Author Topic: What books are we reading at the moment ? (Read 845192 times)

Tom B · « **Reply #625 on:** 14 June, 2009, 05:28:43 pm »

Re-reading 'The Dispossessed' by Ursula Le Guin

Zoidburg · « **Reply #626 on:** 14 June, 2009, 05:35:12 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 14 June, 2009, 05:28:18 pm

Quote from: Zoidburg on 13 June, 2009, 05:07:41 pm
"Being Good" by Nick Hornby

Which may end up being in the bin if it does not improve in the next ten pages.

I was left wondering if I'd missed out on buying Volume II containing the plot and story.

Finished it though, eventually. Can't remember anything about it, which isn't a good sign at all.

Bin it is.

It was that "meh" that I couldnt even remember the tittle properly.

her_welshness · « **Reply #627 on:** 15 June, 2009, 12:17:17 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 14 June, 2009, 05:28:18 pm

Quote from: Zoidburg on 13 June, 2009, 05:07:41 pm
"Being Good" by Nick Hornby

Which may end up being in the bin if it does not improve in the next ten pages.

I was left wondering if I'd missed out on buying Volume II containing the plot and story.

Finished it though, eventually. Can't remember anything about it, which isn't a good sign at all.

I finished it but I cannot believe that it was particularly brilliant. In fact I can't say that I could sign up to the Nick Hornby fan club.

her_welshness · « **Reply #628 on:** 15 June, 2009, 12:19:04 pm »

Current reading 'Great Tales from English History' by Robert Lacey. Not bad so far, but it is a dipping into kind of book.

Bledlow · « **Reply #629 on:** 15 June, 2009, 12:23:06 pm »

Since last posting, my reading includes -
Matter - Iain Banks
The Polish Officer - Alan Furst
The Blue-eyed Salaryman - Niall Murtagh
The Uncommon Reader - Alan Bennet

And currently -
The Silk Road - Sven Hedin

citoyen · « **Reply #630 on:** 15 June, 2009, 12:31:41 pm »

Does anyone here use Librarything? I signed up to it last week (my profile) - the main thing that appealed to me about it is that it can point you to people with similar reading tastes as you, so you can get inspiration for what to read next. That's the idea, anyway - its recommendation algorithms seem a little rudimentary. Maybe I just need to add more books to my list to get the best out of it.

d.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #631 on:** 15 June, 2009, 12:35:01 pm »

I'm part-way through some large tome about Eddie Merckx. It's not making me cycle any faster.

Frenchie · « **Reply #632 on:** 15 June, 2009, 03:10:29 pm »

The integral of the Borg Mystery, part of the Guy Lefranc adventures (Comics).

Zoidburg · « **Reply #633 on:** 16 June, 2009, 05:24:08 pm »

Quote from: wowbagger on 15 June, 2009, 12:35:01 pm

I'm part-way through some large tome about Eddie Merckx. It's not making me cycle any faster.

Take it out of the pannier bag, less weight

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #634 on:** 16 June, 2009, 09:40:42 pm »

Stephen Fry "In America" - thoroughly entertaining

I consider my vocabulary to be reasonably good but he has had me stumped on several occasions now, and I'm only in Delaware...

Zoidburg · « **Reply #635 on:** 19 June, 2009, 03:36:47 pm »

The Watchmen

It didnt grab me at first as I have never been a fan of the illustrator, I found his work a bit "meh" back when I was younger and read 2000AD

Stick with it though and you soon forget that its not as good as some other graphic novels in the art department and you get carried away by the narrative.

Flying_Monkey · « **Reply #636 on:** 19 June, 2009, 05:08:54 pm »

Quote from: Zoidburg on 19 June, 2009, 03:36:47 pm

The Watchmen

It didnt grab me at first as I have never been a fan of the illustrator, I found his work a bit "meh" back when I was younger and read 2000AD

Stick with it though and you soon forget that its not as good as some other graphic novels in the art department and you get carried away by the narrative.

It's not only me then... I almost can't stand Gibbons' work, but Moore's writing carries it...

Flying_Monkey · « **Reply #637 on:** 19 June, 2009, 05:10:49 pm »

Quote from: Tom B on 14 June, 2009, 05:28:43 pm

Re-reading 'The Dispossessed' by Ursula Le Guin

What a great book, in fact what a great writer. I love almost everything she has ever written whether it be fantasy, SF or more mainstream writing...

mattc · « **Reply #638 on:** 19 June, 2009, 06:22:09 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 14 June, 2009, 05:28:18 pm

Quote from: Zoidburg on 13 June, 2009, 05:07:41 pm
"Being Good" by Nick Hornby

Which may end up being in the bin if it does not improve in the next ten pages.

I was left wondering if I'd missed out on buying Volume II containing the plot and story.

Finished it though, eventually. Can't remember anything about it, which isn't a good sign at all.

I THINK I've read Being Good, but like you, I can barely remember it! (The one about the failed suicidists is similar)

Whearas I adored Fever Pitch and High Fidelity (the latter made a good film - can't go wrong with that Cusack fella).

Can't help liking Hornby despite his patchy writing.

