We all know your an avid reader john,maybe you could make some recommendations on books that have made some kind of difference in your life or books your currently reading.I went out and bought Joan Didion's play it as it lays and took it on vacation with me to mexico and read it the whole week i was there.Very good book and im glad i was able to hear about it by reading an interview.It was interesting reading about all that stuff while here i was laying in the sun,85 degree weather with waves crashing in the background.

So what is everyone reading?
As for me i've been reading these books in no order: George Orwell-collected essays,Henry Miller-Tropic Of Cancer,Joyce Carroll oates-Faith of a writer,john gardner-on being a novelist,Nabakov-invitation to a beheading,raymond carver.....Im a very fast reader and i often switch back and forth between books.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2007 03:17AM by Dilaudid.

I'm sure John was going to try and stear clear of the forums, events of the last day or so aside, so you might not get an answer from him here.

So im guessing thats why he replied to my guitars and gear thread,right? LOL....Most people on these forums are so gullible.

One reason i really love going to the Ron Sexsmith forum is because the guy is so open to his fans,he's always willing to answer questions and talk about his favorite books and cds,among other things.....and if your wondering who Ron Sexsmith is,he's a very great songwriter from canada.I would say John and Ron are the best songwriters around.

inspired by john, i've really gotten into tolstoy.

my favourite work by him is probably a short story called "how much land does a man need?" which can be found here.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2007 04:01PM by peacocks.

Quote
Dilaudid
Henry Miller-Tropic Of Cancer

raymond carver

Good stuff

I'm reading Cathedral by Raymond Carver at the moment.

Quote
yab yum

Quote
Dilaudid
Henry Miller-Tropic Of Cancer

raymond carver

Good stuff

I'm reading Cathedral by Raymond Carver at the moment.

Hey! I read Cathedral just last week. I love that story.

Quote
Corbin

Quote
yab yum

Quote
Dilaudid
Henry Miller-Tropic Of Cancer

raymond carver

Good stuff

I'm reading Cathedral by Raymond Carver at the moment.

Hey! I read Cathedral just last week. I love that story.

Yeah it's great!

I'm reading Chris Ware's graphic novel, Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth, and R. Crumb's Heroes Of Blues, Jazz And Country .

---

read my (mostly) music blog: Largehearted Boy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2007 07:25PM by largeheartedboy.

I'm a big fan of Haruki Murakami, his novels have sort of a dreamlike feel to them, and he also writes really excellent shot stories. I highly recommend his collection of shorts, The Elephant Vanishes. If you're more of a novel person, both Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle are amazing.

I'm also a giant classics nerd, and I gotta give props to Virgil's Aeneid. It's like the best parts of the Odyssey and the Iliad with a much tighter narrative, and the ending is just staggering in its sheer awesomeness. If epics aren't your thing, check out the works of Aeschylus, particularly the Oresteia, which is by far the most intense and dramatic tragedy I've ever read. As far as ancient comedy, you can't beat Aristophanes. I was assigned some of his plays in a class last year, and I was pleasantly surprised to find myself laughing my ass off while reading them.

Im really surprised that john has not posted anything in this thread yet.I dont know about him but i've always got a book or 3 going.It's hard to distiguish the trash from the good shit nowadays,when you've got james crap patterson releasing 8 novels this year..im sorry but the man must not have that much substance in his novels.same thing goes for danielle steel..what a pile of turd!

check out Tagore if you get a chance.Beautiful poems.

Some people might say the same thing about an artist who releases countless albums, eps random other songs every year.

Most of the musical artists that do release multiple albums each year do suck.Just like ryan adams,it's dentrimental to his art.He needs to learn how to edit his stuff better,and revise.Not everyone is a john,who can keep the bar high and write quality music and art all the time.

I don't think you get the point she's trying to make...

I'm 75% sure that Dilaudid is Heathcote.

Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson. Can't wait to start the Baroque Cycle. Another amazing recent novel is Vienna Days by Kim Du Toit.

i've been trying to finish robert mccammon's speaks the nightbird for a month. if you read horror you know who he is. i've been drunk alot lately which is probably why i haven't finished it.

The Thought Gang - Tibor Fischer

Blindness - Jose Saramago

I've just finished Richard Dawkins 'The God Delusion', David Peace's 'The Damned Utd' (i'm a leeds fan for my sins)and am plugging my way through a book about US intervention in Hugo Chavez's Venezuela.

oh but i'm very excited about the new Mick Foley autobiography "Hardcore Diaries" or whatever it's called. I'm a wrestling geek but i have reason to believe that John is too so you can't laugh at me



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2007 02:58AM by Mark.

how was blindness?

I'm reading Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I'm not that far into the novel, but boy is it violent.

Quote
Dilaudid
how was blindness?

Fucking excellent. One of the most imaginative and harrowing ways to describe human nature and what defines us as a people. The ending kind of left me wanting more. I have sadly not gotten around to picking up Seeing (the sequel).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2007 05:43PM by Inspector16.