Kevin Bresnahan Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 I just finished Michael Connelly's latest Harry Bosch book last night, "The Other Side Of Goodbye". It was one of his better efforts. It was not easy to figure out who the criminal was this time. One complaint is his continuing pushing of Grace Kelly as some great Jazz musician, especially since he continues to push her as a saxophonist. She's really become a singer who occasionally plays a sax solo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 Lincoln in the Bardo. To say it's different would be an understatement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Kart Posted March 21, 2017 Report Share Posted March 21, 2017 3 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said: I just finished Michael Connelly's latest Harry Bosch book last night, "The Other Side Of Goodbye". It was one of his better efforts. It was not easy to figure out who the criminal was this time. One complaint is his continuing pushing of Grace Kelly as some great Jazz musician, especially since he continues to push her as a saxophonist. She's really become a singer who occasionally plays a sax solo. A good Bosch. Agree about Grace Kelly. Before that Bosch was pushing Frank Morgan, who often struck me as something of a con man both on and off the stand. My Frank Morgan story, which I think I've told before. He was at the Jazz Showcase when he made his comeback, playing with one of the usual high-level Chicago rhythm sections of the time, Willie Pickens, maybe Dan Shapera on bass, and Wilbur Campbell. After the first set Frank starts to berate the rhythm section for not playing some of the tunes properly, in terms of following certain routines, which was a bit bewildering because the set consisted of familiar jazz lines and standards which are played in much the same ay by virtually everyone, and the group, as usual for the venue when there was a visiting soloist, did not rehearse beforehand and thus could not be expected to handle them in special, Morgan-preferred ways, in case there were any such. Morgan was both irate and insulting, especially toward Campbell, which kind of stunned me a) because Wilbur was a great drummer and a great guy who played with everybody who came into the Showcase under just those conditions and b) because I could hear no particular glitches between Frank and the rhythm section during the set. Audible to all, this tirade went on for a while, much to Wilber's displeasure, until the normally mild-mannered Pickens intervened and told Frank to sit down and shut up, which he did. Don't recall if I then asked Willie what that was all about, but in any case he volunteered that he grew up with Frank in Milwaukee, and that this is what he always was like -- mostly, he thought, because Frank was so damn insecure about his own abilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 (edited) 20 hours ago, Larry Kart said: A good Bosch. Agree about Grace Kelly. Before that Bosch was pushing Frank Morgan, who often struck me as something of a con man both on and off the stand. My Frank Morgan story, which I think I've told before. He was at the Jazz Showcase when he made his comeback, playing with one of the usual high-level Chicago rhythm sections of the time, Willie Pickens, maybe Dan Shapera on bass, and Wilbur Campbell. After the first set Frank starts to berate the rhythm section for not playing some of the tunes properly, in terms of following certain routines, which was a bit bewildering because the set consisted of familiar jazz lines and standards which are played in much the same ay by virtually everyone, and the group, as usual for the venue when there was a visiting soloist, did not rehearse beforehand and thus could not be expected to handle them in special, Morgan-preferred ways, in case there were any such. Morgan was both irate and insulting, especially toward Campbell, which kind of stunned me a) because Wilbur was a great drummer and a great guy who played with everybody who came into the Showcase under just those conditions and b) because I could hear no particular glitches between Frank and the rhythm section during the set. Audible to all, this tirade went on for a while, much to Wilber's displeasure, until the normally mild-mannered Pickens intervened and told Frank to sit down and shut up, which he did. Don't recall if I then asked Willie what that was all about, but in any case he volunteered that he grew up with Frank in Milwaukee, and that this is what he always was like -- mostly, he thought, because Frank was so damn insecure about his own abilities. Connelly/Bosch did turn me onto one of Art Pepper's recent Widow's Taste releases in one of his last books, so he does have some good recommendations. Edited March 22, 2017 by Kevin Bresnahan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted O'Reilly Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 I'm about a third of the way through the latest in Mick Herron's 'Slough House' books... A rare thing: the series improves with each volume! There's also his Oxford series -- almost as good. https://www.goodreads.com/series/101326-slough-house Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted March 22, 2017 Report Share Posted March 22, 2017 1 hour ago, Ted O'Reilly said: I'm about a third of the way through the latest in Mick Herron's 'Slough House' books... A rare thing: the series improves with each volume! There's also his Oxford series -- almost as good. https://www.goodreads.com/series/101326-slough-house Ted, I picked up Slow Horses a while back. I suppose I should read it before the football season starts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ted O'Reilly Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 On 22/03/2017 at 2:54 PM, GA Russell said: Ted, I picked up Slow Horses a while back. I suppose I should read it before the football season starts! You should, and I'd suggest reading them sequentially, and don't leave a lot of time between books... Jackson Lamb is one of the great current characters in mystery books. When the film (or even better, a HBO-type series), turns up I hope they cast Timothy Spall in the role. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.D. Posted March 23, 2017 Report Share Posted March 23, 2017 On 3/22/2017 at 2:32 PM, Ted O'Reilly said: I'm about a third of the way through the latest in Mick Herron's 'Slough House' books... A rare thing: the series improves with each volume! There's also his Oxford series -- almost as good. https://www.goodreads.com/series/101326-slough-house My brother strongly recommended Herron's "Slough House" books a couple of years ago. I instead read Down Cemetery Road (because it was available @ local bookshop), wasn't overwhelmed, and left it at that. Will have to look for Slow Horses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 A lesser Le Carré, but he's always worth reading IMHO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon8 Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erwbol Posted March 24, 2017 Report Share Posted March 24, 2017 (edited) Daniel C. Dennett From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds Edited March 24, 2017 by erwbol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 About to start Iza's Ballad by Magda Szabo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 I've just finished Queneau's Zazie in the Metro. What a wild book. Still sort of fascinating that they even attempted to translate into English. I'm aware of the film version, but haven't decided if I will get around to watching it or not. Still reading quite a few short story collections with a few more on the way. Juan Rulfo's The Plain in Flames was good but I got a little tired of all the machismo of men killing other men, generally over no reason at all. It's the sort of book that if written by anybody else would cause tut-tuttings of how can you write about Mexicans in such a stereotypical manner... David Bezgozmis's Natasha and Other Stories. Worth a look. I thought the title story was excellent. I'm about to start Guy Vanderhaege's Daddy Lenin and Greg Hollingshead's The Roaring Girl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 4 hours ago, ejp626 said: I've just finished Queneau's Zazie in the Metro. What a wild book. Still sort of fascinating that they even attempted to translate into English. I'm aware of the film version, but haven't decided if I will get around to watching it or not. Had mixed fortunes with the movie. Loved it when I saw it on release c.1960 - thought it hip and amusing, but found it tedious when I had a second look at it a few years ago. Perhaps I'm old and jaded, or perhaps it just belonged to its time and place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 2 hours ago, BillF said: Had mixed fortunes with the movie. Loved it when I saw it on release c.1960 - thought it hip and amusing, but found it tedious when I had a second look at it a few years ago. Perhaps I'm old and jaded, or perhaps it just belonged to its time and place. It's got a great poster. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 25, 2017 Report Share Posted March 25, 2017 1 hour ago, medjuck said: It's got a great poster. I see what you mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted March 28, 2017 Report Share Posted March 28, 2017 Tony Tulathimutte: Private Citizens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 Arnold Wesker: The Journalists Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 1 hour ago, paul secor said: Arnold Wesker: The Journalists That's a Wesker play I don't know. The Wesker Trilogy was very influential in my youth. Recalling its idealism is particularly ironic today as English xenophia triumphs :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 1 hour ago, BillF said: That's a Wesker play I don't know. The Wesker Trilogy was very influential in my youth. Recalling its idealism is particularly ironic today as English xenophia triumphs :-( I don't want to get into politics on these forums, but youthful idealism is something that shouldn't be forgotten - especially these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted March 29, 2017 Report Share Posted March 29, 2017 "Nana" by Delacorte (re-reading). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillF Posted March 31, 2017 Report Share Posted March 31, 2017 On 2/25/2017 at 6:37 PM, BillF said: I always find DeLillo since White Noise readable, though the best IMO remain the ones on my bookshelf: White Noise, Libra, Mao II and above all Underworld. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankin Posted April 6, 2017 Report Share Posted April 6, 2017 Ruth Rendell - The Veiled One Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 Reading two books that are loosely linked through the hotel/motel theme: the epic I Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita and Rick Moody's Hotels of North America. The latter is much shorter and is quite interesting in how the book is built up of reviews of hotels (or motels) where the reviewer stayed. The reviewer is an over-sharer, which is putting it mildly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlhoots Posted April 9, 2017 Report Share Posted April 9, 2017 Ian McGuire: The North Water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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