What are you currently reading?

Started by facehugger, April 07, 2007, 12:36:10 AM

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Sergeant Rock

#4961
Quote from: MN Dave on July 17, 2012, 12:11:25 PM
****
[asin]1846687217[/asin]

Just finished this. No one here will want to read it but it was good stuff.  ;D

Not true. I'd like to read it. Does it just cover the early years or are there chapters on the rockabilly revival in the late 70s, early 80s too? Does it get into the rockabilly offshoots like cowpunk (country punk) or psychobilly? I'm particularly interested in Jason and the Scorchers and The Cramps, whose description in Wiki I think you'll like  ;D

"Also festering at CBGB's punk environs were The Cramps, who combined primitive and wild rockabilly sounds with lyrics inspired by old drive-in horror movies in songs like "Human Fly" and "I Was a Teenage Werewolf"."

Sarge
the phone rings and somebody says,
"hey, they made a movie about
Mahler, you ought to go see it.
he was as f*cked-up as you are."
                               --Charles Bukowski, "Mahler"

Karl Henning

QuoteAlso festering at CBGB's punk environs . . . .

Love it!  Geographically, I was so near, and yet so far from, that venue at that festeriffic time . . . .
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Ataraxia

Quote from: Sergeant Rock on July 20, 2012, 02:50:18 AM
Not true. I'd like to read it. Does it just cover the early years or are there chapters on the rockabilly revival in the late 70s, early 80s too? Does it get into the rockabilly offshoots like cowpunk (country punk) or psychobilly? I'm particularly interested in Jason and the Scorchers and The Cramps, whose description in Wiki I think you'll like  ;D

"Also festering at CBGB's punk environs were The Cramps, who combined primitive and wild rockabilly sounds with lyrics inspired by old drive-in horror movies in songs like "Human Fly" and "I Was a Teenage Werewolf"."

Sarge

It's mainly about the original rockabillies and what happened to them, however it does mention The Cramps later on in the book and the guy who wrote it plays in a band that toured with them.

What, Sarge, no Stray Cats?

Ataraxia

I'm back to reading Swafford's excellent Brahms bio.  ;D

Karl Henning

I ought to read that at some point.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Ataraxia


Fafner

Read The Prague Cemetery, by Umberto Eco.

In the end, I have to say it was not worth it.  The underlying topic is the creation of the famous forgery, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, and if you read it to the end you miraculously discover that there is a story there, but along the way you find yourself buried under and avalanche of 19th century name-dropping and endless historical factoids that do not seem necessary to advance the narrative.  Doesn't touch Eco's masterpiece, The Name of the Rose.

lisa needs braces

#4968


I'm a third of the way through this gripping and bittersweet novel about a military colonel who is abusive and domineering towards his family. It appears to have fictional elements but the title character is modeled after the author's own father:

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/14/us/donald-conroy-77-model-for-the-great-santini-dies.html

QuoteThe closest his father ever came to acknowledging his violence, Mr. Conroy said, was when he turned to him after seeing the 1979 movie of ''The Great Santini,'' and said, ''If I'd beaten you more, you'd be a better writer.''

;D

You guys read anything else by Pat Conroy?

Ataraxia

Very cool so far. Hip and funny.
[asin]1451667159[/asin]
No, I have not seen the movie.  :)


Opus106

Regards,
Navneeth

Drasko

Quote from: Opus106 on July 22, 2012, 10:33:19 PM
Hehe... enjoy! I'm reading 'The Mating Season' at the moment.

I am enjoying it, quite. It's my first Wodehouse novel (though I've seen previously Jeeves & Wooster TV series with Fry and Laurie). Some of the literary references and allusions tend to fly over my head, but it still is huge fun.

Opus106

Quote from: Drasko on July 23, 2012, 08:43:54 AM
I am enjoying it, quite. It's my first Wodehouse novel (though I've seen previously Jeeves & Wooster TV series with Fry and Laurie). Some of the literary references and allusions tend to fly over my head, but it still is huge fun.

Oh, in that case, you have a lot more fun discoveries ahead. :) As for J&W, I've only seen clips on YouTube. What it misses out is  -- correct me if I'm wrong -- Bertie's narration. Much of Wodehouse's brilliance comes through the head of this one character.
Regards,
Navneeth

Drasko

Quote from: Opus106 on July 23, 2012, 08:55:08 AM
Oh, in that case, you have a lot more fun discoveries ahead. :) As for J&W, I've only seen clips on YouTube. What it misses out is  -- correct me if I'm wrong -- Bertie's narration. Much of Wodehouse's brilliance comes through the head of this one character.

Yes, exactly. That is the main difference. It alters somewhat the overall tone, and automatically places Jeeves bit more as a separate entity since you don't see him exclusively through Bertie's perception. One annoying feat of the series is changing actors who play supporting characters from season to season.

Wanderer

Apart from a bunch of rather unpalatable for non-lawyers Greek and European Law tomes, a book I've recently read that made a very favourable impression  is this: [asin]0307352145[/asin]
The theme is more than interesting, it covers in quite comprehensive manner past and recent research on introversion and I think it succeeds in getting its message across without getting needlessly technical.

Karl Henning

Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Zizekian

Quote from: Wanderer on July 24, 2012, 02:05:25 AM
The theme is more than interesting, it covers in quite comprehensive manner past and recent research on introversion and I think it succeeds in getting its message across without getting needlessly technical.

That looks really interesting. As an introvert, I think I'll have to check it out!

Opus106

Interesting indeed. Came across the book in a blog review from a few months ago.
Regards,
Navneeth

Karl Henning

Quote from: Drasko on July 22, 2012, 04:45:59 PM


This is probably the very first Bertie-&-Jeeves what I ever read. Magical!
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot