Read Any Good Books Lately?

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,447]

Paul Johnson, a kidney cancer survivor, has got a new novel out that I wouldn't mind reading - The Death List.

Johnston explains his motivation behind the book here.

 

"For what it's worth, my opinion is that reading and writing about awful acts are worthwhile activities because they put us in extreme situations and make us wonder how we would cope - not least, how we will cope with death, something we're all going to face sooner or later"

 

I think perhaps that Paul should atone for his appropriation of our good name by becoming a member, assuming he's not one already.

[Captain Oates 21]

Paul Johnson, a kidney cancer survivor, has got a new novel out that I wouldn't mind reading - The Death List.

Johnston explains his motivation behind the book here.

 

"For what it's worth, my opinion is that reading and writing about awful acts are worthwhile activities because they put us in extreme situations and make us wonder how we would cope - not least, how we will cope with death, something we're all going to face sooner or later"

 

I think perhaps that Paul should atone for his appropriation of our good name by becoming a member, assuming he's not one already.

His next book is a sequel to The Death List currently entitled The Collector of Souls.

 

I'm off to check the members list...

[maryportfuncity 9,991]

Currently reading Karen Armstrong's biography of Buddha; a wonderfully clear telling of the story of a life wilfully obscured by myth. Highly recommended.

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,447]

Allan-Fournier's early C20th novel of lost adolescence, le Grand Meaulnes, pretty famous in France but virtually unknown elsewhere, and a likely influence on The Great Gatsby.

 

And if you think I'm going to blow the facade of Gallic cool I've just built up by admitting to reading Stevie Gerrard's autobiography, you've got another think coming...

[harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,447]

Consecutive posts - doesn't anyone else read around here?

 

Been on a bit of a music tear recently. Continuing my minor obsession with possibly-overrated dead rock stars, I’ve waded through two slightly shoddy sides of the Ian Curtis argument - his widow’s ‘Touching from a Distance’ and Middles/Reade’s ‘Torn Apart'. The latter is quite possibly the worst-edited book I have ever read; I think they must have got Stevie Wonder in for the job.

 

Followed that up with Simon Reynolds’s excellent history of post-punk, ‘Rip it Up and Start Again’, which I can’t recommend highly enough, whether or not you know your Cabaret Voltaires from your Scritti Polittis.

 

And can I just give a shameless quick plug for my old pal and ex-bandmate Steve Taylor’s philosophical treatise ‘Making Time: Why Time Seems to Pass at Different Speeds and how to Control it ? It’s thought-provoking stuff if a bit woolly in places, and I have to say that I played a small-yet-uncredited part in the section on psychedelics. Apparently, he’s popping up on the Beeb and 5Live next week to talk about it. Bitter, me?!!

 

Right, where's me copy of The Sun gone...

 

(Edit - on the subject of music books, I forgot to mention ‘Delius As I Knew Him', an interesting account of the last few years of the blind and paralysed composer’s life, written by a chap who helped him get his last works down on paper. It inspired a 1960s biopic that was a highpoint of dear old Ken Russell’s rather ropey career).

[Banshees Scream 107]

Harry you never told me that you have an obsession with overrated - dead - rock stars. I believe the vast majority of current music today is overrated. Half of it in my opinion shouldn't even be spaired the time to be rated.

 

Been on a bit of a music tear recently. Continuing my minor obsession with possibly-overrated dead rock stars,

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

Well I tend to read books on Ufology and the like, which is of very little interest to anybody here, I should imagine.

The only book I have ever read about an overrated Rock Star (Jim Morrison) was " No One Gets Out here Alive" a slightly sycophantic effort by Danny Sugarman, which I actually enjoyed enough to read more than once.

I tend to read books that are more factual, such as Autobiographies.

The last book I purchased, not too long ago would acutely embarrass me If I were to reveal it, so I wont.

[Banshees Scream 107]

Miss Nelson you can speak to me. Don't be embarrassed I'm sure it's all in your mind.

 

Now tell Mr.Scream what book you were reading.

