Thread: What book are you reading right now?

Originally Posted by DrAndy

"Autumn of the Patriarch" by GG Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: One Hundred Years of Solitude...This was his main book...and pretty much sealed the Nobel Prize for him...maybe 1982?...he is one of the great writers...and this book is sheer brilliance...

^ yes, I have read that a few times too

I was really into that set of Latin American writers, Marquez, Puig, Llosa, etc etc

I have never really been enthralled by Borges though

^ Borges is a tough one...But read his short poem, Elegy...beautiful...

anyway, I have three Patrick White novels lined up for next week

eeny meeny miney mo

Originally Posted by DrAndy

non-fiction and about stuff women go through

Originally Posted by DrAndy

Probably not your interest

Yep, Is this your duaghters first published work?

Congratulations to her anyway!

Originally Posted by palexxxx

'Fog on the Tyne' is the name of a song by a Geordie

You probably know this Palexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I,m just havin a larf about this clown
one of the better known Northern monkeys

Originally Posted by nigelandjan

Originally Posted by palexxxx

'Fog on the Tyne' is the name of a song by a Geordie

You probably know this Palexxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I,m just havin a larf about this clown
one of the better known Northern monkeys

No, I don't know this Northern monkey. Who is he? He isn't a soccer player is he?

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Tried it about a year ago, couldn't get into it. Took it to Cha-am with me over the last couple of days to try again... don't rate him as a writer at all, reads like the bloke is on drugs, which may be the point, but to my mind he doesn't write well - trying so hard to be smart that he shows no craft...

Not surprised, he's a miserable self-important wanker. Tries to come across as a cool, cynical character but actually comes across as a whinging, irrelevant bollix.

Here he is:


Cnut.

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

don't rate him as a writer at all, reads like the bloke is on drugs

Originally Posted by khmen

he's a miserable self-important wanker

he likes to be one of the "chattering classes" but is an incredible bore

he says he was a heroin addict but who cares, his writing is tedious

he used to get invited onto chat shows in the Uk but his contributions were not worth much

I'm now about a third of the way through Mo Hayder's Gone. It's about a kidnapper / car thief. It's my first book by her and only my third or fourth British written book. It's pretty good in the sense that it has a few stories happening at the same time. the only negative to this is that one of the storylines is about the female cop, and I feel like I would have to have read a previous book or a following book to get the whole picture.

Reviews

Hayder, Mo - 'Gone'
Hardback: 416 pages (Feb. 2010) Publisher: Bantam Press ISBN: 0593063813
Jack Caffery is a detective based in Bristol, and in this book, he is searching for a car-jacker with a difference. Someone is stealing cars, with children in the back. Sometimes the children are returned, but sometimes not. But it is not as simple as it seems. The car-jacker is targeting particular families, and he seems to know all about them, including where they live, and their family backgrounds. What is his motivation, and will Jack find the two missing girls in time to prevent them dying?
As well as Jack, this book again features Flea, the head of the Avon and Somerset underwater search unit. She is back on form in this book, but still as determined and reckless as ever, following up possible clues on her own, and putting her own life at risk. The walking man, a tramp who was once a businessman, but lost his daughter to a paedophile, also makes an appearance or two, helping Jack to work things out.
The story itself is a pretty straightforward one. Jack has a peculiar knack for following up clues that gradually move them closer to finding the car-jacker step by step. The identity of the car-jacker is well hidden, the plot is well written and the clues are cleverly placed so that the reader is able to work out what is going one side by side with Jack. There is some nice use of sophisticated detection techniques that help to move the story along. And that's pretty much it. Mo Hayder is back on form with this book, and it's well worth a read.
Michelle Peckham, England
March 2010

Originally Posted by Bettyboo

Tried it about a year ago, couldn't get into it. Took it to Cha-am with me over the last couple of days to try again... don't rate him as a writer at all, reads like the bloke is on drugs, which may be the point, but to my mind he doesn't write well - trying so hard to be smart that he shows no craft...

I read this and found it quite amusing, if a little "Jewish" then read another of his books which was total bollocks.
I truly believe that if i met him face to face after about 15mins i would want to smack him round his ears.

^ why not on the nose???

I've just started, and really don't know what's going on...

Ordered from amazon but not recieved it yet, when I do i'll be mostly reading...

Twisting My Melon: The Autobiography, By Shaun Ryder - Reviews, Books - The Independent

Half way through a Stephen King classic - Gerald's Game

King is a master. Every syllable scares the shit out of me.

Just finished "Battle Cry of Freedom" James Mcpherson...very enlightening book about the American Civil War..expose really of all the stupidity, ineptness ,politicking ,waste of life.....same same all wars I guess.
This is a Pulitzer prize winner, I bought it used and some moron has written ball point critiques of punctuation and content...go figure..

Also just reread for the umpteenth time one of my 60% complete collection of Patrick O'Brian. ( Master and Commander Movie)...."Desolation Island" this time.. Excellent writer of British Naval Historical fiction among others. Fantastically descriptive ,humour, drama...his books have everything

Just re read Michel Houllebeq's "Platform"

I like his writing with its sense of detachment from events in his narrative. Reminds me of the Camus we had to read at school.

Amazon.com: Platform (9780375414626): Michel Houellebecq, Frank Wynne: Books

"The controversial French author of The Elementary Particles (2000) turns in another unremittingly bleak novel. In addition to amplifying his views on the decadence of Western civilization, Houellebecq displays an absolutely chilling prescience in his depiction of a violent Muslim sect. Misanthropic, sexually frustrated bureaucrat Michel embarks on a "Thai Tropic" package tour, amusing himself with snide commentary on his fellow vacationers and frequent visits to sex clubs. Although he is attracted to business executive Valerie, he has trouble engaging her in small talk. However, when they return to Paris, their relationship quickly turns passionate as they explore sadomasochism and public sex. Michel talks Valerie and her business partner into marketing sex tours to the Third World, selling them on his theory that Westerners have lost touch with their own sexuality. But when they decide to sample one of their own tours, their resort becomes a flashpoint for Islamic hatred. Houellebecq is unrelenting as he meticulously constructs a world that mirrors his own cold vision and that cuts uncomfortably close to the bone.

Read a few auto-biographies lately. A couple of ex-footie stars Stuart Pearce's "Psycho" and Jimmy Greaves' "Greavsie". Both a bit surprisingly dull considering their author's charismatic personalities on the field at least.

This one was a fukcing cracker though. Mark E. Smith (of the band The Fall) has an auto-biog out called "Renegade" which is probably the funniest music industry-related book I've ever read. Love him or loathe the guy, the rants and social commentary observations of Smith are absolutely hilarious and brutal at the same time. During his time as the Fall's outspoken frontman, he has managed to upset most of the people and peers in the music biz, and you can find out why in this tome. Must read item.

Finally finished all the volumes of Jeff Shaara and his father on the Revolutionary War, Civil War, and WWII. Am now reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Complete Brigadier Gerard". Quite good - kind of like a French Flashman, but not as cowardly.

First post, right now I am reading "The Quiet American" which was actually posted already in this thread. I bought it in Vietnam. Its a small book so it should be a fairly quick read.

Does anybody read any books on philosophy. Plato, Macchiavelli, Neitzche...etc? If you do, any suggestions?

I am presently reading "The Fortune of The Rougons". This is the first in the the twenty books which form the Rougon-Macquart series and was written by Emile Zola in 1871.

I've read a couple of his books before but this time I am going to read them all in the order in which he wrote them. All the books are free in Kindle and pdf formats.

My Kindle is wonderful and I now have over two thousand books on it.

Currently reading a book I probably shouldn't mention on here so I wont.