What are you reading now - and then

[broncofan]

Just read Deep Water by Patricia Highsmith. I really like her books even though she was problematic as a person. She seems to have a penchant for depicting solitary male sociopaths...makes for dark, but very readable fiction.

Read 1984 a little while back because I was never assigned it in school and thought I should see what it was all about (for basic literacy if nothing else). I enjoyed it. Every facet of the totalitarian experience thoroughly explored and fleshed out.

I also read Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett a couple months ago (or longer). His plots are very complicated...tough to keep track of characters and factions, but Red Harvest in particular is a worthwhile read. For those who don't know, Hammett wrote the Maltese Falcon. I never read it but saw the movie. Though he only wrote a few full length novels, he is considered by many the quintessential American hard-boiled detective novelist, along with Raymond Chandler and James Cain.

Edit: I had included Jim Thompson but his books aren't detective books in the same vein.

[south ov da border]

Currently Isis Unveiled by Blavatsky ... last book Tao of Jeet kune do

[emilydelano]

The Black Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black. It's the new Phillip Marlowe novel by the Iriah author John Banville. It's quite good, different to how Chandler wrote the character but atill definitely Marlowe at it's core

[broncofan]

The Black Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black. It's the new Phillip Marlowe novel by the Iriah author John Banville. It's quite good, different to how Chandler wrote the character but atill definitely Marlowe at it's core

That sounds like a good read Emily. Maybe I'll take a look at that next!

[trish]

Recently read George Saunders' Tenth of December (some dark short stories),
Maud Casey's The Man Who Walked Away (very interesting fictionalized take on a compulsive traveler who lived in 19th century France).
Currently reading Out of Sight by the late Elmore Leonard and
Ian Mortimer's Time Traveler's Guide to Medieval England.

[joanne_sven]

Jaycee by Vickie Ternhttp://www.vickietern.com/1997/04/jaycee/

[Odelay]

Currently reading Out of Sight by the late Elmore Leonard

Trish, did you by chance see Soderbergh's film version of this? I confess I haven't read any Leonard because the tele/film versions of his work have usually been quite good (midway through the television series, Justified, as an example).

I really liked the film version of Out of Sight. Part of the reason is that the two main actors played against type. Clooney sort of abandons his usual cool in control persona to play someone much more crazy and on edge. Lopez really dials back her vixen persona - I really think this is her best job acting, not that that was ever a high bar to clear. Anyway, I should probably read some Leonard.

ON TOPIC: currently reading Nathaniel Philbrick's Bunker Hill.

[broncofan]

Odelay,
For what it's worth, I saw the film version with Clooney and Lopez about a month after I read the book (this was in the theaters so a long time ago). I liked both.

Just read The Chill by Ross Macdonald. Also read the Black Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black. Liked them both...both set in Southern California. I think Ross Macdonald is my favorite mystery writer for the moment. Shame none of his books made good movies. I saw Harper with Paul Newman the other week and it really wasn't much better than an average movie I didn't think.

[trish]

Trish, did you by chance see Soderbergh's film version of this? I confess I haven't read any Leonard because the tele/film versions of his work have usually been quite good (midway through the television series, Justified, as an example).

I really liked the film version of Out of Sight. Part of the reason is that the two main actors played against type. Clooney sort of abandons his usual cool in control persona to play someone much more crazy and on edge. Lopez really dials back her vixen persona - I really think this is her best job acting, not that that was ever a high bar to clear. Anyway, I should probably read some Leonard.

ON TOPIC: currently reading Nathaniel Philbrick's Bunker Hill.

No I haven't seen the film...didn't even know there was one. Thanks for the recommendation (you too Bronco); I'll put it on my queue of films to stream.

Actually have haven't heard of Elmore Leonard (shows how out of touch I am) until Justified flickered into my living room one evening a few years ago. Since then I read Maximum Bob (totally loved it), Stick and Out of Sight. Since my late discovery of his work I found out some of my favorite films were inspired by Leonard stories: Get Shorty (a very funny and engaging film) and Jackie Brown (one of my all time film faves). Looks like I need to pay more attention to the credits.

On topic: Now relaxing with Robert Galbraith's Silkworm.

[sukumvit boy]

Just read John Waters ,"Carsick" . Funny guy , enjoyable read. I have been a fan of his for many years. I find him to be such a funny ,articulate and gentle person with a wildly unconventional slant on life.

Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America: John Waters: 9780374298630: Amazon.com: Books@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51woxOQWgQL.@@AMEPARAM@@51woxOQWgQL
Thanks Trish , buttslinger , and Prospero for alerting me to Ian Mortimer , John Richardson and Haruki Murakami . Reading"The Wind Up Bird Chronicals " now and looking forward to the Picasso and Medieval England books.
What happened to Stavros? Really miss his contributions around here!