Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
theironduke said:
have you read The Fauntainhead? I've got it on the go ATM, not easy but worth the effort. It's got no likeable characters at all yet they are all thoroughly engrossing.
As it happens, that one is sat on my bedside table for when I next feel the need...the need to read. 
cazzer said:
SV8Predator said:
benjj said:
benjj said:
Just started this on Kindle. 3 chapters in and it looks like it will be classic King...
This is sensational by the way...Started reading it on friday evening, finished it on sunday. Was totally non functional all weekend.
Agree it's his best for aaaages.
Justayellowbadge said:
Y o u a r e a l l w r o n g
Seriously, though, I thought it was plodding in its pace, pedestrian in its plot (to the extent it actually had one) and, well, just bad. I've always considered King to be underappreciated as a writer and overrated as a storyteller. In this, I think he reached his nadir in both regards.
I've read everything he's published and, for me, the plot is not always important. What I love about his writing and I reckon I'm not alone, is the characterisation and the almost filmic quality of his total immersion in a time and a place which makes it instantly recognisable and familiar (even though often it can't possibly be familiar at all) There are always characters you recognise, but they're not just simply drawn cartoons of real people, they are people you almost know. He has a real knack of conjuring recognisable people from mere words. We clearly have similar taste in music and I love those references too.Seriously, though, I thought it was plodding in its pace, pedestrian in its plot (to the extent it actually had one) and, well, just bad. I've always considered King to be underappreciated as a writer and overrated as a storyteller. In this, I think he reached his nadir in both regards.
Edited by Justayellowbadge on Thursday 19th January 13:49
g3org3y said:
g3org3y said:
Currently reading:
Enjoying it so far!
Finished this morning and what a surprisingly good book! The plot sounds dubious: protagonist wakes up in hospital blindfolded. On removing his bandages he realises he is the only person who can see, the rest of the population blinded by a meteor shower. In the meantime, the Triffids (carnivorous walking plants) have started to take over.Enjoying it so far!
Sounds odd, sounds cheesy sci fi but in actual fact a really brilliant little book. Certainly goes a lot deeper than the plot summary would suggest. An interesting alternative to Wells' WOTW.
Inspired by my recent jaunts in philosophy I read this:
Charting the life and times of Michel de Montaigne, the most famous philosopher you've never heard of! Wrote some delightfully simple observations of life as his Essays (now ordered and on the reading list) which have inspired philosophers ever since.
Currently reading this:
About a quarter of the way through. As ever, brilliantly written - sharp, witty and to the point.
Charting the life and times of Michel de Montaigne, the most famous philosopher you've never heard of! Wrote some delightfully simple observations of life as his Essays (now ordered and on the reading list) which have inspired philosophers ever since.
Currently reading this:
About a quarter of the way through. As ever, brilliantly written - sharp, witty and to the point.
davepoth said:
theironduke said:
have you read The Fauntainhead? I've got it on the go ATM, not easy but worth the effort. It's got no likeable characters at all yet they are all thoroughly engrossing.
As it happens, that one is sat on my bedside table for when I next feel the need...the need to read. I'm now reading Ron Paul's Revolution : A Manifesto. I disagree with a lot of what he says, but the fact he has been saying the same thing for so long is refreshing for a politician.
Euro Crime said:
What a truly fantastic book this is! Set on the Isle of Lewis, in and around Stornoway, Ness and Barvas, THE BLACKHOUSE is the winner of the "Prix des Lectuers" prize at the Le Havre festival of crime writing and is the first in a trilogy about a Lewis-born, Edinburgh-based, detective, Fin MacLeod. If the next two books are even a tiny bit as good as this one, then the whole set will be a truly delightful feast for the soul. The nature of the story gets into your mind and won't leave you alone. It haunts you, taunting you to put down what you are doing and carry on with the story. If, like me, your ancestors come from Barvas, then you have even more of a reason to be gripped by the story, and be left exhausted at the end.
Fin is struggling to come to terms with life, after the death of his young son in a hit and run accident. When a virtually identical murder to that he is currently investigating in Edinburgh takes place in Stornoway, he is dispatched to see if there is a connection between the two. Glad to escape from the nightmare of his failing marriage, Fin is confronted by memories of a past that he has tried so hard to escape from. He meets old friends, reignites a few old feuds and comes face to face with his first love. Shocked by the way life on the island has changed so very little, he attempts to get to the bottom of this latest crime and is stunned by the lies and deceit that he unravels in this, seemingly God-fearing, community on the way.
