Books - What are you reading?
Discussion
ACX 2022 Book Review Competition.
Just out of interest, every year Scott Alexander holds a competition of sorts for book reviews. The competition itself isn't really the point but it does serve up an eclectic [literally from 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' to 'Yąnomamö: The Fierce People'] collection of books [usually] well dissembled but at least serving as a precis a little more insightful than the slip cover blurb.
This is published on an open thread on substack so repeating it here doesn't tread on any toes I think, but each year I pick up at least 2 or 3 of the books listed based on the review, so I thought it may be 'inspirational' to others also.
https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/open-thread-... for the links.
Here is the first [A-H] for a taster: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pRQbRbEUwSH_jm...
Just out of interest, every year Scott Alexander holds a competition of sorts for book reviews. The competition itself isn't really the point but it does serve up an eclectic [literally from 'A Canticle for Leibowitz' to 'Yąnomamö: The Fierce People'] collection of books [usually] well dissembled but at least serving as a precis a little more insightful than the slip cover blurb.
This is published on an open thread on substack so repeating it here doesn't tread on any toes I think, but each year I pick up at least 2 or 3 of the books listed based on the review, so I thought it may be 'inspirational' to others also.
https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/open-thread-... for the links.
Here is the first [A-H] for a taster: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pRQbRbEUwSH_jm...
That looks really interesting andy_s..!
My reading has been rubbish this year. Mainly because work and the length of winter has drained me.
I did complete The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Pretty good, reconciled myself to the ending. Didn’t move me.
Started Malcolm Pryce’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being in Aberystwyth, which is the third in his Louie Knight series. Didn’t flick my switch in the way I remember the first two doing. Need to pick up.
Just zipped through Matthew Syed’s Rebel Ideas on a recommendation from someone as a way to think about work/career. Interesting. I’m meeting him in a couple of weeks so need to read his Black Box Thinking as well. Thankfully (for non-fiction) he is easy to read.
Just started There’s Nothing for You Here by Fiona Hill. It’s a memoir of sorts I think but given her roles working for Bush, Obama and Trump, should be interesting. Especially given her background as the daughter of a coal miner born in Bishop Auckland….
My reading has been rubbish this year. Mainly because work and the length of winter has drained me.
I did complete The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Pretty good, reconciled myself to the ending. Didn’t move me.
Started Malcolm Pryce’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being in Aberystwyth, which is the third in his Louie Knight series. Didn’t flick my switch in the way I remember the first two doing. Need to pick up.
Just zipped through Matthew Syed’s Rebel Ideas on a recommendation from someone as a way to think about work/career. Interesting. I’m meeting him in a couple of weeks so need to read his Black Box Thinking as well. Thankfully (for non-fiction) he is easy to read.
Just started There’s Nothing for You Here by Fiona Hill. It’s a memoir of sorts I think but given her roles working for Bush, Obama and Trump, should be interesting. Especially given her background as the daughter of a coal miner born in Bishop Auckland….
I've recently finished "Fractured" by Karin Slaughter. The daughter of a millionaire is kidnapped and it's down to the police and GBI to work together to find her, but the agent has some history with the girl's father. A decent book, I think I've read a few others by the same author.
I rarely read gigantic "thriller" novels and have never read Lee Child, John Grisham etc.
Recommended by my wife, with some caveats (that it is a bit far fetched at times), I read "I Am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes
I quite liked the initial writing style, although it did seem to change a little throughout the very large book.
Interestingly, despite containing a series of coincidences, some outlandish action-movie-esque scenes, technical unfeasibility, some inconsistent characters and the use of some convenient plot devices, I found myself wanting to continue reading it late into the night and finished it very quickly.
It is worth a read. A guilty pleasure?
Recommended by my wife, with some caveats (that it is a bit far fetched at times), I read "I Am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes
I quite liked the initial writing style, although it did seem to change a little throughout the very large book.
Interestingly, despite containing a series of coincidences, some outlandish action-movie-esque scenes, technical unfeasibility, some inconsistent characters and the use of some convenient plot devices, I found myself wanting to continue reading it late into the night and finished it very quickly.
It is worth a read. A guilty pleasure?
I also read that, based on positive comments on here, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought I'd read another by the same chap, but it turns out I was mixing it up with James Swallow. "Nomad" I seem to recall was great, the next one not so great, and I haven't read the third one yet, but it's on the pile.
Been working through the Mark Billingham - Tom Thorne books - a recommendation I picked up from this very forum,
have just started number 5.
Am taking a break now to work through 2 recent releases, in series that I am a big fan of;
Latest in the Ben Aaronovitch "Rivers of London" series ("amongst Our Weapons) and the latest Jodi Taylor "chronicles of St Mary's" series ("A Catalogue of Catastrophe) - should see me through to the end of the weekend :-)
(I also think there are new releases coming soon in the Mick Heron, "Slow Horses" and Christopher Fowler's "Bryant & May" series).
have just started number 5.
Am taking a break now to work through 2 recent releases, in series that I am a big fan of;
Latest in the Ben Aaronovitch "Rivers of London" series ("amongst Our Weapons) and the latest Jodi Taylor "chronicles of St Mary's" series ("A Catalogue of Catastrophe) - should see me through to the end of the weekend :-)
(I also think there are new releases coming soon in the Mick Heron, "Slow Horses" and Christopher Fowler's "Bryant & May" series).
