What book are you reading...

[One]

Finished Fight Club, then watched the film the next night. I'd already seen the film so knew the twist and that probably lessened the impact the book could have had. On second viewing of the film, I have to commend it, it was done quite faithfully, although I'm almost certain some things won't make sense if you haven't read the book, "I am Jack's..." for example.

Reading 'Women' by Charles Bukowski now.

 

[Glaucus]

Finished rendezvous with Rama and omg, brilliant. Best book I've read since world war Z.

So need to get the rest of the series, but bit back logged at the moment.

 

[Dano]

Just about to finish A Dance with Dragons part two, he needs to stop milking it for all he can and get on with the story, can't see me ever wanting to read these books again and I'm not even sure I'll bother with the sequels when and if they ever appear. I actually thought it was complete at the five books. Had I known otherwise I'd never have started them.

 

[Frxn]

Managed to finish it off a couple days after that post and have started on A Clash of Kings, 18% through it so far. I've no idea how long the series will take but hoping to have those currently released completed before Spring next year.

Finished A Clash of Kings, Bernard Cornwell's The Pagan Lord, then A Storm of Swords. Now 18% through A Feast for Crows.

 

[molinari]

Onto the new Aaronovitch book. Started better than the last which was distinctly average.

That will be Broken Homes? Yes, I found it better than the last one but I really didn't like the ending of this one .

Just finished Red Country by Joe Abercrombie . Really liked it. I thought the story was good, as were the characters (one in particular!!!!!), and I enjoyed it more than Heroes. I hope his next book includes Sand Dan Glokta .

Now onto Stardust by Neil Gaiman.

 

[j.col]

Just finished Red Country by Joe Abercrombie . Really liked it. I thought the story was good, as were the characters (one in particular!!!!!), and I enjoyed it more than Heroes. I hope his next book includes Sand Dan Glokta .

I just finished reading the other 5 books, and stopped at Red country to give me a break from the series.
I really enjoyed the first law trilogy, Best Seved Cold and The Heroes were good but not as good as the first 3 imo.
I actually miss Glotka lol, great character imo.

 

[SeraphX]

Currently reading Churchill by Ashley Jackson.

Very very good so far, hard to put it down.

 

[HumanShield]

Just started reading Various Pets Alive and Dead by Marina Lewycka.

Enjoyed a couple of her other books, so hopefully this one will be good too

 

[Andrew_McP]

I really enjoyed the first law trilogy

I finished those last week and, after struggling with the first volume, found them pretty satisfying in the end. In fact the very end was particularly satisfying.

This week I've moved on to Robin Hobbs' Assassin's Apprentice, which I didn't have high hopes for; it was just cheap on Kindle a while back. However thanks to a bit of insomnia while visiting my mother after a hectic Xmas at work I've got through quite a chunk of it pretty quickly, and it's not a bad read at all.

I had a weird coincidence this morning though. The main character in the book's called 'Fitz' and while taking a different route than normal with the dog this morning we walked past 'Fitz Close'. There can't be too many Fitz-anything's in the UK.

Intellectually I know these things can and do happen all the time, and are nothing for a rational mind to get excited over, but you can't help double-taking sometimes. Besides, if we were entirely rational why would we be reading so much fantasy?

I sometimes wonder if the SF/Fantasy trend among those at the geekier end of the spectrum is a much needed escape from the certainties we know and trust; a kind of release valve for the pent up emotional superstition our monkey brains struggle to deal with an increasingly complicated world and universe.

Or maybe they're just darned good tales and I think too much.

 

[Winky_The_Winking_Turtle]

I'm looking for advice on a good 'beginner' book. I'm 38 but never got into reading although I can sit for hours reading technical articles online.

I'm interested in most subjects so don't mind anything as long as it's an easy read with plenty to keep my mind entertained.

Any recommendations would be a great help

Thanks for asking this question! I'm in the exact same situation as you, so these recommendations are really useful.

 

[One]

Just about to finish A Dance with Dragons part two, he needs to stop milking it for all he can and get on with the story, can't see me ever wanting to read these books again and I'm not even sure I'll bother with the sequels when and if they ever appear. I actually thought it was complete at the five books. Had I known otherwise I'd never have started them.

Sounds to me like you're not getting into the world and the characters. I sometimes drop out of it when you get consecutive chapters that are frustrating. I think you just need to reconcile everything you know and all that's happened and how certain story lines have been left and you'll end up really wanting to read it. This way even the boring chapters are good because you soak in the situation and what these things actually mean.

I think it's a lot like a film, sometimes there are slow talky bits and if you slip out of the film into reality you can become distracted, but then there is a bit of action and it drags you back in and you realise that conversation two people were having was actually vitally important to the current situation.

Then you get sucked back in.

Then George leaves all the plots on a cliff-hanger again.

