Author Topic: What books are we reading at the moment ? (Read 843879 times)

orienteer · « **Reply #5475 on:** 18 November, 2018, 08:50:52 am »

Latest from Haruki Murakami, "Killing Commendatore".

His usual blend of everyday life in Japan and supernatural events, holding the reader's attention as it is unpredictable.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #5476 on:** 18 November, 2018, 09:12:11 am »

Quote from: orienteer on 18 November, 2018, 08:50:52 am

Latest from Haruki Murakami, "Killing Commendatore".

His usual blend of everyday life in Japan and supernatural events, holding the reader's attention as it is unpredictable.

Ooh, I'd forgotten about that.

T42 · « **Reply #5477 on:** 18 November, 2018, 10:53:14 am »

Oh, that Murakami...

tiermat · « **Reply #5478 on:** 19 November, 2018, 03:32:53 pm »

Gave up on "Catching Fire: How Cooking Made us Human" and moved on to "No Time to Cry" by James Oswald. No, not an Inspector McLean, rather one for a new character. Still police procedural, though.

rafletcher · « **Reply #5479 on:** 19 November, 2018, 03:51:44 pm »

A new author to me, Khurrum Rahman's "East of Hounslow" is next up.

Ham · « **Reply #5480 on:** 19 November, 2018, 06:51:48 pm »

My 1p (+£2.87 p&p) bargain

It's put together from his unpublished stuff.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #5481 on:** 20 November, 2018, 12:36:08 pm »

Luna by Ian McDonald

Cracking classic sci fi. Only trouble is that it ends halfway through the story, so you *have* to read the sequel.

T42 · « **Reply #5482 on:** 20 November, 2018, 12:53:45 pm »

Quote from: Ham on 19 November, 2018, 06:51:48 pm

My 1p (+£2.87 p&p) bargain

It's put together from his unpublished stuff.

I once had the gleeful pleasure of introducing a Canadian to his writing. Aforesaid gent had just lamented the lack of distinguished authors in Canada.

I hope this one isn't his Silmarillion.

Ham · « **Reply #5483 on:** 20 November, 2018, 03:33:41 pm »

No, it isn't. It reads with that wonderful, easy, rolling educated voice, wide ranging with an edge of the ribald that makes him so readable.

Quote

"People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading." Did I say that? No, Logan Persall Smith said it, but I have thought it so many times that sometimes I mistake it for my own.

is how it starts. Later, fairly random selection

Quote

Sometimes there was a serious article on a hot topic, and I especially remember one by a bishop headed "Is Nudity Salacious?" (The bishop thought it need not be, if encountered in the proper spirit, but he gave a lot of enlightening examples of conditions under which it might be, in his word, "inflammatory". there wasn't much nudity in our neck of the woods , and I enjoyed the article tremendously). There were many stories with backgrounds of high life and society, which I suppose would be thought unsuitable for a child. (...) I read all the stories about girls, hoping to penetrate their secrets; I knew girls had secrets because all the girls I met were great whisperers and gigglers.

T42 · « **Reply #5484 on:** 20 November, 2018, 03:50:56 pm »

That looks good. I'll try & pick up a copy. Cheers.

PeteB99 · « **Reply #5485 on:** 22 November, 2018, 01:43:25 pm »

Most of these will be rereads but Kindle have the complete works of Joseph Conrad for 49p

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Complete-Works-Joseph-Conrad-Shadow-Line-ebook/dp/B017XL9LWG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1542893798&sr=8-3&keywords=conrad

Legs · « **Reply #5486 on:** 23 November, 2018, 10:52:43 am »

Aren't most of those out of copyright, free for Kindle anyway? I certainly got Heart of Darkness free a few years back. I read Typhoon about 20 years ago and found it a real trudge, and I don't think I managed to finish HoD...

TheLurker · « **Reply #5487 on:** 24 November, 2018, 09:36:42 pm »

Mr. Aaronovitch's latest in the "Rivers of London" series. Jolly good fun. Utter nonsense of course, but still good fun.

Steph · « **Reply #5488 on:** 24 November, 2018, 09:52:19 pm »

Just finished the latest Stross Laundry tome. Some good bits, but parts felt a little tired. Still enjoyed it.

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #5489 on:** 29 November, 2018, 02:47:24 pm »

Because Max "Hitler" Hastings' history of the Vietnam Police Action is too big to lug around in an inside pocket, I started James Oswald's "No Time To Cry" on the tube last night. His first non-McClean crime novel, no supernatural goings-on yet (though Madame Rose, McClean's antiquarian chum, puts in an appearance) and light on killin's (only one so far). Overall impression positive.

rafletcher · « **Reply #5490 on:** 29 November, 2018, 09:04:42 pm »

Brothers in Blood, set in Southall and surrounding, by Amer Anwar. Excellent

Vince · « **Reply #5491 on:** 01 December, 2018, 03:11:18 am »

The Blood Road, Stuart MacBride's latest outing for Logan Mcrae. Mostly raining.

tiermat · « **Reply #5492 on:** 01 December, 2018, 04:01:56 am »

Quote from: Vince on 01 December, 2018, 03:11:18 am

The Blood Road, Stuart MacBride's latest outing for Logan Mcrae. Mostly raining.

That is a good book, a little hard to read, in places, especially if you are a parent.

rafletcher · « **Reply #5493 on:** 03 December, 2018, 04:15:57 pm »

The latest Jack Reacher outing from Lee Child "Past Tense". Being told as two parallel threads, and for me not as immediately as immersive as usual. Judging from the Amazon reviews I'm not alone.

ETA life's too short, I skimmed to the end, and am moving on to the new Michael Connelly "Dark Sacred Night. Hopefully I'll find it more engaging.

Legs · « **Reply #5494 on:** 04 December, 2018, 02:46:48 pm »

Hearts in Atlantis. Two novellas and three short stories by Stephen King. The first would be a bit weird to anyone not au fait with The Dark Tower. Really enjoying Blind Willie now.

orienteer · « **Reply #5495 on:** 04 December, 2018, 09:05:09 pm »

Just finished "The vegetarian" by Han Kang, first S Korean novel for me. I've read a lot of Japanese novels, this really throws up the significant differences between the two societies.

T42 · « **Reply #5496 on:** 05 December, 2018, 02:17:59 pm »

Dave Hutchinson's latest, Europe at Dawn. OK so far. Scots diplomatic corps a bit of a hoot.

Gus · « **Reply #5497 on:** 05 December, 2018, 02:22:01 pm »

Vander's Human Physiology.
Studying for exam next Thursday

Robh · « **Reply #5498 on:** 06 December, 2018, 12:21:33 am »

Over the past twelve months I’ve worked my way through all of Le Carre’s Smiley novels, finishing off with ‘A Legacy of Spies’. All are good, but ‘The Spy Who Came In From The Cold’ is the best of the lot.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #5499 on:** 06 December, 2018, 08:54:47 am »

Having reinvigorated my library habit, I'm part way through "The Sacred Art of Stealing" by Christopher Brookmyre. Situationist and surrealist bank robbers take on Angel X. With Scottish accents.