What are you currently reading?

[Garden Dreamer]

Finished the Frampton book and while I enjoyed it, there was a glaring omission. He covers the episode of getting back together to record new material with Steve Marriott and the tragedy that followed. Later he talks about all the different tribute shows and collaborations he got to play on with all manner of musicians. But no mention of the 2001 Marriott tribute concert where he was on stage with Humble Pie mates Greg Ridley and Jerry Shirley for the first time since 1970, and playing with his replacement Clem Clempson for the first time!

[JKL2000]

I just finished a couple of books by F. Paul Wilson that followed his book which the movie The Keep was based on.

Lou, I started Richard Laymon’s third Beast House book, The Midnight Tour. Can’t believe I’m going in for a third time!

[rapidfirerob]

Starting Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and The Inside Story of The Album That Defined the 70s, by Alan Paul.

[Lopez]

I just finished a couple of books by F. Paul Wilson that followed his book which the movie The Keep was based on.

Lou, I started Richard Laymon’s third Beast House book, The Midnight Tour. Can’t believe I’m going in for a third time!

Hi Jed,

I read that one quite a while ago. Got my wife interested enough that she read the entire Beast House trilogy in about a week. I have a pile of unread Laymon that I really should start in on.

I've turned her on to quite a few interesting authors, Richard Laymon being one. Tomorrow she starts Jonathon Carroll's The Land of Laughs, one of my top favorite three or so books ever.

By the way, I've read Wilson's The Keep and have seen the movie. I haven't read anything else by him except for a short story or two. I hear the Repairman Jack series is good.

[JKL2000]

Hi Jed,

I read that one quite a while ago. Got my wife interested enough that she read the entire Beast House trilogy in about a week. I have a pile of unread Laymon that I really should start in on.

I've turned her on to quite a few interesting authors, Richard Laymon being one. Tomorrow she starts Jonathon Carroll's The Land of Laughs, one of my top favorite three or so books ever.

By the way, I've read Wilson's The Keep and have seen the movie. I haven't read anything else by him except for a short story or two. I hear the Repairman Jack series is good.

The two after The Keep were good, and standalone, being set in more current times. The third one is the first with Repairman Jack, and he's a good character. That book (The Tomb, though that's a lame title), is more like a combo of Dan Simmons and Doc Savage. The second one, The Touch, was more like a straight Stephen King book.

The third Beast House book is long for what it is - over 500 pp. of small type! - so kudos to your wife for reading all those three in a week!

[Lou]

I just finished a couple of books by F. Paul Wilson that followed his book which the movie The Keep was based on.

Lou, I started Richard Laymon’s third Beast House book, The Midnight Tour. Can’t believe I’m going in for a third time!

[Digital_Man]

I finally finished reading Neil Peart's Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road earlier today. It was a bit of a slog at times. Spoiler alert: He's only on the road for about maybe 60 percent of the time during his 14 month journey. I found him to be a bit judgemental at times and also found it weird that he did a lot of hiking but also smoked and drank a bit. A good book overall but at 460 pages I'm not sure I necessarily want to read it again. Plus some of the pages towards the end had to be taped. I started this book around mid May so that's about two and a half months for this thing. Hey, I'm getting faster.

[MortSahlFan]

"Street Player" (Danny Seraphine)

[per anporth]

Moved on to a bit of a Joseph Kanon binge...

Just finished The Prodigal Spy, now reading Los Alamos.

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Just started: Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead. I'm finding it suprisingly funny.

[Frankk]

Just finished: Kavus Torabi & Steve Davis, Medical grade music. Excellent. Highly recommended. See my review in the main music forum.
Currently reading: 1) H.P. Lovecraft, The complete works of H.P. Lovecraft. Very unique, but you have to read it in small doses because most stories are similar. 2) Karl Ove Knausgård, My struggle 6. Actually, I'm struggling a lot with this one! (pun intended). The first five books of these series are extraordinary (in fact, they're among my all-time favorite books), but this one, IMO, is not very good.
Just started: Emmanuel Carrère, The kingdom. I'm liking it very much.

[Lopez]

While I am currently in deep with Johnny Rogan's Requiem for the Timeless, Vol. 2, extended obituaries of 6 former members of the Byrds, I'm reading in small bits Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs. This is my third time around with this book. Pure magic!

[Rarebird]

Neil Peart - Ghost rider (Dutch translation with a preface from Cesar Zuiderwijk)

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

... I'm reading in small bits Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs. This is my third time around with this book. Pure magic!

Indeed it is, and Carroll, alas, never seemed able to do it again. After I read it for the first time I desparately wanted a bull terrier...

[Lou]

While I am currently in deep with Johnny Rogan's Requiem for the Timeless, Vol. 2, extended obituaries of 6 former members of the Byrds, I'm reading in small bits Jonathan Carroll's The Land of Laughs. This is my third time around with this book. Pure magic!

This is in my pile of "on deck" reads

[Digital_Man]

Neil Peart - Ghost rider (Dutch translation with a preface from Cesar Zuiderwijk)

Cool. Let me know what you think of it.

[Rarebird]

Cool. Let me know what you think of it.

