Angry White Pyjamas is one of my favourite books ever. Big Snake by the same author is good too.
Hokaido Highway Blues by Will Ferguson (spelling might be dodgy here) is another favourite.
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Read any good books lately?
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Posted 1 year ago #
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phatstanley child of god
by cormac mccarthy.
just your typical southern gothic, squirrel eatin', necrophiliac loner-stroke-serial killer kinda protagonistPerfect, thanks for the pointer bud.
One of my favourites is 'God is a bullet' by Boston Teran
Posted 1 year ago # -
Enjoying Jo Nesbo books at the moment.
Read The Snowman, Redbreast and currently on Devils Star (which isn't as quick as the other two)
Drunken cop solves murders & stuff.
Good twists though.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Just re read 'As I walked out one midsummer morning' Always hits the spot when I want a relaxing read.
And on topic, just reading Bradley Wiggings. He;s a boozy beggar.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'd never have thought it would be any good, but my wife read it (even more surprised at this and don't know why) and persuaded me to give it a go...
King Solomon's Mines, by H Rider Haggard is a proper ripping yarn!
Posted 1 year ago # -
I am currently reading 'We must talk about Kevin'. It is rather heavy.
If you're more than halfway through, perservere - it is worth it by the end. If you're less than halfway through... you could just skip to the end and not miss a huge amount in terms of plot development.
Don't skip to the end, stick with it.
Brilliant book and her next one "So much for all that" is really good too.
Posted 1 year ago # -
'The City and the City' by China Mieville at the moment. Good, if a bit generic so far. 'The Scar' is properly awesome.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein - exposing the extortion, racketeering, prostitution and gambling rings associated with Japan's yakuza.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein - exposing the extortion, racketeering, prostitution and gambling rings associated with Japan's yakuza.
What, you mean there's a link between gangsters and organized crime? Amazing!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Saw Iain Banks at the book fest last year in Edinburgh he was great, although his favorite of this books is "The Bridge"
I might agree although it was a while ago and one of the first few I read. It was outstanding.
Surface Detail was heavily layered with loads of stuff though - topical social issues, a sort of meta-allegory and secular evangelism too.. if that makes sense... I wonder what Banks thinks of Dawkins and co..?
Whilst in the middle of reading about the Culture I looked up.. glanced at my top end laptop sitting there and thought 'we are just pathetic...'
Anyway, before that the last book that properly sucked me in was the Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingsolver. Different, but good. Quite mainstream for me too
Posted 1 year ago # -
Europe: A History by Norman Davies
Epic but engrossing :-
Posted 1 year ago # -
Way behind the times, and probably a bit mainstream for many but I'm on the final part of the millenium trilogy - 'the girl who kicked the hornets nest'. Enjoyed all 3 books so far.
Also halfway through the Bourne trilogy. Can highly recommend 'Endurance' about Shackleton by Alfred Lansing. Slow to get going but an incredible tale.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Way behind the times, and probably a bit mainstream for many but I'm on the final part of the millenium trilogy - 'the girl who kicked the hornets nest'. Enjoyed all 3 books so far
Currently on book two, great series.
Oh another favourite is London Fields, especially as when I read it I lived there.
Posted 1 year ago # -
+1 on Jo Nesbo
Read the Snowman and Red Breast and am now on Nemesis.
Posted 1 year ago # -
+1 on Iain (M) Banks.
William Gibson does it for me. The older ones are technically a bit out of date now, but still a cracking read. The last 3 are more contemporary, but still fantastic.
Alastair Reynolds is pretty good too. Only read the one so far - Chasm City - and enjoyed that.
...and of course anything by Terry Pratchett...
Posted 1 year ago # -
Helmet for My Pillow - Robert Leckie, having just finished With the Old Breed by E B Sledge. Sledge book is superb. Both follow US marine campaigns in the pacific in WWII.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Another Nesbo fan here; may I suggest 'Jar City' by Arnaldur Indridason in a similar vein.
