KeeperDee Posted February 28, 2013 Share Posted February 28, 2013 Perks of being a wallflower. I'm gobsmacked. It's a fucking wonderful book, and it nearly made me cry. -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_S_A_R Posted March 1, 2013 Share Posted March 1, 2013 the winners by julio cortazar. an argentinian book from the 50s where a group of people who have won a state lottery depart on a mystery cruise. the characters are clearly supposed to represent the spectrum of argentinian society and are well drawn. the travellers find the ship is not what they expected and conflict ensues between those who want to take action and those who are happy to trust that things as they are for a good reason. as with most south american novels i've read there are long metaphysical disgressions. the baron in the trees by italo calvino. a young boy from an aristocratic ligurian family falls out with his father and goes up into a tree to sulk and never comes back down. despite being restricted to the treetops he leads a full and interesting life and is drawn into many adventures. a clever, funny wee book. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 A couple of re-reads; Hunter S Thompson's masterpiece Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972 and All the President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein. Now beginning on something I suspect shall take a while. The complete Civil War series by Shelby Foote. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_S_A_R Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 A couple of re-reads; Hunter S Thompson's masterpiece Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972 and All the President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein. Now beginning on something I suspect shall take a while. The complete Civil War series by Shelby Foote. i started re-reading the campaign trail ahead of the election but i couldn't get into it after loving it ten years ago. entertaining prose but i can't take thompson seriously as journalist anymore now i'm a bit more aware of the history of the period. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 A couple of re-reads; Hunter S Thompson's masterpiece Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, 1972 and All the President's Men by Woodward and Bernstein.<br /><br /><br />Now beginning on something I suspect shall take a while. The complete Civil War series by Shelby Foote. <br /> <br />i started re-reading the campaign trail ahead of the election but i couldn't get into it after loving it ten years ago.<br /> <br />entertaining prose but i can't take thompson seriously as journalist anymore now i'm a bit more aware of the history of the period.<br /><br />It is what it is. I think there is a great deal of decency in that book. A lot more honesty than other more "objective" journalists put out. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustyarabnuts Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Skagboys 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DundeeFC92 Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 A Drink with Shane MacGowan, wouldn't recommend if you're not already a fan of his music, however if you are it is a must read. Great insight into his life and why he is the way he is, a lot of good comedy moments in it as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 <br /><br />It is what it is. I think there is a great deal of decency in that book. A lot more honesty than other more "objective" journalists put out. Agreed, having read a lot about the period and the political operators of the time, I think Thompson absolutely nails it. In many respects '72 was the prototype of the modern American campaign (the first to hold full primaries, wasn't it?). For all serious sports fans, I would also recommend Hunter Thompson's short: Fear and Loathing at the Superbowl. It's in the Great Shark Hunt collection of articles he put together. The cynicism, corporatism and utter lack of spectacle afforded by 70s American football as Thompson describes it would be familiar to most modern Scottish football fans, depsite the differences in sport. Really worth a read. Also, Thompson's Nixon obituary. 'Nuff said. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Just read I Was A Robot by Wolfgang Flur. Inbetween the digs at Ralf and Florian and the plugs for the stuff he's done since leaving Kraftwerk there is some interesting stuff. Like the fact he spunked all over his parents sofa when he first heard My Generation by the Who. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Also recently... Cecil Roth's A Short History of the Jewish History, it's good, basically it's non-stop persecution throughout the ages. Disgrace by JM Coetzee, it's alright, bit Ian McEwan-y in parts but picked up when I realised the main character was a twat 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) Agreed, having read a lot about the period and the political operators of the time, I think Thompson absolutely nails it. In many respects '72 was the prototype of the modern American campaign (the first to hold full primaries, wasn't it?). For all serious sports fans, I would also recommend Hunter Thompson's short: Fear and Loathing at the Superbowl. It's in the Great Shark Hunt collection of articles he put together. The cynicism, corporatism and utter lack of spectacle afforded by 70s American football as Thompson describes it would be familiar to most modern Scottish football fans, depsite the differences in sport. Really worth a read. Also, Thompson's Nixon obituary. 'Nuff said. Is that the one that he hangs around with the Oakland Raiders players? Marvellous stuff. I quoted Thompson's writing on sportswriters in my most recent Scotzine article ("rude and brainless"). I often use it, actually, because a very high profile journalist once told me it's pretty much still the case. Thompson was good up until the late 80s. His Iran-Contra/Oliver North stuff was tremendous. Most of his 90s stuff is fairly bland, I don't think he read Clinton at all right, and by the time Bush Jr came around his brain was frazzled and he offered nothing. ETA yes it is indeed. And an extract is available on the Rolling Stone Website. http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/fear-and-loathing-at-the-superbowl-no-rest-for-the-wretched-19730215 Edited March 21, 2013 by Savage Henry 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 (edited) All I have read this year so far is the Game of Thrones books. At the fifth one now (books two and three are split in two) so it feels like I have read 6 books so far. Kinda looking forward to reading something else. Edited March 20, 2013 by Addie 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted March 20, 2013 Share Posted March 20, 2013 Currently reading 'Bel Ami' by Guy de Maupassant. So far lots of prostitutes and shagging peoples wives. Well, it is a French novel. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckles Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Just finished the third book of the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy.....The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Recommended. 9/10. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracowjambo Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I read ecstasy by Irvine welsh the other day. It was fucking shite. I read trainspotting and porno and thought those books were pretty good so I thought this would be similar. The only decent characters in the book were in the story Lorraine goes to Livingston I think it was called. If your tempted to read it don't waste your time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeeperDee Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I read ecstasy by Irvine welsh the other day. It was fucking shite. I read trainspotting and porno and thought those books were pretty good so I thought this would be similar. The only decent characters in the book were in the story Lorraine goes to Livingston I think it was called. If your tempted to read it don't waste your time. Marabou Stork Nightmares is fantastic in that wee series of books. One of the best books I have read. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Granny Danger Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Just finished the third book of the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy.....The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl who Played with Fire, and The Girl who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Recommended. 9/10. The whole trilogy was fantastic, even the films (the Swedish version) were good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracowjambo Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 Marabou Stork Nightmares is fantastic in that wee series of books. One of the best books I have read. I've never heard of that one I will look it out. Is it as good as porno? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sonofjenova Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 I've never heard of that one I will look it out. Is it as good as porno? It's much better, I'd say. Porno kid of trades on the fact that the characters were in Trainspotting, if you get what I mean. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KeeperDee Posted March 21, 2013 Share Posted March 21, 2013 It is probably irvines best work besides trainspotting tbh. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.