*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[belboid]

Just finishing Viv Albertine's Clothes, Clothes, Clothes, Music, Music, Music, Boy,s Boys, Boys. Which isn't a bad read, very easy going, but not quite as good as all those rave reviews implied. The bits after the Slits split are actually more interesting than most of the 'exciting' band tales, plenty of which seemed to be almost just name dropping (which is unfair, as obviously she was really there, and did hang out with Sid and Mick and the rest).

Then it'll be onto the most fascinating book of the year, I'm sure - Book=keeping 2, Tutorials and Workbook. Oh, the joy.

 

[weltweit]

The Girl who fell from the Sky, Simon Mawer

Really good book, a girl is on an SOE mission in occupied France, very well written, hard to put down, another of the author's books was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and I can see why. I recommend this book!

 

[MrSki]

I am currently reading "Eat my Heart out" by Zoe Pilger. It is okay but I suspect it would be more enjoyable to someone with a better understanding of the feminist movement & the reading that goes with it.

 

[May Kasahara]

A compendium called something like 'best American mystery stories' from 2006. Some absolute gems, some pretty good, a few lame ducks, but overall a fine standard of story.

 

[Obnoxiousness]

Wasp Factory by Iain Banks.

Never read any of his before... I also have "The Steep Approach to Garbadale" and "Whit" on the shelf from the charity shop... but I'll see how his first novel pans out. So far, I love his style.

 

[Orang Utan]

Divergent by Veronica Roth.
Sort of an apallingly written Hunger Games rip off
Quite pacey though.

 

[starfish]

A compendium called something like 'best American mystery stories' from 2006. Some absolute gems, some pretty good, a few lame ducks, but overall a fine standard of story.

I read the 2013 version last year. Had the same opinion as you.

 

[flypanam]

Rebecca West - Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia. Cracking read.

Ian Esslemont - Orb Sceptre Throne. His best book in his Malazan series that I've read, makes me want to go back and re read Erikson's books.

 

[Dillinger4]

Rebecca West - Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: a journey through Yugoslavia. Cracking read.

That has been on my list for a while. I might move it further up on that recommendation.

 

[flypanam]

It took me years to get round to it, but it really is an eye opener, she has a great eye for detail, is enthusiastic for Yugoslavia and is very perceptive about the differences between Serbs and Croats. Has some great comic moments too.

 

[maya]

Sort of an apallingly written Hunger Games rip off

The Hunger Games is a blatant rip-off of the japanese 'Battle Royale' though!

 

[Dillinger4]

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

Mark Z. Danielewski's first novel House of Leaves is a multi-layered fiction--part horror-story, part philosophical meditation, and mostly very good storytelling. The Navidson family move into a house in Ash Tree Lane. Will Navidson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, decides to document his family's domestic acclimatisation in a film, The Navidson Record, but it soon becomes apparent that something is very wrong with the house, and the film becomes a document of the growing disorientation and terror of the occupants. Later, a blind old man, Zampano, writes about this film: at his death, his papers are in disarray, and the strange narrative and commentary are reconstructed by Johnny Truant, a young LA slacker working part-time in a tattoo parlour. Try as he might, though, Truant can find no record that the film ever existed, but the unaccountable fear begins to haunt him too.

 

[shifting gears]

Just finished Tony Parker 'Red Hill - A Mining Community'

A collection of interviews with miners, wives, coal board employees, journalists etc from a mining town (the name of the town was changed for the book, anyone know exactly where it refers too?)

Moving and insightful, it simply tells people's personal experiences of living through the strike from a real variety of perspectives. Pretty bleak in places but with occasional high points - the empowerment and engagement of some of the wives to their husband's cause being one example.

Recommended - the only grumble I have with it is it gave rise to the U2 song of the same name, which is, to put it kindly, a right old bag of wank.

 

[weltweit]

Just finished "Scaredy Cat", Mark Billingham

A crime thriller, not bad at all.

 

[May Kasahara]

House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski

I loved this, hope you are enjoying it

Just finished Life After Life, by Kate Atkinson. It was completely absorbing in every way, just wonderful. I need to let it wear off before starting something else.

 

[Frances Lengel]

Just finished Tony Parker 'Red Hill - A Mining Community'

A collection of interviews with miners, wives, coal board employees, journalists etc from a mining town (the name of the town was changed for the book, anyone know exactly where it refers too?)

