What do you like to read???? Favorite authors or novels?

[BuckyXTC]

After visiting the thread on favorite TV shows, the thought occurred to me that I read a lot more than I watch television. Favorite authors would have to be Flannery O'Connor, Reynolds Price, Pat Conroy, Larry McMurtry and John Irving.

 

My favorite Reynolds Price novel is "The Promise of Rest". Favorite Flannery O'Connor book is her collected short stories. Favorite Larry McMurtry novel is "Lonesome Dove". Favorite Pat Conroy novel is "The Prince of Tides". Favorite John Irving novel is "A Prayer for Owen Meany".

 

How about it guys? Anyone else an avid fiction reader?

 

BuckyXTC

[Guest biga]

As someone who is trying to read more this could be a great thread i usually stick to what i call "airport books" John Grisham,Steven King,James Patterson (absolutely ADORE the Alex Cross novels)i will be very sad and say that one of my favourite authors is Jackie Collins !.After the recent thread on Reinaldo Arenas "Before Night Falls"i went out and bought a copy of it and LOVED it,the only "gay"author i read regularly is E Lynn Harris so this could be the start of something good Cheers Andy

[Guest Viewmaster]

Sorry, I seldom read fiction. I'm a devout biograpy reader.

[BuckyXTC]

<the only "gay"author

>i read regularly is E

>Lynn Harris so this could

>be the start of something

>good Cheers Andy

 

Hi Andy:

 

In my humble opinion, Reynolds Price is the finest author in America today, and he's gay. He's still teaching literature at Duke University, and does so from a wheelchair. Some years back, he had a nasty form of cancer called astrocytoma (on his spinal cord) and is pretty restricted but happy to be alive). That form of cancer is invariably fatal, so Reynolds beat the odds, and the literary world is the beneficiary of his survival. As I said, my favorite novel by him is "The Promise of Rest"......the story of a university professor who brings his very gifted but AIDS ravaged son home from New York to die at home with family. This is one powerful, powerful story. I'm willing to bet if you read it you'll be hooked and will become a Reynolds Price fan.

[ted]

For relaxation, on the plane, and during the inevitable flight delays I typically read mysteries, some sci fi. Have read all of Christie Patricia Cornwell, and PD James, currently working through the Kellermans, Grafton, and a few others.

[Guest DaddyWayne]

Anne Rice has always been a favorite -- of recent vintage, Memnoch the Devil was especially a page turner. She's so descriptive, but it can get tedious at times. Anyone read the book by her son, Christopher?

[Laurent]

Bucky XTC has reading tastes amazingly similar to mine. I found THE PROMISE OF REST riveting; this reaction may have been heightened by the fact that I read the book shortly after a close friend had succumbed to AIDS. It was the first Price book that I had read; since then I've discovered others worth the time. I too liked THE PRINCE OF TIDES, but I think THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE moved me more strongly. Again, this reaction could be purely personal history, since I was a college student caught up in the civil rights sruggle in the late 50's and early 60's. CONRACK, while not as appealing, was well worth reading. Some of Flannery O'Connor's short stories have provided me incredible enjoyment. "Greenleaf" provides both entertainment and insight; I truly believe O'Connor's works enrich one's life.

[+ deej]

Agatha Christie.

 

I think I've read them all, but I get so wrapped up in the story-telling I forget how it ends.

 

Have often picked one up in an airport, devoured it in flight, and discarded it at the other end. It's great escapism.

 

Sad to say it, but the only time I get a chance to read something that doesn't have a CD in the back flap (tech books) is when I travel.

 

One thing I read recently, tho, was the autobiography of Sir George Solti. (Former musical director of the Chicago Symphony.) Fascinating man. He was born in Buda (across the river from Pest) and lived through the Nazi occupation and world travel at a time when it really was risky. For any classical music buff it really is a fascinating read.

