Books - What are you reading?

[blindswelledrat]

Gaz. said:

I'm going to turn by attention to Memories of a Commercial Diver and see how it goes, it's kind of related in that it's an occupation where mistakes can be fatal and you're not supposed to be 500 feet below sea level nor 25,000 feet above it.

BTW there is a film out soon about the 1996 Everest disaster, see TV/Films section

Report back about the diving book, I am interested.
Is 1996 the one that Into Thin Air was describing? Ill look forward to that

[jimmyjimjim]

Bullett said:

The Man in the high Castle - Philip K. Dick - Bit of a classic but not one I'd heard of before seeing the Amazon TV adaptation.

Short novel about a world in which the Japs and Germans won WW2 but contains a book written about a world in which the allies won. It's really about the world and the people and has several interconnected characters but the stories don't really overlap much. I enjoyed it but it didn't really seem to go anywhere.

I'd heard of it, but never read it, was also reminded by the amazon TV adaptation...which I've also not watched.

Grabbed it for free with kindle unlimited a couple of months ago, still unread...on the to do list.

[RacingBlue]

Finished 'The Martian' and 'The Thrill of it All' whilst on holiday. Both highly recommended.

[jimmyjimjim]

'One good Dragon deserves another', Rachel Aaron.

While the title alone will probably put most people here off, it's actually one of the more fun discoveries I've made through kindle unlimited; there's a lot of initially promising stuff that turns out to be dross.

It's the second in a series that if pushed I'd describe as being a bit 'Dresden Files-lite' with added magic and a bit more alternate timeline thrown in. Not quite as adult or as developed as the Dresden files, but of a similar style and, in my opinion, equally enjoyable.

Free as part of kindle unlimited, still cheap as a kindle book without it.

Seriously, if you like the Dresden Files or the Garrett PI series it's worth a punt.

[droopsnoot]

I've recently finished "I am Pilgrim" after seeing it mentioned on here (and finding it for 50p on the car boot sale) - pretty good, but I still feel the need to read another thriller this year. Next was "Freeze Frame" by Peter May, also very readable. Am now on some Lynda La Plante book, not a big fan of her writing style but it clears a space.

[Veeayt]

All the light we cannot see. Slightly cheesy to my tastes, but still better than most.

[RizzoTheRat]

On to my third Robin Hobb trilogy (Farseer trilogy, Live ship traders trilogy, and now Tawny Man trilogy). Think Game of Thrones but more of the main characters survive. After this there's the Rain Wild tetrology/quadrology but I doubt she'll have finished writing the Fitz and the Fool trilogy before I catch up. There's a few "would they really be so stupid to have not realised that?" moments but overall well written and a good story.

[EdJ]

I just finished Gone Girl - must admit that I'd held off reading it as I generally prefer male authors, but my wife had just finished it and enjoyed it, so I thought I'd give it a go. What a superb book. Very well written and totally gripping.

[coppice]

944fan said:

Continuing my quest to read all the "classics" I am ploughing through The Iliad. Quite good so far, although the translation is fking annoying. The intro to the book basically describes the whole story. Then at the start of each section you get another simple Simon explanation of what is going to happen, plus you get notes in the margin as well. Yeah I get it, I'm not thick I can understand what is happening.

Without sounding like a philistine it is quite similar to the film Troy (although that film left out all of the Gods).

Ermm- isn't it that Troy resembles The Iliad and not the other way round? Have you seen Oh Brother Where Art Thou-which is the Coen Brothers meodernised Odyssey ?

[StuntmanMike]

One hundred days by Sandy Woodward, this is a very good account of the 1982 task force.

[TimmyWimmyWoo]

I've just finished Rain by Barney Campbell. A fictionalised version of his experiences as a young British officer in Afghanistan. I've never felt so emotionally involved with a book by the end. This has gone right to the top of my favourite military books ever. That good.

[lowdrag]

Coming back down to earth, the next book off the pile is Harlen Coben's "The Stranger". I hadn't read one of his for a while and at about one third in this one is quite intriguing.

[grumbledoak]

Something Wicked This Way Comes is currently annoying me, prose - wise.

[AstonZagato]

TimmyWimmyWoo said:

I've just finished Rain by Barney Campbell. A fictionalised version of his experiences as a young British officer in Afghanistan. I've never felt so emotionally involved with a book by the end. This has gone right to the top of my favourite military books ever. That good.

I have that on my wish list for my kindle. I saw I described as a Chicken Hawk for the Afghan war.

[r-kid]

Currently reading this


Got as far as his rehabilitation journey, its well written and certainly moving in places.

[RizzoTheRat]

StuntmanMike said:

One hundred days by Sandy Woodward, this is a very good account of the 1982 task force.

I got about half way through that and got distracted, it's an interesting read and I really should finish it. Julian Thompson, Mike Clapp and Sharkey Wards biographies also look well worth a read. I did a bit of work with Julian and Mike a while back and it was fascinating talking to them about it.

[Welshbeef]

Started this one two days ago about 2/3rds way through what a really good page turner really gripping


It is Tim Weavers second in the series and I'm reading out of order but frankly every one is a really good read brutal real and layered ticks the boxes I need.


He has written 6 books now and only in his 30's - quit as an investment banker (or lehmans brothers era so walked away) his next one is coming out very soon I'll be buying it without reviews I'm that confident.

[Shadow R1]

Not many of the Cussler books left now that I don't have, until the new ones turn up later in the year.

Going to start with flood tide.

[Welshbeef]

Shadow R1 said:

Not many of the Cussler books left now that I don't have, until the new ones turn up later in the year.

Going to start with flood tide.

If you have them all why not read them in the order the author intended? Not sure if flood tide being the first but seems logical - I've made errors before starting mid series or accidentally picking up different books from my collection then realising on holiday I've skipped 5-6 but still read it then pick up later.

Have decided to cancel sky sports and movies - given the Mrs is happy the kids don't miss movies and then can read so much more

[Laurel Green]

Welshbeef said:

Started this one two days ago about 2/3rds way through what a really good page turner really gripping


It is Tim Weavers second in the series and I'm reading out of order but frankly every one is a really good read brutal real and layered ticks the boxes I need.


He has written 6 books now and only in his 30's - quit as an investment banker (or lehmans brothers era so walked away) his next one is coming out very soon I'll be buying it without reviews I'm that confident.

I've just started 'What Remains' which must be his latest? A first TW book for me, but must say it does looks promising.