Author Topic: What books are we reading at the moment ? (Read 846181 times)

Gattopardo · « **Reply #5450 on:** 19 October, 2018, 05:58:53 pm »

Looked at my books am reading list:

Don Quixote - Looks a bit small to be the full book;
One flew over the cuckoos nest;
Toast on Toast - From the tv program with Matt Berry. Funny;
Finally Road to little dribbling.

Seem to pick up books and then read a bit then stop. Or finish reading and not remember anything.

Torslanda · « **Reply #5451 on:** 20 October, 2018, 01:03:05 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 19 October, 2018, 12:16:48 pm

Max "Hitler" Hastings' breeze-block sized history of the Vietnam War is staring accusingly at me every time I go into the kitchen, as if to say "stop twatting around with Babbage-Engines and start reading me!"

I have a similar sized tome, 'In Defence of the Realm' or similar - a history of the UK Security Services, bought for me by Redshift OTP.

I see it on a bookshelf every time I climb the stairs. In a Dirk Gently way I believe it has started to lurk seriously...

andrewc · « **Reply #5452 on:** 22 October, 2018, 10:54:45 am »

I’m re watching & re reading “Brideshead”. Waugh was a bit of an old fascist, has nice Charles Ryder coming back from Paris during the 1926 General Strike to join an anti striker militia, and Sebastian’s sweet little sister Cordelia goes off to be an ambulance driver in the Spanish civil war, for the nationalists

lou boutin · « **Reply #5453 on:** 22 October, 2018, 06:53:30 pm »

I read a book called Coming from Behind by Howard Jacobson. He used to work at the same place as I in the 1980s/1990s. The book is set in the place where I work and tells a story of elitism, weaved around the 'polly' (as it was) then being twinned with the local football club. Early in the book a discussion is held about various departments moving to different building. The English department were told that they were moving to M block to which they replied that there wasn't an M block. Oh how I laughed - M block now exists and has always been the football ground. The same debate rages about how we teach in a football ground!!

woollypigs · « **Reply #5454 on:** 31 October, 2018, 02:11:03 pm »

Not really reading but eeeek !

http://narrativia.com/watch.html

Steph · « **Reply #5455 on:** 04 November, 2018, 07:30:42 pm »

Quote from: woollypigs on 31 October, 2018, 02:11:03 pm

Not really reading but eeeek !

http://narrativia.com/watch.html

No.
'Ooooooook.'

HTH

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5456 on:** 05 November, 2018, 07:32:03 pm »

"Stalin's General" an autobiography of Georgy Zhukov by Geoffrey Roberts.

I know of Zhukov from his important role in the defeat of Hitler in WWII but knew nothing else about him other than Stalin became jealous of him post WWII.
Should be interesting.

Torslanda · « **Reply #5457 on:** 05 November, 2018, 08:27:27 pm »

As long as you don't mix him up with the Jason Isaacs character in 'The Death of Stalin'

rafletcher · « **Reply #5458 on:** 06 November, 2018, 09:48:06 am »

The latest Rankin/Rebus outing "In a house of lies". Still maintaining the standard.

Tim Hall · « **Reply #5459 on:** 09 November, 2018, 05:15:11 pm »

Just finished "Want You Gone" by Chris* Brookmyre.

Top Parlabane stuff, plot twists, hacking and breaking in. As it was only published last year, all the tech references are up to date (Smart phones, Two Factor authorisation, cloud storage etc) with the glaring exception of when one of our heroes "takes note of a WEP key". It grated, but only a tiny bit.

*When did he change from Christopher?

citoyen · « **Reply #5460 on:** 09 November, 2018, 08:06:57 pm »

Howard’s End

That Forster fella knew how to write though. Some utterly sublime turns of phrase. And funny. Much funnier than the film.

Also dipping into The Man Upstairs, an early collection of Wodehouse stories. They lack the polish of his very best work but have a freshness and vibrancy that is missing from most of his later work. Thoroughly wonderful. Highly recommended, especially to anyone who thinks they don’t like Wodehouse.

Ham · « **Reply #5461 on:** 14 November, 2018, 09:39:26 am »

Quote from: Tim Hall on 09 November, 2018, 05:15:11 pm

Just finished "Want You Gone" by Chris* Brookmyre.

Top Parlabane stuff, plot twists, hacking and breaking in. As it was only published last year, all the tech references are up to date (Smart phones, Two Factor authorisation, cloud storage etc) with the glaring exception of when one of our heroes "takes note of a WEP key". It grated, but only a tiny bit.

