Now Reading

[Black Dragon]

Err...yeah, this is just like that "Now Watching" thread I made.

Recently, I read Naked Lunch by William Seward Burroughs, the novel on which his reputation as a writer solely rests upon. Written in a hotel room in Tangier, Morrocco between 1954 and 1957 and published in the U.S. in 1962, it caused great controversey with its explicit depictions of drug use and sexual abuse. Much of this novel largely eschews any traditional form of storytelling and embraces a far more experimental style. The much-touted "cut-up" technique--mirrored the workings of a junkie's brain as he narrated the addict's monumental descent into hell, as he travels from New York to Tangiers, and then into the Interzone. There he finds a nightmarish modern urban wasteland in which the forces of evil vie for control of the individual and all of humanity. Burroughs sees addiction as part of the global conspiracy by the presiding powers of our world. How does Burroughs explode this conspiracy? By inviting us to lunch.

While many would like to put William S. Burroughs down as nothing more than a junkie who killed his own wife and whose writing is very overrated, there is simply such power in his words that cannot be denied. The captivating writing style and the amazingly hilarious black humor that abounds throught the book come straight off every page. Those easily outraged by the more lurid content of the book are missing the point as Burroughs pulls no punches describing a junkie's world and what goes on within his mind whether it's real, imagined or while in a narcotic stupor. The concept of dehumanization cannot be ignored by anyone who lives, and in pieced-part what the book may be about. The book takes egocentric forms of fantasy, adventursome, vision, experience, rebellion, terror & sabotage on a universal scale beyond peaks of mere interest and just might make you look at everything including prehistoric events differently. Recommended for fans of Bret Easton Ellis and Chuck Palahniuk.

[BurkeWorld]

My whole collection of Stephen King books.

1) Cujo
2) The Shining (Best book ever)
3) Christine

I got about 15 others, but gonna re-read these three again.

Burkey

[necron9dee9]

1) Cujo
2) The Shining (Best book ever)
3) Christine

I agree. All of those are good books. The Shining is definitely the best of the three. I finished reading Desperation a couple of months ago(first Stephen King book I've read in a loooong time).

I'm currently reading a couple of Terry Pratchett books (The Fifth Elephant and The Last Continent).

[SteC]

Me, I'm currently reading 'Don Quixote'   by Cervantes. Some say this novel is the holy grail of Spanish Literature. It kinda got me hooked after spending a week's holiday in Barcelona earlier this year.

This is the guy that mistook windmills for giants and inns for castles because he thinks he's a knight. Trouble is, he loves to read tales of legendary knight errants that nobody takes the slightest notice of. Furthermore, Don is a poor deluded soul, and his sidekick squire, Sancho, is even poorer when he has to tagalong with his master to fulfil their fantasies in ye olde Spain.

And after that, I'm gonna have a stab at Terry Pratchet's 'The Colour of Magic'.

[necron9dee9]

The Color of Magic is a decent book. Pratchett's first couple of discworld books (Color of Magic being his first) really aren't terribly exciting. Once he started writing the Guards storylines the series as a whole got much better.

[NPC]

Republic Commando- Triple Zero.

My little bro's book. We both like Star Wars.

[klarthailerion]

I'm reading some history book of Modern Japanese figures... I'll have to wait until I get back to my apartment tomorrow to get the actual title.

[Purrcat]

Actually, I like the first couple of Pratchett's Disworld's novels best.

In my view, they contain the most spoofs on fantasy, legends and life in general. His later novels are as entertaining and criticals as the earlier ones, but are lacking some of the orininality of the earlier books.

(ps: i like spoofs. And mostly the things I like are the first ones in a series, so mostly it only goes downhill from there )

[formallykat]

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. You all know how it goes 

[Violet]

My whole collection of Stephen King books.

1) Cujo
2) The Shining (Best book ever)
3) Christine

Red all those and several others.

Me, I'm currently reading 'Don Quixote'   by Cervantes. Some say this novel is the holy grail of Spanish Literature. It kinda got me hooked after spending a week's holiday in Barcelona earlier this year.

I've read that too, but that was long ago.

I'm currently reading "The Good Soldier Švejk" by Jaroslav Hašek.  1920s Czech humour.
My all time favorite book is "Watership Down" by Richard Adams (the movie isn't that good and changed the story a lot, so don't judge the book by it.)

[Methid Man]

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. You all know how it goes 

Any book by C. S. Lewis is awesome.

-- Sam the Methid Man

[Matt]

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. You all know how it goes 

I love that book.

I'm reading LWandWardrobe too. Getting Halo: Fall of Reach tomorrow.

[Zeke]

john terrys biography good read

[blind2d]

Fast Food Nation. Very enlightening.

[Helios]

I've been on somewhat of a reading marathon recently.

'The Great Escape', by Paul Brickhill, is one of my favourite books. My family owns a first edition copy, but due to old age, it's starting to come apart. I've been meaning to take it to a book restorer for some time. I was able to find a more recent edition for myself, but was somewhat disappointed that it had been heavily edited - most stuff that would be considered politically correct has been taken out, which is a disgrace since, technically, it's a historical account of what happened.

'Sniper One', by Sgt Dan Mills, is one of the best war accounts I've read. It details the 'exploits' of a British sniper platoon in Al Amarah city in Iraq during 2004. Hilarious in some parts as well, particularly during the chapter detailing the arrival of an SAS Sergeant and his Barrett sniper rifle.

Plenty of Matthew Reilly as well, including 'Hell Island' and 'Temple' which I've recently gotten my hands on. All his books are very exciting and fun to read. I believe that the writers of Die Hard 4 stole the idea of taking out a helicopter with a car from 'Temple'. I'm eagerly looking forward to his next book.

[Mechadon]

Temple was intense. If I had a rapa, I'd name it "Parappa".   

[blind2d]

The second book in the Han Solo Trilogy by AC Crispin. It's called "The Hutt Gambit", and is in fact my favorite of the series. I recommend it to all friends and wo-corkers!

[Gabya]

Currently reading "Dreamcatcher" by Steven King.
the beginning is slow i have to say.

[Crow]

Currently reading "Dreamcatcher" by Steven King.
the beginning is slow i have to say.

It gets weird as hell later on.

This was his first book written after he was hit by that van.

~Darc

[Gabya]

I just have to recommend Terry Pratchett's book Nation.
I think its great. I just love his humour.