Books - What are you reading?

[lowdrag]

Just finished "January Window" by Philip Kerr. You'd really be a football fanatic to buy this novel, but it came off the pile so I read it. The manager murdered, the assistant becomes the manager and then a history of "bungs" and skulduggery evolves. Oh, and of course the stadium in the east of London looks like the Bird's Nest and the club owner is Russian.

All set for a boring book really, but actually, even if the plot isn't up to scratch, I quite liked his style.

[K12beano]

Novelist writes travel book in a different time and different place (was published the year I was born).

An absolute must read!
(...and I'm only as far as his brief description of Fargo, ND)

[g3org3y]

g3org3y said:

Currently reading this:



Not a patch on Mr Nice so far.

Didn't improve that much tbh. Average at best.

Now on to some Irvine Welsh

havoc said:

Finished this a couple of weeks ago...took me 2 days to read it...not a long book, but so easily/beautifully written I just didn't want to put it down...if I hadn't been working it'd have been done in a day.



One of those books that you enjoy with your heart as much as your mind, and which stays with you after you've finished it. Don't even worry about what genre to categorise it as and whether it's "your" sort of book - just buy it, particularly if you've still got a spark left in you of your 7y.o. self...

This is next on my list based on your recommendation.

Edited by g3org3y on Saturday 28th November 13:09

[Chris Type R]

Have you started the Irvin Welsh yet ? Interested to know if that's worth a read - haven't read any of his books in ages.

EDIT: Reading "The Bees" at the minute. "Quirky" is certainly an accurate description. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GLGZVA6

[g3org3y]

Chris Type R said:

Have you started the Irvin Welsh yet ? Interested to know if that's worth a read - haven't read any of his books in ages.

I'm about 150 pages in. It's quite different to the majority of his other works as it is set in Miami with a female protagonist. It has held my attention so far but nothing near Trainspotting. Personally I prefer his Scottish based gritty drug stories. I'm more looking forward to reading his most recent book 'A Decent Ride'.

Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 29th November 07:50

[havoc]

g3org3y said:

havoc said:

Finished this a couple of weeks ago...took me 2 days to read it...not a long book, but so easily/beautifully written I just didn't want to put it down...if I hadn't been working it'd have been done in a day.



One of those books that you enjoy with your heart as much as your mind, and which stays with you after you've finished it. Don't even worry about what genre to categorise it as and whether it's "your" sort of book - just buy it, particularly if you've still got a spark left in you of your 7y.o. self...

This is next on my list based on your recommendation.

A note of caution then...my wife didn't really get it / get into it.

(Strangely, given she's the more overtly romantic of us, I don't think she bought into the whole allegory of the book (took it too literally?), or maybe it's aimed at blokes because we're all still little boys underneath...)

[Blatter]

Chris Type R said:

EDIT: Reading "The Bees" at the minute. "Quirky" is certainly an accurate description. http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00GLGZVA6

Read this a few months ago and really enjoyed it

[g3org3y]

havoc said:

A note of caution then...my wife didn't really get it / get into it.

(Strangely, given she's the more overtly romantic of us, I don't think she bought into the whole allegory of the book (took it too literally?), or maybe it's aimed at blokes because we're all still little boys underneath...)

I'll see how it goes. I'm certainly optimistic.

I've cut down on my new book buying on Amazon. Prices aren't as discounted from RRP as they used to be. As such, I've started to buy used copies from Amazon's other vendors. Still in very good condition and if one can save an additional £2-3 per book that's more money for more books (makes a difference when buying 10 books at a time)!

[Ace-T]

ali_kat said:

For those of you that like Ben Abramovich's 'Rivers of London'; his fellow Doctor Who author Paul Cornell has written 2 very similar style books in a 'Shadow Police' series.

I was very disappointed the 3rd wasn't out...

Really enjoyed the Aaronovitch ones up to the point of the ending of the 2nd to last book. It was a twist that seemed to appear from nowhere and didn't fit the character's progression at all. It annoyed me so much I have the last one to read but haven't bothered picking it up.

Currently reading (and please forgive me) Angels and Demons. Recently saw the film and wondered how different the book was. So far I think the film takes the essence of the book and makes it good. The writing in the film is light years better than Dan Brown; he is someone with interesting ideas (those he doesn't allegedly steal from others that is ) but is writing is very amateurish, his research shows terribly, his dialogue is piss-poor and his character development is pretty non existent.

My problem is that I hold everyone up to the standard of people like Pratchett, Morgan and Adams. I forget most books are pulp fiction for the gratification of the masses quickly churned out so the publishers can make as much $ as possible.

[havoc]

g3org3y said:

I've cut down on my new book buying on Amazon. Prices aren't as discounted from RRP as they used to be. As such, I've started to buy used copies from Amazon's other vendors. Still in very good condition and if one can save an additional £2-3 per book that's more money for more books (makes a difference when buying 10 books at a time)!

