Mailbox Monday & It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? (25/ 7)

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benjamin zephaniah, carlos ruiz zafon, cats cradle, charlotte perkins gilman, civil war, emila zola, herman hesse, ian fleming, irvine welsh, Its monday what are you reading?, jm barrie, kurt busiek, kurt vonnegut, margaret atwood, mark millar, marvels, matt moylan, meme, mohsin hamid, patricia melo, Paul Auster, Paul Gallico, paul jenkins, peter pan, raymond carver, roberto bolano, siddhartha, stephen galloway, streetfighter world warrior encyclopedia, the angel's game, the cellist of sarajevo, the dream, the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society, the skating rink, the spy who loved me, the year of the flood, the yellow wallpaper, trainspotting, violette leduc, wolverine origins

Welcome to Monday Meme’s! (‘Mailbox Monday’ by Marcia at The Printed Page and ‘It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?’ by Sheila at The Book Journey are fun weekly meme’s that allow book-bloggers to share their reading progress and the books they have yet to read.

July has been a hectic month, but also fruitful in terms of books. Since I haven’t had time to post that often (due to my novel-writing) I’m taking this opportunity to pick up from where I left off in March. Here’s a review of the titles that have either wowed me, or left me a little disappointed:

Books Read | March/ April
(click for reviews)
Lost World by Patricia Melo (1/5)
Man in the Dark by Paul Auster (5/5)
Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano (4/5) – review pending
Kung Fu Trip by Benjamin Zephaniah (3/5)
The Snow Goose by Paul Gallico (5/5)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (3/5) – review pending
The Informers by Brett Easton Ellis (3/5) – review pending
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis (1/5) – review pending
The Paper House: A Novel by Carlos Maria Dominguez (4/5) – review pending

Books Read | May/ June
(click for reviews)
Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (4/5) – review pending
2BR02B by Kurt Vonnegut (5/5)
The Lady and the Little Fox Fur by Violette LeDuc (1/5)
Peter Pan by JM Barrie (5/5)
The Yellow Wall-paper and Other Stories by Charlotte Gilman (4/5)
Beginners by Raymond Carver (5/5)
Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut (4/5)
The Dream by Emile Zola (5/5) – review pending
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway (5/5)

 Other reviews:
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (4.5/5)

Books Read | July
Streetfighter: World Warrior Encyclopedia by Matt Moylan (4/5)
Marvels by Kurt Busiek (5/5)
Wolverine: Origins by Paul Jenkins (3/5)
Civil War by Mark Millar (3/5)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (5/5)

Currently Reading/ August Outlook

 

What a pick-n-mix! As someone who never just reads one book at a time, I’ve started off first with Bolano’s “The Skating Rink”, which is a strange mix of romance, political scamming, figure-skating and cold-blooded murder. This is my second Bolano book (gearing myself up for ‘2666’) and the story seems to be chugging along quite well, despite the weird elements he’s thrown together to make it. Meanwhile I’m also poking around in “Trainspotting”, which unbeknownst to me is written in a very thick Scottish accent! I’m slowly getting used to it (fitba = football, hame = home, jaykits = jackets). It would be useful to have a glossary, but on second thought might spoil all the fun. After all, the best thing about ‘The Clockwork Orange’ was the strange Russian street lingo.

The one I can’t let go of at the moment is “The Spy Who Loved Me”. It is quite cheesy (as most Fleming books are) and it does feel a lot like one of those guilty comfort reads. The Bond of the movies and the Bond of the novels are so very different! However if there is one book I class as top-grade reading material, it is the Atwood. I practically have to ration her out for fear of guzzling through her entire works. She is so AMAZING! “The Year of the Flood” is the second in the MaddAddam trilogy, the first being ‘Oryx and Crake’, and loosely follows on from it. I can’t wait to lose myself in the plot. Can’t imagine what Atwood has dreamed up for us dystopian fiction lovers. Oh bliss…

What are you planning to read this week?

