Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
Off topic but I wouldn't bother trying language lessons in the car, I had a go with a set of Michel Thomas French CD's and found I needed to concentrate too much on the lesson compared to just listening to music or a podcast.
Currently on some light hearted reading with Jasper Fford's Thursday Next series, they seem to get more surreal as the series goes on and I think it's going to get just a bit to silly for me before I reach the end of the series.
Currently on some light hearted reading with Jasper Fford's Thursday Next series, they seem to get more surreal as the series goes on and I think it's going to get just a bit to silly for me before I reach the end of the series.
i've 2/3rds of the way through Bruce Dickinson's biog - feels weird actually holding a hardback book and not akindle bu they ho.
i reckon no. 6 in the aubrey maturin series will be next i need something with a story after brief history of time and carlo ravelli and the above mentioned...
Capital!
i reckon no. 6 in the aubrey maturin series will be next i need something with a story after brief history of time and carlo ravelli and the above mentioned...
Capital!
Jupiter's Travels - Ted Simon.
Very inspired to drop everything to moto around the world!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simo...
Very inspired to drop everything to moto around the world!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simo...
NorthernSky said:
Jupiter's Travels - Ted Simon.
Very inspired to drop everything to moto around the world!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simo...
Recently read his "Dreaming of Jupiter", the story of his 30 years later follow up trip to the one he made in the 70's. Not as inspirational as the original, but still pretty impressive given that he was by the end of the trip, well into his seventies. Worth a read as a follow up.Very inspired to drop everything to moto around the world!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simo...
I finished ‘The Red Badge of Courage’ a few days ago, moving on to the other stories featured in the Oxford World’s Edition of the novel. ‘The Red Badge’ is an enduring classic of American literature, popular as assigned reading in high school English classes. One could produce many essays, such is the weight of the symbolism.
Yet I did not adore the story as I did ‘The Great Gatsby’, another perennial staple of English curricula. Crane’s style lacks the finesse of other American greats, though his rendering of colloquial speech reminds me very much of John Steinbeck. More impressive still is the fact Crane’s novel was published when he was 23, the same as Carson McCullers with ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’.
I cannot conceive having a story as polished and ready for publication by 23. While I might not have loved the story, I liked it, and that is praise enough.
The edition I am reading also includes a few other pieces of Crane’s writing throughout his short life (he died in Badenweiler, aged 28). ‘The Veteran’ is a brief, five-page sequel to ‘The Red Badge’ but one that enhances the enjoyment of the original text with its depiction of courage.
‘The Open Boat’ was a piece of writing from 1898 that put me in mind of Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, by taking place almost entirely aboard a small boat at sea. The ending is a real punch to the guts, but until then it’s a story of the indomitable human will to survive.
‘The Monster’ is the longest of the extra stories, a novella also written in 1898. It may be my favourite of Crane’s writings; a tender, empathetic look at disability and race in a fictional town that became a backdrop to other stories Crane wished to tell. Again, parallels could be drawn with what McCullers’ achieved in her significantly longer debut.
And finally, ‘The Blue Hotel’, yet another novella written in 1898, which I shall be reading next. Crane wrote a prodigious amount during 1898, if the line-up featured here is anything to go by.
Yet I did not adore the story as I did ‘The Great Gatsby’, another perennial staple of English curricula. Crane’s style lacks the finesse of other American greats, though his rendering of colloquial speech reminds me very much of John Steinbeck. More impressive still is the fact Crane’s novel was published when he was 23, the same as Carson McCullers with ‘The Heart is a Lonely Hunter’.
I cannot conceive having a story as polished and ready for publication by 23. While I might not have loved the story, I liked it, and that is praise enough.
The edition I am reading also includes a few other pieces of Crane’s writing throughout his short life (he died in Badenweiler, aged 28). ‘The Veteran’ is a brief, five-page sequel to ‘The Red Badge’ but one that enhances the enjoyment of the original text with its depiction of courage.
‘The Open Boat’ was a piece of writing from 1898 that put me in mind of Hemingway’s ‘The Old Man and the Sea’, by taking place almost entirely aboard a small boat at sea. The ending is a real punch to the guts, but until then it’s a story of the indomitable human will to survive.
‘The Monster’ is the longest of the extra stories, a novella also written in 1898. It may be my favourite of Crane’s writings; a tender, empathetic look at disability and race in a fictional town that became a backdrop to other stories Crane wished to tell. Again, parallels could be drawn with what McCullers’ achieved in her significantly longer debut.
And finally, ‘The Blue Hotel’, yet another novella written in 1898, which I shall be reading next. Crane wrote a prodigious amount during 1898, if the line-up featured here is anything to go by.
Vanordinaire said:
NorthernSky said:
Jupiter's Travels - Ted Simon.
Very inspired to drop everything to moto around the world!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simo...
