Anyone read any good books recently ?

[deano42]

Hi

I always find Mike Gayle's book a light read... just something about his writing makes his books so refreshing to read.

Thanks
deano

[Mrcrowley]

Following Ozzy's bio, read Peter Kay's. Also very funny.

[chrisb]

Tim Rob Smith - "Child 44" is well worth the read

[markbannister]

You might enjoy Jung Chang's biography of Mao then. Obviosuly one-sided and takes a bit of getting into but well worth the read.

My good lady, who is Chinese, dismisses it and thinks, as many Chinese still seem to, that Mao was wonderful.

I'm just reading "The long march 1935" by Dick Wilson.
Long out of print, I read it first about 30 years ago, and managed to find another copy on eBay. It tells the story of the early Chinese communist armies trek across China. Politics apart, it makes for an amazing read. The hardships they endured were truly awful.
If you can ever find a copy I'd highly recommend it.

[Bill Roberts]

You might enjoy Jung Chang's biography of Mao then. Obviosuly one-sided and takes a bit of getting into but well worth the read.

My good lady, who is Chinese, dismisses it and thinks, as many Chinese still seem to, that Mao was wonderful...

Thanks for that, I'll have a look.

cheers
Bill

[Parabola]

Just started on Suttree by Cormac McCarthy. Pretty good so far, though I think I'm going to have a break from fiction after this one and read some popular science books like, The Universe in a Nutshell, Why does E=MC2 and Cosmos by Carl Sagan. I'm thinking of doing a masters in Astronomy/Cosmology or a close approximation at the open university so it seems like a way of making sure that I am as interested as I think I am - I get ants in my pants when I'm going a qualification.

[Seabadger]

Cosmos is a relly good, accessible book. On a slightly related note, this is an excellent book on the Soviet and US space programmes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Sides-Moon- ... =8-1-spell

[Parabola]

Cosmos is a relly good, accessible book. On a slightly related note, this is an excellent book on the Soviet and US space programmes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Sides-Moon- ... =8-1-spell

Cheers I'll take a look; being born in 1982 the first thing I remember to do with space exploration was the Challenger disaster followed by years of boring missions. It's only recently that I've started getting interested in it. Must have been brilliant being a little boy around the period that is chronicled in that book :)

[rfrazier]

Cosmos is a relly good, accessible book. On a slightly related note, this is an excellent book on the Soviet and US space programmes http://www.amazon.co.uk/Two-Sides-Moon- ... =8-1-spell

Cheers I'll take a look; being born in 1982 the first thing I remember to do with space exploration was the Challenger disaster followed by years of boring missions. It's only recently that I've started getting interested in it. Must have been brilliant being a little boy around the period that is chronicled in that book :)

The reports on Gagarin's flight are the first TV I remember. We didn't have a TV then, so we were taken to a TV shop and stood outside watching it, with the shop playing the sound over outdoor speakers. (A common practice, I think.) There was quite a crowd there.

Best wishes,
Bob

[Seabadger]

Cheers I'll take a look; being born in 1982 the first thing I remember to do with space exploration was the Challenger disaster followed by years of boring missions. It's only recently that I've started getting interested in it. Must have been brilliant being a little boy around the period that is chronicled in that book

You may have already read this (or possibly seen the film) but The Right Stuff is a really interesting look at the earliest days of Project Mercury and the first seven astronauts - plus Chuck Yeager. Looking at the Amazon link, it looks like the DVD of the film is less than a fiver - could be worth a look - fantastic ensemble cast and pretty faithful to the book and the history.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Right-Stuff-Tom ... 0099479370

Obviously not much use as a foundation for an MA / MSc in anything, but if you have an interest in it anyway, these could be worth giving a glance.

[Richie]

Hi

Just finished Haruki Murakami's "Sputnik Sweetheart", a bit of a slimmer volume than some of his other books, but still has that "not quite sure what's happening here" feel throughout. Worth a read if you've liked any of his other stuff :D

Richie

[bootneck]

Just finished 3 by Andrew Gross detective type thriller ish quite good actually very easy reads, Authors i cant recommend enough lately are Brett Battles, John Gilstrap and Mark Billingham

[isntAnything]

I'm enjoying, Only Foward: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forward-Voyager ... pd_sim_b_2

Review
'Smith delivers that rarest of commodities: a genuinely new twist with a punchline of Crying Game proportions' Time Out 'A storytelling skill that can only be described as pure genius' Venue 'Very funny an decidedly surreal' Empire 'No one writes better than Smith about love: how it's won, how it's lost. No one writes better about being wasted -- by drugs, by drink, by time. Nigh-on unique.' i-D

Product Description

Michael Marshall Smith's surreal, groundbreaking, and award-winning debut which resonates with wild humour interlaced with dark recollections of an emotional minefield. Now part of the Voyager Classics collection. Stark is the hero the future is waiting for -- God help it. He's smart, alarmingly cool, and has immaculate taste in shirts. He's a troubleshooter in the City, a lawless sprawl of Neighbourhoods which covers the country from coast to coast. Each is totally geared to the desires of those who live in it, from can-do corporate types, through deranged criminals, to people who just don't like loud noises. Stark accepts a job from Zenda Renn, the human face of the Action Centre -- where people who have to be doing something all the time hang out. Someone's missing. Zenda needs him found, and soon. In a world where the past and future, reality and dreams meet and have a fist fight, Stark is the only man who can make a difference. Time's running out and there's no going back. Only Forward.

