The 'Currently Reading' Thread.

[Accident Prone]

I've never been a fiction person when it comes to books. I prefer my first-hand autobiographies, essay collections, books that are simply an encyclopaedia of interesting thoughts and ideas, and books that are basically glorified top ten lists.

I turn 35 in April, and I've felt incredibly uncultured/dumb as a bag of hammers for a while now. Almost depressingly so (maybe one for the mental health thread, who knows?). Anyway, I've decided to make reading a priority this year when it comes to my downtime, and I used a £40 Christmas gift card and a £5 off coupon to grab some of the standards and classics, at least the ones that sound interesting. It's time to educate my dumb ass,

Bearing in mind that I've read next to fuck all for 35 years, here's the parcel of softbacks that should be arriving tomorrow:

- Infinite Jest

- Fahrenheit 451

- To Kill A Mocking Bird

- Of Mice And Men

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

- Catcher In The Rye

 

I am incredibly excited to dig in, but please tell me how terrible these choices are, haha!

[I Bent My Wookie]

Outside of reading everything on the GCSE syllabus to always stay ready if the right job comes along (it won't but it's good for quizzes) I picked up "How To Kill Your Family" by Bella Mackie and only a quarter of the way through its bloody brilliant.

Reads just from the mind of the psychopathic yet genius mind that it's main character is, it's one of those books that works so amazingly with its various jumps but will probably be horrific when eventually adapted for TV. Got a quarter through in a day it's been that easy reading, hoping to finish it by Friday and that it keeps it's pace up.

 

[SuperBacon]

@Accident ProneAll great IMO, especially Of Mice And Men. Let us know what grade you get in your Eng Lit GCSE

I've just finished High Fidelity for what must be the 50th time. It's still my ultimate comfort book, and one that I read in times of distress and it makes me feel much, much better. I really love Nick Hornby.

I also treated myself at Xmas to a  new copy of Maus, as I'd lost mine. Even though it's a graphic novel, I'll mention it here, as I believe it's one of the most important works of the late 20th century and should be read by everyone. Such a brilliant way of addressing such an awful time.

Just started Young Mungo, which is Douglas Stuarts follow up to his debut Shuggie Bain. As mentioned on the previous page, that book affected me massively, so I'm expecting more trauma from this.

I aim to read a lot more this year. I reckon I have around 50 books that I've never read on my shelves which is a bit silly really isn't it? Saying that, I might read Trainspotting/Porno/Skagboys again, as it's been a while, and then finish with Dead Men's Trousers which I haven't read, as I believe that is the last of Renton, Begbie etc

Edited January 17, 2023 by SuperBacon

[Keith Houchen]

Not overkeen on Catcher In The Rye but I think it’s because edgelord bellends overrate it and I always associate them with it. Two of my favourites are A Confederacy Of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre. For me, they’re better “Outsider” novels with the first one being hilarious. If it’s real hilarity you’re after, anything by Cormac McCarthy has them rolling in the aisles, especially The Road. 

[SuperBacon]

15 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre

I think this was the first book I ever bought off of grown up reviews (if that makes sense) and absolutely love it. Haven't read it for a few years though.

Incredibly surprised its never been adapted for film, but have just read that Werner Herzog has tried to develop it!!! We live in hope.

If The Corrections was ever adapted as well (my favourite novel of all time, yes I am Franzen level basic) I genuinely think I would cry. The Radio 4 play was the closest we've ever got.

[Keith Houchen]

8 minutes ago, SuperBacon said:

Incredibly surprised its never been adapted for film, but have just read that Werner Herzog has tried to develop it!!! We live in hope.

Hopefully without a friend of a karaoke star playing Lally this time. 

[SuperBacon]

12 minutes ago, Keith Houchen said:

Hopefully without a friend of a karaoke star playing Lally this time. 

Vernon Fog Little

[Tommy!]

2 hours ago, Accident Prone said:

Infinite Jest

- Fahrenheit 451

- To Kill A Mocking Bird

- Of Mice And Men

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

- Catcher In The Rye

Much like you I tried starting to read more stuff a few years back. I really enjoyed Fahrenheit 451, I wasn't sure going in and did it 3rd after 1984 & brave new world but it was really good. 

Of Mice and Men (and men) is great too, one of only 2 book I did read at school, but I hated Catcher in the Rye. I just couldn't get behind Caulfield, he seemed like a bit of a cock all the way through, and as its his coming of age tale dealing with life and death it made it a bit of a slog for me. 

 

I read down the pub, so needing a new book I've started boccaccio's decameron, being short light hearted stories it seemed like a nice fit for short bursts once a week. Most have been pretty good, for 700 or so year old stories of randy priests, sex mad traders and con men out smarting the police. 

 

[HarmonicGenerator]

9 hours ago, Accident Prone said:

I've never been a fiction person when it comes to books. I prefer my first-hand autobiographies, essay collections, books that are simply an encyclopaedia of interesting thoughts and ideas, and books that are basically glorified top ten lists.

