Author Topic: What books are we reading at the moment ? (Read 846855 times)

tiermat · « **Reply #3875 on:** 18 May, 2015, 02:30:45 pm »

The Rosie Effect.

Very good so far and not a case of "difficult second book"

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #3876 on:** 18 May, 2015, 02:52:21 pm »

Curse those dreadful people at the Mega-Global Sounds Like A Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia! They give me a freebie of Neil Gaiman's Stardust (now there's a book that belongs in the Dan Brown assassination thread as an example of of how not to be Dan Brown) and now I would appear to have boughtThe Ocean At The End Of The Lane. Woe is me!

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #3877 on:** 18 May, 2015, 07:03:22 pm »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 18 May, 2015, 02:52:21 pm

Curse those dreadful people at the Mega-Global Sounds Like A Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia! They give me a freebie of Neil Gaiman's Stardust (now there's a book that belongs in the Dan Brown assassination thread as an example of of how not to be Dan Brown) and now I would appear to have boughtThe Ocean At The End Of The Lane. Woe is me!

Great book.....

citoyen · « **Reply #3878 on:** 19 May, 2015, 10:32:27 am »

The Stranger's Child - Alan Hollinghurst

Jeez, how long is this book? It feels like I've read at least 600 pages of it already but I'm only just over halfway through. It's only the quality of the writing that's keeping me going. And the outside possibility that something interesting might happen if I stick with it long enough.

I loved The Line Of Beauty, and I'd still like to read The Swimming Pool Library because it's supposed to be pretty good, but this feels like he's run out of things to say.

Ruthie · « **Reply #3879 on:** 24 May, 2015, 05:31:28 pm »

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

It's thematically a bit like 'Sliding Doors' in that it explores the paths not taken in a woman's life, as she lives her time over and over again. I started it once, got to chapter 3 and then gave up when I bought a new Pterry but I found this at the bottom of the TPOB beside my bed and gave it another shot.

It's one of those rare books I'll take with me and think about for ages. Kate Tkinson has a way of writing people that makes you fond of them - a real rare gift.

It's made me want to re-read Moon Tiger too, another book about a woman who experienced WW2. Both books up there in my hit parade, definitely.

Recommended.

Bledlow · « **Reply #3880 on:** 25 May, 2015, 12:09:41 am »

Quote from: Mr Larrington on 18 May, 2015, 02:52:21 pm

... Neil Gaiman's Stardust ...

Now there's a book I've never got round to reading despite having seen the film.

L CC · « **Reply #3881 on:** 25 May, 2015, 06:37:17 am »

Quote from: Ruthie on 24 May, 2015, 05:31:28 pm

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson.

It's thematically a bit like 'Sliding Doors' in that it explores the paths not taken in a woman's life, as she lives her time over and over again. I started it once, got to chapter 3 and then gave up when I bought a new Pterry but I found this at the bottom of the TPOB beside my bed and gave it another shot.

It's one of those rare books I'll take with me and think about for ages. Kate Tkinson has a way of writing people that makes you fond of them - a real rare gift.

It's made me want to re-read Moon Tiger too, another book about a woman who experienced WW2. Both books up there in my hit parade, definitely.

Recommended.

I liked it, but it's not in my hit parade. There's a lot of death.

tiermat · « **Reply #3882 on:** 01 June, 2015, 01:24:49 pm »

Finished "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, a story of a mixed race family in America during the 40s through to the 80s. Well written, gripping and you actually care about the characters.

Then moved onto "Young God" by Katherine Faw Morris, stripped bare, raw, compelling, I read it in one sitting, thus meaning I didn't go to sleep until after midnight.

My next one, that I have just started is "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henriquez. Holding out on a view of this as I am only 9 pages in.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #3883 on:** 01 June, 2015, 01:34:25 pm »

Currently ploughing through all Neal Asher's oeuvre. I like these a lot. A self contained universe to set them all in with AIs, big spaceships and quite a lot of violence. Oh and there's some giant ducks that speak gibberish, a dragon and some huge and rather nasty intelligent crabs. Great fun. If you like Ian Bank's Culture series you will probably like these too.

Ham · « **Reply #3884 on:** 01 June, 2015, 02:05:42 pm »

Ken Follett's Fall of Giants, picked up for 99p as a Kindle special.

A historical novel that takes as its backdrop the events and social framework leading up to and through WWI. I keep swinging from exasperation for the plot clichés to admiration for the quality of writing that keeps you rolling along. The cast of characters is set almost too wide, as he lays out events on the world stage; it gives him the ability to add historical detail and social comment as part of the narrative. If nothing else, he does Welsh Wales very well indeed (I think his background is Welsh?) and weaves the story with skill around the protagonists and historical events, using the different characters to provide alternative perspective albeit in a self conscious way sometimes.

Just over half way through, will have to see if I keep going through others in the trilogy.

lisat · « **Reply #3885 on:** 08 June, 2015, 10:23:25 pm »

Currently halfway through "enduring love" by Ian McEwan. I have never refs any of his stuff before and I am really enjoying it. Beautiful writing and story had me gripped.

Nuncio · « **Reply #3886 on:** 09 June, 2015, 07:25:15 am »

Coincidentally, I've just finished The Children Act, which I think is his latest. I haven't read him for a while and had forgotten how lucid his writing is. Still, I felt a bit short-changed by this. There are some weighty matters considered but it seems so slight - almost perfunctorily dealt with.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #3887 on:** 09 June, 2015, 08:07:00 am »

Keith Richards' autobiography.

fuzzy · « **Reply #3888 on:** 09 June, 2015, 08:34:07 am »

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 June, 2015, 08:07:00 am

Keith Richards' autobiography.

