What book are you reading...

Junglist · 12 Jan 2017 at 14:48

A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow.

About halfway through. Though I wish the books just focussed on the chapters of Jon, Arya, Tyrion and Jaime. I always get a bit upset when I see that it's a Caitlin, Bran or Sansa chapter.

checjb · 12 Jan 2017 at 14:55

I'm ploughing through "River of Pain" by Christopher Golden, thanks to someone's recommendation on here. I loved the previous 2 ("Alien: Out of the Shadows" and "Sea of Sorrows") by RoP is just awesome. It's basically the story of what went on in the Hadley's Hope colony on LV-426 from when Ripley was found until the Solaco got there (I assume, I'm not quite finished). It's brilliant. The only downside is the burning NEED that I now have to watch Aliens again.

Zethor · 12 Jan 2017 at 15:11

Just read Heroes Die and Blade of Tyshalle (the first 2 out 4 'Acts of Caine' books) by Matthew Woodring Stover.

They are great if you are looking for a badarse who specialises in, well, kicking arse.

Also, the concept of the Blind God is a great allegory that's quite relevant in today's world.

Pighardia · 12 Jan 2017 at 16:18

About a quarter in to the second Dark Tower book. I really enjoyed the first one, after a slow start, and was really looking forward to getting in to the second one. Unfortunately, it isn't more of the same, and though it is simply a personal preference, I am really turned off but the whole body-swapping premise. Always have been in anything. I am not really in a rush to continue it because of this tbh.

melchy · 15 Jan 2017 at 23:27

Pighardia said:
About a quarter in to the second Dark Tower book. I really enjoyed the first one, after a slow start, and was really looking forward to getting in to the second one. Unfortunately, it isn't more of the same, and though it is simply a personal preference, I am really turned off but the whole body-swapping premise. Always have been in anything. I am not really in a rush to continue it because of this tbh.

Stick with it, a brilliant series of books. The body swapping really only lasts for some of the second book and is used as a plot device to draw some of the main characters. In my opinion the second book is one of the weakest, it gets a lot better.

neviditelny · 16 Jan 2017 at 01:25

Melchy, that sounds promising as the Black Tower series is in my shopping list on Amazon. Just got a few other series to finish before I get started with that one.

MookJong · 16 Jan 2017 at 11:27

UberTiger said:
Nearly finished with 'Ghost in the wires', about the hacking escapades of Kevin Mitnick in the 80's and 90's in America, while being tracked and under investigation by the FBI and others.

Absolutely fascinating. Can anyone recommend anything similar?

I listened to this on audio book and it has yet to be surpassed, it is an absolutely incredible story. I recently listened to Soldier Spy which was pretty good, personal story of an MI5 operator working between 2005 and 2013.

Edit - Just remembered Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre is an absolutely fascinating story a man who crossed and double crossed both sides during the war. A bit like the Mitnick story, if it wasn't true you wouldn't believe it.

KiwiTaff · 16 Jan 2017 at 14:58

SAS Rogue Heroes.

I love reading military history. My Mrs got me this one for christmas. The acts of bravery and endurance conducted by such young men is inspiring. Only part way through now, though it's certainly thought provoking and terrifying at times.

Alz_D · 22 Jan 2017 at 18:02

Finished book 9 in Bernard Cornwells saxon stories and still enjoying the books. Will get book 10 when the price drops a bit.

To keep busy I have started Good Omens for the first time. I seem to be a bit late to the party with this one, but thoroughly enjoying what I have read so far!

UberTiger · 22 Jan 2017 at 21:03

MookJong said:
I listened to this on audio book and it has yet to be surpassed, it is an absolutely incredible story. I recently listened to Soldier Spy which was pretty good, personal story of an MI5 operator working between 2005 and 2013.

Edit - Just remembered Agent Zigzag by Ben Macintyre is an absolutely fascinating story a man who crossed and double crossed both sides during the war. A bit like the Mitnick story, if it wasn't true you wouldn't believe it.

