In the last two months, I've used my 20% discount voucher at Times Bookshop and rummaged through the aisles of the Times and MPH warehouse sales wielding the Devil’s most ingenious invention – plastic cards; credit and loyalty/membership.
The result. My booklist for the next month, in no particular order.
Julie & Julia - Julie Powell
The author chronicles her year-long project of cooking every single recipe in Julia Child's classic, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Surprisingly slow reading, so far. Currently languishing in the loo with my National Geographics.
The Complete Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Got the leather-bound limited edition - freakishly heavy. Leaves a dent in my belly when reading in bed. Halfway through "The Boy and His Horse".
The Sea - John Banville
My attempt to get all literary before starting Sharon's class. Failed! Finding it very slow and too descriptive. I'd read reviews calling it a study of loss and memories - so far, it's been more a meditation for me. The back & forth of flashbacks threw me a bit at the start, but I shall plow on...soon. Or maybe not.
Close Range / Brokeback Mountain - Annie Proulx
I swear, I tried to find the original short story collection - "Close Range: Wyoming Stories" - but couldn't, so this movie tie-in edition will have to do. Had to restrain myself from immediately jumping into Brokeback. Started with "55 Miles to the Gas Pump", barely 2 pages long. Bizarro. Good start.
"Brokeback Mountain" - the narrative style is almost exactly how I imagine Heath Ledger's Ennis would tell the story. Abrupt. Stoic. Sparing.
Rough Guide to Italy, Sixth Edition
2 months' time! Rome, Cinque Terre, Florence, Bologna, Assisi, Gubbio, Bevagna, Spello, Montalcino. Wheee....
Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
His first, and the only novel of his that I haven’t read. It’s set in an Alice In Wonderland version of London. Currently on the first chapter and it’s recalling "American Gods" for me.
One For My Baby - Tony Parsons
I really should buy his books in the proper order. "The Family Way" was excellent, so I have high hopes for this. Umm….are his books (apart from the Family Way) considered guy lit?
Poo: A Natural History of the Unmentionable – Nicola Davies
One of my birthday presents from Snowie! This is an EXCELLENT little book, hilariously sincere and umm…realistically illustrated. Shamefaced bunnies quietly scarfing down their poopy pellets as part of their daily supplements, wild boars catching up on the latest gossip at the communal dung pile – what’s not to like!
Paradise – Toni Morrison
I have no clue what this is about. I’ve always wanted to read "Beloved" but was always too cheap to get the book. This one was only RM8. Yay.
Elegy for Iris – John Bayley
Iris Murdoch was a prolific writer and philosopher who was disinclined towards personal hygiene. No, that’s not what the elegy says, just what I remember from having watched the movie version, starring two of Britain’s most versatile, great actors; Dame Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent. In this book, Iris’s husband records the loss of a brilliant mind to the twilight dreaming of Alzheimer’s Disease.
In Her Shoes – Jennifer Weiner
This is actually Snowie’s, recently acquired at the Times sale. I’ve seen most of the movie but having missed the beginning bits, I was quite happy to dive into the book. Rocketed through with a tenacity and deliberate disregard for aesthetics (powering through chic lit when reading "The Sea" feels like waltzing in molasses? Shhhh…) that would make a competitive power walker proud. Better than the movie in terms of storyline, but I must say that the screen casting for Rose and Maggie was absolutely spot-on.
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Lots of books and not enough potty time to read them all.
What’s worse…
Times Bookshop members get 25% off storewide today, it being World Book Day and all.
I’ve got my wallet trained on two more books to add to my reading list -
Let Me Finish - Udo Grashoff
A collection of 45 suicide notes. Depressing, much. Can’t wait to start!
The Nimrod Flip-Out - Etgar Keret
His second collection of short stories, the first of which I was looking for, to no avail. The blurb for one of the stories, “Fatso” goes something like this - every night, a young man’s beautiful girlfriend turns into a fat little man who loves football.
Mr. 3 Technologies, I’ve got a feeling you’ll really like this book. :)
10 comments:
Ehhh you also went the MPH warehouse thingy? I think no true bibliophile would miss it. But it's the MPH store's warehouse clearance not the MPH distributors. That one is MUCH better (selection and discount-wise) but it's less glam in Jln 222.
How was the Times sale? I didn't have time to go.
Oh Oh just to play devil's advocate go get Secret Fruit of Peter Paddington by Brian Francis. Hilarious!
BTW I personally think Neverwhere is one of Neil Gaiman's best work. Right below Stardust.
yup, neil gaiman's stardust rocks. i've got a whole bunch of his e-books.
hmmm... and haven't even counted my other books yet, hor! though of course i don't imagine you're gunning to read the classics i got...
too little time, too little time! dammit old body of mine that keeps falling asleep!!
p/s: Will - the Times sale is on till the 5th, and is wayyyyyyyyyy better than the MPH one in kelana jaya. what was that about one in Jln222???
oh - yet another vote for Stardust! Illustrated edition please :)
Have read Tony Parsons' series. No, they're not guy lit at all. I laughed, I cried and I was humbled by the sheer honesty of it. You'll love it.
wah.. all big big titles.. u read during poo poo too? heh.. i always need to read to let go.. :D
I have Stardust in the original prestige format, with Charles Vess' watercolour paintings. V nice.
I have the Narnia books too. Got distracted 3/4 way through Boy and His Horse and never picked it up again. The movie was pretty, but dumb.
I'm going to go look for the suicide notes book tomorrow.
Loved most of the books you mentioned... and you're going to Italy?! hell, I'm jealous!
Paul
Neverwhere just blew me away. I was in love with London - the book just made me so much more lovelorn :)
Heh, the only Neil Gaiman book I've read is Neverwhere, thanks to Will. And I really enjoyed it.
The beginning is pretty slow, but it picks up quickly.
P/S Kepoh a bit - did Snowie get the overseas job?
Neil Gaiman fans - I had a sacriligious thought a few chapters into Neverwhere. He uses the same themes in all his novels!!
*guilty cringe*
There's always an old, primal being stalking someone. There's always an Ordinary Joe Hero. There's always a strong, strange female character that almost always steals the show. There's awlays an ivading reality.
Stardust, scary-ass witch with pretty red dress hunts the Star. Tristan is the OJH. Yvaine, the potty mouthed star, is the feminist character. Tristan, the human, stumbles into Faerie.
Anansi Boys, scary-ass birdwoman with oily raincoat hunts Spider. Tiger hunts Anansi's line. Fat Charlie is the OJH. Feminist characters - Detective Daisy and that ghostly lady. The Old Stories invade Fat Charlie's mundane life.
Neverwhere - Messrs. scary-asses hunting Door. OJH? Richard. Haven't read enough yet, but I figure Door is the token strong female. The London Below vs The London Above.
Coraline - The Other Mother over-mothers Coraline. No OJH here though. Coraline, the heroine! Coraline discovers The Other Mother's scary-ass world.
American Gods - The old Gods, not quite stalking, but certainly lurking around. Shadow, the OJH. Shadow's ghostly wife, the token female asskicker. Myth/Legend invades reality.
Still. Neil is god. I don't care.
Derek - Not yet. Recently had an hour long phone interview. Hope yours turns out well!
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