What books are we reading at the moment ?

[IanDG]

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Thanks to one of my boys for leaving it lying around.

[red marley]

'Look Who's Back'. Adolf wakes up in a park in Berlin in 2011.  Had some good reviews.  Slightly queasy making though.

I've just finished that too. High concept, with potential, but a disappointment. It felt more like a very wordy pitch for the book rather than anything with any narrative substance. And yes, queasy, I think for the wrong reasons. It feels too light-hearted and sympathetic to the man to have him mention "the Jewish Problem" in the way he does. It's a lot less satirical than the author thinks it is.

But I did like the recurring gag about mad ladies picking up dog poo.

[clarion]

The Establishment by Owen Jones.

Scarier than any horror novel.

[fuzzy]

'Look Who's Back'. Adolf wakes up in a park in Berlin in 2011.  Had some good reviews.  Slightly queasy making though.

I've just finished that too. High concept, with potential, but a disappointment. It felt more like a very wordy pitch for the book rather than anything with any narrative substance. And yes, queasy, I think for the wrong reasons. It feels too light-hearted and sympathetic to the man to have him mention "the Jewish Problem" in the way he does. It's a lot less satirical than the author thinks it is.

But I did like the recurring gag about mad ladies picking up dog poo.

Dog poo is something mentioned in guided tours of Berlin- or the abundance of dog poo in the gravel of the car park situated where The Bunker was.

[citoyen]

Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn

Murder mystery set in 1930s London. Oswald Mosley is a minor character. Off to a promising start - funny and very readable.

[Auntie Helen]

'Look Who's Back'. Adolf wakes up in a park in Berlin in 2011.  Had some good reviews.  Slightly queasy making though.

I've just finished that too. High concept, with potential, but a disappointment. It felt more like a very wordy pitch for the book rather than anything with any narrative substance. And yes, queasy, I think for the wrong reasons. It feels too light-hearted and sympathetic to the man to have him mention "the Jewish Problem" in the way he does. It's a lot less satirical than the author thinks it is.

But I did like the recurring gag about mad ladies picking up dog poo.

coincidentally my German friends were talking about this book to me yesterday as it's just been made into a film here. The 11-year-old girl clearly didn't understand the significance (fair enough) and her father's comment was it was rather unfunny for something that is trying to be a comedy. They suggested I didn't try to read it.

[T42]

^^^Given current fashions in popular shitterature, it's a wonder he didn't come back as a zombie.

[mattc]

I caught a bit of that on Radio4:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06d29bp

Missed the start, had no idea what was going on; but it sounded intriguing! Maybe it worked better condensed into 2 hours than as a full novel.

[tiermat]

Just finished "The Fishermen" which makes just one book that I haven't managed to finish from this year's shortlist.  The one I haven't finished is "A Short History of Seven Killings", which I find quite hard going due to trying to comprehend the patois that a big chunk of it is written in.

The prize winner is announced tonight (IIRC) and my money is still on "A Little Life"

[Steph]

Nearly finished The Shining (Stephen King, obvs).  Just got past the part whereat Nicholson did the "Heeeeeeere's Johnny" adlib  (not seen the fillum, but I imagine it's quite scary...)

There are two films. Kubrick's is excellent, even down to the sounds of the tricycle. The story diverges heavily from SK's original, but Jack is superb in the role.

The other version is King's own, and it is the usual mess from someone who doesn't grasp the difference between the two media. King puts everything in the book into what was a TV mini-series, and whoever cast the kid needs shooting. Teh vomit-inducing uberkewt, the sort of face that asks for a punch. Slow, draggy and permanently ruined by kid's hairstyle and teeth.

[geraldc]

Just finished the Hunger Games trilogy. Enjoyed them as if I was a tween girl.
Surprisingly dark.

