What book are you reading...
- Thread starter agnes
- Start date
Man of Honour
Which translation? I'm a fan of John Ciardi.
Currently I'm re-reading Mike Scott Rohan's "Winter of the World" trilogy, which I last read in the early Nineties. Recent books I've read include:
Sisters of the Raven and Circle of the Moon by Barbara Hambly. She tends to write low-key fantasy, so I would imagine most here haven't read her stuff. Not amongst her better books, but still interesting.
Flash Boys by Michael Lewis. Well researched, and interesting, but it's hard to get charged up about large stockholders getting it in the shorts.
Finch by Jeff Vandermeer. Weird, but good.
Private Island by James Meek, about the privatisation of the old nationalised businesses, and how it has achieved pretty much none of the intended aims - both the public aims, and the ones the various governments kept quiet about.
The Mouth of the Whale by Paul McAuley. His books are always good, but this was let down by a rather weak ending.
Soldato
Just read shepherd crown. Poor book, very fractured and all over the place and slim on a lot of the details.
Great author and I'm sort of glad it's finished now as (understandingly) the quality was shocking toward the end.
The Granny scenes were really poignant and the best in the book.
RIP sir Terry, thanks for a great series of books!
Great author and I'm sort of glad it's finished now as (understandingly) the quality was shocking toward the end.
The Granny scenes were really poignant and the best in the book.
RIP sir Terry, thanks for a great series of books!
I actually found several of the last books of Pratchett's to be somewhat fractured and not nearly as good as earlier work. You can sort of feel the quality of the writing going down as he progressed with his illness. Normally I could read a Discworld book in just a few sittings. But I left some of the later ones and went back to them much later. The only one that I didn't find that with towards the end and did read through in just a few sittings was Raising Steam.
Soldato
After several attempts to get into it over the previous 12 months, last week I had no trouble rushing through 'Daemon' by Daniel Suarez.
The start can be a bit wordy for anyone well versed in all things tech, but once I realised that has to be there for normal folk I finally pushed on and soon enjoyed a very fast paced and easily digested novel.
As I start out on the sequel my only problem is that I don't know whose side I'm on.
The start can be a bit wordy for anyone well versed in all things tech, but once I realised that has to be there for normal folk I finally pushed on and soon enjoyed a very fast paced and easily digested novel.
As I start out on the sequel my only problem is that I don't know whose side I'm on.
Finally got around to reading Half a War by Joe Abercrombie. Considering this series was aimed at a younger audience it wasn't a bad book, story was reasonably well written although felt rushed in places. Characters were up to Abercrombies usual standards - worth a read if you have a spare couple of hours, wont take much longer than that.
The girl in the spiders web.
Well written and entertaining. Obviously heavily influenced by the Snowden leaks on N.S.A surveillance. Lagercrantz has done his homework and then some, on not just the N.S.A and allied spy programs such as Five Eyes, but right down to the hardware (blackphones) and software (Android and related apps as well as GPG, R.A.Ts and the like) and places like the Darknet as well on privacy and security software.
However, my biggest complaints with the whole book were
Well written and entertaining. Obviously heavily influenced by the Snowden leaks on N.S.A surveillance. Lagercrantz has done his homework and then some, on not just the N.S.A and allied spy programs such as Five Eyes, but right down to the hardware (blackphones) and software (Android and related apps as well as GPG, R.A.Ts and the like) and places like the Darknet as well on privacy and security software.
However, my biggest complaints with the whole book were
it felt like I was reading Mercury Rising.... the 1998 film with Bruce Willis protecting the autistic kid. And the comparison between Lisbeth and her nemesis like it was some comic battle between good and evil, and the whole comic book slant. If Lagercrantz was working off a transcript that already existed, Larsson was obviously going to take the same narrative but it felt stupid and cliched to me.
When Lisbeth gets the text from her nemesis when she's at the gym towards the end of the book, she might as well have gotten the text from Old Man Withers and had it read "And I would have got away with it if it wasn't for you meddling kids".
When Lisbeth gets the text from her nemesis when she's at the gym towards the end of the book, she might as well have gotten the text from Old Man Withers and had it read "And I would have got away with it if it wasn't for you meddling kids".
Associate
In Her Name series by Michael R. Hicks
Almost finished book 3 in the series.
Have been seriously hooked.
Humans make first contact with an alien species. Things don't go too well...
First book in the series is First Contact - Kindle only.
Pro Tip: First book is free. Book 4 is actually books 1, 2 and 3 combined (no idea why its book 4) and is cheaper than buying books 2 and 3 together.
Almost finished book 3 in the series.
Have been seriously hooked.
Humans make first contact with an alien species. Things don't go too well...
First book in the series is First Contact - Kindle only.
Pro Tip: First book is free. Book 4 is actually books 1, 2 and 3 combined (no idea why its book 4) and is cheaper than buying books 2 and 3 together.
Not much has been holding my interest of late so I'll give this a go!
Soldato
Just seen this question when coming in here to say I've finished reading 'With the old Bred' by Eugene Sledge.
Its a great commentary about the USMC in Pacific; very sobering. If you havent read it I would recommend it.
Watch 'the Pacific' first as I think it will make a bit more sense.
Anyway, as per above, Im onto my next. Its a toss between 'the Revenant', 'Ready Player One' or 'Starship Troopers'.
Associate
shogun.
James Clavell
its ok so far.
James Clavell
its ok so far.
Soldato
Gone back to try and finish Quicksand by Steve Toltz. It's clever and witty and engaging stuff but dear god I feel dirty reading it at times! It's a literary version of masturbation the guy cannot stop loving himself. Take any writer you have ever read who preached and philosophises times it by ten then you are in the ball park of Toltz. I've put it down a few times as whilst I enjoy the dialogue he has subverted the story in favour of being clever and whilst it's enjoyable in doses at times it gets a bit too self aggrandising.
I knew what I was letting myself in for though so only myself to blame
I knew what I was letting myself in for though so only myself to blame
After the terrible heir to the Jedi I have started Ready player one. Loving it, trying not to search the Internet to see who wins is becoming difficult! 3rd of the way through, just past the bronze key and I can't get enough of this book.
Soldato
Bought The Martisn 4 nights ago, finished it last night. Great read, can't wait to see film now.
Chapter and Verse by Bernard Sumner (Joy Division/New Order).
I read through Peter Hook's Joy Division book a few weeks ago, and so far Peter's is definitely tighter. Bernard sometimes goes over the same point literally within pages of each other. Peter is also a lot better at painting a vivid image of the situation, and is funnier to read in general.
I read through Peter Hook's Joy Division book a few weeks ago, and so far Peter's is definitely tighter. Bernard sometimes goes over the same point literally within pages of each other. Peter is also a lot better at painting a vivid image of the situation, and is funnier to read in general.
Soldato
I bought it last night and read 27% in one go, expect to get around 50% tonight, it's really engaging a real "page turner" if you will excuse the horribly overused phrase.
Thanks for this, really enjoying it, nearly finished book 1!
Associate
Nice one.
Finished first six now. Second three are slightly different but still very readable (they were written before the first three!). Another three to go but taking a break and reading the Harvest trilogy by the same author. Only just started but good so far!