What are you reading tonight?

[Gary the Enfield]

Currently halfway through Stuart Adamson's biography In A Big Country by Allan Glen. Clearly Glen was too close to the 'Dunfermline scene' to be objective; especially when referring to The Skids as being some sort of standard bearers for a generation. Maybe in Dunfermline they were, everywhere else they were a fairly average to crap band with an inchorent, tuneless frontman dragged into the light by dint of them having a fine guitarist that knew his way around a catchy tune.

Just getting into the 'Big Country' bit now. One suspects that our man broke off for the odd spot of onanism during the writing of this part - but then who could blame him?

RIP Stuart

True Fact: I bought the 7" Skids single 'Into the Valley' because it had a picture on the back of a girl with a see through bra on. Nipples (however obscure) were a big draw to the early pubescent boy that I was. Still are.

[thebish]

Currently halfway through Stuart Adamson's biography In A Big Country by Allan Glen. Clearly Glen was too close to the 'Dunfermline scene' to be objective; especially when referring to The Skids as being some sort of standard bearers for a generation. Maybe in Dunfermline they were, everywhere else they were a fairly average to crap band with an inchorent, tuneless frontman dragged into the light by dint of them having a fine guitarist that knew his way around a catchy tune.

Just getting into the 'Big Country' bit now. One suspects that our man broke off for the odd spot of onanism during the writing of this part - but then who could blame him?

RIP Stuart

True Fact: I bought the 7" Skids single 'Into the Valley' because it had a picture on the back of a girl with a see through bra on. Nipples (however obscure) were a big draw to the early pubescent boy that I was. Still are.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Have long loved Ian Macdonald's Revolution in the Head, a stunning scholarly yet readable analysis of all the Beatles' songs. Back re-reading it yet again for a number of reasons: recently read another of Macdonald's books (The People's Music, also excellent); lent my copy to a band-mate; bought myself another copy 'cos I didn't know it had been revised; and most of all 'cos we're recording a new album and textural ideas are welcome...

Lest you think it's a hagiography, it's not - Macdonald gives credit where it's due but is utterly scathing when he sees fit, slaying some sacred cows in the process. Recommended for anyone interested in the Beatles, recording, musical criticism or just good writing.

Am alternating that - intelligent but bitty, based as it is on a song-by-song basis - with a longer read: Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone And Nobody Can Pay by John Lanchester. Like Macdonald's books it's intelligent yet readable and enjoyable, and it's on a rather important topic: why the world's financial markets have gone to hell in a handcart. Lanchester - son of a banker, a novelist turned journalist - has an excellent way with words and an easy manner of explaining complicated concepts... the ones the financial gurus, revealed as charlatans, would really rather we didn't understand. It's not at all heavy, and it's vital reading. You won't know whether to p*ss yourself laughing or sh*t yourself worrying.

[CAPSLOCK]

Halfway through 'Hornets Nest'

Read a review of the trilogy that said 'if you haven't read the books, put aside a weekend'

Now, is it just me that sees 2000 pages as a bit more than a weekend?

[TANGODANCER]

Just started John Grisham's The Associate.

[thebish]

Halfway through 'Hornets Nest'

Read a review of the trilogy that said 'if you haven't read the books, put aside a weekend'

Now, is it just me that sees 2000 pages as a bit more than a weekend?

a lot more than a weekend for me!! good trilogy though...

[Gary the Enfield]

Halfway through 'Hornets Nest'

Read a review of the trilogy that said 'if you haven't read the books, put aside a weekend'

Now, is it just me that sees 2000 pages as a bit more than a weekend?

a lot more than a weekend for me!! good trilogy though...

Am on the final book. I'm good for about 15 minutes before lights out. Taking me ages to finish. Good story, though.

[CAPSLOCK]

Did about 250 pages yesterday - shagged today!

70 to go

Then I'm starting on Simon Kernicks stuff

[thebish]

it got a bit of a panning from the literary critics at the time.... but I have just read "Extremely loud and incredibly close" by Jonathan Safran Foer - and found it to be intriguing, frustrating, funny, poignant, disturbing and annoying - all at the same time.

I'm not sure I'd say I "like" it - or even "enjoyed" it - but it interested me and held my attention - and I like that in a book...

one literary critic entitled his review: "Extremely Cloying & Incredibly False: Why the author of Everything Is Illuminated is a fraud and a hack"...

but as a large part of the plot is the consequences of a death in the 9/11 attack and the critic is American - he perhaps had an agenda I didn't.

it covers loss and its effect over three generations - the Dresden bombing and the 9/11 attack...

I'd say it's worth a look if you stumble across it.

(read it before the film appears next year - currently in production - then you can say the book is better!)

[William the White]

holidays are great...

i finished two books in the last ten days, and the shelf of shame is lightened by several hundred pages...

GB84 by David Peace is his take on the miners strike of 1984 - part documentary, mostly fiction and an absolutely gripping depiction of the class struggle at its most bitter. Neither Thatcher nor Scargill come out of it well - but his heart is with the miners. Good! If you enjoyed 'The Damned United' this is by the same writer and uses the same method of meticulous research, authenticity and a novelist's skills.

'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak has Death as its narrator. Despite this it is not at all ghoulish. A heartfelt tale of a young girl in Nazi Germany whose family hide a Jew in their cellar. It is excellent story telling, absolutely gripping and very moving. Really recommend.

[Lofthouse Lower]

Bought the Lucifer Box trilogy (by Mark Gatiss) in anticipation of my holidays.

[Raven]

holidays are great...

i finished two books in the last ten days, and the shelf of shame is lightened by several hundred pages...

GB84 by David Peace is his take on the miners strike of 1984 - part documentary, mostly fiction and an absolutely gripping depiction of the class struggle at its most bitter. Neither Thatcher nor Scargill come out of it well - but his heart is with the miners. Good! If you enjoyed 'The Damned United' this is by the same writer and uses the same method of meticulous research, authenticity and a novelist's skills.

'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak has Death as its narrator. Despite this it is not at all ghoulish. A heartfelt tale of a young girl in Nazi Germany whose family hide a Jew in their cellar. It is excellent story telling, absolutely gripping and very moving. Really recommend.

I'll second that, a damn good read

[Annoyed Grunt]

Bought the Lucifer Box trilogy (by Mark Gatiss) in anticipation of my holidays.

Have read The Vesuvius Club (last year), decent little tale. Keep meaning to pick up the other two.

[Lofthouse Lower]

They're only £2 on Play.com second hand....

[Annoyed Grunt]

Can't do second hand stuff.

[CAPSLOCK]

Then I'm starting on Simon Kernicks stuff

Went down well

Ordered another 2 for a couple of quid

[Bruce Rioja]

Can't do second hand stuff.

Are you Nelson?

[Annoyed Grunt]

Can't do second hand stuff.

Are you Nelson?

Nelson?

[Bruce Rioja]

Can't do second hand stuff.

Are you Nelson?

Nelson?

You don't really need me to explain that one, do you?

[thebish]

Can't do second hand stuff.

Are you Nelson?

Nelson?

(pssst... Nelson - one arm - how many hands?)