Books you are reading

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Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Korea Hammer »

Enrique Vila-Matas ~ Mac & His Problem

Continuing my Spanish language translation journey this year, I came across Vila-Matas, a contemporary writer from Barcelona who blurs genres and specialises in experimental narratives. Mac & His Problem is really a book about a book about a book about a book, and the narrator is a recently unemployed man in his 60s who decides to become a writer. He soon makes a plan to rewrite his neighbour's long-forgotten and failed novel, a book which itself references a whole swathe of short story writers. Despite the complicated conceit, it's a joy to read as the ever-grumpy unreliable narrator trudges around Barcelona from bar to barber to beachfront, spiralling into madness and paranoia. Full of allusions and references to other writers, it's a book for those who like their novels weird and meta.
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WHU Independent
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by WHU Independent »

Fatherland by Robert Harris.

An oldie but goodie.

It's 1964, Berlin. Germany has won WW2, Hitler is ascendent, Germanic culture dominates everywhere, yet a famous "Alte Kampfer" (old fighter) of the war is murdered and a cynical, world weary cop, who is the architype of what the new regime hates, gets assigned to the murders. Can he solve what's going on without ruffling too many Nazi feathers and making very unpalitable events public knowledge.

a great story, well written, but lacking a decent ending.
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ironsonthebrain
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by ironsonthebrain »

I've got two on the go at the moment - Phillip Pullman's 'Secret Commonwealth' , second of his Book of Dust trilogy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/190 ... mmonwealth


and Luke Courtney's 'Plague Carrier ' ( appropriate , eh?) , second of his Argent Blade series

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/551 ... gent-blade

Both are cracking reads.
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Estuary
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Estuary »

Bit late but- John Nicol - Tornado: In the Eye of The Storm.

I read his Spitfire book a few years back and it is a brilliant piece of work so thought I would give Tornado a go while away on a break.
Nicol tells the story in the third person, which is a device which keeps it inline with his other two works on RAF classic aircraft crews and their war experiences. He weaves the highly charged story around his own Tornado bomber squadron and its combatants plus their loved ones at home with the technicalities of modern warfare effortlessly, and its a terrifying white knuckle ride which you feel emotionally exhausted just reading.
The description of pilots and weapons systems operator/navigators experiencing the first night time attack, and the shear scale of the anti-aircraft barrages they flew through to engage the targets at zero altitude makes you wonder how any of them survived, returning to their home airfields, if they were lucky, and then having to repeat the experience the next night while knowing the level of resistance they faced, and this time without the element of surprise, this will live long in my memory after reading it, brave doesn't begin to describe the character of the men.
A must read for military history buffs and also anyone who likes a powerful human interest story.
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Arnold Layne
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Arnold Layne »

Tenement Kid - Bobby Gillespie

The first instalment of The Jesus and Mary Chain drummer/Primal Scream frontman life story.
Top notch rocker autobiography lots of details on the music/clothes/films/politics that formed his outlook on life. 400+ pages and it finishes with the release of Screamadelica (1991) so I’m guessing there’s a part 2 on the way.
One of the best music autobiogs I’ve read.
lewisham-mer
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by lewisham-mer »

Just starting a great eBay find

Waylon: Tales of my Outlaw Dad by Terry Jennings.

Waylon Jennings is an absolute country legend. Think I’m going to enjoy this.

Got Willie Nelson’s autobiography next.
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Estuary
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Estuary »

Centreforce 883 - Matt Trollope

Massive West Ham connection obviously. A really really well researched and presented book on one of East London's most important cultural influence's the pirate radio station Centreforce 88.3.
Anyone with half an interest in the very early rave era and the music and people that drove it in our area is going to enjoy this.
Ex local journo Trollope has done a great job.
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westham,eggyandchips
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by westham,eggyandchips »

Image
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Tenbury
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Tenbury »

Christmas present from my daughter:
Bob Mortimer's Autobiography, a bright and breezy, easy read. I'd finished it by late afternoon. Good fun.
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The Old Man of Storr
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Post by The Old Man of Storr »

Got a signed copy of The Promise by Damon Galgut [ this year's Booker Winner ] from my lovely Daughter -

Made my Christmas .
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by prophet:marginal »

Got given a copy of Its Only Banter by Leroy Rosenior and am reading it whilst on a short break up in Leeds. Really well-written book, with reflections not only on football, but also the wider things going on around it, from early 80s onwards.

