What is East Dulwich reading?

[Otta]

The clear memory I have from it was that after they fail to save JFK rhey get an audience with Johnson and tell him all about Vietnam. He believes their story but his response is to throw absolutely everything at it. Ooops.

[El Pibe]

That's actually quite funny!

[WomblingFree]

Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines. Because it?s superheroes versus zombies. Very readable and surprisingly well written.

[El Pibe]

I like the sound of that. Ernest Cline likes it apparently so I'm sold.

[Dopamine1979]

Code of the Woosters - P.G Wodehouse

Nothing like a bit of Wodehouse to cheer you up.

(I also want to give a big shout out to Rye Books on Upland Road. Lovely little independent book store)

[El Pibe]

Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways.

Absolutely lovely travel writing, with more than a dash of psychogeography about it; more accessible than W G Sebald's The Rings of Saturn, less infuriating than Iain Sinclair's London Orbital.

It's a meditation on walking, poetry, metaphysics and mortality written with such charm that you don't really think it's about any of those things.

I'm actually most reminded of Cormac McCarthy's novels, though barring the odd grazed knee there's rather less blood,violence and despair. I had a quick google to see if anyone else had made the connection only to find he's a massive fan himself...good man!!

Highly, highly recommended.

[Mick Mac]

Read Colm Toibin's "The Testament of Mary" after Christmas which was Booker Prize nominated.

I naively didn't know what it was about until about 30 pages in. ( Hadn't read any literary spoilers :) ) But it was very good.

[El Pibe]

Might have to give that a go.

I enjoyed Pullmans The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, even if I thought it a tad, I dunno, clunky (as in being clunked round the lughole).

[david_carnell]

El Pibe Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Robert Macfarlane's The Old Ways.

>

> Absolutely lovely travel writing, with more than a

> dash of psychogeography about it; more accessible

> than W G Sebald's The Rings of Saturn, less

> infuriating than Iain Sinclair's London Orbital.

>

> It's a meditation on walking, poetry, metaphysics

> and mortality written with such charm that you

> don't really think it's about any of those

> things.

>

> I'm actually most reminded of Cormac McCarthy's

> novels, though barring the odd grazed knee there's

> rather less blood,violence and despair. I had a

> quick google to see if anyone else had made the

> connection only to find he's a massive fan

> himself...good man!!

>

> Highly, highly recommended.

I can second this. I'd also highly recommend his other two works, Mountains of the Mind and Wild Places - both exceptional works.

I have a huge man-crush on the chap. Been to see him talk on numerous occassions, got all the books signed (inc. limited edition release of Holloways - only 800 copies printed) etc etc. Often dream about going for a walk with him. Mrs Carnell often expresses her concern.

EP - if you want more modern nature writing let me know. My bookshelves creak with it. Melissa Harrison's "Clay" would be a good start - set it Tooting and its environs. Was thinking of trying Sebald - though if you found it tough going I may not bother.

[El Pibe]

Noo, nooo, go for it, a marvellous read, though it's not strictly speaking travel writing, more that's a skeleton for philosophical and historical meanderings. It wasn't really tough going, i loved it, but lets just say it richly rewards effort.

Don't go near Austerlitz though, jayyyysus....

[El Pibe]

Would love borrowage, and actually have a couple of books set aside for you that you've expressed an interest in in the past.

You'd be committing yourself to a visit to the new pad of course.....

[StraferJack]

Bob Stanley's history of modern pop

Started before Christmas, still only three quarters through. It's a behemoth

But utterly awesome. Spotify/YouTube a constant companion

You won't do better

[StraferJack]

Currently reading Niceville by Carsten Stroud

absolutely loving it

"as though Elmore Leonard got ahold of a Stephen King manuscript just before it was submitted to the publisher and made some subtle alterations, slightly warping the characters and knocking them off centre"

[El Pibe]

Just finished Le Carre's A Delicate Truth. Short and sweet. not much to it really, but you know, any anti-blair rant is awright by me.

Currently reading The Kills, a biography of the ... only joking a post iraq thriller about embezzlement, gangsters, the arms trade and so on. So far easily digestible but not as much fun (read not as geeky) as Neal Stephenson's bonkers Reamde.

Ooh and Leviathan, another of these vaguely psychogeographicesque musings on stuff.

gets rave reviews but finding it hard to like so far.

[El Pibe]

chuck niceville over to me next time you're in town, sounds good.

[StraferJack]

kindle jobbie

[Jah Lush]

Recently whizzed through Stief Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Before that was John Le Carre's A Most Wanted Man and just started Charles Dickens' Martin Chuzzlewit.

Other more recent reads have been the Patrick Hamilton trilogy A Thousand Streets Under The Sky (low life in Soho and Pimlico in the 30s), Anthony Burgess's A Dead Man In Deptford (a re-imagining of Christopher Marlowe's riotous life and suspicious death) and S J Watson's debut crime thriller Before I Go To Sleep.

[Jeremy]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Stief Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.

Not read it, but seen the movie (both versions)... and that scene... still has me wincing just thinking about it.

[Ladygooner]

Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel - struggling with it - can't see what all the hype is about

[maxxi]

How To Murder A Man by Carlo G?bler (novel) - about the Ribbonmen in rural C19th Ireland

The Black Hammers by Brian Belton (Non Fiction) - interviews etc. with players from John Charles to present day (LL charity shop so obviously donated by another local Iron ?)

[Alan Medic]

John Charles?

[????]

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah - The Story of Modern Pop.

On the recommendation of my favourite 'spatster', Straefer - absolutely magnificent, although a tome rather than a quick light read, have been dipping in and out (with you tube/spotify to hand) as well as reading chronologically away from the ipda and both work well, will be using this as a reference for years. Thanks SJ.

Seasons in the Sun: 1974-1979, Dominic Sandbrook.

A fantastic history of the late 70s (following his TV programme), showing just how broken Britain was getting then and the conflicts - from war on the terraces, bail out by the IMF, the height of Union power, mainland bombings and anarchy in NI; the rise of the militant left and right, Punk, corrupt coppers, etc etc fantastic

*spoiler, not very polite about a recently departed 'saint' of the left!

3rd edit to add just seen the fella's already recommended it too!

Both recommended

[StraferJack]

Spatster? New login name ahoy!

[Simon_C]

Game Of Thrones - the full set - on my Kindle.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

"kindle jobbie"

Come the Revolution ...