He's the British equivalent of Stephen King.

Only made more interesting by the fact that he's American -- just never really got published in America until a few years before he died. He has a few vampire novels, but is mostly known for his straight-up horror. His writing style is really spare -- really...really spare, all action, barely any descriptions.

On Writing is really good because it goes into the nuts and bolts behind publishing, royalties, agents, everything. Just...lots and lots of details.

Just read a borrowed "Lion's Game" by some Nelson Demille guy.

Written before 9/11 and chilling for that reason alone. Incredibly funny (in a racist, mysoginist, prejudiced and politically incorrect kind'a way).

i just started Trojan Odyssey by clive cussler.

thanx again for the referral, secret.

I'm finishing Catch-22--soo good

Titus Alone by Mervyn Peake. He is the greatest author I've ever read in my entire life, I think. I'm not exagerating.
(If you take this as a recommendation, Titus Groan is the first book in his trilogy)

I've heard a lot of good shit about him, actually, Thwan. When I can get a ride, I'm gonna get some of his stuff from the library.


I'm rereading The Anarchist's Cookbook..just kidding. I'm reading Leaves of grass by the amazing Walt Whitman.

...too much the same time...
lots of E.T. A. Hoffmann books for an exam on horror and fantasy literature ...
then I've read several books of Pindar - in fact all that perseus. tufts is providing to find out that they don't contain the quote I was looking for...
and now I am rereading Ovid's metamorphoses....the songs of Orpheus. love it. Can't get enough of it...

"While he sang all his heart said to the sound
of his sweet lyre, the bloodless ghosts themselves
were weeping, and the anxious Tantalus
stopped clutching at return-flow of the wave,
Ixion's twisting wheel stood wonder-bound;
and Tityus' liver for a while escaped
the vultures, and the listening Belides
forgot their sieve-like bowls and even you,
O Sisyphus! sat idly on your rock!


Then Fame declared that conquered by the song
of Orpheus, for the first and only time
the hard cheeks of the fierce Eumenides
were wet with tears: nor could the royal queen,
nor he who rules the lower world deny
the prayer of Orpheus;"....

To all who are interested in classical literature I can suggest this wonderful helpful site that is providing a lot of classical literature in original version and quite reliable english translations, and for those who want to get even closer to the subject also comments on translations, biographies and essays about the ancient poets etc. etc.:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/ and here the link that brings you straight to the classical section:
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cache/p...eco-Roman.html

Inside the Aquarium by Victor Suvorov.

All a first-hand account of the man's recruitment, training, and operations as a GRU operative. Unlike most accounts from former CIA operatives, this guy isn't afraid to give training details or go over top secret equipment and gear that "doesn't exist."

S'fucking sweet.

I've been reading a lot of short stories lately. I'm currently reading a book of short stories inspired by the Divine Comedy by Dante. I'm also reading a couple of other books. One is a fantasy and the other is a collection of works by Marquis de Sade.

Bury my heart at Wounded Knee, by Dee Brown. Accounts of the fate of Indian tribes when faced with the insatiable greed of the white man. Broken treaties, massacres, and eventually, when all the lands and buffalo herds were gone, the forced relocation to reservations, the final humiliation of the free natives. Absolutely heartbreaking...

Right now I'm about halfway through The Silmarillion. Once again, a story about a beautiful land and its peoples who are gradually ruined by war, treachery and greed.

I'm currently reading Wo warst du, Robert? by Hans Magnus Enzelsberger.
I have to read it for German class and I really dislike it. :x
Before we had to read this book, we actually got to read some German critical literature like Der Mann im Strom, which was nice to do because I felt it not only helped my German, but also showed me something of the German culture. This book on the other hand is nothing but a children's book that I feel isn't all that good written.

*sigh*

Oh, well. Only a 100 pages or so to go. :x

Oh my, Hans Magnus Enzensberger...I don't like his stuff either. I have only read his literature-theoretical stuff, I think that was enough.

pitseleh - I have read bury my heart at the Wounded Knee when I was a child, and it has hounted me for years. I think I have just been to young. Another book I want to read again.
the Silmarillion...another beautiful book...loved it. Even though I think it is quite hard to get into it the first maybe 50 pages...

I'm reading BUNCH! by David R. Bunch. He may be relegated to the science fiction genre but his stories are defiant against labels. If you like Philip K. Dick, & R.A. Lafferty, then Bunch is definitely for you. The stories he wrote are for readers who like to think & are willing to get crucified in his prose. So far, I'm liking his stories a lot. :twisted:

Absolutely American:Four Years at West Point.


It's where I'd like to go.

I'm reading (*glances at book cover*) Lost Souls by Poppy Z. Brite. I was eager to read her work and now I am!! My fiance's friend let me go through a bunch of books he didn't want and I would up getting at least 25 new books (I was like a kid in a candy store). If only I had a bigger bookshelf!!

Right now im devouring the collective works of edgar allen poe, im currently reading Metzengerstein.

i am reading bill bryson's the lost continent
this prison where i live edited by siobhan dowd
and dow mossman's the stones of summer

the stones of summer is like wading through resin. it gets me high, but man is it sticky.

I'm reading Foundation right now. I'm sort of annoyed at myself for not reading it sooner. Also, I've been reading The 120 Days of Sodom and I'll probably start reading another book soon. I really need to stop doing that.

I just finished Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. Mmmm... grammar.

I'm reading two books at once, Approaching Oblivion & Strange Wine both by Harlan Ellison. Then afterwards, Haunted Castles by Ray Russell.

I'm reading The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. I bought it at a library near me and I found an "I love my planet" bookmark in it which was pretty cool.

finishing up my yearly re-read of the LoTR's with the intent of starting on some Laymon shortly thereafter.

Finished:

The Butcher Boy, by Patrick McCabe: It ruled.
The Upright Man, by Michael Marshall. It ruled, too.
The Trial, by Franz Kafka. It ruled, but the translation sucked ass.


Currently reading:
Kafka on the Shore, by Haruki Murakami. It's rulin.
A Prayer for the Dying, by Stewart O'Nan. It's...okay. It might get brilliant, though.
The Straw Men, by Michael Marshall, of which the Upright Man is the sequel to. It's rockin' like Dokken.

Also reading The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver. The man can write a fast-paced thriller, let me tell you. It leaves me breathless. It ain't brilliant, and sure ain't lyrical writing...it just moves faster than a trashy prom dress spilled with wine coolers.

I'm currently reading Exquisite Corpse by Poppy Z Brite, and I'm going to read Hogfather (Terry Pratchett) again soon, I think.