Book of the Year

Anatole France - The Gods Will Have Blood. Love, pointless massacres and sardonic reflections on religion. What more could you possibly want. Terrifying Ordeal - Paul Birtill. Neither of them were out this year though.

I recommend the Attwood, Liana. Not entirely sure what chick/lit is. I'm aware of the subject matter, but I don't see how this relates to the quality of the book.

Chant - I don't want to be on a planet all on my own. I'll be lonely *sniff* If I revised earlier favourite to The Princess Bride would that help? Liana, sure I can find some sci-fi you'll like. Maybe Robert a Heinlein- v. good strong female characters. Just read Shadowlands (can't remember author's name) which is ace - dark and magical. And Weaveworld possibly... Re: chick-lit, it serves a purpose - and there is *good* chick-lit out there (Jane Green, Olivia Goldsmith and Miriam Keyes spring to mind) *Bad* chick lit is the stuff with the following plot: Girl is single. Dates man who is bad news. Has male friend/flatmate/colleague who is nice to her when her bloke is being bad but she doesn't fancy him. Then she does. The end. This *does* wipe about 90 per cent of it out, admittedly.... But as with the thread on children reading, surely grown-ups reading rubbish is better than them reading nothing? *Joins Liana in pub, defiantly buying Chardonnay, talking about fab books and looking for gorgeous guys.*

Just finished it - a stand out winner. Written in 1990 but only just discovered by me (thankyou Fiona at GetEthcial for lending it to me): 'The Roaches Have No King' by Daniel Evan Weiss. Beg, borrow, steal, spend hours in second hand shops but find it. It's an absolute gem.

Tom 'Chick Lit' , the same as 'Lad Lit.' (Hornby, Parsons Tim Lott) Simon Armatige's novel tried to be 'lad lit' but failed, it is indeed something more. A pleasent surprise. Hornby's 'How To Be Good' was a class act though. 'Ralph runs for shelter in expectation as the ghosts of threads past rear their heads' Merry Christmas Peace (please) Ralph

Just checked on The Book Place and there it is - just re-published by Serpent's Tail at £6.29 from them. Click on the banner at the top of the page, put in "Daniel Evan Weiss" and up will come his four books - I'll read the others now! Don't forget to buy all your books this way - it really helps us!

George Monbiot...."Captive State"......it'll turn you off governments for good.......

I was never turned on, Martin, but I take your point. I was never convinced by Lad/lit either, Ralph. Hornby's books are good. I don't see them as being in a different or even new genré, though. Lucky Jim, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning, This Sporting Life - are they Lad/lit?

I watched that review program last night on tv. Germaine Greer has not changed costume yet. She still looks like a trendy vicar. I'm not sure what her qualifications are, other than having the biggest ears on the planet, but she can sure talk fast. Maybe that's her qualification. That "bad scenario" for chick-lit sounds like real life to me, except for the part about the girl changing her mind at the end. I've never seen that happen in real life. Usually marries the clod, or moves on to another clod asap. A kind of clod hopper in that way. Adding to my list, I also like Atomised by the French author Houllebecq and Super Cannes by Ballard.

Tom Those books were the Blueprint Tom. I have never thought about that until now. Well observed. Ralph

recent comments have made me realise how biased my earlier posting was. of course, the Lad Lit shall be burned with the Chick Lit and readers of Lad Lit sent to Mars. the red planet will then be renamed 'Hell'. in 'Hell', the girls may say 'fab' and 'brill' and 'but hey' and 'gorgeous guy' as much as they want and think about food all the time and have failed relationships but end up walking happily down the marriage aisle. and the men may drink too much and say they drink too much and act in a way that they consider to be 'hard', but be emotionally 'soft', and play hilarious practical jokes on each other, and finally come to realise the importance of a stable relationship in their lives. am i not merciful? Liana, a vigorous programme of rehabilitation for you; for your services to literature you may stay, though perhaps you will not want to. i fear that poor Emily Dubberley may have to be exiled to chilly Pluto though, for her crime of considering Jack and Sarah her favourite film. sorry, Emily. i will not be argued with today.

Its difficult to chose the "best" Most Interesting: "Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy" Most Useful "an Unquiet mind" by Kay Redfield Jamison Most difficult to put down "all the Harry Potter books" which I read on several transatlantic flights However if I had to Choose the Best its "Cobralingus " by Jeff Noon published by Codex. Here's what's said about it, "Cobralingus is a literary revolution. It explores new ways of creating stories, using only imaginary technologies and the strangely twisted pathways inside Jeff Noon's head. Jeff Noon transforms techniques from dance music into a whole new approach to the production of words. He begins with his own fiction, or pieces 'sampled' from Shakespeare, Thomas De Quincy or Zane Grey. These are playfully 'remixed' by the Cobralingus Engine, producing fiction, poems, songs and visually stunning text." visit http://www.cobralingus.com jude xxx

