Books - What are you reading?

[a boardman]

Just picked up heat and cold by Sir Ranulph Fiennes, bonus he signed them both for me.

[Patch1875]

Just finished Trigger Mortis, I've enjoyed the the last few guest writers but thought this was a bit meh.

[ehonda]

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 really enjoyed this too.

[jbudgie]

Patch1875 said:

Just finished Trigger Mortis, I've enjoyed the the last few guest writers but thought this was a bit meh.

Agreed.

[AClownsPocket]

Just finished Peter James Dead Simple. The first in the Roy Grace series. Rather enjoyed, not really taxing reading but ideal after a crap day at work

10 more to go.....

[Nightmare]

cherie171 said:

aeronauts windlass

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!

Loved it myself and loved the cats - but then I do like cats!

stratosboy said:

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

Just brilliant series! The main story finishes at the Crippled God and damn it's fabulous

I've just read the first Skullduggery Pleasant as recommended by a 10 year old girl, and thought it was great, and Shadows of Self by Brandon Sanderson which was his usual high quality

Now reading Assassins Lament by Michael Cairns which im thoroughly enjoying, and Rabbit Redux by John Updike which I'm enjoying rather less!

[droopsnoot]

AClownsPocket said:

Just finished Peter James Dead Simple. The first in the Roy Grace series. Rather enjoyed, not really taxing reading but ideal after a crap day at work

10 more to go.....

They're always a good read, I think I've done them all but the similarity of the titles makes it difficult to remember. Also the Graham Hurley series is pretty good, featuring Joe Faraday.

I've just started "The Crossing", the latest Michael Connelly Harry Bosch book.

[lowdrag]

"What am I not reading" would be a better title. Latest off the pile is/was "The Defence" by Steve Cavanagh. By page 9 he has explained how he has changed from a scam artist to a qualified lawyer and is then held up at gun point, a bomb attached to him, and then he is confronted by a Russian Mafia oligarch. I think this book certainly merits attention in the "a bit council" thread. Now in the bin.

Just finished "January Window" by Scott Kerr. You really have to like football to read the novel, and it is all about a new club in the Premier Division with a stadium that looks like the Bird's Nest. It is readable, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[g3org3y]

g3org3y said:

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.

Finished 'A Decent Ride' last night. Much more enjoyable than 'Sex Lives of Siamese Twins'. A solid 4/5. Characters are interesting and the story is fun. Lacks the 'bite' of Trainspotting/Porno/Skagboys however. Not Welsh at his best, but if you're a fan worth a read IMO.

g3org3y said:

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.

OH is two thirds into this and is really enjoying it. I'll probably read it after her. Thanks for the recommendation.

[Muskythedog]

g3org3y said:

g3org3y said:

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.

Finished 'A Decent Ride' last night. Much more enjoyable than 'Sex Lives of Siamese Twins'. A solid 4/5. Characters are interesting and the story is fun. Lacks the 'bite' of Trainspotting/Porno/Skagboys however. Not Welsh at his best, but if you're a fan worth a read IMO.

g3org3y said:

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.

OH is two thirds into this and is really enjoying it. I'll probably read it after her. Thanks for the recommendation.

Ref: Welsh, I read (well actually listened using my Audibly subscription) to Trainspotting, Porno, Skagboys and A Decent Ride in that order - thought Skagboys was by quite some way the best of them, but enjoyed A Decent Ride - probably funnier than the others and with some decent characters, although Jonty was pretty hard going in parts. I've also listened to Fight Club this year (really enjoyed) it and tried but not managed to get into American Physco.

Would anyone be able to recommend something similar to Skakgboys please? Like first person narrative stuff, ideally fiction set in the late 80s or 90s? Don't really know where to start looking, anybody read the other Irvine Welsh books?

thanks

[coppice]

jbudgie said:

Patch1875 said:

Just finished Trigger Mortis, I've enjoyed the the last few guest writers but thought this was a bit meh.

Agreed.

