'Modern' writers

[Orang Utan]

I've discreetly retired from book groups - I've not got time to read other people's choices of book, despite the fun and games and wine and cheeses

 

[Vintage Paw]

I've discreetly retired from book groups - I've not got time to read other people's choices of book, despite the fun and games and wine and cheeses

yep, that's pretty much why I don't go anymore.

The fucking library had a stake in it, so we came up with ideas of what to read and Neil from the library would order up loads in advance. It got to the point where he'd decided upon the reading list a year in advance. I can't work with that kind of Hitlerism

 

[DotCommunist]

To be honest I never liked the idea of bookgroups. If I want other peoples opinions on books I'll tell it to them.


or read Amazon reviews which are damn sight more honest. I know I would fare badly in a book group just from discussing books in class. People admit to readindg shit like dave plezler and I chime in with 'misery-porn!'. Followed by an uncomfortable silence

 

[Maurice Picarda]

House Of Leaves .

That one's staring reproachfully at me from the shelf, unread.

 

[Brainaddict]

I've discreetly retired from book groups - I've not got time to read other people's choices of book, despite the fun and games and wine and cheeses

 

[Vintage Paw]

To be honest I never liked the idea of bookgroups. If I want other peoples opinions on books I'll tell it to them.


or read Amazon reviews which are damn sight more honest. I know I would fare badly in a book group just from discussing books in class. People admit to readindg shit like dave plezler and I chime in with 'misery-porn!'. Followed by an uncomfortable silence

Anything that sits in the biog section, has a white cover and a small pastel-coloured miserable child on the front is asking for derision, in my opinion.

 

[Orang Utan]

If a book I like the look of gets chosen, I'll be there like a shot, but I already have a pile of 10+ book in the pile to read

 

[Brainaddict]

And why is it mandatory for someone to propose an Isabel Allende novel at every bookgroup meeting? She, incidentally, is one of the writers I've been permanently scared off from reading by fucking tube adverts.

 

[Orang Utan]

That one's staring reproachfully at me from the shelf, unread.

Me too!

 

[Orang Utan]

And why is it mandatory for someone to propose an Isabel Allende novel at every bookgroup meeting? She, incidentally, is one of the writers I've been permanently scared off from reading by fucking tube adverts.

Yeah, she's totally bookgroup

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Anything that sits in the biog section, has a white cover and a small pastel-coloured miserable child on the front is asking for derision, in my opinion.

That's a good rule. Also, I jettison anything that Irvine Welsh has contributed a cover quote for.

 

[Brainaddict]

Yeah, she's totally bookgroup

That's going to be my new insult for the latest banal R&J fodder. "Yeah, someone recommended it to me but it sounded totally bookgroup."

 

[sojourner]

You know it was only set up so people could try and score with each other

That thought had crossed my mind funnily enough But again, pointless, cos I personally could never fancy any woman that only pretended to like reading in order to meet women!

 

[Maurice Picarda]

I too would like to read some modern novels but can't stand the idea of reading any more self-regarding tomes of prosewank. I am not interested in your pithy turns of phrase and strangulated metaphors, especially when they cross the line from cod-poetic into nonsensical waffle.

Who out there is writing books about interesting things happening to interesting characters?

I tried to start a Geoff Nicholson thread and it sank without trace. But I do think that interesting things happen to interesting characters in his books. Bleeding London or Hunters and Gatherers have exciting plots. They're all good, though.

 

[Orang Utan]

That's a good rule. Also, I jettison anything that Irvine Welsh has contributed a cover quote for.

Also anything where the author's name is 4 times bigger than the title.
And anything with embossed writing on the front in gold

 

[sojourner]

I chime in with 'misery-porn!'. Followed by an uncomfortable silence

hehe - there were lots and lots of uncomfortable silences after my many comments and rants - I barely held myself in check at times.

 

[DotCommunist]

That's a good rule. Also, I jettison anything that Irvine Welsh has contributed a cover quote for.

I'm usually suspicious of anything that has the authors name in huge embossed gold lettering, dwarfing the actual titlle. The arrogance of it annoys me.

plus its usually total shitehawks like Grisham, McNab et al who have this annoying format

e2a damn you OU

 

[sojourner]

That's a good rule. Also, I jettison anything that Irvine Welsh has contributed a cover quote for.

Cover quotes have been known to almost put me off books before - that Willy Russell I read recently had one by the Daily fucking Mail on the front!

 

[Brainaddict]

There's no point in a bookgroup if people aren't going to argue about the book! I went to one group where everyone agreed about how wonderful a book was (Kafka's The Trial) and were rather shocked when I ventured the opinion that it was overrated I didn't go back.

 

[Orang Utan]

I jettison anything that Irvine Welsh has contributed a cover quote for.

He's the Paul Ross of literature

 

[sojourner]

He's the Paul Ross of literature

Oh he's not THAT bad!

 

[Pieface]

Yeah, she's totally bookgroup

Are they reading anything good in ours this month or is it still the one about the man who wrote a book?

 

[Orang Utan]

Are they reading anything good in ours this month or is it still the one about the man who wrote a book?

Bloke wot wrote book

 

[May Kasahara]

That thought had crossed my mind funnily enough But again, pointless, cos I personally could never fancy any woman that only pretended to like reading in order to meet women!

That's just given me a hilarious mental picture: you on the sofa, fending off the advances of a hot naked woman. "Leave it out love, can't you see it's the new Annie Proulx?"

 

[May Kasahara]

That one's staring reproachfully at me from the shelf, unread.

Yep, that's what they'll all be saying. And thinking "I can't believe that bitch made me pay for this weird typographic nonsense" And I will feel sad, because it's a really great book and actually quite a gripping spook story, once you give it a chance.

 

[sojourner]

That's just given me a hilarious mental picture: you on the sofa, fending off the advances of a hot naked woman. "Leave it out love, can't you see it's the new Annie Proulx?"

Hmm...I think if it got as far as hot, naked, and on the sofa, I might have turned my intermalekshual functions off

 

[senny dreadful]

I did exactly the same (do you work for the golden W?)

I concur, excellent book and much overlooked. I thought it was about cricket for so long

I do! Although I suppose we're the slightly sinister black W now. Used to be the cheerful orange O, once upon a time.

 

[Vintage Paw]

I do! Although I suppose we're the slightly sinister black W now. Used to be the cheerful orange O, once upon a time.

Ah, I do too. For the past 6 years

I've managed to fill my bookcases with damaged stock and proofs

Of course, it's a nice moment when you get a proof of something good. I got The Curious Incident - of course before all the hoo-ha over it. And 2 Couplands. My Auster-loving (and Auster-meeting) dissertation tutor is remarkably impressed I have a proof of Siri Hustvedt's novel due this May

 

[Dillinger4]

Vintage Paw - I have left some messages for you on a thread you posted on recently. It is now your mission to find and read said messages.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Vintage Paw - I have left some messages for you on a thread you posted on recently. It is now your mission to find and read said messages.

Fiend