Related articles

• Review: Kurt Vonnegut: Letters by Kurt Vonnegut (edited and with an introduction by Dan Wakefield) (stephenormsby.wordpress.com)

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Mailbox Monday & It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? | February Round-Up of Reads, Reviews and What’s Ahead

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Its monday what are you reading?, meme

Welcome to Monday Meme’s! This week I’ve decided to also join ‘Mailbox Monday’ which was created by Marcia at The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. ‘It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?’ is a also a fun meme by Sheila at The Book Journey that allows book-bloggers to share their reading progress. 

This week I have a lot of ‘finishing off’ to do. As if that isn’t enough, I’ve gone and picked up MORE books. 2011 was supposed to be a year of clearing the TBR pile. I’m just adding more and more onto what I already accumulated! Here’s the lowdown on my February reads, reviews I’ve written, and stuff I have lined up for March:

Books Read | February
(click for reviews)

White Oleander by Janet Fitch (5/5)
Tales of Freedom by Ben Okri (3/5)
The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope (4/5) 
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan (2/5) 
The Angel’s Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (4.5/5)

January/ February Reviews

In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami
A Man’s Head by Georges Simenon
One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Solzhenitsyn
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Octopussy and the Living Daylights by Ian Fleming
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami

Currently Reading/ March Outlook

Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Lost World by Particia Melo
Memoirs of Emma Courtney by Mary Hays
Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis
Illywhacker by Peter Carey
Nazi Literature in the Americas by Roberto Bolano

I’m really looking forward to getting to know more of Bolano’s work and Peter Carey, which was recommended to me by fellow reader Heather on Goodreads. I picked up the Kingsley Amis after watching Sebastian Faulk’s ‘On Fiction’ that was aired on the BBC. It’s was all about tracing the role of ‘Hero’ through literature and ‘Lucky Jim’ was mentioned as being the dysfunctional and funny type of hero. I miss the great humour of Stella Gibbon’s ‘Cold Comfort Farm’, so I’m half hoping it will resemble it in some ways.

What are you planning to read this week?  

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (24/01)

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aleksandr solzhenitsyn, alexandre dumas, ian fleming, Its monday what are you reading?, meme, salman rushdie

A new year brings new books. And I’ve got some really good ones lined up to take me through to February. This years going to be all about clearing that TBR pile (and chasing up on those half-read fat classics that are beginning to weigh heavy on my conscience).  

Books Read
‘Midnights Children’ by Salman Rushdie
  
3/5 stars for this one. I really enjoyed it and it had some very funny moments and memorable characters. Word of warning though, it’s a hefty book (600+ pages) and took me about a month to get through. It was well worth the while. 

‘Octopussy and The Living Daylights’ by Ian Fleming

Another 3/5’er. This collection of short stories, or rather ‘scraps’ of stories is perfect for those who want to get a taste of the original 007 action. My favourite was ‘The Living Daylights’, which actually had a half-decent ending. Back in the day, the world of espionage was very glamorous.  

Currently Reading
‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Ever wonder what life was like in a Soviet gulag? I do. And guess what, it was no picnic in the park. This week I decided to put myself in the freezing-wet ‘valenki’ boots of a prisoner of war. My teeth chatter as I read on… 

‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ by Alexandre Dumas

One of my ‘fat fiction’ reads that I left off at page 800-something. Great book, fantastic characters. Good to be getting re-acquainted with it at last. An absolute must-read. Get it on your TBR list if you haven’t already.

 

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (18/10)

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50 books a year, angela carter, hubert selby jr, Its monday what are you reading?, meme, Robert Rankin, wilkie collins

Another Monday, another meme. Things have slowed down since the last time I posted. The good news is, I’ve finally reached my 50 Books A Year target (yay!). And I’ve also began to focus more on my writing, which is why I haven’t been posting as frequently. More posts will follow on my thoughts and feelings on that.

But here is what’s going on from the book front:

Books Read
1. ‘The Passion of New Eve’ by Angela Carter
 
This gets 5/5 stars. An absolute joy to read. Review coming up!

2. ‘The Room’ by Hubert Selby Jr.

Scary stuff. This gets two ratings: 3/5 for story and 5/5 for execution of the writers’ craft. I’ll elaborate later in a full review.

