The last novel I read was Pete Hamill's recent "Forever" - the story of a guy born in Ireland in the early 1700s who comes to NYC and (through a pretty hoary plot device) becomes effectively immortal... as long as he remains on Manhattan island. Thus, he experiences the American Revolution firsthand, hobnobs with Boss Tweed, etc., on up through September of 2001. Alas, it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be... The deck was stacked to make the lead character the uber-New Yorker (he's Irish AND Jewish, and right from the start he's adopted by the Africans too - yeah, right), much history was skipped (i.e., just treated with just passing memories during the present), and the alleged tension regarding 911 was forced and obvious. But it was an okay read...                   

                     I just finished Memoirs of a Geisha. It 's long, but it's fascinating.

So, I've moved on to re-reading Orwell's 1984, a biography of Tallulah Bankhead, and a book my stepmother gave me called She's Gone Country.                   

                     The serialized version of Alan Hackney's "I"m All Right, Jack." Excellent story, but this seems to be an instance in which the film outshines the book!                   

                     just finished reading the Necropolis Railway- very good mystery set in 1903. Not sure what I'm going for next!

Which biography of Tallulah Bankhead are you reading Eliza? I started reading one a few years back and just got so sick and tired of the salaciousness of the author that I gave up half way through. I think it was the part when he went into great detail about a one night stand she had (3 pages long!) and then dismissed the relationship she had with her girlfriend (can't remember her name!) which lasted years in one extremely short paragraph- I mean really!

So if this one is any better please tell me. A little bit of scandle is okay but there has to be some substance!                   

                     Reading "The Honourable Schoolboy" by John Le Carre. The anti-Ian Fleming - British espionage as a dingy, seedy pastime, wracked with politics and failure.

Former intelligence people I've talked to say it's a lot closer to the reality of the profession than James Bond.                   

                     I'm contemplating Wild Blue at this point, actually.

Need to finish Kerouac, Eisenhower's biography, and chew through an SAE book on WWII Allied aircraft engines first, though.                   

                     I’ve just finished reading The Brigade by Howard Blum it’s kinda like a Jewish version of Band of Brothers and tells the story of The Jewish Brigade Group.
The Jewish Brigade Group were formed towards the end of the war and fought in the final battles of the Italian campaign. After the war the Brigade were responsible for hunting down and killing Nazi’s and managed to track down and execute about two hundred Nazi’s involved in the Holocaust. They were also responsible for helping Holocaust survivors immigrate illegally to Israel. To do this papers were forged, trucks stolen and imaginary transport regiment set up as a front. The book focuses on the stories of three members of the Brigade and their their personal experiences. Someone should make a film of it.                   

                     I loved "Girl From The South" by Johanna Trollope.  It's set in Charleston SC and London England and is full of rich detail.  Love this book.                   

                     Excellent book - the sequel to Cannery Row!                   

                     I'm working on reading "Looking Backward" by Edward Bellamy. I wanted to read some early science fiction. Can't say that I'm too impressed with it though. It's interesting as an example of what early Socialists thought they were working toward, but the character development is weak. It's about a guy going to sleep in 1880 and waking up a la Buck Rogers in 2000.                   

                     Jut finished a collection of Chandler's later works that included some essays and letters, as well as some screenplay work.  The essays and letters were excellent, full of style and a real insight.

Now working through the Hammet ouvre; next up, "The Continental Op".                   

                     Right now, two essential books about grindhouse cinema:

PROUFOUNDLY DISTURBING, Joe Bob Briggs
SLEAZOID EXPRESS, Bill Landis and Michelle Clifford

Highly recommended to anyone interested in the history of trash culture.