*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[DotCommunist]

The Golden Age of Science Fiction: 50 short stories

anthology


some proper old stuff here.

 

[sojourner]

Which Ray Bradbury's in there?

 

[DotCommunist]

none in this one! (its one of a series of 15 such anthologies. God bless you bitorrent). This one covers 1930-1950 so I expect to see bradbury in the next anthology. Published by Halcyon Classics.

 

[sojourner]

Wow. Still though, he was writing then.

 

[starfish]

Wanting to keep my apocalyptic story streak going ive decided to read The Death of Grass by John Christopher.

 

[Voley]

Started this last night and am halfway through. He made me laugh proper when he talked about tracking people, then he'd find them, and they never knew he was there!

Wow - his obsession with bushcraft goes so much deeper than I thought! It's ace reading. The machete story!! I really fancy reading Ffyona Campbell's book now. It's not in the library though

Cheers Voley

Yeah I rattled through it in a couple of days. You see a different side to him in it don't you?

 

[Voley]

I've also ordered his Bushcraft book on the strength of it. I then intend to head out onto the downs at the back of my house and, armed with a machete and a folding saw, live there naked save a beard expansive enough to provide shelter.

 

[sojourner]

I've also ordered his Bushcraft book on the strength of it. I then intend to head out onto the downs at the back of my house and, armed with a machete and a folding saw, live there naked save a beard expansive enough to provide shelter.

 

[Greebo]

American Interior: The Quixotic Journey of John Evans by Gruff Rhys. Retracing the 18th century route of a somewhat *ahem* eccentric Welshman sent on a one man expedition to South America by another eccentric Welshman in search of a tribe descended from Prince Madog. What can I say? Evans seems to have had far longer alleles than most.

 

[belboid]

American Interior: The Quixotic Journey of John Evans by Gruff Rhys. Retracing the 18th century route of a somewhat *ahem* eccentric Welshman sent on a one man expedition to South America by another eccentric Welshman in search of a tribe descended from Prince Madog. What can I say? Evans seems to have had far longer alleles than most.

ooh, I've just finished reading the 'app' of that! Fascinating story, I am very keen to read the book (and see the film)

 

[DRTAvailable]

The Golden Age of Science Fiction: 50 short stories

anthology


some proper old stuff here.

 

[DRTAvailable]

The Dead Secret by Wilkie Collins. Just finished Never Mind by Edward St Aubyn which I found really disappointing.

 

[Frances Lengel]

I've also ordered his Bushcraft book on the strength of it. I then intend to head out onto the downs at the back of my house and, armed with a machete and a folding saw, live there naked save a beard expansive enough to provide shelter.

*books train ticket down to the downs*

 

[pseudonarcissus]

A Spot of Bother, by Mark Haddon

If I really did judge books by their covers, I'd never have bought this.

However, I got over that, and the fact that he wrote Curious Incident... (which got on my fucking nerves BIG time), and I'm glad I did. It's excellent - none too challenging, just a great story, fairly simply told, with some interesting insights into failing mental health

I'm about half way though and I'm enjoying it, I'm note sure why other posters hated it.

I was given it by my dad. I'm left wondering if this is, in some way, symbolic

 

[Voley]

I've also ordered his Bushcraft book on the strength of it.

This is really good, too. It's a reference book but genuinely interesting. Full of his ethos of living alongside nature rather than trying to battle it. Makes me want to buy shitloads of knives and axes and shit mind.

 

[Kate Sharpley]

Just finished John Barker's novel Futures.
Brief summary: in London, 1987, two city whizzkids think up a futures market for cocaine; a single mum who deals small-time wants to make a big deal and get out, and one of the gangsters is buying off the drugs squad and learning about competition and diversification... The City of London's just had the 'big bang', the 'great storm' of 1987 is on the way and the weather's not the only thing that's about to get really nasty.
Verdict: I thought this was really good.
I sometimes worry with crime fiction, when the end comes is the author going to bother to finish off in a believable fashion; or just go "I'm bored, everybody's dead"/ "I'm bored everybody's happy don't ask me how". But this was well written and a proper page-turner.
Read it if: *you want a crime novel with a critical eye on how illegal business is still business *you liked Ronan Bennett's "The second prison" or anything by George Pelecanos *you want a good read.
Don't read it if: *You only like literature that has no plot *You don't want to read swearing

 

[jeff_leigh]

Anansi Boys - Neil Gaiman, Liking it so far

 

[DotCommunist]

Science Fiction: The 101 best novels from 1985-2010

bit of a reference book, short essay for each novel. It's good though.

 

[BoatieBird]

Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx.
The story of an accordion which travels from Italy to America at the end of the 19th century, and of its owners over the next 100 years or so.

 

[weltweit]

2001 : a space odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke

Really enjoyed this, he is very good with the science side of sci-fi, very believable. The end of the book is slightly less impressive imo though, I found that with another of his books, he doesn't seem to finish them very convincingly. Anyhow I recommend this for anyone interested in sci-fi.

 

[D'wards]

2001 : a space odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke

Really enjoyed this, he is very good with the science side of sci-fi, very believable. The end of the book is slightly less impressive imo though, I found that with another of his books, he doesn't seem to finish them very convincingly. Anyhow I recommend this for anyone interested in sci-fi.

2010 is quite good. Don't really bother with the next two - they bring the average down massively.

 

[D'wards]

Under the Skin by Michael Faber

Thought it was excellent and is 90% different from the film. Although the film is great, I think a faithful film could be made from the book and also be very good.

 

[weltweit]

2010 is quite good. Don't really bother with the next two - they bring the average down massively.

My feeling is when he is writing in a realm where science still broadly rules he is comfortable and his writing is convincing, if at times a little science heavy, but when he delves into full sci-fiction, the way out stuff, somehow his writing is not so strong.

 

[D'wards]

My feeling is when he is writing in a realm where science still broadly rules he is comfortable and his writing is convincing, if at times a little science heavy, but when he delves into full sci-fiction, the way out stuff, somehow his writing is not so strong.

Childhood's End is very good, and Rama is pretty good too. Not read any of his space opera type stuff though - have you?

 

[weltweit]

Childhood's End is very good, and Rama is pretty good too. Not read any of his space opera type stuff though - have you?

Yes, I really enjoyed Rendevous with Rama ... haven't read Childhood's End, will look out for it.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Titanicus and Fear the Xeno.

50p each from the charity shop, I love me some mindless shooty books now and again

 

[weltweit]

Deadline, Stella Rimington

A quick pick from the library, don't know if she has written any others. UK Spy fiction, I found in the start she introduced new characters quite fast for me - but it was entertaining enough.

 

[jeff_leigh]

The Beach - Alex Garland

 

[ringo]

One Three One: A Time-Shifting Gnostic Hooligan Road Novel - Julian Cope

As bonkers as it looks

 

[May Kasahara]

Americanah, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It's fantastic.