Books you are reading
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Re: Books you are reading
Just finished a few books.
"I have something to tell you" - Susan Lewis - pretty good, UK-based crime novel.
"The Holiday" - TM Logan - another crime-ish based book, now a TV mini-series. Also good, set in South of France.
"I have something to tell you" - Susan Lewis - pretty good, UK-based crime novel.
"The Holiday" - TM Logan - another crime-ish based book, now a TV mini-series. Also good, set in South of France.
- S-H
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Re: Books you are reading
Humans A brief History of how we f*cked it all up by Tom Phillips
I've just started it but this is a very interesting but funny and easy read. It makes my daily commute by train a delectable moment.
I've just started it but this is a very interesting but funny and easy read. It makes my daily commute by train a delectable moment.
- Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading
Georges Perec - Life: A User's Manual
A highly unusual book, written with all sorts of self-imposed restraints (this is the author who famously once wrote a whole novel without using the letter 'e'), the 500 pages of this book take us from room to room in an upmarket Parisian apartment building in 1975, describing each resident as they're frozen in the same moment and threading in over a hundred backstories and tales. Puzzles and patterns lie hidden throught the book and it has a great ending. There was a bit more description of furniture and antiques than I would usually go for, but overall a very interesting and different reading experience.
A highly unusual book, written with all sorts of self-imposed restraints (this is the author who famously once wrote a whole novel without using the letter 'e'), the 500 pages of this book take us from room to room in an upmarket Parisian apartment building in 1975, describing each resident as they're frozen in the same moment and threading in over a hundred backstories and tales. Puzzles and patterns lie hidden throught the book and it has a great ending. There was a bit more description of furniture and antiques than I would usually go for, but overall a very interesting and different reading experience.
- WHU Independent
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Re: Books you are reading
The Reaper - Autobiography of one of the deadliest Special Ops Snipers - Nicolas Irving
I've always had an interest in Snipers and when I saw this on sale for a Quid in a charity shiop I grabbed it.
Unfortunately, it's pretty drab. I recounts Irving's deployment in Afganistan in 2009 and how he killed some of his 33 confirned kills. There's only so many ways you can describe killing someone from far away and it all get a bit routine. the best part of the book, IMHO , are the last two chapters that will give you a very eye opening and hitherto unknown aspect on the Taliban's lifestyle (Human Centipede style!) and when he gets home. Actually i think if he would have concentrated on the lifestyle of the Taliban and the struggles he had at home, it would have been a much better book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853661-the-reaper
SThe Singing Citadel: Michael Moorcock: four tales of heroic fantasy
Another book I got for a £1. Moorcock is by far my favourite author and although I may have read this book years ago, it was like reading it anew. There are three Elric stories and a great story about Alexander the Great being possessed by the chaos demons of Menibone'. All stories are unusual, off beat and keep your attention throughout. His take on fantasy is very orginal and highly enjoyable. I loved it.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/421 ... ng_Citadel
Rides a Dread Legion - Raymond E Feist.
I read Magician, by this author, years ago and loathed it. I picked this up from the libary as the concept seemed interesting. I'm glad I did. The opening chapters are excellent. A demonist and his Fighter partner go round the country, telling people there is a demon in a cave and unless they pay them to dispell it, the demon will come out and destroy the town. What they don't know is that the demonist has summoned the demon and have bound it, making it easy for him to dispell it. It's a big con trick and they have been doing it for years - but this time it goes wrong - very wrong indeed. Someone is interfering with the demonists spells and trying to get him killed - but who? This is the opening part of the Demonwar Saga - so I guess I'm in for the long haul now!. Great stuff if you like sword and sorcery.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400 ... ead-legion
I've always had an interest in Snipers and when I saw this on sale for a Quid in a charity shiop I grabbed it.
Unfortunately, it's pretty drab. I recounts Irving's deployment in Afganistan in 2009 and how he killed some of his 33 confirned kills. There's only so many ways you can describe killing someone from far away and it all get a bit routine. the best part of the book, IMHO , are the last two chapters that will give you a very eye opening and hitherto unknown aspect on the Taliban's lifestyle (Human Centipede style!) and when he gets home. Actually i think if he would have concentrated on the lifestyle of the Taliban and the struggles he had at home, it would have been a much better book.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21853661-the-reaper
SThe Singing Citadel: Michael Moorcock: four tales of heroic fantasy
Another book I got for a £1. Moorcock is by far my favourite author and although I may have read this book years ago, it was like reading it anew. There are three Elric stories and a great story about Alexander the Great being possessed by the chaos demons of Menibone'. All stories are unusual, off beat and keep your attention throughout. His take on fantasy is very orginal and highly enjoyable. I loved it.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/421 ... ng_Citadel
Rides a Dread Legion - Raymond E Feist.
I read Magician, by this author, years ago and loathed it. I picked this up from the libary as the concept seemed interesting. I'm glad I did. The opening chapters are excellent. A demonist and his Fighter partner go round the country, telling people there is a demon in a cave and unless they pay them to dispell it, the demon will come out and destroy the town. What they don't know is that the demonist has summoned the demon and have bound it, making it easy for him to dispell it. It's a big con trick and they have been doing it for years - but this time it goes wrong - very wrong indeed. Someone is interfering with the demonists spells and trying to get him killed - but who? This is the opening part of the Demonwar Saga - so I guess I'm in for the long haul now!. Great stuff if you like sword and sorcery.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/400 ... ead-legion
- Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading
László Krasznahorkai ~ Satantango
An absolutely stunning translation of this 1985 Hungarian masterpiece. Szirtes, the translator, has called this writing a “slow lava flow of narrative, a vast black river of type”, and it's certainly at the challenging end of literary fiction. But the results are jaw-droppingly great. Basically, a bleak depiction of a failed agrarian collective somewhere in rural Hungary, the story twists and turns and is seething with memorable scenes and characters.
