View Full Version : Books!
mouldy_bread
4 Jun 2003, 16:53
Anyone around here read them? If so what are you reading at the moment?
Any reccomendations would be welcome.
I'm reading Couldn't Keep It To Myself by Wally Lamb, but I'm almost finished, so I'm looking for a new book to replace it.
Reading is for stupid people.
i'm re-reading the wheel of time series.
Bombers 2003
4 Jun 2003, 18:15
Originally posted by mouldy_bread
Anyone around here read them? If so what are you reading at the moment?
Any reccomendations would be welcome.
I'm reading Couldn't Keep It To Myself by Wally Lamb, but I'm almost finished, so I'm looking for a new book to replace it. Just started "Shoot Straight,
You barstards"
Bombers 2003
4 Jun 2003, 18:17
Originally posted by ozzult
Reading is for stupid people. Is that why u Dont?.
NICK THE PIE MAN
4 Jun 2003, 18:18
Just finished reading 'The Orchid Thief' By Susan Orlean. Anyone seen the film 'Adaptation'? You will know what the book is about if you saw it.
This is my sort of thread.
Just finished Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood (my favourite author it seems.) I'm currently reading A short History of the World by Geoffrey Blainey, and re-reading the 4th Harry Potter book so I'm all-knowing when I get my preordered coppy of the Order of the Phoenix. Once I've finished that, I'll probably give John Updike's Rabbit series another go (I gave up halfway through the second book last time.)
I have $170 of book vouchers left over, which I got on my birthday. Problem is, most of them are for Angus and Robertson, and I don't really know what I want.
"Fever Pitch" by Nick Hornby
It is about soccer (Arsenal in particular) which is not usually something I follow, but it manages to capture that incredible sense of passion that you can feel for your team and the game, regardless of the sport... and the impact it can have on your life
Had me enthralled from start to finish!! :)
fitzmantle
4 Jun 2003, 21:37
"The Rum Diaries" by Hunter S. Thompson
Its about getting drunk in Puerto Rico
bluechampion
4 Jun 2003, 22:06
Get ahold of "Lullaby" by Chuck Palanhiuk (the bloke who wrote Fight Club). It'll **** up your head.
Also, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" by Michael Chabon. It won a pulitzer prize, but is still very good. Quite an epic.
Originally posted by ozzult
Reading is for stupid people.
So you just guessed what this topic was about . :p
"One down, one missing" is the next book I will read. (Apart from health and anatomy books that I have to read every day so I know more then my patients. :) (I'm a Remedial masseur and everyone asks me questions like why does it hurt when I .... .......):)
Anything by Clive Cussler. Dirk Pitt is the greatest hero of all time!
The Carl Hiasson novels are classics, expecially "Striptease", it's so much better than the movie.
There is also an Australian novelist that I like, Lindy Cameron. She writes in the same comic vein as Hiasson, but her setting is Melbourne instead of Florida. And her character Kit O'Malley is a hoot.
mouldy_bread
5 Jun 2003, 09:01
Originally posted by NICK THE PIE MAN
Just finished reading 'The Orchid Thief' By Susan Orlean. Anyone seen the film 'Adaptation'? You will know what the book is about if you saw it.
I saw that movie, it was quite interesting. Is the book along the same lines of the film or completly different?
Thanks for the suggestions everyone, I'm sure they'll keep me busy for a while.
Ahh, while we're talking about books, I'm looking for some decent Australian literature. I don't like Peter Carey (at least not his short stories, other than 'conversations with unicorns' which is odd because I tend to take his style when writing my own short stories) and until now, only American and Canadian authors have appealed to me. I don't think I even KNOW who are Australian authors. Any suggestions on Aus lit?
mouldy_bread
5 Jun 2003, 09:20
Hmm... the only author I can think of is Tim Winton. I refuse to read any of his books due to the traumatic reading of Lockie Leonard in Yr9, but other people seem to think he is fantastic.
Dogwatcher
5 Jun 2003, 10:16
Bombers 2003 - I recently finished Shoot Striaght You Bastards. An interesting historical which goes below the myt. Youll enjoy it.
Fitzmantle - If you enjoyed the Rum Diaries. You should read HST's The Proud Highway - Letters of A Southern Gentleman. Great read and an insight into the twisted mind of HST, also he agonises over the future of The Rum Diaries in many of the letters.
Koala - Nick Hornby also wrote About a Boy. If you havent seen the movie, read the book first. Hornby is a great down to earth writer - similar to Australia's Nick Earls.