PomBstard said:
hairykrishna said:
PomBstard said:
A recent birthday has landed a little pile to go through - quite looking forward to all of these…
I didn't really get on with "How to build a car". Not sure why, expected to enjoy it, but it's sat about 2/3 read waiting for me to pick it up again.
I've just finished "Better off dead", the latest Jack Reacher book by Lee and Andrew Child. I know it's had some poor reviews, but I enjoyed it, even if the plot had a lot of familiar bits. I'm not sure I like the way that there are a lot of very short sentences, and I'm sure that never used to be the case, but I doubt it'll stop me buying the next one.
A few recent reads.
Three books - "Bitter Wash Road", "Peace" and "Consolation" by Gary Disher all featuring a wrongly disgraced detective sent to an Australian outback town to rot. For some reason I enjoy a good outback based murder mystery ("bush noire" apparently) so these were right up my street. Enjoyed them all 4/5 across the board.
"Terms of Restitution" by Denzil Meyrick - a gangland family story set in Glasgow and Paisley. Pretty enjoyable until the last 10 pages then utterly ridiculous, the signs of the terrible ending were starting to build from about halfway through and I thought surely not - but yes..... 2/5
"Two Storm Wood" by Philip Gray - WW1 based crime novel with an initial Birdsong feel to it but then moves on to a widow who visits France to discover the fate of her missing husband some supernatural aspects to the story. 3/5
"A Killing in November" by Simon Mason - odd couple detective story one a cultured, private school educated black man and the other a shell suited white chav with a dodgy history. Reasonably interesting plot - laughably ridiculous and improbable story though, definite need to suspend disbelief. 3/5
"Young Mungo" by Douglas Stuart - Shuggie Bain, Stuart's previous book, was the best book I read last year and this is the best of this year so far. Very much in the same vein as Shuggie Bain, which in some ways is my only criticism as I'd like to see him try something different. Story of a young lad with a troubled family background in a rough part of Glasgow who is completely at odds with his environment. Brilliant character building, scene setting and use of language - one of those books you don't want to end. 5/5
Three books - "Bitter Wash Road", "Peace" and "Consolation" by Gary Disher all featuring a wrongly disgraced detective sent to an Australian outback town to rot. For some reason I enjoy a good outback based murder mystery ("bush noire" apparently) so these were right up my street. Enjoyed them all 4/5 across the board.
"Terms of Restitution" by Denzil Meyrick - a gangland family story set in Glasgow and Paisley. Pretty enjoyable until the last 10 pages then utterly ridiculous, the signs of the terrible ending were starting to build from about halfway through and I thought surely not - but yes..... 2/5
"Two Storm Wood" by Philip Gray - WW1 based crime novel with an initial Birdsong feel to it but then moves on to a widow who visits France to discover the fate of her missing husband some supernatural aspects to the story. 3/5
"A Killing in November" by Simon Mason - odd couple detective story one a cultured, private school educated black man and the other a shell suited white chav with a dodgy history. Reasonably interesting plot - laughably ridiculous and improbable story though, definite need to suspend disbelief. 3/5
"Young Mungo" by Douglas Stuart - Shuggie Bain, Stuart's previous book, was the best book I read last year and this is the best of this year so far. Very much in the same vein as Shuggie Bain, which in some ways is my only criticism as I'd like to see him try something different. Story of a young lad with a troubled family background in a rough part of Glasgow who is completely at odds with his environment. Brilliant character building, scene setting and use of language - one of those books you don't want to end. 5/5
towser said:
Shuggie Bain, Stuart's previous book, was the best book I read last year
That book has been sitting on the shelf since my wife read it and insisted I do too, I'll line it up for my next read.Just finished "Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me" by Kate Clanchy. It's a warts and all account of teaching in inner city comprehensives, she speaks with a compassionate but realistic voice about teaching poetry to kids who come from chaotic and difficult backgrounds.
It's a sad book in many ways, the stories are told with warmth but it exposes the lack of ambition many of the white kids and their families have, and more importantly the lack of ambition the system has for them. At the same time it documents the desire to succeed and surpass their parents that the migrant children often have but which is supressed by the same lack of ambition in the system.
Edited by Mark Benson on Wednesday 11th May 11:16
egor110 said:
Mezzanine said:
Just finished ‘Slow Horses’ by Mick Herron.
Old news on this thread I know, but what a great book.
What do you think about who they've cast for the tv series?Old news on this thread I know, but what a great book.
I didn’t like the actor who plays Roddy Ho either - he seemed a bit too on the nose.
Gary Oldman is obviously superb, as is Saskia Reeves and K Scott-Thomas.
Mezzanine said:
egor110 said:
Mezzanine said:
Just finished ‘Slow Horses’ by Mick Herron.
Old news on this thread I know, but what a great book.
What do you think about who they've cast for the tv series?Old news on this thread I know, but what a great book.
I didn’t like the actor who plays Roddy Ho either - he seemed a bit too on the nose.
Gary Oldman is obviously superb, as is Saskia Reeves and K Scott-Thomas.
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