*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[inva]

The World That Made New Orleans by Ned Sublette

Just started reading this and it seems to be a good history of New Orleans from its founding through the successive colonial regimes and waves of immigration up to I think 1819. I've been interested in New Orleans for quite a while now through liking so much music that comes from there, and I pick up bits and pieces of knowledge about the place through that but I really wanted to try and find out more about it and especially to place what I knew in more of a broader context. Music plays a big part in the book probably as you'd expect, and Sublette is a musician himself which is where I'd heard of him - he mentions Cosimo Matassa's recording studio on the first page so I was immediately interested. Anyway, its very well written I think and strikes a good balance between having reasonable depth while being very accessible.

 

[maya]

Have you read Up From The Cradle Of Jazz? It's about the development of jazz in New Orleans from after WW2 and up until the book's publication (the 1980s? I don't remember exactly when it was published), mostly music history but also social history if you're interested in that sort of thing...

 

[inva]

Have you read Up From The Cradle Of Jazz? It's about the birth of jazz in New Orleans, so mostly music history but also a very good social history if you're interested in that sort of thing...

No I haven't but it sounds good so thank you for the recommendation

 

[flypanam]

The flame throwers - Rachel Kushner

Just started but my wife thought it excellent.

 

[Orang Utan]

Andrew Solomon - Far From The Tree, after reading this review (I think):
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2014/apr/29/wellcome-book-prize-andrew-solomon-far-from-the-tree
It's huge and rather exhausting at times with the sometimes syruppy testimonials but it's fascinating and illuminating.

 

[nogojones]

George Pendle - History of Latin America

 

[Orang Utan]

Really struggling with Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I don't want to say it's shit, but something dramatic better happen soon or I'm giving it up. It's not very engaging.

 

[D'wards]

Really struggling with Neil Gaiman's American Gods. I don't want to say it's shit, but something dramatic better happen soon or I'm giving it up. It's not very engaging.

Without giving too much away, it gets good when a sacrifice happens, and the end is very good. Its worth persisting

 

[Thimble Queen]

I'm reading the third book in the Kalix series. I like them because they are partly set in South London.
.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Just finished Leviathan Wakes.

It's a fun sci fi space opera(ish). Not highbrow, not hard science, but gritty in feel if not tone.

 

[Orang Utan]

Without giving too much away, it gets good when a sacrifice happens, and the end is very good. Its worth persisting

Well I'm 400 pages in and I'm so bored. It better happen soon! Maybe I shouldn't have bought the 'author's prefererred text' which includes 'exclusive extra material' and a 'novella' (though when does a short story become a novella? This one's 60 pages long).

 

[MrSki]

Just starting 'The World according to Bertie' by Alexander McCall Smith. The forth in the 44 Scotland Street series.

Originally written as a serialisation in The Scotsman newspaper, it is the story of the residents of the flats at 44 SS. A very pleasant easy read that is puts a smile on your face from the first page to the last. Good summer reading that is not over taxing.

 

[MrSki]

Well I'm 400 pages in and I'm so bored. It better happen soon! Maybe I shouldn't have bought the 'author's prefererred text' which includes 'exclusive extra material' and a 'novella' (though when does a short story become a novella? This one's 60 pages long).

You cant give up after 400 pages! Good luck with it. I will avoid it.

 

[weltweit]

Just finished a 600 pager about which I feel quite proud but as I haven't been to the library or a book shop for a while I only have a choice of two books about Obama next (given to me by someone who also hadn't read them!). Not really filled with inspiration about either of them if I am honest.

 

[Orang Utan]

What was the 600 pager?

 

[weltweit]

What was the 600 pager?

Surface Detail, Iain M Banks - Good - at least I liked it!

 

[Orang Utan]

Surface Detail, Iain M Banks - Good - at least I liked it!

Thanks. I hope you now get the point of this thread
Saying what you think of it is kind of traditional too.

 

[weltweit]

Thanks. I hope you now get the point of this thread

I am pretty sure up thread I already said I was reading it mr threadpoliceman !!

Saying what you think of it is kind of traditional too.

I like Banks's sci fi, have now read quite a few. Got to get my hands on some more, but I also just discovered Arthur C Clarke and will be trying to get some more of his also.

 

[DotCommunist]

Dreamsongs volume two. IT's part of a series called dreamsongs which is basically all of G RR Martins short stories. And theres a lot of them.

epub requests to the usual pm addy if anyone wants it.

 

[D'wards]

Well I'm 400 pages in and I'm so bored. It better happen soon! Maybe I shouldn't have bought the 'author's prefererred text' which includes 'exclusive extra material' and a 'novella' (though when does a short story become a novella? This one's 60 pages long).

I have two mildly conflicting rules;

Life's too short to read boring books

If you are more than a third into a book you must finish it

Therefore so as not to create a rip in the space/time continuum I must abandon books before exactly a third or soldier on.

Anyway, after the aforementioned sacrifice it picks up and a lot then happens.

 

[Orang Utan]

Well Wednesday's been dispatched. Is that the sacrifice?

 

[Manter]

I'm reading this: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15819028-the-golem-and-the-jinni

It's magical realism, well written, interesting idea and characters, but I'm not drawn into it for some reason. I can't figure out what it is, anyone else read it?

 

[D'wards]

Well Wednesday's been dispatched. Is that the sacrifice?

No but you are but moments/pages away

 

[D'wards]

Halfway through Flowers for Algernon - very good so far if a little depressing

 

[flypanam]

As well as reading The Flamethrowers I managed to get my hands on a cheap copy of...

Tim Butcher's The trigger: hunting the assassin who brought the world to war.

It's an exploration of the life of Gavrilo Princip and of Bosnia. Lively and well written.

 

[weltweit]

the fry chronicles, Stephen Fry

I read Moab is my washpot some time ago and enjoyed it, so far this is also interesting..
Also nice large print which is easy on the eyes!

 

[colbhoy]

Just started The Bricklayer by Noah Boyd.

 

[Roadkill]

Stephen Grady, Gardens of Stone: My Boyhood in the French Resistance. I've only just started it, but I'm impressed already.

 

[braindancer]

Warlock by Oakley Hall. 50 pages in and I'm loving it - I'm a sucker for an epic Western and this one has got me serious gripped so far.

 

[malatesta32]

Dreamsongs volume two. IT's part of a series called dreamsongs which is basically all of G RR Martins short stories. And theres a lot of them.

epub requests to the usual pm addy if anyone wants it.

not dreamsongs by berryman?