Now as to what I'm reading: In the last five days I have finished Fortunate Son, a look into George W's climb to power. The 'machine' didnt like this expose about the Prez's draft dodging, pantty sniffing, coke taking days at university. Also Brothel - a look at Mustang Ranch: a legal brothel in Nevada, the only state in the US which has such institutions. The author went in a bit of a moralist but learnt so much through her writing.
Am currently reading Women of Sand and Myrh - about women living in a Muslim country, written by one of the middle east's finest female writers (sorry can't recall her name) and Bill Bryson's Notes from a Small Isle (a whimsical and witty journey around England). Half way through both of the books.
Originally posted by Dogwatcher
Koala - Nick Hornby also wrote About a Boy. If you havent seen the movie, read the book first. Hornby is a great down to earth writer - similar to Australia's Nick Earls.Too late! have seen the movie. Didn't think much of it, actually (just couldn't get into Hugh Grant's character) but I can see that the book would be good....
Hornby also wrote High Fidelity didn't he? but it was set in England rather than the US like in the movie
dreampolice
5 Jun 2003, 10:54
Ahhhhh good thread!
Just finished ' To sir with love [by Eric Braithwaite, one of the most moving books i have read.
I have promised myself i wil lread Moby **** this year!
Foundation series by Isaac Asimov is sensational stuff, i re-read it every few years.
Also read recently the scripts to Blackadder, hilarious and much better than the shows!
Also Shogun was well worth a read.
Derek Pratchetts Disk world series also is amongst the funniest stuff i have read best being Mork
keep the reviews going guys this is a great thread!
doubleblues
5 Jun 2003, 13:23
any of the Robert Barrett (Les Norton) books
crime writer Michael Connelly writes a good yarn also
the alchemist by coelho is a great book
The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule
It's about Ted Bundy, one of America's most famous and worst serial killers.
Renegade
6 Jun 2003, 13:35
I've never been much of a reader unless it was a sporting stars biography or a book somehow involving sport. However i've come across Bill Bryson who is a travel writer and his books are brilliant. Extremely humorous and witty, i just love everything he's put out. 'Notes from a big country' 'I'm a stranger here myself' and 'A walk in the woods' are probrably my top three picks.
manutd/dogs
6 Jun 2003, 15:51
Anything by Winton is definitely recommended. Have just finished Dreamcatcher by Stephen King, which I was quite disappointed with. Am now reading 'The Art of War' by Sun Tzu. Next on the list is Orwell's 1984.
I definately have to go to bed as I could have sworn I just posted a small list of the bookds I'm reading. ......too much work going out and trying to watch the Roos on late night replay is doing me in...
BTW Open Swimmer by Tim WInton is lovely
but I just finished The way I found her by Rose Tremain (great and strange but very evocative of the Paris I know))
and The Adventures and Misadventures of Peter Beard in Africa
by Jon Bowermaster (whoo-hoo - a fave)
Rough Guide to Man Utd 2002-2003 (funny and useful little book)
Come Tell Me How You Live by Agatha Christie (takes you there)
Dogwatcher
7 Jun 2003, 12:10
Originally posted by aggels
Ahh, while we're talking about books, I'm looking for some decent Australian literature.
Try Robert Drewe.
A Victorian born, West Australian raised former journalist ( as all good writers are - at least I hope so!).
He wrote the book from which the recent Ned Kelly movie was based callde Our Sunshine. Please read, but look past that.
He has written at least two wonderful novels that knock that book flat on its arse.
There was The Drowners and The Shark Net. Wonderfully evocative and down to earth books. Based on true stories, they have a wonderful perspective of a child growing up, surrounded by his world and the development of Australian society. Great time and place pieces.
I understand The Shark Net is going to be on the ABC this year some time as a short series. Please read before watching.
Hmmm... don't like Peter Carey, aggels so maybe David Malouf won't be your cup of tea but he's been a major Aussie literary light. For urban humour try He died with a Felafel in his Hand
fitzmantle
8 Jun 2003, 00:09
John Birmingham
who else is there?
Tasmanian babe fiasco???
Bukowski
Kerouac
Holmes
Welsh??
Dippers Donuts
10 Jun 2003, 22:35
A couple of good books I have read recently and would recommend;
1: The Mechanical Turk: A true story of a mechanical chess playing automaton; built in the 18th century by a science wiz kid of the day. Fascinating; totally fooled the royalty and gentility of the day into believing that the machine could play chess. Took nearly a 100 years for the secret to be worked out.
