Moopy Book Club

[Gavin]

:geek: :geek: :geek: :geek:

Return of the one great Moopy institution which never fails to fail to take off. Feel it worth a shot in here with some minor adjustments. We have countless topics about the last CDs we listened to, last films we saw etc etc so why not dedicate one thread to books.

I think instead of the old scenario whereby a single suggestion is made for a book which everyone must read by a certain date, it would be more productive to just make a post in this thread about any book as a when you finish it and see what discussion, if any, follows on from that. It may be that others have read the same book and have something to say or your post may serve as a recommendation. Whatever - just talk freely about what you like, when you like. Add a wee review, cover pic, or just a rating.....whatever really. Make it what you want. That way the thread is less likely to die and we escape the impossible scenario of trying to get people to meet deadlines and such. It may well take a while to get into gear but i don't see why it can't be sustained over the long run without too much neglect.

So, yeah....

* What have you read recently?
* What are you reading at the moment?

:geek: :geek: :geek: :geek:

[VoR]

I'm reading "Sons & Lovers" at the moment. I liked it for about 100 pages, then it seemed to sag horribly and I found it a real chore. I'm near the end now and it's picking up a bit. It's my first experience of a DH Lawrence novel so maybe his style just isn't mine. There's only so many times I can read about characters feeling "wounded" without anyone actually doing anything before I want to pass out from sheer boredom.


Oh and if this were a traditional Book Club I would be urging everyone to read this, aka my favourite book ever written ever:

[Mr Betty Draper]

How's the English degree going VoR?

[Raucous Bitch]

I urge everyone to read The Prophet by Khalil Gibran, it really is one of the most though provoking reads ever and my favourite book without a shadow of a doubt.

He refers to God quite a bit in it but I am not religious and still love it, you can ignore that part of it if you choose too.

[VoR]

How's the English degree going VoR?

Alright. "Sons & Lovers" is for that actually. I'm also having to plough through a Detective novel every week for Crime Fiction, and lots of olde english plays and poems for Rennaissance Exchanges. I get to do Othello for that soon though, which is only my favourite play ever, so i'm pleased.

I got the second highest mark in the year for my 18th Century Fictions exam last semester, but to temper that I barely passed Poetry.

[Gavin]

I've just finished this one last week(it was also R&Js book club choice this week):




I hadn't read Little Women so i was a bit dubious going into this that i may be missing some important background but it works as a story in itself. Didn't like it for the first quarter of the book - it seemed to lack a sense of direction and the characterising was a little laboured but it eventually clicked with me, the story became more lucid and i ended up loving it. Like the best war novels it encourages you to think about people sent to conflict as emotional beings rather than characterless men-in-action. Gets you thinking about the acheivability of pure moral conviction, or near-impossibility as the reality so often is.

Good book.

[Gavin]

Oh and if this were a traditional Book Club I would be urging everyone to read this, aka my favourite book ever written ever:

Whats so good about that one?

[VoR]

It's just beautifully written. I've loved Margaret Atwood since we did "The Handmaids Tale" at GCSE. It's based on a real life story of a young girl found guilty of murdering her Master & Mistress. I can't really say too much about it other than the way it's written is sensational and I genuinely couldn't put it down. I read it at least once a year.

[Madison]

Is it better than 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' by Roald Dahl?

[VoR]

I thought this forum was going to be devoid of piss-taking?

[Gavin]

Think i might check that one out then. I bought quite a large batch of books from Tesco the other day so once i'm through them i'll maybe go for that one.

Come to think of it, i don't think i've ever read a book twice - other than for school/Uni reasons.

[VoR]

Have you ever read any Atwood?

"The Handmaids Tale" is her best known work i'd say, a haunting vision of a dystopian American society which is all the more effective considering the continued power of Christian Fundamentalism in America. (I instantly thought of the book when I read about South Dakota voting to ban Abortion again).

That said, Alias Grace and The Blind Asassain are my two favourites by a country mile. The Blind Asassain is very long indeed but I wasn't anywhere near bored for a second.

[Gavin]

Noope, i havent read any Atwood. I tend to look quite randomly for books therefore its rare for me to build an affection for a particular author - tho i did make the effort with George Orwell and Charles Bukowski.

