What are you reading tonight?

[Montreal Wanderer]

The Theocrat was one of the most frustrating books I've ever managed to finish (and I'm still not sure why I persevered).

The story itself - of a theocratic tyranny - should have legs, but it's incoherently told and seems to lack narrative purpose, direction and drive. The only section that rrally worked for me was right at the end when the tyrant has been overthrown and his kind and gentle sister takes his place and finds herself driven by the necessities of state to kill and repress her opponents - just as the tyrant had done.

A bleak message - that the business of good government entails bloodshed and repression.

The translation may be accurate, but it's terrible. Ornate, archaic language, dialogue unsayable, clearly the work of an academic rather than a writer...

I now turn to the Shelf of Shame wondering what next?

And is anyone but me reading anything at the moment?

Well, I read all the time but my tastes tend to be a little low-brow for this group. At the moment I am reading one of Kathy Reichs' books.

[William the White]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

Anyway - humour next off the Shelf of Shame... Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question.

[Montreal Wanderer]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

Anyway - humour next off the Shelf of Shame... Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question.

For humour I reread Wodehouse, Flashman (G.M. Fraser) and Rumpole (John Mortimer). Familiarity doesn't prevent me continuing to chuckle. Still, not alas great literature. Kathy Reichs has a Montreal connection and many of her books are set, or partially set, here which adds interest. Her heroine is, like her, a forensic anthropologist.

[Bruce Rioja]

And is anyone but me reading anything at the moment?

Have to say I've dipped out recently, but I'm away next week so will get stuck into something. Longest server on my own shelf of shame? Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. It's been there for over four years as I fear it'll be baffling, and I'm rarely in the mood for baffling stuff. Time to take the plunge though, I suppose.

[Prufrock]

I don't know why, but On The Road took me forever to finish. I enjoyed it, but never seemed to sit down and blitz through it like I normally do, suppose it's starting work again and not having the time. Finally did finish it though, and now onto Camus' The Plague. I adore him, and he is probably in my top few favourite writers. Only just started, but seems promising.

[Harry Genshaw]

And is anyone but me reading anything at the moment?

Have to say I've dipped out recently, but I'm away next week so will get stuck into something. Longest server on my own shelf of shame? Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything. It's been there for over four years as I fear it'll be baffling, and I'm rarely in the mood for baffling stuff. Time to take the plunge though, I suppose.

Go ahead Brucie there's some great little bits of info there. I'm sure you'll enjoy it

Just finished Andre Agassi's autobiography. Possibly the best sporting memoir I've read. Jimmy Connors sounds like a right tosspot.

[Lord Kangana]

You absolutely must read the Bryson book. Its like an acid trip, it changes your perception forever.

Well, a bit, anyway. But it is really good.

[Bruce Rioja]

You absolutely must read the Bryson book. Its like an acid trip, it changes your perception forever.

Well, a bit, anyway. But it is really good.

I've read all of his travel books and loved every one, the best bits for me having been sat somewhere reading his description of wherever it is that I was. I'll let you know how I get on with it. As a complete aside, LK, what's the best kit available to me to sharpen knives? Mine struggle to get through fish skin.

[Lord Kangana]

Ah, this may seem obvious advice, but if they're shit knives to start with, they'll never sharpen.

However, if we are to assume that you have decent quality knives, but they have lost their edge, the quickest and easiest way( if you don't want to spend hours and about £70 on a stone) is to get to a hardware shop (theres one on Blackburn road) and get an edge back on them. About £2 a knife if I remember rightly. Frankly, unless you use them very regularly, a normal steel will do to keep their edge. Beware of fancy expensive gadgets promising the earth, they are all bollox.

[Prufrock]

You absolutely must read the Bryson book. Its like an acid trip, it changes your perception forever.

Well, a bit, anyway. But it is really good.

I've read all of his travel books and loved every one, the best bits for me having been sat somewhere reading his description of wherever it is that I was. I'll let you know how I get on with it. As a complete aside, LK, what's the best kit available to me to sharpen knives? Mine struggle to get through fish skin.

Second LK's reservation. It's a daunting idea but his same every man accessible touch pervades.

[Dujon]

I doubt that you'll be disappointed with Bryson's offering, LK.

