*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[little_legs]

What do you think? I´m just about to finish it (hopefully tonight) and I think it´s some of the best writing I have come across in years. She makes the trivial enthralling.

I like how she describes the feelings experienced by children, how they can sense when something is wrong without knowing what is actually happening, how daring and courageous children can be, how they fight with all their will to be unlike their parents.

It's also interesting how she describes the way friendship shapes a person's self. How, if you are lucky, a childhood friend can influence you to achive things you did not think you could achieve. And how much we care what friends think about us even if we don't want to admit it.

 

[sojourner]

The Last of the Gentlemen Adventurers by Edward Beauclerk Maurice, with a big thank you to May Kasahara for finding and posting it to me

Also this brilliant book of poetry by a woman ont same publisher as me Flapjack Press - Steph Pike

 

[Artaxerxes]

Lathe of Heaven - Ursula Le Guin


Cracking, and at the start eerily prescient of conditions today.

 

[stethoscope]

Imogen Tyler - Revolting Subjects: Social Abjections and Resistance in Neoliberal Britain.

 

[Beats & Pieces]

Charles Dickens - Great Expectations

I have not read this for a while and so thought I would see how my view of the text might have changed.

 

[inva]

Imogen Tyler - Revolting Subjects: Social Abjections and Resistance in Neoliberal Britain.

what's that like?

 

[krtek a houby]

...

Have started Robert A Heinlin's Starship Troopers, just to see what the fuss is over.

Ah. Now I get it. One of the characters has a lengthy discussion with students, in which he dismisses psychologists, social workers and "do gooders" as being the main causes for breakdown in society. That and a lack of physical punishment.

Don't know too much about if Heinlin was speaking his opinion through the character or what.

 

[DotCommunist]

Ah. Now I get it. One of the characters has a lengthy discussion with students, in which he dismisses psychologists, social workers and "do gooders" as being the main causes for breakdown in society. That and a lack of physical punishment.

Don't know too much about if Heinlin was speaking his opinion through the character or what.

oh he was. Read his essays (or don't, they are vile). Thing is the film is a satire where hienlens playing it with a straight face. If you enjoyed for the plot then try Moon is a Harsh Mistress. To my mind its the superior novel but everyone disagrees with me

 

[Greebo]

The crimson petal and the white - Michel Faber

 

[Beats & Pieces]

Foucault & The Iranian Revolution (Gender & The Seductions Of Islamism) - Janet Afrat & Kevin B Anderson

 

[Virtual Blue]

sojourner's Kaeidoscope.

 

[Shirl]

Inocents - How justice failed Stefan Kiszko and Lesley Moleseed by Jonathan Rose with Steve Panter and Trevor Wilkinson

 

[yield]

Lathe of Heaven - Ursula Le Guin


Cracking, and at the start eerily prescient of conditions today.

Her homage to Philip K Dick. They went to Berkeley High School at the same time but didn't know each other.

 

[rubbershoes]

The War in the West by James Holland.

It's a history of WW2 which is doing a good job of challenging many of my preconceptions and received wisdom. It says Germany's early success weren't due to them being militarily advanced . The French had more tanks with better guns, more troops etc The problem was the French being slow to act and defensively minded. This may be known to many but wasn't to me .

I'm only half way through the first volume so no spoilers please

 

[sojourner]

Inocents - How justice failed Stefan Kiszko and Lesley Moleseed by Jonathan Rose with Steve Panter and Trevor Wilkinson

Sounds interesting Shirl - might borrow that off you

 

[Shirl]

Sounds interesting Shirl - might borrow that off you

Yes, you can have it once I finish it.

Johnathan Rose was one of the judges when I was on jury service last year.

 

[Sea Star]

If you enjoyed for the plot then try Moon is a Harsh Mistress. To my mind its the superior novel but everyone disagrees with me

I don't

 

[Beats & Pieces]

On The Uses & Disadvantages Of History For Life - Nietzsche

 

[Virtual Blue]

Juggling 3 books at the same time.

Sun and Steel - Mishima, Yukio - this is my 4th reading and I'm in love with his words, more so now than ever before.

 

[Pickman's model]

Arnaldur Indridason's "Hypothermia", another Inspector Erlendur page turner. It's again concerned with missing people (but that's part of who Erlendur is) but this time around there seems to be some kind of supernatural undercurrent, which I wasn't expecting.

Yeh I enjoyed this - thank you for the tip - and would be interested in any recommendations you might have

 

[ringo]

I've only read Perdido Street Station (one of the best things I've ever read)

Halfway through this, great stuff. Superbly paced, clever and unsettling but also a joy to read. Wish I could do a sickie and read it in the garden.

 

[Beats & Pieces]

Covering Islam - Edward Said

 

[rubbershoes]

The War in the West by James Holland.

It's a history of WW2 which is doing a good job of challenging many of my preconceptions and received wisdom. It says Germany's early success weren't due to them being militarily advanced . The French had more tanks with better guns, more troops etc The problem was the French being slow to act and defensively minded. This may be known to many but wasn't to me .

I'm only half way through the first volume so no spoilers please

Fucking wanky bollocks. This book covers 1939-41 and I was looking forward to the next volume .

Bloody twat James Holland hasn't written it yet

 

[Cheesypoof]

Just finished Mortality by Christopher Hitchens. Really nice tome on death. I've been reading this short book for two months actually...but life....and death, got in the way.

Some other stuff on the go for ages....Islam and the future of Tolerance - Sam Harris and Majat Nawaaz, and I read an interesting one on Internet Trolls, written by a friend of mine. Am currently reading an autobiography of my Dad's friend, who was a former priest and music manager. Reading Tom Jones biography with my Mam, not bad. Have got my eye on 'Francis Bacon in your blood' more my kinda thing...

Francis Bacon in Your Blood: Michael Peppiatt: 9781632863447: Amazon.com: Books

 

[krtek a houby]

A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness. Just started.

Just can't read any non fiction at the moment, mind won't take it in

 

[JimW]

Reread the first few stories in Primo Levi's Periodic Table. Years since I last did and had forgotten just how wonderful and so fully human it is. Sentimental old twat I was welling up at his tribute to the conscripted.Italian brickie who smuggles him food in Auschwitz and gives him a glimpse of uncorrupted humanity in the darkness.

 

[sojourner]

Started 'Don't be a Daniel' by Tony Benn last night. Very interesting already.

 

[D'wards]

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Oooh, scary. As such i try to only read it at night when its quiet by low lamp, or else you don't get the same effect

 

[sojourner]

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Oooh, scary. As such i try to only read it at night when its quiet by low lamp, or else you don't get the same effect

Absolute classic that.

 

[D'wards]

Absolute classic that.

Have you read any of her other spooky ones, and are they any good?