Reply With QuoteHi All,
Just read "Zero History" by William Gibson, it seems to me that Gibson's books have moved well away from the cyberpunk genre and are rapidly turning into James Bond style thrillers. Personally I liked the Sci Fi element better.
Richie
This thread has so much good literature in it that this may even be a second shout out but.. William Boyd - Armadillo, absolutely thrilling adventure following loss-adjuster Lorimer Black in London who gets into all sorts of tight spots. Just finished it and I have to say it's probably my #1 of all time now.
Hi All,
Just read "Zero History" by William Gibson, it seems to me that Gibson's books have moved well away from the cyberpunk genre and are rapidly turning into James Bond style thrillers. Personally I liked the Sci Fi element better.
Richie
just indulged in some more frog bashing with the brilliant Sharpe series by Bernard Cornwell.just finished 'Sharpe's Fury' and 'Sharpe's Battle' and made a start on 'Sharpe's Company'.Fantastic books and one of my favourite series - top notch and highly recomended
cheers,mick
Bushido, the Soul of Japan, by Nitobe Inazō. Codswallop, actually. But interesting codswallop.
Best wishes,
Bob
' How much is enough' by Robert Skidelsky.Discourse on consumerism,sadly appropriate for WIS-types.
Tony Jacklin's autobiography a great read the original rags to riches story, with wonderful discriptions of Scunthorpe in the 40's & 50's not just a great golfer our Tony!
Pretty well the only time I get to read books is my summer holiday.
This year I finished Under the Dome + read Full Dark No Stars & Blockade Billy by Stephen King – the first 2 were great, the last merely good.
I also read Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, which was excellent.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
I read Under The Dome on holiday too, and it was perfect for that as it was so long and very 'cinematic' that I could devote hours and hours to it.
The Epic of Gilgamesh (great book)
I recently finished 'Endymion' and 'Endymion Rising' by Dan Simmons. If you are interested in future travelogue mixed with a rather adolescent messianic parable then these books might be for you. Unfortunately there are just too many words and too little story. Not recommended.
I've just re-read "No country for old men" by Cormac McCarthy as a kind of antidote. He manages to squeeze more into 300 pages than Dan Simmons in 980. Anton Chigurh is perhaps one of the most chilling portraits of evil that I think it is possible to read (except perhaps for McCarthy's own Judge Holden in "Blood Meridian"). The balance between Bell and Chigurh is wonderfully subtle. There is also a pervasive sense of a world changing beyond comprehension. Highly recommended.
Oh dear. Did you read the first two? (my appalling memory tells me there was a thread about this but I can't find it) I rather liked them and I was toying with taking the next two on holiday.Originally Posted by Harry Tuttle
I've just finished "The Glass books of the Dream Eaters". Its a mock-Victorian thriller with extra science fiction, violence and rude bits. Imagine Michael Moorcock's Jerry Cornelius, Wilkie Collins, James Bond and Eyes Wide Shut. Over-long by 200 pages and at least 3 chase sequences though. But on the whole grown-up and entertaining.
Irritatingly its the first in a series, so it ends with many threads unresolved so I'll have to wait until my next holiday to find out what happens next.
I did and quite liked them which made the 'Endyminion' books all the more disappointing.
I got the feeling that these books were a little forced and were perhaps written to contract making the best of material which would have been better released as one book making the series a trilogy. There are still some good ideas which but they seem to be padded out by an awful lot of explication which is neither here nor there and which ultimately becomes quite frustrating. There also seems to me to be a significant decline in style. There's a love story which is handled in quite an adolescent fashion which might be a vehicle for the author to express heartfelt thoughts and feeling but which for me became a little embarrassing. There is a literal version of the communion which seemed quite odd to me and out of place, and the treatment of the Shrike is poor. Its all just a bit disappointing. I guess if you're a died in the wool fan then its worth the effort, but I came away from the whole thing just relieved that I'd got to the end and that I wouldn't have to do it again.
Oh well- I wouldn't want to commit to 1000pages+ without a strong recommendation so I'll pass. I'm running out of excuses to not read Don Quixote now.
Last edited by gentlemenpreferhats; 21st August 2012 at 21:31.
ahem,coughcough Abraham Lincoln - Vampire Hunter.it's far better than it sounds - honestly.scout's honour.promise
cheers,mick
Prompted by the events of the weekend, I dug out a copy of Gene Cernan's book The Last Man on the Moon - I've read a few books by astronauts and this one really stands out due to Cernan's candour and obvious enthusiasm. I'd definitely recommend it.
