Official Interference Summer Reading Thread

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Hello,

Last weekend I finished reading Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. My sister recommended the book to me. It was nice for a read, but that's about it. I considered it a Harry Potter light, although some describe it as the anti-Harry Potter. The book (the first in a series) is about magic and a genius/criminal mastermind... of 12 years old. And that's also the target group of this book. Maybe this is one of the reasons the writing style of the author didn't appeal to me very much. I believe the second volume is also lying around somewhere in the house, but I'm not going to look for it.

At the moment I'm reading Hersenschimmen by J. Bernlef (translated as Out Of Mind). A very touching book, but I'll write about that one when I've finished reading it.

C ya!

Marty
 
Popmartijn said:

Last weekend I finished reading Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. My sister recommended the book to me. It was nice for a read, but that's about it. I considered it a Harry Potter light, although some describe it as the anti-Harry Potter. The book (the first in a series) is about magic and a genius/criminal mastermind... of 12 years old. And that's also the target group of this book. Maybe this is one of the reasons the writing style of the author didn't appeal to me very much. I believe the second volume is also lying around somewhere in the house, but I'm not going to look for it.

I was pretty disappointed with Artemis Foul. It didn't seem all that original to me, and was FAR too juvenile. While I know it's a children's book, I think there are MUCH better examples of children's fantasy out there. :slant:

Anyway, I'm currently reading Are YOU Dave Gorman? :laugh: :up:
 
More books I read recently:

Dream Brother: The Lives and Music of Tim and Jeff Buckley, by David Browne.
A GREAT read, and an absolute must for Jeff and/or Tim fans. I always knew that Jeff was a fascinating person, but this book just sheds such beautiful light on both him and his father. It might even make you weepy if you're the sentimental type.

Hey Nostradamus!, Douglas Coupland.
I don't know if Kobesan has posted his thoughts on this one, but I liked it. Coupland is never going to be the same writer who gave us Generation X and Microserfs, but Hey Nostradamus! was genuine and generous. Worth it at least for Coupland fans.

Currently reading:

The Second Sex, Simone de Beauvoir (still... :sigh: )
One Nation After All: What Middle-Class Americans Really Think, Alan Wolf
Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison
 
paxetaurora said:
Hey Nostradamus!, Douglas Coupland.
I don't know if Kobesan has posted his thoughts on this one, but I liked it. Coupland is never going to be the same writer who gave us Generation X and Microserfs, but Hey Nostradamus! was genuine and generous. Worth it at least for Coupland fans.

i loved it also. definitely in his second class of books with girlfriend in a coma and all families are psychotic. it shared a little too much with girlfriend but was original by itself as well. certainly an interesting commentary.

i dont know if he can eclipse his much earlier efforts. though he wasnt actively seeking to do so at the time, he ended up, in part, defining a generation. thats tough to top. like achtung baby and zoo tv.
 
I love Coupland. Wish I could read this book before I leave, but I guess that's not to be. If any interferencer feels like sending it to me in Africa.... :sexywink:

lol.
 
I'm almost done with Harry Potter #5...so far I've really enjoyed it. But it could have done with some serious editing. I guess Scholastic was too eager to get it published after so long. :shrug:
 
Let's see... this summer I've read:

Small Sacrifices by Ann Rule--about a woman who shoots her kids. True story and very good.

The lovely Bones and Lucky both by Alice Sebold. Lucky is the author's life experience with rape. both a good read.

The Witching Hour by Anne Rice. The first Anne Rice book I ever read. I just finished it this week and it was great. It is the first in the Mayfair Witches series. I just got Lasher and Taltos

The only two books I have never finished are Catch 22 and the Hobbit. Both bored me to tears....
 
Books :D

Alright, so far this summer (since I havent been in LS for a long time and this is the first Ive noticed the thread), Ive read:

The Silver Chalice - Thomas B. Costain
Uncle Tungsten - Oliver Sacks
Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Isle Witch - Terry Brooks
Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax - Terry Brooks

Im currently reading:
Paris 1919 - Margaret Macmillan

I intend to read:
Blood, Tears, and Folly - Len Deighton
The Balkan Wars - Andre Gerolymatos
Century's End - Hillel Schwartz
The Reckoning - David Halberstam

And then I'll haveta sift through the 15 some books for university in the fall :|

Some of it looks good, though. Macbeth, History of the Holocaust (which I was going to buy anyways before I saw it was on my booklist), Goodbye To All That, Napoleon :)heart:)... History hurrah :)
 
Some of it looks good, though. Macbeth, History of the Holocaust (which I was going to buy anyways before I saw it was on my booklist), Goodbye To All That, Napoleon :)heart:)... History hurrah :) [/B]

History books! :up: :heart:

"Goodbye to All That" is very good. I love Robert Graves. There's a good biography of him called "Life on the Edge" by Miranda Seymour that really fills in the holes.

Interference is the only place I've ever posted where people have read the same stuff as me. It's amazing. :)
 
can't wait can't wait can't wait...

being released monday august 11th...

039915079X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg


now i know how all you harry potter nut jobs feel
 
I'm reading "The Lord Of the Rings - The Return of the King" (In spanish) And I just read "The metamorphosis" Of Kafka. I kept reading books about plastic artist (like Klee) and museum catalogues
 
AvsGirl41 said:


:laugh:

Apparently, Dave Eggers pulled a fast one on the corporate chains and only sold the hardback to independent bookstores. All these B&N managers were at the Tattered Cover bitching about it--but buying the book, so score one for the independents!

He dd a signing at the Tattered Cover, so I got the hardback and he drew one of his strange cartoons in my book. :heart:

All the commentary/story by Hand is new. I'm not sure what else has been added or removed. I must go get a paperback....!

I've got the paperback. Loved it.

And to add a recommendation...

'Pattern Recognition' by William Gibson. If you like a 'very 2003' story.
 
I am now reading John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman. I am also reading The Mystery Of The Blue Train - A Hercule Poirot Mystery by Agatha Christie. Nothing like a cracking whodunnit.
 
FizzingWhizzbees said:
I'm just finishing The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Next I want to read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (hope I spelled that correctly). After that I'd like to read some more books by African authors, so if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them. :)

*Fizz.

:up: To both of those... two of my all-time favorites! :)

As for other African writers... try J.M. Coetzee. He's white South African, but I find such an acute sensibility toward life in his books... try especially The Life and Times of Michael K. and Disgrace. Also Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic.


As for my summer reading... I've printed out a list of books that have been short-listed for the Booker Prize and I'm currently working my way through them! In addition to books on my list for thesis research.

And, of course, Harry Potter ;)
 
Hello,

I've finished reading Out Of Mind by J. Bernlef (or 'Hersenschimmen' as it's called in Dutch). It's a very touching book that tells the story of a man with Alzheimer (dementia) from a first person perspective. I can highly recommend it to everybody, especially if you have (had) someone close who has (had) Alzheimer.

This weekend I've started to reread Race Of Angels - The Genesis Of U2 by John Waters. It's quite a tough read, but after Charles Shaar Murray's Crosstown Traffic I thought I could handle another book that describes an artist and the music on an abstract level. Let's see how it goes...

C ya!

Marty
 
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