Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
I just finished 1Q84, all three books. It's begins with a young woman stuck in traffic in a taxi in Tokyo, who has to disembark and use an emergency escape ladder to make her appointment in a hotel. Where she kills someone. It goes on to involve a religious cult and a long lost love in a parallel world that she entered on the ladder. It starts well, an intriguing situation, and there are interesting bits along the way, but it didn't really merit three books.
CardinalBlue said:
I just finished Die Alone by Simon Kernick, after being recommended it by a friend. I was unfamiliar with Kenrick, but a good read and I'll certainly be reading some more of his work.
I've read quite a few of his, and they're generally very good. I have found quite a few of them quite formulaic (there was pretty much always a desperate race against time) but still good as long as you don't read them one after the other. But then I find that with some others - Linwood Barclay is very good, but usually has some kind of massive secret that gets revealed early in the plot, leaving lots of characters wondering how they didn't know, whether it's true, and so on. But still good.I've just finished "Haunted" by James Patterson and James O. Born, a Michael Bennett story which takes place on his holidays. Pretty good, though a little like a short story that's been extended to a full book. Good enough, though.
grumbledoak said:
I just finished 1Q84, all three books. It's begins with a young woman stuck in traffic in a taxi in Tokyo, who has to disembark and use an emergency escape ladder to make her appointment in a hotel. Where she kills someone. It goes on to involve a religious cult and a long lost love in a parallel world that she entered on the ladder. It starts well, an intriguing situation, and there are interesting bits along the way, but it didn't really merit three books.
Three?I don’t remember it being three books!
I do recall the premise was immediately original and intriguing.... and I will give you that once it got going it did seem to coast towards the end a bit.
The first Murakami I read and certainly hooked me in for more!
K12beano said:
grumbledoak said:
I just finished 1Q84, all three books. It's begins with a young woman stuck in traffic in a taxi in Tokyo, who has to disembark and use an emergency escape ladder to make her appointment in a hotel. Where she kills someone. It goes on to involve a religious cult and a long lost love in a parallel world that she entered on the ladder. It starts well, an intriguing situation, and there are interesting bits along the way, but it didn't really merit three books.
Three?I don’t remember it being three books!
I do recall the premise was immediately original and intriguing.... and I will give you that once it got going it did seem to coast towards the end a bit.
The first Murakami I read and certainly hooked me in for more!
I love Murakami, but he is a bit weird and I'd probably have recommended starting with Kafka on the Shore, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle or Norwegian Wood. Still, I have to say I enjoyed 1Q84 too, and will probably read it again at some point.
doesthiswork said:
The All True Adventures (and Rare Education) of the Daredevil Daniel Bones, by Owen Booth.
A pastiche of a Victorian tale of adventure and derring do, like Dickens crossed with Jules Verne. Very funny but also quite dark at times. Also a bargain, 99p for the Kindle version
I like it but it can't be true and a pastiche. A pastiche of a Victorian tale of adventure and derring do, like Dickens crossed with Jules Verne. Very funny but also quite dark at times. Also a bargain, 99p for the Kindle version
Inspired by 'Ripping Yarns' perhaps?
I got around to reading Hangman by Daniel Cole. I quite, albeit in a bizarre way, enjoyed reading Rag Doll, but the holes in the plot of this one deserve black hole status. OK reading, except - a personal thing - I get fed up with chapters having a time and date and dancing backwards and forwards.
About a quarter way into “If this is a man” by Primo Levi. Its surprisingly easy to read considering the subject matter and viewpoint, but Levi has a very deft way with words - bringing you along the journey without sermonising.
I’ve also got “The Truce” to follow, which is apparently much lighter in tone.
I’ve also got “The Truce” to follow, which is apparently much lighter in tone.
PomBstard said:
About a quarter way into “If this is a man” by Primo Levi. Its surprisingly easy to read considering the subject matter and viewpoint, but Levi has a very deft way with words - bringing you along the journey without sermonising.
I’ve also got “The Truce” to follow, which is apparently much lighter in tone.
I've read a fair bit of his work, but "Se questo è un uomo" stands out as a superb and extraordinarily humane work of art.I’ve also got “The Truce” to follow, which is apparently much lighter in tone.
Not quite in the same league, but his cousin's (Carlo Levi) offering, "Cristo si è fermato a Eboli", is an interesting read.
ETA: I used to live in Italy, and it was because I wanted to trace Carlo's footsteps that I accidently stmbled across The Sassi in Matera.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matera
Edited by IanA2 on Saturday 5th September 12:26
Edited by IanA2 on Saturday 5th September 12:28
Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the sequel to Children of Time, which was brilliant Sci-Fi and a really refreshing read.
I'm a couple of chapters in now and, having also read Other Minds, about Octopodes/Octopi, it feels like more of a retread than I'd have liked, but am enjoying ti nonetheless.
I'm a couple of chapters in now and, having also read Other Minds, about Octopodes/Octopi, it feels like more of a retread than I'd have liked, but am enjoying ti nonetheless.
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