[mmk]

I have recently been reading autobigraphies of celebrities lately. I just read Mary Tyler Moore's and Ann Margaret's. I am trying to find the book that Gilda Radner wrote but am having a hard time. I do have Gladys Knight's and Cher's but have not read them yet. One biography that I have read was the one that Judd Winick wrote called "Pedro and Me", the biography of "The Real World" cast member Pedro Zamora who announced he was gay and was HIV positive in the season they were roommates together. I myself have maybe seen two episodes of the Real World in all the years it has been on but this book, which is drawn and written like a very thick comic book and it deals with coming out, acceptance, AIDS awareness and loss. This is one of the few books that I have ever read that actually brought me to tears yet made me feel very proud of the fact that I am gay. I recommend this book highly.

[Guest cp8036]

I love biographies as well.

 

Has anyone read Eleanor Roosevelt's? I heard it was a good read.

[Guest delhi]

Pat Conroy's only decent novel is "The Great Santini." The rest of his fiction blows. I haven't read "Conrack," which is nonfiction.

 

THE Great American Novel of twentieth century is "The Confessions of Nat Turner" by William Styron. I read "Roots" first and thought it was powerful, but later when I read "The Confessions" I realized it makes "Roots" look like something written on the back of a cocktail napkin. The fact that Styron has not yet been given the Nobel Prize and Toni Morrison has just shows what bullshit the Nobel committee really is. Bunch of herring eaters!

 

A close second is "It Can't Happen Here" by Sinclair Lewis. Overall he is probably the greatest American novelist of the last century.

 

John Grisham! Don't get me started. His books should be burned. And toss him on the fire while you're at it. Stop him before he writes again!

[Rod Hagen]

Once again I must agree with dehli. Grisham should be shot and Clancy should be tortured and then shot, and then tortured again.

 

The only biography I ever got into was Fred Kaplan's "Gore Vidal".

 

I read lots of science and philosophy of science books. I love(d) Carl Sagan, I can't get enough Simon LeVay or Stephen J. Gould, and Richard Dawkins is my only God.

 

I've always loved travel essays, and actually met Paul Theroux, my favorite travel writer. Tim Cahill is lots of fun because he allows you to stumble along with him through his daventure travels, laughing all the way.

 

Fiction that turns me on is anything by David Sedaris, of course (and curse you if you've never read "Holidays on Ice"), John Irving's masterpieces, Robert Stone's thoughtful spouts of hatred and despair, Umberto Ecco's musings, Sommerset Maughm, Forster and Isherwood make me feel as if the world is a fabulous gay playground. And if I want to be entertained but not think too hard (not as regular an event as you may think) I do enjoy Stephen King and Clive Barker and Ethan Morden and Michael Thomas Ford.

 

I also review my Chemistry and Physics texts from time to time. That stuff is very easy to forget.

 

God, now that I've started, it's nearly impossible to stop. It'd be easier to list writers whom I despise (Felice Picano, Joseph Itiel...). No, wait, that's an even longer list.

 

-Hagen

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

"Good afternoon Oceania traffic. Trinidad 5 Golf Tango taking the active two-five runway for a left turn at the shoreline"

[Rod Hagen]

I mean "Delhi"!

 

http://www.rodhagen.com

"Good afternoon Oceania traffic.

Trinidad 5 Golf Tango taking the

active two-five runway for a left turn at

the shoreline"

[Guest cp8036]

<(and curse you if you've never read "Holidays on Ice"), >

 

The best from that book was the piece about holiday letters people write in Christmas cards. How the Vietnamese girl suddenly comes home to find her long-lost GI father.

