What are you currently reading?

[Bogey]

Just started (and yes Dave, the " archives" were referred to for this and thanks):



"A brisk, funny morality tale....Donald Westlake must be one of the best craftsmen now crafting stories."-George F. Will

[karlhenning]

Has anyone read Drop City by TC Boyle?

[Bogey]

Has anyone read Drop City by TC Boyle?

A Colorado connection there, Karl?

[Dr. Dread]

Just started (and yes Dave, the " archives" were referred to for this and thanks):

He's written a lot. Also check out his Richard Stark stuff. Much darker. Less humor.

[karlhenning]

A Colorado connection there, Karl?

Hm, might be, incidentally, Bill.  This Marlowe yarn I've begun reading I found among remainders at the MFA shop, and now there are some half dozen copies of that TC Boyle title and the remainders table, and I'm wondering if I want to read it.  Also, I've just finished re-reading a Barth book, from a new copy which I picked up at about the same time I picked up a new copy of TC Boyle's Water Music.  So he is an author who has not been any great distance from my literary thoughts lately.  Water Music I find a tour-de-force (and a yarn spun from a handful of historical fact, another broad similarity to Barth's The Sot-Weed Factor).  Back when I was first getting acquainted with Boyle, I read quite a few books . . . a couple of collections of stories, and three or four novels: Budding Prospects, East is East, World's End, certainly.  Of them all, World's End I probably think best of, after Water Music.

[DavidRoss]

This Marlowe yarn I've begun reading....

Which Marlowe yarn might that be?  I'm a big Chandler fan, not just for his impeccable style but for the evocation of time and place and gritty morality so few have ever equaled.  Reminds me that I should re-read A Hall of Mirrors sometime soon.

[karlhenning]

Which Marlowe yarn might that be?  I'm a big Chandler fan, not just for his impeccable style but for the evocation of time and place and gritty morality so few have ever equaled.  Reminds me that I should re-read A Hall of Mirrors sometime soon.

Not Philip but Kit 

[Bogey]

I'm a big Chandler fan, not just for his impeccable style but for the evocation of time and place and gritty morality so few have ever equaled. 

[Dr. Dread]

Which Marlowe yarn might that be?  I'm a big Chandler fan, not just for his impeccable style but for the evocation of time and place and gritty morality so few have ever equaled.  Reminds me that I should re-read A Hall of Mirrors sometime soon.

Have you read Ross MacDonald?

[Bogey]

He's written a lot. Also check out his Richard Stark stuff. Much darker. Less humor.

I went to the library last night with the author list you provided.  Did not want to start any series deep into that series and this made my choices fairly few.  I took away three books, and started here.  The George Will endorsement helped as well...heck, that guy could sell me outdated milk.

I also like the shortness of Westlake's chapters.  With two kiddos in the house, it helps considerably.  I am doing some yard work at this time and each time I complete a task I reward myself with another chapter.  Which is what I should be doing right now on this sunny Colorado day.

[karlhenning]

...heck, that guy could sell me outdated milk.

You can always make sour cream! 

[DavidRoss]

Not Philip but Kit 

I suspected as much.

Have you read Ross MacDonald?

Only The Drowning Pool, IIRC. Not bad, but less universal, as I recall, and no one's prose quite equals Chandler's.  Attempts to emulate him seldom escape parody.  What other titles would you suggest?

[Dr. Dread]

I suspected as much.
Only The Drowning Pool, IIRC. Not bad, but less universal, as I recall, and no one's prose quite equals Chandler's.  Attempts to emulate him seldom escape parody.  What other titles would you suggest?

I'm still reading the early ones. Liked them all so far.

[Bogey]

100 pages or so into the Westlake book.  Not a lot of nail biting, but once I got further along I suddenly found myself caring about the main character and have become worried about his plight enough that I do not want to put it down.  Not a lot of heavy background here like Dan Brown likes to weave in or major twists.  More like an old black and white tv crime-drama with the uh-oh's around each corner that do not whack you in the jaw too hard, but still gives you some kidney punches along the way.  Perfect for a summer read.

[karlhenning]

I suspected as much.

But I ought to read some Chandler at some point . . . .

[rockerreds]

Marge Piercy-Three Women

[Dr. Dread]

[Haffner]

At times hilarious, such as when Ritchie would hurl wet plastic bags of flour at Dio when Elf was opening for Deep Purple.

[Opus106]

Hey, Andy! Welcome back.

[Haffner]

Hey, Andy! Welcome back.

Good to be back, and especially good to hear from YOU!