What book (s) are you reading now ?

Reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. For a history book it’s good. Reads like a story. Crazy life that guy had.

Read The Stone Man a few months ago having grown increasingly curious about all the hype. Loved the pacing and dialogue, but ultimately found it unsatisfying because the ending provided no answers and simply encouraged one to read the sequel. Not for me.

Just finished Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows (Cthulu Casebook 1) on Audible. A rather good romp and provides an alternative take on how Holmes and Watson formed their bond whilst tackling a Lovecraftian horror. It also happens to mention a portal to the Ancient Ones literally up the road from me.

Just restarted Rivers of London having given up on it several years ago. I know there are some Aaronovitch fans on here too.

I’m working through the books so far this year Finished American Dirt just after Christmas – very good, feels quite undramatic in a way, which feels appropriate. Wrapped up House of the Dead (about the Siberian exile system under the Tsars) this week, and now half way through The North Water, which is gripping, grim and surprisingly similar to The Terror (TV show)

half way through The North Water, which is gripping, grim and surprisingly similar to The Terror (TV show)

The North Water was also TV series, slightly less supernatural than The Terror 🙂
The North Water – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660970/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
The Terror – https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2708480/episodes?season=1&ref_=tt_eps_sn_1

just finished

the latest William Boyd – the Romantic

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/oct/05/the-romantic-by-william-boyd-review-a-fine-whole-life-novel

…and it’s a really good one. Just romps along. And the the latest Ian McEwan

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/sep/07/lessons-by-ian-mcewan-review-life-and-times-epic-of-a-feckless-boomer

…just brilliant as usual. A world view that resonates with me.

And that’s a slight issue. They’re two of my favourite writers but they’re both getting on a bit (they’re ahead of me but it’s a reminder that I am too, which I don’t like). I’m sure they’re good for another few, but this generation who to me were the grown-ups when I was at a formative age (include Amis, Ishiguro etc; Banks, Mantell and others already having left the building) must be into ‘late works’ territory by now. And I don’t quite have replacements. Donna Tartt does a book a decade pretty much. The Goldfinch was worth waiting for but when’s the next. David Mitchell I really enjoy but is now basically playing out his fantasy universe. Hari Kunzu I guess could be up there but I’ve read all his stuff now.

Have just read this

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/sep/26/cloud-cuckoo-land-by-anthony-doerr-review-all-human-life-is-here

…which was pretty good and ticked a lot of my boxes (middlebrow pretending to be high brow is fine by me) but more confirming than extending world view, which is what I want a good book to do.

So if anyone has suggestions based on the above…?

Reading Cormac McCarthy The Passenger.
Its about… er not a **** clue. Its certainly different. Must admit, I just skipped a big section where 2 fellas were having an extremely detailed scientific conversation. You can’t tell who’s saying what and… well, what did it have to do with the plot? Baffling! Yeah, sure is different.

Is it the first McCarthy that you’ve read? I’m assuming that it doesn’t have long sections of untranslated Spanish dialogue? I love his books – The Crossing is up there with the best – and these two are on my to-be-read pile next to the bed.

Just finished reading a Sebastian Faulks book – The Snow something or other (I don’t remember). I do, now, remember why I dislike fiction so much – it can be really shite at times.

If you dislike fiction, I’m wondering why you chose such an arty-farty book by an arty-farty author? I remember disliking Birdsong when I read it in the 90s but can’t remember why. I suspect that it’s the same reason that I dislike Ian McEwan and other middle-class metropolitan authors. Maybe it’s that I can’t relate to most of what they write, which is weird and worrying when I can read a Cormac McCarthy book and sympathise with the serial killer reclusive woodsman main character.

Is it the first McCarthy that you’ve read? I’m assuming that it doesn’t have long sections of untranslated Spanish dialogue? I love his books – The Crossing is up there with the best – and these two are on my to-be-read pile next to the bed.

Nope, I’ve read them all and absolutely loved them. (The Spanish translation was done by my iPod or Kindle)
The Passenger is so different. Garry_Lager , up in page 12 mentions the scientist/mathematician connection too.
I will finish it, but yeah, I just couldn’t read that conversation. Maybe I was tired and will go back to it 🙂 (probably not though)

Sunburst and Luminary: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sunburst-Luminary-Apollo-Don-Eyles/dp/0986385905 – one of the two MIT’ers who designed the software for the Apollo Lunar Module. Recommended off the space thread. I’m a proper apollo nerd and there’s lots in here I didn’t know. The description of the 120x alarms on Apollo 11 are really interesting. Also the way the software was developed. It’s a bit tech heavy in parts but I loved it.

