Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
I've just finished "Head of State" by Andrew Marr, a novel set around the EU referendum but with other stuff going on. It was quite heavy going in the beginning, but got better as it went on and ended up pretty good. My one criticism is that it's divided into sections for days prior to the referendum, but they're not done in sequence, so you end up moving back and forth and I couldn't see that it made the book any better than if they'd just been in the right order.
AstonZagato said:
BoRED S2upid said:
Just finished this.
Which I'm sure has been recommended / reviewed on here previously. If it hasn't I will elaborate but it's the best book I've read in years and a true story I couldn't put it down.
Brilliant book. Reads like a spy thriller. Which I'm sure has been recommended / reviewed on here previously. If it hasn't I will elaborate but it's the best book I've read in years and a true story I couldn't put it down.
I've just read this and can heartily recommend it. A multi stranded plot involving the CIA, The Kremlin and a likeable hero. It's also very well written.
havoc said:
Tony Angelino said:
havoc said:
Currently half-way through this. Nicely written and with some very level-headed insight into the major (and some lesser) players on the world stage, why they behave the way they do, and the history behind it.
Read the first review on Amazon after seeing your post, does seem to be the kind of book I would like. Not too heavy but informative enough to make you think 'oh yeah, course it is' about various interesting enough almost trivia style (if not trivial) factoids. Am I anywhere near the mark or is it much more sophisticated than that?Recurring themes (given the title) are access to resources/raw materials, and vulnerability to invasion.
It's definitely worth a read if you follow geopolitics and don't really understand the media portrayal of some events.
tertius said:
brrapp said:
Just started Conrad McCarthy 's Blood Meridian. I've read most of his others and this seems to be just as good.
All the Pretty Horses is my favourite McCarthy - perhaps the best book I have ever read, though quite how one can measure that I don't know ...Not reading yet, but for my birthday I got the new Lee Child 'Jack Reacher' book - "Night School".
Looks back into Reacher's past, when he was still in the US Army. Sleeve notes show that Frances Neagley plays a prominent part in the book.
Looks back into Reacher's past, when he was still in the US Army. Sleeve notes show that Frances Neagley plays a prominent part in the book.
Penguin Books said:
In the morning, they gave Reacher a medal. And in the afternoon, they sent him back to school.
It’s just a voice plucked from the air: ‘The American wants a hundred million dollars’.
For what? Who from? It’s 1996, and the Soviets are long gone. But now there’s a new enemy. In an apartment in Hamburg, a group of smartly-dressed young Saudis are planning something big.
Jack Reacher is fresh off a secret mission and a big win. The Army pats him on the back and gives him a medal. And then they send him back to school. It’s a school with only three students: Reacher, an FBI agent, and a CIA analyst. Their assignment? To find that American. And what he’s selling. And to whom. There is serious s
t going on, signs of a world gone mad.
Night School takes Reacher back to his army days, but this time he’s not in uniform. With trusted sergeant Frances Neagley at his side, he must carry the fate of the world on his shoulders, in a wired, fiendishly clever new adventure that will make the cold sweat trickle down your spine.
Lee Child running out of fresh ideas for present-day Reacher? I'm re-reading Never Go Back right now, but Night School is on my night stand - ready to go as soon as t'other one is finished.It’s just a voice plucked from the air: ‘The American wants a hundred million dollars’.
For what? Who from? It’s 1996, and the Soviets are long gone. But now there’s a new enemy. In an apartment in Hamburg, a group of smartly-dressed young Saudis are planning something big.
Jack Reacher is fresh off a secret mission and a big win. The Army pats him on the back and gives him a medal. And then they send him back to school. It’s a school with only three students: Reacher, an FBI agent, and a CIA analyst. Their assignment? To find that American. And what he’s selling. And to whom. There is serious s
t going on, signs of a world gone mad.Night School takes Reacher back to his army days, but this time he’s not in uniform. With trusted sergeant Frances Neagley at his side, he must carry the fate of the world on his shoulders, in a wired, fiendishly clever new adventure that will make the cold sweat trickle down your spine.
