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  1. #1

    Anyone read any good books recently ?

    Hi All,
    As an avid reader ( I'm always told I read to much, but it's a top form of escape ) I was wondering if anyone could recomend any good reads ? No particular genre, I'll read almost anything from Sci Fi to the Classics. I recently started "Crime and Punshment" but it's so hard going I had to put it down for a bit ( I reckon the crime is buying the book, the punishment is you have to read it :wink: ). Funilly I also recently got one of the Clive Cussler books out of the library, having heard people say he was good, predictably it was a pile of shite !
    Cheers, Richie :)

  2. #2

    Re: Anyone read any good books recently ?

    I've just finished "Y: the last man". It's not even a book, it's a comic and it was a cracking story. I've just heard they're making a film of it, I'd scrap that idea and make a tv series to do it justice.

  3. #3
    Thomas Reid
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    I just finished Hilary Mantel's Bring up the Bodies[1]. A great read, and some truly exquisite writing. I've had a lot of time for her books since first reading A Place of Greater Safety.

    [1] A down to earth, English version of the phase "Habeas Corpus"? Perhaps when you know what the result is going to be?

    Best wishes,
    Bob

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by rfrazier View Post
    I just finished Hilary Mantel's Bring up the Bodies[1]. A great read, and some truly exquisite writing. I've had a lot of time for her books since first reading A Place of Greater Safety.

    [1] A down to earth, English version of the phase "Habeas Corpus"? Perhaps when you know what the result is going to be?

    Best wishes,
    Bob
    Exquisite is the word - enjoyed more than 'A place of greater safety' and even 'Wolf Hall' (which I would never have thought possible!)
    It did remind me that I had recently covered the same period of history with Philippa Gregory's 'Other Boelyn girl' and starkly highlighted that few can really hold a candle to Mantel's writing...

    Looking forward to the final book...

  5. #5
    Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Ventura View Post
    Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?

    Classic banks 'culture' series magic-ness so far. Brilliant epic richness

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Ventura View Post
    Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?
    Yes, one of his better Culture novels.

  8. #8
    Thomas Reid
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ventura View Post
    Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?
    I didn't know about it until you mentioned it here. I have it now, and am reading it on my extremely high tech, rowing machine entertainment system, which I have in my college rooms.



    Best wishes,
    Bob

  9. #9
    Journeyman
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ventura View Post
    Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?
    Its next in my "to read" list.

  10. #10
    Journeyman cdmed's Avatar
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    most of the books I've read recently are American football ones. if anyone is interested I'll do a list, otherwise they're just American football books

  11. #11
    Administrator swanbourne's Avatar
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    I know it's already been mentioned in this thread but I'm currently 100 pages into "Hyperion" by Dan Simmons. It was included in a Gollancz collection I bought last year and I've picked it up and put it back down a few times because the type is so small but now I'm into it, the size of the type has become irrelevant.

    Eddie
    Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

  12. #12
    Quote Originally Posted by cdmed View Post
    most of the books I've read recently are American football ones. if anyone is interested I'll do a list, otherwise they're just American football books
    couple of ones i really enjoyed....
    'bringing the heat' by mark bowden.
    'lt: over the edge' by lawrence taylor.
    cheers.

  13. #13

    The Man in The High Castle

    I just read "The Man in The High Castle" again by Phillip K Dick ( I may have mentioned I'd read it somewhere before on this thread ). I love the collecting/acquiring slant to the book, and also the alternate alternate history of "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy", the Cult Underground novel by Abendsen, and the discussions about it in the story.

    Stonker ! 10/10

  14. #14
    Master vagabond's Avatar
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    Been enjoying Brett Battles' "The Cleaner" series featuring his hero Jonathan Quinn.

  15. #15
    Master Cirrus's Avatar
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    Re: Anyone read any good books recently ?

    Quote Originally Posted by rfrazier View Post
    [1] A down to earth, English version of the phase "Habeas Corpus"? Perhaps when you know what the result is going to be?

    Best wishes,
    Bob
    In "habeas corpus" the corpus bit means "the person of" rather than a literal body... habeas corpus being the right and the requirement for a prisoner to be brought before a court to determine the legitimacy of their detention.

