What books are we reading at the moment ?

[mike]

Seen the film?

Good book, but not as good as Waterland, I think.

didnt know it was a film, will look out for it.  Have ordered waterland too, ta!

[Si]

Reading a Nicci French whodunit.

...the authors ...

I didn't realise this until I was watching Only Connect a couple of weeks ago.

(I've got a couple of Nicci French hand-me-downs on the bookshelf but haven't read any of them yet.  Are they any good?)

Yep, they are husband and wife: Sean French and Nicci something I think (she being the bod from the Observer).

Anyway, I liked the two that I've read (if that counts for anything).  I found them quite well written with intelligent plots, and moved at a quick pace.

[andrewc]

Currently 3/4 of the way through "Kraken" by China Mieville. So  far very good. A bit less existential than "The City and The City"  and a lot more entertaining than "Iron Council"

[Flying_Monkey]

Currently 3/4 of the way through "Kraken" by China Mieville. So  far very good. A bit less existential than "The City and The City"  and a lot more entertaining than "Iron Council"

I've had that recommended by others too - not that I needed any recommendation! I loved The City and the City, and as you say, found Iron Council a little bit too didactic and not always that much fun.

[Bledlow]

Seen the film?

Good book, but not as good as Waterland, I think.

didnt know it was a film, will look out for it.  Have ordered waterland too, ta!

Last Orders. 2001 - starring Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren & Ray Winstone. Pretty good.

[IanDG]

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5

[plum]

Haven't read any science fiction since the 1980s. Haven't read much of anything in fact, though I do recall that a book I read back then that really impressed me was Vonnegut's 'Galapagos'. Very strange book.

Meanwhile I'm nearly finished Ranulph Fiennes' 'Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know'. And the title doesn't begin to get it over, an absolute mental that bloke. You wouldn't want to walk down the street with him for fear of getting lost, frostbitten, or dropped from a great height just by association.

[Mr Larrington]

A History Of Modern BRITAIN ~ Andrew Marr.  I may have to take back some of the rude things I have said about Mr Marr depriving Honest Historians of work...

[LindaG]

Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse 5

Fantastic.  Must read this again.

I'm trying again with 'Leviathan - or The Whale' by Philip Hoare.

Modified after a trip to the library, to add:

All bets are off.  I have two Carl Sagans in my pannier.

I may be some time.   

[Biff]

Hope this hasn't been posted before but I'm not trawling 91 pages:

Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin Wall: Amazon.co.uk: Anna Funder: Books

The next time I whinge about CCTV cameras.......

[mrcharly-YHT]

seabiscuit.

I've avoided this one for a while, fearing it would be mawkish and sentimental. My wife read it, and kept quoting chunks to me, which sounded like the writer had researched her material.

So gave it a try.

It isn't really a novelisation of history, more of a documentary. It's as much about american society and horse racing of the time as it is about the titular Seabiscuit.

I'm finding it very hard to read, as too much reminds me of my dad, and his struggles with horses, injuries and the racing establishment in Australia.  Found myself weeping while reading about a wife whose husband was brain injured falling from a horse (my father had a similar injury when I was 16).

Well worth reading.

[microphonie]

Amitav Ghosh - The Calcutta Chromosome .

Couldn't get into it the first time I picked it up, but going along nicely now.

[Aidan]

Cycling back to happiness

Cycling Back to Happiness: Adventure on the North Sea Cycle Route: Amazon.co.uk: Bernie Friend: Books

Quite a good read, and some descriptive stuff about the North sea route that makes me want to do it. Soon

[Bledlow]

New Grub Street - George Gissing.

Going through classics I've not read.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Dancing With Big Eunice by Alistair Findlay. Alistair was a social worker in Scotland until he retired, and this book of poems is about social work. Here's one.

Parenting Classes

They've put me in charge of
Parenting classes for Scotland.

Lesson number one:
this is a bairn, not a football.

Lesson number two:
a bottle does not mean

Coke, Bud or Newcastle.
Lesson number three:

above all, do not call
your first born Placenta.

[Mr Larrington]

Dancing With Big Eunice by Alistair Findlay. Alistair was a social worker in Scotland until he retired, and this book of poems is about social work. Here's one.

Parenting Classes

They've put me in charge of
Parenting classes for Scotland.

Lesson number one:
this is a bairn, not a football.

Lesson number two:
a bottle does not mean

Coke, Bud or Newcastle.
Lesson number three:

above all, do not call
your first born Placenta.

Got any booze for the baby?

[jogler]

Simon Doughty's long distance cycling bible...you know the one

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Got any booze for the baby?

You can't give a baby booze!

[andrewc]

Got any booze for the baby?

You can't give a baby booze!

Mine did,  knocked me out for 12 hours...which I believe was the desired effect 

[Mr Larrington]

Got any booze for the baby?

You can't give a baby booze!

Mine did,  knocked me out for 12 hours...which I believe was the desired effect 

You should have seen the terrible effect half a pint of neat Gordons Export¹ had on a nine-year-old Mr Larrington.

1 - It was an accident, honest.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Brown booze?

[andrewc]

 "hard core" Edinburgh parents use methadone   

[Bledlow]

Got any booze for the baby?

You can't give a baby booze!

Traditional remedy to guarantee a peaceful night: a pint of the fermented malt beverage of the mothers choice, to be imbibed by her.

Then breast-feed baby.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

Are Mr Larrington and I the only fans of the Smell of Reeves and Mortimer?

[andrewc]

Kirst, there are some things a Lady should not admit to on a public forum...