What Are You Reading? Part Deux

[do1you9love?]

Kurben - are you familiar with Fredrik Backman? Someone in my book club selected his novel Beartown for our April book.

Have actually not read him..... Know of him though. His most well known is probably A man Called Ove which was richly praised. Beartown (Björnstad in swedish) has, i heard, a more serious note. Smalltown in northern sweden where the towns team (a hockeyteam) means everything. Go for it i say. And then tell me what you think!!

A Man Called Ove was okay. Nothing world beating, but okay. Pleasant.

Since it's not quite April yet, I still haven't read Beartown, but I did just finish A Man Called Ove. I enjoyed it but it reminded me of several other books, and what were supposed to be twists, I'd already figured out. But charming, in it's way.

 

[Neesy]

I started a book by John Connelly, an Irish writer, but his influences are very american. His setting is Loiusiana, New York and Main mainly (see what i did there). He has obviously read and loved the three greats in american hardboiled crimeschool. Chandler and the two MacDonalds, John D. and Ross. Probably read their more recent followers too like Robert Parker, James Lee Burke, Dennis Lehane and Elmore Leonard. What Connelly does is adding a dash, just a dash of supernatural/horror. In his first, Every Dead Thing, it is hardly noticeable but it grows as his Charlie Parker series continues. Its daring to do so but he manages to walk the line so it doesnt get silly. Mixing genres are always difficult. Just read the first Every Dead Thing, where we get Parkers background (a gruesome one) and his first case and started the second. They are violent but they are not gore. Wellwritten too. I think i will like this, for me, new author.

Which book of his are you reading?

 

[Kurben]

Which book of his are you reading?

Number two in the series, Dark Hollow.

 

[Paddy C]

Number two in the series, Dark Hollow.

Nice one, Kurben. John Connolly is my other favourite author to be honest. Hope you enjoy the series

 

[Paddy C]

Re-reading The Fractured Atlas from John Connolly's Night Music collection as he mentioned that it's referenced in his latest Charlie Parker story, The Woman In The Woods, which I have waiting in the wings...

 

[kingricefan]

I started a re-read of Call Me By Your Name last night. I want to see how closely they followed the book for the film.

 

[do1you9love?]

So, after years of seeing Sai King mention him, I finally picked up a John D. MacDonald novel. I finished The Girl, The Watch and Everything last night and today I started All These Condemned.

Dang, wish I had gotten the hint sooner! He's good reading!

 

[Blake]

I'm reading an anthology of western short stories. I read the Matheson story about the Sheriff who is challenged by a young punk who wants to have a showdown and the Sheriff is middle-aged and his bones feel heavy. Also, I'm reading about mysticism and the occult in history. Also I finished a King book, Bachman, Thinner. I most probably won't be able to come on here too much anymore as I get in trouble every time I come on here. I don't want to cause trouble. I'm sorry.

 

[Tery]

I'm reading about mysticism and the occult in history

The topic of Hitler and his obsession with the occult is quite interesting. He was a member of the Thule Society, a black magic group in Austria. He acted as their medium. Did you know that Hitler never made a move without having the horoscope cast first?

 

[grin willard]

Nothing. Shampoo ingredients. Stuff on tooth paste tubes. The Lysol bottle. Power stick.

 

[danie]

Nothing. Shampoo ingredients. Stuff on tooth paste tubes. The Lysol bottle. Power stick.

Good to see you. : )

 

[Kurben]

So, after years of seeing Sai King mention him, I finally picked up a John D. MacDonald novel. I finished The Girl, The Watch and Everything last night and today I started All These Condemned.

Dang, wish I had gotten the hint sooner! He's good reading!

He is Good, aint he? Do yourself a service and try some of his Travis McGee stories. The first three are; The Deep Blue Goodbye, Nightmare In Pink and A Purple Place For Dying. You can see it is a McGee novel because there is always some sort of color in the title.

 

[do1you9love?]

