Last book you read?

To Each His Own, by Leonardo Sciascia. A literary twist on the detective novel, where the case is solved, but nobody comes to justice. Probably Sicily's best 20th century writer, in my mind. Also finished a collection of short stories by him called, The Wine Dark Sea.

 

Simon's Necronomicon.

 

Biological Anthropology seventh edition. Yep. Science, bitch.

 

I read a book called Shades Of Grey (NOT 50!) by Jasper Fforde. Really funny and clever- good for people who enjoy dystopian fiction

 

Jeffrey Eugenides - The Marriage Plot.

If you like him, read Middlesex.

I love Great Gatsby too, it's a great book.

 

Play Dead-Richard Montanari

 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green (!) and David Levithan
Shamazeballs. Literally. Awesomesauce. Greatnessness.

 

The Fall by Albert Camus

First work of his I've read and overall quite liked it. Admittedly my thoughts are a bit scattered as I read this over a week or two, on and off, and not sure to what extent I agree or disagree with Clamence's thoughts about humanity. That is what interested me most in a way, that it's difficult to know whether he's meant to come across as insightful and poignant or isolated, even skewed, in his views... It's hard not to feel even more self conscious about social interaction and one's motives, regardless of what one does or doesn't do, after reading this.

 

Salem's Lot

 

The Widow by Georges Simenon

As the first non Maigret novel of his I've read I very much enjoyed it, though honestly it took a couple chapters before it grew on me. But then, that's generally what my experience with his prose has been. It's not simple, but understated and doesn't immediately grab the reader. So that while I love the writing, it means that his books take time to appreciate with me. Imagine this isn't much longer than one of the aforementioned Maigrets and what's more, is set almost entirely in and around a small farmhouse somewhere in the French provinces focusing on the relationship between a middle aged widow and the recently released convict she takes on as a farmhand, both of them viewed as 'outsiders,' if in different ways. While there can be said to be a 'sympathy' between them, interestingly enough Simenon seems to largely lay up the dissonances and how it wears on the connection.

If there's anything I didn't like, the ending felt a bit rushed. Not so much in what occurred, but that I'd have referred another chapter or two beforehand to ace the tension a bit more. However, regardless of the 'flawed' conclusion, I'd probably consider this a favorite and still say Simenon's on his way to becoming one in general.

 

Creation Stories by Alan Mcgee.

 

Brokeback Mountain xD

 

The Girl with all the Gifts

 

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by David Levithan and John Green.
... Amazing.

 

Neuromancer by William Gibson

 

(*hug*) One of my all time faves.

 

The last book that I read? Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

 

On the Road by Jack Kerouac - Finally got around to and finished, this past Sunday, reading this after having wanted to for so long. Since I checked it out on a whim, admittedly was unsure how much I'd like it but extremely glad I did. It's difficult to summarise, and those who've read it will know what I mean (Haha,) as it's crammed with detail yet seems like a relatively short novel [or at least average length] that moves at a steady pace. In short, it covers a series of road trips across the States, and Mexico at one point, taken by the narrator, Sal, many of them with or involving many close friends, especially Dean who's portrayed as something between a shaman and a lunatic...

Much as I enjoyed the energy of both writing and action in the novel, what impressed me most was not only Kerouac's sense of detail, texture and ability to capture the essence of people, places and events but just how nostalgic and melancholic it often felt. That for all the pleasure and happiness described, it's always intertwined with a sense of (inevitable) loss.

 

Horrible Histories : Bloody Scotland, like a couple months ago lol.