I can see Cold Mountain being tedious. I'll still give it a shot.
The Alchemist-Paulo Coelho
Cold Mountain really annoyed me. Frazier has talent, but he overreached, and you see him strain for "EPIC!" at every turn. There are nice moments sprinkled in a bunch of slog and pretentiousness. (IMO.)
Read a book called Mr._Timothy over Christmas. Bizarre. The main character is the grown-up Tiny Tim from Dicken's "A Christmas Carol". He's living in a house of ill repute, paying his board by teaching the madame to read. Then he gets invovled in a murder mystery involving young girls found dead with a strange brand on their arms.
Well, it gave me something to do on some looong flights.
Re: Cold_Mountain, actually I liked it tho I had the urge to dope-slap the lead characters every so often.
I always have at least three books on the go at any one time. At the moment I'm reading:
The Redemption Of Althalus by David Eddings (reread)
Red Dwarf - Better Than Life by Grant Naylor
World War - In The Balance by Harry Turtledove
Servant of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts (reread)
Just waiting for
Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly to come out in paperback.
Hi ossobuco, thank you for the welcome.
I'm not sure how I managed to welcome you twice, but OK, good, double welcome.
Personally, I am mid book, the third of Nuala O'Faolain's that I've read, and it is not a book I can recommend. I treasure it, but she seems to write, as in a letter, to me. Gads. I would love to snag her for coffee or a simple scotch or the odd glass of wine with talk. Well, ok, the beverages are just props, but they set a scene. In this case, I'd sure like to talk with her, but I'd like her to listen to me too.
Read Jonathon Livingstone Seagull today. Now reading Illusions. Both by Richard Bach.
I'm reading Death in Dallas by Tector Blake.
An amazing book about the JFK assassination. Not your usual A-Z of fact listing, but a thriller based on all the evets and who's who of the kennedy assassination. I'm a bit of a conspiracy freak so its worth a look.
Only available as an Ebook at the moment I think?
have look:
www.empireadvertising.co.uk
Several on the burner
The classic Trojan War plays of Sophocles ("Ajax" and "Philoctetes")
The fascinating and enjoyably reference-filled "American Gods", by Neil Gaiman (yes, that's reference, not reverence!)
The supposedly shocking but in fact rather tedious "Primal Scream", by William Slade (apparently a pseudonym for several authors all writing the same book at the same time--no wonder it's tedious!)
I also received "Life of Pi" (Yann Martel) for Christmas, so I imagine that will be up shortly.
"Personality" by Andrew O'Hagan. Based on true story of a teenager from Scotland with a great voice, who goes to London to make her fortune. Things eventually go downhill, I understand...
'The Sweet Forever' by George P. Pelecanos.
"Schott's Miscellany of Food", and I've just finished "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss, the Xmas success book (in terms of sales) Yes, both Xmas gifts, and both very good.
I've got a Patrick O'Brien next, to re-read.
Although most of my bedside reading at the moment is "The Spectator" magazine, there's plenty in that for most tastes, and I find there is hardly another magazine or periodical worth reading. Not on the newsstands at any rate. I don't get Granta or NYRB or LRB. Perhaps I should.
I recommend NYRB, McTag, though I have no idea what it costs to buy in the UK. I've been a reader for 30 years and never question myself about renewing my subscription.
Re "Eats, Shoots and Leaves": I just read about the author in the NY Times. Book hasn't been published here yet, but I look forward to reading it!
"Hegemony Or Survival"--Noam Chomsky.
May head out to the B&N to look for a book for February.
Ooooooooooh, msolga! Are you liking it? Have you read any of Kingsolver's other books?
I still have not picked Cold Mountain back up.
Laughing out loud reading the hilarious yet fact based and well-documented "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell them" by Al Franken.
If 51% of the American people would read this book, there would actually be hope for the coming election.
The frustrating thing is that decent, patriotic, moderate middle-Americans will in all likelihod not read the book. And, as the Democrats apparently can't get the truth out to these people in any other way, they will continue to be lied to and to support the liars.
(sigh)
