Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
grumbledoak said:
A further opportunity to have someone beautifully articulate some things you may have thought and others you did not. It will take a second reading to properly digest.
-
In the meantime, just finished 'Into Thin Air' by Jon Krakauer about the '96 Everest expedition[s] disaster. A real eye-opener on commercial high altitude climbing; the whole Everest thing, the competitiveness/collaboration between expeditions and their leaders, insights into the 'pay to play' people that do this sort of thing [good and bad] and just the over-riding hostility of the place. 4/5.
grumbledoak said:
A further opportunity to have someone beautifully articulate some things you may have thought and others you did not. It will take a second reading to properly digest.
It's not often I give up on a book but when I fundamentally disagree with the author, I lose all patience to continue.
RC1807 said:
Finished "The Sentinel".... 6/10
Jack Reacher and technology just don't gel. He can't use more than a phone or his toothbrush!
Anyway, it made bedtime reading and a couple of bus journeys a bit more acceptable.
Now I'm back to my favourite author with James Lee Burke's latest about Dave Robicheaux, A Private Cathedral.
ETA: corrected auto fill
I just finished James Lee Burke's "A Private Cathedral". Jack Reacher and technology just don't gel. He can't use more than a phone or his toothbrush!
Anyway, it made bedtime reading and a couple of bus journeys a bit more acceptable.
Now I'm back to my favourite author with James Lee Burke's latest about Dave Robicheaux, A Private Cathedral.
ETA: corrected auto fill
Edited by RC1807 on Sunday 7th March 08:31
It took me longer than usual to get into it, and I wonder now if I really did. I enjoy his style and descriptions, but perhaps this Robicheaux novel went too far, for me at least.
In terms of Robicheaux's life, this novel is set in the past, between earlier books, which was difficult for me. For example, Robicheaux is a Sheriff's Deputy. He recalled when his father fist taught him to fish: VJ Day in 1945. If he's then a current day deputy, he's about 86 years old! It only came to mind that this book was meant to fit into an earlier time scale when he later referred to his 2 former wives. If you've followed Robicheaux, he's had 3 wives.
Ageing deputy / timescale aside, JLB delved deeply, too deep in my opinion, into "Good / Evil" and ghostly beings, unworldly sightings and interactions. That made the novel very odd indeed.
For me, 6/10, when I'd usually rate his work 9/10 or more.
Now, Michael Connelly's "The Law of Inncocence", a Lincoln Lawyer / Micky Haller novel.
Game, and indeed, on.
lowdrag said:
Back to the pile for another choice, and, joy, I find another James Lee Burke, this time "Wayfaring Stranger". More anon.
I am not sure what my final impression of this novel really is. It is mostly based on after the war, but starts in his childhood when he meets Bonnie and Clyde, and finishes in the 1960's. It has the air and feel of an autobiography, and on reading the last page about Burke's life that feeling is reinforced. One thing for sure - it is nothing like the Robichaux novels at all. It is about McCarthyism, a tint of the KKK about it, Hollywood, and would make an interesting film noir. About the nearest I can relate to would be LA Confidential, if you have seen it. Crooked cops, the whole caboodle. I'm glad I read it, but I'm not sure I would wish to read another in the same vein.
Chris Donaldson - Going the wrong way.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A...
I don’t know how to post a picture of the book. Great coming of age, adventure motorcycling, sailing and world wandering.
Not the best writing ever, but carried by youthful enthusiasm, stupidity and nostalgia for a 1980 world that is long gone.
Well worth 99p on kindle for a few hours of vicarious travel and adventure in these dull days.
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A...
I don’t know how to post a picture of the book. Great coming of age, adventure motorcycling, sailing and world wandering.
Not the best writing ever, but carried by youthful enthusiasm, stupidity and nostalgia for a 1980 world that is long gone.
Well worth 99p on kindle for a few hours of vicarious travel and adventure in these dull days.
So, a couple of posts back I pointed out I was starting on Iain Dale's "The Prime Ministers" and I have romped through that now.
I was spoiled last year by listening to a podcasts series "Very Presidential" about some of the US presidents and the scandals behind them (very biased and probably quite exaggerated for entertainment value). I suppose I had hoped for a bit of that, but instead 55 very dry essays by a range of commentators, including the odd relative, or the odd relative of the assassin in one case.
I have to say I didn't do much history in school and haven't really, until recent years, been particularly interested in history, so I knew only a limited history of the last 300 years of British politics. This is a good primer, focussed on the people, not necessarily a good history lesson on the events, but fascinating nonetheless.
