Recent book purchases

Johnny5 · 1st April 2008, 03:52 PM

I've been reading a lot more recently because there's no more TV left to download that is good and British TV is pure shite.

I recently bought A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami.
Two of my favourite authors.

A Star Called Henry is brilliant so far. It's about Dublin in the early 20th Century and deals with the Easter uprising and other Irish republican events. Tremendous, but a little over-dramatised. The character Henry Smart is a bit of a cunt, but immensely likeable, classic anti-hero stuff. The descriptions of Dublin are brilliant, as is the way he portrays the Easter uprising as more of a class based war rather than nationalistic pride.

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a short story compilation. I'm really looking forward to digging in. Murakami is possibly a contender for one of the greatest living authors, in my opinion.

I couldn't find the other thread like this to write bored stuff at work so someone bump it if you find it.

ubermensch · 1st April 2008, 08:27 PM

I'll have to check out Murakami. I've heard a lot of good things about those books, particularly Norwegian Wood.

I've been reading loads of Iain Banks recently. In the past few months I've read The Crow Road, Espedair Street and now I'm reading Whit (which I managed to pick up in a charity shop for 50p). I was put off him earlier in my teens, having read Complicity (brilliant) which was then tragically followed up with The Business (utter tosh). The Steep Approach to Garbadale has been getting good press, so I'm gonna see if I can pick that up soon.

Between reading Iain Banks, I've been reading a bunch of Raymond E Feist fantasy novels which I found in my parents house. I read them when I was younger and couldn't remember anything about them. Now that I've read them again, I can see why I was seemingly so quick to erase them from my memory because they're fucking horrendous in every way. It seems it must be impossible to write anything in the fantasy genre nowadays without either running the risk of ripping off LOTR or being completely trite and nonsensical.

My problem is that even if I hate whatever I'm reading, I have to stick it out to the bitter end. I'm the same with films - the only film I've ever walked out of was Spawn. The end result is that I invariably end up wasting a lot of my life reading and watching nonsense.

It's not all bad news though, I did find a bunch of stuff by the late Arthur C Clarke that belonged to my brother, so I'm gonna get around to them eventually.

SuperMike! · 1st April 2008, 09:13 PM

I'm still only halfway through "The Naming of the Dead" by Iain Rankine, cos now i don't get the bus to work i don't get around to reading. I don't think you're meant to read when you're driving.

I have, however, started acquiring a pile of things to read. "Tombstoning" by Doug Johnstone, "Boy A" by Jonathan Trigell (the film version on Channel 4 was excellent, one of the best things i've seen on TV in ages), "Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and "China Shakes The World: The Rise of a Hungry Nation" by James Kynge are all fired up and ready to go.

Vikrum · 1st April 2008, 09:52 PM

Boy A was enjoyable.
Rebus series is not.

I received a Borders voucher recently, so got Kerouac's On The Road and a couple of F Scott Fitzgerald books i was missing. I was chuffed to discover that both Penguin Classics and Wordsworth Classics (i think?) were hideously cheap. I got Sense and Sensibilty, Dostoyevsky's Crime & Punishment, a new copy of Dubliners, and a few poetry collections for £2 or less each.

I keep dipping in and out of The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier which is right up my street, and ploughing my way through Ginsberg's poetry. He's really special if no-ones ventured there before.

I'm pretty excited to dip into The Bell Jar by Plath after reading her poetry and acquiring the book, but i think that'll have to wait until after exams.

I love reading. I like this thread.

SuperMike! · 1st April 2008, 10:00 PM

The Rebus book was a curiosity purchase, having never read one before. I'm trying to completely forget the film version of Boy A before i read it so that i can get into it a bit easier.

From school until recently i've tended not to read fiction, over the last few years it's mostly been music related stuff or other factual books. "Rip It Up & Start Again" by Simon Reynolds being a particular favourite, a series of interlinked essays on the music of the "post punk" era, running from about '78 - '84; PIL & Gang of 4 through to the New Romantics via Manchester, New York, Sheffield and Scotland, amongst other signposts.

I read The Crow Road about a year ago, enjoyed that quite a lot but have yet to move on to any more Banks, anyone have any recommendations?

Oh, and i'm going to pre-empt Alan G requesting his books back. I'll read them sometime too!

Thee Alex · 1st April 2008, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuperMike!

I read The Crow Road about a year ago, enjoyed that quite a lot but have yet to move on to any more Banks, anyone have any recommendations?

Go for The Bridge, Espedair Street, Walking on Glass, Complicity, and Whit from his 'straight' fiction. From the sci-fi stuff I'd recommend Consider Phlebus, Excession, Look to Windward, Player of Games, and Use of Weapons.

ubermensch · 1st April 2008, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vikrum

I'm pretty excited to dip into The Bell Jar by Plath after reading her poetry and acquiring the book, but i think that'll have to wait until after exams.