Joe Abercrombie's 'The Blade Itself' looks good - thanks to whoever suggested.
Posted 1 year ago # -
+1 William Gibson. Love everything he's written, but particularly the 'Bridge' trilogy, and the 'Bigend' trilogy.
Attended a talk by him at the Brighton Worldcon in '85, I think it was, the most incredibly laid-back bloke you can imagine. Practically horizontal. Nice guy, too.Posted 1 year ago # -
I started "The Count of Monte Cristo" at New Year, but put it aside to read some cycling books. So far I've enjoyed:
"We Were Young and Carefree", Laurent Fignon's autobiography. Very candid and revealing.
"The Rider", Tim Krabbe. Contains the unforgettable lines
"Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me"
"The Escape Artist" by Matt Seaton. Very poignant.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Normally I'm of the opinion that 99% of STW forum posters are as thick as shit and not afraid to make it obvious.
But this thread has nicely highlighted the fact that there are bright people here and despite their sometimes socially inept choice of book, one or two of them do have a modicum of intellect.Posted 1 year ago # -
Samuri,
You must be brainier than me because I thought it was only 93%.
Posted 1 year ago # -
well I only get to see English posts so that probably pushes the stupidity index up.
Posted 1 year ago # -
+1 China Mieville
Just finished reading the Kraken. Intersting weirdly good but not as good as Perdido St station or the Scar.
I love m Banks and rate Peter Hamiltons Commonwealth Saga (Pandora Star & Judas unchained) & Nights Dawn Trilogy right highly. Both are epic sci-fi & up there with my favourite Banks (no piss taking 80km ships though)
Posted 1 year ago # -
stuartie_c - Member
I started "The Count of Monte Cristo" at New Year, but put it aside to read some cycling books. So far I've enjoyed:
Dumas is still one of my favourite authors, and this is one of his best.
Just finished Forever War, Joe Haldane. Excellent read. I'm amazed that I missed it when I went through my teenage sci-fi phase in the 80s.
Before that I read Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing. Another excellent book. One of the best I've read in a long time, I'd say. Somebody mentioned a sense of loss after finishing Surface Detail (which is in my 'to read' pile!). I had the same sense of loss after finishing The Crossing. Never mind, I'll read Cities of the Plain soon.
I read JG Farrell's The Troubles at the end of last year, which I'd recommend although it is a slow burner!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Another one for 'The Count of Monte Cristo' - I'm not much of a reader (short attention span) but it was properly awesome
Also agree on persevering with 'We Need to Talk About Kevin', but I actually quite liked it from the start..Everything else I've read is either probably considered a classic or will be writings on the New York school/abstract expressionism or Zen Buddhism.. (Zen in the Art of Archery is quite good). Glad I was obliged to read One Hundred Years of Solitude because it has one of the best endings to a book I've ever read, and The Naked Ape is good for bed-time reading
Posted 1 year ago # -
OK - must get back to "The Count..." and make time for it. I've spent the afternoon trying to read "Reflective Teaching" for my masters - holy jesus, it's hard going...
IdleJohn - agree on The Crossing. Great book with a haunting ending. Have you read "Blood Meridian"? My all-time favourite book, probably.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I had the same sense of loss after finishing The Crossing
Snap. The she-wolf's final stand especially so - and the closing scene is about as sad as anything I've ever read.
Easily one of my favourite books of the last few years.
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm nearing the end of the Sharpe series. It's easy-going and stereotyped to the hilt but it's a damned good yarn. Also started "I, Claudius" last night, which looks like it might take a bit more staying power! I don't think you can beat Sebastian Faulks though as far as contemporary literature goes.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Just finished Operation Mincemeat, great book. Now reading Saints of New York by RJ Ellory.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Last two I have just finished.
Posted 1 year ago # -
The tent the bucket and me - Emma Alexander, hilarious!
Why Does E=mc2 (and why does it matter) - Prof Brian Cox, brain overload
Good Morning Nantwich - Phil JupitusPosted 1 year ago #
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