What books are we reading at the moment ?

[T42]

Second volume of that fellow's Clakkers trilogy.  Entertaining: Christian Huygens invented alchemical clockwork robots and C17 Dutch imperialism took it from there.

[Aidan]

Just finished Guy Martins  Worms to catch.

Its quite interesting, in particular the chapters on his ride of the tour divide.  He mentions Mike Hall who gained alot of time on him to break the record that year, and he also purposefully didnt film it and rode under a pseudonym as he was doing for himself, not to be a TV wanker.

An enjoyable read , written pretty much how he talks. 

[Mr Larrington]

Out Of Bounds ~ Val McDermid.  Fourth in the Karen Pirie series, which Thick Boy here didn't realise was a series until yesterday.

Thick Boy is starting to suspect that he may have bought the e-books of this 'ere series and then not read them because I just (re-)read the first one (The Distant Echo) and remember absolutely none of it, and am now just starting A Darker Domain, of which I have zero eecollection either.

[mrcharly-YHT]

Finally getting around to reading The Life of Pi.

He's in the lifeboat now. V entertaining.  The first part of the book, where he is comparing religions, is hilarious.

[tonyh]

.... awaiting further news with interest!

[Legs]

Continuing my Stephen King marathon, I'm giving myself the willies with Pet Sematary now.... 

[mrcharly-YHT]

Finally getting around to reading The Life of Pi.

He's in the lifeboat now. V entertaining.  The first part of the book, where he is comparing religions, is hilarious.

And finished.

Very satisfying ending. I do like an author who doesn't wimp out. Will not spoil things for anyone else who wants to read the book (however, it is not for the squeamish). The end is also very funny and quite delightful, teasing the reader and the author.

[Mrs Pingu]

OMG, have just discovered a new Andrey Kurkov book was released last summer and I never knew!

[L CC]

I'm having some nice Scotsmen read His Bloody Project.
I'm Bloody loving it.

[tiermat]

I'm having some nice Scotsmen read His Bloody Project.
I'm Bloody loving it.

I enjoyed that one, it was on the Booker prize long list.

[T42]

I'm having some nice Scotsmen read His Bloody Project.
I'm Bloody loving it.

And goddamnazon redirects me to audible.fr as if I don't know what I want.

[Legs]

I'm having some nice Scotsmen read His Bloody Project.
I'm Bloody loving it.

I enjoyed that one, it was on the Booker prize long list.

That's on my Kindle, waiting...

[pcolbeck]

2312 - Kim Stanley Robinson

As with all his books it says more about the human condition and society than almost all "literary fiction", and oh yes his prose is absolutely beautiful. If the literary world didn't look down on anything labelled SF he should win loads of awards. There are several other anthers that do societal and political stuff really well in an SF context (eg Ken MacLeod on left wing politics) but I don't think there is another author whose prose can match.

[tonyh]

Finally getting around to reading The Life of Pi.

He's in the lifeboat now. V entertaining.  The first part of the book, where he is comparing religions, is hilarious.

And finished.

Very satisfying ending. I do like an author who doesn't wimp out. Will not spoil things for anyone else who wants to read the book (however, it is not for the squeamish). The end is also very funny and quite delightful, teasing the reader and the author.

Thanks MrC, interesting!

[Steph]

2312 - Kim Stanley Robinson

As with all his books it says more about the human condition and society than almost all "literary fiction", and oh yes his prose is absolutely beautiful. If the literary world didn't look down on anything labelled SF he should win loads of awards. There are several other anthers that do societal and political stuff really well in an SF context (eg Ken MacLeod on left wing politics) but I don't think there is another author whose prose can match.

You remind me of a friend's comments, way back in the days of my callow youth, that SF was never literature. Summing up his argument in dismissing my suggested examples of literary SF, his circular reasoning was "SF Isn't literature. If a book can be described as literature, it isn't SF because SF sin't literature"

I am further reminded of the adulation that flows towards 'literary' authors when they come up with 'original' ideas that have been done to death by SF writers. 'Time's Arrow' was preceded by Dick's 'Counterclock World', and 'Children of Men' by Aldiss' 'Greybeard'.

And there is the story of George Lucas, in the middle of trying to sue 'Battlestar G' for plagiarism, receiving a call from the SFWA.

"Hi, George, it's the SF Writers of America here. How's the lawsuit going?"
"Why are you interested?"
"Well, if you win, we'll sue you for the same thing"

[rafletcher]

The first of Mick Herron's "Slough House" spy thrillers. Promising.

Edit: It's the "Slow horses". And it's pretty good.

[Mrs Pingu]

Finished the latest Insp McLean book. Hurrah for Mrs McCutcheons cat, again.

Looking for something new and exciting to read. Until then, more Vera.

[tiermat]

Just finished Tram 83, which is odd in the way that books written in French can be (I didn't read it in French, I read a translation).

[rafletcher]

John Connolly's "A game of ghosts", the latest Charlie Parker story.

[andrewc]

Finished the latest Insp McLean book. Hurrah for Mrs McCutcheons cat, again.

Looking for something new and exciting to read. Until then, more Vera.

Jo Walton's "Small Change" trilogy was pretty good, an alternate history with Britain sliding into Fascism in the 1940's. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Change_trilogy

[Mr Larrington]

pTerry and Stephen Baxter's "Long Earth" series, when my increasingly decrepit Kindle will let me.  Bloody thing's got droid rot and will be off to Silicon Heaven in the not too distant future.

[T42]

Having watched the flim with Mad Monk Mel, Harold G. Moore & Joe Galloway's "We were soldiers once, and young".  Not exactly lyrical, but absorbing. Haven't run across Mel's industrial strength godism yet: rather suspect I won't.

[Nuncio]

'The Forensic Records Society', the new Magnus Mills.  So far so good.  About a club meeting at the back of a pub to listen to records on vinyl. The rules of the society have been set. I'd be very surprised if they're not about to be challenged and broken.

[Jakob W]

Franco Moretti's _Graphs, Maps, Trees_. This kind of quantative literary history may not be quite so revolutionary these days, but it's still very interesting and readable stuff. I've had this on my shelves for years (quite possibly the best part of a decade...) and only just got round to reading it.

[Legs]

Continuing my Stephen King marathon, I'm giving myself the willies with Pet Sematary now.... 

EEK!

(click to show/hide)

I've got to the STABBY, DETHY bit near the end!