Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
K12beano said:
andy_s said:
Just got hold of the latest Carlo Rovelli - The Order of Time, I've already read Reality Is Not What It Seems and enjoyed that thoroughly so looking forward to this one.
Fascinating titles - care to expand a bit on what they’re about? Fiction? Non-Fiction?GoatyBill - you'll be pleased to know Dostoevsky is Petersons most acclaimed author, by coincidence
Jodie Taylor spoils us - 2 books at once.
The latest in the main St Marys series and a short story release, but not just any, arguably the one all her fans have been waiting for - the Battersea Barricades story!
There are currently 2.5 authors who I think stand alone amongst contemporaries in their "world building" abilities - that literary term for building the storybook Universe within which the authors write, whether standalone or in a series. Indeed, its the acclaim about the MCU, that Marvel rides on and is almost the first time a cinematic house has managed what the best of books do.
Anyway, said authors are the wife & husband writing team of Ilona & Gordan Andrews and Jodie Taylor. In my opinion they are the best since PTerry.
The last book in the main St Marys thread by Taylor was somewhat of a departure of her previous style in being basically emotionally brutal compared to the largely gentile, mostly humorous love notes to history that characterised the earlier work. Having dragged her audience in one direction, she has used the 2 (I think) short stories since to bring her audience back in the way she wanted as an absolute master of a puppeteer. If the Xmas short was close to being a proper classic Dickensian rendition then the new one is full on masterpiece of writing.
Im only 2% into the new main St Marys book, so can't review that yet.
The latest in the main St Marys series and a short story release, but not just any, arguably the one all her fans have been waiting for - the Battersea Barricades story!
There are currently 2.5 authors who I think stand alone amongst contemporaries in their "world building" abilities - that literary term for building the storybook Universe within which the authors write, whether standalone or in a series. Indeed, its the acclaim about the MCU, that Marvel rides on and is almost the first time a cinematic house has managed what the best of books do.
Anyway, said authors are the wife & husband writing team of Ilona & Gordan Andrews and Jodie Taylor. In my opinion they are the best since PTerry.
The last book in the main St Marys thread by Taylor was somewhat of a departure of her previous style in being basically emotionally brutal compared to the largely gentile, mostly humorous love notes to history that characterised the earlier work. Having dragged her audience in one direction, she has used the 2 (I think) short stories since to bring her audience back in the way she wanted as an absolute master of a puppeteer. If the Xmas short was close to being a proper classic Dickensian rendition then the new one is full on masterpiece of writing.
Im only 2% into the new main St Marys book, so can't review that yet.
Last month, I said several times that I'd take a photo of the cover art for Steinbeck's 'The Moon is Down', seeing as I couldn't find the Mandarin Paperbacks version on Google. Here it is, with the backdrop of Citroen C4 seat fabric.
I'm around the half-way point with Cesarani's 'Final Solution: The Fate of the Jews, 1933-49', somewhere around 450 pages into the book. It's captivating but certainly not easy reading. Cesarani takes the view that the Holocaust was neither planned nor inevitable, but the result of other policies together coming to this destructive end.
I've just finished reading the section on the Wannsee Conference; only now, 460 pages into the book have we reached what I would recognise as the Final Solution. Up to this point the legal measures taken against the Jews, the formation of the ghettoes, and the actions of groups like Romania's Iron Guard and the Einsatzgruppen have been the key focus.
I'm around the half-way point with Cesarani's 'Final Solution: The Fate of the Jews, 1933-49', somewhere around 450 pages into the book. It's captivating but certainly not easy reading. Cesarani takes the view that the Holocaust was neither planned nor inevitable, but the result of other policies together coming to this destructive end.
I've just finished reading the section on the Wannsee Conference; only now, 460 pages into the book have we reached what I would recognise as the Final Solution. Up to this point the legal measures taken against the Jews, the formation of the ghettoes, and the actions of groups like Romania's Iron Guard and the Einsatzgruppen have been the key focus.
The Terror - Dan Simmons. The story of Franklins quest for the North West Passage with a horror twist.
Really enjoying this, not only for the short sharp (very sharp) moments of horror but for the descriptions of the amazing things the crew of The Terror and The Erebus just had to do to survive. Plus the ridiculous reason why they had to be there in the first place. When you think of all the nonsense that goes on in the work place these days, the story of what these poor sailors had to do on a day to day basis really puts a few things in perspective. And that's without the pointy, slashy, hungry, intelligent and vengeful thing out there on the ice...
Its now a TV series on AMC but that's on BT which I can't get so if anyone is watching it, I'd be interested to hear a review.
Really enjoying this, not only for the short sharp (very sharp) moments of horror but for the descriptions of the amazing things the crew of The Terror and The Erebus just had to do to survive. Plus the ridiculous reason why they had to be there in the first place. When you think of all the nonsense that goes on in the work place these days, the story of what these poor sailors had to do on a day to day basis really puts a few things in perspective. And that's without the pointy, slashy, hungry, intelligent and vengeful thing out there on the ice...
Its now a TV series on AMC but that's on BT which I can't get so if anyone is watching it, I'd be interested to hear a review.
I've just finished "Gone" by Mo Hayder, a Jack Caffery novel. Very good again, and it doesn't seem to matter too much that I'm reading them in the wrong order.
I've started "The Second Angel" by Philip Kerr, a book I bought years ago and have had hanging around. I suspect it might be one that I give up on, but the number of footnotes seems to be diminishing as I get further in - I hope that by not reading them, I don't miss out on anything significant.
I've started "The Second Angel" by Philip Kerr, a book I bought years ago and have had hanging around. I suspect it might be one that I give up on, but the number of footnotes seems to be diminishing as I get further in - I hope that by not reading them, I don't miss out on anything significant.
