Now reading...

[BillF]

[B. Goren.]

The biography of Lee Iacocca.

[BillF]

Edited December 8, 2012 by BillF

[jazzbo]

[Matthew]

I've been debating with myself about getting this one, how is it?

[jazzbo]

It's entertaining and at times insightful. It's very much a baby boomer book in that there are lots of cultural references that a middle-age white goy would know. I have been sharing a lot of books on these matters with my Dad but didn't this one as these references would have less meaning to him.

At its core it's a bit too much about John Coats and less about interpretation of Genesis. I enjoyed it but not as much as other books about Paul, Abram et al that I've read lately.

[Matthew]

It's entertaining and at times insightful. It's very much a baby boomer book in that there are lots of cultural references that a middle-age white goy would know. I have been sharing a lot of books on these matters with my Dad but didn't this one as these references would have less meaning to him.

At its core it's a bit too much about John Coats and less about interpretation of Genesis. I enjoyed it but not as much as other books about Paul, Abram et al that I've read lately.

Thanks for the info.

[Stefan Wood]

Barry Malzberg - On a Planet Alien

[ejp626]

Finally done with a lot of books that didn't do much for me, I can read a few more purely entertaining books. I decided on the theme of road trip, so I am reading Faulkner's The Reivers. A little bit down the road, I will reread Handling Sin by Michael Malone (and while I don't know this, I certainly suspect that Malone was inspired at least a bit by The Reivers). Then Steinbeck's Travels with Charlie and Greene's Travels with My Aunt.

Faulkner can certainly be quite funny when you get past some of the "difficult," even baroque passages. The Reivers has a bit of the convoluted writing of his mid-career novels, but is generally a simpler read. Faulkner's ear for dialect is amazing, and when you read all the back-and-forth in the bordello kitchen for instance, it is flat-out hilarious. I am really enjoying it.

I was wondering why it hadn't been made into a movie, and apparently it was (in 1969 with Steve McQueen). I wonder how much they had to tone it down back then. Anyway, I guess I'll see about scoring a copy, since it eventually did make it to DVD. (As far as I know, no one has made Handling Sin into a movie. Apparently, Malone actually delivered a script to some studio but it never went anywhere.)

[A Lark Ascending]

Can't believe that UK TV had nothing to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Very impressed so far - pacey narrative with lots of worm's eye views.

Edited December 15, 2012 by A Lark Ascending

[BillF]

[Matthew]

L. A. Noir: The Struggle For The Soul Of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin. Story of Mickey Cohen, who was the king mobster in LA, and William Parker, the famous LA Chief of Police. Very good so far, but the whole "struggle for the soul of LA" is, of course, complete bs, but a writer does need a hook to sell a book. It would be nice if LA was not always examined through the glasses of Raymond Chandler.

[jlhoots]

Peter Pullman: Wail (bought the paperback)

Gunther Schuller: The Swing Era

[jazzbo]

L. A. Noir: The Struggle For The Soul Of America's Most Seductive City by John Buntin. Story of Mickey Cohen, who was the king mobster in LA, and William Parker, the famous LA Chief of Police. Very good so far, but the whole "struggle for the soul of LA" is, of course, complete bs, but a writer does need a hook to sell a book. It would be nice if LA was not always examined through the glasses of Raymond Chandler.

Or if they'd actually wear the right prescription Chandler glasses.

[paul secor]

Simenon: My Friend Maigret

[jazzbo]

Love Simenon! Was just looking at a few Maigret titles in the book store today and couldn't decipher whether I'd already read them!

[paul secor]

Love Simenon! Was just looking at a few Maigret titles in the book store today and couldn't decipher whether I'd already read them!

Many times I can't remember if I've read a Maigret before until I read a fair number of pages. And by then it doesn't matter. I just end up rereading and enjoying.

[kinuta]

Hospital reading. Two weeks and things have picked up with the Civil War in full throttle.

Tough going, I realised how little I knew about this vital piece of history.

BTW I'm back home now.

Edited December 19, 2012 by kinuta

[Matthew]

Hospital reading. Two weeks and things have picked up with the Civil War in full throttle.

Tough going, I realised how little I knew about this vital piece of history.

BTW I'm back home now.

Best wishes on a full recovery!

[jazzbo]

Glad you're back home!

[paul secor]

Lindsay Faye's Dust and Shadow - Captures the spirit of Conan Doyle and Holmes better than any other contemporary rendition of Sherlock that I've read.

[JSngry]

The Early Earthly Stories Of Mortin And The Mourlins' Last Good Renderin Of The Eye-In-The-Pie-in-the-Stormy-Red-Sky Stories (as told by by Sax O'Gaudhofter)

Best read Alone, which to this pint has not been a problem.

[Jazzmoose]

I really should give Moorcock a try sometime; all I've ever read by him is Behold the Man.

[jazzbo]

I like the Elric stories best; I also like his non-sicence fiction historical novels and fantasies.

Now

"Conversations with Henry Miller," edited by Frank L. Kersnowski and Alice Hughes

Edited December 23, 2012 by jazzbo

[A Lark Ascending]

Just finished. Best thing I've read on the Cuban Missile Crisis - tremendous sense of narrative drive. Seeing things from the eye of the U2 pilot who strayed into Siberia or one of the Soviet nuclear submarine captains gives you a very different perspective. Gives a tremendous sense of just how much was beyond the control of both administrations.

Over half way through - not a riveting read, but someone I wanted to know more about.

A Cambridge Spies "6th man" espionage thriller. Not enjoying it much. A bit cardboard cut-out character wise (it's starting to remind me of the bloody Da Vinci code, without all the symbols).

Edited January 2, 2013 by A Lark Ascending