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I just finished the Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman, a fairly standard fantasy quest type thing made great by its characters and writing. Well, mostly made great by its protagonist if I'm honest. Fantasy loves celtic inspirations but usually that means welsh ellllfs, here we've got a main character that feels like he's from a council estate in Limerick. I ended up narrating the whole thing to myself in Bobby Fingers' voice. It petered out a bit but I absolutely loved the first half.
I think I just want a series where Kinch Na Shannack joins obvious d&d player groups and follows them around going ah everything's shyte, you're all eejits.
"I will carry the ring to Mordor!"
"You have my bow!"
"They say I have to come with you on this stupid quest or they'll kill me ma"
"And my axe!"
Most recently I read Blue Remembered Earth by Alastair Reynolds. Bought because my Waterstones points were about to expire and I love the Revelation Space books. It was good but it just didn't draw me in like the RS books did, it may be because it took me forever to actually finish reading it so I did have to go back and re-read sections so I knew what was going on.
I have some of the Thursday Murder books to be getting on with for now, read the first one ages ago so might start there.
Currently most of the way through Tchaikovsky’s Children of Ruin, I like how he’s handled the Octopi, although I rather prefer squid as far as cephalopods go, I can sort of see a connection between the spiders and the octopuses. I can’t see where the book’s heading, keen to see how the various situations resolve, and as I’ve bought all three as downloads I can jump straight into the last one.
I found a zebra jumping spider that had got into my bedroom, on the open window sill. Very difficult to encourage it to go back outside when they can jump so well. At one point it jumped down into the well in the centre of the frame - I had to use a couple of cocktail sticks either side of it to get it to jump up; it went up and straight outside.
I find them really engaging little creatures, I can’t bear to harm them, which goes some way to explain why I’ve been enjoying these books so much.
The Amazing Adventures of Stick Daring.
It's the story of a circumnavigation of Britain in a Laser/ILCA dinghy. I am about half way through but it was a bonkers idea and the execution of it was if anything even madder.
I know there's a few dinghy sailors on here, it's worth putting your nose in. Actually it's worth reading for the adventure alone the mode of transport is really just part of the story.
Aren't they, like, the size of a mattress?!?
Aren’t they, like, the size of a mattress?!?
If you mean a Laser then yes, about 13 feet long, low to the water, very wet to sail and really quite tippy. They also have a teeny rudder and they tend to punish mistakes quite quickly by throwing you in the water.
The guy who did it was a very accomplished Laser sailor but even so. 😬😬😬
Interesting. I’ve heard of Bakker but don’t know his work. I read Gardens of the Moon 20 years ago and found it utterly bonkers. Attempted Deadhouse Gates several times but couldn’t get on with it as it follows a different set of characters/plots and was bending my mind. Revisted it a month ago on Audible and again gave up. I get why people dig Malazan, but it can take a lot of effort to follow everything.
Prince of Nothing is way more focussed than Malazan - actually channels a little bit of Lord of the Rings, which sounds like a horrible recommendation in this day and age, but he does it very skillfully. Worth a look if you found Malazan too fragmentary.
A big difference, though, is that Erikson is brilliant with character and dialog - as good as Abercrombie, there's great humour in the books which is essential for grimdark imho. Bakker doesn't write like that and the two I've read are very black in parts and meant to stay like that.
Good pointer on Children of Ruin - I quite enjoyed Children of Time, despite the bleakness it's quite fun. So I'll add Children of Ruin to the list to get secondhand
Is that where people can only see certain colours? If so, I really enjoyed that - that guy has one HECK of an imagination! 🙂
Just finished
Nuclear War: a scenario
Amazingly good book, sickening, horrendous and scary but also incredibly interesting and readable.
Tchaikovsky’s, Children of Ruin
Great series of books. TBH I haven't read a bad book by Adrian Tchaikovsky who's currently my favourite sifi author. His latest comes out tomorrow iirc.
Is that where people can only see certain colours? If so, I really enjoyed that – that guy has one HECK of an imagination! 🙂
Yep. I need more Jasper Fforde in my life. The sequel is Red Side Story and I’ve only been waiting about 15 years for it.