towser said:
Most recent :
Any Human Heart ( William Boyd ) : this book really got under my skin, started slowly and I struggled initially, but it was one of those books I was sad to finish. A great study of one man's life. 5/5
Black Widow ( Chris Brookmyre ) : stopped reading his stuff a while back as I felt he had lost some of the wit that made his earlier books so much fun. This was a pleasant surprise - the black humour seems to be back and the story shifted along at a good pace with some decent twists along the way. 4/5
I think that Boyd writes with elegance and style, he hit a real rich vein with AHH, although the strands could be seen strongly in his earlier books. Logan mount Stuart is a genuine joy of a character- between f Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Martin Amis! Any Human Heart ( William Boyd ) : this book really got under my skin, started slowly and I struggled initially, but it was one of those books I was sad to finish. A great study of one man's life. 5/5
Black Widow ( Chris Brookmyre ) : stopped reading his stuff a while back as I felt he had lost some of the wit that made his earlier books so much fun. This was a pleasant surprise - the black humour seems to be back and the story shifted along at a good pace with some decent twists along the way. 4/5
Edited by towser on Tuesday 15th November 13:02
Waiting for sunrise and ordinary thunderstorms were different enough to be interesting but still fluently and beautifully written. Sweet Caress felt like a return to the epoch spanning life novel that he does so well, but again the art and the variety took me into the flow; whilst feeling no new ground was being broken.
If he wrote the phone book, it would articulate the generations and I would read it avidly....
Brookmyre is deliberately a lighter feast. He lost the funny for a while, but it is coming back. Re read "one fine day in the middle of the night". Simplistic plot structure, good action scenes, local humour. All in place and great. Love it and his style...
Given your tastes, any recommendations? Only one I would pass on is Haruki Murakami for style and pace, but I fear he may be adopted by the hipsters soon....
). yellowjack said:
Lee Child running out of fresh ideas for present-day Reacher? I'm re-reading Never Go Back right now, but Night School is on my night stand - ready to go as soon as t'other one is finished.
I could also say 'don't bother' but it is not totally rubbish, just most of it.Stuart70 said:
I think that Boyd writes with elegance and style, he hit a real rich vein with AHH, although the strands could be seen strongly in his earlier books. Logan mount Stuart is a genuine joy of a character- between f Scott Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Martin Amis!
Waiting for sunrise and ordinary thunderstorms were different enough to be interesting but still fluently and beautifully written. Sweet Caress felt like a return to the epoch spanning life novel that he does so well, but again the art and the variety took me into the flow; whilst feeling no new ground was being broken.
If he wrote the phone book, it would articulate the generations and I would read it avidly....
Brookmyre is deliberately a lighter feast. He lost the funny for a while, but it is coming back. Re read "one fine day in the middle of the night". Simplistic plot structure, good action scenes, local humour. All in place and great. Love it and his style...
Given your tastes, any recommendations? Only one I would pass on is Haruki Murakami for style and pace, but I fear he may be adopted by the hipsters soon....).
I wade through some amount of rubbish when it comes to books, so gems like William Boyd / AHH jump out - agree with everything you've said about it, it'll stick with me a long time. I'll take the plunge on a Murakami book next - any suggestions?Waiting for sunrise and ordinary thunderstorms were different enough to be interesting but still fluently and beautifully written. Sweet Caress felt like a return to the epoch spanning life novel that he does so well, but again the art and the variety took me into the flow; whilst feeling no new ground was being broken.
If he wrote the phone book, it would articulate the generations and I would read it avidly....
Brookmyre is deliberately a lighter feast. He lost the funny for a while, but it is coming back. Re read "one fine day in the middle of the night". Simplistic plot structure, good action scenes, local humour. All in place and great. Love it and his style...
Given your tastes, any recommendations? Only one I would pass on is Haruki Murakami for style and pace, but I fear he may be adopted by the hipsters soon....
). As for things that I'd recommend, I can only replay those books whose stories, characters and mood have remained long after I've finished reading them ( also bear in mind I read mainly using Audible so narration plays a big part ).
The Lewis Trilogy ( Peter May ) : interesting dual timeline used in each story, paints a vivid picture of life in the outer Hebrides. Don't care much for the rest of his stuff but these 3 books stand out.
Pillars of the Earth Trilogy ( Ken Follet ) : the grandest of century spanning family stories. A bit hackneyed at times but very enjoyable for all that.
Blade Itself Series ( Joe Abercrombie ) : Bit of a medieval / fantasy setting, but the characters, atmosphere and mythology built up by the author are fantastic.
At the Loch of the Green Corrie ( Andrew Greig ) : set in the wilds of Assynt it's essentially a eulogy to the great Scottish poet Norman McCaig. A wonderful exploration of life, the great outdoors and the essence of what it means to be a Highlander of a certain vintage ( which I am ).
Edited by towser on Wednesday 23 November 15:59
towser said:
Pillars of the World Trilogy ( Ken Follett ) : the grandest of century spanning family stories. A bit hackneyed at times but very enjoyable for all that.
Excellent recommendation. The third book was a little disappointing on the grounds that it ends in the 1970s (or was it the 1980s?) but it makes for a very enjoyable series. Long, too: depending on the versions of the books you're probably getting around 3000 pages of familial development and turmoil.