Currently Reading
1. Retromancer by Robert Rankin

Still monkeying around with this one, but that’s only because (look below)…

2. ‘The Woman in White’ by Wilkie Collins

… this one has taken over! Who’d have thought Collins would turn out to be such a brilliant writer?

That’s it for now. Happy reading everyone!

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? (27/09)

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angela carter, hubert selby jr, Its monday what are you reading?, meme, Robert Rankin

I missed last weeks ‘Monday’ meme, partly because I forgot (oops) and partly because I’ve been obsessed about the filming of the new ‘Pirates of the Caribbean 4’ movie that’s taking place in Greenwich. I’ve been travelling up there since Monday to see if Johnny’s arrived yet (excitement!), but no… it was just production setting up bluescreens, castle facades and other piratey stuff. If you’re interested you can check out my blog post complete with pictures.

I heard through Twitter that Johnny’s going to be there today. Whether I’ll go to see him is another thing entirely. For one I’ve got a sore throat which will probably turn into a monster cold! But I suppose that’s what you get for standing around in the cold waiting for a celebrity to turn up! I’d hate to have a job as a London paparazzi. If I do see him, I’m going to *hopefully* have him sign my copy of ‘The Rum Diary’ and ‘Fear and Loathing’ by Hunter S. Thompson. He’s supposed to have the filming rights for it (Hunter gave it to him before he died).  

That aside, I’ve also been busy writing a guest review for The Blue Bookcase – the first one for me, so I’m pretty excited about that! About my 50 Books a Year thing… yeah, I’m on no. 50 at the moment and I’ve got about 3 books on the go. So it’ll be a surprise to see which one gets it!

Enough of the banter, more about the books.

Books Read
1. ‘Lavinia’ by Ursula Le Guin
 
This gets 4/5 stars. Review can be found here!

2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 

Although executed in a masterful way, this gets 3/5 stars. Review can be found here.

Currently Reading
1. The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter

This wasn’t really on my list of reads, but my curiosity got the better of me. And would you believe it, its explosive stuff. It’s a novel of beautiful contradictions which looks like it’ll get the full 5/5 from me. A literary buffs heaven. Who said Women’s fiction was all romance and barbie-doll stuff. Angela Carter will eat you for breakfast! Djuna Barnes, read it and weep!

2. Retromancer by Robert Rankin

…And now for something totally different. Fancy a bit of Monty Python on tap? Then I recommend Rankin. He’s awesome. Can’t believe I haven’t come across him earlier. He totally takes the crap out of big, blockbuster novels. This one is a play on WIlliam Gibson’s famous cyber-thriller ‘Neuromancer’. Another 5/5’er, methinks.

3. The Room by Hubert Selby Jr.

We’ve had comedy and we’ve had uber-feminism. To counterbalance all this we have: the Selby. Which by the way, is beginning to irk me very much. I’m skipping pages. Too, much, graphic, gore. I’m not the squeamish kind, but I kid you not when I say that if I didn’t have a firm grasp on what Selby was actually trying to do as  ‘writer’ in his art, I’d put this book away and never touch it again. This one will be a tough review indeed.

That’s it for now. Happy reading everyone!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (13/09)

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Anne Frank, Cara Lopez Lee, Cheri Laser, gustave flaubert, hubert selby jr, Its monday what are you reading?, meme, Robert Rankin, ursula le guin

Another Monday, another post! Okay, so this time there’s been some ‘movement’ in the way of reading. I’ve managed to finish one book, but I have another four lying about. This bumps my 50 books a year to a total of 47. It gets harder and harder as I get to the end! But I did have a weird week… in fact it got so bad I did a little rant about it.

Other bookish news include the fact that two bloggers I admire are getting their books published this year. That makes me very happy. Cheri Laser’s ‘The Truth About Cinnamon’ is currently on Amazon.com. You can check out her blog on the link provided. It’s pretty unique, as she’s been using it to track her road to becoming a published author. The insight she gives is invaluable to people who are also looking to follow that rocky path.

Another fabulous author is Cara Lopez Lee with her memoir ‘They Only Eat Their Husbands’. It’s about a journey around the world and ultimately to the centre of one’s being. It’s coming out from Ghost Road Press and Cara’s going to be doing some book signings too. You can find out more from her website.

