What books are we reading at the moment ?

[Deano]

Wasn't Interview With a Vampire set in New Orleans and Louisiana?

I did read a Faulkner book as a teenager, but it left no impression on me. I'll have to go back to it.

[andrewc]

The Easy Rawlins books are very good.
I recall Poppy Z Brites "Lost Souls" being set in New Orleans as well.

[Bledlow]

Why Evolution is True, by Jerry Coyne.

Most of it's familiar stuff, but it's nice to be reminded, & even nicer to have it all laid out nicely by someone who knows his stuff, & there are quite a few interesting details which are new to me.

Recommended.

[tiermat]

Easy Rawlings was one of the ones I was trying to think of.  IIRC it's those books that the Simpsons took the mickey out of in one of their episodes, the one where Chief Wiggum retires and goes to live on a houseboat in Louisiana.

[pcolbeck]

The Whale Has Wings - David Row

An alternate history series covering WWII. The idea here is that the FAA gains complete autonomy from the RAF in the early 1930s and so starts the war with much better fighters and dive bombers than it did in reality. This makes the outcomes of historical engagements slightly different. At first this doesn't change the course of history much but the differences mount up and WWII gradually diverges from what actually happened.
These aren't novels as such and are formatted more like a day to day strategic and tactical history of WWII sort of "June 11th 1141 - Force X with two light carriers, a battleship, two cruisers and five destroyers leaves Scapa Flow for the North Atlantic".
Despite the fact that it needs proof reading properly as sometime sentences get mixed up and the like it's quite fascinating for anyone who has an interest in WWII military history.
Really cheap on Kindle as well.
I have now finished the first three volumes which take us up to just before what historically would be Midway. Volume 4 is due to be published shortly.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I read The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng a little while ago, and loved it. It was one of those books where when you get 2/3 of the way through you start to get sad because you don't want it to finish. Now I'm reading his other book, The Gift of Rain, and feeling exactly the same.

[tiermat]

I read The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng a little while ago, and loved it. It was one of those books where when you get 2/3 of the way through you start to get sad because you don't want it to finish. Now I'm reading his other book, The Gift of Rain, and feeling exactly the same.

I loved The Garden of Evening Mists, shall have to look for The Gift of Rain.

I am, currently, reading "A Train in Winter" about the French resistance and especially the women therein.

[mrcharly-YHT]

I'm off to New Orleans shortly for a holiday.  On the off-chance that I'll have some reading time, can the panel recommend some fiction with a local (or fairly local) - to New Orleans - flavour to read.

"In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead" James Lee Burke

[tiermat]

I read The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng a little while ago, and loved it. It was one of those books where when you get 2/3 of the way through you start to get sad because you don't want it to finish. Now I'm reading his other book, The Gift of Rain, and feeling exactly the same.

I loved The Garden of Evening Mists, shall have to look for The Gift of Rain.

I am, currently, reading "A Train in Winter" about the French resistance and especially the women therein.

Finished that, and have moved onto a much lighter tome (though only in subject matter): L.A. Private by James Patterson, I needed something like this after reading the last book, whilst it was brilliantly written and very detailed, it was very harrowing.

[Nuncio]

Re- New Orleans reading.

I've nearly finished A Confederacy of Dunces. Given that our 'hero' Ignatius J Reilly is so objectionable (some sort of 60's Falstaff/Don Quixote blend) it's a delight to read.  Maybe I'm enjoying it more than I might because I know New Orleans (having spent 6 days there.) Very funny.  The story of its creator is very sad.  Suicide at 32 after his manuscript was rejected, only for it to be published a couple of decades later and winning the Pulitzer Prize.

As I lay Dying is somewhat harder. I never knew Faulkner was a modernist.  I'm having to let some of the prose flow over me a bit.  Enjoying it but glad it's short!

[geraldc]

The Martian, Andy Weir

Apollo 13 meets Robinson Crusoe.