I thought it was abysmal and the racing setpieces were beyond parody .

Just finished Sebastian Faulks' Where My Heart Used To Beat - outstanding , if not quite as brilliant as the not entirely disssimilar Sweet Caress by William Boyd - a wonderful read, superbly written and deeply moving. Boyd's Bond book was pretty good too and a bloody masterpiece compared to the Horowitz effort !

[g3org3y]

Muskythedog said:

Ref: Welsh, I read (well actually listened using my Audibly subscription) to Trainspotting, Porno, Skagboys and A Decent Ride in that order - thought Skagboys was by quite some way the best of them, but enjoyed A Decent Ride - probably funnier than the others and with some decent characters, although Jonty was pretty hard going in parts. I've also listened to Fight Club this year (really enjoyed) it and tried but not managed to get into American Physco.

Would anyone be able to recommend something similar to Skakgboys please? Like first person narrative stuff, ideally fiction set in the late 80s or 90s? Don't really know where to start looking, anybody read the other Irvine Welsh books?

thanks

Of his earlier work, I'd probably say Glue is the closest in style/characters. I really enjoyed it. Worth checking out Filth, Ecstasy and the Acid House as well. He went off the boil (IMO) with some of his later work but returned to form with Skagboys.

[Muskythedog]

g3org3y said:

Of his earlier work, I'd probably say Glue is the closest in style/characters. I really enjoyed it. Worth checking out Filth, Ecstasy and the Acid House as well. He went off the boil (IMO) with some of his later work but returned to form with Skagboys.

Thanks for this, just downloaded Glue. 5 hours+ in total, just about an hour in and it's decent enough so far. Appreciate it.

[toasty]

Still Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

I've been listening to it on Audible almost every work day since August and I'm still only 2/3 of the way through. It's good but does drag on a bit.

[shirt]

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'.

Edited by g3org3y on Sunday 29th November 07:50

'crime' is set in miami as well. sequel to filth, although really the only connection between the two is the main character ray lennox. great book and one of welsh's best Imo.

have read all welsh's books apart from the last two which are on my 'to buy' list. for the caual fan i'd recommend glue, crime, or one of his short story collections.



as for me, currently reading the revenant which is far better than i thought it would be. started 'stoner' by john williams which is supposedly a classic and on several top 100 lists. by christ it is dull. will finish it but can't say its been enjoyable. on the pile are beckett's 'murphy', huxley's 'brave new world' and perfume - a story of a murderer.

[Perseverant]

I've been re reading the Shardlake series by C J Sansom - set during Henry VIII's reign, they are well written thrillers. Sansom's other novels - one in the Spanish Civil War and "Dominion", a dystopia set in post war Britain where the Nazis have won are also worth a go.
On Irvine Welsh, I loved "Trainspotting" but haven't liked other stuff as much. I recommended "Trainspotting" as a text for kids to study for Highers (a Scottish senior qualification) but this did NOT go down very well! One or two kids had a go, but very sadly found it too difficult to read.
I'm also determined to finish "Wolf Hall" as I loved the TV adaption. I gave up reading it partly because my mislaid it and also because everyone was called Thomas I got confused and drifted into something else. (I think it was "Gallipoli" by L A Carlyon.)

[ali_kat]

Re-reading the Myron & Mickey Bolitar series by Harlen Coben at the moment

Have Moby Dick lined up for Christmas

[plasticpig]

Just started re reading "Monkey" by Cheng-En Wu; Translated by Arthur Waley. Read it years as ago as a kid but remember enjoying it. It's the story that the 70's Japanese TV series Monkey was based on which the BBC used to show.

[PRTVR]

ali_kat said:

Re-reading the Myron & Mickey Bolitar series by Harlen Coben at the moment

Have Moby Dick lined up for Christmas

there really is no answer to the last bit,

[Davey S2]

Hunter Killer by Chris Ryan.

Book 2 in the Danny Black series.

Not read any Chris Ryan stuff for years but really enjoyed Masters of War and now this one.