I met these lovely ladies through the blogosphere. Their generosity with their experiences have inspired me to take up the pen yet again. hopefully this time I’ll follow through and be like them. I wish them every luck in the future.  

OK, so here’s the rundown folks. The titles are familiar now to everybody. You could recite them in your sleep!

1. ‘Madame Bovary’ by Gustave Flaubert – (evil little book! Very good, but refuses to be finished!)

2. ‘Diary of Anne Frank’ by Anne Frank – (Just started after I finished ‘Lavinia’. So far so good.)

3. ‘Retromancer’ by Robert Rankin – (Should have had this finished 2 weeks ago. After it fell on the floor in a hospital, I didn’t pick it up again.) 

4. ‘The Room’ by Hubert Selby Jr. – (I want to finish Bovary before I get onto this. I need totally concentration!)

The book I finished was ‘Lavinia’ by Ursula K. Le Guin.

That’s it from me. Nothing exciting as of yet, but I might have something coming up in the following weeks. Fingers crossed :).

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 06/09

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50 books a year, gustave flaubert, Its monday what are you reading?, ursula le guin

Here I am, back from my weird, indefinite hiatus doing the Monday meme again, (though how long for I’m not sure). For the past 2 weeks there wasn’t much to report in the way of reading anyway, as the frenzy of real life kind of took over. You know how it is, in the quiet moments you squeeze in a page here or a paragraph there, but that kind of shallow reading leaves you confused as to what’s actually going on. So I left off altogether. There’s no point in doing it if there’s no joy in understanding what’s happening.  

For this week I am determined to complete the 50 Books A Year Challenge. I’m on no.46 at the moment, so I’m hoping September will be the month where I polish it all off. It’s my first attempt at a challenge to read so many books in a year. Previous years I’ve managed about 25-30 max, but I’m really proud that I can get so many under my belt. After I pass the 50 mark I’m going to continue to see just how many I can get till the end of the year. Next year’s challenge might very well be ‘100 Books A Year’. Here’s hoping!

OK, so here’s how my reading list looks like:

1. ‘Lavinia’ by Ursula Le Guin
 
I’m halfway through this amazing story about Lavinia, daughter and Princess of Latium and the Trojan warrior Aeneas. This fated tale of star-crossed lovers is told from a unique, sensitive perspective that questions the very fibre of ‘myth’, credibility of epic poetry and the concept of immortality through writing. Le Guin is a fluid, fluent writer whose ideas are easily absorbed by her readers. Lavinia’s tale is similar to that of Helen of Troy; and Le Guin wanted to explore what made Helen’s story survive throughout the ages, while Lavinia’s fate was passed over briefly in that Virgilian epic, ‘The Aeneid’, condemning her unjustly to a ‘long life, but a small one’.  

2. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 

I can see how this work was a serious turn towards the contemporary. Flaubert tried hard to breathe life into Emma Bovary. She is full of complexities and what’s more, she is very much like us. It’s fascinating to see that after all these years a modern audience can still identify with her (even moreso now, I think), and that is the hallmark of a true classic. It never stops saying what it has to say. As I’m halfway through this one too, I’m not going to say much about it, except that Flaubert was a true master of description. His turn of phrase, his minimalist way of setting up a scene is a real breath of fresh air compared to his peers. There are no rambling paragraphs to be found here, just a story, a real story that he simply lets unfold.

 So, that’s it for this week. I hope I’ll have more to report back next Monday. Have a happy reading week everybody!

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

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ford madox ford, Its monday what are you reading?, khaled hosseini, meme

Ok, so it’s time for my Monday meme post again. I’ve skipped a week, only because I really needed to concentrate on some other things, but I think I’ve managed to bring my library book pile down to only one book, which is great.