I turn 35 in April, and I've felt incredibly uncultured/dumb as a bag of hammers for a while now. Almost depressingly so (maybe one for the mental health thread, who knows?). Anyway, I've decided to make reading a priority this year when it comes to my downtime, and I used a £40 Christmas gift card and a £5 off coupon to grab some of the standards and classics, at least the ones that sound interesting. It's time to educate my dumb ass,

Bearing in mind that I've read next to fuck all for 35 years, here's the parcel of softbacks that should be arriving tomorrow:

- Infinite Jest

- Fahrenheit 451

- To Kill A Mocking Bird

- Of Mice And Men

- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

- Catcher In The Rye

 

I am incredibly excited to dig in, but please tell me how terrible these choices are, haha!

I hope you enjoy them all, but if you don’t, don’t be put off - there’s so much choice and variety out there you may just need a couple of tries to find the kind of fiction you love!

I didn’t get on with Catcher In The Rye at all, but Of Mice And Men is superb, John Steinbeck has such a beautiful writing style. To Kill A Mockingbird is … not an easy read in terms of subject matter, but quite a good ‘way in’ sort of classic book, not too dense or over complicated and the language isn’t too olde-worde. It’s very good.

[The Gaffer]

10 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

I aim to read a lot more this year. I reckon I have around 50 books that I've never read on my shelves which is a bit silly really isn't it? Saying that, I might read Trainspotting/Porno/Skagboys again, as it's been a while, and then finish with Dead Men's Trousers which I haven't read, as I believe that is the last of Renton, Begbie etc

Skagboys is beautiful. Always thought it was the best of the bunch. 

For my sins I started reading the Wheel of Time series last August and I'm on book seven at the moment. 

It is - of course - awfully plodding and derivative for long stretches. However it's also enormous and totally absorbing in a way I needed at the time. I made a deal with myself at the start. Give it one or two books and if you don't like it, no harm done. But if it takes you, look what you have in front of you. So that's where I'm at now, powering through the dreaded slog. 

Since I'm only a few books away from Brandon Sanderson's takeover of it, I feel like I'm racing toward the climax a bit even though I'm only halfway through. 

It's all about the baddies. I never quite grew out of stories where the final boss is a sort of ethereal head wrecker whose exact composition is obscured for most of the ride, and who is served by endless narcissistic, satanic sex witch type lunatic acolytes. 

All the same, looking forward to reading some proper books once it's all said and done. 

[Gus Mears]

Finally got a copy (well, in the sense that it's been out of print for ages, not because people are pouring out the door of Waterstones for it) of David Marquant's biography of Ramsay MacDonald, the first Labour PM. He's an interesting person and the book is dense as a doorstop. Very much enjoying finally getting some in depth detail on someone who has essentially been persona non grata for the best part of century, and has realtively little information about on him that's somewhat down the line.

[hallicks]

I received A Psalm for the wild built by Becky Chambers for Christmas, a novella so only took me a few train journeys to get through. The story is interesting enough, a nice take on sentient AI/robots, but what I really love about it is the exploration of what humanity could be in a post-capitalist/super advanced tech world. It makes you hopeful and optimistic but without laying anything on too thick.

 

[Factotum]

11 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

I've just finished High Fidelity for what must be the 50th time. It's still my ultimate comfort book, and one that I read in times of distress and it makes me feel much, much better. I really love Nick Hornby.

Same. It really is my comfort book. I read quite a lot but sometimes on a Sunday or something I'll pick High Fidelity up and read it all again.

 

12 hours ago, Accident Prone said:

- Infinite Jest

Would advise to maybe set yourself goals with this. I did a 100 pages a week, but possibly best to maybe do 50 if you're starting off into it. I say this as its a helluva book to get through and I think actually taking your time and reflecting on it is better than just trying to read through it. I know that sounded incredibly poncy ha but just an idea

[Fatty Facesitter]

Finished Francis Bourgeois book over. Fascinating insight into his life and his trainspotting exploits. Some takeaways - 

- He's 100% actually a trainspotter/railway geek. I know some have doubted him and he went through a roadman phase, but he addresses this really well. 

- In line with the above, he's walked for miles to get to good spots, he's slept in his car overnight because of how late he's stayed to film a train (like the famous Dick Mabbutt!) and he's down with all of the terminology. Although you can find out a lot of this stuff through research, that's a lot of effort to go through for faking some sort of character. 

- He's perhaps not as daft as his TikToks might make out. I think he's got a good knack for what makes good content. For instance, he knows that videos of trains by themselves won't do many views - but he knows TikTok is personality led and ultimately he is the selling point and the trains are almost secondary characters. That's not to say he doesn't manically enjoy them and the reactions aren't genuine, mind. 

Overall it's an enjoyable read. I'd say it's probably 60-40 in terms of train geekery vs universal appeal (i.e you don't have to be a railway geek to enjoy it). 

 

[SuperBacon]

30 minutes ago, Fatty Facesitter said:

went through a roadman phase,

This is so, so funny.

The video he put out the other year explaining why he liked trains so much was very sweet, but him saying he had a roadman phase in it, however tongue in cheek, is just too funny.