Just read one I got for Christmas. John Grisham's new one, Sycamore Row. It's not bad but lets face it, Mr Grisham has been writing the same story for the last 15 years!!

Sadly that is true. I remember reading Grisham's first book ("A Time to Kill") and thought it was absolutely wonderful. I later read an article about him and his success. The article mentioned how Grisham wrote the first book - he had lots of time with which to write the first three quarters of it, and it really showed in the quality of the story. The last quarter was rushed a bit, and it changed the whole pace of the story (although I still enjoyed it). Each one of his following novels has degenerated a bit. I still would read his stuff but I don't look forward as anxiously as I once did.

It was on clearance on Amazon for the kindle, so I grabbed it for $4. I read it for a little bit, and put it aside when I was able to get some of Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch series from my library. That is one author that does NOT get stale, unlike Cornwell and Grisham, who I really haven't enjoyed in a long time.

I just read the memoir Yes, Chef by one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Marcus Samuelsson. A fascinating journey from Ethiopia, to Sweden, to America.

NOW AND THEN:A MEMOIR,FROM CONEY ISLAND TO HERE by Joseph Heller. Interesting read about the life of famous Catch 22 author. Enjoyed it!!

I often read books a second time and it always amazes me to see how much I missed the first time. In college and work I always read and re read reports Etc to be sure I understood them. I just re-read Vinnie Gorgeous (Basciano). I previously gave it a so-so review on the forum, but now think I was wrong. This time I enjoyed thee entire book, not just the first half as I previously stated. Basciano was no angel to be sure but it pisses me off that the fat pig Massino may someday be out because he was a back stabber - like so many of them are.

Massino was actually given time served not too long ago.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/massi...ticle-1.1398122

BATTLE ROYALE

This was a little bit of a difficult book for me to read. Not due to language or anything like that. I think I just preferred the movie more than the novel. For those unaware, this is basically like THE HUNGER GAMES only it takes place in Japan, was written in 1999 and is a bit more violent.

The movie is pretty spot on to the novel but the novel gives some details on characters that I thought weren't really needed. For example, we're given a back story about 2 students who are first introduced to the reader and then a handful of pages later are dead. There are 40 students in this game and there can only be one winner (that's a lot of back stories and can be confusing from time to time). The film's good and it's one of Quentin Tarantino's favorites. However, I still enjoyed THE HUNGER GAMES more overall. The only thing I like more about BATTLE ROYALE compared to it is this has more violence and isn't afraid to not tone it down. I understand it's about kids killing kids but I also understand that it's just a novel.

I recently finished "Black House" by Stephen King and Peter Straub. It's a sequel to their work "The Talisman". The child hero of that book, Jack Sawyer, is 20-22 years older and is a retired (his family was wealthy) former LAPD cop who has moved to Wisconsin.

But there's a serial child killer on the loose who proves to have links to places and experiences Jack has forgotten about. "Black House" also has been written to bring in links to King's "Dark Tower" series.

It was fun trying to pick out just who wrote what. The story was very hard core horror though and not for faint of heart.

I might be the last guy on here but I recently read "Jaws". I have had the movies part I-IV since I was a child and can pretty much quote them back to you.

I was surprised how far the book and movie differed. From the affair with Hooper, to the mafia involvement, to the way quint died and lastly how the shark died.

I think that's one time I can recall that the movie and book were polar opposites but they both came off as equally intriguing.

And we keep reading them. All these popular, fiction authors do the same thing. It's their style and we like it. I read Sycamore Row also. It was enjoyable. I put up with the repetition that is interspersed with plot twists, drama and character portrayals.

Recently read Dan Brown's "Inferno". Aptly named, it should have been thrown into the inferno. The actual plot could have been boiled down to 50 pages. He spent 200 pages describing Florence, Italy and all the art work. I've been to Florence, so I found some of it interesting.

Scott Turow's "Identical". Ambivalent. Interesting concept, but delivered in a confusing manner (maybe it was me). Not high on my recommend list.

This past week I read James Joyce's Ulysses for the fourth time in my life. I last read it in 2001, and the 13 1/2 year gap was too long for this quintessential Modernist novel, and one of the greatest literary achievements in history. The twisting narrative techniques, the brutal depths of the stream of consciousness where the novel itself exerts its own consciousness, the richness and creativity of language to propel the well designed themes, rich in cultural, historic, religious and litereary allusions make this something much more than a reading experience.

I also read George Eliot's Middlemarch for the third time last month. It's, of course, a classic Victorian novel that is much different in style and content than Joyce's work, but a masterpiece nonetheless. In elegant prose Eliot captures not only the separations of class, but also the subtle distinctions within class.

I place both of these books as the greatest novels in the English language.

I've been getting books from the library, which is somehow (I'm not technical, so, no, I don't know how) is able to beam you books onto your Kindle for three weeks. I tend to get books that I don't care if I keep or not.

I'm still on my Harry Bosch kick. I like author Michael Connelly and am in the middle of one where he brought his two mott famous characters, Bosch and Lincoln lawyer Mickey Haller, together to solve a case.

Sounds good! *scribbles 'Joyce' into notepad...*

I've barely read anything of length in the past few years so decided to make an active effort to up my reading at New Year. Finished Paul Auster's The New York Trilogy, Graham Greene's The Quiet American and Jonathan Rendall's This Bloody Mary is the Last Thing I Own. I recommend the latter if you're into boxing. Turnbull would love it, if he's not already familiar with it (I suspect he is).

