Topic: What was the last book you read?

[Ray K]

My father died, so

finally gonna read The Road

Very sorry for your loss.

Brace yourself. No book has ever had such a visceral reaction for me. I was in complete bits for the last 50 pages.

[KillieRed]

I remember reading quite a bit of him when I was a teenager. Think 'Whatever' was his best. Strange author.

I'm struggling this year, had a lot going on so not read much but working through 'Demon Copperhead' which is very good. Catcher in the Rye vibes but more a comment on modern poverty in America.

Speaking of Catcher in the Rye…after many years of avoiding them I finally got stuck into Stephen King’s Bachman Books collection. The first story in that, “Rage” really struck me as a what would happen if Holden had a gun and took his class hostage. Definitely less mature work, but I really enjoyed it. Onto “The Long Walk” next.

[ToneLa]

Very sorry for your loss.

Brace yourself. No book has ever had such a visceral reaction for me. I was in complete bits for the last 50 pages.

Ta

Yeah I think I might regret it, McCarthy is the most powerful writer, bits of Blood Meridian made me wince

I've saved it for maximum impact...

Re-reading Suttreee but that's cause Harrogate cracks me up. Boning patches of watermelons

[Andy @ Allerton!]

Just read Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb - reading Royal Assassin (Book 2)

Terrific fantasy fare.

[Corkboy]

Speaking of Catcher in the Rye…after many years of avoiding them I finally got stuck into Stephen King’s Bachman Books collection. The first story in that, “Rage” really struck me as a what would happen if Holden had a gun and took his class hostage. Definitely less mature work, but I really enjoyed it. Onto “The Long Walk” next.

Rage is out of print, deliberately (after a 1997 school shooting), so that's a bit of a collector's item. Long Walk is a classic.

[KillieRed]

Rage is out of print, deliberately (after a 1997 school shooting), so that's a bit of a collector's item. Long Walk is a classic.

I did wonder about “Rage”. I’ve had that book knocking around for ages.

[Boston Bosox]

Wyrd Sisters
 Terry Pratchett
 sixth Discworld novel

[.adam]

Read Batavia by Peter Fitzsimmons recently. Not a story I was familar with and quite incredible really.

Now onto 1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus by Charles Mann.

[TepidT2O]

Just re-read American Psycho.
Just unrelentingly brutal and horrific in every way. 
I left wondering whether any of it had actually happened, I don’t remember that feeling reading it for the first time.
Just a brilliant satire of excess

[dalarr]

Wyrd Sisters
 Terry Pratchett
 sixth Discworld novel

I discovered Discworld recently. Have read Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms. Just picked up Feet of Clay at the library.

English isn't my first language so I don't understand every joke, especially when he plays with the English language and grammar. But he one of the very few writers that makes me laugh out loud. I love his style and the characters of the Night Watch.

[Boston Bosox]

I discovered Discworld recently. Have read Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms. Just picked up Feet of Clay at the library.

English isn't my first language so I don't understand every joke, especially when he plays with the English language and grammar. But he one of the very few writers that makes me laugh out loud. I love his style and the characters of the Night Watch.

3 great books

Terry Pratchett / Geoffrey Cush GUARDS! GUARDS! Part 1 (of 4) Professional Stage Tour

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_LueUJ05XU

[Hedley Lamarr]

Just re-read American Psycho.
Just unrelentingly brutal and horrific in every way. 
I left wondering whether any of it had actually happened, I don’t remember that feeling reading it for the first time.
Just a brilliant satire of excess

Originally Easton Elllis was adamant that it all happened, Bateman and his peer group were so indistinguishable from one another that perpetrator and victim blended into one and Bateman got away with it, helped by the mask money gives you.  However, in subsequent books contained in that universe, if I remember correctly Lunar Park especially, he implied that it was in Bateman’s head.  Easton Ellis is something of a misanthropic prankster though, it’s possible he doesn’t really know and it was just some sort of diatribe against everything.


Despite the ambiguity, I think it’s a masterful book.

[TepidT2O]

Originally Easton Elllis was adamant that it all happened, Bateman and his peer group were so indistinguishable from one another that perpetrator and victim blended into one and Bateman got away with it, helped by the mask money gives you.  However, in subsequent books contained in that universe, if I remember correctly Lunar Park especially, he implied that it was in Bateman’s head.  Easton Ellis is something of a misanthropic prankster though, it’s possible he doesn’t really know and it was just some sort of diatribe against everything.


Despite the ambiguity, I think it’s a masterful book.

I haven’t read any of the other books to be honest.  Ambiguity is good though, why do we always have to know?
I think the film is terrible (I do realise I’m in a minority) just didn’t have the same intensity as the book. But I guess there’s on,y so much you could actually include!

[Only Me]

I discovered Discworld recently. Have read Guards! Guards! and Men at Arms. Just picked up Feet of Clay at the library.

English isn't my first language so I don't understand every joke, especially when he plays with the English language and grammar. But he one of the very few writers that makes me laugh out loud. I love his style and the characters of the Night Watch.

Loved the Discworld stories when I first started reading them in the late eighties.

Got through about 95% of them, but was all punned out by the end. Think they definitely tailed off, which is understandable given how many of them there are. At their best, they are very funny though.

[KillieRed]

I haven’t read any of the other books to be honest.  Ambiguity is good though, why do we always have to know?
I think the film is terrible (I do realise I’m in a minority) just didn’t have the same intensity as the book. But I guess there’s on,y so much you could actually include!

The film definitely did its job though. I saw it at the cinema and it shocked many people who will never ever read it or any of Brett Easton Ellis’s books.