The beautifully rich vocabulary used by May in this book transport you to the island. You can hear the screaming of the gulls, taste the freshness of the illegally acquired salmon and smell the saltiness of the sea. Above all, you can sense the hopelessness of a community made up of people that are jealous of Fin, yet angry that he left them, and totally despairing over the way their lives have ended up being the same as those of their parents before them.
Peter May is another excellent Scottish crime writer. I suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.
Amanda C M Gillies, Scotland
March 2011
I won't say it is unputdownable but, when not in hand, keep wanting to pick the book up and get on with it.Fin is struggling to come to terms with life, after the death of his young son in a hit and run accident. When a virtually identical murder to that he is currently investigating in Edinburgh takes place in Stornoway, he is dispatched to see if there is a connection between the two. Glad to escape from the nightmare of his failing marriage, Fin is confronted by memories of a past that he has tried so hard to escape from. He meets old friends, reignites a few old feuds and comes face to face with his first love. Shocked by the way life on the island has changed so very little, he attempts to get to the bottom of this latest crime and is stunned by the lies and deceit that he unravels in this, seemingly God-fearing, community on the way.
The beautifully rich vocabulary used by May in this book transport you to the island. You can hear the screaming of the gulls, taste the freshness of the illegally acquired salmon and smell the saltiness of the sea. Above all, you can sense the hopelessness of a community made up of people that are jealous of Fin, yet angry that he left them, and totally despairing over the way their lives have ended up being the same as those of their parents before them.
Peter May is another excellent Scottish crime writer. I suggest you get your hands on a copy of this book as soon as possible. You won't be disappointed.
Amanda C M Gillies, Scotland
March 2011
After realising how messed up I am in the head have decided to read a couple of books about psychology
Currently about three quarters of the way through a book called The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.
It is really interesting. He is a psychology professor and is looking at ancient religious and philosophical views and applies them to modern psychological research. Not written as a self help book but I suppose it could be interpreted that way because it analyses a lot of big questions.
Before that I read the Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. It is like a long piece of investigative journalism looking into how people are labeled and identifies many flaws in the psychological analysis and diagnosis system. Also gives you tips for spotting psychopaths. It was very well written, easy to read with a decent amount of humour. It is one of those non fiction books which has made me want to read more by the author.
I am now about 100 pages into the Steve Jobs biography. Very readable so far.
Currently about three quarters of the way through a book called The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt.
It is really interesting. He is a psychology professor and is looking at ancient religious and philosophical views and applies them to modern psychological research. Not written as a self help book but I suppose it could be interpreted that way because it analyses a lot of big questions.
Before that I read the Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. It is like a long piece of investigative journalism looking into how people are labeled and identifies many flaws in the psychological analysis and diagnosis system. Also gives you tips for spotting psychopaths. It was very well written, easy to read with a decent amount of humour. It is one of those non fiction books which has made me want to read more by the author.
I am now about 100 pages into the Steve Jobs biography. Very readable so far.
theironduke said:
Has anybody read The God Delusion or God is Not Great?
Yes both and they are very very decent and worth a read.GD is approached from a science perspective whereas GING is more historical. Dawkins imo has a slight tendency to labour the point in certain sections (repeated examples) but it doesn't detract from a convincing well thought out and comprehensive argument. Hitchens is bang on with his points but assumes you are pretty well versed in the classics to which he often makes references (you might find yourself looking up stuff every so often).
I found both books very interesting. It was in fact reading the God Delusion when it first came out that had me start questioning religion. To this day I'm a firm atheist and have found nothing to convince me otherwise. GING only further cemented my views.
Pixel Pusher said:
Well I have just completed Catcher In the Rye.
If you ever felt obligated to read this "classic" because you think you should, don't bother.
It's s
te.
Can I ask how old you are? When I read it at 19, it was great. At 30, much less so. Of course when I was 19 the internet was all fields, and it was much harder to find people who aren't phoney. If you ever felt obligated to read this "classic" because you think you should, don't bother.
It's s
te. Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff