What books are we reading at the moment ?

[DaveJ]

Just finished Wolf Hall and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Not my normal fare at all.  I liked the interplay of wit between the characters, very sharp.  I think I might look at A Man for All Seasons again now which I read for "O" level and didn't enjoy.   And then there's Bring Up The Bodies already on the Kindle.

I've also read The Fireflies of Port Stanley, which I feel guilty about having found very amusing.

Dave

[citoyen]

Today's Kindle bargains of the day: The Crow Road and The Wasp Factory, both 99p.

Two books I loved when I read them as an impressionable teen, which were on my wishlist as Things To Get Around To Re-reading One Day. It'll be interesting to see how I react to them now compared to how I reacted to them back then. I'll punt them my son's way too - I'd love to know if they'll have the same impact on a 21st century teen.

[interzen]

REAMDE - Neal Stephenson

I've been reading it on the Nexus whilst turbo-training and I must say I'm rather enjoying it. I actually pre-ordered the Kindle version but have only now got round to actually starting on it. Not as good a 'Snow Crash', IMO, but much better than 'The Diamond Age' (again IMO) - typical Stephenson, really - infodumps and plot contortions ahoy

Recent reads have included: 'Consider Phlebas' (the first Iain Banks novel I read, and I've loved the Culture books ever since) and 'Neuromancer' - both books I can easily go back to.

[Lady Cavendish]

Thanks Citoyen, just downloaded those 

[Mrs Pingu]

The Universe Versus Alex Woods.

(Sneaky graun linky there)

This entertained me most of the weekend. There were lots of laughs. And somewhere around Steeple Claydon a few sobs.

I are just finished this one. It was good, and a wee bit sad....

I've just downloaded Iain Banks' The Quarry, the new one by Andrey Kurkov and the new one by Alistair Reynolds. That should keep me going for a couple of weeks

[tiermat]

Last night I finished "The Dirty Streets of Heaven" by Tad Williams, much much better than his previous books, partly due to the fact that there is only, really, one major character and fewer minor characters than his previous books.

Instead of jumping straight into his next Bobby Dollar book, I have decided to start "The Spirit Lamp" by Stephen Lawhead, the fourth book in his "Bright Empires"  five book series.

[Quisling]

I've just finished "The Summer Book" by Tove Jansson, she of the Moomins fame. It's an excellent, gentle read about a summer spent on a small island by a young girl and her elderly grandmother.  Like Garrison Keiller's Lake Wobegone Days, The Summer Book is a book about nothing with no plot, but instead is filled with gentle observations on the characters, place and rituals.  The book is also semi-autobiographical.  I liked it.

[fuzzy]

Finally finished my umpteenth reading of Chickenhawk- took me a long time this time round, due to other stuffs getting in the way. Each time I remember what a cracking book this is.

About to commence The Land of Painted Caves, book 6 in the Jean M Auel Earths Children series.

I hadn't realised this book was out- 12 years between the release of books 5 and 6. I stumbled across it whilst trawling a charity shop book shelf.

I will need to read a Wiki synopsis of The Shelters of Stone to remind me what was going on.

Finished last night (books are taking me an age to read at the moment Probably due to failing specs prescription which made reading under artificial light at home a bit of a chore. Prescription fail rectified now).

A fairly good read as are all the Earths Children books but, as I understand this is the final book, the ending was a bit flat.

[T42]

Sansom - Dominion. 1952: Britain surrendered after Dunkirk. Police vs Resistance. It plods.

[her_welshness]

Having chosen to put to one side 'The Luminaries' by Eleanor Catton (actually I couldn't justify sticking this gargantuan book in my pannier bag so its sat in the staff-room) the fourth book that I have chosen to read is 'The Lowland' by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Set in Calcutta just after WW2, it is about 2 little boys growing up together and how their lives unfold. Upon setting up their own radio in their teens and with their intellect far outstripping everyone at their school, it is the younger brother who wants to fight oppression whilst the older brother just wants to be an academic and have a quiet life. It is the younger brothers actions that have dire consequences on his family and loved ones.

I can't say too much about the story because I do not want to give it all away, this is my favourite out of the 4 so far. I read this in one sitting, could not put the book down. The writing is profoundly moving all throughout and her characters are so compelling. Considering that this author has won the Pulitzer Prize I am not overly surprised! The one remaining mystery that prevails right to the very end is very convincingly upheld.

