[Andres]

Harry Potter - the most over rated shit.

Why overrated? Its not like people claim that its a masterful work of literary art, it started as a kids book for christs sake. Its just the story gets more complicated as the characters age, and most of the story is quite enjoyable. I like it, but I wouldnt nominate it as book of the decade or the century.

[Le Rouge]

Did you finish it? Granted most of the book is a little slow going, with not much happening, but it is all compensated at the end.

Have you read the ending to Spiderma... I mean Half-Blood Prince?
It was so cliché I almost puked, the book was practically written by a bunch of thirteen year old obsessed fans who wanted Harry and Ginny (why is Ginny so perfect all of a sudden?) and Hermione and Ron (which I have always hated the concept of) in the most cheesiest way.

Perhaps I'm just so upset that her book lacks quality.

[Andres]

Perhaps I'm just so upset that her book lacks quality.

I think your problem is that you expect too much of it. It started as a kids book, what do you expect was going to happen? Then ending is interesting, and the romances in between make for a little comic relief and appeal to the core reader of the book.

Dont expect a lemon tree to give you oranges (so my granpa used to say )

[Le Rouge]

By literay quality, I mean in comparison to her previous books (particularily Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix).

[Andres]

By literay quality, I mean in comparison to her previous books (particularily Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix).

Then I do agree with you on that account. The two previous books had been more entertaining and the story had been more interesting. This one is a little slow, and not much happens till the end. The only reason that I continued reading it is because I wanted to know what happens, not because it was so engrossing.

I did enjoy it, but I would not say it is great.

[QatzelOk]

Capital, Karl Marx.

Along with several "reader's guide to..." accompanying books.

And some collected articles by Stalin.

[Lokakyy]

Collection of writings by Carlo Ginzburg about the microhistorical method.

[Andres]

Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton

[Lokakyy]

Just started

Endurance and endeavour. Russian history 1812 - 1992. by J.N.Westwood

[Seán Himmelb(L)au]

I'm reading Amsterdam by Ian McEwan, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and Homage To Catalonia by George Orwell again.

[era o divertimento]

Drop City by TC Boyle

[Seán Himmelb(L)au]

Amsterdam by Ian McEwan is brilliant. It's exactly the sort of style I myself write, and though I saw the twist at the end before it came it was better executed than I could have done myself. I recommend it.

[Lokakyy]

Just started

Tschandala by August Strindberg. Unfinished books keep stacking on my bedside table...

[Spin]

The Year of Liberty - Thomas Pakenham.

[galactus]

Started reading PC Jersild "De ondas kloster", trying to read "A History of Inner Asia" by Svat Soucek at the same time:/.

Unfinished books keep stacking on my bedside table...

I know the feeling.

[Ford Prefect]

Factotum by Charles Bukowski.

[Lokakyy]

I know the feeling.

Reinforced by the fact that there is absolutely too many books that I want to read.

But - I finished Strindberg, so I'm entitled to start The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.

[Aeschylus]

Gulliver's Travels and Alan Bloom's The Closing of the American Mind

Both are positively exquisite!

[Truth-a-naut]

Just finished Twilight in the Desert: The Coming Saudi Oil Shock and the World Economy by Matthew R. Simmons.

Very good, I of course recommend it to anyone interested in the eventual collapse of the oil age.

[Subversive Rob]

In terms of theory/philosophy I'm supposed to be reading Negri and Hardt's Multitude of which I am a third of the way through, however, I've been more preoccupied with numerous journal articles, so I haven't read it in a while. The first part (on war) is very interesting though.

When I'm at work there are plenty of empty spaces, so I get lots of fiction reading done, just finished re-reading Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon, which is a good book. Maybe tomorrow I'll start re-reading The Brothers Karamazov.