What BOOK are you reading right now?

Bill W, Nope.
I suppose you could think of it as a serious book presenting one persons informed view of marriage as dated and defunct in the postmodern age. Whereas a life of casual romantic liaisons is looked upon as more appropriate to the times.

I am one who has found happiness and satisfaction in marriage even though I acknowledge that it has changed radically during our century (as indeed, it has always changed). So, although I admit the validity of many of her arguments, in varying degrees, I am not enthusiastic about her conclusions.

Although the book is definitely not X-Rated, there is a pleasantly libidinous illustration of a woman on the dust jacket. She is appropriately placed among other elements intended to cause one to ponder the uncertainties and vagaries of man/woman relationships in our times. It is just barely possible that the illustration may also be there in the hope that it will sell more copies of the book.

Yeah, I tried to read the Lord of the Rings a few years ago, and couldn't manage it. I might try again.

Maybe I'm just trying to become a more mature reader. Tom Clancy and Robert Ludlum books keep me involved easily, but I've never heard them described as great literature.

Wilso,

Read what you like. Unless required for work or school, reading should be a source of enjoyment. I liked Clancy mainly because of the technical details he brings forth. Dickens is especially delicious for his wonderful character description and wry "apologizing" for the less savory characters in his novels. Daniel C Dennett is favored because of his scientific approach to philosophy and his concurrent buttressing of science with philosophy.

On the other hand, I find Hemingway tedious but feel I am justified in this assessment since I persevered thru at least 3 of his exercises in slow, controlled boredom commonly referred to as novels...Tom Clancy he is not! But that's the point, isn't it? One man's meat is another's poison.

What I often do is to use the footnotes or bibliography section of a book that I enjoyed or found informative as a reference source for further reading. I don't use tapes of books and don't read online books simply because they lack the pleasure I gather from a "real" book. The latter may be like sex: part of the enjoyment comes from the possibility of employing different positions while participating in the actual act itself.

There is something to be said for required reading and, after all, this not only allows us exposure to different styles and subjects but also encourages the acquirement of tastes. Indeed, our taste does evolve as we mature but we need neither to like nor consume caviar to be considered civilized, urbane, or sophisticated.

JM

Well put, James!

I'm currently reading "Small Holdings", one of Nicola Barker's early novels. I'm glad I discovered her. She creates places in which slightly odd characters get jumbled together. They live in a world that's a lot like, but not quite identical to, the one we exist in. It's all a lot of fun--and sometimes sexy, too!

I throughly enjoy the Dune and LOTR series, Hemingway, Clancy, Ludlum and Dickens. I can't get through Tom Jones and the Bible............

The Bible, though uneven as literature, certainly has its moments! I prefer the King James version for the language.

"There were giants in the earth in those days."

Now, that's writing!

And his name is Yao Ming

I'm ripping through Salon.com's Wanderlust, a paperback I picked up at my used book store....
Real-life tales of Adventure and Romance

The foreward by Pico Iyer is worth the price for me. I have read many of the writers before, including Pico, as I agglomerate travel pieces. One was interesting in a backwards fro way. Years ago now, I read a piece in the New Yorker on Tuscany by Bill Barich. Cut it out. Still have it: I snipped it in 1985 or so.

That was a key piece in my ever traveling and falling in love with italy, with all its good and bad and inbetween, its depths of history, well, don't get me started. But Barich did.

That New Yorker piece was written as he was somewhat older, probably mid forties, about his revisit to a place he went to at college age, Florence. This piece in the Salon.com book was a seemingly quick piece about his trip there in 1963. The NYer piece was, as I remember it, quite well written, as often happens. This one... seems to be written by the college student, a few years later. Or months later. Still well written, but not as manicured...

I'm enjoying all the short tales so far.

Currently reading 'True History of the Kelly Gang' by Peter Carey, winner of the 2001 Booker Prize.

Going quite slowly as the style of writing is somewhat different to what I am used to. The story is told in parts, supposedly manuscripts that Ned Kelly had written and so there is a severe lack of punctuation. Therefore, some paragraphs need a re-read to try and find the voice as it is supposed to be. However, the story is still very good and this uniqueness adds to it more than it detracts. As Kelly is writing them for his daughter to read he has also blanked out any swear words, so reading looks as thus: 'b-----r' throughout. Once over these irregularities it is a worthy read.

Mxx

"Fast Food Nation"

One of the things I like about Clancy is the multiple plot lines. He's a master at that.

Let us know what you think when you have finished it. Personally I find things such as this to be quite like college projects that go on a bit too long. Eric Schlosser brings up some good points in this book, but the only thing really distinguishing it from a student project is the lack of bar charts.

Saying that, I haven't been into McD's, BK, or KFC for the last 2 years so it must have done something to me

Mxx

Well so far, so good.

I got through the first section on stuff like; how the fast food industry grew, the way they treat their employees, and franchising.

I just finished the 1st chapter of the section on the actual food.

NEXT MISSION:

"Hegemony Or Survival"--Noam Chomsky

Completed "The Lovely Bones" in two days. Into just a few pages thought I might toss it out, but kept reading, then couldn't put it down. Haunting sad sad story but I grew to love it more page by page. Cried some.

I can't decide if I like The Lovely Bones or not. It's very much like 'Ghost' with Demi Moore et al.

I loved the mother and the way she was described. In most books I picture the characters on faces that I already know but with the mother, Sebold managed to create a character that was so vivid I could imagine who she was and how she looked individually without having to take features from people I know.

I also liked the way heaven is described, it sounds like a nice place.

Overall though, the style of writing did not grip me and I couldn't really care enough about the characters to fully appreciate the book as much as I would have liked, and I'm still unsure why this became a #1 best seller.

I would be interested in hearing input on other books by Sebold, at the moment I do not feel inclined to buy any. I'm hoping she is not one of those authors where all of her work seems very similar to each other - such as Joanne Harris.

Mxx

murphyz, I know exactly what you say, I'm not sure if I "liked it" or not. She did an excellen job, the writer, putting all that emotion into words. How the characters were so gripped by these terrible feelings, plus getting into the mind of the murderer. I am rather sensitive, this story just hurt so much. Probably, is somewhat the way things are in life and in heaven.

I too loved the mother, or do you mean the wife? That faraway look (ocean eyes) can be seen in any woman's eyes while she is in the throes of raising her children, wondering where her dreams went. Loved the way her mother stepped in. Would do same.

Was this an "Oprah" book? May explain why #1 best seller.

So I've finally gotten around to finishing Shake Hands with the Devil - by Lt.Gen. Romeo Dallaire.

Absolutely brillant book.
Highly highly recommended.

oliver twist (still)

The Fellowship of the Ring. Have been meaning to read it for ages and am enjoying it now that I've finally found time to start it!

I just finished Dave Barry's second novel, "Tricky Business". His first novel was laugh out loud funny, this second one was a bit too much of the same. Like he took the same formula and plugged in different circumstances. Even the characters were similar. A little disappointing.

I started Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" yesterday. He is very funny as well. It's about his hiking trip along the Appalachain Trail. I am still in his planning stage, no hiking yet.