| Author | Message | ||
     jerry hann Member Username: Jerry_h Post Number: 16 Registered: 07-2005 |
It has always impressed me about other Go-betweens fans that they alsway enjoy other artistic persuits. After the success of the "best album of the year so far " thread I thoughht it would be interesting to see what people are reading now or recommend. This year I've tried to read a couple of the booker shortlist ( actually have not read the winner,and don't usually go in for this )The Julian Barnes was good "Arthus and George" but couldn't get on with Zadie Smith ( I didn't really care about the characters and was a bit slow). So now am reading Henning Mankell.Last year was a really good reading year but don't want to bore you all now. | ||
| Kurt Stephan Member Username: Slothbert Post Number: 70 Registered: 04-2005 |
Well, it's not an example of great literature, but I just finished reading Charles Cross's biography of Jimi Hendrix, "Room Full of Mirrors." I'm too young to have caught Hendrix when he was alive and have been at best a very casual fan of his music, so I learned a lot from the book and found it a compelling story. It's interesting how many similarities there are between Hendrix and Kurt Cobain--who Cross also wrote a bio of in the past few years. He's joked that he has nothing left to write about because there are no more left-handed singer/guitarists/icons of their generation from the Seattle area who died at age 27. | ||
| M. Mark Burgess Member Username: Fortysomething Post Number: 26 Registered: 05-2005 |
J.G. Ballard----Millenium People | ||
| Geoff Holmes Member Username: Geoff Post Number: 24 Registered: 05-2005 |
Tried to read "Dirt Music" because, apparently, EVERYBODY in Australia has read a Tin Winton novel, usually "Cloudstreet". I like books to take me "somewhere else" but the few chapters of Dirt Music just kept me, depressingly, here in Australia. Not that Australia is bad, but it read like overheard conversations at an R.S.L. just before the chook raffle! Maybe this might be interesting for non Australians, although it's more of the Australia of Cold Chisel than the Go Betweens! Reading Dylan's Cronicles but am bogged down in it that at the moment! | ||
| graeme jon pearson Member Username: Gjpearson Post Number: 5 Registered: 05-2005 |
I don't want to hijack a good thread about the lit. interests of GB's fans. But this sort of contributes. I was running an English-language bookshop in Berne in 198-something. GBs unexpectedly turned up to play at the Mühle Hunziker (they returned this year, I'm happy to say). Got talking pre-gig to JW and RF. Asked where they were going next and did they need some reading matter, etc. Next morning, JW and GM turn up at the shop. GM's first question was whether "any money was gonna change hands"! Hehe. What a practical mind that man has! Assured that the only payment was to sign a few hundred LP/CD covers, they set out on the hunt. I can't remember what JW chose; but GM took a copy of Joesph Brodsky's brilliant "A Part of Speech" (among others) and asked for Capote's "Other Voices, Other Rooms" for AB (which I had in stock; it was that kind of bookshop!). There was also a lot of interest in Nick Cave's "King Ink" (which had just come out). But GM left it on the shelf. My personal favorites: Peter Carey, J.M. Coetzee, and the marvellous John MacGahern ("That They May See the Rising Sun"). | ||
| Matthias Treml Member Username: Matthias Post Number: 34 Registered: 05-2005 |
I've read some fantastic books this year. Here's some suggestions. The Devil In The White City - Erik Larson (Fantastic book about building of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 and a murderer who capitalized on it. ) Undaunted Courage - Steven Ambrose (Incredible story about the Louisiana Purchase, the life of Meriwether Lewis and his co-captain Clark and Jefferson's Manifest Destiny) The Confessor - Dan Silva (Great spy book. Cross between Bourne Identity and Angels and Demons) Don't Know Much About History - Kenneth Davis (Phenomonal book! Best book I've read in years. Covers the discovery of America to present day. Puts in context many of the things I hal-learned in school.) Moneyball - Michael Lewis (Great book for baseball and non-ball fans. A story of hos the Oakland As were able to compete with the Yankees with only a fraction of their salary.) |