What Are You Reading

[Harp]

The Cambridge Companion to Contemporary Irish Poetry;
edited Matthew Campbell, University of Sheffield.

...and, perhaps Joe Torre's The Yankee Years.

 

[carter]

I'm reading Night Over Water by Ken Follett for the 2nd time. I last read it in 1991 when it was published. Pretty light reading but about half of it takes place aboard a Pan Am Atlantic Clipper flight from the UK to the US at the beginning of Great Britain's involvement in WWII.

 

[vonwotan]

The Silver Mistress by Peter O'Donnell. One of the Modesty Blaise novels.

I'm not sure when his option expires on them but I had hoped to see Tarantino make at least one Modesy Blaise movie. The fourty minute film someone shot on his behalf, to keep the rights, was wonderful and I'd love to see the same actress - not likely in modern day Holywood.

 

[vonwotan]

I thoroughly enjoyed Night Over Water and the scenes on the Clipper in particular. I fly in and out of Marine Air Terminal in NYC whenever I go home and used to love it as a kid for flights on the little puddle jumpers...

I'm reading Night Over Water by Ken Follett for the 2nd time. I last read it in 1991 when it was published. Pretty light reading but about half of it takes place aboard a Pan Am Atlantic Clipper flight from the UK to the US at the beginning of Great Britain's involvement in WWII.

 

[Feraud]

The Few by Kershaw. Well written and hard to put down!

 

[yobbos1]

Have rediscovered Hemingway recently. Just finished A Farewell To Arms.

 

[John Boyer]

...I owe it all to the late Simone Weil; her writings will be the focus of my doctorate thesis. Just wish I had met her sooner.

Harp,

A rather belated response, but great choice for the doctorate thesis--Simone Weil.:eusa_clap I came across Ms. Weil about 20 years ago while working through issues and interpretations concerning my own "Worldview". Since then, I have been greatly indebted to and continually intrigued by the philosophy of Ms. Weil; philosophers--past and present---really do matter!

John

 

[imoldfashioned]

I'm working my way through the 1003 page doorstop that is The Brontes by Juliet Barker. I questioned whether the book could live up to the review on the back cover (which was so effusive I wondered if it had been written by the author's mother): "an outstanding achievement, a magnificent portrait which not only contains a wealth of important material but is also a delight to read...Definitive...Hard to imagine it ever being surpassed". I'm only up to the year 1818 but so far it's quite good.

I also read My Likeness Taken: Daguerreian Portraits in America. The portraits were selected for their value to costume historians and it was so good that I'm looking for a modestly priced copy to add to my library.


Also, thanks for the synopsis JoieDeVivre--very interesting!

 

[imoldfashioned]

As I wrote above, I'm making my way through the Barker book right now--she got points from me for espousing that theory about Emily (and Anne) in the introduction. The examples Barker gives of overeager authors trying to spin fiction into biographical fact are pretty shocking.

Also, it helps to hear I'm not the only one who's bought multiple copies of a book just for the different cover art!

Another Emily Bronte fan here - I've read my Penguin edition of her poems so often and carted it so many places the cover has fallen off, and in this year of the anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species you can imagine which of her devoirs I'm feeling the urge to reread! I am inclined to agree with Juliet Barker that, given the gaps in the material - some fostered by Emily's deliberate reticence - that a truly satisfactory biography of the author of Wuthering Heights cannot be written. That hasn't stopped me from acquiring shelves full of Bronteana, though! At one point I was collecting editions of WH just for the different cover art.

 

[JEEP]

Currently I am re-reading The Process by Franz Kafka.


Regards.

Jakob

 

[Miss 1929]

3 books at once

I am re-reading "Out of Africa" by Isak Dinensen.

Also, one of my birthday presents, "The Audacity of Hope", by our President...

And a great companion read for that one, "The Progressive Revolution - How the Best in America Came To Be" by Michael Lux. Not so one-sided as it sounds by the title.

 

[Harp]

Harp,

... I came across Ms. Weil about 20 years ago while working through issues and interpretations concerning my own "Worldview". Since then, I have been greatly indebted to and continually intrigued by the philosophy of Ms. Weil...

John

John:

I discovered Simone inside Holy Name Cathedral; whose bookstore is
a favorite haunt of mine, or rather was until recent structural repairs
and a fire---while looking for Pascal's meditations. I cannot account my
having missed her earlier--though I immediately knew I had discovered
a hidden jewel. And the possibility of writing that belated and long
overdue doctoral on her work kept nagging me. She's irresistible.
Anyway, I couldn't talk myself out of it. lol

 

[Spitfire]

"Pigs might fly" by Mark Blake at the mo.
The inside story of pink floyd.

 

[TheLimey]

Currently reading Casino Royale by Ian Flemming. It has a realy cool vintage feeling to it, especially seeing as Flemming does such a great job of describing the scenery.
It's relativly short and is easy to read. I strongly recomend it to all you loungers, even if you have seen the film.

Also you will learn how to make a proper martini, a Vesper and how to play Baccarat....

 

[katiemakeup]

I picked up a little book by Audrey Hepburn called 'How To Be Lovely'. Easy read and inspirational.

 

[Spiffy]

Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger.
Brilliantly madcap and trashy. Also fun to discuss with my Film Studies professors, who all seem to either love it or absolutely loathe it. I have seriously considered not returning it to the library. I've checked, they have two.

 

[imoldfashioned]

I picked up a little book by Audrey Hepburn called 'How To Be Lovely'. Easy read and inspirational.

I've read that one too--very sweet (and great pictures as I recall).

 

[ortega76]

Fear of the Dark by Walter Mosley.

I love the Fearless Jones series almost as much as I enjoyed the Easy Rawlins books.

 

[NewGuy]

Great Thread

I am loving this thread.

Right now I am reading "The Black Lizards Big Book of Pulps" and "Worlds to Explore"

The second one really makes me wanna jump on a plane and head to Africa, but it just wouldn't be the same today.

 

[skyvue]

I'm nearing the end of Donald Spoto's Madcap: The Life of Preston Sturges.