[fuzzy]

Just launched into David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins: My pursuit of Lance Armstrong.

Compelling. I had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed. Failure would have resulted in a non functioning fuzzy at work this morning.

I really must get a copy of LA Confidential.

[citoyen]

Sansom - Dominion.

This is another I've picked up recently while it was 99p for Kindle. I've heard good things about the Shardlake series but you're not the first reviewer to comment on the lack of pace in Dominion. Hmmm.

[nicknack]

Just finished Skallagrigg by William Horwood. I can stop crying now.

[Jacomus]

Finally finished my umpteenth reading of Chickenhawk- took me a long time this time round, due to other stuffs getting in the way. Each time I remember what a cracking book this is.

About to commence The Land of Painted Caves, book 6 in the Jean M Auel Earths Children series.

I hadn't realised this book was out- 12 years between the release of books 5 and 6. I stumbled across it whilst trawling a charity shop book shelf.

I will need to read a Wiki synopsis of The Shelters of Stone to remind me what was going on.

Finished last night (books are taking me an age to read at the moment Probably due to failing specs prescription which made reading under artificial light at home a bit of a chore. Prescription fail rectified now).

A fairly good read as are all the Earths Children books but, as I understand this is the final book, the ending was a bit flat.

Is that Chickenhawk by Robert Mason, Vietnam War helicopter pilot?

You would probably enjoy Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story By Chuck Gross

[fuzzy]

Finally finished my umpteenth reading of Chickenhawk- took me a long time this time round, due to other stuffs getting in the way. Each time I remember what a cracking book this is.

About to commence The Land of Painted Caves, book 6 in the Jean M Auel Earths Children series.

I hadn't realised this book was out- 12 years between the release of books 5 and 6. I stumbled across it whilst trawling a charity shop book shelf.

I will need to read a Wiki synopsis of The Shelters of Stone to remind me what was going on.

Finished last night (books are taking me an age to read at the moment Probably due to failing specs prescription which made reading under artificial light at home a bit of a chore. Prescription fail rectified now).

A fairly good read as are all the Earths Children books but, as I understand this is the final book, the ending was a bit flat.

Is that Chickenhawk by Robert Mason, Vietnam War helicopter pilot?

You would probably enjoy Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story By Chuck Gross

Robert Mason it was.

I will keep my eyes open for Rattler one seven. Thanks Jacs.

[Biff]

I've discovered a whole new genre

[fuzzy]

Just launched into David Walsh's Seven Deadly Sins: My pursuit of Lance Armstrong.

Compelling. I had to force myself to put it down so I could go to bed. Failure would have resulted in a non functioning fuzzy at work this morning.

I really must get a copy of LA Confidential.

Finished last night.

What a complete and utter twat I was to fall for it

Having read the book, the evidence that was apparent for all to see was obvious. Hero worship goggles are very restrictive though.

The book seems to skit about a bit in places, backwards and forwards in time but a very compelling read.

As for the author. Respect to David Walsh for sticking with it. Respect also to Betsy, Frankie, Emma and Steve for standing up to be counted.

[citoyen]

I've discovered a whole new genre

That is amazing.

[pcolbeck]

The First Crusade - Thomas Asbridge

Just starting on this. Really interesting stuff on how Urban II militarized the papacy and twisted doctrine to allow for holy war.

[Chris S]

I've discovered a whole new genre

That is amazing.

Yes, quite incredible. This made me larf:

Everybody assumes that these books are by random perverts, but one of these days the camera's going to pull back and we're going to see, like, Kofi Annan, hunched over a typewriter with an impish twinkle in his eye.

[ian]

"A very special T-Rex is hunting her -- this T-Rex has psychic powers."

[citoyen]

"Horrified and aroused by the horned giant, Beliria must find a way to..."

What must Beliria find a way to do? Control her ferocious womanly urges? Tame the massive prehistoric beast? Resist penetration by its rampant dino-penis?

No, apparently, she must find a way to "...control the situation."

Talk about bathos.

[ian]

Hmm, I've never going to be able to regard the Crystal Palace wrongosaurs in quite the same light again.

I've also now learned there's a healthy academic debate about whether or not dinosaurs had penises. Thanks Google!

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I'm just about to start Doctor Sleep. Or at least I was until I read the posts above and realised what else I could be reading.

[Regulator]

Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel (sp?)

I read the 4 pages given away in the times. Historical Fiction Quite Good - mattc Shocked.

I'm a big Hilary Mantel fan....