Been on my list for so long! I loved Name of the Rose when I read it last year. And as a bit of a paranoid fiction head, I’m aware that Foucault’s Pendulum is an absolute titan in that field. Need to read it one of these days.
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I loathed Babel, I really hope you enjoy it more than me 
+1 for babel.
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I was wondering whether to mention that it wasn’t a universal opinion on this board! 
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Yep, it’s an absolutely magnificent book, and I enjoy it a good bit more than TNOTR, which is another all-timer for me. And yeah, FP is up there with Gravity’s Rainbow when it comes to paranoid fiction
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Today I finished ‘You Could Do Something Amazing With Your Life [You Are Roaul Moat]’ which was just about as bleak as you would expect. It’s built largely from things he actually wrote and dictated with multiple interjections from the auditor [in square brackets] to clarify lies he tells / things he gets wrong.
I didn’t enjoy it per se just because it was so bleak, but it was a very well written book. it very much does feel like you are seeing how this horrible man thinks about himself and the justifications for the acts of horrific violence he perpetrates are astounding. The story is now treated like a joke, all anyone seems to remember is the Gazza / Ray Mears stuff (which is not in the book).
Lots of discussion of domestic violence and general violence as well.
Going to attempt to get all the way through Tokyo Redux by David Peace next, which has been on the shelf for about two years.
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I had a collection of his columns and essays on my kindle at one stage, and have only read his non-fiction but he is great
I just finished The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.
It’s absolutely wonderful in places (most of it), frightening and bleak in others and then it sometimes just loses its way a bit.
Definitely recommended for anyone who liked Build Your House… and Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
I’m moving onto Cosmogramma by Courttia Newland. I picked it up in the library because it shared a title with a Flying Lotus album (apparently named after it) and the blurb talked about it being Black British sci-fi.
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am on the 2nd moon/chapter of this. Really enjoying it and having spent a lot of time in Colombo it’s a really vivid description of the city.
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Just about to finish Starve Acre and I receive an email telling me that Our Share Of Night is ready to collect from the library. AUTUMN BAYBEEEEE
Was drawn to this lovely cover in the local BHF Streatham (that and the brockwell park Oxfam have had loads of good stuff in lately). £4.50 is a bit steep but Mariana Enriquez praise on the back sealed the deal
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Thought I’d share this post from the theatre thread here and all
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Dis meat, everyone???
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Last few books:
In The Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado
Was a bit worried about this being a bit too ‘non-fiction’, but it read as if it was fiction, and nice short chapters. Obviously not that nice reading about an abusive relationship, just wanting it to be over in that sense, but very nicely written.
The Amateurs by John Niven
Thought I’d read something that wasn’t going to be as bleak, so decided to give this book a go which I had half thought would end up staying unread after doing an impulse 99p purchase earlier the year, especially as it has a lot of golf in it. But it was an easy and mostly fun read, even a couple of prompts of laughter from it. I don’t think I would rush to buy more of his books, but at least they wouldn’t have lots of golf chat.
The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff
“A darkly irreverent and fresh take on a feminist revenge thriller” set in a small Indian village. Really enjoyed this one and zoomed through it. A few unexpected turns, almost becoming a bit slapstick at one point, but definitely liked it.
The Yellow Wallpaper
Absolutely loved this. Only 21 pages. A short story that i believe was banned for being too feminist at the time. All about a woman that i suppose is classed as hysterical and told to rest, and how the rest makes her worse - all told in the most gothic way via some audacious yellow wallpaper. Liked it a lot when i finished but like it even more now I’ve had time to reflect on it. Saw that someone from here also loved it on a goodreads review but like ten years ago and can never remember who is who on there - think perhaps @riverwise or @scagden
Plus its 75p on kindle.
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Absolutely love this book (and I’ve taught it before!) Might be my following review on Goodreads but I’ve checked on there and can only find my five star rating so maybe I dreamed that review. But yeah everyone should read it.
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If you liked that, I highly recommend Herland.
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Thank you. I didn’t even know there was a theatre thread on here, saw To Kill A Mockingbird last year and loved it. Might have to check this out.
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