March Reading thread

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Jack the Lad · #1 Post by **Jack the Lad** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 7:01 am

so, it's been a while since we had one of these, remembering that it was fairly popular I'm starting a new one, for March.

My latest -

James Ellroy - Because the Night
and before that
Douglas Coupland - All families are Psychotics

Eldritch · #2 Post by **Eldritch** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 7:19 am

Joe Eszterhas: Hollywood Animal - one of those "so bad it's good" books. A terrible screenwriter writes a terrible book about a terrible place called Hollywood.

Anthony Lane: Nobody's Perfect - nearly 800 pages of brilliant movie essays from the New Yorker critic. been reading it on and off for the last year.

Paul Morley: Words And Music - great book about pop music (even though it stars Kylie)

David Mitchell: Cloud Atlas - just started it. Promising.

Native · #3 Post by **Native** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 7:31 am

'The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time' by Mark Haddon. Very good read!

'Bloodtide' by Melyvin Burgess. Meant to be a teenage book about Gangland rule of London set in the future. Lots of torture, incest and religion!

Shopper · #4 Post by **Shopper** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 8:14 am

just finished dan brown's - da vinci code

I believe this is causing a lot of hoo haa all over, with its various insinuations. But it was very interesting reading about the supposed codes in da vinci's work, the grail etc. Very believable fiction, because every now and then i'll run to the net and cross check facts on mary magdalene, the priory, chapels - louvre etc

not none too surprisingly the movie version commeth

There was another thriller type novel which came sometime back about jesus's progeny, forget the name ?!

next on my reading list
god little vernon
complete works of wilde *its a one of those compilations of all his novels, poems etc*

Joemoz · #5 Post by **Joemoz** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 9:13 am

I've just finished 'How to be good' by Nick Hornby - and I must admit that it is as good as his other books, despite the somewhat odd theme. He does have a way of writing that makes you go on reading it all in one stretch, more or less - even if the book isn't exactly filled with drama.

So now I am going to continue on Will Hutton&Anthony Giddens' "On the edge", which is about "living with global capitalism".

bookshopboy · #6 Post by **bookshopboy** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 9:59 am

I am just coming up to the end of The Hobbit. I read it when I was 8 at school, and having just recently read Lord of the Rings, I thought I'd give it another read. I'm not really enjoying it however. Compared to LOTR, it is an extremely boring read.

Next I think I may read Wrong Rooms by Mark Sanderson, or The Little Friend by Donna Tartt as I really loved her 1st book.

Pani · #7 Post by **Pani** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 11:04 am

- still (!) reading "Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix" in English language

- next I may continue "The Lord Of The Rings Part One" (which I have begun more than a year ago and put aside after 50 pages as it was sooo boring), advantage: I have seen all the movies in the meantime

- looking forward reading Holly Johnson's autobiography "A BONE IN MY FLUTE" if I can get it somewhere ...

- I am also interested in the book "Gollum" by Andy Serkis, has anybody already read??

Eldritch · #8 Post by **Eldritch** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 11:06 am

bookshopboy wrote:The Little Friend by Donna Tartt as I really loved her 1st book.

Me too. But don't expect too much from A Little Friend – it's very disappointing. Tartt's great at creating atmosphere but storywise A Little Friends lacks focus, momentum and a conclusion.

bookshopboy · #9 Post by **bookshopboy** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 2:45 pm

Paninaro-Dancer wrote:next I may continue "The Lord Of The Rings Part One" (which I have begun more than a year ago and put aside after 50 pages as it was sooo boring), advantage: I have seen all the movies in the meantime

I found book one really dull when I read it. The other two books are much more fun.

And it does really help to read them when you've seen the films.

bookshopboy · #10 Post by **bookshopboy** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 2:52 pm

Eldritch wrote:
bookshopboy wrote:The Little Friend by Donna Tartt as I really loved her 1st book.
Me too. But don't expect too much from A Little Friend – it's very disappointing. Tartt's great at creating atmosphere but storywise A Little Friends lacks focus, momentum and a conclusion.

I have heard similar from a lot of people. When I worked in Waterstone's, so many people were excited by the prospect of her 2nd book and were disappointed.

I got the paperback at Christmas and did read the first chapter. It seemed ok, but I will just have to try it......

DJAMIX · #11 Post by **DJAMIX** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 2:54 pm

Just finished "Blood and Gold" by Anne Rice.

EXCELENT!

Tom · #12 Post by **Tom** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 3:15 pm

Just re read Paul Watzlawick - Anleitung zum Unglücklichsein (The Situation Is Hopeless, But Not Serious: The Pursuit of Unhappiness):
"A man wants to hang a painting. He has the nail, but not the hammer. Therefore it occurs to him to go over to the neighbor and ask him to lend him his hammer. But at this point, doubt sets in. What if he doesn't want to lend me the hammer? Yesterday he barely spoke to me. Maybe he was in a hurry. Or, perhaps, he holds something against me. But why? I didn't do anything to him. If he would ask me to lend him something, I would, at once. How can he refuse to lend me his hammer? People like him make other people's life miserable. Worst, he thinks that I need him because he has a hammer. This has got to stop ! And suddenly the guy runs to the neighbour's door, rings, and before letting him say anything, he screams: "You can keep your hammer, you b......""

Next in line:
Gregory Benford - Artifact and Andrew Holleran - Dancer From The Dance (again

)

... And I still have Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast Triology lying around

Anybody ever read it?

bigboy · #13 Post by **bigboy** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 3:58 pm

Eldritch wrote: Paul Morley: Words And Music - great book about pop music (even though it stars Kylie)

Kylie and pop music in the same sentence! They're not mutually exclusive are they?

PigletWildebeest · Fri 05 Mar 2004, 4:20 pm

I'm in the middle of Stephen Fry's "Making History"

I'll probably read a Tom Lanoye (flemish writer) play script after that, Mamma Medea

dizzy · #15 Post by **dizzy** » Fri 05 Mar 2004, 4:37 pm

Just started on 'All Quiet On The Western Front' for history class. And I believe I might actually enjoy this war book. I usually find them extremely boring.
And I bought 'Making History' by Stephen Fry on this years huge book sale. I saw one single copy and flew across the room!

I loved all his other books, so I think I'll like this one too.