I love this book. It's getting rave reviews everywhere, and praise for it's scientifc accuracy, but the story is gripping.

A lot of it is written in the first person. Features a lot of solo long distance travelling,  rationing of food, and repairing faerie visitations, so it really is like a ride report.

Worth £2 of anyones money on kindle. Author initially self published, but it did so well, it's been picked up by proper publishers.

[Vince]

Read the first two chapters and bought it.

Proper publishes seem to have pushed the price up a bit though.

[mattc]

It's getting rave reviews everywhere, and praise for it's scientifc accuracy, but the story is gripping.

That's a very strange but!

/amateurliterarycriticism

[geraldc]

That's a very strange but!

/amateurliterarycriticism
[/quote]
It's a very strange book. It's pretty much the same as the threads that pop up here with regards to PBP or LEL preparations, followed by a ride report, only wildly exciting as it's life and death. In audax terms the guy's the lanterne rouge and if he doesn't get to arrivee he dies, but he's only got half a bidon of water, no gps, and no spare inners left.

[DaveJ]

Not a polished read, but it has to be one of the most engaging books I've read in years.

Dave

[geraldc]

It's reenthused my love of gardening. I'm asking the other half if I can put some potatoes in this year. She won't like my suggestion of fertiliser though.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Mad About the Boy, by Helen Fielding. I'm 70 pages in and the lack of internal consistency with the other books is doing my head in.

(click to show/hide)

As if Bridget and Mark would make friends with Daniel and have him as godfather to their kids. As if.

[L CC]

Gone Girl.
O, how I laughed. The characters are, well, it's hard to say anything without spoilers. Rarely are such a bunch of unlikeable folks made so fascinating.

(click to show/hide)

"You two are the most fucked up people I've ever met, and I specialise in fucked up people"

Because I listened, rather than read, the first person narrative from the protagonists is really really effective.

Apparently it's coming out as a film later this year... They're making it as a thriller, I thought it was a comedy!

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Comedy? 

[fuzzy]

5 chapters in to Wheelmen.

It paints a picture of a totally reprehensible young Armstrong.

[L CC]

Comedy? 

Well no, it doesn't sound like a comedy.
But it's both believable and unbelievable at the same time? Horrific, appalling, hysterical. I listened to it, and had nearly finished and couldn't resist playing it in the car, where Chris was so intrigued he bought it too, and is also very much enjoying.

[citoyen]

Comedy? 

Well no, it doesn't sound like a comedy.
But it's both believable and unbelievable at the same time? Horrific, appalling, hysterical. I listened to it, and had nearly finished and couldn't resist playing it in the car, where Chris was so intrigued he bought it too, and is also very much enjoying.

I kind of enjoyed it, though I wanted to throw the book across the room at times. I know what you mean about it being unintentionally funny. The ending is preposterous in the extreme.

[L CC]

You thought it was unintentional? Really? I thought it was knowing enough that the humour was deliberate.

[citoyen]

You thought it was unintentional? Really? I thought it was knowing enough that the humour was deliberate.

Maybe. I just thought it was terrible writing! I wonder if that knowingness was made more apparent by the narration in the audiobook...

Regarding the film, I thought while reading it that the part of Amy had clearly been written for Gwyneth Paltrow, but in fact it has gone to Rosamund Pike. Ben Affleck is Nick, which seems pretty much spot on.

[citoyen]

Anyone here read The Cuckoo's Calling? I'm not hugely tempted but it's on 99p Kindle offer at the moment so it might be worth taking a punt. Also worth noting for Fans Of Reading The Book The Film Was Based On: 12 Years A Slave is currently 49p and The Book Thief is 99p.

My reading has gone to pot lately. I've not finished a book for nearly a month. The last few I've read have failed to really grab me. I initially loved the writing in We Need New Names, but I lost interest by the end - it ended up as a bit of a stranger-in-a-strange-land cliché, and A Book About Africa White People Like.