Author Topic: What books are we reading at the moment ?  (Read 836072 times)

RainOrShine

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #75 on: 28 April, 2008, 02:00:27 pm »
Matter (the latest Culture book) is terrible :(. Easily 250-300 pages too long (seriously).
Noooo!That's next on my list...  :'(

Currently making slow progress through Vodka by Boris Starling.

Flying_Monkey

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #76 on: 28 April, 2008, 05:40:51 pm »
I'm onto "IBM and the Holocaust" now

A classic of the field I work in...

Spook Country is great... Gibson is actually underrated as a stylist, I think...

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #77 on: 28 April, 2008, 05:51:42 pm »
Spook Country was good.  Both Matter & Steep Approach to Garbadale were disappointing.  The same stuff from previous books recycled I'm afraid.

Look at Charles Stross if you want good SF.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Flying_Monkey

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #78 on: 28 April, 2008, 08:16:05 pm »
Look at Charles Stross if you want good SF.

Hmm... he's okay, but too many in-jokes and his plots tend to have large holes and run out of steam. I'd still recommend him. But it you really want the best of the best recently, I'd go for Ian McDonald's Brasyl, Geoff Ryman's Air or M John Harrison's Light and Nova Swing. IMHO of course... it is often a matter of taste, and mine tends to the slightly surreal and arty, with some crunchy politics.

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #79 on: 28 April, 2008, 09:06:15 pm »
I've read Light & Air, both excellent, as was Harrison's Centauri Device.  I didn't get to the end of the Viriconium collection though.

One I've got to go back, to is Hal Duncan's Vellum.  I got about half way through then decided it was too clever for it's own good. Worth another go though.

Stross's shorter works are very  good, The Atrocity Archive & A Colder Place, but I had to go and read some Lovecraft to get the references.
Not fast & rarely furious

tweeting occasional in(s)anities as andrewxclark

Flying_Monkey

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #80 on: 29 April, 2008, 10:34:21 am »
Stross's shorter works are very  good, The Atrocity Archive & A Colder Place, but I had to go and read some Lovecraft to get the references.

I think so too - I used to read his stuff in Interzone and elsewhere before he had published any novels... I had already read Lovecraft (and CAS and Derleth...) as a midguided teenager so I had a handle on those aspects!

Wascally Weasel

  • Slayer of Dragons and killer of threads.
Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #81 on: 29 April, 2008, 11:53:25 am »
"Set phasers to very smug indeed"

I'm reading an advance proof copy of the next Christopher Brookmyre book "A Snowball in Hell".  When it comes out in hardback/paperback later in the year do not read the inside jacket cover/back of the book as it gives far too much away in my view.

You may wish to avoid the blurb on Amazon for similar reasons, it's defintiely worth reading the book itself though!


PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #82 on: 29 April, 2008, 12:14:34 pm »
Rereading Iain Banks' 'Look to Windward' and Stephen Hawking's 'A Brief History of Time' plus trying to read Black Swans by Nassim Nicholas Taleb - not a good choice for a 'plane' book :(

...and yes having 3 books on the go is not great

spen666

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #83 on: 29 April, 2008, 12:16:16 pm »
I'm reading the 2008 Beano annual

blackpuddinonnabike

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #84 on: 29 April, 2008, 12:19:53 pm »
Just finished 'You Only Live Twice'. Love most of the Bond novels (working through them in order), but this really was oriental stereotypes taken to extremes. Quite hard to read at times!

Probably read 'Palestinian Walks' next.

Had an eclectic mix recently (read Walter Moers' 'Rumo' before the last Bond novel - ostensibly a kids book, but desperately good fun, and rather dark and bloody).

CathH

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #85 on: 29 April, 2008, 01:09:38 pm »
I'm back onto comfort-reading - Stephen King's Needful Things is entertaining me at the moment.

Zoidburg

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #86 on: 29 April, 2008, 05:59:42 pm »
A Taschen Frank Lloyd Wright photo art book

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #87 on: 29 April, 2008, 09:23:08 pm »

I'm reading an advance proof copy of the next Christopher Brookmyre book "A Snowball in Hell". 


You lucky so-and-so.  I'm a big fan.  I'm going to see/hear him talk about his books in Falkirk in May.

Mrs Pingu

  • Who ate all the pies? Me
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Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #88 on: 29 April, 2008, 09:48:34 pm »
I am nearly finished my umpteenth reading of The Troublesome Offspring of Cardinal Guzman.  8)

After that I have a copy of Salmon Fishing In The Yemen - no idea if it will be any good, it was a purchase of desperation in a dry spell, and I also have the 2 new Alistair Reynolds books to read which I'm really looking forward to, even if one of them is a collection of short stories (which normally I can't stand).
Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Hummers

  • It is all about the taste.
Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #89 on: 31 July, 2008, 06:55:58 pm »
I have had a quick look but cannot find a thread on this forum.

So.... I am reading 'The Reivers' by Alistair Moffat.

It is a 'factual' book relating to the raiding activities of the mafioso style families that lived in the Borders (England/Scotland) between about the 13th and 17th centuries. It also paints a vivid picture of the Borders as a sorry pawn in the macinations of various regents and these raping, pludering, murderous outlaws (outlaws and monarchs) over 500 years. As we will have spent about 4 days split between Northumberlnd and Edinburgh, this has been a useful companion. Moffat intersperses (sometimes) dry historical information with 'did you know' facts, lightning what can become depressing reading.

Mrs H has just finished reading 'Wife in the North' by Judith O' Reiley. A diary of one woman's experience of moving to glorious Northumberland from London. The book has prompted many "laugh out loud moments" from Mrs H. You know, when you have to put down your book and ask 'what's so funny' or choose to ignore your sniggering spouse. I am picking this up after I have finished reading The Reivers as no doubt I will need cheering up.

H

Mrs Pingu

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Do not clench. It only makes it worse.

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #91 on: 31 July, 2008, 07:45:59 pm »
For whom the bell tolls by Ernest Hemingway at the moment.

Next is the The classic world by Colin Lane Fox.

... prompted by Mrs Pingu and Mr H.
Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

Tim Hall

  • Victoria is my queen
Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #92 on: 31 July, 2008, 07:53:11 pm »
The Music of the Primes, by Marcus du Sautoy.

Hard sums explained.  I fear my brain may explode before I finish it.
There are two ways you can get exercise out of a bicycle: you can
"overhaul" it, or you can ride it.  (Jerome K Jerome)

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #93 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:00:47 pm »
I tried to read Tristram Shandy last week.  To my shame I gave up.  :'( The story and format are great, but the language was too archane for me to enjoy it personally.  So reading Josie Dew instead.

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #94 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:05:34 pm »
Recently finished _The Conquest of Nature: Water, Landscape, and the Making of Modern Germany_, by David Blackbourn. I enjoyed it, but then I would.  :)  Made me wish I had figured out this interest--combining history and landscape ecology--early enough in life to go for a PhD.

Not long before that was _The Discovery of France_ by Graham Robb, which I may have mentioned on here--very enjoyable, and the author is a cyclist (and did much of his research by bike....).

Was simultaneously reading (!) _Once Upon A Time in the North_ by Philip Pullman--a shorter book about the character Lee Scoresby. OK for entertainment value, but a little clunky on the message, and really just an "action" story. Of course, I got it just when I had gotten irritated with my re-read of _The Subtle Knife_--something about the sheer amount of violence and torment in the books, which doesn't always seem necessary.

Right now, I'm reading _The Hidden West: Journeys in the American Outback_ by Rob Schulteis. I'm trying to fairly separate my jealously at his footloose wanderings from my irritation at the little eruptions of excessive statements that sound very poetic but really don't mean very much.

Not sure what's next. The stash of books on the pile at home--mostly finds from this spring's used-book sale--aren't really calling to me. Still waiting for my pre-order copy of Tim Robinson's _Connemara_ to come in at the bookstore.
scottclark.photoshelter.com

toekneep

  • Its got my name on it.
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Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #95 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:08:48 pm »
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon. I can't decide about it. It is entertaining but it reminds of Tom Sharpe's Wilt books but set in a more modern era. I enjoyed Tom Sharpe twenty five years ago but maybe I have changed. The constant theme of everything that can go wrong does go wrong is a bit predicatble.

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #96 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:17:21 pm »
The Music of the Primes, by Marcus du Sautoy.

Hard sums explained.  I fear my brain may explode before I finish it.

Any good? I'm a maths geek and a sucker for Pop. Sci. books like this (i.e. The Code Book by Simon Singh, Dr Reimanns Zeroes, etc).

(Plus I've played football against Marcus du Sautoy, he plays for Recreativo Hackney. We won 4-2.)

Next is Cocksure by Mordecai Richler.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #97 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:22:07 pm »
Marcus is great on the radio.  I imagine his written style is easy to read.  Didn't he write 'The Nothing That Is'?
Getting there...

Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #98 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:22:52 pm »
The Music of the Primes, by Marcus du Sautoy.

I saw that Finding Moonshine: A Mathematician's Journey Through Symmetry had a great review and was very tempted. Is The Music of the Primes any good?

GB, we have a similar intestest it seems; at least some books in common. I loved Fermat's Last Theorem too.

Frenchie - Train à Grande Vitesse

redshift

  • High Priestess of wires
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Re: What books are we reading at the moment ?
« Reply #99 on: 31 July, 2008, 08:25:41 pm »
The Music of the Primes, by Marcus du Sautoy.

Hard sums explained.  I fear my brain may explode before I finish it.

If your brain doesn't explode, follow it up with The Road to Reality by Roger Penrose.  That will make it leak out of your ears in a very satisfactory manner...
L
:)
Windcheetah No. 176
The all-round entertainer gets quite arsey,
They won't translate his lame shit into Farsi
Somehow to let it go would be more classy…