[Frozen]

What detective novels have you read VoR?

[rural juror]

Bought this in South Africa while I was there in the Summer and this is my 3rd time reading it already. Adam Levins diary of living with AIDS from diagnosis through all the problems that ensued.

[Agnetha]

I could tell you that for free

[rural juror]

yes you COULD but I needed something for the FLIGHT

[Agnetha]

I'll create a speaking book especially for you.

[Agnetha]

Sorry. I'll go back to being intellectual. Maybe I'll do a highbrow topic about it. My story of being an AIDSer.

Or just sell my misfortune by writing a crappy book. That should be original. No-one's ever played on that before. Sorry I digress.

[Mr Betty Draper]

I had to stop reading 'Alias Grace' it was so terminally dull. Give me Donna Tartt over Atwood ANY day.

[Star]

I'm about 3/4 of the way through this now and I'm REALLY getting into it, it's awesome.

[Beverley]

I want to read a good book but don't know what I'm looking for. I need a nudge in the right direction.

[abnormal]

Just ended 'Pride And Prejudice', should start 'Sense And Sensibility' later this month. Not very sophisticated, I KNOW :moopy:

[rural juror]

I want to read a good book but don't know what I'm looking for. I need a nudge in the right direction.

what sort of stuff do you like?

[Joseph]

I'm reading this AGAIN

[Beverley]

what sort of stuff do you like?

I read everything and anything. At the moment though, I want something very thought provoking, maybe a little philosophical, perhaps quite morbid and grim?

[Loufoque]

I'm very tempted by The Handmaid's Tale after having read an extract recently. My sister is also a big fan of Alias Grace, so might give that a go.

[Rolo]

I'm very tempted by The Handmaid's Tale after having read an extract recently. My sister is also a big fan of Alias Grace, so might give that a go.

The Handmaid's Tale is wonderous.

[Mr Betty Draper]

I really want to read 'Suite Francaise'

[Mericat]

Really great book, gripping and surprising and all that.




A proper book club classic. Very well written.

[rural juror]

I read everything and anything. At the moment though, I want something very thought provoking, maybe a little philosophical, perhaps quite morbid and grim?

doesn;t tick ALL the boxes but have you read 'The Tesseract'?

[VoR]

What detective novels have you read VoR?

"The Moonstone" by Wilkie Collins which I loved until the incredibly drawn out conclusion. "The Hound Of The Baskervilles", which was quite good. "The Body In The Library" by Agatha Christie, which was shite. Currently ploughing through "The Maltese Falcon" which is fairly good if not really my thing at all.

[VoR]

I had to stop reading 'Alias Grace' it was so terminally dull. Give me Donna Tartt over Atwood ANY day.

Wow.


I've literally never come across anyone who's read it and not adored it.

[Gavin]

Do you just have to read book after book for your English degree VoR?

[VoR]

Do you just have to read book after book for your English degree VoR?

At the moment, yes. It's quite trying as i like to take some time over my books, and i'm currently having to plough through two a week. If I was reading "Sons & Lovers" at a more relaxed pace I might be enjoying it more.

[Beverley]

doesn;t tick ALL the boxes but have you read 'The Tesseract'?

No I haven't. What is it about?

[Sild]

At the moment, yes. It's quite trying as i like to take some time over my books, and i'm currently having to plough through two a week. If I was reading "Sons & Lovers" at a more relaxed pace I might be enjoying it more.

Ah, memories. 800+ pages of Middlemarch in a fortnight didn't do my sanity any good.

[Gavin]

What did you think of Saturday, Sild?

[Sild]

I'm still reading it... about halfway through at the moment. It's got better as it's gone on, although stream of consciousness writing will never win marks with me. The character development is getting more interesting, and I'm intrigued about how it will all come together at the end.

[rural juror]

No I haven't. What is it about?

Its three stories that intertwine, an Englishman working in Manila for a shipping company who has to negotiate with the criminal bosses to move his ships, a family living in the middle class suburbs of manila and a couple of street kids who spend there days selling dreams to a psychologist. The three all end up crossing paths. VERY cleverly written as you see the events from all three perspectives as you go through the book.

I've probably exlained it REALLY badly but thats pretty much the gist if it