You may have already come across this book but I'd recommend 'Moondust: In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth' by Andrew Smith. He manages to capture the sense of awe and strong emotion that I still have when thinking about these people as well as providing thoughtful portraits of the men and people around them. His meetings with Al Bean and Dick Gordon I found particularly moving. It's a gentle and though provoking book.
My favourite though is 'The Right Stuff which I think is perhaps one of the finest books on the subject (in my opinion of course). It's the ultimate blend of style and content, I don't think Tom Wolfe wrote anything much better than this. Actually, thinking about it has made me want to go and pick up my copy.
I've been lucky enough to meet two Astronauts in my life. One was an Apollo Astronaut and seemed to me to be quite haunted. He was at the opening of an exhibition of prints by the Photographer Michael Light who was allowed access to NASAs film archive (also a very fine book called 'Full Moon'). He was faced by a wall of nerdy kids who asked him the same questions over and over again (the sort I guess he's been asked more or less over the last 40 years). There were some teenagers who seemed, in the manner in which they questioned, to be arrogant enough to believe that they had a better memory of his mission than he did. It reminded me of a fan convention where hardened fans delight in going into as much detail as they can to catch someone out.
The other was a shuttle astronaut who was a project manager for a project I worked on some time ago. In all honesty he was an arrogant and boastful man who was hard to like. Likeable or not they are always fascinating and with Armstrong's recent death becoming all too alarmingly mortal.
I've read the Right Stuff - I'm a big Tom Wolfe fan in general, and I'd agree that that really does stand out. Excellent film, as well - fantastic ensemble cast. Haven't read the other book, but I'll give it a go - thanks for the tip.
I read War and Peace by Tolstoy a few years ago and really enjoyed it, despite its size it has a good plot and is extremely well written. It is one of those classics of literature that everyone should try IMO.
Lawrence
Finished Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell a few weeks ago. I'd bought it when it first came out and then again a few years later (don't ask why I bought it twice) and could never get into it. Fast forward 6 years and the amazing trailer for the movie made me try again, and boy am I pleased I did. Loved the characters, the nested structure and all the period details. I could really see myself re-reading this which I don't think I've ever done for a novel before. Definitely worth persevering through, especially when it switches narrative and all you want is to go back to the previous bit. Can't wait for the film!
Then last night I finished Kazuo Ishiguro's "Never Let Me Go". Alternative-reality cloning/coming of age thing from the guy that wrote "Remains of the Day". Very well observed details about childhood and friendships, but got a bit frustrated that they didn't try and smash the system, instead just accepting their fate.
The book the movie was made after. It was really enjoyable and far more gritty than the movie from memory. Highly recommended
Also Between the Assassinations by Aravind Adiga, which is a series of short stories set in India. I am not a big fan of short stories and while it was a nice book to read, I always feel that they leave me a bit lacking.
Just received No Easy Day through the post from Amazon.
It is the Navy Seal accout of the mission to get Bin Laden by "Mark Owen".
Looking very promising so far
I really enjoyed that series, think it was the First Law Trilogy of which The Blade Itself is the first book.
I always read in bed before kip so I want an easy pot boiler to send me off to sleep. I'm Reading David Baldacci's, " the whole truth" at the moment. Entertaining and easy going.
I've made the mistake of taking a gripping book to read to bed and staying up half the night instead of being restfully sent off to the land of nod.
Cheers,
Neil.
Yeah that was a top top trilogy. The Bloody 9 is a great character.
Matthew Reilly Scarecrow novels are alway fast paced no-brainers
Just finished reading "All Hell Let Loose" by Max Hastings. It's a one volume history of WWII. It's a thought provoking history and not being up on the current state of historical debate about the war it seems to me that it represents an interesting start to perhaps a revisionist view of the war, particularly as it questions the notion of 'the last good war'. There's a good mix of high level over view and personal account and observation, and he makes some interesting observations about Allied policy and strategy. He's also adept at presenting statistics to bring out facts that challenge currently held myths about the war. It's a good book and I'm sure that at some point I'll be reading it again.
It seems to me that we're lucky at the moment in that we have Max Hastings and Anthony Beever who are writing accounts of WWII that make fascinating reading. I'd also recommend Beevor's book about the Eastern Front - 'Berlin: The Downfall' which is a compelling account of the worst excesses of WWII.
Joe Abercrombie is a masterful writer. I wish though that there wouldn't be such an overdose of bleak, dark cynicism.
Anyhoo. I've recently read 'English passengers' by Matthew Kneale - a saddening content served in a very amusing form. Highly recommended.
Also enjoyed myself with Scoop, Cold Comfort Farm (not knowing what happened in the woodshed will haunt me for the rest of my life) and a couple of volumes of Spike Milligan's memoires.