Incidentally, if you are interested in sweeping views of just about everything, spiced with a decent sprinkling of anecdotes to act like a 'I want to read more' sort of literary pill, might I recommend Lord Ritchie Calder's Man and the Cosmos? I might have mentioned this book before on this forum; if I have done so, then I apologise. My copy is a 1970 Pelican publication so it's possibly no longer in print.

As far as current reading goes I've been re-reading most of my personal library (which is an eclectic collection of fiction and non-fiction). Most of them are not worth mentioning, but if I let you know that the authors cover subjects from motor racing, weather, electronic subjects (ranging from generators, power supplies, aerials, mathematics of radio and more), reference books, science (Hawking, Greene), angling and so-on and so-on, you'll get the general idea. Then there's the fiction; thrillers, science fiction, fantasy, humour, horror, a sprinkling of so-called 'classics' and the odd bit of 'pulp'. In other words it's an unplanned and ridiculous collection of reading matter.

[thebish]

Ah, this may seem obvious advice, but if they're shit knives to start with, they'll never sharpen.

However, if we are to assume that you have decent quality knives, but they have lost their edge, the quickest and easiest way( if you don't want to spend hours and about £70 on a stone) is to get to a hardware shop (theres one on Blackburn road) and get an edge back on them. About £2 a knife if I remember rightly. Frankly, unless you use them very regularly, a normal steel will do to keep their edge. Beware of fancy expensive gadgets promising the earth, they are all bollox.

you can never find a gypsy when you need one... what do they do nowadays???

[Bruce Rioja]

Ah, this may seem obvious advice, but if they're shit knives to start with, they'll never sharpen.

However, if we are to assume that you have decent quality knives, but they have lost their edge, the quickest and easiest way( if you don't want to spend hours and about £70 on a stone) is to get to a hardware shop (theres one on Blackburn road) and get an edge back on them. About £2 a knife if I remember rightly. Frankly, unless you use them very regularly, a normal steel will do to keep their edge. Beware of fancy expensive gadgets promising the earth, they are all bollox.

Many thanks and much appreciated. The guy near the bottom of Bar Lane? I didn't know that he was still there. I'll pay him a visit.

[Lord Kangana]

Thats him.

And Dujon, I've read the book. We're recommending it to Brucie.

[Worthy4England]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

Anyway - humour next off the Shelf of Shame... Howard Jacobson's The Finkler Question.

Today I'm reading OK magazine, followed by Chat, then Heat.

Did you know Jordan and Peter Andre had split up?

[thebish]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

I am about to begin "From Wild Man to Wise Man" - Richard Rohr - "reflections on male spirituality"...

Rohr is a fransciscan priest - quite widely renowned across the world as a speaker on spirituality.

it was recommended to me - I shall report back!

[Montreal Wanderer]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

I am about to begin "From Wild Man to Wise Man" - Richard Rohr - "reflections on male spirituality"...

Rohr is a fransciscan priest - quite widely renowned across the world as a speaker on spirituality.

it was recommended to me - I shall report back!

Suffer from insomnia, bish?

[thebish]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

I am about to begin "From Wild Man to Wise Man" - Richard Rohr - "reflections on male spirituality"...

Rohr is a fransciscan priest - quite widely renowned across the world as a speaker on spirituality.

it was recommended to me - I shall report back!

Suffer from insomnia, bish?

is Richard Rohr heavy-going then Monty?

[thebish]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

I am about to begin "From Wild Man to Wise Man" - Richard Rohr - "reflections on male spirituality"...

Rohr is a fransciscan priest - quite widely renowned across the world as a speaker on spirituality.

it was recommended to me - I shall report back!

OK - I have read 5 chapters - and concluded it is a big bag of knackers!

so - it is on to Spangler and Tverberg's "Sitting at the feet of the Rabbi Jesus" (basically - putting the jewishness back into Jesus)

[Montreal Wanderer]

Tell us, Monty - I'm beginning to think I've driven everyone out... By having time to read for the first time in a good while and inflicting my tastes on the forum...

I am about to begin "From Wild Man to Wise Man" - Richard Rohr - "reflections on male spirituality"...

Rohr is a fransciscan priest - quite widely renowned across the world as a speaker on spirituality.

it was recommended to me - I shall report back!

Suffer from insomnia, bish?

is Richard Rohr heavy-going then Monty?

Well, it is generally considered a big bag of knackers....