention on a new thing, in which you basically write your own story as you play along with your character. Actually, as you advance in the game, the whole story is brought to you in emails, and your actions and reactions are described in a novel like way, which is most unique, at least I have never seen a game like that before. To read your own adventures, and heroic quests while playing, is a thrilling and charming opportunity in my opinion. Give it a try, if you like the idea! It is called Lagas – Island of heroes, and you can find it at www.worldoflagas.com. Take care, and have fun!
Started this week: War and Peace, the new translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky. I've never read it before and figured now was as good a time as any. Hopefully I will actually finish it and not detour off into too many shorter books.
After War and Peace, I have a small stack of finds from the clearance sale at our local book fair last Sat. Hooray for $3 books!
_______________________ I was born to laugh I learned to laugh through my tears
Posts: 246 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 14 August 2006
If you like unusual travel tales, lyrical writing, the history of ancient trade between Europe and China, how one avoids SARS or what its' like to wander the back streets of the 'world's oldest city' then you may find something to enjoy here. I have long wanted to do this trip. I'm about a tenth of the way so far...I'm doing a section every two years ha ha
Oh, could I feel as I have felt, or be what I have been, Or weep as I could once have wept, o'er many a vanished scene; As springs in deserts found seem sweet, all brackish though they be, So, midst the withered waste of life, those tears would flow to me.
Posts: 2230 | Location: The ever silent spaces of the East | Registered: 12 February 2007
I've been reading George Carlin's "When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops?", amusing, but incoherent at times, he should fire his editor. Makes a great connection in the belief of religion vs. UFO's.
Posts: 626 | Location: kentucky | Registered: 02 October 2007
I am reading Three Shirt Deal by Stephen J. Cannell. It is another in the series of his mystery novels. Stephen J. Cannell previously created TV shows like the Rockford Files and Baretta. Rather than try to explain the book, here is a video book trailer.
I am just finishing up Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" which have been quite an eye opening read for a philosophy student, like myself, who has been more or less limited to reading Karl Popper for philosophy of science in my university classes. I highly recommend Kuhn.
I never hated any of you/I loved you all at the time
Posts: 563 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 27 September 2006
Hey I'm actually reading two books! I decided that, after a solid year of neglect, I needed to get back into a reading habit. I picked up Gravity's Rainbow again, which I seem to be understanding a lot better this time. I also got No Country For Old Men from the libray, which I quite like (for obvious reasons).
I had a stick of CareFree gum, but it didn't work. I felt pretty good while I was blowing that bubble, but as soon as the gum lost its flavor I was back to pondering my mortality.
Posts: 566 | Location: Chicago, IL | Registered: 14 December 2007
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Pretty good blend of contemporary and historical fiction tracing the history of a rare Jewish book. The only 2008 book I've read so far.
_______________________ I was born to laugh I learned to laugh through my tears
Posts: 246 | Location: Virginia | Registered: 14 August 2006
His posts have reminded me of books I've been intending to read and haven't yet, so I've tackled two of them. The Remains of the Day was wonderful. I read Never Let Me Go last year, but if I didn't know, I probably wouldn't have suspected they were by the same author, given the enormous difference in subject matter. Remains, although not nearly as disturbing as Never Let Me Go, was sad and moving and I don't think I'll soon forget it. It was much more satisfying than the little I remember of the movie, which I saw as a teenager. Have any of you read the rest of Ishiguro's novels? If so, how do they rank, in your opinion? I just purchased When We Were Orphans this evening with a Christmas giftcard.
