Books

[Maggot Colony]

Started reading Brighton Rock by Graham Greene. Only a few chapters in but the writing is top quality.

Read that last year, enjoyed it yeah. If you like this kind of thing try Hangover square by Patrick Hamilton.
Its a fantastic book and better thsn BR.

Never heard of Hangover Square. I'll stick it on the never-ending list. Thanks

[Eoin McLove]

Finished up Lucky's by Andrew Pippof just now. This, his debut, won him awards and it was decent enough but somehow failed to fully capture me. I preferred his second novel, The Transformations (which I read first). Still, nice to have some new talent on the radar.

Next up: Orbital by Samantha Harvey.

[Carnage]

Curious about Orbital myself, it sounds interesting.

[Don Gately]

Reead Flesh by David Szalay winner of the 2025 booker prize, not sure what i made of it, didn't realy like any of the characters in it. I was pulled along by the story bit it left a metallic taste on the mouth.
Let us know how Orbital went Eoin.

[Thorn]

Knew I had that Orbital. Sitting here watching t.v. and it's there on the shelf beneath, couldn't remember a thing about it and even after pulling it out there and flicking through I'm still not much wiser. Safe to say it didn't leave much of an impression but it'll no doubt get another go at some stage, it's only a wee thing after all.

[Eoin McLove]

It's short, but I'm only in page 12 and it feels densely written, like a lot of information is packed into every page. She's only seeing the scene at the moment so maybe it'll pick up in pace one a lot develops. That said, the writing style is beautiful and the information she is imparting is fascinating so far.

[leatherface]

I couldn't get through American Psycho, it's a little too much. The movie completely changed the book and turned it into a bizarre comedy, erm.. no. If you think the movie is funny, read the book.

[Eoin McLove]

I've only read one Easton Ellis book and I thought it was dogshit.

[Carnage]

I read that one and swore I'd never read another, it was torturous.

Currently on Robert Harris' Act Of Oblivion, dealing with the fallout of Charkes I's execution and the hunt for those that signed his death warrrant. Only 70 or 80 pages in but it's as good as you'd expect so far. Harris must bury himself in research.

[ochoill]

Finished Prophet Song last week.  Enjoyed it a lot, bleak and well written, good pace to the story in it.  You can see how it is going to pan out from early on but it stays interesting right through.

Started Solaris soon after but am only three chapters in at the minute.  Good so far, just only have a few minutes each day to read it at the minute on lunch breaks really.

[Mooncat]

I absolutely love Bret Easton Ellis, and American Psycho the book is very definitely a comedy as well. It just also happens to go in incredibly heavily on the gore compared to the film. I did find I would just skip over the paragraphs where he describes what everybody wears, but that aside it's one of my favourite books. Less Than Zero and Rules of Attraction are also really good. Glamorama was a bit of a slog.

[Don Gately]

Yeah loved American Psycho too, read most of his other stuff but didn't find it memorable.

[Mooncat]

Currently reading Alternative For the Masses. It's an oral history of alternative music focusing mainly on the period from about 1990-1995. It's really good so far and features a great cast of people who were around at the time. Oral histories are one of my favourite kinds of non-fiction to read; I've read most of the other ones that focus on various music scenes and movements. It only came out a few months ago so I was excited about there being a new one.

[Eoin McLove]

Finished up Nesting by Roisín O' Donnell just now. Very enjoyable, if quite dark and disturbing in nature.

Now on to Departure(s) by Julian Barnes 

[Thorn]

What did you make of Orbital, out of curiosity?