The Word Cloud

I'm just starting Murakami's 1Q84. No spoilers please! Finished Khaled Hosseini's '1000 spendid suns' this week - wow! Really big WOW!

I'm reading Kazuo Ishiguro's Nocturnes, James Joyce's Dubliners and a Raymond Carver collection, in an attempt to get my head around the short story. I last read Joyce when I was a student, as students do, and found him impossible. Time has not been good to me on that score. The other two are depressingly good writers and if I keep reading their ilk I'm likely to chuck the whole thing in.

I've been reading my first 3 chapters, until I'm blue in the face, preparing for the agent approach. But strangely, I tend to find more errors reading on my ereader than on the laptop screen. Other than that, 'The Einstein Girl'.

The Eyeball Collector by F.E Higgins. Sounds ands looks like horror, but isn't, and interestingly breaks a lot of the unwritten rules of writing (eg speech tags, loads of adverbs). Still a flippin' good read...even though I'm about thirty years over the target age range.

I'm just starting Murakami's 1Q84. No spoilers please! Finished Khaled Hosseini's '1000 spendid suns' this week - wow! Really big WOW!

Eli, How are you?
Have you read 'The Kite Runner'? Another amazing book by Khaled Hosseini.

John.

Before I Go To Sleep - CJ Watson

I agree JC, I read The Kite Runner whilst I was living in a manky hostel in Sydney over New Year. An unbelievable book, haven't felt emotions like that in a piece of art since I watched Forrest Gump when I was about 8.

I've just finished reading Pack Men by Alan Bisset after reading great reviews about it on Amazon but was really disappointed with it. I don't know why, I usually adore stuff by Scottish writers but this just felt...rushed? Didn't feel anything towards any of the characters, except a desire to slap them (and I swear that isn't to do with the fact they are all Rangers fans....)! But, as I said, the Amazon readers felt it was worth a read so maybe I missed something.

I've just started All The Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy and so far it is exceptional. No Country For Old Men is one of my favourite books and I'm delighted that this (and hopefully the next two in the trilogy) is shaping up to be just as good.

I take a lot of my literature via my ears.

I did smile when I read that, glad you liked it (Darlin')
I am also an audio book fanatic as I never have a time in the day where I have two hands free to hold a book. So far this year I 'read' The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I was very disapointed in and feel the film did a lot of favours; 'The Black House' which was excellent, a really well paced thriller up until the last chapter which for me, spoiled an otherwise brilliant book (still recommend it to thriller fans though, very much so, even if just so I can see if you agree with me), and 'The woman in black,' which I did enjoy but was, for me, a little ponderous and was woefully served by the film. I am just starting on 'Shattered', which I have only manage the first page of so far.
There we go!

I am reading Dick and Felix Francis 'Dead Heat' Needed something to escape from my own current turmoil which I won't go into.

I'm reading Dubliners for the second time. I love the way Joyce uses language.

I just finished Harrison's 'Light,' which I was reading again to cheer myself up. I'd forgotten how great it is (it's on my favourite book list now). It's just so tight and sparkly. Every page has this amazing turn of phrase of metaphor and you think "Wow, that's pretty bloody pithy, he won't top that," and then on the next page there's something even better.

I tried The Sound and the Fury but just couldn't penetrate it, gave up on it, pity, will try again some time. Don't usually do the Sci Fi thing but I do like Ray Bradbury, his writing tingles my spine.

I'm reading 'Generation Kill' by Evan Wright, a journalist who was embedded with Recon Marines during the invasion of Iraq (round two). He writes with honesty and impartiality, giving a vivid and objective account of the war which I think the anti-war protesters really should read - not that it would substantially alter their political stance, but at least it would give them a more realistic idea of what they're protesting against. It's the best literary description of war I've read by a journalist.

The best descriptions of war I've ever read are those written by actual soldiers. Spike Milligan's war memoirs, and also 'Sniper One' by Sgt Dan Mills.

Anyone who espouses a strong political opinion about war should read these books before they open their mouths!