Bledlow · « **Reply #639 on:** 20 June, 2009, 12:33:13 am »

Quote from: Flying_Monkey on 19 June, 2009, 05:10:49 pm

Quote from: Tom B on 14 June, 2009, 05:28:43 pm
Re-reading 'The Dispossessed' by Ursula Le Guin

What a great book, in fact what a great writer. I love almost everything she has ever written whether it be fantasy, SF or more mainstream writing...

+1. One of my favourites. The Left Hand of Darkness is another one.

andrewc · « **Reply #640 on:** 20 June, 2009, 09:26:27 pm »

Quote from: Bledlow on 20 June, 2009, 12:33:13 am

Quote from: Flying_Monkey on 19 June, 2009, 05:10:49 pm
Quote from: Tom B on 14 June, 2009, 05:28:43 pm
Re-reading 'The Dispossessed' by Ursula Le Guin

What a great book, in fact what a great writer. I love almost everything she has ever written whether it be fantasy, SF or more mainstream writing...
+1. One of my favourites. The Left Hand of Darkness is another one.

+2. A wonderful writer, although I don't recall enjoying the Earthsea books when I read them at school. They were much better the second time round.

I failed to finish Samuel Delany's "Triton" at age 14/15, although some of the characters and imagery have stuck with me. I'm now plunging into "Dhalgren", I've a feeling I may be some time....

Bledlow · « **Reply #641 on:** 21 June, 2009, 11:39:10 pm »

Just finished Wrong About Japan, by Peter Carey.
Just started Passages from Arabia Deserta by Charles Doughty.

Flying_Monkey · « **Reply #642 on:** 22 June, 2009, 07:04:49 am »

Quote from: andrewc on 20 June, 2009, 09:26:27 pm

I'm now plunging into "Dhalgren", I've a feeling I may be some time....

Good luck! During that period, Delaney was trying to be the James Joyce of SF... it's baffling and hard work, but worthwhile, I reckon.

Frenchie · « **Reply #643 on:** 22 June, 2009, 08:39:53 am »

Tintin au Pays des Soviets, a re-edition bought in Belgium last week. Interesting on several grounds: (1) for the very simple and biased view of the revolution in Russia and (2) for the naivity of the storyline, characters and B&W drawings (What an evolution in the rest of the work, in particular past Tintin au Congo!).

Flying_Monkey · « **Reply #644 on:** 22 June, 2009, 04:29:05 pm »

I'm reading David Crystal's The Stories of English right now. It is actually a good read as well as being interesting and well-researched.

I just finsihed China Mieville's new one, The City and The City, which is much more like a combination of noir detective story and Jan Morris's Hav tales than his previous urban fantasies. It is very well written and plays with some similar ideas about consensus and reality, but I was left a little bit disappointed.

Tom B · « **Reply #645 on:** 22 June, 2009, 05:05:47 pm »

Quote

I just finsihed China Mieville's new one, The City and The City

Does this mean you rate his other work? I've often thought to try but not got round to it yet $:-\$

andrewc · « **Reply #646 on:** 22 June, 2009, 05:38:26 pm »

Quote from: Flying_Monkey on 22 June, 2009, 04:29:05 pm

I'm reading David Crystal's The Stories of English right now. It is actually a good read as well as being interesting and well-researched.

I just finsihed China Mieville's new one, The City and The City, which is much more like a combination of noir detective story and Jan Morris's Hav tales than his previous urban fantasies. It is very well written and plays with some similar ideas about consensus and reality, but I was left a little bit disappointed.

I didn't know that had been released. Just ordered it from Amazon.

Flying_Monkey · « **Reply #647 on:** 22 June, 2009, 09:55:39 pm »

Quote from: Tom B on 22 June, 2009, 05:05:47 pm

Quote
I just finsihed China Mieville's new one, The City and The City

Does this mean you rate his other work? I've often thought to try but not got round to it yet $:-\$

Perdido Street Station and The Scar are dark, brilliant urban fantasy and absolutely all over the place to the point and packed with invention where he just seems to give up and run out of steam rather than end them in any recognisable way. But very much worth reading, yes. Iron Council is well, a political analogy looking for a novel and it gets a bit wearying.

mark · « **Reply #648 on:** 25 June, 2009, 08:21:15 pm »

"Endurance", by Alfred Lansing, about Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic adventure. I read it quite some time ago and decided to go through it again.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #649 on:** 26 June, 2009, 12:15:44 am »

Quote from: mattc on 19 June, 2009, 06:22:09 pm

Whearas I adored Fever Pitch and High Fidelity (the latter made a good film - can't go wrong with that Cusack fella).

OTOH, TWFKAML says that "High Fidelity" is the only fillum in the history of all things evah, that she's left before the end (though The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover apparently came close). Nowt to do with John Cusack, coz Grosse Point Blank is bexelant.

Still grinding through Hitler: 1936 - 1945 - Nemesis (and yes, Clarion, you don't need to give the ending away), while also toying with Dylan On Dylan and re-reading Evelyn Waugh's The Loved One for the first time in longer than I'd care to admit. Yes, of course I robbed it from skool - that's why it's got 35 year old illegible notes pencilled in the margins. Simon Hobday and/or Alan Coates: you are vandal, as Brandon Flowers - titanic prick though he be - might have said.