Tags
audiobook, Character Crush, chinua achebe, disgrace, Dr. Gonzo, fear and loathing, hunter s thompson, jm coetzee, kazuo ishiguro, liz jensen, meme, nocturnes, puerto rico, rum diary, sylvia plath, the rapture
Welcome to ‘It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?’, a weekly meme initially hosted by Sheila at the ‘Book Journey – One Persons Journey Through a World of Books’. This is a great way of letting people know what I’ve been reading over the past week and what I’ve got lined up for this week.
Another slow one this week and I’ve gotten side-tracked a lot, but here’s an honest list of things finished/ pending and currently in the works:
BOOKS READ:
1. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey into the Heart of the American Dream – Hunter S. Thompson
Savoured every last word of this insane epic. Loved it so much that I think I’ve been sitting and re-reading choice paragraphs and committing them to memory. Click here to read my review, and check out my ‘Character Crush’ of the week!
2. The Rapture (Audiobook) – Liz Jensen
Finally finished the audiobook version of this dystopian/ environmental/ Armageddon themed book that has a healthy dash of religious fanaticism thrown in for good measure. Click here for my review.
CURRENTLY READING:
1. The Rum Diary – Hunter S. Thompson
Currently on page 50 of this fictional account of Thompson’s journalistic experiences during his short stay in Puerto Rico in the late 1950’s. It was written before Fear and Loathing, and retains the linear writing style of your average reporter. But I’m glad to say I can spot flecks of the pioneering Gonzo style very now and then.
2. Winter Trees – Sylvia Plath
This is where I start to deviate from last weeks reading plans. I felt a dire need for some poetry, so I managed to pick up this very slim (but seriously dense) book of Plath’s poems. Written towards the last 9 months of her life, they evoke the emotional turmoil for a woman trapped in a loveless marriage. She writes like a trapped beast. Each word a cutting claw, a razor tooth. I feel disdain for Ted Hughes…
BOOKS TO READ:
1. Nocturnes – Kazuo Ishiguro
Not the promised Murakami, but still a Japanese author nonetheless. I have been desperate to get my hands on Nocturnes ever since ‘A Pale View of Hills’. Haven’t started it yet, but I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.
2.Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
I have yet to read any Achebe, and I was seduced by ‘Things Fall Apart’ at my local library. Now that the world cup is on I wanted to read some African Literature. Praise for the book goes like this: “The writer in whose company the prison walls fell down” – Nelson Mandela.
3.Disgrace – JM Coetzee
Again, another book with a setting in South Africa, this time by Coetzee, another first time read. This novel won the Booker Prize in 1999. Took a sneak peek and I think it’s marvellous.
That’s it for this week folks. Would love to know what you think of my choices.
Wordly Obsessions 
Dr hunter “stockton” thompson will set you free………..
… yes he will… god rest his crazy soul.
Things Fall Apart looks like an amazing read, I hope you really enjoy it! 🙂 You have a good pile of books going on – enjoy them all!
Things Fall Apart is a wonderful book, and I LOVED Disgrace. I just read Disgrace this year and then went to buy everything Coetzee wrote. That’s how much I enjoyed it.
Have a great week!
Hi Sheila, I’m hoping to get round to it pretty quickly. I need to whizz through ‘Rum Diary’ and then go onto the Achebe.
Hi Nancy! Thanks for stopping by. I’ll be refering to your blog for good Crime Fiction from now on. ‘Disgrace’ is a book I’ve been looking forward to reading. I also heard good things about ‘Foe’. Coetzee’s style of writing is very plain, which is something I’ve begun to appreciate after years of reading elaborate stuff.
Wow — you have some really interesting books here! Have a great week.
Hi Jess,
You’ve been reading Zafon! I love Zafon! I only just discovered ‘The Angel’s Game’. Nice to know you thoroughly enjoyed it. Yep, I try to make my weekly book list as interesting as possible. If I get bored I’ll stall. Need to keep the momentum going.
Thanks for stopping by. Have a nice week!
So what did you think of The Rapture? I loved it! I guess by audio takes a bit long, so that takes away from the story, maybe.
I loved ‘The Rapture’, in fact, I’m writing my review for it right now. The audio version took much longer than I expected, but I stuck with it. Overall I did enjoy the story-telling, but there were moments where Jensen overdid the description a bit. Still worth a read though!
I am liking your taste in literature. 🙂 I have never read anything by hunter Thompson, though I’ve been intrigued by him since high school. And I’ve had by eye on Kazuo Ishiguro lately.
I used to enjoy Plath’s poetry and journals in high school.
Thanks laughingstar,
Both authors are well worth the read. I can’t recommend them enough. I’ve started re-reading Plath. Like you I also read her when I was a teenager. I thought it would be nice to read her poems now that I’m a bit older.
Thanks for visiting my blog. You’ve got some interesting reading there. I havent heard of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but your description captured my ttention so have to check out your review. Have a great week and happy reading 🙂
Hi teddyree,
Thanks for stopping by. Fear and Loathing is a remarkable read. It’s listed as one of the 1001 books to read before you die. Hope you enjoy the review!
Zee.
I’ve been wanting to read something by Sylvia Plath for awhile, I hope you enjoy it!
Have a great week 🙂
Thanks Crystal. The weeks almost over and I’ve only managed 2 books. The Plath and the Ishiguro. I can’t recommend the Plath enough. The review is up if you wanna take a peek: https://mywordlyobsessions.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/book-review-winter-trees-sylvia-plath/
Hope you have a great week too, what’s left of it!