[Canadian Paul 93]

The last book I purchased, not too long ago would acutely embarrass me If I were to reveal it, so I wont.

 

It doesn't involve a boy wizard, does it?

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

The last book I purchased, not too long ago would acutely embarrass me If I were to reveal it, so I wont.

 

It doesn't involve a boy wizard, does it?

Absolutely not.

[Lady Grendel 137]

Well I tend to read books on Ufology and the like, which is of very little interest to anybody here, I should imagine...... /snip

 

It's of interest to scsi LFN, he reads those books too .

[Monoclinic 39]

...and I read books about wizards that geocache for horcruxes.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

Thanks LG, I know im not the only one to read these books but its nice to know that someone else here does too!!

Mono, Sorry, that all went way above my head, can you expand on your reply?

[Handrejka 1,840]

Well I tend to read books on Ufology and the like, which is of very little interest to anybody here, I should imagine...... /snip

 

It's of interest to scsi LFN, he reads those books too .

 

Well I read Fortean Times, mainly for the crypto stuff, but Ufology is of a vague interest to me to.

 

I've just realied that I haven't actually read a book since March when I read "The Silent Twins" by Marjorie Wallace. A biography of June and the late Jennifer Gibbons. Highly recommended for any fan of biographies, psychological tudies or true crime.

[Monoclinic 39]

Thanks LG, I know im not the only one to read these books but its nice to know that someone else here does too!!

Mono, Sorry, that all went way above my head, can you expand on your reply?

 

 

Expanded for LFN

 

Wizards: Rhymes with Larry Trotter

 

Geocaching: Finally someone's found a use for their sat nav other than navigating their petrol guzzling 4x4s around the extreme terrains of Surbiton.

 

Horcruxes: The things "Larry" and his mates had to seek and destroy so they could all live happily ever after and have loads of kids. Oh, yeah sorry if you are a slow reader, I should have put a spoiler alert that Hermione didn't bloody die!

[Madame Defarge 21]

I read the Larry Trotter book this weekend. You gotta love an author who names one of her baddies Pius Thicknesse.

[Tuber Mirum 119]

I have just finished reading Roger Lewis' Charles Hawtrey- The man who was Private Widdle.

 

An unusually written book with an incredible number of footnotes. Mostly abusing Peter Rogers or Kenneth Connor.

It is also the only book I have read which lists the names of some people (BBC executives who denied Hawtrey work) and exhorts the reader, should he know of their or their descendants' whereabouts, to go round to their houses and put fireworks through the letterbox.

I wouldn't be surprised to hear there is a law against that sort of thing.

[Anubis the Jackal 76]

Three Sheets to the Wind: One Man's Quest for the Meaning of Beer

 

Excellent account of a year in search of beer, more beer and the meaning of beer.

[Brinsworth House Baiter 12]

'Underworld' by Don Delillo.

 

Anyone else read this crap, up your own arse, oh I'm the author & I've forgotten what my point is (oh really? I'm the reader & I've forgotten what the will to live is), f*****g bollocks?

 

Bought this 800 odd page epic in a charity shop & was massively disappointed. About the only saving grace is the fact that it's signed inside by the author so I might get something back on e-bay for the two months it took me to get through the f*****g thing.

 

Now, as fellow members know, I'm quite articulate & well read, so the size of the volume didn't faze me, nor did his superfluous language. What did faze me though was the fact that I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, the chapters spent building stuff up that ended up forgotten about & the general consideration that there just didn't seem to be a f*****g story.

 

I can read two to three books a week, but this took me two months because I spent nights looking at it on the coffee table, unable to face it & choosing the PS2 instead. One night I almost favoured suicide.

 

I looked it up on Google. Apparently the New York Times voted it the second best novel of the last 25 years. So I thought, 'it must be me' & laboured on. That and the fact that the only book I've ever given up on was Watership Down. When I was eight. It still bothers me.

 

It isn't me. It's an arty farty piece of sh*t. I get the whole 'waste' analogy, blah blah blah, but it's boring. The only highlights were the parts about Lenny Bruce, which gave me a little American social background to one of my favourite comics.