    I think the book title is alluding to something similar but distinct i.e. a suggestion that the person being brought before the court can already be considered to be dead as the verdict and the sentence are pre-determined... if it were funny it could be considered a joke ;)

  16. #16
    Thomas Reid
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cirrus View Post
    In "habeas corpus" the corpus bit means "the person of" rather than a literal body... habeas corpus being the right and the requirement for a prisoner to be brought before a court to determine the legitimacy of their detention.

    I think the book title is alluding to something similar but distinct i.e. a suggestion that the person being brought before the court can already be considered to be dead as the verdict and the sentence are pre-determined... if it were funny it could be considered a joke ;)
    I think it just is "habeas corpus ad subjiciendum", rendered into common place English. What makes it witty is using the translation, given we know the result of the trial.

    Best wishes,
    Bob

  17. #17
    Grand Master GraniteQuarry's Avatar
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    Maybe a bit lowbrow for all you Tefals... but if you're a fan Total Recall by Schwarzenegger is very good, he's quite a character and certainly an entertaining read

  18. #18
    Grand Master
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    been re reading a lot of John Wynham recently - the Midwich Cuckoos, The Chrysalids and The Kraken Wakes.
    The Midwich Cuckoos especially is a bit unnerving.
    ktmog6uk
    marchingontogether!



  19. #19
    Master Cirrus's Avatar
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    Re: Anyone read any good books recently ?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ventura View Post
    Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?
    No, but I will now I know it is out. Thanks ;)

  20. #20
    Grand Master Mrcrowley's Avatar
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    Thanks to Eddie, I have become a huge fan of Scott Mariani. If you like thrillers send me a pm and i will give you some titles
    Paul

    GOT...TO...KILL...CAPTAIN STUPID!

  21. #21
    Craftsman
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    I am reading Caleb Carr's 'Angel of Darkness' which is the follow up to his 'Alienist'.

    Think: Jack the ripper/Sherlock Holmes/Victorian CSI/New York/Criminal Minds FBI profiling.

  22. #22
    Master mickylall's Avatar
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    Holiday season bumperoo

    Read some very good thrillers lately

    David Baldacci - John Puller series 1+2. Zero Day + The Forgotten,if you like the Jack Reacher books then you'll enjoy these.Very,very similar

    Joe Lansdale - Hap and Leonard series.Read all these and they were all excellent

    John Gilstrap - Jonathan Grave series 1+ 2. No Mercy + Hostage Zero,very good,non stop action about a government sponsored hostage rescue/assassin.

    Warren Ellis - Gun Machine,very good and hopefully the first in a series as the characters were excellent

    There is always a turd hidden amongst the roses and that turd was called Inferno by Dan Brown,a truly shocking book - horrible.
    Didn't even finish it and I can usually finish most books,garbage of the worst kind - avoid

    Cheers,Mick

  23. #23
    Inferno by Dan Brown is possibly the worst book I've ever attempted to read. I lasted about 100 pages

  24. #24
    Just read 'Wolf Tickets' by Ray Banks. A UK crime novel which is as foul mouthed and violent as you could hope for. A great read and much more enjoyable than all the identikit police procedurals clogging up the shelves at the moment.

  25. #25
    Master Dunnster's Avatar
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    Half way through the Bowers Files books by Steven James. Really good. I don't know if they have been mentioned before as I would rather read books than the whole of this thread LOL. I recommend them anyway.

  26. #26
    Master Wooster's Avatar
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    Miss Buncle's Book - I really needed such a reading these days (a holiday is past its due time), made me smile all along.

  27. #27
    Craftsman
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    Just finished NOS-4R2 by Joe Hill. A little uneven in places but he is turning out to be a pretty good horror/supernatural writer.

  28. #28
    Craftsman ajdh's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daveya. View Post
    Inferno by Dan Brown is possibly the worst book I've ever attempted to read. I lasted about 100 pages
    I couldn't agree more, although I suffered to the end. Recently I started reading David Baldacci so far I've read The Innocent, The Hit, Split Second and I'm part way through Hour Game. I've enjoyed all of them and will carry on until I've read all his works.

  29. #29
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
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    Reading, "the mating season" by PG Wodehouse at the moment.

