Andy's Blook bog (started 2006)

[Mac]

Hello, my friend. It's been a while. Glad you're around again. So, it seems I really should have another go at Tim Winton. So be it. How are things with you, fella?

[Freewheeling Andy]

Yeah, I've been working too hard, and travelling again, so it's been a while since I read much. I like the Tim Winton books I've read, and feel they're fairly universal in style so would be surprised if people didn't like them - maybe The Riders aside, which is very dark. But, that said, my experience is that if I don't like an author, usually when I go back I find I was right - no matter what trustworthy other people say. So I'd certainly not push you to going back. How are things with you?

[Freewheeling Andy]

Finished Breath. Very much enjoyed it. Good book, which didn't push its luck too far - it was obvious what was going to happen to Eva, but I'm glad Winton didn't make it happen too young and too in-your-face.

 

Now reading Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. Just started it, but the first two chapters are distinctly odd.

[Freewheeling Andy]

Finished Hard-Boiled Wonderland and absolutely loved it. It's not, really, that like other Murakami, I don't think. It's more SF and more fantasy, both at the same time. And is a more complete story, everything is explained more solidly. All the usual elements are there - the music and the food and the slightly cold sex and so on - but in a more novel-like foundation, I think, even though there are two parallel novels going on through the book.

 

I have no idea what I'm going to read next.

[Freewheeling Andy]

So, I've just started on Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation. I should have read it years ago, of course. I'm fascinated to find out what the fuss is, but so far the stats in it are pretty mindblowing, and that's just the introduction.

[Freewheeling Andy]

Well, that took longer than expected, but good lord, the stuff in there is head-turning.

 

Now I'm reading Christopher Isherwood's A Single Man, which is very short, but might be even better than the magnificent film of it that's out at the moment.

 

Also reading A Nuclear Family Vacation about a couple holidaying in lots of spots that are part of the nuclear military complex. Interesting, but not that well written.

[Freewheeling Andy]

It's been a while since I've been in here. Not actually been reading much. A Scanner Darkly, of course, which was great. A Nuclear Family Vacation had interesting stuff in it, and got more interesting as it went on, but I won't recommend it to anyone. There were a couple of business motivationy kinds of books: Innocent, by the innocent people, which was OK but not great, and ReWork, which is genuinely excellent and inciteful.

 

Now I'm reading China Mieville's The City and The City, which might be the book that was purposely and expressly written just for me. Wonderful.

[chrysalis_stage]

It's been a while since I've been in here. Not actually been reading much. A Scanner Darkly, of course, which was great. A Nuclear Family Vacation had interesting stuff in it, and got more interesting as it went on, but I won't recommend it to anyone. There were a couple of business motivationy kinds of books: Innocent, by the innocent people, which was OK but not great, and ReWork, which is genuinely excellent and inciteful.

 

Now I'm reading China Mieville's The City and The City, which might be the book that was purposely and expressly written just for me. Wonderful.

 

China Mieville is fantastic isn't he, I'm currently getting through Perdido Street Station and loving every word. I also found out the other day that China works at Warwick University as a creative writing teacher, which is just up the road from me and the place where I work atm as a cleaner, i'm so tempted to go into his building where his office is (where I was the other day for a meeting) and knock on his door and say 'excuse me would you like your bin emptied and while i'm here could you sign my book please!'

 

Also really want to read 'A Scanner Darkly' myself