What Book Are You Currently Reading ?

[Batman]

Finished It last night, really enjoyed it and the ending didn't grate on me as much as the first time around

Started this today

Blood Meridian is an epic novel of the violence and depravity that attended America's westward expansion, brilliantly subverting the conventions of the Western novel and the mythology of the Wild West. Based on historical events that took place on the Texas--Mexico border in the 1850s, it traces the fortunes of the Kid, a fourteen-year-old Tennesseean who stumbles into a nightmarish world where Indians are being murdered and the market for their scalps is thriving. 'Cormac McCarthy's violent lyric masterpiece, Blood Meridian acquires an amoral, apocalyptic dimension through the Miltonic grandeur of the language ...It is a barbarously poetic odyssey through a hell without purpose' Irish Times 'McCarthy's achievement is to establish a new mythology which is as potent and vivid as that of the movies, yet one which has absolutely the opposite effect ...He is a great writer' Independent 'A bloody and starkly beautiful tale'

Also purchased these

`Few venture as thou hast in the alarming paths of sin.'

This is the final judgement of Satan on Victoria di Loredani, the heroine of Zofloya, or The Moor (1806), a tale of lust, betrayal, and multiple murder set in Venice in the last days of the fifteenth century. The novel follows Victoria's progress from spoilt daughter of indulgent aristocrats, through a period of abuse and captivity, to a career of deepening criminality conducted under Satan's watchful eye. Charlotte Dacre's narrative deftly displays her heroine's movement from the vitalized position of Ann Radcliffe's heroines to a fully conscious commitment to vice that goes beyond that of `Monk' Lewis's deluded Ambrosio. The novel's most daring aspect is its anatomy of Victoria's intense sexual attraction to her Moorish servant Zofloya that transgresses taboos both of class and race.

A minor scandal on its first publication, and a significant influence on Byron and Shelley, Zofloya has been unduly neglected. Contradicting idealized stereotypes of women's writing, the novel's portrait of indulged desire, gratuitous cruelty, and monumental self-absorption retains considerable power to disturb.

The introduction to this edition, the first for nearly 200 years, examines why Zofloya deserves to be read alongside established Gothic classics as the highly original work of an intriguing and unconventional writer.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

One of the most controversial novels of the twentieth century, Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita is a strange, troubling love story told by the one of the most unreliable narrators in literature. This Penguin Modern Classics edition includes an afterword by Craig Raine.

Poet and pervert, Humbert Humbert becomes obsessed by twelve-year-old Lolita and seeks to possess her, first carnally and then artistically, out of love, 'to fix once for all the perilous magic of nymphets'. Is he in love or insane? A silver-tongued poet or a pervert? A tortured soul or a monster? Or is he all of these? Humbert Humbert's seduction is one of many dimensions in Nabokov's dizzying masterpiece, which is suffused with a savage humour and rich, elaborate verbal textures. Filmed by Stanley Kubrick in 1962 starring James Mason and Peter Sellers, and again in 1997 by Adrian Lyne starring Jeremy Irons and Melanie Griffith, Lolita has lost none of its power to shock and awe.

'Lolita is comedy, subversive yet divine ... You read Lolita sprawling limply in your chair, ravished, overcome, nodding scandalized assent'

'Dedalus have unearthed a series of aptly decadent titles where elements erotic and grotesque combine. The Dark Domain is a collection of psycho-fantasies, doom-saturated tales of lonely men lost in hostile terrain, but the East European melancholy lifts to provide wonderful odd scenes, like the watchmaker whose death stops all the town clocks and the phantom train that always turns up unannounced, surprising the station staff.' Chris Fowler in Time Out Something fresh and original in fantastic fiction.

[Master]

Read Froch’s book which has a quote on the cover about the “saviour of boxing” which is complete nonsense. I thought the book was going to be about Froch loving himself and how great he thinks he is but it was not that bad.

Froch had invested in property before he became a professional boxer and is doing well for himself.

I forgot Froch was with Hennessey and was on primetime after being on BBC and ITV where he had built a fan base. After he lost to Ward he went to Eddie and Sky where he got his best win against Bute on normal sky then fought on PPV against Kessler et al.

Froch does talk about how he was unmotivated against Ward but in reality Froch lost because he simply was not good enough to beat Ward but Carl did not give Andre the credit he deserved.

However Froch talks up about how good Arthur Abraham was when really he was just a blown up middleweight.

Froch also hates Groves with a passion but does not admit how much he does in the book, claiming he did not take him seriously and was in a dancing show during the weeks up to their first fight.

Overall it was ok book which I enjoyed reminiscing about the good fights he had during his career.

[Batman]

well that review doesn't make Froch sound like a bell end at all

[Master]

well that review doesn't make Froch sound like a bell end at all

I want to hate Froch but he is very knowledgeable about boxing and that comes across when he commentates on Sky, loves his home city Nottingham, family man and does not mind getting his hand dirty. So I think I would get on well with him.

[Batman]

well that review doesn't make Froch sound like a bell end at all

I want to hate Froch but he is very knowledgeable about boxing and that comes across when he commentates on Sky, loves his home city Nottingham, family man and does not mind getting his hand dirty. So I think I would get on well with him.

well they do say that opposites attract

I don't have a problem with him, he's a big headed bastard and I always thought he would get found out in the ring but he never did so fair play to him.

[Master]

well that review doesn't make Froch sound like a bell end at all

I want to hate Froch but he is very knowledgeable about boxing and that comes across when he commentates on Sky, loves his home city Nottingham, family man and does not mind getting his hand dirty. So I think I would get on well with him.

well they do say that opposites attract

I don't have a problem with him, he's a big headed bastard and I always thought he would get found out in the ring but he never did so fair play to him.

Andre Ward exposed his limitations which is why most think Joe Calzaghe would out box him too. Especially since he lost to Kessler and Joe beat a prime Kessler.

[Batman]

Finished this today, I know that Cormac McCarthy is a divisive author and you either love him or hate him, unfortunately I think I am firmly in the latter bracket.

I enjoyed The Road but even that took me a good two attempts to finish it, Blood Meridian just felt like I was literally slogging my way through a sludge if words, I really struggle with his writing style.

The Judge was a good character though.

I've not decided what I'm going to get started on next.

[El Kabong]

@Batman


I suggest 'Charlatan' by Pope Brock or 'The Devil In The White City' Erik Larson or 'The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France' Eric Yager


Let me know if you select one of those

[Batman]

@Batman


I suggest 'Charlatan' by Pope Brock or 'The Devil In The White City' Erik Larson or 'The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France' Eric Yager


Let me know if you select one of those

@El Kabong I've just added Charlatan and The Devil In The White City to my 'to read' list on goodreads, Trial by Combat doesn't really sound like my sort of thing.

I've got 3 books to get started on so it'll be a few weeks before I'm looking to buy anything else.

Also the name of the author of Charlatan sends chills down my spine...Pope Brock...Jesus, just the thought of it makes me break out in a cold sweat

[El Kabong]

@Batman


I suggest 'Charlatan' by Pope Brock or 'The Devil In The White City' Erik Larson or 'The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France' Eric Yager


Let me know if you select one of those

@El Kabong I've just added Charlatan and The Devil In The White City to my 'to read' list on goodreads, Trial by Combat doesn't really sound like my sort of thing.

I've got 3 books to get started on so it'll be a few weeks before I'm looking to buy anything else.

Also the name of the author of Charlatan sends chills down my spine...Pope Brock...Jesus, just the thought of it makes me break out in a cold sweat

It was a very interesting read about 2 knights in medieval France there's a charge of rape against one of them and after DECADES of going to court and higher courts and higher courts the leadership of the era said the case should be decided by a knightly duel and God would guide whoever was in the right to win.


Just figured you might like that, relatively short book you'd read it in like 2 seconds. But hell yeah enjoy those books man, let me know what you think of them.