He is Good, aint he? Do yourself a service and try some of his Travis McGee stories. The first three are; The Deep Blue Goodbye, Nightmare In Pink and A Purple Place For Dying. You can see it is a McGee novel because there is always some sort of color in the title.

Thanks! I looked at some of those, but my library didn't have the first one. Would you say they need to be read in order, or can I just pick up any one and start?

 

[Kurben]

Thanks! I looked at some of those, but my library didn't have the first one. Would you say they need to be read in order, or can I just pick up any one and start?

I dont think thats necessary to read them in order. It is interesting to see how MacDonald develops his character but each novel stands on its own legs. Actually the best in the series are after a few books gone by. So i say just pick one up and start. He wrote 21 McGee books. The first in 64.

 

[do1you9love?]

I dont think thats necessary to read them in order. It is interesting to see how MacDonald develops his character but each novel stands on its own legs. Actually the best in the series are after a few books gone by. So i say just pick one up and start. He wrote 21 McGee books. The first in 64.

Thanks! That should keep me going for a while!

 

[Neesy]

Nothing. Shampoo ingredients. Stuff on tooth paste tubes. The Lysol bottle. Power stick.

Happy Easter GW

 

[Kurben]

Finished Homo Britannicus by Chris Stringer about the different kinds of humans that have lived in britain (earliest traces are 700.000 years old, way before Sapiens or the Neanderthal) and what we know of it. What I especially liked about it was that it did not just include what we know but talked also about what we dont know. Something factbooks authors should do more often. It made perfectly clear what was fact and what was theories built from these facts, a distinction too many books miss. And it always discussed several possibilities.
After that i wanted something lighter so i went for a reread. 1632 by Eric Flint. I've read it before but i like it and when i reread i skip the more slower parts. Its an entertaining story.

 

[fljoe0]

I'm reading the latest edition of Cemetery Dance magazine. There are 8 stories mostly by authors I haven't read before. I've read 4 of the stories and my favorite so far is Stranger To The Living by Gerard Houarner. Ben has a couple of interviews (one with SK and Richard Chizmar) and a review of Sleeping Beauty. There's a good article by Peter Straub about Rosemary's Baby called Rosemary at 50.

Get it while you can (if you still can).

 

[kingricefan]

So, after years of seeing Sai King mention him, I finally picked up a John D. MacDonald novel. I finished The Girl, The Watch and Everything last night and today I started All These Condemned.

Dang, wish I had gotten the hint sooner! He's good reading!

He is Good, aint he? Do yourself a service and try some of his Travis McGee stories. The first three are; The Deep Blue Goodbye, Nightmare In Pink and A Purple Place For Dying. You can see it is a McGee novel because there is always some sort of color in the title.

Every once in a while when I'm out shopping at thrift stores I run across some of the MacDonald paperbacks, pick them up, look at them and think 'I should start reading this guy because Sai King and Sai Kurben love these books!' but I always put them back. I did notice that colors were in the titles, which I found amusing. Was he a 'paperback original' author, do you know? The other thing that stops me from starting his books is that once I start I would have to (JUST HAVE TO!!!!!) have them all in original first printings, which I'm sure would be somewhat costly.

 

[Kurben]

Every once in a while when I'm out shopping at thrift stores I run across some of the MacDonald paperbacks, pick them up, look at them and think 'I should start reading this guy because Sai King and Sai Kurben love these books!' but I always put them back. I did notice that colors were in the titles, which I found amusing. Was he a 'paperback original' author, do you know? The other thing that stops me from starting his books is that once I start I would have to (JUST HAVE TO!!!!!) have them all in original first printings, which I'm sure would be somewhat costly.

He started as a paperback original writer anyway. I dont know if he still was it during the 80,s. But you really should read him. To find original paperbacks would probably be costly and difficult but i know he has been republished in hardcover. He is a great storyteller. I have myself 18-19 of the 21 McGee novels and between 5 and 10 of his other novels. Mostly inherited from my father so they might be originals, actually dont know.