What are you reading?

[iheartgranola]

Having just done a quick read of Catcher in the Rye, I'm getting ready to start Big Little Lies. I didn't watch the HBO series, but from what I've heard I should plan to after I've read it.

What about you? What have you read this year, are you currently reading, or intend to read soon?

[Vera Charles]

I'm just finishing Nick Hytner's Balancing Acts - an account of his time running the National Theatre. Interesting in parts, gossipy and bursts of insight. I've also got a few (British) political auto biographies on the go - Kenneth Clarke's Kind of Blue is next up.
I've also just started Paul Scott's Staying On - triggered by my rewatching the 1980's telly adaptation of The Jewel in the Crown.

[Gsavage14]

Currently reading 'Going to Sea in a Sieve' by Danny Baker - autobiography of a British presenter and writer, (IMHO) one of the most under-rated masters of radio in recent years, but also a brilliantly nostalgic read for anyone who grew up in (or near) Britain of the 1970s and 80s

Just finished reading (again) A Song Of Spider-Man ... Not brilliantly written but horribly compelling read about the absolute car-crash that was the production period for Spider-Man on Broadway.

[Gsavage14]

I'm just finishing Nick Hytner's Balancing Acts - an account of his time running the National Theatre. Interesting in parts, gossipy and bursts of insight.

Have you read Richard Eyre's NT diaries - Changing Stages? Haven't read it for a while, but remember it being similarly intriguing

[Chris L]

Having just done a quick read of Catcher in the Rye, I'm getting ready to start Big Little Lies. I didn't watch the HBO series, but from what I've heard I should plan to after I've read it.

What about you? What have you read this year, are you currently reading, or intend to read soon?

Have you read Salinger's Glass family stories? I've always preferred them to The Catcher in the Rye.


As for me, I can't seem to focus on anything. I've been about halfway through Noah "Fargo" Hawley's novel Before the Fall for several weeks now.

[Hester Jean]

Having just done a quick read of Catcher in the Rye, I'm getting ready to start Big Little Lies. I didn't watch the HBO series, but from what I've heard I should plan to after I've read it.

What about you? What have you read this year, are you currently reading, or intend to read soon?

Catcher in the Rye is my "purse book" right now!!!

[Vera Charles]

Have you read Richard Eyre's NT diaries - Changing Stages? Haven't read it for a while, but remember it being similarly intriguing

I read them a while back (I think when I was still working there) and found them fascinating - much meatier and more thoughtful than Hytner's. Have you read Michael Blakemore's account of his time at the NT? Can't remember what it's called, but it is excoriating and a real page turner!

[Gsavage14]

Not yet! Will do some digging and add it to the list!

[Leighton]

Blakemore's is something about blood ... Stage Blood?

I loved Eyre's National Service.

I am currently reading Richard Yates's Eleven Kinds of Loneliness ... slowly but surely!

[Vera Charles]

Blakemore's is something about blood ... Stage Blood?

I loved Eyre's National Service.

I am currently reading Richard Yates's Eleven Kinds of Loneliness ... slowly but surely!

Yes, of course, to both titles - well done to your still youthful brain for remembering!

[Leighton]

I own Stage Blood but I've not actually read ... I just remember loving the account in Peter Hall's diaries of Blakemore calling for a vote of no confidence in him early in his tenure at the NT and the other directors just looking awkwardly around and refusing to take part.  The Eyre books are probably some of my favourite writings about theatre.

[iheartgranola]

Have you read Salinger's Glass family stories? I've always preferred them to The Catcher in the Rye.

I've never even heard of them! But a cursory search on Goodreads didn't turn up anything... Is this part of a bigger collection or something? I'd love to read more Salinger.

[Chris L]

Have you read Salinger's Glass family stories? I've always preferred them to The Catcher in the Rye.

I've never even heard of them! But a cursory search on Goodreads didn't turn up anything... Is this part of a bigger collection or something? I'd love to read more Salinger.

There are two major collections, each with two Glass family novellas in them: Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roofbeam Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Both are excellent. There's also a story about Seymour Glass in Salinger's short story collection Nine Stories, but that book is recommended for all nine stories, not just that one ("A Perfect Day for Bananafish").

[nulipp]

Trying to get through Gaiman's American Gods before I watch the miniseries, but I haven't been very dutiful in my reading.  I'm going to have a LOT of idle travel time over the next week and a half (see my "What's Been Going On ..." post in General Discussion), so I expect I'll be catching up!

[iheartgranola]

Trying to get through Gaiman's American Gods before I watch the miniseries, but I haven't been very dutiful in my reading.  I'm going to have a LOT of idle travel time over the next week and a half (see my "What's Been Going On ..." post in General Discussion), so I expect I'll be catching up!

It's a beast, but it's worth it! I read it back in January before I knew about the series... And I have to say that the first season is a damn good adaptation, but I guess that's for another subforum