Wonderful to see you on the boards, and I admit that more than once I thought about you as I immersed myself in Ulysses because I remember once or twice discussing it with you. Particularly, I remember saying that I've tried to conquer Finnegan's Wake , but concluded that it requires a far more evolved literary mind than mine to read it with the intelligence it deserves. I felt that you have the ability to do it justice.

I know that your current career keeps you very busy, but have you ever had the chance/desire to jump into Finnegan's Wake ? I just may attempt to approach it again before I die. I may read some more analyses and commentaries to make it more comfortable to start it again.

I really must read Ulysses before I die!!

In case any of you Joyce fans make it to NYC on Bloomsday, lots of cheer to go around. I had a friend who never missed it. Of course he was an Irishman who liked to raise a glass or two,four,six,eight.

Bloomsday Celebrations

I never attended a Bloomsday event, but I've heard about them all over the world. Dublin, which was pretty much spared by the world wars, still has most of the landmarks it did on June 16, 1904, the day on which the novel takes place (also the day on which Joyce actually met his wife). It's an Irish holiday as many make their way through the locations, including an establishment, called Davy Byrene's where Leopold Bloom had lunch. Interestingly, Ireland was the last country to lift its ban of the book.

The events of Bloomsday are observed around the globe. while the novel takes place in Ireland and touch a bit on Irish history, the effect of the Church on Ireland, Irish nationalism and the English occupation of Ireland, the themes are universal. It's more of an experience than a book.

Cheers Klyd - always nice to drop by.

I still haven't read Finnegans Wake. Though I did meet a film programmer in Santiago de Compostela last year who translated it into Galician! I've been advised it's best consumed alongside an audio book, where the sounds and rhythms of the work take on a real musicality. I'd like to get to it someday. Part of the reason I haven't read much fiction at all in recent years is that everything felt like a disappointment after Ulysses.

Alongside my work as a film critic, I'm a programming consultant for several film festivals, one of which is Bradford International Film Festival (BIFF) in the north of England. Next month, I'll be seeing The Joycean Society at said festival, a doc on a group of Joyce enthusiasts who meet up in Zurich to read Finnegans Wake. Sounds like an idiosyncratic but accessible film; my colleague Neil Young (not that one), who programmed it as co-director of BIFF, wrote about it here. Keep a look out!

I've just started a book on Joe Dante, and am about to begin Simon Winlow's Badfellas.

Just read crime author king James Lee Burke's new book, LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He is a master no doubt and I have read all his books, it's just they are all starting to seem a bit the same now. Possibly I read to many books.....

I didn't know that there were enough people speaking Galician in the world to require a translation, but if one undaunted Galician-speaking person wants to grapple with Finnegan's Wake, so be it.

I'm fascinated by the suggestion of reading it alongside an audio tape to gain a sense of the rhythm and music of the novel. As I was reading some of Bloom's complex stream of consciousness monologues in Ulysses, I sensed a rhythm in the text that made them easier to understand. Some of the passages I read aloud...after my wife and daughter were sleeping.

I look forward to the Joycean documentary. These people apparently have devoted their lives collectively to this work, and I'm eager to hear what they have to say. They have to have stunning streks of madness blended with their brilliance. Best of luck with your ambitious career. If you will be reviewing The Joycean Society, I'll keep my eyes open on Facebook for a link to your review.

I have decided to read me some William Faulkner works!! For some reason I have never read any, this will have to change, apparently he is quite good

I just finished "Orange is the New Black," by Piper Kernan. Very well written account of 13 months spent in a Federal lockup after being involved in a drugs/money laundering scheme 9 years earlier. Not at all brutal--written with feeling and full of humanity. Highly recommended.

One of my favorite authors.

Well I take your recommendation as gold Babe, Amazon here I come!!

You won't be disappointed, Yogi. I haven't read Faulkner in about 20 years, but he is one of America's literary giants, the greatest of the great southern writers.

His masterpiece is The Sound and the Fury, which uses creative narrative techniques. The first part of the novel is told through the craggy mind of a mentally retarded man, whose fractured thoughts create a brilliant, disjointed rhapsody.

A couple of my favorites are Absalom, Absalom, and Light in August. As I Lay Dying is also a provocative book, told through several dozens of voices.

Just read a very interesting book called WWII:BEHIND CLOSED DOORS,STALIN,THE NAZIS AND THE WEST by a BBC historian fella called Laurence Rees. Very good it was as well, shows that for as cruel and evil Hitler was, Stalin was every bit as much, just possibly not as deranged as Adolf.

Churchill gets positive mention as a great war time PM (everyone knows he was no peace time leader) and Mr. Roosevelt gets top praise as a very brave and clever leader!!

Well worth a read!!

Just finished The Agent by Leigh Steinberg. He was one of the premier sports agents since the mid-1970s. It was somewhat interesting, but not well-written in my opinion. His fall from grace, particularly his battle with alcohol and losing his agent license, was not really covered in great detail. But I did get a greater appreciation for some of the quality things that Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, Steve Young, and Steve Bartkowski did off of the field.

I am again reading Murder Machine for the third time in about 3 years. It always amazes me that every time I re-read a book I learn something that I missed before. Even though I know the outcome, it is still an interesting read.