*What book are you reading? (part 2)

[fogbat]

Just finished The Virgin of Flames, by Chris Abani. Which I mainly bought because of the awesome Mexican folk-art style Virgin Mary image on the cover.

I've not yet decided whether it's brilliant, or drivel

 

[starfish]

Matter by Iain M Banks. This may take me a while.

 

[quimcunx]

Bad Science, Ben Goldacre.

Interesting.

 

[Bakunin]

I've nearly finished Sharpe's Escape by Bernard Cornwell and will soon be starting on The Complete Guide To Asperger's Syndrome.

 

[quimcunx]

AND niel gaiman.


everyone always forgets niel

I've read Good Omens. I came away thinking I would have preferred it had one or other of them written it. Or, even better, we got a book from each instead of one between them.

Not to say I didn't enjoy it.

 

[ChrisC]

Daughter of the Empire by Raymond E. Feist.

 

[nicksonic]

The Corrections by J Franzen

i really liked this.

 

[Dirty Martini]

i really liked this.

It's slipping down nicely and has had me doubled up with laughter on the bus; but the fact that it's yet another relentlessly ironic portrait of a late-20th century dysfunctional family written by another smart young American means that I'm struggling to get anything more than a comfort read out of it (and some good jokes).

Maybe I should reserve judgement though, I'm only a third of the way through.

 

[nicksonic]

It's slipping down nicely and has had me doubled up with laughter on the bus; but the fact that it's yet another relentlessly ironic portrait of a late-20th century dysfunctional family written by another smart young American means that I'm struggling to get anything more than a comfort read out of it (and some good jokes).

Maybe I should reserve judgement though, I'm only a third of the way through.

i was going to recommend 'empire falls' by richard russo but it sounds like you may have already read that, or wouldn't be keen. it's def worth reading if you haven't

 

[DotCommunist]

The Stuff of thought- Steve Pinker. Good enough to have kept me off of the net all day

 

[mentalchik]

Stealing Light - Gary Gibson.......picked it up in the library and am muchly enjoying it !

 

[nicksonic]

'bad science' by ben goldacre, which is very good.

i have most of december off so after that it'll be 'the lord of the rings'

 

[rubbershoes]

Just finished The Fall of Constantinople by Stephen Runciman


In case anyone else is reading it, I won't say what happens

 

[miledorcha]

The Loch Fisher's Bible by Stan Headley and Mr Toppit by Charles Elton.

 

[llion]

Glyn Jones - The Learning Lark. Fascinating novel written in 1960 by a former teacher, who was also a brilliant poet and short story writer, about his experiences teaching at a secondary school in South Wales area in the 1950s.

 

[Norse Goddess]

The Adult Gap yr Book

 

[sojourner]

I FINALLY got round to finishing the Elmore Leonard book (too bloody tired to read mid-week, as fall asleep far too quickly, and if I can't read for at least an hour I get pissed off) - brilliant, loved it. Have ordered Swag on Dirty Martini's recommendation

Started Andrea Levy's Small Island yesterday. Promising start. Problem is though that I've just ordered a fuckton of Larry McMurtry books, so will I be able to resist diving into them when they arrive?

 

[Dirty Martini]

Finished The Corrections, which was mostly ok, occasionally great, but fell away really strangely halfway through and became another book, plodding and explanatory -- almost like the Cliff Notes for the first half. Several of the characters seem to take 180-degree turns in personality in the course of the book, which might have had something to do with the whole idea of 'correction' that runs through it, but made it all strangely disjointed. It's pretty much always interesting, but hyped beyond its merits, this one. By no means a 'great' novel.

Now halfway through The One From The Other by Philip Kerr, the first Bernie Gunther novel I've read.

i was going to recommend 'empire falls' by richard russo but it sounds like you may have already read that, or wouldn't be keen. it's def worth reading if you haven't

Not read that, will check it out

 

[QueenOfGoths]

Finished The Corrections, which was mostly ok, occasionally great, but fell away really strangely halfway through and became another book, plodding and explanatory -- almost like the Cliff Notes for the first half. Several of the characters seem to take 180-degree turns in personality in the course of the book, which might have had something to do with the whole idea of 'correction' that runs through it, but made it all strangely disjointed. It's pretty much always interesting, but hyped beyond its merits, this one. By no means a 'great' novel.

Now halfway through The One From The Other by Philip Kerr, the first Bernie Gunther novel I've read.



Not read that, will check it out

Hope you are enjoying it - I have just started "If The Dead Rise Not" which is the latest Bernie Gunther novel.

I am thinking of re-reading the original Berlin Noir trilogy as it is years and years since I first read them, I am a bit of a fan of Philip Kerr - both his sci-fi stuff and the Bernie Gunther books

 

[Dirty Martini]

Hope you are enjoying it - I have just started "If The Dead Rise Not" which is the latest Bernie Gunther novel.

I am thinking of re-reading the original Berlin Noir trilogy as it is years and years since I first read them, I am a bit of a fan of Philip Kerr - both his sci-fi stuff and the Bernie Gunther books

I'm enjoying it a lot. I'll definitely be getting the trilogy at some point

The only other Kerr I've read is A Philosophical Investigation, which I remember liking, but I can't recall much more about it.

 

[Dirty Martini]

Have ordered Swag on Dirty Martini's recommendation

fuckton

Is this collective noun in the big OED? If not, why not?

 

[toblerone3]

Is Bernie Gunther the writer the same Bernie Gunther that posts on Urban?

 

[Dirty Martini]

Is Bernie Gunther the writer the same Bernie Gunther that posts on Urban?

B Gunther is the name of the detective. I'm guessing urban's Bernie is a fan of the series

 

[QueenOfGoths]

I'm enjoying it a lot. I'll definitely be getting the trilogy at some point

The only other Kerr I've read is A Philosophical Investigation, which I remember liking, but I can't recall much more about it.

"Dark Matter" which is a historical thriller about Sir Issac Newton is very good.

Also if you like good solid undemanding sci-fi entertainment "Gridiron", about a 'smart' building which goes wrong and starts to kill its inhabitants, is great It gets some iffy reviews on amazon but I love it!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gridiron-Philip-Kerr/dp/0099594315

 

[Dirty Martini]

"Dark Matter" which is a historical thriller about Sir Issac Newton is very good.

Also if you like good solid undemanding sci-fi entertainment "Gridiron", about a 'smart' building which goes wrong and starts to kill its inhabitants, is great It gets some iffy reviews on amazon but I love it!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gridiron-Philip-Kerr/dp/0099594315

The Newton one looks interesting and Gridiron sounds familiar. I wonder if I've read it and forgotten having done so

 

[nicksonic]

Finished The Corrections, which was mostly ok, occasionally great, but fell away really strangely halfway through and became another book, plodding and explanatory -- almost like the Cliff Notes for the first half.

from what i remember it certainly tailed off when they got on the boat, i enjoyed it overall.

let me know what you think of 'empire falls' if you get round to reading it

 

[Dirty Martini]

Finished The One From The Other, which was great, elegantly plotted and exciting. I want to read more B Gunther mysteries.

Now I've started Lanark by Alasdair Gray, which I've put off for long enough.

 

[Fictionist]

Just finished J.M Coetzee's 'Foe'. Looking at Bolano next.

 

[Orang Utan]

i have a pile of books in front of me and i don't know what to pick. i may have to start a thread so i don't have to decide.

 

[belboid]

read the third one down.

or one with an orange cover