Then you rage again

 

[One]

Thanks for asking this question! I'm in the exact same situation as you, so these recommendations are really useful.

Start with 'Animal Farm' by George Orwell. It's a classic and also very short. If you don't often read books then a big novel can be daunting at first. Work yourself in slowly, you'll see each book as an accomplishment which will make you want to read another book. Step up to 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' by Hunter Thompson. Having read Animal Farm you'll understand the dramatic impact a book can have in your imagination. Fear and Loathing will show you how a book can make you laugh, and if you've seen the film, it will show you how the two media forms differ, probably with you favouring the book. These two small books will probably show you the worth and value of reading as an entertainment form and will allow you to choose a book you think sounds good, perhaps even a bigger book.

Join goodreads for a huge database of reviews, descriptions, and recommendations of books.

 

[Dano]

Sounds to me like you're not getting into the world and the characters. I sometimes drop out of it when you get consecutive chapters that are frustrating. I think you just need to reconcile everything you know and all that's happened and how certain story lines have been left and you'll end up really wanting to read it. This way even the boring chapters are good because you soak in the situation and what these things actually mean.

I think it's a lot like a film, sometimes there are slow talky bits and if you slip out of the film into reality you can become distracted, but then there is a bit of action and it drags you back in and you realise that conversation two people were having was actually vitally important to the current situation.

Then you get sucked back in.

Then George leaves all the plots on a cliff-hanger again.

Then you rage again

Don't care, not really bothered by it at all now due to the fact that I'll have forgotten 80% of it by the time the next book comes out and I've no intention of re reading them again.

Moved on to Old Man's War by Scalzi, which I read 80% of in one sitting, should finish it later, a far more enjoyable read

 

[potatolord]

I'm looking for advice on a good 'beginner' book. I'm 38 but never got into reading although I can sit for hours reading technical articles online.

I'm interested in most subjects so don't mind anything as long as it's an easy read with plenty to keep my mind entertained.

Any recommendations would be a great help

History
Empires of the Sea by Roger Crowley- Great book! There are pirates, horrific sieges and the biggest naval battle in history. History that reads like a swashbuckler novel. My favourite history book.
The Perfect King by Roger Mortimer. About Edward 3rd. The fightingest, shaggingest, invadingest and chivalryest of the English kings. I laughed at the bit where he steams into a group of French knights on his own before his men were ready. Another one that is unbelievable, but all true.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson- The history of science. Very entertaining.

Sci fi
The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers- Time travel, Egyptian wizards, fighty 18th Century English poets and all manner of other weirdness. Impossible to explain, but very clever and very funny.
The Forever War by Joe Haldeman- What happens to the home and people you knew when you fight a war in spaceships that move at light speed? Suprisingly moving.
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes- Charlie is thick. He's offered a chance to become clever. It works! But nothing works out for Charlie...

Stephen King. Try any of his short stories collections, best are:
Different Seasons-- has the Shawshank Redemption in it.
Skeleton Crew- has The Mist and a few other greats.

 

[Executive Beef]

Currently reading With The Old Breed by E B Sledge, his account of his participation in the battles of the Pacific theatre in WW2 (and one of the books the HBO series The Pacific was based on).

Very good so far. Well written and with a good mix of first hand experience of the sights and sounds along with explanations of the background and context of the battles.

Read through the first third of the book in a short space of time, would recommend to anyone with an interest in the subject.

 

[Bickaxe]

This week I've moved on to Robin Hobbs' Assassin's Apprentice, which I didn't have high hopes for; it was just cheap on Kindle a while back. However thanks to a bit of insomnia while visiting my mother after a hectic Xmas at work I've got through quite a chunk of it pretty quickly, and it's not a bad read at all.

I had the trilogy for ages before I finally picked it up. It wasn't the sort of fantasy I read but it absorbed me quite quickly. Read all the connected books (Liveship Traders, Fool Trilogy and now Rainwold Chronicles) and waiting on the next Rainwild book to come out (in paperback so it matches the others).

 

[Kishywish]

Moved on to Old Man's War by Scalzi, which I read 80% of in one sitting, should finish it later, a far more enjoyable read

I had low expectations reading that, but was very pleasantly surprised by it. It's a lot of fun.

I'm currently buring my way through Thud! by Terry Pratchett. I'm always happy to re-read his books.

 

[molinari]

Just finished Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I love the movie so was looking forward to reading the book. It is very good but also quite different from the film, or should that be the other way round? Definitely worth a read if you like well written light fantasy/fairy tales.

I now have a Kindle Paperwhite, so bought The Mangle Street Murders by M.R.C. Kasasian for 99p, which I'm now reading.

 

[jasoncb]

Just read hour of the cat, not a bad read and gives an excellent perspective of prewar Germany.

 

[j.col]

Just finished Gates of Fire, An Epic Novel of the Battle of Thermopylae
by Steven Pressfield
I really enjoyed it