Books - What are you reading?

[droopsnoot]

JulianPH said:

droopsnoot said:

"Live Fire" by Stephen Leather was very good.

I have loved all of his Dan 'Spider' Shepherd books. Which do you think would make the best film and who would you cast?

I honestly don't know, mainly because I read so many different and varied things that I just forget the plots unless they're something very special indeed. Also I'm fairly out of touch with current actors, so that doesn't help. One of these days I must go back through them. There - that's enough justification for not recycling them, thanks.

I've just finished "The Deep Dark Sleep" by Craig Russell - set in the fifties, which is not a time period I'd normally choose, so it must have come in a batch. Good book, though, and the setting didn't really detract from the story.

[anonymous-user]

Nom de ploom said:

anyone read Artemis yet?

it could push to next on my list

I have! It was very good, maybe not quite as good as the martian but a good, gripping story nonetheless.

[Stan the Bat]

cookie118 said:

Nom de ploom said:

anyone read Artemis yet?

it could push to next on my list

I have! It was very good, maybe not quite as good as the martian but a good, gripping story nonetheless.

My thoughts exactly.

[Sebring440]

Levin said:

That book is ‘Mein Kampf’.

Gosh.

[Prolex-UK]

Latest james lee burke novel. Robicheaux. Half way through. As ever great narrative.

[TheJimi]

Started Pillars Of The Earth last week.

Really enjoying it so far, very well written.

Interestingly, something that usually bugs me is reading a book set in a particular historical period of time but written clearly in today's language.

Now, while Pillars Of The Earth isn't written in the language of it's time, I feel that Follet has been sympathetic in his use of more modern vernacular.

[DoctorX]

TheJimi said:

Started Pillars Of The Earth last week.

Really enjoying it so far, very well written.

Interestingly, something that usually bugs me is reading a book set in a particular historical period of time but written clearly in today's language.

Now, while Pillars Of The Earth isn't written in the language of it's time, I feel that Follet has been sympathetic in his use of more modern vernacular.

Excellent book. Must get round to the sequel. If you enjoy it, try his century trilogy.

[wombleh]

mattb46 said:

Cant believe Ulricht was sentenced to life without parole though when some of the dealers actually using the website got 4-5 years. He deserved maybe 10 years (no previous convictions whatsoever) but 50+ years?

Glad you liked it, a fascinating story! I wonder how much was due to his libertarian streak, that he wasn't just doing it for cash but to change the country into one where the govt couldn't control what people did. That scared them far more than the drugs, guns and hitmen.

I was struggling to get interested in any books lately until I found an HP Lovecraft compilation on the kindle. All kinds of dark and sordid tales, fantastic!

[Eddie Strohacker]

Sebring440 said:

Levin said:

That book is ‘Mein Kampf’.

Gosh.

Never been drawn to read it personally, but I can't see the problem, it was written (badly aiui) by someone who at the very least, fundamentally altered the course of the 20th century & whom to this day keeps half of the satellite channels going.

Provided one isn't looking for tips & inspiration in something like Mein Kampf, should any book be verboten? After all, that particular death cult weren't above burning books themselves.

[coppice]

I have read a fair bit of it, but 40 years ago , and did so out of curiosity . It is , predictably enough , utterly dreadful .Its style was portentous , almost like a religious text and we all know about its toxic content ..

[havoc]

wombleh said:

I was struggling to get interested in any books lately until I found an HP Lovecraft compilation on the kindle. All kinds of dark and sordid tales, fantastic!

Lovecraft, while sometimes dated in his writing and just a little racist, very clearly sowed the seeds for a lot of modern horror writers - you can see the themes that the likes of King, Herbert, Barker etc. developed.

I also really like the way he kept coming back to, or at least linking to, the same storylines and the same places - I get the feeling everything he wrote was set in the same 'world'.

[p1doc]

just reading Sherlock holmes and Shadwell shadows by james lovegrove-very good and easy to read

[sgtBerbatov]

Eddie Strohacker said:

Sebring440 said:

Levin said:

That book is ‘Mein Kampf’.

Gosh.

Never been drawn to read it personally, but I can't see the problem, it was written (badly aiui) by someone who at the very least, fundamentally altered the course of the 20th century & whom to this day keeps half of the satellite channels going.

Provided one isn't looking for tips & inspiration in something like Mein Kampf, should any book be verboten? After all, that particular death cult weren't above burning books themselves.

I have a copy of Mein Kampf and it's quite a large book. The text is presented to you along with an expert who basically tells you why Hitler thought that and why it's total bks. Never got round to reading it, but I subscribe to the mantra of "Know your enemy", so one day I will read it just to understand what made him tick.

[judas]

p1doc said:

just reading Sherlock holmes and Shadwell shadows by james lovegrove-very good and easy to read

Just finished the second book of the trilogy, The Miskatonic Monstrosities. Excellent pastiche of both Conan Doyle and Lovecraft's works. Even had some tongue-in-cheek jibes from Watson on Lovecraft's florid prose style

Looking forward to the third book in November.

[p1doc]

will get when in paperback but looking forward to it,i see he has done some other Sherlock holmes books so might give them a try

[rupert the dog]

Prolex-UK said:

Latest james lee burke novel. Robicheaux. Half way through. As ever great narrative.

Yes, all brilliant, go back and read them again.

[perdu]

Just finished 'A Hero In France' another very fine, dripping with period intrigue and drama wartime novel by Alan Furst

I often start Furst thinking "I 'might' get fed up, let's see" and finish the whole book on edge

Great storyteller I keep going back to

[CardinalBlue]

Just finished "This is Going to Hurt" by Adam Kay. It's the diary of a junior doctor, and quite eye opening. I'd certainly recommend it.

[andy_s]

A good look into the day-to-day, man on the ground, life during the bush war period;

[Perseverant]

Glad to see another HP Lovecraft mention! I'm on Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" - one of the few I hadn't read. It's a long read which I started before Christmas then couldn't remember who was who, so started again but making notes like I used to do so many years ago - I think it's not a bad mind exercise. I've also been reading Val McDermid - my wife has sourced pretty much all of her books and is now reading them in order!