I've read Krasznahorkai's first two novels now (The Melanacholy Of Resistance was another 5-star book) and will definitely be hunting down the rest.
An absolutely stunning translation of this 1985 Hungarian masterpiece. Szirtes, the translator, has called this writing a “slow lava flow of narrative, a vast black river of type”, and it's certainly at the challenging end of literary fiction. But the results are jaw-droppingly great. Basically, a bleak depiction of a failed agrarian collective somewhere in rural Hungary, the story twists and turns and is seething with memorable scenes and characters.
I've read Krasznahorkai's first two novels now (The Melanacholy Of Resistance was another 5-star book) and will definitely be hunting down the rest.
- szola
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Re: Books you are reading
If you want to know how the Stasi would have ran a country in 2022, read this book.
You'll never want to trust an NGO in Africa again, after reading.
- pablo jaye
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Re: Books you are reading
Off on hols next week so have bought some light reading Matter - Richard Osman’s ‘The Man Who Died Twice’ as I enjoyed his first book; and Andrew O’Hagan’s ‘Mayflies’ given its setting in the 80s and the Manchester music scene. First saw it recommmeded by Sonny Marr, daughter of Johnny.
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Re: Books you are reading
I know it is off topic, but why did he call his daughter Sonny?pablo jaye wrote: ↑Tue May 24, 2022 6:29 pm Off on hols next week so have bought some light reading Matter - Richard Osman’s ‘The Man Who Died Twice’ as I enjoyed his first book; and Andrew O’Hagan’s ‘Mayflies’ given its setting in the 80s and the Manchester music scene. First saw it recommmeded by Sonny Marr, daughter of Johnny.
- pablo jaye
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Re: Books you are reading
Good question .. I am sure I read about it in his autobiography but can’t recall why. His son is called Nile, after Mr Rodgers so maybe after a musician, although I don’t think it would be Cher’s former partner.
- Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading
Jacqueline Harpman ~ I Who Have Never Known Men
I read This translation of a 1995 Belgian dystopian novel in two days, and it must surely be just about the saddest, bleakest book I've ever read. Brilliant though.
I read This translation of a 1995 Belgian dystopian novel in two days, and it must surely be just about the saddest, bleakest book I've ever read. Brilliant though.
- Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading
David Lodge - Campus Trilogy
Well, this was a waste of time/money. I had vaguely good memories of reading a Lodge book when I was much younger (Possibly The British Museum Is Falling Down, but I can't remember really), but 270 pages into this nearly 900 page trilogy, I did what I hardly ever do and bailed. The writing was very ordinary and the humour quite dated, but above all the horrendous sexism of the principal characters just got too much. A rare DNF.
Well, this was a waste of time/money. I had vaguely good memories of reading a Lodge book when I was much younger (Possibly The British Museum Is Falling Down, but I can't remember really), but 270 pages into this nearly 900 page trilogy, I did what I hardly ever do and bailed. The writing was very ordinary and the humour quite dated, but above all the horrendous sexism of the principal characters just got too much. A rare DNF.
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- last.caress
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Re: Books you are reading
Currently re-reading some of HP Lovecraft's more prominent works. Last couple of weeks, cracked through The Call of Cthulhu, At the Mountains of Madness (my favourite Lovecraft tale), The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Rats in the Walls, The Temple, The Music of Erich Zann and The Dunwich Horror.
- Cockneyboy311
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Re: Books you are reading
Just finished 'Record Play Pause' by Joy Division/New Order drummer Stephen Morris. Takes a while to get to the juicy stuff (meeting Ian, Hooky and Bernard) but all in all an enjoyable read. Some super LOL moments in it too.
Now onto something completely different - 'Immunity: The Science of Staying Well'
Now onto something completely different - 'Immunity: The Science of Staying Well'
- vietnammer
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Re: Books you are reading
Yes indeedy! Love the ending when it switches back through historical language. Innit The Rats Within the Walls though?
- vietnammer
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Re: Books you are reading
Might give this a go if it's on Kindle. If you want a back-dated equivalent, you might try Evelyn Waugh's Black Mischief, if it hasn't been banned by now.
- szola
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Re: Books you are reading
Thank you, Viet, will add that book to my list!
Just finished this interesting collection of short stories. Alternative science fiction. Some quite interesting ones as well.
Just finished this interesting collection of short stories. Alternative science fiction. Some quite interesting ones as well.
- Korea Hammer
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Re: Books you are reading
Oh, how funny! I just came to post about the same book (which I read over the last two days)
The first two, I thought were characteristically messed-up Korean body-horror stuff, with fairly easy-to-spot metaphors about family and gender, but I loved some of the later ones. My personal favourite was The Reunion, a melancholy and atmospheric ghost story set in Poland, but I also really liked the 'Tales Of The Unexpected' like The Frozen Finger and the stylised fairy tale, Ruler Of The Winds And Sands. Some of the horror in stories like Snare and the longer Scars was a bit graphic for me, but overall a surprising and promising collection.
My favourite short story collections of the last couple of years btw, were Kathryn Scanlan's The Dominant Animal and Dark Satellites by Clemens Meyer.
- westham,eggyandchips
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