What are you reading now?

[Fusion]

Soft Target by Stephen Leather. bit of a slow start, but SO19, drug dealers, terrorists, you can't really go wrong.

[bowser123]

just finished Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman. Like I said a few posts up it's a kids book, but like Narnia and Dark Material it has enough in it to appeal to an older audience.

I originally found out about in the BBC's Big Read top 100, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It tells the story of a black girl Sephy (a cross) who is best friends with Callum, a white nought. It's a tale of racial prejudice, but with the slant that the blacks are the ruling majority to the oppressed whites. Their friendship causes lots of problems.

It has quite a surprising end and some of the twists throughout were quite surprising too. Apparently it's the 1st in a trilogy, I definitely intend to get the others.


What I have started of late is H G Wells stuff. I quite like sci-fi stuff at times, but I really, really dislike the two books of his I've attempted, Time Machine and War of the Worlds. I'm not sure exactly why I can't get into them as they're so highly regarded, think it's something to do with the writing style where it's almost narrated rather than told through the characters. Will probably try them again, but I've not been impressed.


Definitely starting Catch 22 tomorrow though on my way to work. It better be good.
After that the last two books from the Chronicles of Narnia. And that has been spectacularly good thus far.

[Gareth C]

The unbearable lightness of being in Aberystwyth by Malcolm Pryce.

Having read the first two (Aberystwyth Mon Amour and Last Tango in Aberystwyth) seeing the new one available was liking being reunited with an old friend. No books have ever given me such a feeling of humour and warmth...sounds stupid, but I can't really explain, so there!

[Chadruharazzeb]

American Pyscho at last. It's even funnier than the film; Bateman's routines and thoughts are almost as hysterical as the man himself.

[anephric]

Plus it has rats, cheese and drainpipes....

Ooooh, and spoon/brain interface.

[Nijo]

Just finished (this morning) Dance Dance Dance by Haruki Murakami.
Not his best but still engaging, not as good as the book I read just before that: How the Dead Live by Will Self.

Next up, another Murakami I think.

[bowser123]

Just started Catch 22 and I really don't know what to make of it.

It's very daunting in the sense that I'm like 70 pages in, and the author must have already mentioned at least 40 characters. It's also wrote in a quite scattered manner that I've found a bit tricky to follow at times without re-reading passages.

However, it has been very funny in places and has certainly got me intrigued as to what's happening next.

Current favourites thus far:

->Open Spoiler<-

The doctors who've failed to correctly diagnose Yossarian with their "efficient mouths and inefficient eyes; Doc Daneeka and his constant griping, the lunacy of Catch 22 where you can only leave if you're mad. However, you have to ask to leave. But if you are in a fit enough state of mind to ask to leave, you aren't mad.
Best bits by far are Orr and his reasoning for apples in his cheeks, which was superseeded by Orr getting battered by the blonde with her shoe.

RE: American Psycho. What did you guys make of the end, especially if the book actually happened?

->Open Spoiler<-

Personally I thought it might well have all happened, but the bit where he shoots the taxi driver and escapes to the building and is chased by the police seemed totally OTT to me. It didn't fit with the rest of the actions and led me to believe it was all his imagination.

However, the potentially strongest point to disprove the truth of the actions could be a red herring IMO. Bateman meets his lawyer who tells him he can't have murdered such and such as they met a few days ago. However, nobody seems to know anyone elses name, so it's perfectly possible that the lawyer is thinking of a different person.

My other favourite bit, that shows just how nasty Bateman truly is was the abortion bit. He beat the girl up, sent her to the clinic and left loads of baby stuff in the back seat. This was extremely callous, and in a way, just as reprehensible as rats, cheese and a pipe.

[anephric]

Remember, in the midst of your musing, that I'm Clevinger.

Apparently.

[bowser123]

I've read his name, but can't remember what he's done bar be reduced to tears by Yossarians insistence that the enemy are after him specifically.

Does Clevinger have a bigger part to play later on?

Also does the name dropping slow down or does the addition of new characters continue through out? That's what I'm having the trouble with, remembering who everybody is.

[Chadruharazzeb]

Oh my christ, American Psycho is one of the funniest things I've ever read. That chapter called "A Glimpse of a Thursday Afternoon" is gobsmacking. I don't think I've ever read a more hilarious and surreal segment of literature in my life.

Brilliant book, I'm addicted.

[Marmite]

Started and finished Coma, by Alex Garland on the flight back from Geneva on Saturday night. Really enjoyed it. I have a question about the ending though - has anyone here read it that could help?

[bowser123]

I read it and hated it Marmite. Still, ask away, I might know the answer.

I'm 2/3 through Catch 22, starting to understand it's point much better now. Brilliantly funny in places too.

[Kieran76]

I found that when I first read Catch 222 there was suddenly a Eureka (sp) moment where it all made sense and it went from being an entertaining to read to an outstanding read. I still don't know how Milo makes money on his egss though.


Anyone seen the film Catch 22, proper ****e.

[Kungfu]

I found that when I first read Catch 22 there was suddenly a Eureka (sp) moment where it all made sense and it went from being an entertaining to read to an outstanding read.

I concur, anyway right now I'm reading Bringing Down The House. Halfway through and am really enjoying it, a page turner, you know?

[Marmite]

I read that Kungfu. Was pretty good. The fact that its based on supposedly real events is kinda cool as well.