Books - What are you reading?

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Currently reading 3 men in a boat by Jerome k Jerome

The only positive thing about that book is that it's short.

I really enjoyed Nod.

read two whole books on my hols - thats 1 a week, amazing for a slow reader!

both good, both depressing.

William Trevor writes (wrote) beautifully.

Now I'm commuting by train means I have some time to read. Just finished:

and now on:

I didn't get on with it. Something about the kind of over-floral prose that kept pulling me out of the story. Some fun ideas though - and I did like the surreal, hypnogogic aspect to it.

I have to say it's hard work. Not a lot going on.

I'm not sure how Jerome is seen as such a literary titan

Finally finished Infinte Jest.

Bloody hell.

I'm re-reading Brave New World. Read it first as a teen. I'm getting a completely different feel from it this time - like reading it for the first time. I'm probably just slightly less stoopid 20 years later. Or slightly more?

How many words are in war and peace?

Just finished Alan Moore's "Providence" series and the side story "neonomicon". Took a bit of work getting through the written bits but defo worth it. Amazing story. Helps if you've read a bit of Lovecraft before so you know what they're on about. Recommend reading providence 1+2, then neonomicon before providence 3. 9/10 would read again.

No idea. I’m moving onto The Brothers Karamazov for some light relief.

I've just finished consider the lobster. Excellent essays, still no desire to go back and give Infinite Jest another go.

At what point does it get good?

Interesting question. The different strands do come together but it’s not a traditional novel with a conclusion and everything tied up neatly.

How far did you get?

Around the 200 page mark I guess. I recall some tennis but not much else.

This thread should be called Blokey Books

Before i went freelance, I used to chat books with a woman in my office a fair bit. She had a pet hate for a certain type of male author, employing a certain type of language/syntax. She referred to their books as 'blokey books'. Offending authors were Will Self and Martin Amis, amongst others. I guess it was people who kind of 'flex' their wordiness and clever sentences a bit. I did kind of get where she was coming from, although I can appreciate a self-consciously smartarse sentence as much as the next bloke :-)

Haha! Oh man I fucking loathe Martin Amis!

Just finished the latest "Girl with Dragon tattoo" that Steig Larsson didn't write.
Very formulaic, if you've read any of the others then you know what's going on.
Now re reading Geoff Dyer "Jeff in Venice , death in varanasi" as i've just come back from Venice and it is a great read, I fucking love Geoff Dyer.

Finished
3 men in a boat - terrible, wish I hadn't started it
Vile bodies - excellent, love a bit of Waugh
Cuckoo calling - great book, started the next in the series called silkworm

Annie Proulx for the win.
Non blokey books but still covering the essential topics: life death sex poverty love drinking and cowboys.

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie.....bit heavy going, not quite got into it yet.

I have some books that need a good home. Making space for GF's if you want any pm me and I'll put them to one side, collection from sw4 weekend of the 30th September otherwise they head to charity shop.

Apologies for head cranking photo.

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