What books are we reading at the moment ?

[mike]

just finished Matterhorn by Karl Malantes, which I'm very glad I've read.  It describes the utter crap that the front line soldiers have to live through and how if they live or die is determined by ego-driven decisions taken from hundreds or thousands of miles away by people with no idea of what is going on.  It's also very good at showing how if you live or die is more about chance than skill, and 'being brave' has very little to do with it.

But I was frustrated by it as well and it's not an unconditional recommendation.  So much of it is obviously autobiographical, there is a huge amount of detail which seems utterly real and unneccesary for a novel, but because it *is* a novel 'based on fact' you dont know how much it's been sexed up and how much was really that bad.  I'd rather it had been either a pure novel, with less micro detail and more storylines, or a pure auto-biog with all of it's challenges. 

Good book though. 

[Mr Larrington]

Nerd Do Well ~ Simon Pegg

Watch Spaced instead.

Oh really? That is such a shame. Mind you the amount of plugging that he has been doing for it recently has been close to indecent.

Almost as indecent as the amount of name-dropping inside it.  I met Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, and Quentin Tarantino, and George Romero, and I used to go to the pub with Chris Martin¹, and I had that Gillian Anderson in my pub quiz team², and Peter Jackson, and Bill Nighy, and have we had George Lucas oh yes, and I was in a film with Leonard Nimoy, and George Romero's mate, and the voice of Darth Wossname and and and I'm photographed with Charlie Watts (cont. Trash, by Robyn Hitchcock) and oh fuck off   The only issue on which we find common ground is that the Star Wars prequels were indeed rubbish.

And I bet I had that T-shaped shirt with the alien's head on it before you did.  And I wore it when I visited the Black Mailbox.

1 - Though why anyone would want to brag about this I do not know...
2 - Note for Rogerzilla and other X-Philes: this, on the other hand...

[Tom B]

Matterhorn by Karl Malantes

Read a long review of this in the LRB and was left wondering if the review was better than the book

[her_welshness]

Nerd Do Well ~ Simon Pegg

Watch Spaced instead.

Oh really? That is such a shame. Mind you the amount of plugging that he has been doing for it recently has been close to indecent.

Almost as indecent as the amount of name-dropping inside it.  I met Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas, and Quentin Tarantino, and George Romero, and I used to go to the pub with Chris Martin¹, and I had that Gillian Anderson in my pub quiz team², and Peter Jackson, and Bill Nighy, and have we had George Lucas oh yes, and I was in a film with Leonard Nimoy, and George Romero's mate, and the voice of Darth Wossname and and and I'm photographed with Charlie Watts (cont. Trash, by Robyn Hitchcock) and oh fuck off   The only issue on which we find common ground is that the Star Wars prequels were indeed rubbish.

And I bet I had that T-shaped shirt with the alien's head on it before you did.  And I wore it when I visited the Black Mailbox.

1 - Though why anyone would want to brag about this I do not know...
2 - Note for Rogerzilla and other X-Philes: this, on the other hand...

Ahh thanks for that, thats one I will not be reading!

[nicknack]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

[Wowbagger]

"Dreams from my Father" by one B. Obama.

This was a present from my daughter a yule or two ago. I read about 200 pages whilst sitting in the waiting rooms at Southend Hospital over the past 3 days. I suppose it's reasonably well-written but hasn't filled me with enthusiasm.

[Zoidburg]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

[Flying_Monkey]

"Dreams from my Father" by one B. Obama.

This was a present from my daughter a yule or two ago. I read about 200 pages whilst sitting in the waiting rooms at Southend Hospital over the past 3 days. I suppose it's reasonably well-written but hasn't filled me with enthusiasm.

Funny, I guess it's context. I read it two years ago, before he became president, and it did fill me with enthusiasm. It might not have done if I had read it inthe aftermath of the inevitable disappointment. It's his second book that isn't so inspiring in itself.

[PeteB99]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

Half way through it. Thanks for the plot spoiler ZB 

Just finished Depths by Henning Mankell.

[andrewc]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

I've not started it yet, thanks Zoiders ! (are you only Kim at weekends ?)

And yes, SC = CIA  or any similar government bunch of nasties.

[Zoidburg]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

I've not started it yet, thanks Zoiders ! (are you only Kim at weekends ?)

And yes, SC = CIA  or any similar government bunch of nasties.