Currently about 2/3 through "Homo Deus - A brief history of tomorrow" by Yuval Noah Harari. Its the follow up to "Sapiens" which I've not read, but will be doing so on the basis of this book. Harari covers an enormous amount of ground, and time, in just 450 pages, and so its not surprising some of his thoughts and ideas are merely skated over. However, the generally thrust of the book regarding our behaviours, our present and our future is an interesting one, and provokes thoughts if nothing else. There are a further 30-odd pages of references and notes, its good to see the research. Its easily read, and contains enough humour and punch to keep the pages turning.
Next up is "What does this button do?" Bruce Dickenson's autobiography, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm a Maiden fan, and I've always liked the idea of the frontman to a heavy metal band being a trained opera singer, professional-level fencer and a 757 Captain
Next up is "What does this button do?" Bruce Dickenson's autobiography, and I'm looking forward to it. I'm a Maiden fan, and I've always liked the idea of the frontman to a heavy metal band being a trained opera singer, professional-level fencer and a 757 Captain
The Hypno-Toad said:
The Terror - Dan Simmons. The story of Franklins quest for the North West Passage with a horror twist.
Really enjoying this, not only for the short sharp (very sharp) moments of horror but for the descriptions of the amazing things the crew of The Terror and The Erebus just had to do to survive. Plus the ridiculous reason why they had to be there in the first place. When you think of all the nonsense that goes on in the work place these days, the story of what these poor sailors had to do on a day to day basis really puts a few things in perspective. And that's without the pointy, slashy, hungry, intelligent and vengeful thing out there on the ice...
Its now a TV series on AMC but that's on BT which I can't get so if anyone is watching it, I'd be interested to hear a review.
it was a superb book made me go and get couple of books about real franklin exhibition and finding of the terror in terror bay lolReally enjoying this, not only for the short sharp (very sharp) moments of horror but for the descriptions of the amazing things the crew of The Terror and The Erebus just had to do to survive. Plus the ridiculous reason why they had to be there in the first place. When you think of all the nonsense that goes on in the work place these days, the story of what these poor sailors had to do on a day to day basis really puts a few things in perspective. And that's without the pointy, slashy, hungry, intelligent and vengeful thing out there on the ice...
Its now a TV series on AMC but that's on BT which I can't get so if anyone is watching it, I'd be interested to hear a review.
try abominable and drood by dan simmons very good
p1doc said:
it was a superb book made me go and get couple of books about real franklin exhibition and finding of the terror in terror bay lol
try abominable and drood by dan simmons very good
Ken McGoogan's 'Fatal Passage', about the Orcadian doctor and Arctic explorer John Rae who discovered the remains of Franklin's expedition and went on to discover the final pieces of the North West Passage jigsaw, is a pretty good read.try abominable and drood by dan simmons very good
I've finished David Cesarani's 'Final Solution'. Like Christopher Browning, Cesarani is an historian of the functionalist school of Holocaust research, taking the view that it was a byproduct of slapdash planning and rivalries between agencies with overlapping aims and motives. The theory appears entirely plausible, though I'd like to read a notable work of an intentionalist author also.
As other reviews have said, it's a bit light on information following 1945, compressing it into the Conclusion and Epilogue whereas other years receive their own sections of the book. I have a feeling that it may be due to Cesarani's death prior to the book's completion (the manuscript was completed by other historians).
Otherwise, it's as tough a read as you would imagine. Cesarani has this wonderful way of citing an array of different people who kept diaries during the period; over the course of 800 pages (the other 200 are taken up with sources and notes) I found myself growing fond of people who I had never met and the way they faced persecution and discrimination. In too many cases, the diaries are the only echoes of lives extinguished far too young.
As with any good book, it has left me wanting to read more about the subject. A book can't do much more for its subject than foster greater interest within its reader, so I'll be looking specifically for books on the Warsaw Uprising and perhaps the Treblinka death camp. In closing I'll mention that London's Jewish Chronicle newspaper is cited numerous times throughout Cesarani's book and also provides a soundbite for the cover, in an oddly satisfying reminder that the Nazis failed.
I'm on now to 'The Plots Against the Führer' by Danny Orbach. As one would expect, it covers many of the plots to remove Hitler from power, with the ever-popular Operation Valkyrie joined by a range of other efforts. Many of the Amazon reviews suggest it's almost too detailed in places. That sounds promising.
As other reviews have said, it's a bit light on information following 1945, compressing it into the Conclusion and Epilogue whereas other years receive their own sections of the book. I have a feeling that it may be due to Cesarani's death prior to the book's completion (the manuscript was completed by other historians).
Otherwise, it's as tough a read as you would imagine. Cesarani has this wonderful way of citing an array of different people who kept diaries during the period; over the course of 800 pages (the other 200 are taken up with sources and notes) I found myself growing fond of people who I had never met and the way they faced persecution and discrimination. In too many cases, the diaries are the only echoes of lives extinguished far too young.
As with any good book, it has left me wanting to read more about the subject. A book can't do much more for its subject than foster greater interest within its reader, so I'll be looking specifically for books on the Warsaw Uprising and perhaps the Treblinka death camp. In closing I'll mention that London's Jewish Chronicle newspaper is cited numerous times throughout Cesarani's book and also provides a soundbite for the cover, in an oddly satisfying reminder that the Nazis failed.
I'm on now to 'The Plots Against the Führer' by Danny Orbach. As one would expect, it covers many of the plots to remove Hitler from power, with the ever-popular Operation Valkyrie joined by a range of other efforts. Many of the Amazon reviews suggest it's almost too detailed in places. That sounds promising.
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