[direwolf74]

I've been reading lots of music biographies lately:

Beds are Burning by Mark Dodshon -fantastic biography on Midnight Oil. I can't put it down.

Cash by Johnny Cash- probably one of the best autobiographies ever written. An amazing read.

Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991 by Michael Azzerad- this book is basically a series of mini-biographies featuring bands like Black Flag, Sonic Youth, the Minutemen, the Replacements, Husker Du, and many others. Great stuff if you're a fan of indie rock and you're interested in where it all started. If Canadian indie-rock is more your thing, you could also check out the excellent book "Have Not Been the Same: the CanRock Renaissance, 1985-1995", which is written in a similar style and features just about every Canuck rock band you can think of from that particular era, including a very large chapter on the Hip.

[chicagoblackhawks77]

I have a substantial commute every day, so I get to read many books to kill the time. I've been on a Michael Chrichton kick as of late. I read "Prey", then "State Of fear", and now I'm on "Airframe". He's a real good read and I imagine I'll finish off a few more by him in the near future.

Last month I read a "Marley & Me" by John Grogan http://marleyandme.com/. It is a fantastic book about a husband/father and his connection with his dog Marley. It was especially meaningful to me as I am experiencing many of the same things in my life that the author writes about...I highly recomend it.

As much as I love my dog, I couldn't finish that one. I though it was too schmaltzy and a bit contrived. I mean, why did he need to get into all that about him not being able to get it up for his wife? Supposed to be about him and his dog, not his dong!!!

[Billy]

I have a substantial commute every day, so I get to read many books to kill the time. I've been on a Michael Chrichton kick as of late. I read "Prey", then "State Of fear", and now I'm on "Airframe". He's a real good read and I imagine I'll finish off a few more by him in the near future.

Last month I read a "Marley & Me" by John Grogan http://marleyandme.com/. It is a fantastic book about a husband/father and his connection with his dog Marley. It was especially meaningful to me as I am experiencing many of the same things in my life that the author writes about...I highly recomend it.

As much as I love my dog, I couldn't finish that one. I though it was too schmaltzy and a bit contrived. I mean, why did he need to get into all that about him not being able to get it up for his wife? Supposed to be about him and his dog, not his dong!!!

I had a tough time getting into it as well, but because my wife bought it for me for father's day, I felt compelled to read it. A little past the half way point I really started to enjoy it and I even had some tears in my eyes by the end. Read on, I think you will enjoy it.

[Sam]

I'm re-reading "When God Was a Woman" by Merlin Stone and I just bought a copy of "Failed States" by Noam Chomsky. I'm going to start that tonight.

The Alchemist (Coelho)- a cult classic for many but a weak read I thought. Perhaps I heard way too much "this is the greatest book ever" nonsense and I had my hopes set too high...I was underwhelmed.

I had a similar experience with "The Piano Teacher" by Elfriede Jelinek. It won a Pulitzer Prize, man. And, it sucked.

[direwolf74]

Just thought of another great book I read a little while ago. "Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanada" by Romeo Dallaire. That book knocked me on my ass. Definitely one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

[skelty]

Just thought of another great book I read a little while ago. "Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanada" by Romeo Dallaire. That book knocked me on my ass. Definitely one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

I'm reading that right now. I just started the third chapter and it's absolutely facinating and moving.

I just finished reading "The Silence of the Lambs" a few days ago and it was excellent.

[emperor penguin]

I'm reading Lance Armstrong's War, a book that chronicles his preparation and ultimately his 6th tour win. I've only read a little bit but it's been really interesting thus far. If your a fan of the tour de France I would highly reccomend this book. All throughout there are facts and and interesting tidbits about the history of the Tour. It was written by Daniel Coyle who followed Lance around for a year before and during the Tour. You also learn alot about the people around Lance such as George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton and this years winner Floyd Landis.

[MattyM]

Forgot to say that I recently read The Three Musketeers, and it's a far better book, in it's complete form, than most other translated classics... Plus I'm acting in a new stage version of it next year hopefully!

Matty,

Looks like your'e from GB... ever heard of Evelyn Waugh? One of my fav authors all time. Brideshead Revisited is excellent!!

I've read snippets of Brideshead, my good lady has a copy I think, so I may pick it up soon.



I'd also like to recommend Alice Echols' Scars Of Sweet Paradise, it's a Janis Joplin biography, but goes intop a lot of detail as to what was going on outside of Janet's life at the time, the Haight Ashbury communities, gay rights and that sort of thing... excellent read!

[skippy the wonder dog]

Shake Hands with the Devil is definitely a great book, although tough to read at times.

I was on a trip last week, so I got a little reading in on planes and in airports:

To Skin a Cat and Panama by Thomas McGuane. Friend of My Youth by Alice Munro.

And I reread The Art of Fiction by John Gardner in my hotel room, which should be familiar to hipbasers given Gardner's influence over Gord on IVL: the fictive dream, etc. And I gotta say, it's a great pity that Gardner is dead, because he irritates me so deeply that I'd like to write him a letter pointing out that he's a jackass, but I don't think that Canada Post delivers to whatever circle of hell is reserved for arrogant, dishonest fools. Instead, I was reduced to scrawling nasty remarks in his margins.

Before all that, I was on a Jay McInerny kick: Bright Lights, Big City and Model Behavior.

[VioletlightHeron]

I've been on a military history and science fiction bender in the past couple days between working. Max Hastings's D-Day and the Battle for Normandy sketches an indepth look at the tactics, personalities and the horror of war. I'm also re-reading S.M. Stirling's Conquistador and Harry Turtledove's Island in the Sea of Time series. :thumb:

[dreyfuss]

Anything by Tom Robbins