Oooh - is it out yet?? I still think of that book quite often; unfortunately ran into the same issue that the wife saw me opening it on Kindle and thought it was 50 shades of grey...
Jasper Fforde is great though; the other one of his I remember a lot (but forgot the title) is the one set in Wales where everyone hibernates (and is furry). Lots of quirky fun!
Just remember to always take your fork with you...
Finally got round to reading Dune and really enjoying it.
More importantly, reading The Wild Robot* and it's an excellent read. An adult would get through it in no time but there's proper drama and suspense! Also need to read it before the movie comes out later in the year.
*technically its with the kids, but would happily read it without them.
I was reading a long series off Fforde's - book detective ones. Really clever but I got distracted. Best go back and finish them and now I have a new recommendation ^^
Was also recommended "Will Save the Galaxy for Food" by Yahtzee Croshaw which I enjoyed, and the follow up (not quite so much). He's a games designer apparently and that definitely comes through the way the story is narrated.
Now @cougar has reminded me Spotify includes audiobooks I've started Rory Stewart's bio and have Normandy '44 by James Holland and Dominican by his brother Tom queued up. I think I own them both but have travelling/hols coming up so audio it is.
Oooh – is it out yet??
It is indeed, came out a couple of months ago.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Side-Story-long-awaited-bestselling-ebook/dp/B09RPG3XMN
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Red-Side-Story-long-awaited-bestselling-ebook/dp/B09RPG3XMN
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I recently finished Cal Flyn Islands of Abandonment, it was excellent (I'm sure someone on here recommended it)
Anyone got a recommendation for similarly themed book?
On an apocalyptic theme I can highly recommend Nuclear war: a scenario also recommended by monkeyboyjc above, absolutely terrifying, Command and Control by Eric Schlosser and Chernobyl History of a tragedy. Not the cheeriest reading obvs!
Currently reading Chums by Simon Kuper which shows how a small group of Oxford Tories have taken over the key political positions in the UK. So far, so good and you can clearly see where the likes of Johnson and Cameron got their early experience of politics and their debating skills.
Finally got round to reading Dune and really enjoying it.
Do they all whisper constantly in the book too?
Gone back to Game Of Thrones, book 2 of A Storm of Swords, after something like a five year break. And really enjoying it, just a pity that the series doesn't have an ending yet, which is why I stopped reading it in the first place.
I actually read Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a book that really stuck with me. It's a dystopian novel about a totalitarian government that controls everything, and it's kind of scary how relevant some of the themes still feel today.
If you're looking for something thought-provoking, I'd definitely recommend checking it out! Just a heads up though, it can be a bit dark at times.
On audio I'm doing James O'brien "How They Broke Britain ", tbh I wish I hadn't started it, just frustrating that so few people can create this mess.
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning ..Laurie Lee
and
Toy Fights ..Don Paterson
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning ..Laurie Lee
I thought this and the others in the series were excellent, even if he did play a bit fast and loose with the truth.
Picked up Anthony Beevor's D-Day, seemed apposite - early days but as fantastic and engaging as he always is. 🙂
Currently reading Vassal State How America runs Britain by Angus Hanton , whilst I knew we were pretty * I didn’t realise just how * we actually are, we as a country own the princely sum of sweet **** all, since the mid 80’s we have to all intents and purposes sold everything,
I actually read Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a book that really stuck with me. It’s a dystopian novel about a totalitarian government that controls everything, and it’s kind of scary how relevant some of the themes still feel today.
If you’re looking for something thought-provoking, I’d definitely recommend checking it out! Just a heads up though, it can be a bit dark at times.
I fully expected to hate it. I bought it as my free book on a 3 for 2 in Smiths while stranded at Waterloo years ago and told myself to give it a go as proper literature. It's a truly impressive and as you say still worryingly relevant bit of writing.
