Angury

I have heard so much about this book over the past few weeks, culminating in the release of the new film starring Emily Blunt. It has been repeatedly recommended to me and several friends have told me that they couldn't put the book down. I am curious to hear other peoples thoughts on this novel. I generally try to avoid books that are in the 'popular' sphere so to speak. Not because I'm snobbish or anything, but simply because I've had a bad experience with them in the past. It would be great to hear what other people think though. I have almost been tempted to go and buy the book given how much my friends have gone on about it.

Yes, there are two series and a Christmas special. Definitely worth watching. Also, exciting news: Not so exciting: I don't have Netflix.

I have to admit the Nobel Prize winner is always an author I have never heard of. So I am hoping that at least this year it will be an author who sounds familiar. I have heard a lot of people say that Murakami should win the Prize. I do think he is very a good writer and would be happy if he did win, but I have no idea what the 'criteria' are so to speak. There are so many brilliant writers out there - how do you choose?

Interesting to hear your perspective. Lovecraft is one of those writers who I have been meaning to read for a long, long time. I have heard so much about his writing, and as a Fantasy fan I've been told that his stories are a must-read.

Haha, thanks. I do think it is worth it though - the man is a genius. I'm being entirely serious. I know all of these factors make the series sound like an awful ordeal, yet bizarrely these books are some of the best I've ever read. They give you an insight into humanity and makes you question your own thoughts and behaviour.

I have now started Volume 5 of Marcel Proust's 6-part series, In Search of Lost Time. I'm hoping to finish the entire series by the end of this month. For those who haven't read it, it is a beautifully written series filled with flowery language, exquisite metaphors, sentences with very few full stops and a story in which nothing happens.

Black Mirror is a British TV series that examines the impact of technology on modern society. It is very dark and satirical, and every episode leaves you with a horrible feeling at the bottom of your stomach. Some of the episodes are not that far fetched, and that's what makes it so scary. The acting is fantastic, and the stories really grab you and hold you to your seat. The episodes have received critical acclaim which is why I decided to give them a go (I very rarely watch TV) and I cannot get the series out of my mind. The next series is beginning in October this year, and I just wanted to start this thread to see if there were any other fans waiting for the new episode to premier. I also find it interesting that Charlie Brooker (who created the show) chose the name Black Mirror as it describes how technology looks when we turn it off - TVs, iPhones, iPads, laptops etc. We are all really just staring into black mirrors. "If technology is a drug – and it does feel like a drug – then what, precisely, are the side effects? This area – between delight and discomfort – is where Black Mirror, my new drama series, is set. The 'black mirror' of the title is the one you'll find on every wall, on every desk, in the palm of every hand: the cold, shiny screen of a TV, a monitor, a smartphone." - Charlie Brooker https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/dec/01/charlie-brooker-dark-side-gadget-addiction-black-mirror

Lydia Davis is fantastic: http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/14166-lydia-davis/

How come? I read through the FAQ, and it sounds like the staff were aware of their mistakes and it doesn't sound like something that will happen again.

I did a quick Google search but didn't come up with anything - what was the scandal about? Also, what new policy? I feel very much in the dark here.

I would recommend it. I often check the reviews on Goodreads before buying a book. I haven't always agreed with the reviews, but I often find myself agreeing with some of the comments. Given the ridiculous length of my to-read list, I find the website to be a very useful way of keeping track of all my books, which I can often divide by categories. I also find it interesting to look back at the end of the year and see what books I have read, what ratings I have given them and how quickly I completed them. It's a good way of analysing ones reading habits. There's also a satisfaction in finishing a book and updating your bookshelf on the website. Oh, and setting the challenge of reading a set amount of books in the year (in my case, 50) also motivates me.

Don't be sorry - you've been very helpful. I've had a look at some beginner books into Metaphysics which I have found very easy to read, so I am hoping to work my way up towards Kant. It may take me a long time, but I am determined to give him a go.

Glad I'm not the only one who feels this way. My parents think its ridiculous how difficult I find it to throw out magazines. But once I've read them I feel like they're mine, and throwing them out just feels like a betrayal. Oddly enough I don't mind borrowing books from libraries and returning them as much - I don't feel as much ownership over them. Unless of course it's a book that touches me deeply, in which case I simply must go out and buy my own copy. Interesting list. I wish I had more time to read magazines - there are some great ones out there. At present I have had to dwindle my list down to four: - New Scientist (which I think I will have to stop, as I just don't have the time) - Scientific American Mind - Writers Forum - Philosophy Now I was in a bit of a dilemma about getting either the Writers Forum magazine or the Writing magazine. After reading both I felt that the articles in the Writers Forum struck more of a chord with me, but I still feel that in some way I have missed out by now getting both.. I also used to subscribe to the New Yorker mainly for their stories and poetry. I have to admit though that a lot of their stories didn't really stand out to me, which is a pity, because I have heard so much praise about the magazine.

What makes you say that?

I just started using my iPad to subscribe to two magazines I buy - Philosophy Now and Scientific American Mind - and I was pleasantly surprised. The articles are very easy to read on the screen, and in a way I find it much easier to flick through than a hard copy. The aesthetics also seem to stand out for me more. I just don't like having a pile of magazines lying around, and this is a good alternative I think.

Thank you for the suggestions. I didn't even know Botton used to have a TV series - I checked out some episodes online and goodness does he look young.

Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience. Please don't let it put you off - I think the festival is a wonderful experience if you're a book lover, and hopefully that was just a one-off experience. I have been researching other literary festivals across the UK, and there are tons of them around. I see the Edinburgh International Book Festival cropping up again and again. I'm curious whether anyone has attended any other literary festivals, and how they found them.

Just curious, do people buy hardcopies of their magazines or subscribe on an iPad/Kindle etc? I currently buy hardcopies but am tempted to subscribe on my iPad as I think it will be much cleaner. I also move around a lot, meaning that I can't buy a subscription long-term. Then again, I can't imagine myself sitting in a park or a coffee shop flicking through my iPad so to speak. It's not like I carry my iPad with me everywhere I go, whereas I do generally carry a magazine in my handbag which I can whip out at any time.

I have fallen in love with this man. Alain de Botton is a British/Swiss author who aims to make art and philosophy more accessible to the public. In 2008 he founded the School of Life, which offers 'emotional education' through a series of talks and videos. I personally have been using his Youtube Channel to learn more about different philosophers - the videos are short and succinct, and really encourage you to try and apply philosophy to your own every day life. He has also created videos on Psychology, Sociology, Literature and Art - they are generally short videos that give you an overview yet encourage you to read deeper into an authors work. However, I am ashamed to say that I have not yet read one of Botton's works. The book I am planning to start with is A Week at the Airport, described below: 'In the summer of 2009, Alain de Botton was installed in the middle of Heathrow's Terminal Five on a raised platform with a laptop connected to screens, enabling passengers to see what he was writing and to come and share their stories. He provides an extraordinary mediation upon the nature of place, time and our daily lives.' I also want to read his book, How Proust can change your life, which is described as: 'A vivid portrait of the eccentric yet deeply sympathetic author is built up out of extracts from his letters, essays and fiction and is combined with a commentary on the power of literature to change our lives.' So, I wanted to start this thread to find other fellow Botton fans. Has anyone read any of his works? Is he a good writer? From his talks he comes across as very eloquent and humorous, and his ideas really go deep and make you think. Just to illustrate how wonderful Botton truly is, below is a link to his talk about how we can use Art as Therapy in our day to day lives. I would highly recommend watching it if you have the time - Botton is a fantastic speaker and he has certainly changed the way I think about Art:

Thanks for the recommendation - I'll check it out. Regarding Critique of Pure Reason, are the sentences themselves difficult to read (a bit like Foucault)? Or is it more just trying to get your head around his ideas? ..Or, would you say you need a good knowledge of philosophy prior to reading Kant? Also, if I were interested in the sort of ideas Kant expresses in this work, are there any other philosophers you would recommend, who are perhaps a bit more easy going?

I am very interested in self-studying Philosophy, and have read a number of general overviews about the subject including Bertrand Russell's A History of Western Philosophy. I recently undertook an online course on Modernism and Post-Modernism on the website Coursera, and have since become rather interested by Kant's work. I have since watched several videos on Youtube regarding his work, Critique of Pure Reason, and am just about to finish a course on iTunes U which summarises the work. My plan is to read his initial work, Prolegomena before delving head first into Critique of Pure Reason. Anyhow, my question is - as a beginner, would Critique of Pure Reason go completely over my head? I have made a list of vocabulary that Kant uses and have made some notes based on the summaries I have read of the work so far. I plan to read through the work very slowly, making copious amounts of notes on the way. However, I have heard several people say that Kant's work, particularly Critique of Pure Reason, is a very difficult undertaking, and would be beyond the level of a beginner. Has anyone read Critique of Pure Reason? What were your thoughts on it? Do you think I would need to have a bit more of a background before delving into this work? From the summaries I have read so far, I find the ideas within this work to be incredibly thought-provoking, which is why I want to give it a try. However, I am worried that the work might go way above my head. If I do need more of a background first, what philosophers and their works would you recommend I try first? Thanks for the help.

Not so much a book fair, but I visited the Hay Festival last year which is a literary festival set in Hay-on-Wye. It's filled with talks from various authors, poets and philosophers. It has been described by Bill Clinton as "the woodstock of the mind." I really wish I could go again - the entire atmosphere was fantastic. It's so nice to be amongst book lovers - you'll be standing in a queue and randomly start chatting to the person next to you about your favourite genres etc. Everywhere you look people are reading. To me it seems like such a rarity to see people sitting around in public with a book - the entire experience was a breath of fresh air. Hay-on-Wye itself is known as the book town of Wales. It is packed full of little book shops, many of them with a vast array of novels. You could get spend ages just admiring the bookshelves. Below is a photo of Hay on Wye: If anyone gets a chance, I'd highly recommend visiting the town - it is a very beautiful, quaint little town that is a book lovers dream.

Was just going to write a post asking if anyone had seen the film, and whether it is worth watching. I read this book over a year ago, yet it has stayed with me. I was hoping the film had done it justice - particularly the narrative from the child's perspective. I guess I'll give the movie a go.

Are there any particular stories or poems that you would recommend? I am curious about his works, but as with any new author, I generally become a bit daunted and unsure about where to begin.

That is very interesting. It certainly provides a different perspective to Dostoevsky's writing style. I have his novel, The Idiot, sitting on my bookshelf, so I might give his works another try. Perhaps having read, and been so influenced by Notes from the Underground, I will have a more sympathetic view of his other novels.