|
Post by Alpha Hooligan on Oct 1, 2009 21:10:42 GMT
Currently ploughing my way through "The Night Land" by "William Hope Hodgson".
A true classic invoking visions of terrible darkness and powerful images...but bloody hard going, the writing style is just as horrific as the imagry...I will persevere though, because it is rewarding.
AH
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 1, 2009 23:22:15 GMT
I just finished Chris Buckley's memoir, Losing Mum and Pup. It was very interesting to me, having grown up with National Review and snippets about the Buckley family over the years. Ready for something a little different, now . . . maybe fiction.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 2, 2009 17:24:15 GMT
Currently ploughing my way through "The Night Land" by "William Hope Hodgson ". A true classic invoking visions of terrible darkness and powerful images...but bloody hard going, the writing style is just as horrific as the imagry...I will persevere though, because it is rewarding. AH Are his books kind of Lovecraftish? I'd heard of him from a college professor years ago but never known anyone who'd read him. Out of curiosity, I trotted over to Wiki. He was productive to have died so young. I'm going to add the link. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hope_Hodgson
|
|
|
Post by gabriel on Oct 3, 2009 11:30:14 GMT
I very rarely read fiction any more. I know this should be on the other thread but I'll post here. If anyone is interested in historical novels, set in Scotland and Europe during the time of Mary, Queen of Scots, I highly recommend Dorothy Dunbar. 'The Lymond Saga' contains 6 books and they're all very long and I couldn't put them down. It was a lot of reading but well worth it.
Anyway, like I said, I rarely read fiction any more. Non-fiction, I've just finished re-reading 'Jack the Ripper Sites' - Hutchinson and Clack (really well written, great photos if you're into the topic)and Ann Rule 'Perfect Husband, Perfect Murder'. She's one of my favourite true crime writers.
|
|
|
Post by Alpha Hooligan on Oct 3, 2009 19:06:36 GMT
I very rarely read fiction any more. I know this should be on the other thread but I'll post here. Not at all mate, I asked what folks were reading, if you (or other people) are currently reading non-fiction, you are more welcome to post it up here if you want. AH
|
|
|
Post by Alpha Hooligan on Oct 3, 2009 19:13:08 GMT
Currently ploughing my way through "The Night Land" by "William Hope Hodgson ". A true classic invoking visions of terrible darkness and powerful images...but bloody hard going, the writing style is just as horrific as the imagry...I will persevere though, because it is rewarding. AH Are his books kind of Lovecraftish? I'd heard of him from a college professor years ago but never known anyone who'd read him. Out of curiosity, I trotted over to Wiki. He was productive to have died so young. I'm going to add the link. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hope_Hodgson Hi Beth, I can't really do a comparison because this is the first WHH novel I have read, I will be picking up "house on the borderlands" soon, which I believe is very HPL in it's content. The night land is set in the far future, all the suns are dying due to "weird influences, posssibly not of this plain" so, there is certainly that sort of "weird menace" that HPL loved so much, but this story is more about eternal love with some way ahead of it's time sci-fi elements. All in all, it's a pretty strange bundle. A good site with a breakdown, articles, maps, opinions fan-fic etc... www.thenightland.co.uk/nightmap.html#expositionAH
|
|
|
Post by chefmate on Oct 3, 2009 20:42:40 GMT
I just picked up a copy today at the library of True Compass by Ted Kennedy........ For once I think it will be interesting to hear his life story in his words rather than the words of others.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 4, 2009 0:29:24 GMT
Thanks for that link, Alph. I'm sending it out to a couple more people tonight. Good choice, imo, Chris. Hope to read it this winter and am looking forward to it.
|
|
|
Post by chefmate on Oct 8, 2009 11:10:25 GMT
Thanks for that link, Alph. I'm sending it out to a couple more people tonight. Good choice, imo, Chris. Hope to read it this winter and am looking forward to it. so far it is boring and uninteresting so hoping to get to the library Saturday and replacing it with something more interesting
|
|
|
Post by gabriel on Oct 8, 2009 11:42:53 GMT
Well chef, why not a good juicy crime novel? Or any of the many true crime books? Ann Rule is very good. You know, I fell across Agatha Christie when I was 12. I'd never read anything like that before and I was hooked. I think it was After the Funeral and that set me on my fascination with murder and the dark side.
I rarely read fiction anymore which is sad in a way. I speed read - I have to, for my job - so on the rare occasion I read fiction, my rate slows down considerably. Then I can enjoy the descriptions, the conversation.