As if he can remember anything.

tiermat · « **Reply #3889 on:** 09 June, 2015, 08:35:40 am »

Quote from: tiermat on 01 June, 2015, 01:24:49 pm

Finished "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, a story of a mixed race family in America during the 40s through to the 80s. Well written, gripping and you actually care about the characters.

Then moved onto "Young God" by Katherine Faw Morris, stripped bare, raw, compelling, I read it in one sitting, thus meaning I didn't go to sleep until after midnight.

My next one, that I have just started is "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henriquez. Holding out on a view of this as I am only 9 pages in.

"The Book of Unknown Americans" is slow to start with but really picks up. I have to admit I shed a tear towards the end. I enjoyed it.

I have now moved onto "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr. Set slightly before, and during, WWII, it's the story of two people, one a French girl and the other a German boy. So far it flows well and it keeping me reading.

rafletcher · « **Reply #3890 on:** 09 June, 2015, 09:08:37 am »

The latest Peter James. It's ok, which is a vast improvement on his previous offering. Can't help but feel the storylines are getting a bit stale though, maybe the ex-wife thread will finally get resolved this time... or maybe not.

tonyh · « **Reply #3891 on:** 09 June, 2015, 09:52:05 am »

Quote from: Nuncio on 09 June, 2015, 07:25:15 am

Coincidentally, I've just finished The Children Act, which I think is his latest.

Coincidentally, I've just finished The Cement Garden, which I think was his first.
I'm not really a fan of "Horror", but fortunately it was more than that. Quality as usual.

woollypigs · « **Reply #3892 on:** 09 June, 2015, 10:09:20 am »

Quote from: fuzzy (retd.) AAGE on 09 June, 2015, 08:34:07 am

Quote from: Eccentrica Gallumbits on 09 June, 2015, 08:07:00 am
Keith Richards' autobiography.

As if he can remember anything.

When the book came out we were in Dunedin NZ. The local rag was up in arms because he wrote that Dunedin was the worst place he ever gigged.

So either he :
1/ pretended and fooled the lot of us, that he was high as a kite all the time
2/ Dunedin is/was that crap that even a drugged/hangover/drunk/stoned mind still clocked it that it was bad.

But how the heck can a person who have travelled so much over the last 50 years remember one place so well. I think he just threw a dart at the globe, just so that he could write a name of a town that was bad to be able to fill the book.

PeteB99 · « **Reply #3893 on:** 09 June, 2015, 10:39:09 am »

Shades of grey

No not the adolescent softporn thing

The dystopian novel by Jasper Fforde. The first of a series of three but as he seems to write slower than even George R R Martin I may not live long enough to read the last one.

L CC · « **Reply #3894 on:** 09 June, 2015, 01:29:12 pm »

Quote from: Wascally Weasel on 25 January, 2010, 11:01:36 pm

The knife of never letting go by Patrick Ness.

This. And then the next one- The Ask and The Answer. And there will be a third.

I like it a lot. It's helped by really good narration-Humphrey Bower.

Peter · « **Reply #3895 on:** 09 June, 2015, 09:41:06 pm »

Quote from: woollypigs on 09 June, 2015, 10:09:20 am

But how the heck can a person who have travelled so much over the last 50 years remember one place so well. I think he just threw a dart at the globe, just so that he could write a name of a town that was bad to be able to fill the book.

I travelled a lot in an an earlier incarnation. Believe me, horrific experiences stay with you:-

Pie....Fleetwood
Chips.....Great Yarmouth
Clientele.....Wackerfield, County Durham

Mr Larrington · « **Reply #3896 on:** 16 June, 2015, 11:17:53 am »

Cyclogeography: Journrys Of A London Bicycle Courier ~ Jon Day. The author is a former courier who now teaches Eng. Lit. at KCL, and has an impressively spade-like beard that makes him look a bit like a young Brian Blessed. Also he's one of Dr Larrington's former Penniless Student Oaves. Nicely written but a bit dry and academic thus far. Buy it direct from Notting Hill Editions and not only do you cut out the tax-dodgers at the Mega-Global Sounds Like A Big River Corporation of Seattle, USAnia but you also get a free e-book version.

Eccentrica Gallumbits · « **Reply #3897 on:** 16 June, 2015, 12:46:03 pm »

I was not expecting Keith Richards' autobiography to contain his recipe for bangers & mash, and two pages of his thoughts about shepherd's pie.

Peter · « **Reply #3898 on:** 16 June, 2015, 05:14:32 pm »

He may be getting confused over Eel Pie Island, iconic venue in the 60s!

redshift · « **Reply #3899 on:** 16 June, 2015, 11:09:47 pm »

Nick Lane's "The Vital Question"

Having failed miserably to finish a degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry in the 1980's, and gone off to work in Telly land instead, this book just proves that you can take the girl out of biochemistry, but you can't take biochemistry out of the girl. Scratching away at the remaining bits of my memory, the book has reminded me why I used to like the subject. I'll probably have to throw away my thirty-year-old copy of 'Zubay' - actually, that should have happened years ago anyway - and get something much more up to date covering recent bioenergetics thinking.

Not saying I agree, or indeed disagree, with everything in the book - my educational days are way too far distant to be able to judge the merits of his views, but by crikey I need to bring myself up to date!