*When did he change from Christopher?

Parlabane is back, eh?

(Extra points for getting that reference, even with Google I think you need more info to get a result)

citoyen · « **Reply #5462 on:** 14 November, 2018, 09:44:20 am »

Quote from: Ham on 14 November, 2018, 09:39:26 am

Parlabane is back, eh?

(Extra points for getting that reference, even with Google I think you need more info to get a result)

Well, since Robertson Davies is one of my all time favourite writers, I had almost exactly the same thought when I read Tim's post. I presume Rebel Angels predates Brookmyre's creation by some years. IIRC "Parlabane is back" is the opening line, isn't it?

I've been meaning to re-read the Cornish trilogy for a while but you can't get it on Kindle and I can't be doing with lugging round several hundred pages of paperback on my commute.

Oaky · « **Reply #5463 on:** 14 November, 2018, 09:46:34 am »

Taking time out from more serious reading to relax with a few PTerry books on the Kindle. Currently: Lords and Ladies.

Ham · « **Reply #5464 on:** 14 November, 2018, 11:15:09 am »

Quote from: citoyen on 14 November, 2018, 09:44:20 am

Quote from: Ham on 14 November, 2018, 09:39:26 am
Parlabane is back, eh?

(Extra points for getting that reference, even with Google I think you need more info to get a result)

Well, since Robertson Davies is one of my all time favourite writers, I had almost exactly the same thought when I read Tim's post. I presume Rebel Angels predates Brookmyre's creation by some years. IIRC "Parlabane is back" is the opening line, isn't it?

I've been meaning to re-read the Cornish trilogy for a while but you can't get it on Kindle and I can't be doing with lugging round several hundred pages of paperback on my commute.

Indeed so, I remember the first time I read it being fascinated because I couldn't work out for ages whether Maria (the 1st person narrator in the first chapter) was male or female. And as far as fave goes, same here, I'm sure I mentioned somewhere back there <---- that one of my treasured possessions is a handwritten reply from Robertson Davies to a fan letter. I also keep checking on Kindle to see if it released yet.

robgul · « **Reply #5465 on:** 14 November, 2018, 11:27:36 am »

An interesting book about an ongoing US soap opera . . . . "Fear" by Bob Woodward of Watergate fame. - this follows a couple of other recent tomes about Trump that I've read this year.

Surely the guy (Trump that is) must get taken down shortly?

Rob

Peter · « **Reply #5466 on:** 14 November, 2018, 03:01:06 pm »

It's a bit of a conundrum: if Trump was shot it could set back hope of gun control for decades......

robgul · « **Reply #5467 on:** 14 November, 2018, 04:05:57 pm »

Quote from: Peter on 14 November, 2018, 03:01:06 pm

It's a bit of a conundrum: if Trump was shot it could set back hope of gun control for decades......

Indeed - I was thinking more along the lines of Tricky Dickie Nixon's exit over Watergate

Rob

Peter · « **Reply #5468 on:** 14 November, 2018, 05:05:00 pm »

Tricky Dickie was a very clever man who could work things out for himself!

andrewc · « **Reply #5469 on:** 15 November, 2018, 11:20:33 am »

I've just seen that Dave Hutchinson has released a new title in his (appropriately named) "Fractured Europe" series. "Europe at Dawn" I know there are a couple of fans on here.

T42 · « **Reply #5470 on:** 15 November, 2018, 01:28:14 pm »

Ta, I'll watch out for that.

Jakob W · « **Reply #5471 on:** 15 November, 2018, 01:30:31 pm »

Ooh, yes! Though I thought the first three books were intended as a trilogy?

Torslanda · « **Reply #5472 on:** 17 November, 2018, 11:12:03 pm »

Quote from: Jakob W on 15 November, 2018, 01:30:31 pm

Ooh, yes! Though I thought the first three books were intended as a trilogy?

Douglas N. Adams refers.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #5473 on:** 17 November, 2018, 11:24:31 pm »

Quote from: andrewc on 15 November, 2018, 11:20:33 am

I've just seen that Dave Hutchinson has released a new title in his (appropriately named) "Fractured Europe" series. "Europe at Dawn" I know there are a couple of fans on here.

Ta - thats winging its way to my Kindle now.

T42 · « **Reply #5474 on:** 18 November, 2018, 08:38:52 am »

Ditto, to my Adenoid marketing pseudopod.