Comments for Lizzy's Literary Life

Comment on The File – Timothy Garton Ash (and giveaway results) by Jen P

Jen P — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:18:41 +0000

Oh I’m thrilled – thank you!

I love the sound of this book too – I’ll have to read it after Stasiland. So excited! Danke!

Comment on Cityliterature (1): Citylit London by Tracey

Tracey — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:58:33 +0000

I haven’t heard of this series but this one sounds so tempting. I know I won’t always live in London – all the more reason to look out for it now!

Comment on Cityliterature (2): Citylit Berlin and associated giveaways by lizzysiddal

lizzysiddal — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:05:36 +0000

Giveaway now closed.

Comment on BBAW Competition Winners and a few surprises by Josette

Josette — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:12:55 +0000

Hi Lizzy, just wanna let you know that I received the copy of ‘The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite’ yesterday.

Thank you very much!

Comment on TSS:Cityliterature 3, 4 and 5: Seeking your advice by DKS

DKS — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:05:11 +0000

It’s been several years since I lived in Vegas, but the only good bookshop I can remember, besides a Borders, was the Albion, out on East Desert Inn. A nice secondhand place.

Putting aside Hunter S. T.’s book, which has already been recommended, the only two Vegas books I can think of are Leaving Las Vegas, and Tim Powers’ Last Call, a fantasy novel about a poker player who finds himself wound up in the legend of the Fisher King.

Comment on TSS:Cityliterature 3, 4 and 5: Seeking your advice by KevinfromCanada

KevinfromCanada — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:10:39 +0000

Lizzy: The Phillip Marlowe books are coming up to their 70th anniversary but Raymond Chandler’s novels are still the best at portraying the Hollywood/Santa Monica parts of Los Angeles, for my money. John Fante’s Bandini quartet is also excellent (more about the Port and Bunker Hill, near downtown) but probably too much reading given your time horizon — might be better scheduled for after your visit.

Bookstore recommendations in LA are tough since I don’t know where you are staying — if you are close to Pasadena, Vroman’s in downtown Pasadena is California’s oldest and largest independent (I think) and was Publisher’s Weekly’s bookstore of the year in 2008. It is very good and highly recommended.

Comment on TSS:Cityliterature 3, 4 and 5: Seeking your advice by lizzysiddal

lizzysiddal — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:03:38 +0000

Some good suggestions coming in I see. I wonder, do I have any in the TBR ….

Colette: Not me, Cheeta, I’m afraid. (Thanks for the offer.) I suspect the joke may wear thin after a dozen pages. However, I do have a copy of “The Moon’s A Balloon” – surely one of the original celebrity memoirs. I remember reading it in my teens. Might be worth a revisit.

Simon, Marieke: Tales of the City – the inspiration for Alexander McCall Smith 44 Scotland Street, apparently. Love 44 Scotland Street. Maupin might be worth a punt.

Annabel – Michael Connelly’s a must, isn’t he. I’m pretty sure I have one of his somewhere. I read everything he wrote up to 3 or 4 years ago. “Then I began to suspect that he had his eye more on the potential films than on the plot of his novels. (It was that OTT chase in “The Narrows” what did it.) But a break is maybe all I needed and thrillers are my reading matter of choice on long flights.

Talking of crime, which city is associated with Hammett’s Thin Man?

Comment on TSS:Cityliterature 3, 4 and 5: Seeking your advice by Marieke

Marieke — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:31:04 +0000

For Vegas, You can’t go wrong with Hunter S Thompson’s _Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas_.

For San Fran, I think _Tales of the City_ is a fantastic suggestion.

Jean Baudrillard wrote a fascinating meditation on the American West in _America_ with wonderful sections on the desert and its cities.

Comment on TSS:Cityliterature 3, 4 and 5: Seeking your advice by Annabel Gaskell

Annabel Gaskell — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:38:26 +0000

Of course you MUST go to the Beats bookshop in SF – City Lights.

The only book I can think of set in Las Vegas is ‘Void Moon’ by Michael Connelly. One of his few non-LA, standalone crime novels. Not his best but still worth reading. His LA-based Harry Bosch series are brilliant.

Comment on TSS:Cityliterature 3, 4 and 5: Seeking your advice by savidgereads

savidgereads — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:56:08 +0000

Well I am not sure on LA or Los Angeles I will have to rack my brains harder but for San Francisco there can be no other choice than the Tales of the City series which is light and yet dark all in one and is funny and saddening all in one, in fact I think I might have to revisit them now!

Will be back if have any LA or Los Angeles revelations.