I thought The Bell Jar was a bit of a letdown to be honest, considering the hype and everything else surrounding it; I was fairly bored by the end of it, truth be told. It's a shame because I think some of her poetry is excellent ('Mushrooms' etc).

Afro Joe · 1st April 2008, 11:17 PM

I'm currently reading Iain Banks again too, after not reading much since I left school. Just got The Steep Approach to Garbadale and quite enjoying it, although it seems quite typical Banks. Started reading the Bridge, but keep having too much stuff on to get properly into it and understand what the fuck is happening. I would definately recommend Espedair Street and The Wasp Factory. Read Whit at school but wasn't really that into it.
Also just acquired (played a jazz gig at an arts fair and got some free books) Doug Naylor's Last Human - his solo Red Dwarf novel - and three Douglas Coupland books: Hey Nostradamus, Eleanor Rigby and Microserfs. Always been curious about Coupland but never checked him out.
Just read Guy Pratt's really funny book My Bass and Other Animals, all about his career in the 80s and 90s as a session bassist for Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Madonna and plenty others. Also been reading books about Jazz for history at uni. Researching Free Jazz mostly, which is interesting stuff, just really hard to sit down and listen to.

Mike, the bad write-ups I read about that Post Punk book put me off, but I should really just give it a go. I've been really loving all that music recently.

Thee Alex · 1st April 2008, 11:25 PM

You read bad reviews of 'Rip It Up And Start Again'??? I don't think I've seen anything less than glowing said about it. It's truly an excellent read.

The Bridge is genius, I'd recommend giving it the time it needs, you'll not regret it.

Afro Joe · 2nd April 2008, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thee Alex

You read bad reviews of 'Rip It Up And Start Again'??? I don't think I've seen anything less than glowing said about it. It's truly an excellent read.

Yeah. They basically said 'don't bother with the book, just get the cd they put out instead'.
I'll try and pick it up in the library next time I'm in.

AlanG · 2nd April 2008, 07:05 AM

Currently reading Necromancer by William Gibson, which is overhyped so far. Currently have a pile of about 100 unread books that increased in size over the weekend as well as my magazine/journal pile. I need to read books faster than I buy them. Currently down to a book a month rather than my average of a book and a half a week.

Thee Alex · 2nd April 2008, 08:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Afro Joe

Yeah. They basically said 'don't bother with the book, just get the cd they put out instead'.
I'll try and pick it up in the library next time I'm in.

God, whoever said that is an idiot! The book is great and well worth getting.

SuperMike! · 2nd April 2008, 05:16 PM

I'm 100% in agreement with Alex on "Rip It Up". I'll get "Energy Flash", Reynolds' book about house/rave/dance/hip hop etc soon.

1st April 2008, 03:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
Johnny5 cock in hand Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Dundee Posts: 1,707	Recent book purchases I've been reading a lot more recently because there's no more TV left to download that is good and British TV is pure shite. I recently bought A Star Called Henry by Roddy Doyle and Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami. Two of my favourite authors. A Star Called Henry is brilliant so far. It's about Dublin in the early 20th Century and deals with the Easter uprising and other Irish republican events. Tremendous, but a little over-dramatised. The character Henry Smart is a bit of a cunt, but immensely likeable, classic anti-hero stuff. The descriptions of Dublin are brilliant, as is the way he portrays the Easter uprising as more of a class based war rather than nationalistic pride. Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman is a short story compilation. I'm really looking forward to digging in. Murakami is possibly a contender for one of the greatest living authors, in my opinion. I couldn't find the other thread like this to write bored stuff at work so someone bump it if you find it.

1st April 2008, 08:27 PM	#2 (permalink)
ubermensch Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pat Sharp's basement. Posts: 632 Band: Juliet Kilo	I'll have to check out Murakami. I've heard a lot of good things about those books, particularly Norwegian Wood. I've been reading loads of Iain Banks recently. In the past few months I've read The Crow Road, Espedair Street and now I'm reading Whit (which I managed to pick up in a charity shop for 50p). I was put off him earlier in my teens, having read Complicity (brilliant) which was then tragically followed up with The Business (utter tosh). The Steep Approach to Garbadale has been getting good press, so I'm gonna see if I can pick that up soon. Between reading Iain Banks, I've been reading a bunch of Raymond E Feist fantasy novels which I found in my parents house. I read them when I was younger and couldn't remember anything about them. Now that I've read them again, I can see why I was seemingly so quick to erase them from my memory because they're fucking horrendous in every way. It seems it must be impossible to write anything in the fantasy genre nowadays without either running the risk of ripping off LOTR or being completely trite and nonsensical. My problem is that even if I hate whatever I'm reading, I have to stick it out to the bitter end. I'm the same with films - the only film I've ever walked out of was Spawn. The end result is that I invariably end up wasting a lot of my life reading and watching nonsense. It's not all bad news though, I did find a bunch of stuff by the late Arthur C Clarke that belonged to my brother, so I'm gonna get around to them eventually. Last edited by ubermensch : 1st April 2008 at 08:34 PM.