Would recommend it.
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Greatest Cockney Rip Off »

Currently listening to "Windswept & Interesting" by Billy Connolly (do audio books count in this thread?). Either way, it's a great read/listen. Very moving in parts and sad knowing that his days are numbered on this earth. The bloke really is one of a kind.

On a side note, I really like the idea of audio books. You can listen to them with someone and compare reactions. A unique scenario of me and although I was always against the idea of audio books, I'm very much warming to them.
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Tenbury
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Tenbury »

+1for audiobooks, I always go to sleep with one in my earphones. Can't get my head round 'Audible' though, there must be something better than that.
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Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Korea Hammer »

Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

I've always avoided Dickens, ever since a traumatic encounter with the 900-odd page Our Mutual Friend as a student, but I have to say I enjoyed every page of this.
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smuts
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by smuts »

Barack Obama - A Promised Land.
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pablo jaye
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by pablo jaye »

Arnold Layne wrote: Tue Dec 21, 2021 7:11 pm Tenement Kid - Bobby Gillespie

The first instalment of The Jesus and Mary Chain drummer/Primal Scream frontman life story.
Top notch rocker autobiography lots of details on the music/clothes/films/politics that formed his outlook on life. 400+ pages and it finishes with the release of Screamadelica (1991) so I’m guessing there’s a part 2 on the way.
One of the best music autobiogs I’ve read.

I’m in the middle of reading that at this moment. I thought it started a bit slowly and perhaps jumped around events a bit too much - personally, I would have liked a bit more focus on his Dad’s role in trade unions as that has clearly influenced Bobby. I’m just about 100 pages in and things are picking up - he’s just met Alan McGee, and having read his autobiography, there are a few pieces of a jigsaw puzzle being filled.
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Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Korea Hammer »

Carys Davies - The Mission House

I read this in a day and a half, and thought it was really great. A second novel by a young Welsh writer, it tells the story of a middle-aged man who goes to India after his life falls apart. The various characters he meets are memorable and the background of religion and colonalism subtly depicted.
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by lewisham-mer »

Korea Hammer wrote: Tue Dec 28, 2021 10:01 am Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

I've always avoided Dickens, ever since a traumatic encounter with the 900-odd page Our Mutual Friend as a student, but I have to say I enjoyed every page of this.

I was forced to do Great Expectations for A-Level.

Put me off Dickens novels for life and never read one since
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by vietnammer »

lewisham-mer wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:11 pm I was forced to do Great Expectations for A-Level.

Put me off Dickens novels for life and never read one since
Having become a teacher later in life, it made me remember how some Literature lessons involved turn-by turn reading out loud from the text.

"Yes... Ad..reiue Micke...laiso...vic..." (with not even any input on how to pronounce it, probably lazy teachers).

"Ay... pretty... peat! it... is best... put.. finger... in the eye, an she knew why."

Mike Frohnsdorf got us to talk about what we were supposed to read, but otherwise, the approach (I can see now) put you off literature for life. Until life takes over
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Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading

Post by Korea Hammer »

lewisham-mer wrote: Sat Jan 01, 2022 12:11 pm I was forced to do Great Expectations for A-Level.

Put me off Dickens novels for life and never read one since
Might just not be your thing l-m. But I often think having to study a book can kill the enjoyment of it a bit. Plus, for me, it depends a lot when you read certain books. I don't think I would've enjoyed it so much when I was 18.
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