What are you reading now?

[Conchis]

Finished The Room by Hubert Selby Jnr on Friday. Brutal!

Currently reading The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis. I know nothing about chess, having never played it, but the book is very readable.

[Anastasius]

Just finished "Fate is the Hunter" by Ernest K Gann..an autobiographical of his involvement in the early days of flying. To quote the rear flyleaf "This is a fabulous account of both the history of aviation and one man's life in the air". I couldn't have put it better myself. It's most definitely not a gung-ho Biggles type of book but well-written and with a sense of humility.

[LMcD]

Alan Bennett's 'Keeping On Keeping On'. I imagine he's even more angry at certain developments that have occurred since this was first published.

[Alain Maréchal]

Serendipity can unravel reading plans. Needing to check a reference I took down from my shelves Emigrants by W.G.Sebald. Unfortunately I reread the opening, and it hooked me again: I had to continue, and then probably, other of his books will follow. Zola has been set aside - Sebald is quite compulsive.

(or do I mean compelling? - a serious question)

[vinteuil]

Sebald is quite compulsive.

(or do I mean compelling? - a serious question)

... compelling. And I wd agree re Sebald.



.

[Alain Maréchal]

... compelling. And I wd agree re Sebald.



.

Thank you, for the correction, and the agreement.

I used to have an entertaining time in bookshops removing Austerlitz from biography shelves and moving it to fiction.

[Pianorak]

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Adam Kay
Kindle Edition

Just had to get it straightaway. Was mentioned on Harriett Gilbert's "A Good Read" on R4 this afternoon. It's a hoot - but so much more besides.

[un barbu]

Thoroughly enjoyed the October number of 'The Literary Review', full of good things including Meades on modern church architecture. This and 'Private Eye' are the only periodicals I subscribe to now. I would dearly like to be able to subscribe to 'The Listener' again, assuming it was its old self (fat chance in the present circs).

[teamsaint]

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor
Adam Kay
Kindle Edition

Just had to get it straightaway. Was mentioned on Harriett Gilbert's "A Good Read" on R4 this afternoon. It's a hoot - but so much more besides.

I had the misfortune to hear the author reading extracts at a trade show two years ago.
I found these particular extracts distasteful and intrusive , although the book seems to be doing very well .

[un barbu]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/oct/05/clive-james-books-overrated-all-magic-realism

I admire Clive James and he has some sound points on reading here.

[Bella Kemp]

Thoroughly enjoyed the October number of 'The Literary Review', full of good things including Meades on modern church architecture. This and 'Private Eye' are the only periodicals I subscribe to now. I would dearly like to be able to subscribe to 'The Listener' again, assuming it was its old self (fat chance in the present circs).

Oh, gosh, yes The Listener! What a superb publication that was. My regular subscription is now The London Magazine - mainly for the essays, but one occasionally finds a good story and much of the poetry is surprisingly good.

[un barbu]

Oh, gosh, yes The Listener! What a superb publication that was. My regular subscription is now The London Magazine - mainly for the essays, but one occasionally finds a good story and much of the poetry is surprisingly good.

I believe that it is possible to gain access to back numbers of 'The Listener' online but have not yet cracked how to do this. There is likely to be a charge but it will be worth it. I will look into 'The London Magazine'.

[gradus]

You're not keen on the TLS or London Review of Books?

[muzzer]

https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...-magic-realism

I admire Clive James and he has some sound points on reading here.

I remember his TV reviews in The Observer and still his description of Archbishop Runcie at the royal wedding as “ the anodyne divine who’ll put unction in your function”. He’s always been quotable and it’s notable that latest piece you’ve linked to finds him extolling the virtues of those books from which he can still recite. Am delighted that at his stage of the game he’s still publishing new criticism and of Larkin of all people. Marvellous, and he’s right about Cultural Amnesia. It’s a real treasure trove.

[muzzer]

I’ve subscribed to the TLS for ages but am not a fan of the latest editor. There also seems to be a change of some sort I can’t quite pin down in the overall tone.

The jury is still out on the post Silvers NYRB.

Is the Literary Review worth a punt?