But an addiction is an addiction, so I'll have to move back to fantasy and start reading Jim Butcher's 'Dresden files'. They are highly recommended by Patrick Rothfuss so they ought to be great ('Codex Alera' by the same Mr. Butcher was thoroughly enthralling).
dresden files are excellent,i don't think you'll be disapointed at all.
just finished 'a wanted man',the new jack reacher thriller by lee child.
it's only a short book (about 350 pages) with very short chapters.i've really enjoyed this series but i can't help but feel that he's running out of ideas now.it was ok,nowt special,just ok
a book i did enjoy was 'dying bites' by dd barant.
full of vampires and werewolves it was far better than i was expecting,quite similar to 'anno dracula'.if you liked that then you should enjoy this
cheers,mick
Last edited by mickylall; 18th September 2012 at 20:25.
Thanks for the referrals. I tend to stay away from werewolves and vampires stories - me being from Transylvania does not help much... But I might as well give it a shot :)dresden files are excellent,i don't think you'll be disapointed at all.
just finished 'a wanted man',the new jack reacher thriller by lee child.
it's only a short book (about 350 pages) with very short chapters.i've really enjoyed this series but i can't help but feel that he's running out of ideas now.it was ok,nowt special,just ok
a book i did enjoy was 'dying bites' by dd barant.
full of vampires and werewolves it was far better than i was expecting,quite similar to 'anno dracula'.if you liked that then you should enjoy this
cheers,mick
Alastair Reynolds for the friends of scifi and epic space operas. Great novels.
If you like fiction with some historical facts then Conn Iggulden's Julius Cesar serie is a good start. It's based on historical facts but for the drama some things could have been changed. Another good historical serie is Iggulden's books about Genghis Khan. Very entertaining and enjoyable reading.
More historical fiction is the Jan Guillou's serie about the scandinavian ARN which becomes a knight Templar for the Holy Land in the time before the Kingdom of Sweden. Two movies and a tv serie are made from those books also.
Most of the way through Holy Machine, by Chris Beckett. Modern Sci Fi that features a state set up to be free of all religion and investigates the impact of this and advanced in technology. Very good.
really,really enjoyed 'the sisters brothers' by patrick dewitt.
it's only a short book (330 pages) and not much plot - 2 killers set off to assasinate a stranger - but it's very well written and geniunely funny in places
highly recomended
i'm also part way through 'riotous assembly' by tom sharpe and it's one of the funniest books i've read.i've had it for a couple of years but never bothered with it until a customer recomended it to me.i'll now be investing in more sharpe books
cheers,mick
I'm on Game of Thrones at the mo, Storm of Swords. Not gotten bored yet so ill keep going.
Just finished reading "The curious incident of the dog in the night time" by Mark Haddon. Very enjoyable and unlike anything I can remember reading.
had bit of a western fest lately starting with 'the sisters brothers' by patrick dewitt.not much of a plot - 2 hitmen brothers set out to kill someone - it's also fairly short but i really enjoyed it.very good
i'm currently reading the fourth book in steve hockensmith's 'holmes on the range' books.they follow two brothers (again) as they try to solve various murders using the writings of sherlock holmes.i know how stupid that sounds but they really are quite good and very funny in places - honest
cheers,mick
Mr Bump by Roger Hargreaves just read it to my 5 year old daughter ...brilliant.
Bit different to other books posted, but might be useful for somebody - Istanbul Eats: Exploring the Culinary Back Streets.
Anybody with half a brain can go somewhere foreign and find, for a price, moderate quality tourist fodder or, for a higher price, generic modern European stuff, but I enjoy finding cheap places that serve something unusual and high quality, and this book delivers that in spades. You might end up eating with office workers and shopkeepers on their breaks or dockers at the end of their shift, but every one of the places that we tried was excellent, had great service and was cheap, although most of them were places that you wouldn't look at twice if walking past and in some cases would probably actively avoid.
One further point - Istanbul is fairly sparse in terms of street signs. I can't vouch for the app on the Istanbul Eats site, but I wish I'd seen it before we went as it might have made finding some of the more out of the way places easier to find.
...by Mark Beaumont
Finished yesterday. Enjoyed this much more than I though I was going to.
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.
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
World War Z - an oral history of the zombie wars. By Max Brooks. Great read!
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...
Has anyone read the new Culture novel, entitled, "The Hydrogen Sonata"?
Classic banks 'culture' series magic-ness so far. Brilliant epic richness
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 ;)
No, but I will now I know it is out. Thanks ;)
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
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
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!
Yes, one of his better Culture novels.
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