What Are You Reading?

[Alain]

This week's reading

RANT - Chuck Palahnuik
The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman
The Illustrated Man - Ray Bradbury
Tales from Suburbia - Shaun Tan
Cocaine Blues - Kerry Greenwood
Sputnik Sweetheart - Haruki Murakami

I'm very excited about my pile this week. An assortment of some of my favourite authors!

[Man In Room 5]

Touching From A Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division--Deborah Curtis

She makes it sound as if Ian Curtis's "suffering artist" attitude was just an act, which I found surprising. He was one of the few musicians I would have believed was an authentic suffering artist type.

[Saya]

Uncanny Stories by May Sinclair. Still reading Gandhi but when I'm too tired to google every second word he says (he's talking about pilgrimmages he took right now, its interesting but I'm sadly ignorant of a lot of the terms he uses), I just need a good short story instead ^_^

[A Simple Poet]

Smith of Wooton Major - JRR Tolkien

[pixy_dust]

Originally Posted by Man In Room 5

Touching From A Distance: Ian Curtis and Joy Division--Deborah Curtis

She makes it sound as if Ian Curtis's "suffering artist" attitude was just an act, which I found surprising. He was one of the few musicians I would have believed was an authentic suffering artist type.

How could she? Is she a relative of his?

I've started The Vampire Lestat, with my previous book left unfinished. Lestat smelt soooo tempting I couldn't resist...as with Interview with the Vampire, I feel in love with it from the 3rd page- when I read Lestat had fell in love with rock music. Anne Rice speaks most of my heart. The zeal of the beauty of the world amidst darkness written about in the book brings a heartbeat to the story, that my heart beats along with it in perfect rhythm.

I've just proclaimed my love for the Vampire Chronicles I think.

[PinstripesAndPithHelmets]

I'm currently reading The Soldiers' Tale, by Samuel Hynes. It's an enjoyable read, although I'm not really sure I agree with what he says about society's perceptions of war, and the war experience. Should make for an interesting class discussion.

[Man In Room 5]

Originally Posted by pixy_dust

How could she? Is she a relative of his?

Deborah Curtis was Ian Curtis's wife. Her book is the best depiction of him I've read so far, despite her obvious bitterness about his affair with the other girl.

[MollyMac]

"Finding Balance" by Gigi Berardi. More dance physiology and health than anything else.

[Man In Room 5]

Northanger Abbey--Jane Austen....The famous spoof of all those old gothic novels. I didn't expect the humor to hold up well after 190 years but listening to the girls in the novel talk is just like listening to drama queen mallgoth girls inside Hot Topic today.

[coffy x]

I'm currently reading the Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman. It's starting off very good; I believe I'll finish it within the next day.

Before I opened it, I was reading the Red Tent, a historical/biblical fiction story about the sorority of mothers, midwifery, and "the red tent" where the females would rest during the biblical times after giving birth and during their menses. It's a good story, but it's also slow. And you'd really have to have patience to read it non-stop. So I have not yet finished it.

5. The Ice Queen - Alice Hoffman (not yet finished; currently reading)

4. The Red Tent - Anita Diamant (not yet finished; currently reading)

3. My Sweet Audrina - V. C. Andrews (finished)

2. Promise Not to Tell - Jennifer Mcmahon (finished)

1. Dolores Claiborne - Stephen King (finished)

[Saya]

^ I loved Dolores Claiborne ^_^

I'm reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

[Bat Attack]

Roald Dahl's Book Of Ghost Stories.

[coffy x]

Ah, yes, Dolores Claiborne was great. I have a lot of his stuff.

I'm gonna try and finish reading the Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I had to put it down after 100+ pages about two months ago because it was building so slowly--it was grating on my nerves. I'm just hoping for a climax soon before I toss it for good.

[Man In Room 5]

"An Enquiry into those Kinds of Distress which Excite Agreeable Sensations" by Anna Laetitia Aikin

[Utho]

I am not too much a fan of novels, thus I tend to read other stuff.

At the moment:
"Die Römische Flotte" - by H. Viereck
(About the develpoment and organisation of the naval foces of the roman republic and empire)

"Pure Effect" - by Derren Brown

"Tactical responses to concentrated artillery" - US Army War College

[AngelikDemonik]

"Let the right one in" - John Lindqvist

[HumanePain]

I finally finished Homer's Odyssey. It started off slow and boring, but I pushed myself to finish it and glad I did, as the last few chapters finally became exciting enough. It was cool though learning throughout the story where some of today's common phrases and names came from, like "bit the dust" and Mentor, but the imagery just wasn't there, and the language tedious.

[Man In Room 5]

@HP: What translation of The Odyssey did you have? I've had 5 different translations and can tell you they are not created equal. If you read any of the old Victorian era translations I can see why you'd dislike it. (Homer was never meant to have the gravity of the King James Bible.) Sadly, those old translations are in public domain now so they are the most frequently reprinted.

[her_blood_lust]

Have you read the Illiad yet?

[Man In Room 5]

Originally Posted by her_blood_lust

Have you read the Illiad yet?

I have but it was all the way back in 1996 and it was the Samuel Butler translation, so it was one of those King James sounding versions.

[HumanePain]

Originally Posted by Man In Room 5

@HP: What translation of The Odyssey did you have? I've had 5 different translations and can tell you they are not created equal. If you read any of the old Victorian era translations I can see why you'd dislike it. (Homer was never meant to have the gravity of the King James Bible.) Sadly, those old translations are in public domain now so they are the most frequently reprinted.

Good point! It was a 1944 translation by Samuel Butler. Can you recommend a better version?

[Man In Room 5]

Originally Posted by HumanePain

Good point! It was a 1944 translation by Samuel Butler. Can you recommend a better version?

I think the W.H.D. Rouse translation was the best of the 5 I've seen. Don't quote me on that. It's been 12 years. (I suddenly feel old realizing that.)

[Minyaliel]

At the moment, I´m reading "Sense and Sensibility" by Jane Austen. I find it thoroughly enjoyable. Such an entertaining read. *smiles*

[Noumi]

A book of goblins and elves. It´s pretty interesting, there´re some very epic stories in there :]

[Man In Room 5]

The Cambridge History of English and American Literature Vol #1. I wish I had time to read all 18 volumes. You can read it online for free here:

http://www.bartleby.com/cambridge/