books I’m reading in 2008
MAY
The Fireside Book of Deadly Diseases by Robert Wilkins
The Long March by William Styron
The Story of V by Catherine Blackledge
APRIL
Unpolished Gem by Alice Pung
On Being Grumpy by Tony Perry
Movie Dreams by Rosie Scott
Girls at Play by Paul Theroux
The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers
The Wine of Youth by John Fante
Wishbone by Marion Halligan
MARCH
Leaving a Doll’s House by Claire Bloom
Age of Dissent by Michele Hanson
Freaks by Leslie Fiedler
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Selman-Troytt Papers by P J Barrington
True Believers by Joseph O’Connor
Words by Paul Dickson
On Love and Death by Patrick Suskind. (Only 90 pages long but a beautiful meditation on these events in our lives. By the author who wrote Perfume)
FEBRUARY
Strange Angels by Andy Bull
The Bodysurfers by Robert Drewe (published over 20 years ago, but the writing still rocks)
I Killed compiled by Ritch Shydner & Mark Schiff
The Art Book published by Phaidon
The Future Just Happened by Michael Lewis
The Shark Net by Robert Drewe
JANUARY
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
Hot Water Man by Deborah Moggach
Lanzarote by Michel Houellebecq
Life at the Extremes - The Science of Survival by Frances Ashcroft
Escapades by Daniel Farson
Owls Do Cry by Janet Frame (I’m rereading this. cannot recommend it highly enough. JF was scheduled to undergo a leucotomy back in the 60s when a surgeon at the hospital realised in time what a gross mistake it would be. her writing is sheer poetry. I also recommend The Lagoon and Other Stories and the 3 volume autobiography To the Is-Land)
Survival of the Sickest (A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease) by Dr. Sharon Moalem. (I found this book fascinating, expect to read posts inspired by her work coming up soon on the Gimcrack).
Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai
Patrimony by Philip Roth (this book made me cry)
Cry of the Damaged Man by Tony Moore
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have you any interest in reading my novel in progress? (actually in editing)…if so email me…
gosh tony, thanks for the compliment but I really don’t have the time. plus I’m a pedantic witch when it comes to editing. I’d be all over your masterpiece with a red pen
[...] with large helmets Survival of the Sickest has so much fabulous stuff in it that nursemyra wants to share. this is what I’ve been [...]
You are the first woman I know of, who liked “Patrimony”. Most find it ponderously blokey.
By the way, that’s a rather electic link list you have assembled at the right. I’ve discovered a couple of gems.
hey headbang8, welcome to the gimcrack! have you checked out Renal Failure? he’s hilarious. and tetherdcow is a talented artist and composer in his non-blogging life. you can check out his other stuff at perpetualocean.com
Patrimony is so NOT blokey. not as aussies understand blokey anyway. I loved that book. Also loved Skinned Alive by Edmund White. have you read that?
So of course I had to get one or more of those books from the library — those that I hadn’t recommended to you in the first place, that is! I am now up to page 65 of “Cry of the Damaged Man” and he’s absolutely right: a restricted life can reduce gaiety, physical pleasure, imagination — and I only have one painful knee, am not exactly in a body cast. So my mantra now is: “Healing is simply a matter of casting aside restraints, and then accepting those which remain.” Acceptance, adjustment and activity …
daisy I think you’d like the library book I started last night - Age of Dissent by Michele Hanson. It’s her columns from The Guardian, about being over 50 and having her 89 year old mother move in with her. hilarious stuff!
Damn! I almost always have 3 or 4 books going at once….but always have to take January through April off. (tax season) But….your list….impressive, to say the least. Going to have to check out a few of those.
If you can get your hands on Janet Frame or Robert Drewe, I’d recommend starting with those. I’ve lent someone my copy of The Shark Net but will post it to you when I get it back if you’re interested