Bookseller HO!

Books that I've recently read and would like to talk about:

The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan: totally riveting and disturbing. I started and finished it in one sitting (it's only 153 pages long). A twisted memoir of children left on their own one long hot summer after the parents' death. Sexually charged and apocalyptic in a small, airless, British way.

Whores: The oral History of Perry Farrell and Jane's Addiction by Brendan Mullen: I like oral histories. They give immediacy and movement to a narrative, and the conflicting viewpoints are constantly humourous and remind you of how subjective everything is. Another book on the roots of Punk called "Kill Me Tomorrow" is my favorite written in this style. This book on my favorite band from my teen era; Jane's, is interesting and only a little dismaying. I really have got to not ever read books on my musical idols because I will most often be dissapointed. Money corrupts. That's all there is to it. Who new that Farrell was on tons of crack?! I sort of wanted a "where are they today" section at the end. The book did make me dig out ritual and listen to it while I cleaned this morning.

The Scar by China Mieville: The second I've read by my new literary heart-throb China Mieville (he's a red--can you tell?). His books are baroque and grotesque and have heart-stopping action and riveting turns of language and image and plot. They all take place in the imaginary world of Bas Lag. Highly original and intelligent. AND there are horrible monsters! Yikes!

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter: I recently discovered Angela Carter through the blog of ANOTHER Carter. (Roxanne Carter the captivating blogger/photographer/writer who's livejournal is here. She has extremely good taste in just about everything. We share some asthetic sensibilities (and we both work with books) and so I take her reccomendations on things)Angela Carter writes her own versions of folf-tales, myths and fairy stories with scintillating results. They are visceral and incredible. She can WRITE, folks, like all get out and is witty and perverse and can turn out some incredible descriptions--red poppies like "bubbles of blood" for instance. People always refer to Angela Carter as a feminist writer, but I am so much a feminist just naturally that I don't notice when someone else is. It's like the normal state of being for me.

That's my abreviated list so far, just books that I've read in the last two weeks. Want more book talk? How about Orion Reads!