[Batman]

'Dedalus have unearthed a series of aptly decadent titles where elements erotic and grotesque combine. The Dark Domain is a collection of psycho-fantasies, doom-saturated tales of lonely men lost in hostile terrain, but the East European melancholy lifts to provide wonderful odd scenes, like the watchmaker whose death stops all the town clocks and the phantom train that always turns up unannounced, surprising the station staff.' Chris Fowler in Time Out Something fresh and original in fantastic fiction.

Right I've decided, I'm gunna get started on this one now

[Batman]

Fucking fantastic book, 11 short stories all brilliantly told, I usually struggle with short stories but these were crackers, each one only between 10 and 15 pages.
Grabinski manages to fit a hell of a lot into them without it feeling rushed but leaving you wanting more.

A fantastic selection and it has everything you could really want.

People say that Grabinski is a Polish Poe or Lovecraft, I can't see that but I can see that Thomas Ligotti must have been influenced by him in quite a big way.
If you like Ligotti then give this a go, cracking book

[Batman]

finished this morning, took me longer than usual but I've been dragged on a few piss ups and with this bloody job interview and what not I don't think my head has been in the right sort of place for reading

How can such a colourful book be so dark?

Basic premise, Humbert Humbert falls in lust with a 12 year old girl, he kidnaps her and subjects her to 2 or 3 years of rape, as I say it is an extremely dark subject matter, the beauty of this book (as I said at the start of this post) is how colourful the writing is, not only colourful but clever as well.

The fact that the subject matter is one of the worst possible crimes possible never once did the book feel too overly serious, never once was I terrified for Lolita's safety or well being, never once did I feel an overwhelming level of hatred for Humbert Humbert.

Thats because the whole book is told from HH's point of view, Lolita doesn't get the opportunity to express how she is feeling because the whole book is seen through HH's eyes, oh don't get me wrong there are plenty of clues that Lolita is not happy and there are plenty of times when she says something that drags you back to the subject matter and makes you go 'wow' Humbert Humbert is so blase in his own mind that his actions are almost second nature to him.

Right up until the very end of the book you get an insight into this mans twisted perception of right and wrong.

A brilliant read, I'm going to let this one marinate for a few months and then re-read it because I am sure that there is a hell of a lot more to be taken from this book after the second or third (or maybe fourth) read.

[Batman]

next up

Six months ago, Harry Bosch left the LAPD before they could fire him, and then hired maverick Defense Attorney Mickey Haller to sue the department for forcing him out. Although it wasn't the way he wanted to go, Harry has to admit that being out of the game has its benefits. Until Mickey asks him to help on one of his cases, and suddenly Harry is back where he belongs, right in the centre of a particularly puzzling murder mystery. The difference is, this time Harry is working for the defense, aiming to prevent the accused, Leland Foster, from being convicted. And not only does the prosecution seem to have a cast-iron case, but having crossed over to 'the dark side' as his former colleagues would put it, Harry is in danger of betraying the very principles he's lived by his whole career.

I was planning on reading 1984 next (as I mentioned in another thread) but my dad has thrust this book upon me, it's the fucking 20th in the series and I've never read any of them before.

I've not really read any of these types of books (except for the Rebus series) for absolutely ages and I don't really want to read this one though, my Dad enjoyed it though and I like to keep him interested in reading so I'm going to plough through this in the hope it sparks him into picking up another book.

it's 400 pages but it should only take me a few days, if I really throw myself into it then I could get it done before the weekend quite easily, only problem was that I was planning on getting back onto my piano, I've not played in ages so there is a good chance that'll take up a lot of my time

[El Kabong]

I'm currently reading 'The Portrait of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde, I don't get much time to read books, although there are several classics I'd like to work through and this was one of those (other options considered at the time: 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville and 'Hard Times' by Charles Dickens).....funny that so far the book reminds me of @Gandalf moody like Dorian Gray, completely focused and yet in awe of his skill like Basil Hallward, and a whimsical dandy like Lord Henry and Wilde himself.


I'm not certain what I'll read next, I would like to try out Dickens but perhaps a different story than 'Hard Times' as, Charlths Dickenths don't know nuttin' about HARD TIMETHS