anorak

Tell-All - Chuck Palahniuk

I've got round to it at last.



http://www.bloomsbury.com/books/details ... 0747585572

The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner - Alan Shilletoe

I just read "Any Human Heart" by William Boyd and would really recommend it.

A friend tried to get me to read it ages ago, but for some weird reason I thought it was an Andy McNabb style book and refused for ages. Then eventually I ran out of everything else and picked it up. It's a brilliantly-written tale of a writer's life throughout the 20th century. There are real events and some real famous names in there, which make it fun and realistic and the central character is believeable and likeable, but not always just a good guy.

Any recommends for my next read would be gratefully accepted. I like contemporary literary fiction best as a rule and prefer modern-day set stuff to things in the past. Some faves include Nicola Barker, Angela Carter, Dan Rhodes, Dan Brown (just kidding), and lots of others I can't remember right now.

i am reading the basketball diaries by jim carroll, and i am so falling in love with this book. can anybody mention anything remotely like that and make me superhappy?

I've just read these two at the same time and in a couple of days. Travelling alone, that's why.

ooh, i've heard E's book is supposed to be really good

i've read Wener's first three novels, but didn't know she'd written an autobiographical thing.

speaking of pop stars writing books, when the fuck did lauren laverne write hers? i saw it in hmv the other day for the first time

E's book is really good, I recommend it. I also like Wener's but it's a different thing. The first half is pre-Sleeper and I enjoyed that much more, stories about her childhood and teens and music at at that time. The other part is a bit repetitive, it got a bit boring at some point but I guess it was a a good read. And if you like her writing then you should get a copy. Apart from this one I only know Goodnight Steve McQueen, which I loved.

hmm... i thought Goodnight Steve McQueen was a bit shit, but highly readable in a trashy sort of way. The overuse of the phrase 'tucked in' (every time she mentioned a meal, every other page) grated on me a lot.

The Big Blind (or whatever it was re-published as) and The Half Life Of Stars were much, much better.

I'd be interested to read the autobio one! Thanks for the recommendation.

Well, if I'm talking about a "writer" as Wener and I say I loved a book, it was more than I enjoyed reading it and that I have good memories. I read it ages ago so I don't know what my opinion would be right now, I don't necessarily mean it was GOOD as in high quality, of course.

Now I need to find something else to read, something appropriate for a boring, hot, lonely August.

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clark. Still! It's a bit long, but still very enjoyable.

that's fair enough! i don't think every book i read has to be some sort of incredible work of art... i just found that book to be a bit like... well, bad bloke-lit, basically. albeit bad bloke-lit that just happened to be written by a woman. anyway.

i'm defo intrigued by the E book! i went to see him a while ago... the 'support act' was the documentary about his dad, and the set was interspersed with readings from that book. it was a really good evening actualy.

That's a great dosumentary. What's the book actually about?

The book is kind of about his dad, and also his sister dying. And looking after his ma when she was on the way out. And loads of stuff really.

It's very good anyway. I loved it.

this weirdly makes Louise Wener sound like the female Andy McNab.

It's funny with Louise Wener. I liked Sleeper for a while, but then decided they were rubbish. This has put me off reading any of her books. As is one of them greatly exagerating how big her band were on the jacket. But I read a piece recently where she was talking about motherhood, and it seemed quite well written and interestingly argued. I also liked her account of playing a stadium gig (in Milton Keynes!) supporting REM.

I read both the book I metioned earlier and this one but I don't like Sleeper at all. I did like many similar bands back then (many britpop bands), but Sleeper were awful. In fact, when I was reading the book I was away so I couldn't listen to anything, but reading about how big and successful the band was, I was feeling intrigued as I didn't remember them being that good*...I had a vague memory that I didn't particularly like them but that was ages ago, so when I got home I listened to them and yes, rubbish. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in the band as part of a scene or whatever. I like reading about music and watching films about music even if I'm not a fan. E's book is brilliant and I'm not a fan either (though I prefer Eels).

*I'm aware that success doesn't mean good.

Yeah, it's an excellent book. Pretty much a straight autobiography; always interesting and entertaining, and laced with a warm yet sometimes weary sense of humour.

I love Eels and seeing 'em play a couple of years back was brilliant. The film about his Dad was shown before they performed and was way more interesting than I'd have imagined.

I sneaked a couple of the lovely instrumentals from 'Blinking Lights' on to an indiepop CD mix for Popkid once and they fitted in perfectly.

Fucking hell! I've clearly started writing book reviews for Readers Digest.