    Superb, as is usual with his stuff.
    Cheers,
    Neil.

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    http://www.freewebs.com/neil271052

  30. #30
    Grand Master SimonK's Avatar
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    Did you know that the Wodehouse estate has authorised Sebastian Faulks (who wrote the Bond novel 'Devil May Care') to write a new Bertie Wooster novel?

  31. #31
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SimonK View Post
    Did you know that the Wodehouse estate has authorised Sebastian Faulks (who wrote the Bond novel 'Devil May Care') to write a new Bertie Wooster novel?
    No, I didn't.

    Gawd knows what that would be like.
    Cheers,
    Neil.

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  32. #32
    Master Mark020's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Daveya. View Post
    Inferno by Dan Brown is possibly the worst book I've ever attempted to read. I lasted about 100 pages
    I second that

  33. #33
    Master Chris W's Avatar
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    Just finished the following over the last couple of months:
    Osama - Chris Ryan
    The Tombs - Clive Cussler
    Zero Hour - Clive Cussler
    Live and let die - Ian Fleming
    Moonraker - Ian Fleming

  34. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by Chris W View Post
    Just finished the following over the last couple of months:
    Osama - Chris Ryan
    The Tombs - Clive Cussler
    Zero Hour - Clive Cussler
    Live and let die - Ian Fleming
    Moonraker - Ian Fleming
    About a year ago, I read all the Bond books back to back, from start to finish. I really recommend reading them all in sequence and getting really immersed in them.

  35. #35
    Just finished The Dawn Patrol by Don Winslow, an incredibly good crime novel.

  36. #36
    Grand Master zelig's Avatar
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    Finished The Quarry on the flight home yesterday.

    Some of the dialogue is excellent. And Guy's vitriol & bitterness is actually moving - especially considering the situation Iain was in at the time of writing.

    It reminded me of the wasp factory - in being told from the perspective of the offspring with a 'condition'. Shame there won't be any more from Mr Banks. RIP.

    z

  37. #37
    Master
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    Recently finished my first ever Dickens - Bleak House
    The Sheltering Sky, for the second time.
    Finished The Rachel Papers, again, yesterday.
    Will be starting The Handmaid's Tale, again, this evening.
    Last edited by markbannister; 4th September 2013 at 07:04.

  38. #38
    Master Spencer Lee's Avatar
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    Not too High brow but i've just read 'The Strat In The Attic'; an excellent read about 'Guitarcheology'. Basicaly it is a collection of stories about unearthing vintage guitars from the most bizarre of places. The stories are compelling and well written by a talented author and obvious enthusiast. If you have an interest in guitars, bargains and the opportunities that only happen when the planets align, this could be for you.

    For instance, one story is about a lady who's father was a pilot in the 50's, 60's and 70's. He flew a lot of rock stars and musicians around during that time, on tours and to shows. In 1965 he flew a group of musicians to and back from the Newport Folk festival. After the return trip, he discovered a guitar in it's case that had been left behind. He contacted the musician and his management constantly for the next few years trying to return the guitar and was fobbed off time and time again. So he put it under the bed and left it. After his death, his daughter again tried to contact the management company and artist concerned to return the guitar and was fobbed off so she took it to an American TV show to have it inspected. Turns out the artist was Bob Dylan and the guitar was the Fender Stratocaster he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when he 'went electric' and was booed by his fans. A pivotal moment is music history.

    Not all the stories are about famous guitars but i found it quite an enthralling read.

  39. #39
    Administrator swanbourne's Avatar
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    I've been reading some Jo Nesbo recently: I started with "Headhunters" because of the film and then bought the Harry Hole series. So far I've read "The Redbreast" and now I'm more than half-way through "Nemesis". Not only are they rattling good stories with an alcoholic dysfunctional policeman as the main character, the translation from the original Norwegian by Don Bartlett is simply amazing and it's impossible to tell that they weren't originally written in English.

