What are you reading?

[geek the girl]

Right now, this lit major and self-confessed literary geek is reading... drumroll, please... A Model Summer by Paulina Porizkova. Actually, it's not all that bad. Certainly heaps better than the "novel" Naomi Campbell wrote in the mid-90's. It probably does help that I have a slightly morbid fascination with the modeling industry, as those of my fellow ANTM fans will know. Former super model Porizkova's novel reads as a thinly veiled autobiography/ugly duckling tale. Being Swedish and all, I enjoyed the bits about Swedish life, although it shows that Porizkova has spent the last twenty odd years in the US. "Kronas" and Ahlgrens Bilar jelly-fish candy, anyone? (Sorry for alienating everyone except femme fatale and swingkat.) She did live in Malmö for several years before she was scouted, though.

Anyway, the main problem I have with A Model Summer is the fact while that Porizkova clearly has literary ambitions, she can't seem to make up her mind as to whether she wanted to write a full-on steamy beach read or literary fiction. She's a surprisingly good writer - a bit rough around the edges, but she does attempt to maintain a literary voice of sorts - but the allusions to Kafka and George Sand, while entertaining for a culture slut like yours truly, seem a wee bit malplaced in this context. Personally, I enjoyed the parts where she dishes the dirt on the dark underbelly of the fashion industry the most. You know, slimy photographers, horny rock stars, eating disorders, drugs, that sort of thing. Still, if you're interested in the modeling world or just want to hold off starting that Big Fat Novel for another night, do read A Model Summer. I'd wait for the paperback, though. Says the girl who went out and got it in hardcover. I'm actually mildly embarrassed to have to count Paulina Porizkova among the, at least up until now, selected few I'm willing to go hardcover for. She's one of my all-time favourite models, though, and I remember reading several interviews with her back in the day where she couldn't stop talking about how much she loathed the superficial elements of the fashion industry and how she'd always bring a book to a photo shoot. Us book worms have to stay together.

Anyone else planning on reading this at some point?

[katgib13]

I generally read about 3 or 4 books a week, so it's always changing. Right now, I'm reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodie Picoult. It's about a high school shooting. Very sad. Normally, I read suspense and mystery novels but I read anything by J. Picoult.

[SuperBrat]

I'm currently reading Pet Peeve by Piers Anthony. I love my fantasy novels that make me laugh at the same time!

[Lotuslander]

Right now, this lit major and self-confessed literary geek is reading... drumroll, please... A Model Summer by Paulina Porizkova. Actually, it's not all that bad. Certainly heaps better than the "novel" Naomi Campbell wrote in the mid-90's. It probably does help that I have a slightly morbid fascination with the modeling industry, as those of my fellow ANTM fans will know. Former super model Porizkova's novel reads as a thinly veiled autobiography/ugly duckling tale. Being Swedish and all, I enjoyed the bits about Swedish life, although it shows that Porizkova has spent the last twenty odd years in the US. "Kronas" and Ahlgrens Bilar jelly-fish candy, anyone? (Sorry for alienating everyone except femme fatale and swingkat.) She did live in Malmö for several years before she was scouted, though.

Anyway, the main problem I have with A Model Summer is the fact while that Porizkova clearly has literary ambitions, she can't seem to make up her mind as to whether she wanted to write a full-on steamy beach read or literary fiction. She's a surprisingly good writer - a bit rough around the edges, but she does attempt to maintain a literary voice of sorts - but the allusions to Kafka and George Sand, while entertaining for a culture slut like yours truly, seem a wee bit malplaced in this context. Personally, I enjoyed the parts where she dishes the dirt on the dark underbelly of the fashion industry the most. You know, slimy photographers, horny rock stars, eating disorders, drugs, that sort of thing. Still, if you're interested in the modeling world or just want to hold off starting that Big Fat Novel for another night, do read A Model Summer. I'd wait for the paperback, though. Says the girl who went out and got it in hardcover. I'm actually mildly embarrassed to have to count Paulina Porizkova among the, at least up until now, selected few I'm willing to go hardcover for. She's one of my all-time favourite models, though, and I remember reading several interviews with her back in the day where she couldn't stop talking about how much she loathed the superficial elements of the fashion industry and how she'd always bring a book to a photo shoot. Us book worms have to stay together.

Anyone else planning on reading this at some point?

I saw her on an interview promoting this, and she was very funny, but I'll wait for the paperback.

[Calliope]

Forever by Pete Hamill.

[Critical]

Forever by Pete Hamill.

Calliope! I LOVED Forever! I not only fell in love with the story, but with Hamill's writing style as well. It's one of the books that I wish I hadn't read yet, so that I could read it again for the first time. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I did

[geek the girl]

I generally read about 3 or 4 books a week, so it's always changing. Right now, I'm reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodie Picoult. It's about a high school shooting. Very sad. Normally, I read suspense and mystery novels but I read anything by J. Picoult.

Ooh, another Jodi Picoult fan! There are several of us on this board. So far, I've read My Sister's Keeper, Vanishing Acts, and The Tenth Circle. Enjoyed them all. I'm putting Nineteen Minutes on my summer reading list, which is growing into epic proportions already even though it's not even May yet.

[DesertRose]

Upon recommendation, I bought Running with scissors and Dry. After reading a few chapters, I came on FORT to see what you all thought of it. I was surprised to see you all loved it, which made me most disappointed that I didn't. I respect many of your opinions and realizing I didn't share your love of this book made me feel like I missed something. I just couldn't get over the vulgarity of it all. But I didn't hate it and I will absolutely read Dry.

[Uncle David]

I loved the book Running with Scissors. If you've only read a few chapters you may want to tough out a few more.

As I am want to do, I listened to the audio version read by Augusten himself. Unfortunately, I have never recommended it to other heterosexual friends, nor have I listened to any of his other books. Although not homophobic, (some of my best friends are gay ) the graphically described sex scenes were more than I was prepared to handle.

It probably wasn’t a problem for those who read the book because you can skip ahead to the end of the act if you're bothered. When you listen to the book you don’t have that option. You either listen to the whole act or run the risk of missing a potentially important passage that follows it.

Normally, I would have saved the recording and listened to it again in the future, but in this case I gave it to a gay friend of mine. He loved it also.

[canuckinchile]

YIPPEE! It is really hard to find english books here, so when a friend dropped off a bag of books, I was elated. There are a couple that look really interesting (not current, but beggars can't be choosers!): The Cure for Death by Lightening by Gail Anderson-Dargate, and Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.

It has cooled off significantly here, the leaves are turning, and it is just the day to curl up with a good book and a blankie.