Picked up Anthony Beevor’s D-Day, seemed apposite – early days but as fantastic and engaging as he always is. 🙂
I've read most of his books and this is the best by far imo (Stalingrad is also V good), I'm half way through my 3rd reading of it. Also just about to dive into these. Mrs Bloke bought me Politics On the Edge because she knows I like RS. But tbh I read his Afghan walk book which whilst an epic achievement, wasn't the most riveting read. Hoping for better with this one, though I know it paints a very bleak picture of the current state of affairs. Bought the Dalrymple book after the 'Empire' podcast piqued my interest in the subject.
I finished Berlin by Anthony Beevor recently. Interesting insight into just how bananas the 3rd Reich was at the end.
I'm gonna give these a try
. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/166020548290
I mean What the actual..?!
"Disclaimer - This product can't be opened and read, it's just a decoration" !!
Was looking at getting the Werner Hertzog memoir and ebay thought I might be interested. What ****!
Just finished.
Roads Were Not Built for Cars
https:/roadswerenotbuiltforcars.com/
Definitely worth a read. Bit of a slog in the middle.
But sadly, IMO the audience who should be aware of the content, hate us so much, they will never read it or be aware of it.
Great book.
And The Deep
Benchley, Peter
Quick read, great. Especially if you use your imagination..... Jacqueline Bissett's new Tee range 😉
Just picked up....
Ian Flemmings
From Russia with Love.
Looking good so far 🙂
Reading Jerusalem, by Simon Sebag Montefiore - it's a slog, basically ".. and then Xxxxx invaded the city, destroying it and looting its treasures whilst persecuting the Jews/Muslims/Christians" (delete as appropriate), over and over again. Decided I was going to finish it, wish I hadn't.
This is Ace ... 😉
Trip Hazzard from the 95th Rifles
https://redthunder.wordpress.com/2024/07/06/sharpe-and-the-zombie-apocalypse-2/
Bit of Ai fun.
https://redthunder.wordpress.com/2024/07/07/sharpe-and-the-zombie-apocalypse/
There are eleven chapters the last one is the best. ChatGPt and Stable diffusion XL for the pix.
13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey by Kathryn Tucker Windham.
Done a bunch lately
Enjoyed Alex Lamb's "The Roboteer" trilogy, Expanse-lite space opera. Linda Nagata's "The red" (Trilogy) finished the first book, which has some interesting concepts, but I can't be doing with the angst and "The Swarm" by Frank Schätzing... almost 38hr of audiobook, which didn't drag! Michael Crichton-esk but the final act was quite predictable (& understandably so).
Started Who Dares Wins by Dominic Sandbrook (as I'm a Rest is History Pod fan and have read Tom Holland's Dominion so felt I owed his pod partner a go). 80s is my era and it's got me gripped. Even tho it's 900 pages long. Maybe should have gone for the audio book!
Also been reading the sort-of-series Infinite by Jeremy Robinson. Kind of a mixed bag, stopped after the first 4 (there are 12!) but may go back.
On the 'worthy but difficult' bookshelf, I've finally completed a couple of Malcolm Gladwell's books, and am ploughing through Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking fast and slow" which everytime I manage a couple of chapters, I think "wow this is amazing" and then put it down for another 3 months,
Finally having very much enjoyed prisons of geography by Tim Marshall, I've bought a couple more - one about his reflections as a journalist in the former Yugoslavia in the 90s and the follow up to prisoners. Very engaging style, for some reason reminds me of Ben Macintyre's books.
Just finished Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run. First half better than the second but still surprisingly vulnerable and much less self confident than i thought he would be.
Just starting The Dubliners by James Joyce.........probably be a bit of a different read!
Just starting The Dubliners by James Joyce
mm I started that a few times. Never finished it 🙂
Finished Character Limit About Elon buying Twitter, it goes as well as you pretty much thought it would, but it's interesting in an insider gossipy sort of way. Half way through Clown-Land A couple of Vice journalists investigate Andrew's Tate world. It's pretty grim and sordid if I'm honest. Got James Holland Latest about the Italian campiagn lined up after that.
I've just finished listening to James Holland's Normandy '44 on Spotify. I've read a lot of D-Day/second WW books, but this really brought the horror (on both sides) of it through. No wonder they called Normandy "the grinder".
@nickc - the Sicily one was excellent. I didn't know much about that campaign.