Mothematics

rich — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:52:22 +0000

All consuming (Neal Lawson)
Contempt (Alberto Moravia)
Roughing it (Mark Twain)

I think I’ve forgotten something…

Three more

rich — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:32:24 +0000

Roberto Bolano – The Skating Rink
Eric Nisenson – John Coltrane and his Quest
Adolfo Bioy Casares – The Invention of Morel

The Bolano is excellent (of course), Nisenson’s Coltrane book was very good as well. I was a bit underwhelmed by the Casares, but it was a very quick read. It wasn’t bad or anything, just not quite the perfect book I’d been lead to expect. Good though.

Two more

rich — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:44:18 +0000

50 people who ruined football, by Michael Henderson – A+, grumpy old man reading for football fans.

Ross MacDonald, the Doomsters – loved it. He really does see shades of grey rather than black and white. Not up with Chandler but to me he’s better than Hammett.

Three more

rich — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:15:21 +0000

Raymond Chandler – the lady in the lake (re-read). Chandler’s best? Everyone knows The Big Sleep because of it’s name and the films, but I would argue that this is a better book. One of the Chandler’s that has it all.

Flannery O’Connor – Wise Blood. Fantastic! I like Jim White (the singer) and O’Connor’s his favourite writer, and it’s so bloody obvious. I have the lovely Library of America complete works volume, so plenty more to come.

Ross Macdonald – The Drowning Pool. Lew Archer’s not far behind Philip Marlowe. This is good stuff.

Tally

rich — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:56:50 +0000

I think that’s 41 so far this year. Let’s see if I can get another 11 down before the end of December.

two more

rich — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:53:23 +0000

Susan Jacoby – The Age of American Unreason

David Peace – Tokyo Year Zero

Couple of crackers. The first about dumbing down in America was a terrific, page-turning read. The second, a sluggish juggernaut of misery, David Peace on fire.

Ross MacDonald – Black Money

rich — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:19:15 +0000

There’s something excellent about noir-era California. Here Ross MacDonald’s PI, Lew Archer, is on the case of a mysterious Frenchman who turns out not to be French and who has stolen money from various shady characters. Great stuff!

Also read: Christopher McDougall – Born to Run. Which is about running, specifically long distance running, and includes much talk of strange Mexican tribes where people can run forever. Great book.

Oh

rich — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:52:29 +0000

Also, Carlos Ruiz Zafon – the Angel’s game

Loved it. He has a way of doing this that allows you to ignore the fact that his plot has got way out of control. Good, honest, fun reading.

two more

rich — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 20:49:55 +0000

Why England Lose by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski

Almost the best book on football I’ve read for a while, but only half of it really works and in the end I was left thinking that we’re still a couple of years off a genuine “this is how football works” book. Close, and very good, but no cigar.

The Secret Life of France by Lucy Wadham

A terrific read. Wadham moved to France and brought up a family there, and in this excellent book tells us why France is like it is (to her anyway). Really, really interesting – she’s not, like so many English authors writing about France – reliant on cliche and humour to get through. This is a very deep explanation of many phenomena, and one of the best books I’ve read this year.

More again

rich — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 21:37:26 +0000

Grant Wahl – the Beckham Experiment. Pretty good. Easy read, fairly generic sports book in the end I suppose, but revealing and interesting.

Paul Auster – hand to mouth. Good stuff. And I’ve never enjoyed his fiction. (this is his fairly brief story of living lean before making it as a writer)

Much else on the go, hence lack of updates – I’m at about p600 of Don Quixote, and have about five other bigguns on the go…