What books are we reading at the moment ?

[The Seldom Killer]

Though a certain strain of readers might appreciate this.

[Mrs Pingu]

 

[citoyen]

Just started The City & The City by China Miéville. Very promising start. Never read any of his stuff before (and yes, I'm aware this isn't regarded as a good choice for first-timers) but clearly the boy can write, which bodes well.

[T42]

If I'd started China Miéville's stuff with Kraken I wouldn't have read any more.

[Legs]

Just cracked out The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas 

(click to show/hide)

I don't know why I should have felt especially sad at the end for the death of innocent, naive Bruno; when set alongside the tragedy of all the Jews at Auschwitz, it rather pales in significance.  But that's the skill of the writer, to build our rapport with the principal character.

Rattling through Stephen King's On Writing at the moment.

[pcolbeck]

Slaughterhouse Five - cant believe its taken me so long to get around to reading this, so it goes.

[Quint]

It must seem a daft thing to get excited about but I have just received
 an original (hardback) copy of Mrs Balbir Singh's "Indian Cookery" inside
 is a stamp from the original bookshop, "Krishan's Book Shop
  - Hotel Claridges  _  New Delhi India

                               

[T42]

Just started Go Set a Watchman.  Too early to say if it'll be worth the read.  Scout is now called Jean Louise, which is so close to Jean-Louis that every time I read it I do a double-take.  Bad name.  Haven't yet met anyone particularly admirable or even likeable.

Taking occasional times out to read a freebie penny dreadful by the name of Butcher Bird, by a chap called Kadrey.  Nobody likeable here, it's all tattooists, demons, assassins and dire liver-for-a-liver retribution.  Really, it's the last time I go to San Francisco.

[geraldc]

Marie Kondo, The life changing magic of tidying up.

The wife bought it and gave it to me to read based on the recommendation of a friend. It's a self help type book for decluttering.

Basically if you touch one of your possessions and it doesn't bring you joy, bin it.

Kondo's method also forbids the use of worn out clothes to be worn around the house, she calls it "loungewear" so the other half has vetoed any implementation of any of her methods of decluttering.

[ian]

Just started Go Set a Watchman.  Too early to say if it'll be worth the read.  Scout is now called Jean Louise, which is so close to Jean-Louis that every time I read it I do a double-take.  Bad name.  Haven't yet met anyone particularly admirable or even likeable.

Taking occasional times out to read a freebie penny dreadful by the name of Butcher Bird, by a chap called Kadrey.  Nobody likeable here, it's all tattooists, demons, assassins and dire liver-for-a-liver retribution.  Really, it's the last time I go to San Francisco.

Go Set a Watchman was pretty dull, more of a sketch than a novel. I wasn't sure of its purpose other than to bank some cash. Mind you, I always thought To Kill a Mockingbird was a bit overrated.

I do like Richard Kadrey though, what's not to like? Devils, demons, the undead, vampires, and an LA simulacrum of Hell (in the Sandman Slim series). Reminds me he's a got a new one out.

[Ham]

Marie Kondo, The life changing magic of tidying up.

The wife bought it and gave it to me to read based on the recommendation of a friend. It's a self help type book for decluttering.

Basically if you touch one of your possessions and it doesn't bring you joy, bin it.

Kondo's method also forbids the use of worn out clothes to be worn around the house, she calls it "loungewear" so the other half has vetoed any implementation of any of her methods of decluttering.

Not a book to be put aside lightly, it should be thrown with great force.

(with apologies  to Dorothy)

[T42]

Just started Go Set a Watchman.  Too early to say if it'll be worth the read.  Scout is now called Jean Louise, which is so close to Jean-Louis that every time I read it I do a double-take.  Bad name.  Haven't yet met anyone particularly admirable or even likeable.

Taking occasional times out to read a freebie penny dreadful by the name of Butcher Bird, by a chap called Kadrey.  Nobody likeable here, it's all tattooists, demons, assassins and dire liver-for-a-liver retribution.  Really, it's the last time I go to San Francisco.

Go Set a Watchman was pretty dull, more of a sketch than a novel. I wasn't sure of its purpose other than to bank some cash. Mind you, I always thought To Kill a Mockingbird was a bit overrated.

I do like Richard Kadrey though, what's not to like? Devils, demons, the undead, vampires, and an LA simulacrum of Hell (in the Sandman Slim series). Reminds me he's a got a new one out.

Yeah, well, GSAW was her first novel that she rewrote into TKAM when the publishers turned it down.  A bit like those lacklustre early novels written by later-famous names under pen-names, e.g. "The Da Vinci Cod written by Damn Brown (now known to be Joseph Göbels)"  More a curio than a book.

Richard Kadrey is fun, and he has the chutzpah to put one of his books on gutenberg.org.  Gotta like that.

[sprogs]

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Muakami
I was loaned this book by Lucie at esquires in Ambleside, I don't think I've ever been so drawn in or so emotionally affected by any other book. As I read it I find myself going back to earlier parts to check I've remembered it correctly and reading the book again from there.
Thank you lucie, I hope you'll write something in it for me.

[pcolbeck]

That's on my list. I loved IQ84 and the Wind up Bird Chronicle.

[Legs]

The Da Vinci Cod

[Dibdib]

Not a book, as such, but I'm currently perusing a very complimentary review of The Esteemed Dr Larrington's book in last week's New Statesman.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

[IanDG]

Time and Time Again by Ben Elton

[tiermat]

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

I liked that one!

[Mrs Pingu]

Having finished The Girl With All The Gifts (meh,  zombies) I am now reading Kurt Vonnegut's Galapagos.

[billplumtree]

David Mitchell, The Bone Clocks.  Halfway through, and lovin' it (as I have all his stuff).

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

I liked that one!

I'm loving it. I really loved About Grace too.

[Tigerrr]

The Martian. Great read and all you need to know about survival on mars if you get left behind there.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

The Martian. Great read and all you need to know about survival on mars if you get left behind there.

That's quite an audax.

[Mr Larrington]

Not a book, as such, but I'm currently perusing a very complimentary review of The Esteemed Dr Larrington's book in last week's New Statesman.

Still waiting for my freebie copy which is a mouldy chiz considering the long list of suggestions, and fakts about the superstitions of Trent boatmen with regard to Pigs, I submitted to the Author this time last year.