Noticed the same, actually...been buying mainly new from their other vendors, or outside of Amazon altogether. Not just books, either...CDs are getting pricier on Amazon...

[g3org3y]

g3org3y said:

Chris Type R said:

Have you started the Irvin Welsh yet ? Interested to know if that's worth a read - haven't read any of his books in ages.

I'm about 150 pages in. It's quite different to the majority of his other works as it is set in Miami with a female protagonist. It has held my attention so far but nothing near Trainspotting. Personally I prefer his Scottish based gritty drug stories. I'm more looking forward to reading his most recent book 'A Decent Ride'.

Now finished. Certainly not his best work and seemingly written with the US market in mind. Lacks the gritty realism that I love in his work. If you like 'classic' Welsh, I suspect you'd be disappointed. If you've not read Welsh in ages, I wouldn't let this be your first foray back into things. I'd recommend the Trainspotting prequel 'Skagboys' which IMO is Welsh at his best.

[stratosboy]

The Malazan Book of the Fallen, on book 10 (Toll the Hounds) of 19 books in total, it's a long one! by Steven Erikson & Ian C Esslemont

[Chris Type R]

g3org3y said:

Now finished. Certainly not his best work and seemingly written with the US market in mind. Lacks the gritty realism that I love in his work. If you like 'classic' Welsh, I suspect you'd be disappointed. If you've not read Welsh in ages, I wouldn't let this be your first foray back into things. I'd recommend the Trainspotting prequel 'Skagboys' which IMO is Welsh at his best.

Cool, thanks for that.

[Chris Type R]

Blatter said:

Read this a few months ago and really enjoyed it

It's certainly different, which for me is a big part of the appeal. I expect that it's a Marmite novel though.

[cherie171]

I'm only about a quarter of the way in so far. Tone wise it has more in common with his Codex Alera series than in does the Dresden Files. Of the reviews I've read, the talking cats are polarising opinion, but it tends to be the non cat people who dislike them!

[g3org3y]

Chris Type R said:

g3org3y said:

Now finished. Certainly not his best work and seemingly written with the US market in mind. Lacks the gritty realism that I love in his work. If you like 'classic' Welsh, I suspect you'd be disappointed. If you've not read Welsh in ages, I wouldn't let this be your first foray back into things. I'd recommend the Trainspotting prequel 'Skagboys' which IMO is Welsh at his best.

Cool, thanks for that.

No problem

Three chapters into 'A Decent Ride' and I can confirm this is a much more enjoyable book with a classic Irvine Welsh feel. Will update once I've finished it, but early signs suggest this is worth a look.

[droopsnoot]

Recently finished "Private Berlin" by James Patterson, quite a good read. This series is co-authored with Mark Sullivan (or at least this one was), I've done three of them now of which this and the original "Private" were pretty good, but "Private London", set around the 2012 Olympics, was not so good.

Almost at the end of "Even dogs in the wild", the latest Rebus by Ian Rankin, which has been very good up to now.

[soad]

I desperately want a copy of this!

[ali_kat]

Ace-T said:

ali_kat said:

For those of you that like Ben Abramovich's 'Rivers of London'; his fellow Doctor Who author Paul Cornell has written 2 very similar style books in a 'Shadow Police' series.

I was very disappointed the 3rd wasn't out...

Really enjoyed the Aaronovitch ones up to the point of the ending of the 2nd to last book. It was a twist that seemed to appear from nowhere and didn't fit the character's progression at all. It annoyed me so much I have the last one to read but haven't bothered picking it up.

Currently reading (and please forgive me) Angels and Demons. Recently saw the film and wondered how different the book was. So far I think the film takes the essence of the book and makes it good. The writing in the film is light years better than Dan Brown; he is someone with interesting ideas (those he doesn't allegedly steal from others that is ) but is writing is very amateurish, his research shows terribly, his dialogue is piss-poor and his character development is pretty non existent.

My problem is that I hold everyone up to the standard of people like Pratchett, Morgan and Adams. I forget most books are pulp fiction for the gratification of the masses quickly churned out so the publishers can make as much $ as possible.

Interesting, as I saw something coming You need to continue

I forgive you, they are a guilty secret of mine, food for the masses fodder, stuff to read when my brain is full & I need to lose myself in thoughtlessness. I can put it down & not think about it, I'm not 'involved' in it; if that makes sense?

Scenario - it was perfect for reading when Mum was asleep in the Hospice that final week... My mind was away from her, but instantly with her at the slightest movement/change of breathing.

But yes, the film is far superior to the book!

[droopsnoot]

Funnily enough I also watched the film of Angels and Demons the other week, which wasn't bad. I've read two of his - "The Da Vinci Code" which I didn't think was as terrible as some do, and "Digital Fortress" which I thought was awful.