For this week (in fact the whole month) I plan to read only books that I own that I’ve stock-piled over the years and haven’t read. I don’t know how many of them I’ll get through but here’s a rough guide to the ones that are at the forefront:

1. DH Lawrence ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’
2. Gustave Flaubert ‘Madame Bovary’
3. Wilkie Collins ‘Woman in White’ and ‘The Moonstone’
4. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’
5. Anne Frank ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’
6. Janet Fitch ‘White Oleander’
7. Anthony Swofford ‘Exit A’
8. Angela Carter ‘The Passion of New Eve’
9. Cormac McCarthy ‘The Road’
10. Rebecca Wells ‘The Ya Ya’s in Bloom’
11. F Scott Fitzgerald ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘The Last Tycoon’

Some of the books listed above I’ve had for over 10 years. The Fitzgerald and the Collins I’ve never been able to really get into. They were notoriously boring, or maybe I was just too young to grasp the full depth of the works themselves. I’ve had ‘The Moonstone’ and ‘Woman in White’ for 14 years and I can’t seem to get past page 20 on either of them. It will be a real relief to get these titles under my belt. I’ll get them read, even if it’s a complete nightmare doing so! As Gnoegnoe suggested, I will be joining the ‘Read Your Own Books Mara-a-thon’ as soon as I discover where it’s taking place 🙂 

Ok, so now I must update everyone on the books I read since last time. Here goes:

1. ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khalid Hosseini

I gave this book 3/5 stars. It was read that kind of stopped and started for me in some places. Very emotional and full of great examples of resistance to corruption and humanity.

2. ‘The Good Soldier’ by Ford Madox Ford

Part of the 1001 book list, I gave this 4/5 stars. It haven’t read anything quite like this, and although it was a good read, it’s rambling unreliable narrator can at times leave you feeling a bit lost or frustrated. I hated the characters though. My goodness… you’ll have to read it to see it.

So, that’s it for my update. I hope you all have a great week with your respective books.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? (26/07)

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chinua achebe, ford madox ford, hubert selby jr, hunter s thompson, Its monday what are you reading?, jm coetzee, l. frank baum, meme, sara stockridge

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.

The past week has been a VERY busy one for me, and quite exciting. Apart from the fact that I’ve managed to read 3 books (yay!), I’ve also had the pleasure of receiving my first blog award by Readitin7days and join in the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the fabulous Jen @ Crazy for Books.

I had a great week meeting and talking to other book bloggers and getting into the spirit of the whole experience. I also had a chance to pick up on some fab books that I’ll hopefully be reading in the near future.  Without further ado, here is the round-up: 

BOOKS READ:
1.The Rum Diary – Hunter S. Thompson

Finally finished this one. I don’t know why it took me so long, but there you go. Johnny Depp supposedly has the rights to this story (given to him by Hunter himself when he was alive) and is planning to shoot/ has already shot the film version. I wonder if we’ll see Depp as the good Doctor again?

2. Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe

This was a quick read. I loved the story and everything about it. Review is here.

3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz – L. Frank Baum

Did you know this story was 110 years old? Being part of the ‘Rory Gilmore Challenge’ made it a fun read, but I also enjoyed being a little kid again. Anyone who hasn’t read this yet should do so, in fact read it with your kids if you have any. It makes it twice as enjoyable. Lots of moral lessons to be learned! I’ll be writing a review for this one soon.

CURRENTLY READING:
1. Disgrace – JM Coetzee

Again, this one got pushed to the back of the pile! I’m notorious for switching my reading preferences, but I promise I will read it for next week. PROMISE!!!

2. ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khalid Housseini

An excellent book so far. My mother and I are joint reading it so I only get a peek in when I get the chance.

3. ‘The Good Soldier’ by Ford Madox Ford

Part of the 1001 book list, I picked this up by chance. I have only taken a quick peek so I have no idea what it beholds yet.

4. Hammer by Sara Stockridge

This was a library pick. I just liked the cover! And I’m a sucker for anything based in and around ancient Victorian London. It’s a mystery/ suspense novel written by a British actress.

BOOKS TO READ:

1. ‘The Room’ by Hubert Selby Jr.

I know I said it would be ‘Last Exit to Brooklyn’ last week, but after reading about ‘The Room’ I decided I would throw myself into the deepest, darkest, dankest of Selby’s novels to see if I survive the ordeal. It’s the kamikaze in me I suppose.

There we are. My grand week in a single post. Hope everyone else has had a great one, and I look forward to your thoughts.

It’s Monday, What Are You Reading? 19/07

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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!