I was spoiled last year by listening to a podcasts series "Very Presidential" about some of the US presidents and the scandals behind them (very biased and probably quite exaggerated for entertainment value). I suppose I had hoped for a bit of that, but instead 55 very dry essays by a range of commentators, including the odd relative, or the odd relative of the assassin in one case.
I have to say I didn't do much history in school and haven't really, until recent years, been particularly interested in history, so I knew only a limited history of the last 300 years of British politics. This is a good primer, focussed on the people, not necessarily a good history lesson on the events, but fascinating nonetheless.
Re-reading Primo Levi's "The Periodic Table". I read it when I was younger and didn't think much of it, but am enjoying it this time. I think it's because I've got a bit slower and more patient with old age, it seemed that everything was getting dragged out and unnecessarily embellished with irrelevant details when I was younger but now think it's like having a conversation with an interesting old man. Lots of thought provoking stuff if you take the time to listen to what he's saying.
Just finished the third in the Koli trilogy by MR Carey (of Girl with all the gifts fame).
Again hard to easily categorise - not science fiction, not dystopian fiction but elements of both.
Set in a future post apocalypse UK where you can work out some names of places - for example its initially set it Mythen Rood which seems to be Mytholmroyd in Yorkshire, Half-Ax is obviously Halifax etc.
Main premise is that old "tech" items are still around but without the knowledge of how they work so they are treated with a type of mysticism. Interesting juxtaposition between the middle ages style of living with the odd ultra futuristic bits of technology thrown in.
The first half of the last book dragged a little bit but the second half became more interesting, more in line with the first two books, and a very tidy conclusion.
I enjoyed the trilogy and would recommend it.
Again hard to easily categorise - not science fiction, not dystopian fiction but elements of both.
Set in a future post apocalypse UK where you can work out some names of places - for example its initially set it Mythen Rood which seems to be Mytholmroyd in Yorkshire, Half-Ax is obviously Halifax etc.
Main premise is that old "tech" items are still around but without the knowledge of how they work so they are treated with a type of mysticism. Interesting juxtaposition between the middle ages style of living with the odd ultra futuristic bits of technology thrown in.
The first half of the last book dragged a little bit but the second half became more interesting, more in line with the first two books, and a very tidy conclusion.
I enjoyed the trilogy and would recommend it.
i4got said:
Just finished the third in the Koli trilogy by MR Carey (of Girl with all the gifts fame).
Again hard to easily categorise - not science fiction, not dystopian fiction but elements of both.
Set in a future post apocalypse UK where you can work out some names of places - for example its initially set it Mythen Rood which seems to be Mytholmroyd in Yorkshire, Half-Ax is obviously Halifax etc.
Main premise is that old "tech" items are still around but without the knowledge of how they work so they are treated with a type of mysticism. Interesting juxtaposition between the middle ages style of living with the odd ultra futuristic bits of technology thrown in.
The first half of the last book dragged a little bit but the second half became more interesting, more in line with the first two books, and a very tidy conclusion.
I enjoyed the trilogy and would recommend it.
Have you read last light and first light ?Again hard to easily categorise - not science fiction, not dystopian fiction but elements of both.
Set in a future post apocalypse UK where you can work out some names of places - for example its initially set it Mythen Rood which seems to be Mytholmroyd in Yorkshire, Half-Ax is obviously Halifax etc.
Main premise is that old "tech" items are still around but without the knowledge of how they work so they are treated with a type of mysticism. Interesting juxtaposition between the middle ages style of living with the odd ultra futuristic bits of technology thrown in.
The first half of the last book dragged a little bit but the second half became more interesting, more in line with the first two books, and a very tidy conclusion.
I enjoyed the trilogy and would recommend it.
Kind of similar to the above , we run out of oil and the first book covers society in denial then panic then the second book is 5 years on and how we've changed / adapted.
The suez canal makes a appearance at the start which made last week quite interesting.
egor110 said:
Have you read last light and first light ?
Kind of similar to the above , we run out of oil and the first book covers society in denial then panic then the second book is 5 years on and how we've changed / adapted.
The suez canal makes a appearance at the start which made last week quite interesting.
I have and I really enjoyed them. You prompted me to see if there were any other Alex Scarrow books I missed - it looks like he's gone into crime police procedural for his last couple of books which is a shame.Kind of similar to the above , we run out of oil and the first book covers society in denial then panic then the second book is 5 years on and how we've changed / adapted.
The suez canal makes a appearance at the start which made last week quite interesting.
Gassing Station | Books and Literature | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff