What Book Are You Currently Reading?

[chapperz66]

I'm reading "Chernobyl - History of a Tragedy" by Serhii Plokhy. Frightening big style.

[Pete C]

Currently reading "You left early: a True Story of Love and Alcohol" by novelist Louisa Young. The book is an account of her realtionship withthe late Robert Lockhart, concert pianist/TV and film score composer.
It seems a strange choice for me but the reason I bought the book is that Robert was in the year above me at Wigan Grammar School and I knew him as we were both in 6th form languages. Robert was also studying A level music and won a place at Oxford, going on to become a concert pianist and later moved into film and TV score composition. Very few from my school studied music as, in a northern working class town in the 70's, it wasn't deemed "manly". Despite this, and his regular appearances playing the organ at morning assembly, unlike the other music students he was always held in high regard by other pupils as he was also "one of the lads", being sporty, an under-age drinker and a smoker !
The last time I remember seeing him was in 1977 - he had returned back to Wigan after his first year at Oxford and called into our Languages form room for a catch-up, followed by a lunchtime pint. I still remember the conversation was about what bands we were into - for me at that time, it was all the upcoming punk bands - Sex Pistols, Strangkers, Jam etc. Although he was studying classical music, he was still into contemporary music.
Our lives followed different paths after that with Robert moving in artistic circles in London. Throughout his life he had a struggle with alcohol and sadly died in 2012.
The book is quite a laborious read in places and, If i didn't have a personal interest in reading it, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Zoltan]

I'm just finishing off Jack Kerouacs On the Road (1957). Before this i read several Irvine Welsh books. Richard Laymon is the king of everything written (in horror pulp genre )...

[Oldrottenhead]

I'll give you Jack Kerouac but Richard laymon? Naw I'm not having that. Sorry. ? irvine Welsh aye cos I'm Scottish but much as I love him there are much better Scottish writers. Writers that Richard laymon couldn't touch. Ok I'll shut up now, I hab bin drinkum

[Zoltan]

I'm a fast reader and i had a pile of Irvine Welsh books available so it was a no brainer As for Laymon. I think writers like King, Koontz etc. are really taking the limelight and only a few people have even heard of Laymon. I think the best thing with Laymon is that he managed to writer gigantic books that are easy to get lost into. With King you often have to read about 50-100 pages before you're into the story. With Laymon it's more like 1-2 pages and you're inside the book. His later books were even better... But yes i'm talking about horror / pulp genre

Joe R. Landsdale is another fun one. In crime literature Charles Willeford is ace. I've read a lot of biographies also, but after a while some of those artist / band biographies become repetitive. The last one i read was Heroin Diaries by Nikki Sixx (and the only reason i read that was because i had it at an arms lenght ). One of the better artist biographies i've read was Sylvie Simmons book Serge Gainsbourg: A Fistful of Gitanes. Also those Guralnick books about Elvis Presley, and the Ray Manzarek Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors were good ones.

[cuthbert]

In crime literature Charles Willeford is ace.

Yes, he is. Check out David Goodis, too - if you haven't already!

[Bishmanrock]

Reading "Shipwrecks of North Wales" by Ivor Wynne Jones, picked up at a car boot when in Anglesey area for something to read while on holiday. Impressively detailed list of many ships and their fates, delivered in a factual manner and not overdramatised which I appreciate. Some really good history tidbits, and means I can keep pestering my partner by asking her how to properly pronounce half the place names, and then embarrass her by having a go myself and completely failing.

[hooper]

Have been spending time again in Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo.  It's a 700+ page book of interviews  with folks like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, P.F. Sloan, Jim Webb, Frank Zappa, Randy Newman, Neil Young, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Todd Rundgren... and so on.  Lots and lots of little gold nuggets to be found, keeps me coming back to hang out with these guys and keep looking for more...
https://www.amazon.com/Songwriters-Songwriting-Expanded-Paul-Zollo/dp/0306812657/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=0306812657&psc=1

[guitarron]

Have been spending time again in Songwriters on Songwriting by Paul Zollo.  It's a 700+ page book of interviews  with folks like Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, P.F. Sloan, Jim Webb, Frank Zappa, Randy Newman, Neil Young, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Todd Rundgren... and so on.  Lots and lots of little gold nuggets to be found, keeps me coming back to hang out with these guys and keep looking for more...
https://www.amazon.com/Songwriters-Songwriting-Expanded-Paul-Zollo/dp/0306812657/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=0306812657&psc=1

Just added to my cart. ?

[Ted]

I just thought maybe I'd get off my computer and go read... but let me check Songcrafters and maybe I'll get sucked into that instead. Then I saw that this thread has been bumped; a sign that I really should go and read.

I'm reading "The Seep" by Chana Porter:

What if becoming one with the universe was as easy as drinking punch at a party? It turns out that after enlightenment we still squabble with our partners, worry about fashion choices, and drink too much booze.