    Eddie
    Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

  40. #40
    Quote Originally Posted by swanbourne View Post
    I've been reading some Jo Nesbo recently: I started with "Headhunters" because of the film and then bought the Harry Hole series. So far I've read "The Redbreast" and now I'm more than half-way through "Nemesis". Not only are they rattling good stories with an alcoholic dysfunctional policeman as the main character, the translation from the original Norwegian by Don Bartlett is simply amazing and it's impossible to tell that they weren't originally written in English.

    Eddie
    I'm still surprised they didn't change the detective's name for the English editions.

  41. #41
    Master Mark020's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by swanbourne View Post
    I've been reading some Jo Nesbo recently: I started with "Headhunters" because of the film and then bought the Harry Hole series. So far I've read "The Redbreast" and now I'm more than half-way through "Nemesis". Not only are they rattling good stories with an alcoholic dysfunctional policeman as the main character, the translation from the original Norwegian by Don Bartlett is simply amazing and it's impossible to tell that they weren't originally written in English.

    Eddie
    Harry Hole rules. Perfect anti hero.

  42. #42
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Spencer Lee View Post
    For instance, one story is about a lady who's father was a pilot in the 50's, 60's and 70's. He flew a lot of rock stars and musicians around during that time, on tours and to shows. In 1965 he flew a group of musicians to and back from the Newport Folk festival. After the return trip, he discovered a guitar in it's case that had been left behind. He contacted the musician and his management constantly for the next few years trying to return the guitar and was fobbed off time and time again. So he put it under the bed and left it. After his death, his daughter again tried to contact the management company and artist concerned to return the guitar and was fobbed off so she took it to an American TV show to have it inspected. Turns out the artist was Bob Dylan and the guitar was the Fender Stratocaster he played at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival when he 'went electric' and was booed by his fans. A pivotal moment is music history.
    Saw that on History Detectives on PBS.

    Great story.
    Cheers,
    Neil.

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    http://www.freewebs.com/neil271052

  43. #43
    Master Chris W's Avatar
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    Just started the 3rd of Stephen Leather's Spider Sheperd series of novels. Really enjoying these!

    Think the new Clive Cussler is out soon too!

  44. #44
    Savage Continent by Keith Lowe, a book about the state of Europe immediately after the end of WW2. Brutal yet compelling, not easy reading but the best book I have read in a long while.

  45. #45
    Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by lewismark View Post
    Savage Continent by Keith Lowe, a book about the state of Europe immediately after the end of WW2. Brutal yet compelling, not easy reading but the best book I have read in a long while.
    Totally agree an excellent book. I read it at the beginning of Summer and then followed it up with Anne Applebaum's "Iron Curtain the Crushing of Eastern Europe".

    Both books a quite sobering from a British perspective. Our perceived generalist view of of the Second World War is that when the fighting in Europe stopped "things"" started to get better. Both of these books paint a broader and in some respects grimmer picture.

    Both books are highly recommended for anyone interested in what was happening and happened across Europe as the war ended.

  46. #46
    Quote Originally Posted by ZIM View Post
    Totally agree an excellent book. I read it at the beginning of Summer and then followed it up with Anne Applebaum's "Iron Curtain the Crushing of Eastern Europe".

    Both books a quite sobering from a British perspective. Our perceived generalist view of of the Second World War is that when the fighting in Europe stopped "things"" started to get better. Both of these books paint a broader and in some respects grimmer picture.

    Both books are highly recommended for anyone interested in what was happening and happened across Europe as the war ended.
    Sounds interesting - I'll give that a look thanks

  47. #47
    Im a big fan of Iain Banks and have reread The Bridge. Utter brilliance.
    Haruki Murakamis Norwegian Wood was also a good read once I got into it..

  48. #48
    Grand Master Neil.C's Avatar
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    I know this is a good books thread but I Just finished Albert Camus' L'etranger.

    He is supposed to be a great existentialist writer but I actually thought it was rubbish.


    It's obviously me and I realise something may have been lost in translation but...
    Cheers,
    Neil.

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  49. #49
    Master
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    Just finished reading Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King. Really good book imo. A true sequel to The Shining.

  50. #50
    Quote Originally Posted by mihaixp View Post
    Just finished reading Doctor Sleep, by Stephen King. Really good book imo. A true sequel to The Shining.
    I decided to read The Shining again and am now reading Doctor Sleep. I am enjoying it so far.

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