Brilliant, will look into those, thanks

IvanDobskey · 23 Jan 2017 at 15:45

Currently reading revelation space by Alastair Reynolds.

Very good scifi yarn so far.

gemlover · 24 Jan 2017 at 08:01

I was reading The Stars... Best book

melmac · 26 Jan 2017 at 14:29

Just finished Terry Goodkind's NEST. Rubbish. Well, maybe that's a little harsh. It starts of pretty well but then descends into ever repeating dialogue. And I know it's fiction, but some of things he mentions are pretty ridiculous.

If you read his Sword of Truth books you know the type of dialogue I mean. It works in those novels, doesn't work at all in Nest. And now that I think about it, the two main characters in Nest are nearly carbon copies of Richard and Kahlan, and they have the same sort of conversations too.

dannyjo22 · 1 Feb 2017 at 14:22

I have gone through a few great books recently:

Magnificent book on the design and building of the 'shuttle', utterly brilliant. So good I will go through it again soon.

Quite possibly one of my favourite books of all time. Just out standing start to finish, a complete look through the apollo missions.

Last month I whipped through the Ben Kane series on Hannibal. Didn't realise a 4th book was coming, I would have waited. Pretty decent series in the Conn Iggulden vein. Started the Spartacus series today.

neviditelny · 8 Feb 2017 at 00:35

Last night I started the series about Julius Ceasar by Conn Iggulden, read the Genghis Khan one last year which I thought was really good, so it will be interesting to read this one

Glaucus · 8 Feb 2017 at 01:07

yep into the black is a great book,

on to Aussie Grit

Mark Webber was at the centre of one of the most captivating chapters in the history of Formula One. In 2010, while racing for Red Bull, he and his teammate, Sebastian Vettel, went head to head for the world championship. There could be only one winner.
Since retiring from Formula One, Mark has concentrated on endurance racing, including the legendary Le Mans 24-hour race. He hit the front pages of newspapers around the world in December 2014 when he slammed into the barricades in the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in South America and was lucky to escape with his life.
But the controversy of his relationship on and off the track with Vettel, who went on to win multiple world titles, has never been far beneath the surface. Here, for the first time, Webber tells the inside story of one of Formula One's most intriguing battles - it is a story that goes to the heart of why the sport is loved by millions of fans around the world.
In his trademark straight-talking, no-nonsense style, Mark reveals his amazing life on and off the Formula One racetrack, from his first taste of karting to his F1 debut in 2002, from scoring Minardi's first points in three years at the Australian Grand Prix through to his first win with Red Bull at the 2009 German Grand Prix and the year he should have been crowned world champion. Mark Webber's journey to the top of Formula One was every bit as determined and committed as his racing. Aussie Grit is his searingly honest story.

then i think i'll start on the expanses books, as don't like watching series until i can binge the lot.

neviditelny · 9 Feb 2017 at 02:51

I have read the first three books a few years ago as I got hold of them in a car boot sale for a really good price (hard covers as well) but never read the last two. So I did get the entire series on my Kindle which I'm reading right now.

Judgeneo · 9 Feb 2017 at 13:56

Finished Roger Scruton's "How to be a Conservative" recently. I picked it up as I didn't know a great deal about right-wing ethics and philosophy, as pretty much everything I had been exposed to previously was left wing.

It isn't a propaganda piece in the slightest, and the analysis is quite thought provoking, even when you don't quite agree with it. Highly recommended.

Now I'm reading "Brave new world". Early days but seems pretty good so far.

Bickaxe · 22 Feb 2017 at 12:17

Having a re-read of The Martian. Makes we wish they had made the film in 2 parts or so much longer.

Will re-read Ready Player One next (film due March 2018).

Glaucus · 22 Feb 2017 at 16:38

Bickaxe said:
Having a re-read of The Martian. Makes we wish they had made the film in 2 parts or so much longer.

Will re-read Ready Player One next (film due March 2018).

a series, series are nearly always better than films, so much more time to tell the story.