RevMatt wrote:Right now I am re-reading Riding on the Edge: A Motorcycle Outlaw's Tale by John Hall. Biker books have always been a guilty pleasure of mine. Most books in this genre don't live up to expectations. Many are written by cops and snitches. But this book is probably second only to Hunter S. Thompson's Hells Angels in the biker pantheon. It is about how The Pagan's Motorcycle Club went from a few chapters in southern Maryland to the dominant club in the northeast. It is set in 1967-1969. John Hall was 19 years old when he became a full-patch and at 20 he was president of the Long Island chapter.

This book completely rocks. Everything you would want in a biker book and then some. He avoids all the California cliches in most biker books and sets it clearly in the northeastern context. Back then outlaw bikers in the northeast rode Triumphs, Beezers, Nortons and Beemers as well as Harleys.

Check this book out.

RevMatt wrote:Trying to jog my memory. Give me a couple more details. Darcey Steinke maybe? Now I remember. Mary Karr. But check out Darcey Steinke's memoir, Easter Everywhere also.

beantownbubba wrote:As long as i'm here:

BC, I've just started another Iain Pears novel which reminds me that you must read An Instance of the Fingerpost. Mystery, historical novel, plain old great, great book and a tour de force for Mr. Pears.

Boneman's Daughters by Ted Dekker. First one of his i've read. I might read more. This was ok - some very interesting bits and some standard right from the template bits. The bad guy is not especially compelling/interesting.

The Insider by Reece Hirsch. Good writing, but an absurd plot - u have to forgive the fact that all the main characters make wrong, sometimes preposterously wrong, decisions in order to keep the suspense/plot going. But i'd try another one 'cause the writing's good and there's definitely potential.

8 in the Box by Raffi Yessayan. This one's the real deal. Very well done for a first novel and, yo! bc! great boston flavor and color. I hope this guy will be a keeper.

Wicked Prey by John Sandford. I was hoping for more, but it's just another in a long line of mediocre by the numbers Prey books, which is such a shame because the good ones are SO damn good. Sandford can write so it's not a bad read, but it aint what it should be.

The Associate by John Grisham. I haven't read Grisham in years and now i remember why. My mother suggested it, so i should have known better. Hysterical as a satire of large big city law firms, but as a book and as a mystery? Oh please. The protagonist is not just a graduate of Yale Law School, he's NUMBER ONE in his class at Yale Law School and not just an editor of the Yale Law Journal but EDITOR IN CHIEF (thus "proving" how smart he is in Grisham's world). So how come he's so fucking stupid and never makes a right decision until Grisham decides the book's long enuf to mail to his publisher? And the sad thing is, I really don't know whether the satire part is intentional or not.

Skinner's Trail by Quintin Jardine. What a find this series has been for me. Not the best in the series, but enjoyable nonetheless and the plot takes ACC Skinner to 4 or 5 countries in Europe in less than 300 pages, so there's some good "travelogue" stuff, too.

beantownbubba wrote:Serpentine by Thomas Thompson.

What about the Alienist? Excellent, love that Edwardian Sherlock Holmes, books that give you the creeps, late at night

Reading Stone's Fall by Iain Pears, which is so far very wonderful, keeps reminding me of just how great Instance of the Fingerpost is.

Rlipps, how's that Bourne book?

Smitty wrote:currently re-reading

Steve French wrote:has anyone read Chuck Palunhiak ? specifically "Fight Club"?

I love the film, and often books are better. but honestly, how could the book be better? Your thoughts callers?

Zip City wrote:Currently reading: "Fever Pitch" by Nick Hornby

StevieRay wrote:Heard about this guy on NPR this week. He seems to write exclusively about bad things that happen to people in Eastern Europe in the thirties and early forties. Right up my alley: devourer of historical fiction that I am. I must say, having pulled it down on the Kindle, this guy's good. He's got like ten more... so, that ought to keep me busy for a couple of months perhaps?

Smitty wrote:currently re-reading

Penny Lane wrote:

Smitty wrote:currently re-reading

finishing this and i'm pretty disappointed...this greenfield guy is obnoxious and i can't stand his writing style

there's nothing much in here about the music, it's all about Spanish tony and Tommy what's his face....i get that, but is he trying to convey that he was there? it's confusing and he's very snarky about other writers who've tried to document the subject. ..he just annoys me and i was really looking forward to this book. that rolling stone article said more in 3 pages ...-i read reviews AFTER i read the book, but apparently there are a bunch of factual inaccuracies, too