Recently read his "Dreaming of Jupiter", the story of his 30 years later follow up trip to the one he made in the 70's. Not as inspirational as the original, but still pretty impressive given that he was by the end of the trip, well into his seventies. Worth a read as a follow up.Very inspired to drop everything to moto around the world!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jupiters-Travels-Ted-Simo...
I'd recommend Mondo Enduro if you like that kind of stuff.
Just a brief update to say that I found time to read 'The Blue Hotel', the last of the collected works of Stephen Crane in the book I had been reading. It's nothing special, although it is readable. Make it to the final couple of pages and it becomes somewhat thought-provoking.
Next is 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak, a book that has cropped up in my life by coincidence twice now. A friend who would not typically be a reader endorsed the book heartily a few years ago; I, for my part, said I would read it when I found a copy. Another friend sent a few items from Germany, including the a copy of the film adaptation, "Die Bücherdiebin". Unlike some releases, the name is virtually identical between the two languages.
Next is 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak, a book that has cropped up in my life by coincidence twice now. A friend who would not typically be a reader endorsed the book heartily a few years ago; I, for my part, said I would read it when I found a copy. Another friend sent a few items from Germany, including the a copy of the film adaptation, "Die Bücherdiebin". Unlike some releases, the name is virtually identical between the two languages.
Just finished reading a couple of Stones related books - 'Sympathy For The Devil', Paul Trynka's excellent appraisal of Brian Jones short life and sad demise, and Simon Wells' 'Butterfly On A Wheel - The Great Rolling Stones Drugs Bust'. I'm glad I read them at the same time as they're pretty much intertwined, looking at the same real life events from slightly different angles.
The 'Redlands' bust in February '67 was quite the cause celebre at the time, these days hardly anyone bats an eyelid at pop star's behaviour but back then the hoohah surrounding the arrest of Mick and Keith almost finished the band off for good, along with Brian's seemingly endless tangling with the Old Bill. Wells' book goes into the nitty gritty of the 'drugs party' at Keith's country pad, the arrests and the drawn out trial and appeals process. Well worth a read - the goings on between Brian, Keith and Mick with Marianne Faithful and Anita Palenberg are the stuff of soap operas made real.
The 'Redlands' bust in February '67 was quite the cause celebre at the time, these days hardly anyone bats an eyelid at pop star's behaviour but back then the hoohah surrounding the arrest of Mick and Keith almost finished the band off for good, along with Brian's seemingly endless tangling with the Old Bill. Wells' book goes into the nitty gritty of the 'drugs party' at Keith's country pad, the arrests and the drawn out trial and appeals process. Well worth a read - the goings on between Brian, Keith and Mick with Marianne Faithful and Anita Palenberg are the stuff of soap operas made real.
Markus Zusak’s ‘The Book Thief’ is a nice, easy read with flavour, due to its narrator being Death itself. While that probably sounds odd, it translates very well to the story contained within its pages. I suspect the film may lose that sub-plot, focusing on the overarching story of the titular book thief, but I will definitely have to watch it when the story is not as fresh in my head.
Death’s being the narrator reminded me of a line from Chaucer’s ‘Pardoner’s Tale’, a ‘privee theef man clepeth deeth’, for both bestow upon Death human qualities. While the two works are completely unrelated, I liked the link for it reminds me that, actually, I still need to read the rest of the surviving Canterbury Tales. I have them on my bookshelf; it’s simply a matter of finding time to read and really digest the other tales with an ever-growing reading list.
Next on my reading list is a book I’ve picked up and set back on the shelf at my local library no less than four times, Giorgio Bassani’s ‘The Garden of the Finzi-Continis’, which is included as the third book of the Romanzo di Ferrara. Ferrara is a northern Italian town, and the setting for a lot of Bassani's writings.
I returned the book to the shelf on every previous occasion because of its place within a series - however, it became a part of that overarching series retroactively, meaning it should not intertwine with the other books. As far as I know the story of the Finzi-Continis is contained entirely within these pages, and the overall series is simply a collection of tales set in Ferrara.
If I don’t enjoy the book, I’ll move on to the final from the batch I checked out of the library, and then, perhaps, I’ll move on to Chaucer.
Death’s being the narrator reminded me of a line from Chaucer’s ‘Pardoner’s Tale’, a ‘privee theef man clepeth deeth’, for both bestow upon Death human qualities. While the two works are completely unrelated, I liked the link for it reminds me that, actually, I still need to read the rest of the surviving Canterbury Tales. I have them on my bookshelf; it’s simply a matter of finding time to read and really digest the other tales with an ever-growing reading list.
Next on my reading list is a book I’ve picked up and set back on the shelf at my local library no less than four times, Giorgio Bassani’s ‘The Garden of the Finzi-Continis’, which is included as the third book of the Romanzo di Ferrara. Ferrara is a northern Italian town, and the setting for a lot of Bassani's writings.
I returned the book to the shelf on every previous occasion because of its place within a series - however, it became a part of that overarching series retroactively, meaning it should not intertwine with the other books. As far as I know the story of the Finzi-Continis is contained entirely within these pages, and the overall series is simply a collection of tales set in Ferrara.
