Re: OT: What book are you reading at the moment?

by Red Sun 26 Jun 2016, 10:29

Am nearly finished a book in the True crime genre - by a QC which is thoroughly researched on the Graeme Thorne kidnapping. Sydneysiders may know more about this than most. It is compelling but tragic reading.

by taipan Sun 26 Jun 2016, 11:05

Finally broke down and bought the extended edition of Mark Lewisohn's Beatles biography volume one. Read the "abridged" edition when it first came out, but the detail here is incredible.

https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-These-Years-Extended-Special-ebook/dp/B00E9VSW3I/ref=sr_1_5?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1466935215&sr=1-5&keywords=Mark+lewisohn

by Ethics? The Gall! Mon 27 Jun 2016, 08:38

just finished the big aussie thriller cum crime novel everyones raving about. the dry by jane harper
for once the product justifies the hype. its a stunner

by Red Mon 27 Jun 2016, 09:45

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:just finished the big aussie thriller cum crime novel everyones raving about. the dry by jane harper
for once the product justifies the hype. its a stunner

Excellent to hear that, it is high up on my list. I recently read 'An Isolated Incident', which was highly rated and was disappointed. Also read 'The Trap', which is translated from German and will be made into a film. There was huge praise for this but it's not without its flaws.

Interestingly 'The Dry' has been snapped up by Reese Witherspoon's company which will have the rights to option as a film.

by taipan Mon 27 Jun 2016, 10:54

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:just finished the big aussie thriller cum crime novel everyones raving about. the dry by jane harper
for once the product justifies the hype. its a stunner

Added to my Amazon Wish List. Thanks.

by tricycle Sat 02 Jul 2016, 05:06

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:just finished the big aussie thriller cum crime novel everyones raving about. the dry by jane harper
for once the product justifies the hype. its a stunner

Bought the book solely due to this recommendation... Good book. And I rarely buy fiction, and never before a crime thriller.

by lardbucket Sat 02 Jul 2016, 08:28

I don't understand the concept of 'cum crime novel'

by Red Sat 02 Jul 2016, 08:44

I'm now reading Noah Hawley's 'Before the Fall' which is justifying the rave reviews.

by tricycle Sat 02 Jul 2016, 08:55

lardbucket wrote:I don't understand the concept of 'cum crime novel'

The type of books I generally buy....

by Ethics? The Gall! Mon 11 Jul 2016, 03:40

lardbucket wrote:I don't understand the concept of 'cum crime novel'

the way lots of authors write about sex is criminal

by taipan Mon 11 Jul 2016, 04:19

Ethics? The Gall! wrote:
lardbucket wrote:I don't understand the concept of 'cum crime novel'
the way lots of authors write about sex is criminal

The scene in question reads: “At this, Eliza and Ezra rolled together into one giggling snowball of full-figured copulation, screaming and shouting as they playfully bit and pulled at each other in a dangerous and clamorous rollercoaster coil of sexually violent rotation with Eliza’s breasts barrel-rolled across Ezra’s howling mouth and the pained frenzy of his bulbous salutation extenuating his excitement as it whacked and smacked its way into every muscle of Eliza’s body except for the otherwise central zone.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/01/morrissey-wins-bad-sex-award-fiction-debut-novel-list-of-the-lost

by Bradman Mon 11 Jul 2016, 05:59

Everyone, even the greats should steer clear of sex unless they are specifically writing a dirty book (henry Miller in the early days). Mailer excruciatingly described a character's first sexual experience (getting blown by his toothless school chaplain and then later in the book almost destroyed my love (long lost love) of rock climbing by conflating it with the afore mentioned.

by lardbucket Mon 11 Jul 2016, 09:06

Off-hand it's hard to think of any written passage describing sexual activity that is better than utterly woeful.

Perhaps the much lampooned " ... " (thanks Peter Cook) was not as bad as all that.

No puns intended in this post.

by Red Mon 11 Jul 2016, 11:43

Bradman wrote:Everyone, even the greats should steer clear of sex unless they are specifically writing a dirty book (henry Miller in the early days). Mailer excruciatingly described a character's first sexual experience (getting blown by his toothless school chaplain and then later in the book almost destroyed my love (long lost love) of rock climbing by conflating it with the afore mentioned.

Lady Chatterley's Lover wasn't too bad in this sense.

I also believe that Ian McEwan in 'On Chesil Beach' dealt with the awkward lovers' scene pretty well.

Most probably end up like Fifty Shades of Below Mediocrity though.

by taipan Wed 31 Aug 2016, 19:27

taipan wrote:
Ethics? The Gall! wrote:just finished the big aussie thriller cum crime novel everyones raving about. the dry by jane harper
for once the product justifies the hype. its a stunner

Added to my Amazon Wish List. Thanks.

Okay, just bought this. If it's crap you owe me USD6.21

by taipan Thu 01 Sep 2016, 06:43

Okay you are safe. I'm 54% in and the story is beginning to come together.

by JGK Thu 01 Sep 2016, 07:59

lardbucket wrote:I don't understand the concept of 'cum crime novel'

"Every sperm is sacred..."

by Red Thu 01 Sep 2016, 10:06

taipan wrote:
taipan wrote:
Ethics? The Gall! wrote:just finished the big aussie thriller cum crime novel everyones raving about. the dry by jane harper
for once the product justifies the hype. its a stunner

Added to my Amazon Wish List. Thanks.

Okay, just bought this. If it's crap you owe me USD6.21

I recently read it and enjoyed it. Reese Witherspoon has optioned this for a film, which is not bad for a first time author.

by taipan Tue 06 Sep 2016, 06:58

I see this thread started in Feb 2009

by tricycle Tue 06 Sep 2016, 07:01

by furriner Tue 06 Sep 2016, 19:06

by lardbucket Tue 06 Sep 2016, 19:25

prefer a ho?

by furriner Tue 06 Sep 2016, 19:34

Haan.

by horace Wed 07 Sep 2016, 00:44

Recently read "The Sympathiser" by Nguyen, a Vietnamese - American. Set in the period preceding and the years post the defeat of the Americans. A fantastic novel which I strongly recommend.

I am just finishing Doris Lessing's "The Four Gated City". This was the concluding novel of the five part Children of Violence series.

I first read the novel 40 years ago, when a young Ms H bounced it off my head (along with the "Golden Notebook" - another Lessing classic), with the advice, "here - read these you bastard and have a good think".

It is a fine book set in 50's and 60's London. It is interesting reading the book again after such a long passage of time. The then Ms H did me a favour. I got a lot from the book.

Rereading it took me back to a considerably younger self as I recalled aspects of how I responded to the book. I have been able to at least partly assess the differences in how I responded then and now.

Lessing's works are not to everyone's tastes. I suspect some here (Taips, Big Dog) would take issue with many of the thematics. Lessing was an ex-Comm who left the CPGB in the 50's.

Lessing became the oldest recipient of the Nobel prize for literature in 2007.

by Bradman Wed 07 Sep 2016, 03:30

Anyone ever read a self published book written by a friend and then been asked to critique it?

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