Started this a few days ago and it's serious, heavy-going stuff. Ravensbrück and, by connection, the rest of the camps in the Third Reich, sound like as close an approximation to Hell on earth as is possible. One thing I'm appreciating about this book is that it provides some focus on the staff in the camps, not just the prisoners.
Levin said:
towser said:
Pillars of the World Trilogy ( Ken Follett ) : the grandest of century spanning family stories. A bit hackneyed at times but very enjoyable for all that.
Excellent recommendation. The third book was a little disappointing on the grounds that it ends in the 1970s (or was it the 1980s?) but it makes for a very enjoyable series. Long, too: depending on the versions of the books you're probably getting around 3000 pages of familial development and turmoil.Started this a few days ago and it's serious, heavy-going stuff. Ravensbrück and, by connection, the rest of the camps in the Third Reich, sound like as close an approximation to Hell on earth as is possible. One thing I'm appreciating about this book is that it provides some focus on the staff in the camps, not just the prisoners.
[quote=towser]
I wade through some amount of rubbish when it comes to books, so gems like William Boyd / AHH jump out - agree with everything you've said about it, it'll stick with me a long time. I'll take the plunge on a Murakami book next - any suggestions?
As for things that I'd recommend, I can only replay those books whose stories, characters and mood have remained long after I've finished reading them ( also bear in mind I read mainly using Audible so narration plays a big part ).
The Lewis Trilogy ( Peter May ) : interesting dual timeline used in each story, paints a vivid picture of life in the outer Hebrides. Don't care much for the rest of his stuff but these 3 books stand out.
Pillars of the Earth Trilogy ( Ken Follet ) : the grandest of century spanning family stories. A bit hackneyed at times but very enjoyable for all that.
Blade Itself Series ( Joe Abercrombie ) : Bit of a medieval / fantasy setting, but the characters, atmosphere and mythology built up by the author are fantastic.
At the Loch of the Green Corrie ( Andrew Greig ) : set in the wilds of Assynt it's essentially a eulogy to the great Scottish poet Norman McCaig. A wonderful exploration of life, the great outdoors and the essence of what it means to be a Highlander of a certain vintage ( which I am ).
William Boyd is wonderful ,and seems to get better and better. In this vein Ian McEwen is also superb and his latest( written from the perspective of an unborn child )is terrific and very , very funny , despite the weird premise of the book . Sebastian Faulks usually first rate and I nave enjoyed Murakami - intense and surreal on occasion but all part of the fun .
Green Corrie- knowing the area and having fished its lochs I so, so wanted to enjoy the book but I almost loathed it . It felt like the (hugely overrated )Robert MacFarlane on a bad day, full of faux mysticism and cod philosphical noodling . In that genre somebody like Roger Deakin is far better.
Single best read of last few years was Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' - my God she can write...
I wade through some amount of rubbish when it comes to books, so gems like William Boyd / AHH jump out - agree with everything you've said about it, it'll stick with me a long time. I'll take the plunge on a Murakami book next - any suggestions?
As for things that I'd recommend, I can only replay those books whose stories, characters and mood have remained long after I've finished reading them ( also bear in mind I read mainly using Audible so narration plays a big part ).
The Lewis Trilogy ( Peter May ) : interesting dual timeline used in each story, paints a vivid picture of life in the outer Hebrides. Don't care much for the rest of his stuff but these 3 books stand out.
Pillars of the Earth Trilogy ( Ken Follet ) : the grandest of century spanning family stories. A bit hackneyed at times but very enjoyable for all that.
Blade Itself Series ( Joe Abercrombie ) : Bit of a medieval / fantasy setting, but the characters, atmosphere and mythology built up by the author are fantastic.
At the Loch of the Green Corrie ( Andrew Greig ) : set in the wilds of Assynt it's essentially a eulogy to the great Scottish poet Norman McCaig. A wonderful exploration of life, the great outdoors and the essence of what it means to be a Highlander of a certain vintage ( which I am ).
William Boyd is wonderful ,and seems to get better and better. In this vein Ian McEwen is also superb and his latest( written from the perspective of an unborn child )is terrific and very , very funny , despite the weird premise of the book . Sebastian Faulks usually first rate and I nave enjoyed Murakami - intense and surreal on occasion but all part of the fun .
Green Corrie- knowing the area and having fished its lochs I so, so wanted to enjoy the book but I almost loathed it . It felt like the (hugely overrated )Robert MacFarlane on a bad day, full of faux mysticism and cod philosphical noodling . In that genre somebody like Roger Deakin is far better.
Single best read of last few years was Donna Tartt's 'The Goldfinch' - my God she can write...
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