*Finally* finished Naked Lunch and started reading Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas again. Because I'm in the mood for epic drug-induced deconstructions of the American psyche.

Finally finished the 4th Book in the Dark Tower series and again it was brilliant.

Now im reading Crash by JG Ballard ... the one about people sexually aroused by carcrashes.

Ballard always seems to be mentioned in the same circles as the other authors I'm into at the moment (William Burroughs, Hunter S. Thompson, just started 'On The Road' by Jack Kerouac) so I might check him out.

He's not really similar to Hunter S Thompson in the slightest. Ballard is essentially a science fiction writer, but i suppose he gets mentioned in the same vain as either a) they were both pretty revolutionary writers in their day b) they're both seen as 'cool' names to drop.

If you do read some Ballard id go for High Rise, The Drowned World or Empire of the Sun.

Yeah, I know they're not similar in terms of storyline but the members of the Beat Generation like Thompson, Ginsberg - and more specifically Burroughs - had an influence on a wider circle of writers such as Ballard in terms of their explicit, modernist, masculine style. Most bibliographies in the backs of Burroughs and Thompson's books recommend reading Ballard. Might give 'im a look 'cos I love a bit of sci-fi, me.

Kingdom Come by Ballard is an exceptional read, I couldn't get into Crash though. Not tried anything else of his.

Reading World War Z by Max Brooks at the moment, loved the Zombie Survival Guide and I'm loving this so far too.

Lately I've read;
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy

Thoroughly enjoyed all of them, especially NCFOM. Couldn't tear myself away from the thing.

Currently reading Sweeny Todd and Lord of the Flies. The wife tried to get me to read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas but after only a couple of chapters I pretty much hated the thing. I'll try and persevere but it really didn't do anything for me. Picked up Empire of the Sun for £3 also, so that'll be read soon too.

Fear and Loathing is good, keep on it.

Recently read Let The Right One In. Feels strange saying this but i much preferred the film. The bits they left out of the film from the book were all a bit cartoony and stupid.

I'm half way through Fear and Loathing...nothing has actually happened and it doesn't really appear to be about anything but I'm gonna stick with it. I like Thompsons style.

I just finished Making Money by Terry Pratchett and now I'm reading L.A. Confidential by James Ellroy.

I've only ever read The Black Dahlia by Ellroy and it was brilliant, might seek some more out.

Now reading The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Well The Alchemist was a huge big pile wank and a complete waste of time. Absolute rubbish.

I recently finished, A wolf at the door by Jack Higgins, if I'm honest it was a standard Higgins affair but still entertaining enough. Pesky Russians.

I also started reading Schroedingers Cat. Fuck me is it not the most confusing thing ever.

OK

So I've decided to read the Harry Potters on holiday. The whole zeitgeist thing sorta passed me by, so I'm going to have a look and see what all the fuss was about. Am expecting a series of competent, entertaining childrens' books with a rich background story.

I read a bit of a Harry Potter book once, the writing is rubbish, it's very obviously a children's book written for children.

Was it one of the first two or three books? Obviously they're for kids, but apparently the writing and the scope grows as their intended audience gets older. So I hear.