The URL I just gave is presently bust try http://www.culturelab-uk.com/site/templates/issue1/archive_item_culturel... which begins "You want to write a novel but don’t know where to start? Try Jeff Noon’s imaginary writing software, Cobralingus." jude xxx

I don't know what chick-lit or lad-lit is. But if people read it and enjoy reading it, what is wrong with that? Free-country man. Totalitarion literary critics should be sent to 'Uranus' because they always seem to be up theirs. ~peace~ {and good will be upon thine all}- /\/\/\/\/\(((OOO))) LoVe ~dOvE~

I don't know what is, either, but agree with Mr Funk (if, indeed, it is he! Which I now see it is, having cleverly checked.). Enjoyed Lucky Jim, Sat Night and Sun Morning and The L-Shaped Room (dunno if that one qualifies or not, just seem to remember it being published at about the same time). *stomps off defiantly*

Woooooooo Funky!!! I love your short, sharp witty little observations ..they so often hit the mark spot on... Chant - I don't restrict myself to any style of music, or literature...to do so renders me liable to "miss out" on something potentially enjoyable simply because of my pre conceived ideas ..... For instance, I could say, that all watchers of Star Trek, and readers of Pratchett should be sent to a planet / galaxy of their choice and shot - but I wouldn't do that. I'm sure all readers of the above aren't geeky spotty anorak wearers of the highest order, and one day, I may find a sci -fi / fantasy novel that interests me. (hrmmm) :o)

Funky_Seagull, for your criminal defence of planet Mercury a special punishment has been prepared. do you have to mind the section in Superman 1 where the Krypton criminals are imprisoned in a sheet of glass and sent out into the universe? you shall be imprisoned in just such a device. your co-captor in the device will be Phyllis White. there, subject to continous poems about little birds, you shall come to know the true meaning of pain.

Liana, that posting has caused your earth rights to be revoked. your punishment will be exile on planet Pratchett, where we will see your liberal outlook put to the test. now, do you want to be a dwarf or a hobbit?

*arrgghhhhh*

can't she be an elf, Chant ?

*eyes 5' 8" self in mirror doubtfully*

*looks up at Liana in astonishment*

oooh i bought that for my eldest last week in Oxfam!! Nice one..... I *loved* My Life on a Plate...by India Knight...chick lit, but V V V funny..had me rolling around laughing, and have bought two other copies for friends who also loved it...

Well I haven't read much of what I like reading this year mainly due to my uni course dictating what books I should read. But I think my pick of the year would be 'Bad Blood' by Lorna Sage. A very readable book which gives hope for the future.

*starts chanting waiting for others to join in* FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT *nervously looks around and sheepishly becomes silent*

she could be a goblin ...

Fight? Me and Chant are down the pub...anyone else coming? :o)

a.l.kennedy's 'so i am glad' (1995)... apart from being a jolly good read, it raises some wonderful notions about writer-reader relationships. mmmmm

*frowns at Fish and excludes her from pub jaunt*

*Tom looks back and forth and wonders what to do?

*sneaks into pub wearing false beard*

*spots intruder and dobs her in to liana*

*Tom signs up Fish for ZZ Top tribute band*

tom i would be delighted to sing along with you!

*suddenly launches into air guitar solo as Fish launches into a rocking version of gimmie all your loving*

"Oooo-eee!" *Tom strains himself badly*

*Liana sits aloof in corner reading "Penny got Jilted" with a superior air*

*points and laughs*

Annie Proulx's short story collection 'Close Range' A writer of magic. One story, 'Brokeback Mountain' is an object lesson. I have read it over and over again in awe. Magnificant. Ralph Dartford

*wonders where Fish's anorak is*

*and drops her guitar on her foot*

(*fish guitar on fish foot by the way*)

Return this thread to the subject immediately or you risk a hefty fine!

sorry Dubbs *hangs head* Fancy a pint?? :o)

*lowers beard to swig guinness*

to answer your question, Martin, and it's a serious one, no, Liana can't be an elf. my mind's made up and i won't be swayed. now, i haven't met Liana, so what those of you who have met her have to ask yourselves is....

would she be better suited in a huge beard, or with furry feet? and don't you go telling me she's got both of those already, because i won't believe you. well...

and as for you, Funky_Seagull, i'm sure by now you've crept off in an agony of shame over those unkind little things you said about me earlier. what i want to say to you is, now don't you worry about me. i may have been born with a cleft lip and only one leg, but i can still take a joke as well as the next man. in point of fact, things are a lot better for me these days after the successful sex change operation. well, partially successful. but hell, who needs to have sex anyway? and, of course Emily, with regard to the original topic, i can strongly recommend blah-di-blah by Slaatibaatfaast as my book of the year.

That's a Clog writer, innit Chant?

My "Dictionary of Small Birds" has been a particular favourite this year.