Mysterioso

Chick-fic, fang-bang and misery memoirs....isn't it obvious?

Hope it's not too late to mention 'The Pesthouse' by the marvellous Jim Crace.....very 'Road-ish' and just as good.... ''A devastated America exists in an imagined future. Its technologies are forgotten, its communities have splintered and its refugees, reversing the course of history, travel eastwards in search of safety and a new start. Among them are Franklin and Margaret, young, bereft, forced together by circumstance; but finding that love, courage and determination can endure even as a country breaks slowly apart. '' (synopsis from Amazon)

I'm seriously engrossed in 'Twisted Ladder' by Rhodi Hawk which was a Barnes & Noble Reading Group pick- it's a brilliant slice of Southern Gothic set in New Orleans....

I'm reading Dave Eggers' 'Zeitoun' (a non-fiction account of Hurricane Katrina), 'Dark Origins' by Anthony Zuicker (creator of the sprawling C.S.I. franchise and this book is almost as irritating) and Jo Nesbo's 'The Redeemer'....

'Stig of the Dump'- have always been an eco-warrior!

Read this yonks ago in proof and raved about it to everyone. Fantastic book and perfect choice for book groups....

I've recently read 'American Skin' by Mr B and it was great! Disturbing, dirty and violent- think Cormac McCarthy crossed with The Coen Brothers with a large slice of Stephen King- fabulous.

I've just had the misfortune to read 'The Various Haunts of Men' for a crime bookgroup and thought it was utter tosh. Cliched, predictable and you could spot the killer a mile off. Really disappointed as I love Susan Hill's fiction e.g The Woman in Black' and 'Mrs DeWinter'. Recently read 'The Beacon' which again is straight fiction and was excellent but I'm extremely loathe to pick up another in the Serralier series.....

Hugh Laurie's 'The Gun Seller', any of the pirate adventures by Gideon Defoe, Mick Jackson's 'Ten Sorry Tales' and of course the brilliant Mark Gattis books....

I'm juggling reading two chunky ones for my sins- John Irving 'Last Night In Twisted River' and the new Larsson' The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest'....v. difficult to devote equal time and attention to both but I'm sure I'll cope:lol:

Don't worry- you're not the first to ask a gormless question of an author and you certainly won't be the last. I've heard some corkers over the years, but rest assured John and Mark always appreciate the more comedic elements of punter participation! At least you'll have made a lasting impression.

Oh hooray! Somenone else who has a dislike for unbelievable 'cosy' Golden Age crime- I salute you! While the Americans had Chandler, Hamnett et al what did we have...chinless aristocrats, Belgians in spats and the truly irritating cardigan toting Miss Marple...sorry...rant over....

or even P J Tracy who is in fact two people writing together..... US crime fiction is 'highly believable' if you avoid certain conveyor belt authors like Cornwell. Spread your wings and try some proper American crime- Winslow, Pelecanos, Ellroy, McBain, Burke, Chandler, to name but a few. Believe me there's a lot more disappointing British stuff at the moment....

Yeah I had to read and review it for a magazine- tedious, a good idea but written badly with a very rushed and unsatisfying ending are my only lasting memories of it. His first book was okay- typical Richard and Judy fare- but definitely not as good as 'Rifling Paradise' by Jem Poster or the brilliant 'The Sound of Butterflies' by Rachael King..... Maybe you could try the Dante mysteries by Guilio Leoni, a professor of Italian history and literature who has written 3 books featuring Dante as sleuth and as tortured poet struggling to realise his visions of Paradise, Hell and Purgatory. The first in the series is 'The Third Heaven Conspiracy'...

I'm a bit undecided about it but thought it was a v. clever premise for a story. SFX were impressive, the plot had me intrigued but unfortunately the intermittent great dollops of schmaltz , that US TV series seem unable to do without, did mar my viewing somewhat. Will watch the 2nd episode though but one scene with winsome, bland stereotypical American kid or excessive use of tedious 'emotion -filled' piano music and I'm off!!!

Adam and The Ants- Ant Music- how cool was i ?

If you can forgive the fact that it is 60% Austen and 40% tentacled chaos 'Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters' is diverting fare! "As she lay gasping on the bank, soaked by the fetid water and the foul juices of the monster, spitting small bits of brain and gore from the corners of her mouth, a gentleman clad in a diving costume and helmet, and carrying a harpoon gun, ran to her assistance,"

Finished 'Juliet Naked' by Nick Hornby and I have to say it's a case of 'Mysterioso Disappointed':irked: Luckily I have a copy of the new John Irving 'Last Night In Twisted River' to crack on with- hurrah:D

Thanks to my extensive reading of crime and true crime books I now know how to commit the perfect murder and how to dispose of the body. Don't know when I'll get the chance to try it out though.... Seriously though having read Stephen King/John Connolly books I have a deep hankering to move to America and set up home in Maine.....

Oh and there was me enjoying dissecting the fanbase of these marvellous contributions to the world of literature:lol:

There is no game more beautiful than the beautiful game....

If you want a good crime read in the right location try Simon Beckett's 'Written In Bone' set on the Hebridean island of Runa or Mo Hayder's 'Pig Island' again set on a remote Scottish island......

Well as long as they pay for both seats with the change from their latest visit to Greggs....

Sorry Chrissy- only speaking as a very experienced bookseller and in no way a snob about reading. I always read examples of the trash I pass comment on!!

I'm an ex-soldier turned private eye with a crippling disease investigating the murder of an American preacher....