Tags
chinua achebe, hubert selby jr, Its monday what are you reading?, jm coetzee, kazuo ishiguro, l. frank baum, nocturnes, rory gilmore reading list, rum diary, sylvia plath, winter trees
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.
Reading-wise things are finally beginning to pick up a bit. I’m spending far too much time on the blog and real-life seems to be a pain in the backside. There’s been a couple of inteesting reads and a nice little discount discovery I made the Stephen King’s ‘Under The Dome’ – only half price at WHSmith’s which is far better than the full £8.99. I recommend that UK book bloggers check it out as it’s supposed to be quite a cool read. My goodreads friends have recommended it to me. I’m also waiting on news from the arrival of ‘Last Exit To Brooklyn’ by Hubert Selby Jr., an author I’ve been dying to read ever since I heard about him.
So, here’s the round-up for last week’s reads:
BOOKS READ:
1. Winter Trees by Sylvia Plath
A very short collection of poems that were written during the last 9 months of Plath’s life. As you can imagine, not a happy read, but it certianly satisfied my need to exercise that part of the brain that deals with poetry. It took a while to get into her mindframe, but when I did it totally blew me away. Click here for review.
2. Nocturnes – Kazuo Ishiguro
Although the cover looks good (very inviting for a music lover like myself), I found this collection of five loosely interwoven stories a little lacking. I felt there was something missing. Maybe the short story isn’t for Ishiguro, he should stick to novels. Having said that, a concept like this would be wonderful to read from Haruki Murakami who also uses Jazz music as an element in his story-telling.
CURRENTLY READING:
1. The Rum Diary – Hunter S. Thompson
Currently on page 110 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. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
I’m halfway through this incredible read. It’s so engrossing that I stayed up till 2am reading till my eyes felt sore. I’ve never read anything as detailed as this about African tribes. Okonkwo is a very powerful character, and the tribe members are all very distinct from each other. The sense of community is very strong in Achebe’s story. Reading his work is like touching warm, fertile soil for the first time.
3.Disgrace – JM Coetzee
Thanks to the Achebe, I haven’t had a chance to give this one much attention. But it will be finished today, so I’ll have lots to write about next week.
BOOKS TO READ:
1.‘Last Exit To Brooklyn’ by Hubert Selby Jr.
I heard about Selby Jr. through the movie ‘Requiem For A Dream’. I didn’t know it was originally a novel by Selby, and after some research about him I was surprised that not much is know about this unique author. His ad hoc writing style and gritty, dark subject matters make Chuck Palahnuik look like a writer for YA. I quickly decided that Selby Jr. was the real deal, and I would not rest until I’ve read something by him.
2. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum
And for something completely different! I’ve gotten tired of the ‘heavy’ books lately. I feel like a soldier with combat stress! This is on the Rory Gilmore Reading List, and surprisingly I’ve never read it before. Something warm and fuzzy for the child in me.
That’s this weeks round-up fellow book bloggers. I hope you all have a great reading week and if you have any suggestions for good reads I’d be glad to know your thoughts! I’m off to make the rounds!
You’ve got some great books there! What a pity the Ishiguro book wasn’t quite what you hoped. I’m planning to read it sometime, too. I love his books. But I find most writers have one or two books that are disappointing. Even my favorite writers!
Yes, it was a bit of a disappointment. But they can’t all be good can they? But it’s still worth a read.
Great list of books. If you haven’t read The book Theif by Marcus Zusak you MUST MUST MUST
Hi Tabitha! I’ve got it on my nightstand. I picked it up last year and couldn;t make head nor tale of it. I’m so upset! I’m going to have to try again later. Maybe my brain wasn’t in the right mode??
Thanks for stopping by!
I’m so jealous that you’re tackling some Thompson! I have never fully been able to get myself to read anything by him. I think about it, and then I change my mind.
I’m not sure how much you want to invest in your Wizard of Oz reading, but I was a huge fan of the entire series as a kid. It seems like there are 10 or more books in the series, and it’s a lovely story 🙂
Have a great week!