[tiermat]

Just finished "The Fishermen" which makes just one book that I haven't managed to finish from this year's shortlist.  The one I haven't finished is "A Short History of Seven Killings", which I find quite hard going due to trying to comprehend the patois that a big chunk of it is written in.

The prize winner is announced tonight (IIRC) and my money is still on "A Little Life"

Don't ever put money on what I say, will you?

So "A Short History of Seven Killings" won.  Grrrrr

Probably best to put your money on the one book I don't manage to finish!

[Vince]

Music Theory for Dummies

It's the first wooden book I've picked up for ages. In this case I found it under a pile of stuff stacked on the piano. I've managed two paragraphs so far before losing interest.

[citoyen]

Player Piano by Kurt Vonnegut

Love it. Interesting American counterpoint to the very Russian perspective of Yevgeny Zamyatin.

[rafletcher]

The latest "Reacher" episode from Lee Child. Guilty pleasures 

[tiermat]

The latest "Reacher" episode from Lee Child. Guilty pleasures 

"Make Me"? I am reading that one, and enjoying it.

Child is one of those authors, though, that you can't read a load of his books in a row as you start noticing a lot of formulaic lines and events.

[Mr Larrington]

Having now reached volume 23 of Hammond Innes' output (less his four pre-WW2 novels) I have concluded that the success of "The Wreck Of The Mary Deare" allowed him to retire in 1957 and be replaced by a doppelganger, who also happened to be a rather better writer.

[sg37409]

Re-reading Chickenhawk by Robert Mason. Enjoying it more than I did 1st time about 30 years ago

[Peter]

Having now reached volume 23 of Hammond Innes' output (less his four pre-WW2 novels) I have concluded that the success of "The Wreck Of The Mary Deare" allowed him to retire in 1957 and be replaced by a doppelganger, who also happened to be a rather better writer.

D, did you know his first novel was called The Doppelganger?!  I read a lot of his work years ago.  I particularly enjoyed the one set in Australia, Golden Soak, I think.  I'll have to try them again.  Do you read Neville Shute?

[rafletcher]

The latest "Reacher" episode from Lee Child. Guilty pleasures 

"Make Me"? I am reading that one, and enjoying it.

Child is one of those authors, though, that you can't read a load of his books in a row as you start noticing a lot of formulaic lines and events.

Let me know what you think of the (limited, obviously) character "development" at the end.  Change may be in the air?

Now on to James Oswald's latest, semi-supernatural, Edinburgh cop story "Prayer for the Dead".  And the newest Peter James (The house on cold hill) is waiting at the library for me. Good job we've a long weekend away 

[Mr Larrington]

Having now reached volume 23 of Hammond Innes' output (less his four pre-WW2 novels) I have concluded that the success of "The Wreck Of The Mary Deare" allowed him to retire in 1957 and be replaced by a doppelganger, who also happened to be a rather better writer.

D, did you know his first novel was called The Doppelganger?!  I read a lot of his work years ago.  I particularly enjoyed the one set in Australia, Golden Soak, I think.  I'll have to try them again.  Do you read Neville Shute?

His first four novels may be available as e-books but not easily, so I aten't read them.  Apparently he was delighted to have received a thirty quid advance for the first one and only later discovered he'd signed a contract to write four.  "Golden Soak" is next on the list.

I may have read the odd Shute as a young Mr Larrington.  Or not.

[Peter]

He's s worth a try.  He writes well about aviation (his firm made the Airspeed Oxford).  He spells his name Nevil, unlike me - but then my name's not Nevil(le).

[lou boutin]

Over the last week I've read:
- The Tent, The Bucket and Me by Emma Kennedy
- I Left My Tent in San Francisco by Emma Kennedy

Both contain choice language but aee hilarious and well worth a read,

I've also read The Help, which was thought provoking.

[billplumtree]

I've also read The Help, which was thought provoking.

Oh, if only some of our software-buying customers could say the same. 

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Close Encounters of the Furred Kind by Tom Cox. Cats!