2nd April 2008, 07:05 AM	#11 (permalink)
AlanG ModSword +5 of Editing Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,309	Currently reading Necromancer by William Gibson, which is overhyped so far. Currently have a pile of about 100 unread books that increased in size over the weekend as well as my magazine/journal pile. I need to read books faster than I buy them. Currently down to a book a month rather than my average of a book and a half a week. __________________ Ernie Ross - "I'm not a rent-a-quote MP" 10 Sep 04 Ernie Ross being a rent-a-quote MP 23 Jul 04

1st April 2008, 09:13 PM	#3 (permalink)
SuperMike! Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,172 Band: The A Forest. Kaput.	I'm still only halfway through "The Naming of the Dead" by Iain Rankine, cos now i don't get the bus to work i don't get around to reading. I don't think you're meant to read when you're driving. I have, however, started acquiring a pile of things to read. "Tombstoning" by Doug Johnstone, "Boy A" by Jonathan Trigell (the film version on Channel 4 was excellent, one of the best things i've seen on TV in ages), "Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb and "China Shakes The World: The Rise of a Hungry Nation" by James Kynge are all fired up and ready to go.

1st April 2008, 09:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
Vikrum Registered User Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Dundee Posts: 294	Boy A was enjoyable. Rebus series is not. I received a Borders voucher recently, so got Kerouac's On The Road and a couple of F Scott Fitzgerald books i was missing. I was chuffed to discover that both Penguin Classics and Wordsworth Classics (i think?) were hideously cheap. I got Sense and Sensibilty, Dostoyevsky's Crime & Punishment, a new copy of Dubliners, and a few poetry collections for £2 or less each. I keep dipping in and out of The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier which is right up my street, and ploughing my way through Ginsberg's poetry. He's really special if no-ones ventured there before. I'm pretty excited to dip into The Bell Jar by Plath after reading her poetry and acquiring the book, but i think that'll have to wait until after exams. I love reading. I like this thread.

1st April 2008, 10:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
SuperMike! Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,172 Band: The A Forest. Kaput.	The Rebus book was a curiosity purchase, having never read one before. I'm trying to completely forget the film version of Boy A before i read it so that i can get into it a bit easier. From school until recently i've tended not to read fiction, over the last few years it's mostly been music related stuff or other factual books. "Rip It Up & Start Again" by Simon Reynolds being a particular favourite, a series of interlinked essays on the music of the "post punk" era, running from about '78 - '84; PIL & Gang of 4 through to the New Romantics via Manchester, New York, Sheffield and Scotland, amongst other signposts. I read The Crow Road about a year ago, enjoyed that quite a lot but have yet to move on to any more Banks, anyone have any recommendations? Oh, and i'm going to pre-empt Alan G requesting his books back. I'll read them sometime too!

1st April 2008, 11:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
Afro Joe Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Glasgow Posts: 7,255	I'm currently reading Iain Banks again too, after not reading much since I left school. Just got The Steep Approach to Garbadale and quite enjoying it, although it seems quite typical Banks. Started reading the Bridge, but keep having too much stuff on to get properly into it and understand what the fuck is happening. I would definately recommend Espedair Street and The Wasp Factory. Read Whit at school but wasn't really that into it. Also just acquired (played a jazz gig at an arts fair and got some free books) Doug Naylor's Last Human - his solo Red Dwarf novel - and three Douglas Coupland books: Hey Nostradamus, Eleanor Rigby and Microserfs. Always been curious about Coupland but never checked him out. Just read Guy Pratt's really funny book My Bass and Other Animals, all about his career in the 80s and 90s as a session bassist for Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Madonna and plenty others. Also been reading books about Jazz for history at uni. Researching Free Jazz mostly, which is interesting stuff, just really hard to sit down and listen to. Mike, the bad write-ups I read about that Post Punk book put me off, but I should really just give it a go. I've been really loving all that music recently.

1st April 2008, 11:25 PM	#9 (permalink)
Thee Alex UGS Assassin Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Solihull, West Midlands Posts: 3,912 Band: Thee Moths, Wülfstabber, Explosions and Screaming, Catface, DJ Wrong Homer, Señor Citizen, Thee Infinite Golden Universe, Sports, WRRRMS, former member of Lipsick!	You read bad reviews of 'Rip It Up And Start Again'??? I don't think I've seen anything less than glowing said about it. It's truly an excellent read. The Bridge is genius, I'd recommend giving it the time it needs, you'll not regret it.

2nd April 2008, 05:16 PM	#13 (permalink)
SuperMike! Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,172 Band: The A Forest. Kaput.	I'm 100% in agreement with Alex on "Rip It Up". I'll get "Energy Flash", Reynolds' book about house/rave/dance/hip hop etc soon.