[Guest biga]

Dear Bucky,Re:Reynolds Price just looked him up on amazon.co.uk and found The Promise of Rest(which i ordered ,thanks )also found some of the following

1.The Tongues of Angels

2.Roxanna Slade

3.The Surface of Earth

4.A Perfect Friend

5.Blue Calhoun

6.Kate Valden

7.A Long and Happy Life

8.Clear Pictures

any recomendations ! Cheers Andy

[Matt_Vancouver]

Favorite novel of all time.... sounds cliche but 1984 by Orwell."'Who controls the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

have read it several times, and find something new everytime.

currently in the process of reading a few books by Thich Nhat Hanh, about Buddhism. (a recently discovered interest.)

Love Henry Miller (everything), Ayn Rand 'Atlas Shrugged' 'Fountainhead', Burroughs (everything), F. Scott Fitzgerald 'Great Gatsby', Aldous Huxley 'Brave New World', Margaret Atwood 'Handmaids Tale'...... do you think there is a theme??

Matt(dumb whore)

http://go.to/mattsplace

matt_escort@yahoo.com

[BuckyXTC]

>Dear Bucky,Re:Reynolds Price just looked him

>up on amazon.co.uk and found

>The Promise of Rest(which i

>ordered ,thanks )also found some

>of the following

>1.The Tongues of Angels

>2.Roxanna Slade

>3.The Surface of Earth

>4.A Perfect Friend

>5.Blue Calhoun

>6.Kate Valden

>7.A Long and Happy Life

>8.Clear Pictures

>any recomendations ! Cheers Andy

>

 

Hi Andy:

Roxanna Slade is excellent, I didn't like Blue Calhoun that much. Clear Pictures and A Long and Happy life are very good. One you didn't mention that may be out of print is Good Hearts----masterful character development. Enjoy.....this guy is incredible!

Bucky

[+ deej]

>Has anyone read Eleanor Roosevelt's? I heard it was a good read.

 

I've heard that too.

 

I did read Doris Kearns Goodwin's "No Ordinary Time" which is about the Roosevelts during WWII. My grandmother actually recommended it to me and it's a fascinating description of not only the era, but of their lives.

[Laurent]

I must agree that THE CONFESSIONS OF NAT TURNER is a powerful book. A LESSON BEFORE DYING also held me spellbound. Other than CONFESSIONS, however, you and I have sharply different opinions.

[BuckyXTC]

>I must agree that THE CONFESSIONS

>OF NAT TURNER is a

>powerful book. A LESSON

>BEFORE DYING also held me

>spellbound. Other than CONFESSIONS,

>however, you and I have

>sharply different opinions.

 

 

Hi Laurent! I heartily agree with you that Ernest Gaines "A Lesson before Dying" is superb. Just purchased the Density of Souls novel by Anne Rice's son and have read about fifty pages so far today.....looks good at this stage, for a first novel.

 

BuckyXTC

[Matt_Vancouver]

Not a bad first outing, but definatly borrows from MOMs style. A bit on the imature side, but a good read.

matt(prefers Poppy Z. Brite to Anne Rice....a must read Exquisite Corpse)

http://go.to/mattsplace

matt_escort@yahoo.com

[Guest biga]

Matt(dumb whore)

I THINK NOT ,I am sure this has been said before but from your postings on various subjects you are anything but, you come across as a very intelligent guy as well as sweet and very nice human being dont put yourself down so much !(I know you are joking ) Carry on the good work Andy

[Matt_Vancouver]

Part of my charm is my self depreciating sense of humour: )

I am anything but a dumb whore, I just play one on television.

Matt(in the 90th percentile: )(that means I gots me sum o dem brain things)

http://go.to/mattsplace

matt_escort@yahoo.com

[Guest jeffOH]

I read mostly spirtitual/New Age type books. My favortie authors

are Deepak Chopra, Neale Donald Walsch, Gary Zukav and the one

I've read numerous times, The Third Millennium by Ken Carey.

I'm currently reading Reflections on the Art of Living-A Joseph

Campbell companion.

 

Jeff4hire@aol.com

[Guest gregg15555]

You MUST read "The Promise of Rest." It is, indeed, a powerful and compelling novel by one our our country's best authors.