If I don’t enjoy the book, I’ll move on to the final from the batch I checked out of the library, and then, perhaps, I’ll move on to Chaucer.
droopsnoot said:
I've just finished "Dark Forces", a Spider Shepherd novel by Stephen Leather, which was as good as they always are. After that I went on to "I, Alex Cross" by James Patterson, again a decent read if over a bit quickly.
I saw ‘Tall Order’, another book by Stephen Leather, in Tesco yesterday. I’m not sure where it fits in the Spider Shepherd series, but if it’s one you haven’t read yet it might be worth knowing.Levin said:
Markus Zusak’s ‘The Book Thief’ is a nice, easy read with flavour, due to its narrator being Death itself. While that probably sounds odd, it translates very well to the story contained within its pages. I suspect the film may lose that sub-plot, focusing on the overarching story of the titular book thief, but I will definitely have to watch it when the story is not as fresh in my head.
I was very taken with the movie. I watched it with no idea what it was about, and it was one of the few movies in recent times that left me very contemplative at its end. Recommend watching it.Buffalo said:
I was very taken with the movie. I watched it with no idea what it was about, and it was one of the few movies in recent times that left me very contemplative at its end. Recommend watching it.
Does the film end on the same line as the book? I think you have sold me on watching it regardless, but I am curious since the line is so very impactful given how quickly things spiral during the final 50 or so pages. For anyone who goes on to read the book, Part Ten is where I promise you'll devour pages in pursuit of the story's end. Spoiler for the last line, too. While it doesn't actually spoil the plot, it's worth reading in context with the rest of the book.
"I am haunted by humans."
Recently finished Richard Anderson's 'Bespoke:Savile Row Ripped and Smoothed'. I enjoyed it. As someone who only wears suits at weddings and funerals I was not expecting too much, but I'd certainly recommend it. The writer's own development from his first day and the type of customers he experienced keep the interest.
Also finished David Coulthard's 'The Winning Formula'. I enjoyed his biography and bought this second book on the strength of that one. But this book does not seem to know what it is supposed to be. It is not a book about Formula One, it is not a book about David Coulthard, nor is it a book about management. I wish I'd not bought it new!
Also finished David Coulthard's 'The Winning Formula'. I enjoyed his biography and bought this second book on the strength of that one. But this book does not seem to know what it is supposed to be. It is not a book about Formula One, it is not a book about David Coulthard, nor is it a book about management. I wish I'd not bought it new!
Levin said:
I saw ‘Tall Order’, another book by Stephen Leather, in Tesco yesterday. I’m not sure where it fits in the Spider Shepherd series, but if it’s one you haven’t read yet it might be worth knowing.
Cheers, I'll keep an eye open. It's later than "Dark Forces", in that it's not mentioned in the list in there.Buffalo said:
I'd like to try reading some Maigret novels, having enjoyed Rowen Atkinson's portrayal. I understand there have been quite a few written, so any recommendations for a starting point, or should I just start at number one?
I would start at the beginning. Most of the 'good' ones are in the first 20 books also IIRC.I finally finished all eight volumes of Gibbon, with little holidays for something lighter now and then. And very well worth the effort it was too.
I have now turned to Dickens' Barnaby Rudge, and besides being a very early and empathic study of someone with mental incapacity, or learning difficulties as we might call it now, it also is a semi-historical account of the Gordon Riots in 1780. Dickens questions the moral issues about the law and mental illness, incidentally at about the same time that Judge Nicholas Tindall was making the first verdicts on limitations of responsibility for criminal acts of the insane.
Lord George Gordon, an English eccentric (and one is invited to wonder if 'mad') with a pathological hatred of Catholicism, and who is a character in the book, instigates an uprising of the bigoted and ill informed dregs of the London population, in a religiously inspired orgy of violence and arson. Substitute the name Gordon with that of certain other modern politicians and it becomes an uncannily contemporary theme. The book examines the real motives behind the behaviour of the many characters who become caught up in the most destructive street rioting the capital has ever seen.
I have now turned to Dickens' Barnaby Rudge, and besides being a very early and empathic study of someone with mental incapacity, or learning difficulties as we might call it now, it also is a semi-historical account of the Gordon Riots in 1780. Dickens questions the moral issues about the law and mental illness, incidentally at about the same time that Judge Nicholas Tindall was making the first verdicts on limitations of responsibility for criminal acts of the insane.
Lord George Gordon, an English eccentric (and one is invited to wonder if 'mad') with a pathological hatred of Catholicism, and who is a character in the book, instigates an uprising of the bigoted and ill informed dregs of the London population, in a religiously inspired orgy of violence and arson. Substitute the name Gordon with that of certain other modern politicians and it becomes an uncannily contemporary theme. The book examines the real motives behind the behaviour of the many characters who become caught up in the most destructive street rioting the capital has ever seen.
Edited by Roofless Toothless on Saturday 21st July 10:17
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