Raskolnikov
New member
Immortality by Kundera, not as good as some of his others but still thoroughly interesting. It is great the way that he manages to make a conversation between Hemingway and Goethe plausible. Fake News alert!
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[Misc] What Book are you Currently Reading?
- Thread starter Lady Buck
- Start date
penny's harmonica
Well-known member
- Jan 30, 2012
- 737
The little red chairs by Edna O Brien. Can't put it down
Barry Izbak
U.T.A.
Gimsons Kings and Queens of England
Totally excellent
Totally excellent
A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich - very interesting it is too.
jakarta
Well-known member
After the Flood by John Nichol (Gulf War RAF Tornado Navigator famously shot down, captured and tortured by those lovely Iraqis).
It is essentially a history of 617 Squadron RAF (The Dam Busters) in WWII after the Dams Raid.
As opposed to the area bombing approach of the rest of Bomber Command, 617 basically became a precision night bombing unit with low level marking of targets for the rest of the war taking out V1/V2 sites etc..
Aside from the recording of the raids, he has interviewed many the very few surviving 617 crew, I guess the last chance to do so.
The courage of these men almost beggars belief, 55,000 of them were killed. Puts all the everyday bollocks that we live through into proper perspective.
It is essentially a history of 617 Squadron RAF (The Dam Busters) in WWII after the Dams Raid.
As opposed to the area bombing approach of the rest of Bomber Command, 617 basically became a precision night bombing unit with low level marking of targets for the rest of the war taking out V1/V2 sites etc..
Aside from the recording of the raids, he has interviewed many the very few surviving 617 crew, I guess the last chance to do so.
The courage of these men almost beggars belief, 55,000 of them were killed. Puts all the everyday bollocks that we live through into proper perspective.
Don Quixote
Well-known member
- Nov 4, 2008
- 8,362
The Culture Series by Iain M. Banks is pretty good for space opera, but you've probably read it before. Inherit the stars by James P Hogan is similar to Clarke.
What's wrong with Dune?
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
I'm now on the 4th of the 13 books from the Man Booker Int'l longlist.
Fever Dream is a (thankfully) very short book by Argentine author Samanta Schweblin with the main character unconscious in hospital and in whose dreams she talks with a dead boy. It's extremely confusing and deliberately so, Schweblin has tried to write it as if it was a real nightmare where things happen that don't make sense, characters appear incongruously and repeating themes occur. I didn't much enjoy the book but I did admire the concept and delivery.
Judas by Amos Oz is without doubt one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. Ostensibly a story of a student in Jerusalem who moves into a house to become an old man's companion in the late 50s, listening and debating with him. It's also a love story between a younger man and an older woman, a story of recent Israeli history, a minority plea for a two-state solution and a completely novel take on the idea of Judas as a true believer who never betrayed Jesus but rather had so much faith that he was the son of God, having seen so many miracles for himself, that he engineered the Crucifixion to prove the verity of Jesus. His suicide was therefore an act of despair rather than guilt. A quite stunning book.
Currently reading Bricks and Mortar by Clemens Mayer. A collection of stories about life and attitudes in Leipzig from the mid 90s onwards focusing around the sex industry. A long read with the first chapter being completely in dialogue was knackering to get my head around who said what, to who and about whom but once I got in the groove it became easier.
Fever Dream is a (thankfully) very short book by Argentine author Samanta Schweblin with the main character unconscious in hospital and in whose dreams she talks with a dead boy. It's extremely confusing and deliberately so, Schweblin has tried to write it as if it was a real nightmare where things happen that don't make sense, characters appear incongruously and repeating themes occur. I didn't much enjoy the book but I did admire the concept and delivery.
Judas by Amos Oz is without doubt one of the most thought-provoking books I've read in a long time. Ostensibly a story of a student in Jerusalem who moves into a house to become an old man's companion in the late 50s, listening and debating with him. It's also a love story between a younger man and an older woman, a story of recent Israeli history, a minority plea for a two-state solution and a completely novel take on the idea of Judas as a true believer who never betrayed Jesus but rather had so much faith that he was the son of God, having seen so many miracles for himself, that he engineered the Crucifixion to prove the verity of Jesus. His suicide was therefore an act of despair rather than guilt. A quite stunning book.
Currently reading Bricks and Mortar by Clemens Mayer. A collection of stories about life and attitudes in Leipzig from the mid 90s onwards focusing around the sex industry. A long read with the first chapter being completely in dialogue was knackering to get my head around who said what, to who and about whom but once I got in the groove it became easier.
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Shatner's Bassoon
The Puff Pastry Hangman
- Feb 12, 2012
- 860
Thanks for this; think I'll read it.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Neal Stephenson 'Anathem'. Brilliant novel, orbital mechanics, interstella travel, alternative planes of existence, lovely.
I'm half way through the first Cadfael by Ellis Peters, I'm not sure yet, it's a bit 'wordy' if you know what I mean.
Marshy
Well-known member
Purchased and read within 4 days, really really enjoyed it, i have not read a book so fast in a long time.
Anyone who loves all things 80s... Music, Movies, TV and specifically old gaming consoles will love this book, enjoy.
Thanks Chappers.
How are you getting along with it, now?
Shantaram is the very definition of epic. Its a lot to get your head around - just remembering what's gone on / how characters link / etc. Is the follow up similar?
I'm 2/3 through the Johnny Marr autobiography, Set The Boy Free.
The story is more interesting than his writing. I'm sucked in because I'm fascinated by the subject matter - the background to the songs I grew up to. If I were about a band I have no interest in, then the writing / story would probably leave me cold.
The story is more interesting than his writing. I'm sucked in because I'm fascinated by the subject matter - the background to the songs I grew up to. If I were about a band I have no interest in, then the writing / story would probably leave me cold.
Alba Badger
Well-known member
Ready player one. Excellent book so far.
Cian
Well-known member
About 50 pages left in Oryx and Crake, which is a lot odder than I was expecting.
Since I started taking the train to work I'm going through books at a financially crippling pace. Need to see if I can get some better protection for them in my backpack and start using the library again probably.
Since I started taking the train to work I'm going through books at a financially crippling pace. Need to see if I can get some better protection for them in my backpack and start using the library again probably.
bravohotelalpha
Well-known member
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - a truly amazing book
A new job this year has meant lots of travel and lots of reading on trains. So far in three months I've got all the way through "The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared" which was very funny and highly recommended if you like shaggy dog stories with ridiculous plots that are, nevertheless, intelligently written (I do)). I've also finally finished "Bad Science" by Ben Goldacre which is acerbically written and every bit as good as his column of the same name. Am now reading the 30th anniversary reissue of Mike Brearley's "The Art of Captaincy". A must for cricket fans, no idea why I've left it this long.
Next cab off the rank is Julian Barnes' The Noise of Time.
Next cab off the rank is Julian Barnes' The Noise of Time.
mune ni kamome
Well-known member
Yes a very strange trilogy but worth reading all three books in the series
sydney
tinky ****in winky
not really....less charachters do absorb , but i have a funny feeling things are about to get lively......not as good as shantaram by a long way imo.
The Modfather
New member
Sorry for the delay in responding but I have not been on here for a while.
Thoroughly recommend. A great read, not just for fans of The Smiths but anyone who loves music