Books

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Never seen Polanski's Macbeth actually, must give it a shot. The recent-ish one with Fassbender was decent, although they did cut a few lines I always thought to be fairly central. 

[Thorn]

I finished up The Passenger last night. I thought it was highly enjoyable and was a much easier and less barren read than some of McCarthy's earlier, more challenging novels. Looking forward to launching into Stella Maris tonight.

I was eyeing up both of those in the book shop today and debating whether to buy. Never read any McCarthy before, only know him from the movie versions of The Road and No Country For Old Men. I may have to take the plunge!

It's a lovely looking set that but Easons were looking 50 odd quid for it. I got it on Amazon for 30

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Discovered this morning that Nicol Williamson (Merlin in Excalibur) recorded an audiobook of The Hobbit back in 1974! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SB2OxArlI8Y

[Don Gately]

Jesus Son by Denis Johnson, reread

[Eoin McLove]

Never seen Polanski's Macbeth actually, must give it a shot. The recent-ish one with Fassbender was decent, although they did cut a few lines I always thought to be fairly central. 

I bought a copy of it on DVD on Saturday. Haven't seen it in twenty odd years.

I finished up reading Macbeth the other evening. Grand oul yarn in fairness to The Bard. Credit where credit's due, jenow.

Dipping a toe into The Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper next (alongside Why the West Rules... which I'm still tipping through). Looks like it possibly will be a slow read but let's see how it goes.

[StoutAndAle]

Just read David Keenan's "For The Good Times".

Ostensibly, it's a novel about The Troubles during the period just before and up to the H3 strikes and Bobby Sand's death.

I'm not much for magical realism but this book is written exceptionally well (if you can crack/hack Keenan's writing style) and it has some fine humour dotted throughout.

Worth a read if you liked David Peace's "Red Or Dead" and Irvine Welsh's work.

[Don Gately]

Reading Wendy Erskine short story collection Dance Moves. Very good.

[Eoin McLove]

Couple of new books grabbed today.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig. It's one of those books whose name has been in my head for a long time for some reason so let's see what it's all about. I read the first 34 pages today and it's immediately interesting.

Memento Mori- What The Romans Can Tell Us About Old Age & Death by Peter Jones (not the Dragon's Den dude). 40 pages in and it's easy and entertaining enough. We'll see.

[Necro Red]

I'm just about finishing the glass bead game by Hermann Hesse. I think it is very long winded and took ages to get through. Some interesting points in it, don't k ow if I'd recommend it to a casual reader though as it is heavy enough going

[Eoin McLove]

I'm just about finishing the glass bead game by Hermann Hesse. I think it is very long winded and took ages to get through. Some interesting points in it, don't k ow if I'd recommend it to a casual reader though as it is heavy enough going

I read Steppenwolf many years ago and found it aimless and boring. It was short enough as I recall, but I didn't make it to the end.

[Don Gately]

Tender is the night by the great gatsby himself. Great writing, really enjoying it.

[StoutAndAle]

Reading "Life" by Keith Richards at the minute. Enjoyable so far - better than most autobiographies.

I've always been more a fan of The Beatles than The Rolling Stones but at least Keef is honest in his account. McCartney currently seems to be trying to do (another) revisionist history of his own life and times.

[mishima]

Just about to finish The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy. A great read, but not a patch on All the Pretty Horses, which was magnificent.

Gonna take a break from McCarthy (and from having to whip out my phone to translate the seemingly randomly inserted Spanish that McCarthy loves to use) by reading The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton. Then I'll get stuck into Cities of the Plain.

As an aside, anyone into sci-fi would do well to check out the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, by Cixin Liu. Read it a couple of years ago and it made a hell of an impression on me. Amazing stuff.

[Carnage]

I think I've given up on McCarthy. I've had a few of his on the shelf for about 10 years and I just can't be bothered with them. I found the ones I have read to be hit & miss.

As an aside, anyone into sci-fi would do well to check out the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy, by Cixin Liu. Read it a couple of years ago and it made a hell of an impression on me. Amazing stuff.

I have The Three Body Problem lined up, a friend read the trilogy and raved about it. There's a TV adaptation on the way an' all.

[mishima]

I have The Three Body Problem lined up, a friend read the trilogy and raved about it. There's a TV adaptation on the way an' all.

Nice one. I'd love to be reading it again for the first time. It's so damn good.

And as for McCarthy, if you haven't read No Country for Old Men or All the Pretty Horses, give them a go.