You really should read some Thompson. He’s not as scary or crazy as they make him out to be. It’s very entertaining.
I first came to realise about the Wizard of Oz series through the film ‘Girl, Interrupted’. There was a character in the asylum who kept all the books and it suddenly dawned on me how much more to the story their actually is.
I loved watching all the olf films, especially the original one where it goes from b+w to technicolor. Happy days!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. I think that you will like Under The Dome. I listened to it on Audio earlier this year and really liked it. Reminds of the old Stephen King. I think you will like The Wizard of Oz also. I read this outloud to my kids when they were small. Not entirely like the movie but enjoyable just he same.
Hi Mindy, thanks for your kind comment.
I like the old Stephen King, so that’s good news. I’m not too keen on audiobooks. Maybe I need to listen to a few more before I get the hang of it. I listened to ‘The Rapture’ last month and it took ages. Couldn’t skip the boring bits as I’d lose the plot.
But King sounds like a good author to listen to. He’s not too verbose if you know what I mean.
It looks like you have accomplished some good reading and have a lot planned as well! Thank you for stopping by my blog earlier. Hope you have a good week!
My pleasure Bailey, I enjoyed looking around, you have a great blog. I try to get as much read as possible but I’m never quite happy with my progress. Some fellow bloggers amaze me with their reading speed. I hope to get to that level someday!
So tough when the book life and the “real life” don’t work together! But I know exactly what you mean. Hopefully things in “real life” will pick up soon!
I absolutely adore Kazuo Ishiguro! His novel Never Let Me Go was just brilliant! It’s too bad to hear he doesn’t do too well with the short stories, although, I can see that being a problem since his novels are so well paced most of the time.
Hope you have a fabulous reading week and thanks so much for stopping by There’s A Book earlier!
Hi 1st daughter! It was a pleasure to visit your blog, very colourful and dynamic.
I like Ishiguro too. ‘A Pale View of Hills’ was excellent and I plan on reading ‘Never Let Me Go’. I’ve heard he is much better at the longer novel.
Thanks for dropping by!
I’ve read the Wonderful Wizard of Oz many times and I’m about to re-read it, this time with my son. It will be his first time.
I read Last Exit to Brooklyn a year or so ago. It’s a powerful and ponderous book.
This is my first week participating. I highlighted four of the books I’m currently reading. Pussreboots.
It’s wonderful to be able to read your fav childhood story with your children. I hope I’ll get to do that one day.
I can’t wait for the Selby to come through. I’ve checked out your Monday post and by golly you have some seriously good reads!
The Wonderful Wizard Of OZ! How fun!
It definitely is! Can’t wait!
You have a great collection of books listed in this post. I will add a few to my TBR list. I love the variety!
Have a great week.
Thanks Mari. I hope you enjoy the ones you’ve chosen. Thanks for stopping by!
I really like the cover for Nocturnes, and the description sounds like something I would like. Sorry to hear it didn’t live up to your expectations.
Hi Alita,
Yes, the cover is gorgeous. Reminds me of late night dinners al fresco. It could have been better, but it wasn’t a bad read either. It’s average. Thanks for looking at my Monday. Have a great week!
i just picked up my first sylvia plath yesterday, “the bell jar”. i’m excited to read it. if “the bell jar” is as great as i’ve been led to believe, i’d love to read “winter trees” at some point. love the variety on your list!
Because of you, I now have one more book to add to my must-read pile: Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe … I love reading about other cultures when presented in a realistic, but interesting, fashion. You HAVE been doing a lot of heavy reading – I try to mix it up by reading something light at the same time – then I end up switching back and forth 🙂
I’m glad you’ve added Achebe to your list. It truly is a gem of a book. His story-telling is so simple. I felt like one of the tribe. With Achebe you get to see the nobility of thought as well as the superstitious beliefs that caused a lot of grief for the tribal members.
I’m going to give myself a break with a fewer lighter titles after this bunch. I have a couple of e-books the authors were kind enough to send my way. So there is some form of relief on the horizon!
Thanks for stopping by Julie!