The Border Book Club

[Freypower]

I always have several books on the go. I've nearly finished Postwar by Tony Judt, which is a superb history of postwar Europe.

[SweetHolly]

I'm currently reading Danielle Steel's newest book Sisters.

[sodascouts]

I'm currently reading Christine Feehan's Deadly Game. I like her "Game" series of paranormal romance, although they can get overly violent.

[sodascouts]

Speaking of Christine Feehan, I read her story "After the Music" and I had to wonder if the lead character Dillon was modelled after Don, back when he had long hair! He's described as a singer who has "famous blue eyes" and an "edgy, smoky voice." There's other similarities, too. Probably all coincidence, but it was still cool to consider!

[Freypower]

I am ploughing my way through Michael Gray's Song And Dance Man about Bob Dylan for the second time.

Some of it is good and makes me remember why Dylan is such a great songwriter, even the chapter relating to the 'born again' period. Some of it is so heavy-handed and indigestible, particularly when it has footnotes that take up nearly a page, that you want to give up. The chapter 'Even Post-Structuralists Oughta Have The Pre-War Blues' which takes about 100 pages to describe the influence of blues musicians on Dylan's work, is almost unreadable if you don't have the background knowledge. Gray then has the temerity to write two separate chapters criticising other writers' views of Dylan.

Sometimes it's really about the music. You have to go to that first. And yet.... the late Ian McDonald's Revolution In The Head is a wonderful introduction to the Beatles.

Edit: When I first read Song & Dance Man it was all the quoting of the Biblical imagery that made me uneasy. Now it seems I'm more comfortable with the Bible as literature. What I don't get now is all the blues stuff. I appreciate being given the references but now, I really don't need every last time the phrase 'woke up this morning' was ever used in a blues song.

Another peculiarity of the book is that Gray makes such a big deal about the use of both the Old & New Testaments in Dylan's work, and about the 'born again' period, but there is hardly any mention that Dylan is in fact Jewish, and that becoming a Christian was something of an event from this perspective.

[Randy's Girl]

I am currently reading a book called Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. It's the sequel to last year's The Lies Of Locke Lamora (which is my favourite book ever). It's not actually published until June - I have a proof copy - one of the advantages to working in a bookshop! Love these two books!!!

I've also read Bad Luck And Trouble by Lee Child (fab!) and Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Lundy (it's a kids book and really enjoyable).

[janisjoplin]

Books are another passion of mine

I'm currently reading "The Chamber" by John Grisham - a real page turner

[sodascouts]

I've read The Chamber, too. Great book!

[SweetHolly]

I've read The Chamber too. Really good book. I've read quite a few of John Grisham's books and I enjoyed reading them.

[Freypower]

Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath. It's wonderful. This is the first time I've read it in years and I had forgotten how raw & powerful it is.

Also Anthony Burgess' Earthly Powers, a semi-fictional romp through the 20th century starring a writer based on Somerset Maugham & the eventual Pope John XXIII. Not for everyone but if you have a strong stomach & you like a good yarn try it.