Anyway chef. A more adult detective read and I enjoyed. The 'Lord Peter Wimsey' stories by Dorothy Sayers.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 8, 2009 13:45:54 GMT
Thanks for that link, Alph. I'm sending it out to a couple more people tonight. Good choice, imo, Chris. Hope to read it this winter and am looking forward to it. so far it is boring and uninteresting so hoping to get to the library Saturday and replacing it with something more interesting I'm sorry to hear that, Chris. May still give it a try. I'm wondering whether some of us might get the same book and read it so we could come in here and discuss it after each 2 or 3 chapters (all depending on how long the chapters are - James Patterson writes 1 1/2 page chapters sometimes). What do you think? We'd need to start a new thread - something like Readers' Roundtable.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 8, 2009 13:52:14 GMT
Gabe, coincidence never ceases to amaze me. Do you by any chance mean, Funerals Are Fatal? I was 11 yrs old when I picked that one up - the reason being, it was offered in our book club list at school. It was my first who-dunnit and, as with you, I was hooked. Read all the Agatha Christie books and moved on from there, finally to true crime and Ann Rule. P.D. James also writes good mysteries if a little plodding at times. Would you be interested in the roundtable thingy for reading and discussing a particular book?
|
|
|
Post by chefmate on Oct 9, 2009 2:42:53 GMT
Well chef, why not a good juicy crime novel? Or any of the many true crime books? Ann Rule is very good. You know, I fell across Agatha Christie when I was 12. I'd never read anything like that before and I was hooked. I think it was After the Funeral and that set me on my fascination with murder and the dark side. I rarely read fiction anymore which is sad in a way. I speed read - I have to, for my job - so on the rare occasion I read fiction, my rate slows down considerably. Then I can enjoy the descriptions, the conversation. Anyway chef. A more adult detective read and I enjoyed. The 'Lord Peter Wimsey' stories by Dorothy Sayers. have read almost all of the Ann Rule books and don't like fiction so will find something at the library. The Kennedy book is a real pizzer; just to bland as he won't give us the good stuff.....lol
|
|
|
Post by gabriel on Oct 9, 2009 7:23:44 GMT
chef, if you're interested in the Kennedy's, Lawrence Leamer has written quite a few books and they are good. Edward Klein and Christopher Andersen also specialise in the Kennedy's. I think I have all the books these 3 have written about them. I wouldn't have expected Ted to be forthcoming. I'd suspect he knew he was dying so he wanted to put his last coat of gloss on the legend before he passed. And that's fair enough. Have you ever read Ruth Rendell? English crime writer. Not bad.
beth, it was published here as 'After the Funeral'. I've never heard of the title you mention so I expect it's probably the same book. Woman impersonates employer at brother's funeral - kills woman employer to inherit a very expensive painting that's hidden amongst employer's trash. Sound familiar? Yeah, I'll join your round table group although it'll take me a while to plough through anything that's fiction.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 9, 2009 19:18:11 GMT
chef, if you're interested in the Kennedy's, Lawrence Leamer has written quite a few books and they are good. Edward Klein and Christopher Andersen also specialise in the Kennedy's. I think I have all the books these 3 have written about them. I wouldn't have expected Ted to be forthcoming. I'd suspect he knew he was dying so he wanted to put his last coat of gloss on the legend before he passed. And that's fair enough. Have you ever read Ruth Rendell? English crime writer. Not bad. beth, it was published here as 'After the Funeral'. I've never heard of the title you mention so I expect it's probably the same book. Woman impersonates employer at brother's funeral - kills woman employer to inherit a very expensive painting that's hidden amongst employer's trash. Sound familiar? Yeah, I'll join your round table group although it'll take me a while to plough through anything that's fiction. Same book. I find that an amazing coincidence. At the time, I wondered why it was part of our Weekly Reader selections because it was/is obviously an adult book. Guess they thought we should have the option by 6th grade. Rightly so. A year later, I was reading my older sisters copy of Peyton Place with avid curiosity. ;D Non-fiction is fine with me. A Case for God by Karen Armstrong (see the Pulpit topic) might make a good one. Also, any kind of biography - juicy or not haha - or, whatever people would enjoy. If we don't get enough readers the first time, maybe enough will find it fun to try a second one. Anyone with a book they'd like to read for open forum discussion, please post about it here - or send it to me or Gabe in PM and we can set up a poll to choose a starter.
|
|
|
Post by gabriel on Oct 10, 2009 5:56:24 GMT
I haven't received any ideas yet so I'll throw in a few and see what people think.
Sex with the Queen Eleanor Herman (no, not QE2) Unsinkable The Full Story Daniel Allen Butler (RMS Titanic) The Kennedy Men 1901-1963 Lawrence Leamer
Hey, Ag Christie will work for me. I can re-read her quickly because I know the plots. Or Ann Rule.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 10, 2009 13:55:52 GMT
No hurry. I'll look at these and see what their about. Thanks, Gabe. More later.
|
|
|
Post by beth on Oct 13, 2009 4:09:48 GMT
I'm guessing, but it seems nobody is really interested in reading a particular book and doing a roundtable discussion. Oh well, it was a thought. Maybe another time.
|
|
|
Post by Big Lin on Oct 14, 2009 14:49:06 GMT
I'm guessing, but it seems nobody is really interested in reading a particular book and doing a roundtable discussion. Oh well, it was a thought. Maybe another time. Beth, I'm interested though I haven't had much time to read anything lately. I'm happy to play a duet with you though if no one else wants to join in!
|
|
|
Post by riotgrrl on Oct 14, 2009 17:08:37 GMT
I'm not averse to the idea, just slightly wary as I don't read much fiction.
I'm currently reading Carla Del Ponte's 'Madame Prosecutor' which is about prosecuting war crimes in former Yugoslavia and Rwanda at the Hague and is very interesting.
I am that anoraky!
|
|