Author Topic: What books are we reading at the moment ? (Read 846694 times)

Quint · « **Reply #4775 on:** 21 December, 2016, 01:33:53 pm »

Just starting Ulysses

tiermat · « **Reply #4776 on:** 21 December, 2016, 02:09:33 pm »

Just starting "Who Killed Sherlock Holmes" by Paul Cornell.

I have enjoyed the previous two books but took a break from the series by reading three of the Garry Disher books, which I enjoyed,also.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #4777 on:** 21 December, 2016, 02:40:36 pm »

Very slowly reading 'Odysseus Abroad' by Amit Chaudhuri

It's enjoyable, but I get most pleasure reading the descriptions of the interactions between characters. Endless descriptions of which London streets the character could have walked along but didn't, or did, then found he'd been walking a long way round, isn't enthralling and I don't find it 'wildly comedic' as described.

The cover also describe it as 'an uncle and nephew share a summer's day'. Well, I'm less than halfway through the book and the events so far have taken place over months. Not sure about a single summer's day. He's gone through his relationship with 3 tutors so far. That's some day. Maybe those reviewers didn't get past the first chapter. Sure, the book starts in one day, and flips back to what is happening in that day, but the book is describing events taking place over months, not in one day.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #4778 on:** 21 December, 2016, 05:37:33 pm »

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 December, 2016, 12:41:43 pm

I just finished The Good Mother by A L Bird. It was absolutely fucking shit.

EG, reviewing books so you don't have to

Paul · « **Reply #4779 on:** 22 December, 2016, 11:35:16 pm »

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 21 December, 2016, 12:41:43 pm

I just finished The Good Mother by A L Bird. It was absolutely fucking shit.

Why did you finish it? Was it shit all the way through? I started not finishing books in my twenties. Not many. Just 2, or 5, I think. I used to think it was because I wasn't reading it right but these days I settle for incompatibility.

It's still hard not to finish a book though. Like leaving the cinema part way through a film.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #4780 on:** 23 December, 2016, 12:42:37 pm »

Well, it was billed as a psychological thriller, so I kept expecting the twists to be good, but they turned out to be stupid.

IanDG · « **Reply #4781 on:** 25 December, 2016, 09:29:21 am »

Quote from: rafletcher on 09 July, 2016, 08:36:48 pm

The first in a projected series of "The Vinyl Detective" by Andrew Cartmel, "Written in Dead Wax". Recommended (and rightly so IMO) by Ben Aaronovitch. Enjoyable.

Thanks, 40% through this and enjoying it

DaveJ · « **Reply #4782 on:** 27 December, 2016, 11:43:14 am »

Re the recent Gorky Park comment: Polar Star, Red Square, Havana Bay Three Stations and Stalins Ghost are on Kindle today for 99p.

andrewc · « **Reply #4783 on:** 27 December, 2016, 11:53:08 am »

Quote from: windy on 25 December, 2016, 09:29:21 am

Quote from: rafletcher on 09 July, 2016, 08:36:48 pm
The first in a projected series of "The Vinyl Detective" by Andrew Cartmel, "Written in Dead Wax". Recommended (and rightly so IMO) by Ben Aaronovitch. Enjoyable.

Thanks, 40% through this and enjoying it

Just finished that & enjoyed it as well, especially as a chap with a turntable, valve amp & vinyl collection, some recognisable stereotypes amongst the cast

Though my voyages around charity shop & used record dealers never involve meeting gorgeous blondes

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #4784 on:** 27 December, 2016, 12:39:52 pm »

Viv Albertine's autobiography. I'm really not a fan of The Slits, but it's part of my "read more books by women" resolution.

Steph · « **Reply #4785 on:** 27 December, 2016, 01:08:17 pm »

Alice. Wonderland is to be followed by Looking Glass.

Quint · « **Reply #4786 on:** 27 December, 2016, 01:19:09 pm »

Got SAS Rogue Heroes by Ben MacIntyre for Christmas, dipped into it and now over halfway through, very good read.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #4787 on:** 27 December, 2016, 09:50:22 pm »

I was reading Johnny Herbert's autobiography, but it seems to have driven off somewhere

Canardly · « **Reply #4788 on:** 29 December, 2016, 01:25:17 pm »

Throne of the Crescent Moon, Saladin Ahmed. Interesting and intriguing first novel.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #4789 on:** 29 December, 2016, 01:35:19 pm »

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 27 December, 2016, 12:39:52 pm

Viv Albertine's autobiography. I'm really not a fan of The Slits, but it's part of my "read more books by women" resolution.

Finished it. Liked it. About to start Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.

citoyen · « **Reply #4790 on:** 30 December, 2016, 01:17:50 am »

Slade House - David Mitchell

Cracking good read, as I've come to expect from Mitchell. A bit slight, perhaps, but works well as a gripping supernatural yarn. The ending comes as no surprise if you've read The Bone Clocks.

T42 · « **Reply #4791 on:** 30 December, 2016, 09:41:12 am »

Enjoyed that one, although thicker would have been nicer. It'd make a good film, though.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #4792 on:** 30 December, 2016, 05:20:00 pm »

I'm sure I noted this morning that I've just started Adrian Tchaikovsky's Arthur C Clarke Award-winning Children Of Time but something's et the post chiz.

Peter · « **Reply #4793 on:** 30 December, 2016, 05:23:58 pm »

"Post Chiz" - sequel to "Down With Skool", or possibly a Polish stagecoach?

andrewc · « **Reply #4794 on:** 31 December, 2016, 10:01:07 pm »

Quote from: andrewc on 12 December, 2016, 11:02:59 pm

Think I've read the first three.

A good piece here on Jon Courtnay Grimwood in which he cites the Cruz Smith novels & also another old favourite of mine, "Running Blind" by Desmond Bagley. Annoyingly I never saw the TV adaptation. It's never officially been released on DVD, though I've just found a few sites selling what must be transfers from VHS.....

http://wwwshotsmagcouk.blogspot.co.uk/2016/06/on-banks-of-moskva-with-jack-grimwood.html

I bought the DVD of "Running Blind" and have only just watched it. 70's tastic! Snorkel parkas, sheepskin jackets, people smoking! The cast was like a "UFO" reunion, Alex Sewell, Vladek Shaybal & Ed Bishop

It's not a wonderful transfer from VHS, but it gets the job done. Lots of Icelandic landscape.

If anyone wants to borrow it drop me a PM.

T42 · « **Reply #4795 on:** 01 January, 2017, 09:19:08 am »

Just started The Glamour by Christopher Priest. Dunno how the story's going to shape, but the pleasure of reading pre-Internet grammar is already immense. Nothing fancy, just well-built English prose with none of the PC-sanctified pratfalls and inanities of current authors.

Steph · « **Reply #4796 on:** 01 January, 2017, 10:46:46 am »

Priest does give good sentence!

andrewc · « **Reply #4797 on:** 02 January, 2017, 11:27:12 am »

Just finished a vintage Le Carre. "Call For The Dead". I first read that over 30 years ago & still remembered dialogue & descriptions.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #4798 on:** 04 January, 2017, 09:15:05 pm »

the Atrocity archives by charles stross

A right laugh, especially for anyone who has worked in IT

T42 · « **Reply #4799 on:** 05 January, 2017, 08:10:25 am »

Recently reached the end of that series. I got a bit browned off in the middle then picked them up again when I ran out of Ben Aaronovitch. Stross needs remedial English lessons, though.