I like it very much. The preface by Cesar Zuiderwijk is funny. They guys from Rush seemed to be quite down to earth. Everyone including the support act (Golden Earring) eating the same meal at the same table. Cesar writes he decides to throw his drumstick in the air, without caring about catching it. Neil say he would like to do that as well. And at some evening, Neil throws his drumstick in the air and catching it, seemingly effordless. In the end Cesar refers to the possibility of an afterlife, something Neil (like me) doesn't seem to believe in.

[SteveSly]

I finally finished reading Neil Peart's Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road earlier today. It was a bit of a slog at times. Spoiler alert: He's only on the road for about maybe 60 percent of the time during his 14 month journey. I found him to be a bit judgemental at times and also found it weird that he did a lot of hiking but also smoked and drank a bit. A good book overall but at 460 pages I'm not sure I necessarily want to read it again. Plus some of the pages towards the end had to be taped. I started this book around mid May so that's about two and a half months for this thing. Hey, I'm getting faster.

I have read all of Neil's books, and find them all good, but drag. I think the best one is "Roadshow" as it has the most Rush related content.

[Rarebird]

I finally finished reading Neil Peart's Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road earlier today. It was a bit of a slog at times. Spoiler alert: He's only on the road for about maybe 60 percent of the time during his 14 month journey. I found him to be a bit judgemental at times and also found it weird that he did a lot of hiking but also smoked and drank a bit. A good book overall but at 460 pages I'm not sure I necessarily want to read it again. Plus some of the pages towards the end had to be taped. I started this book around mid May so that's about two and a half months for this thing. Hey, I'm getting faster.

What do you consider judgemental?

Yes, he smokes and drinks, but I suppose a lot of people do. I didn't think he drove under influence.

[Smörgåsbord]

John Dos Passos - Manhattan transfer

[Sturgeon's Lawyer]

Never read that, but I read and really enjoyed his U.S.A. trilogy, and also John Brunner's science fiction trilogy based not on his books but on his techniques. (The Jagged Orbit, The Sheep Look Up, and Stand on Zanzibar). Both Dos Passos and Brunner manage to be both uplifting and depressing, often at the same time.

[Smörgåsbord]

Never read that, but I read and really enjoyed his U.S.A. trilogy, and also John Brunner's science fiction trilogy based not on his books but on his techniques. (The Jagged Orbit, The Sheep Look Up, and Stand on Zanzibar). Both Dos Passos and Brunner manage to be both uplifting and depressing, often at the same time.

I bought a Kindle and got the idea of reading some American modernist classics. I started with Faulkner but it was like hitting a wall (I read As I lay dying but didn't get anthing out of it). Too experimental in form. After all, English is my second language. I will get the U.S.A trilogy when a cheaper kindle edition will be available next year.

[Digital_Man]

I like it very much. The preface by Cesar Zuiderwijk is funny. They guys from Rush seemed to be quite down to earth. Everyone including the support act (Golden Earring) eating the same meal at the same table. Cesar writes he decides to throw his drumstick in the air, without caring about catching it. Neil say he would like to do that as well. And at some evening, Neil throws his drumstick in the air and catching it, seemingly effordless. In the end Cesar refers to the possibility of an afterlife, something Neil (like me) doesn't seem to believe in.

I don't remember any of that. Maybe the book I read is different. The book I read is basically a travelogue.

[Digital_Man]

What do you consider judgemental?

Yes, he smokes and drinks, but I suppose a lot of people do. I didn't think he drove under influence.

There's a few times where he basically calls people fat slobs. He just seems to be prejudiced and have attitudes towards people he doesn't even know and some of the worst "offenders" to him are his fans who he doesn't want approaching him. He was human and I can't be too hard on him plus he was possibly the best drummer in the world but like all of us he wasn't perfect. The book I'm reading now is about a traveller but he doesn't get into judging people at all and seems more at peace with himself. I get the feeling that Neil had a lot of personal demons that he didn't want to deal with.

Anyway, at the end of the book he quit smoking and cut down his drinking. As for his religious beliefs I get the feeling he was either an atheist or an agnostic. People can believe whatever they want. My mother is an atheist but I'm not.

[Rarebird]

There's a few times where he basically calls people fat slobs. He just seems to be prejudiced and have attitudes towards people he doesn't even know and some of the worst "offenders" to him are his fans who he doesn't want approaching him. He was human and I can't be too hard on him plus he was possibly the best drummer in the world but like all of us he wasn't perfect. The book I'm reading now is about a traveller but he doesn't get into judging people at all and seems more at peace with himself. I get the feeling that Neil had a lot of personal demons that he didn't want to deal with.

Anyway, at the end of the book he quit smoking and cut down his drinking. As for his religious beliefs I get the feeling he was either an atheist or an agnostic. People can believe whatever they want. My mother is an atheist but I'm not.

Yeah, I saw some of that after I asked the question. Still I can cut him some slack. There is enough I recognise, like the feelings he has after he has spend some time with Alex and his wife and thay go their own ways again. I think loosing 2 people who are very close to you, may give you a sense of injustice. I might think some things myself, like "why are the people I love, no longer with me and are so many people I feel contempt for, still alive and kicking and enjoying life." The difference is probably I keep those thoughts to myself. My parents were atheïst, or agnostic (though my mom was not really striict in it, mostly more about respecting other peoples feelings) and so am I.