2: The Night Inspector, by Frederick Busch. Beautiful story of a facially maimed civil war veteran who despite the carnage he endured and inflicted manages to maintain a certain dignity and optimism.
3: Silent night. The true story of the Christmas Eve football match between the germans and the english during WW1.
So many good books; so little time...
USAEagle
11 Jun 2003, 01:07
I just read The Bourne Identity, by RObert Ludlum.
It made me wonder where they got the Matt Damon Movie.
Now into the sequal, The Bourne Supremancy, with "The Bourne Ultimatum" in the offing.
PG WOdehouse is my favourite author.
I also like the Clive Cussler books, Jod....go back and read the first one again and tell me how long Dirk Pitt would last in today's politically correct society.
Tom Clancy is a must read for me, as is every New John Grisham novel.
Admittedly Clancy waves the flag a lot, and his books are micro written, but after a hundred pages or so, they become the ultiamte page turners.
Thanks for all the suggestions on Australian lit, I will certainly look into them.
NYMets, I read a David Malouf book in year 11 (Johnno), and while I could appreciate it was well written, I found it incredibly boring - it has that dry Australian feeling that I don't like about Peter Carey either. That's why I'm looking for Australian literature that isn't like that, because I refuse to believe that everything book-worthy in Australia is about the country and the 1950s and... gumtrees. I don't know, I guess it's the feeling I've gotten from these books that bug me, perhaps I should have another go at David Malouf, now that I'm older? I have, however, read He died with a Falafel in his hand, and found it quite decent...
But I will go to the library in the next few days and pick up some books by the authors some of you have suggested, so thanks.
Just thought I'd add a couple more books I've read recently, just for the sake of it:
The Secret History by Donna Tartt.
I was recommended it by a friend, and hadn't realised it was one of those much publicised books until after I bought it. It's about a murder really, there were parts that made me think of Crime and Punishment. I got right into it - it was one of those books that I couldnt' put down, but by the end I really hated all the characters, particularly the main one, and was thoroughly disappointed with the ending. Still, I'm glad I read it.
Nightwood - Djuna Barnes
This is one of those books that made me think I'm not as smart with language as I thought I was (as in, I don't understand the English language as well as I thought I did.) I had to read it for my American literature class, and couldn't hack it. The first chapter had 30 words that I didn't understand in it, with sentences that continued for a paragraph which I had to read several times in order to understand. I guess I've mostly read books that have a fairly standard form of English, whereas this book was written in a time when they were experimenting a lot. (A little strange that I found it so hard to read this book, given that I love TS Eliot. Perhaps I don't have the energy to continue on for an entire novel, wheras I can handle it for poetry.) Did I like the book? I don't know, I'll have to read it again sometime. anyone else read it? Does it get easier on a second reading? Was I just particularly dumb for not understanding? Certainly made me feel that I have to read a hell of a lot more before majoring in English, and feeling like I've done something.
dreampolice
11 Jun 2003, 15:20
Speaking of Tom ckancy books ,the best i reckon was
Hunt for red October, released 1987. Absolutley ripper read one of the best books i've read.
Originally posted by noodle
i'm re-reading the wheel of time series.
That lot are becoming harder and harder work as they go along. The last book was 800 pages and absolutely nothing happened, which is a shame as the series started out so well. Probably should have stopped at eight or so books.
The multi-volume novel (which the Wheel of Time is, rather than it being a series) is becoming a bane of the entire Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre; the stories are just becoming too long.
tashibatts
14 Jun 2003, 21:41
Best books I've read have been by John Marsden..
Particularily enjoyed the Tomorrow Series.. haven't read anything of late- only a book for school.
Go Roos
Adrian Shelton
14 Jun 2003, 23:31
Haven't beena big novel reader since high school, American Physcho is funny/scary at the same time, I remember reading brett Easton Ellis' 'The rules of attraction' at high school too. Someone pinched the pages with the sex bits after a few months though(filthy children:D ) The Electric Kool-Aid acid test taught me a lot about how the 60's that everyone remembers started too.
Dogwatcher
16 Jun 2003, 10:01
Originally posted by Adrian Shelton
Someone pinched the pages with the sex bits after a few months though(filthy children:D )
Maybe it was some puritanical teacher or parent who did the dirty dead Shelts.