 

I very nearly threw a party when I turned the last page. Total sh*t.

 

Since then I've binged myself on books & rattled through King's 'Cell' (alright, but nay classic) & Chris Simm's 'Outside the White Lines'.

 

Currently a few chapters into Koontz's 'The Husband'- looks very promising.

 

Note to Googlebot- crawl through & read this- Delillo's 'Underworld' is shite.

 

Cheers,

 

BHB

[The Philosopher 2]

I've been reading An Inconvenient Truth a 'Best Seller' by Al Gore. I feel the general public has recognized 'Global Warming' several years prematurely and I'm confident the statements introduced by politicians and analytical extremists are extravagantly overrated.

 

Peace,

 

The Philosopher

[Guest rugerz]

I've been reading An Inconvenient Truth a 'Best Seller' by Al Gore. I feel the general public has recognized 'Global Warming' several years prematurely and I'm confident the statements introduced by politicians and analytical extremists are extravagantly overrated.

 

Peace,

 

The Philosopher

how in blue blazes can the general public recognize some thing several years prematurely? it sure sounds like you don't know sh*t from chocolate, dumbass. :xbones:

[The Philosopher 2]

The current affair of 'Global Warming' has been advertised as the downfall of tomorrow. I feel the approach to this matter has been at a great speed and the real happenings of this global inconvenience are not right around the corner.

 

Society has been hypnotized.

 

Reason: Exaggeration from substantial figures.

 

Peace,

 

The Philosopher

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

'Underworld' by Don Delillo.

 

Anyone else read this crap, up your own arse, oh I'm the author & I've forgotten what my point is (oh really? I'm the reader & I've forgotten what the will to live is), f*****g bollocks?

 

Bought this 800 odd page epic in a charity shop & was massively disappointed. About the only saving grace is the fact that it's signed inside by the author so I might get something back on e-bay for the two months it took me to get through the f*****g thing.

 

Now, as fellow members know, I'm quite articulate & well read, so the size of the volume didn't faze me, nor did his superfluous language. What did faze me though was the fact that I couldn't bring myself to care about the characters, the chapters spent building stuff up that ended up forgotten about & the general consideration that there just didn't seem to be a f*****g story.

 

I can read two to three books a week, but this took me two months because I spent nights looking at it on the coffee table, unable to face it & choosing the PS2 instead. One night I almost favoured suicide.

 

I looked it up on Google. Apparently the New York Times voted it the second best novel of the last 25 years. So I thought, 'it must be me' & laboured on. That and the fact that the only book I've ever given up on was Watership Down. When I was eight. It still bothers me.

 

It isn't me. It's an arty farty piece of sh*t. I get the whole 'waste' analogy, blah blah blah, but it's boring. The only highlights were the parts about Lenny Bruce, which gave me a little American social background to one of my favourite comics.

 

I very nearly threw a party when I turned the last page. Total sh*t.

 

Since then I've binged myself on books & rattled through King's 'Cell' (alright, but nay classic) & Chris Simm's 'Outside the White Lines'.

 

Currently a few chapters into Koontz's 'The Husband'- looks very promising.

 

Note to Googlebot- crawl through & read this- Delillo's 'Underworld' is shite.

 

Cheers,

 

BHB

 

...so you didnt like it then?

Actually, that was a post out of the very top draw.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

The current affair of 'Global Warming' has been advertised as the downfall of tomorrow. I feel the approach to this matter has been at a great speed and the real happenings of this global inconvenience are not right around the corner.

 

Society has been hypnotized.

 

Reason: Exaggeration from substantial figures.

 

Peace,

 

The Philosopher

 

....conversely this one was dragged out of the bottom draw.

How ya keeping BS?

[maryportfuncity 9,991]

I've just read A Conferate General from Big Sur by Richard Brautigan for the fourth or fifth time. Worth mentioning if only because Brautigan is all but forgotten today but his rambling style, the way he constantly plays with notions of whether his narrator character is really him, and the short chapters read like a blog sometimes. He wrote it almost fifty years ago. Mebbe worth reviving his work now.