[Glamdring]

I finally finished Iain M Banks' 'Matter'.
400 pages of intro full of names I couldn't pronounce and couldn't remember, then a plot bit, then the very unsatisfactory ending.
I just didn't see the point of any of it other than as another facet of his Culture civilisation. Entertaining, it wasn't.

[Seabadger]

Read this a while ago: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alone-Berlin-Pe ... 184614082X

Highly recommended.

[crazyp]

I finally finished Iain M Banks' 'Matter'.
400 pages of intro full of names I couldn't pronounce and couldn't remember, then a plot bit, then the very unsatisfactory ending.
I just didn't see the point of any of it other than as another facet of his Culture civilisation. Entertaining, it wasn't.

I'm reading his books sequentially, on the third one at the moment 'use of weapons', his second book 'a player of games' was excellent but very Culture.

[Grandiloquence]

I'm making my way through J.W. Rinzler's epic tome "The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Film". Favourite revelation so far - Lucas considered casting Star Wars with only "little people". I won't spoil any more for those of you who intend to buy it...

[drinkingparrothead]

Struggling with these at the miniute :D :D :D
Good stories and pictures too

[Spencer Lee]

Just finished 'Amazing tales for making Men out of Boys' by Neil Oliver. A cracking book full of stuff that should be taught in schools. The writing is spot on and it's not unusual to get the hair stood up on the back of your neck. Very educational as well, for instance, i thought i'd never heard of 'The Birkenhead Drill' but the story and explaination made me annoyed that i'd never heard it before. I'd highly reccommend it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazing-Tales-M ... 0718153820

[mailforkev]

Interesting book about the Nazis being given shelter in Argentina by the Argentinian government.

The Real Odessa: How Peron Brought the Nazi War Criminals to Argentina
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book...he-Real-Odessa

[Glamdring]

^
Oddly, I watched a two part documentary by an Irish journalist about Ireland's harbouring of Nazi war criminals and their deep anti-Semitism at the time. It's something few of them like to discuss.

[Bill Roberts]

I've just finished reading 1000 years of annoying the French by Stephen Clarke.
Not bad, but a bit heavy going at first, not as good as his "A year in the merde" ones.

[Richie]

Hi,
I'm just about to start into "Quicksilver" by Neal Stephenson, which probably means I'll be ploughing through the whole trilogy [ Quicksilver + The Confusion + The System of the World ] over the next month or so ! Anyone read them and have any opinions ? Worth the effort ? :)
I really liked Snow Crash, Zodiac, and Cryptonomicon, especially Snow Crash !

[roger645]

Reading this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mad-Dangerous-K ... 0340951680

Some people really are made tough!

[mickylall]

made two attempts at reading 'blood meridian' by cormac mccarthy and gave up both times,very frustrating book and after the reviews on amazon i must be a total thicko as i just didn't get it - absolute and utter tosh.
after that snorefest i've read the first three 'sharpe' books by bernard cornwell in quick succession ,absolutely fantastic stuff with real historically correct battles,like a swashbuckling jack reacher.very highly recomended.i can also recomend cornwell's grail quest trilogy and his arthur trilogy,really good storytelling and i'll be stocking up on sharpe books for my hols next week :D

cheers,mick

[Seabadger]

I've been meaning to read a bit of Sharpe / Cornwell for a while actually. I don't read much fiction and something like that could be good to unwind, although it might give me a few too many ideas about how to motivate my current "team" (many of whom could possibly benefit from a Sean Bean kick in the nuts) to do something to save their jobs and my reputation. All other options having been tried, of course...

[broadacreshall]

I've been meaning to read a bit of Sharpe / Cornwell for a while actually. I don't read much fiction and something like that could be good to unwind, although it might give me a few too many ideas about how to motivate my current "team" (many of whom could possibly benefit from a Sean Bean kick in the nuts) to do something to save their jobs and my reputation. All other options having been tried, of course...

Agincourt would be an excellent place to start, makes you proud to be English

[Sancho Panza]

Currently reading the Patrick O'Brien Aubrey-Maturin series of novels.

[Davidww]

I recently stumbled upon Peter Watts' sci-fi offerings on Feedbooks. I've read Blindsight, Starfish, Maelstrom and Behemoth on my phone. I've enjoyed them all. Worth checking out if you fancy a bit of quality free sci-fi on your new ipad!

David

[wildheart]

2/3's of the way through 8 Lives Down - Major Chris Hunter. What a fantastic story, this man is a true hero that is not in doubt. :)

[jeromeo]

Just read survive the savage seas.
have always been interested in sailing and adventure stories.
Picked this one up in a charity shop.
J.