I didn't say that much and I am only half way through as well

It's been in quotes and such already in the press so it's not that much of a spoiler...anyone who has read the books knows what they are like anyway and you can tell from reading the first chapter that it's going to involve them heavily.

They use people.

[PaulF]

Somehow I missed the release of Surface Detail. Thanks for the heads up my copy is on it's way.

SC evil? Never saw that coming

[PeteB99]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

I've not started it yet, thanks Zoiders ! (are you only Kim at weekends ?)

And yes, SC = CIA  or any similar government bunch of nasties.

I didn't say that much and I am only half way through as well

It's been in quotes and such already in the press so it's not that much of a spoiler...anyone who has read the books knows what they are like anyway and you can tell from reading the first chapter that it's going to involve them heavily.

They use people.

Finished it now.

(click to show/hide)

The last sentence was a surprise. I didn't expect to see him again.

[andrewc]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

I've not started it yet, thanks Zoiders ! (are you only Kim at weekends ?)

And yes, SC = CIA  or any similar government bunch of nasties.

I didn't say that much and I am only half way through as well

It's been in quotes and such already in the press so it's not that much of a spoiler...anyone who has read the books knows what they are like anyway and you can tell from reading the first chapter that it's going to involve them heavily.

They use people.

Finished it now.

(click to show/hide)

The last sentence was a surprise. I didn't expect to see him again.

Git, Git, Git........I know I shouldn't have clicked it but Git, Git , Git 

Now behave yourself or I'll give away the plot to Zero History.....

[Zoidburg]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

I've not started it yet, thanks Zoiders ! (are you only Kim at weekends ?)

And yes, SC = CIA  or any similar government bunch of nasties.

I didn't say that much and I am only half way through as well

It's been in quotes and such already in the press so it's not that much of a spoiler...anyone who has read the books knows what they are like anyway and you can tell from reading the first chapter that it's going to involve them heavily.

They use people.

Finished it now.

(click to show/hide)

The last sentence was a surprise. I didn't expect to see him again.

I have not clicked on it but I sort of guessed he might get a mention from quite early on.

It's his kind of story if it's who I think it is.

[PeteB99]

Surface Detail - Ian M Banks.

Me too.

Seems to be a back story for Culture fans about just what a real gang of bastards SC really are.

I've not started it yet, thanks Zoiders ! (are you only Kim at weekends ?)

And yes, SC = CIA  or any similar government bunch of nasties.

I didn't say that much and I am only half way through as well

It's been in quotes and such already in the press so it's not that much of a spoiler...anyone who has read the books knows what they are like anyway and you can tell from reading the first chapter that it's going to involve them heavily.

They use people.

Finished it now.

(click to show/hide)

The last sentence was a surprise. I didn't expect to see him again.

Git, Git, Git........I know I shouldn't have clicked it but Git, Git , Git 

Now behave yourself or I'll give away the plot to Zero History.....

OK I'll behave

Like ZB I thought I'd seen him before but didn't make the connection.

[Torslanda]

Rereading Mr Nice.

I can't decide whether he is just a stoner, a businessman, hard done by or full of shit.

Kind of admire him for having more front than Brighton on a bank holiday but can't help thinking that if he had applied himself to a different business other than drug smuggling he would have become just as rich and successful . . . and not had to spend a decade or so in jail.

Anyone seen the film, yet?

[mark]

"The Gathering Storm", the first volume of Winston Churchill's 6 volume history of World War II and the years leading up to it.

[her_welshness]

Just finished reading 'Tamara Drewe' by Posy Simmonds. Very good 

[Zoidburg]

Zero History.

No spoilers please...lah lah lah...not listening.

[jogler]

Elizabeth's Spy Master (Francis Walsingham & the secret war that saved England) by Robert Hutchinson

[Mr Larrington]

I Sank The Bismarck ~ John Moffat with some bloke whose name ICBA to look up.  Memoirs of a Swordfish pilot.  Charles Lamb's War In A Stringbag is better written, but then again, Lamb didn't even try to sink the Bismarck on account of being elsewhere at the time.

[Rhys W]

Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku. Mind-blowing stuff.

[Feline]

I am currently reading The Finkler Question - Howard Jacobson but I am just not getting into it. Not sure if this is because I am reading it in little chunks because so busy working this week.

[Torslanda]

Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku. Mind-blowing stuff.

I think I might have to order that.