Moving and insightful, it simply tells people's personal experiences of living through the strike from a real variety of perspectives. Pretty bleak in places but with occasional high points - the empowerment and engagement of some of the wives to their husband's cause being one example.

Recommended - the only grumble I have with it is it gave rise to the U2 song of the same name, which is, to put it kindly, a right old bag of wank.

Tony Parker's magnificent at getting the people he interviews to talk naturally & openly - I'm not really down with non fiction but I'll make an exception for him. I've not read the miners one but I have read a few of his others - Life After Life (interviews with people released from prison after doing life), The People Of Providence (interviews with the inhabitants of a south london estate - Like Red Hill, the name of the area was changed), Soldier Soldier (interviews with people in the army and their partners), May The Lord In His Mercy Be Kind To Belfast (interviews with people in Belfast & talking about the troubles an that), The Violence Of Our Lives (a bit like Life After Life but stateside).

All recommended, especially Providence.

 

[StoneRoad]

Just finished "The Pagan Lord" by Bernard Cornwell

Part of the saxon warrior series. There will be another instalment later this year.
By which time I'll try and re-read them, this time in the correct order !

Interesting, if a bit too gory for late night reading. Saxon / Viking era seems very violent, but still fascinating.

 

[MrSki]

Just finished "The Pagan Lord" by Bernard Cornwell

Part of the saxon warrior series. There will be another instalment later this year.
By which time I'll try and re-read them, this time in the correct order !

Interesting, if a bit too gory for late night reading. Saxon / Viking era seems very violent, but still fascinating.

I really enjoyed this series & read them in the correct order. The must have been popular too for BC to carry on after the death of the main character.

ETA all the other books were him telling the story from old age. He must be telling the next one from Valhalla.

 

[jeff_leigh]

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain, Really enjoying it, Don't know why I didn't read this years ago

 

[moon]

I'm only listening to audio books at the moment.
My current bedtime story is Clan of the Cave Bear by J M Auel, read it when I was a teen.
Audible is great for revisiting old books..

 

[weltweit]

Tau Zero, Poul Anderson

Sci-fi written originally in Swedish I believe. I am 43 pages in and it isn't grabbing me tbh. It may be something to do with the translation, it does not seem to flow like a book written originally in English. I will persevere though as I like the subject matter.

 

[DotCommunist]

Tau Zero, Poul Anderson

Sci-fi written originally in Swedish I believe. I am 43 pages in and it isn't grabbing me tbh. It may be something to do with the translation, it does not seem to flow like a book written originally in English. I will persevere though as I like the subject matter.

if you like that follow it up with a similar tale of colony ship but wildly at variance to hard SF- Frank Herbert 'The Jesus Incident' and its sequel 'Lazarus Effect'


http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/9/3303946/classics-the-jesus-incident-frank-herbert-bill-ransom

its a collaboration between noted poet Bill Ransom and Dune author Frank Herbert.

vintage, quality stuff

 

[mentalchik]

if you like that follow it up with a similar tale of colony ship but wildly at variance to hard SF- Frank Herbert 'The Jesus Incident' and its sequel 'Lazarus Effect'


http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/9/3303946/classics-the-jesus-incident-frank-herbert-bill-ransom

its a collaboration between noted poet Bill Ransom and Dune author Frank Herbert.

vintage, quality stuff

I concur (they're in my collection)


Let The Right One In - John Ajvide Lindqvist

 

[sojourner]

Julian Barnes - A History of the World in 10½ Chapters

Loving it so far

 

[Mr Happy Orange]

Hey all.

Can I post a book (or rather a set) that I intend to read? I was walking around Greenwich when I happened to find a complete set of the Folio Society's set of Gibbon's 'The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'. Hardback, complete with dust cover / box - bought for £50. Absolute bargain in relative terms!

 

[DotCommunist]

The Ascension Factor by Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom. Book 4 of the Destination Void series mentioned upthread. Didn't know this one existed, looks like bill wrote it up from his and Herberts notes after the latters death

 

[Mr Happy Orange]

Can You Forgive Her? - Anthony Trollope

I recall John Major stating that Trollope was his favorite author - and within the first few lines I could understand why - the clipped, precise style (in an entirely unnatural way) matching the way Major speaks.

 

[Greebo]

Small World - David Lodge

 

[Orang Utan]

Small World - David Lodge

That is a very funny book!

 

[Greebo]

That is a very funny book!

If you say so - it's raised the odd smile but I've read funnier stuff. Tbf after "Thinks" I shouldn't have expected this one to be my thing either.