[Wooster]

I've been meaning to read a bit of Sharpe / Cornwell for a while actually. I don't read much fiction and something like that could be good to unwind, although it might give me a few too many ideas about how to motivate my current "team" (many of whom could possibly benefit from a Sean Bean kick in the nuts) to do something to save their jobs and my reputation. All other options having been tried, of course...

Agincourt would be an excellent place to start, makes you proud to be English

Read it recently. Quite enjoyable even though I'm not an Englishman :)

Am reading now 'Memory,Sorrow and Thorn' cycle by Tad Williams. Really good fantasy stuff.

[r.dawson]

just read day of the typhoon on holiday

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Day-Typhoon-Air ... 942&sr=8-1

my grandad was in the 245 squadron (eventually become squadron leader) which the book is based on and gets a mention a few times. now reading it side by side with his hand written flight logs and its very interesting

[Karl]

hands of stone. The life and legend of roberto duran. By christian giudice

[Hoopie1]

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a remarkable book which I highly recommend.

[Richie]

Hi All,

Just finished "Voyageur" by Robert Twigger ( who is the the guy that wrote "Angry White Pyjamas", which I really liked and have read a couple of times )

Road Junky review of Voyageur here

Voyageur is about a trip across Canada in a Birchbark canoe recreating that of a guy called McKenzie just over 200 years ago. It is a good travel yarn and the fact that he and his teams hadn't seemed to do too much training prior to the start :shock: shows up a lot and it leads to some inevitable "scrapes"

Excellent read ! :)

Richie

[Loddonite]

One of my holiday books was "Tickling the English" by Darrah O'Briain.
Nothing taxing, a gentle meander through his recent tour with a few chuckles.

[rfrazier]

I was looking through out of copyright books from Project Gutenburg and I stumbled upon the author G. A. Henty, who wrote boys adventure stories, set in actual historical contexts, usually war or some conflict. He wrote in the later part of the 19th century. The stories are all pretty much the same, but the historical details are very good. Even better, it gives a pretty clear picture of the mores and ideals of Victoria (middle/upper) class society. They aren't very (at all) politically correct. They were good for the history. And, I suspect, that that is what they were written for: to give boys some history in a palatable form.

Best wishes,
Bob

[mr1973]

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

[mark996]

Currently reading the Patrick O'Brien Aubrey-Maturin series of novels.

My desert island choice. I read them all every two years or so and it's coming up to time for my fifth run through. It's like putting on comfortable slippers at this stage, but I still adore them.

Preserved Killick is without a doubt one of the great literary comic figures - worth reading the books for him alone.

[mark996]

I'm currently reading 'Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England' by Amanda Vickery. It's a period in history which interests me a lot and the book offers a good insight into domestic life at the time.

The book's an interesting read and while I don't agree with some of the author's conclusions or interpretations of her source material, it is thought-provoking in a subtle way.

One downside is that the chapters are too long for my taste. This means that I either end up reading for 20 minutes longer than I really want to at night, just to get to the end of the chapter or, more often, that I have to stop before the author has drawn all the threads together, which means I have to retreat a few pages to refresh my memory when I pick the book up the next evening.

On the plus side, the book is printed on the nicest-quality paper I've come across in quite a while; it's been a few years since I've noticed the paper of a book but this tactile bonus really adds to the pleasure of picking up the book.

[Mrcrowley]

Currently reading one of Jeremy Clarkson's. Bloody funny.

[Llanhmod]

Three on-the-go just now:

1. "Inheritance" by Nicholas Shakespeare;

2. "Superfreakonomics" - by Stephen Dubner & Steven Levitt; and

3. "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" (a Biography of Warren Zevon) - by Crystal Zevon

Some Fiction, Pseudo-economics and a damn good Biography - an excellent, ripping combination!

[Parabola]

Currently reading Dracula

[village]

'Nothing to Envy' by Barbara Demick...it's all about life in North Korea

Utterly fascinating...well worth a read.

[dashiel]

Just finished "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo"(original title in Sweden was " Men Who Hate Women" by Stieg Larsson.)

First of a series of three books about Lisbeth Salander, the unlikely protagonist. The second, which I am reading, was "The Girl Who Played With Fire". I know these books were on best seller lists in the US and the UK but in case you missed them give them a read. Well written and suspenseful.

Ted

[Wooster]

Currently reading Dracula

Just came back from Transylvania, Sighisoara - it's the city where Vlad the Impaler (the guy who inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula) was born. Nice place btw, and one of the eldest still inhabited strongholds in Europe apparently.

On topic - Robin Hobb's 'Ship of Magic'. Excellent epic fantasy, of an unusual choice - it's happening on the sea.

[Nitor]

Just finished JayBee Churchill's Spy simply unputdownable a remarkable woman.

[SimonK]

Seven Troop - Andy McNab's autobiography. Scary stuff, especially the chapters in Northern Ireland - and even scarier human beings.

[mark996]

I'm reading 'The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet' by David Mitchell. Absolutely fabulous- a brilliantly-written page-turner. I've enjoyed all of Mitchell's books but this may be my favourite to date.