[ToneLa]

American Psycho can be really funny if you look into it, implying Bateman is just some boring yuppie bullshitter

All the endless clothes descriptions, if you look them up or think about, often what he's describing he's naming very weird mismatched coloured clothes. I sort of imagine him flipping through a clothes catalogue, picking items at random - a lot of the characters would look downright strange. Easton Ellis did confirm this at some point

Plus some of the meal descriptions get outright loopy. It's satire

If you consider the bullshit he also puts out about music (the worst thing you can do is take those chapters as factually true), you cannot possibly think the murders are real. Ditto the sex. He's just some dullard endlessly listing things, exaggerating. Read it as a comedy

If you skip the chapters he bangs on about clothing or music, you're missing out IMO. They're the most satirical parts, and when you put them together - particularly towards the end of the book - they don't make sense.

Man is a bullshitter of the first degree. The Chase chapter is a great example. Surface surface surface, truth don't matter

"Bigfoot was interviewed on The Patty Winters Show this morning and
to my shock I found him surprisingly articulate and charming."

[TepidT2O]

. The chapters on Phil collins and Huey Lewis and the news are two of the best bits….

[FlashingBlade]

Just re read for third time Tom Hollands 'The Persian Fire' a fascinating and entertaining read about rise of Persia and how it invaded Greece ultimately  creating the classic Greece..great read...maybe my fave book. What you learn from this book/ period..technology's and social cohesion notwithstanding..nothing changes in humanity's ability to fuck itself up.

I used to say ' Confederacy of Dunces'...I read this when it come out but over decades seems to have become the default fave book of students n hipsters

[afc tukrish]

Just re read for third time Tom Hollands 'The Persian Fire' a fascinating and entertaining read about rise of Persia and how it invaded Greece ultimately  creating the classic Greece..great read...maybe my fave book.

Absolutely phenomenal narrative history...

Just re-read That Was Then This is Now by S.E. Hinton.

Better than The Outsiders, that might be one for the Unpopular Opinions thread...

[TepidT2O]

Persian Fire is an absolute treat!  I read part of it at the Temple of Poseidon where the sea battle happened.  What a spot that is.

[FlashingBlade]

Persian Fire is an absolute treat!  I read part of it at the Temple of Poseidon where the sea battle happened.  What a spot that is.

Sounds great..off to Samos in June looking for appropriate book..Think something about Trojan Wars or similar..recc's welcome..holiday reads mind ..and large print

[red mongoose]

Absolutely phenomenal narrative history...

Just re-read That Was Then This is Now by S.E. Hinton.

Better than The Outsiders, that might be one for the Unpopular Opinions thread...

It definitely belongs there    More because of everything that is so great about "The Outsiders" than anything wrong with "TWTTIN."


Started Conn Iggulden's "Emperor" and it is as good as advertised. Really enjoying it.

[Boston Bosox]

About To Read Pyramids Again
Discworld Novel # 7

[RedSince86]

Rendezvous With Rama.

Intrigued to see how Villeneuve does with this, the Book is fantastic.

Going to start the sequel next.

[StevoHimself]

I haven’t read any of the other books to be honest.  Ambiguity is good though, why do we always have to know?
I think the film is terrible (I do realise I’m in a minority) just didn’t have the same intensity as the book. But I guess there’s on,y so much you could actually include!

I waited until I'd finished the book before watching the film and, while I don't agree that it's terrible, the only thing it really has over the book, which I also have slightly mixed feelings about, is Bale's fantastic performance.

[KillieRed]

I finished the Bachman/King story “The Long Walk”. It really is excellent. There’s definitely some allusions to the “serious” American literature of the 50s & 60s, but obviously heavily influenced by Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson.

[Only Me]

Me and my eldest Grandson  [9]  have formed this kind of unofficial book club.

Just finished Diary of a Wimpy Kid on his recommendation - Loved it.

Currently reading the first Percy Jackson story. Boss so far!

[lobsterboy]

Just re-read The Great and Secret Show (on Kindle.) Good stuff!

[JayNY]

Year of the Locust


So bad

[KillieRed]

“All you need is love: the end of The Beatles”. A collection of interviews put together by Peter Brown & Steven Gaines.

[kellan]

Not exactly the right thread for this but here goes...

I've written a book. I need some beta readers. It likely won't appeal to the average RAWK user (though I won't tell you to do one if you're interested), but if any of you have female readers in your lives who you think might want to help me out with a little feedback, send us a PM, please. Characters are all 21 or under, but since the book is set in the 90s, it might also appeal to readers older than that.

[KillieRed]

How would the book be sent out? Digitally?

[Boston Bosox]

About To Read " Guards , Guards " Again

[kellan]

How would the book be sent out? Digitally?

Yes. Just not in actual ebook format (not reached that stage yet). I can do pdf, or word doc, or google doc etc, whatever is preferred.

[TepidT2O]

I’m terrible at proof reading. Would have been happy to otherwise

[KillieRed]

Yes. Just not in actual ebook format (not reached that stage yet). I can do pdf, or word doc, or google doc etc, whatever is preferred.

I know someone who might be interested. Will get back to you, not sure if reading digitally is her thing.

[TepidT2O]

Very sad news. CJ Sansom has died.  His books got better and better, moving from crime novels to social commentary

Sadly missed.

[Boston Bosox]

Eric, stylized as Faust Eric, is the ninth Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett.

[Ray K]

Very sad news. CJ Sansom has died.  His books got better and better, moving from crime novels to social commentary

Sadly missed.

Sad news. I read the first Shardlake book and as I'm a cheapskate was waiting for them to come down in price on Amazon before continuing with them.

Disney + are releasing a mini-series based (presumably) on the first book this week.

[Red Ol]

Very sad news. CJ Sansom has died.  His books got better and better, moving from crime novels to social commentary

Sadly missed.

Very sad indeed. I hope the new Shardlake series on Disney does the books justice. RIP