Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Totally! Man, if I ever get my novel published I'm going to beg her to write a blurb.

Oooh, I've had a copy of Speak, Memory on shelf for ages and still haven't gotten around to it. I think I'll take it with me on my trip to the US this coming week.

Put all the nonfiction aside and started reading Pirate Cinema by Cory Doctorow. ZOMG, so good.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. I am re-reading, I read it for the first time when I was 19 or 20. It is the Guardian's January book club pick so I thought it would be interesting to re-visit. The first time around I was amazed, the character and writing style really resonated with me. Now that I am so much older and in such a different stage in my life and know more about her, I wonder how much I will still like it. Kind of excited to find out!

I decided I'll finally get round to those books I've been meaning to read forever. First up: Collapse by Jared Diamond.

I read it when I was clinically depressed and I didnt get it at all. It felt so trivial and just not how depression was for me, it alienated me. Maybe I should read it now.

I also read it when I was clinically depressed, in high school, and then reread it over Christmas. The first time I thought it was the best thing ever and read it about three times in the space of two weeks; this time I thought it was beautiful but also a bit... depressing (duh) and... self-indulgent, maybe? I wonder what I'd have thought of it if I'd been reading it for the first time this time around - I have a sneaking suspicion that I might have hated it.

Right now I'm on the fourth book of Philip Pullman's Sally Lockhart series. I'm enjoying them, but you cantell that these are his early works - there's talent there but they're also really clumsy in parts. The characters are wonderful (Sally Lockhart I love yooou), but the plots are a bit meh (although they've been getting better as the series has progressed).

I got 'Delirium' and 'The Orphan Master's Don't out of the library yesterday, so those are next!

I finished Our Lady of Pain, which was the last book in the Edwardian Murder Mystery series. I liked it until the end, at which point it was wrapped up a little too neatly. They essentially introduced an entire conflict and resolution in the last 10 pages.

Now I'm reading Chocolate Wars. I'm not very far in just now, but it's started out interesting.

Peter Suber-Open Access
Lovecraft-The Call of Cthulhu and Other Weird Stories
Henning Mankell-Faceless Killers
Michael Sandel-Justice

Plus, Walking Dead,Rex Libris, and Love & Rockets stuff.

I have a hard time sticking to one thing.

I just finished Stardust by Neil Gaiman. Not sure what took me so long to read it. I have read many of his other books, just never got around to this one. Such a great book.

I tried to read The Orphan Masters Son but could not get into it. In the beginning it was good, then I felt it was just dragging. I know it is very well liked and many here liked it. But, I have finally decided to stop reading a book when I don't like it. I would normally push myself to finish it but my reading time is limited.

Now, I'm on to The Shadow of the Wind. Loving it so far.

While on holiday my friend picked up a really good book, "Thinking, fast and slow", and I had to buy it too once back.
It's about the psychology of decisions, and how we are so influenced by so many things even when we think we are making rational, well-thought out decisions. Really really interesting.

Shirley Jackson's The Bird's Nest.

I'm enjoying the Mia Farrow book. She and Frank Sinatra are an odder pairing than Ethel Merman and Ernest Borgnine, if you ask me.

Life by Keith Richards

^Ohhh, I saw that in the library but had enough books to check out already by the time I found it. I'm getting it next time!

I really enjoyed this when I read it. Keith's a trip.

I'm catching up on the JD Robb books I've fallen behind on. That series is so long now. They have stayed pretty good though; not sure how she does that. Most of the Nora Roberts books seem really stale to me these days.

Did you ever see Mick Jagger's Keith Richards impersonation on SNL? Pure classic.

I'm reading Dance, Dance, Dance by Murakami, and things just got weird.

I read this last year - excellent stuff.

Touching from a Distance by Deborah Curtis, widow of Ian Curtis (Joy Division). It is by far one of the worst written books I have ever read. It's more a collection of sentencess that often don't go together....lots of 'non sequetor' stuff. I can't believe an editor let this get through without serious rewriting. But I keep at it because I really love Joy Division and I keep thinking it will get better.

Just finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, and really enjoyed it.

Now I've started The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen. I'm very distracted by the fact that the main characters are "Rizzoli and Isles" - I had seen an episode of the TV show (which was terrible) and the way they've written the characters for the show is completely different from how they are in this book.

Hey long time no see! Good to see you 'round, SOS.

As for myself, just picked up 2666 by Roberto Bolaño. I've heard very good things. Just finished The Wind in the Willows, which was a pleasure to read. O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!

I'm reading this one now!

This is one of my favorites!

really? i wanted to like this book so darn bad but i couldn't get into it :( did y'all like it right away or did it take some time to fall in love with the story?