Am interested to discuss books with peeps here.
What books are you reading at the moment?
Are you enjoying it? Why did you decide to read it?
Have you just finished one? Was it good? Would you recommend it?

I've just finished for the umpteenth time "African Wisdom" by Owen Burnham and Aliyou Diatta. Beautifully written and very interesting.

I also just finished The Portrait of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde. I've read other stuff but never this one and I never knew the end before now, it really stirred some passionate feelings (of hate!) for Dorian!!

I have now gone back to Animals In Transition by Temple Grandin, I started it months ago but although it's interesting its also hard work and needs concentration, so I've started from the beginning again.

Unfortunately I`ll be reading nothing but dry legal texts for the foreseeable future!

However, the last novel I started was Midnight`s Children by Salman Rushdie, but I found his style curiously annoying and didn`t get beyond a couple of chapters.

The last book I finished was Point Counter Point by Aldous Huxley, one of my favourite writers. Social satire, science fiction, druggy autobiography...you name it, he`s written about it beautifully.

I read Antic Hay years ago but can't for life of me remember a single thing about it! But yeah i agree I love brave new world. Got my son to read it when he was about 10 and he thought it was great too!!

I find it quite sad that these days youngsters arent interested in the 'classics'. and they are trying to remove them from schools, i mean my son did his o'levels about 4 yrs ago and the twaddle he brought home for his English Lit was just awful, (although he *did* do MacBeth) I'm not a fan of modern stuff i'm afraid.

I'm just starting '1984', by George Orwell. I had it for my birthday in September, and haven't been able to find the time to sit down with it since.

For me, classics means 'have stood the test of time'.
Do you think there will ever be another shakespeare, or dickens? I think not, simply because Hollywood Blockbusters are taking over the written word.
I've seen countless profiles on here that state "I don't read books" but not a single one have I seen that said "I don't watch films" - even the ones who say they don't watch tv (like I dont have a tv) have listed their favorite films.
If I were sat in a crowded doctor's surgery and said "What do you all think of MacBeth?" - I bet the older generation would say Great/rubbish/boring/and would be able quote a line or two.....and I bet the younger generation would say Loved the film/boring film.....

[ And is Jane Austen really anything more than chick-lit with petticoats?[/quote]

Nope, in my opinion that's exactly what it is! (living in her hometown, am I allowed to be so rude?!). Never liked Jane Austin, too girlie for me, give me Moby Dick instead any day.

[/quote]give me Moby Dick instead any day.[/quote]

The Simpsons - Homer is preparing to shoot a grizzly bear that scared him earlier:

Lisa (pleading) "Dad, it`s impossible to take revenge on an animal. That`s the whole point of Moby Dick!"

Homer (patronising) "Lisa honey, the point of Moby Dick is `Be Yourself`"

Well it made me laugh...

Good one!