Silk Roads by Peter Frankopan: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/silk-roads-9781408839973/ – It was on offer on Kindle and I’ve really got into it. Gives you (well me at least) an perspective I really didn’t have being very much of the Western view on history. Funnily enough it was recommended via evil-zon after I’d read a Ghengis Kahn book. As said above ^^^ what a life!

I am not buying any more books until I’ve got through the 10+ hardbacks bought for me over the last few years. And I probably need a break from reading trashy space opera series as well!

Nope, I’ve read them all and absolutely loved them.
The Passenger is so different.

You’ve not put me off, I’m still looking forward to reading them! 😀

Just finished reading, With The Jocks by Peter White. It’s essentially his diaries from the last year of WW2 as he makes his way from Normandy to Bremen with the KOSB.. It’s a very detailed and moving account which includes wonderful sketches of his experiences and the people he encountered. He was an artist after the war.

Recently read, A month in the country, by J.L.Carr which I liked a lot, before that it was, Death and the Penguin, by Andrey Kurkov which is slightly surreal but I enjoyed it enough to get the follow-up, Penguin Lost

You’ve not put me off, I’m still looking forward to reading them! 😀

I’m glad! 😆

Just finished the 2nd Patrick O’Brien, Aubrey/Maturin series, got the 3rd ready-to-go. But thought I’d read The Name of the Rose first,never got round to reading it before.

Just started Becky Chambers “The Galaxy, and the Ground Within”. Read her previous books, enjoyed them, and this one as well, so far.

I’m about three stories in on Murakami’s – First Person Singular collection. Short stories are a bit strange aren’t they!?!? Its enjoyable so far though.

For a daft laugh I just finished Bob Mortimer’s Satsuma Complex. If you like Bob, you’ll love it!

I’ve got Bob Mortimer’s autobiography lined up next. Just finishing Pat Nevin’s. Before that, Thursday Murder Club which I expected to hate but found to be excellent and addictive

I’m about three stories in on Murakami’s – First Person Singular collection. Short stories are a bit strange aren’t they!?!? Its enjoyable so far though.

A well written short story is a thing of beauty, a work of art even. Thomas Hardy was a master at it – there was one very short tale where, without writing much about the characters, he managed to make you feel the hopelessness of their relationship in a few pages. And Ursula Le Guin’s The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas should be on everyone’s must-read list. I’ve normally got a book of short stories on the go alongside whatever else I’m reading, just to dip into.

But, to go back to your comment – short stories are a bit strange – anything by Murakami is a bit strange. I’ve pretty much given up on him after reading many of his books, because I rarely know what the hell happened when I get to the end despite enjoying the journey! 😀

A well written short story is a thing of beauty, a work of art even.

Definitely. A well-curated anthology of fantasy or SF short stories is something I love – a nice antidote to the 1000 page door stoppers or endless series that the genres so often put out.

a nice antidote to the 1000 page door stoppers or endless series that the genres so often put out.

That seems to be a thing with Sci-fi / fantasy!

https://www.bookeditingservices.co.uk/average-word-count-in-a-book.html

That seems to be a thing with Sci-fi / fantasy!

I hate it. The classic SF authors managed to do a good job in 200ish pages, without needing never-ending sequels. I blame Tolkien, myself. Although Frank Herbert may be the culprit 😀

Re-listening to the Breaker series by Edward G Robertson.. end of the world plague

Spoiler for ”Breakers”

Aliens did it!

I wasn’t aware of the spoiler when I first listened, so was a tad when it turn left sharply, but it on the books ‘about’ page so not a major spoiler. Maybe just the narrator that makes it, but I like the series

Wood as an industrial arts material by Wayne Murphy.
Pretty much does what is says on the tin cover.

Pretty much does what is says on the tin cover.

Surely “bark”…

Yeah, it can also be **** amazing. Hey! like most things really.

Yeah I know, that’s why I tried to qualify it..

it can be really shite at times

Some fiction I like (Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, 1984, Catch 22 and Grapes of Wrath stand out to me) but some fiction can feel really contrived at times (that Faulks book I mentioned, likewise a Le Carre book I read last summer). Funnily enough, it was Faulks ‘Birdsong’ that actually got me reading non-fiction about the wars in the first place.

Just finished reading, With The Jocks by Peter White.

Now that IS a very good read – I have read it a couple of times now.

I am currently reading Hew Strachan ‘The First World War’ which is a good read and covers the detail of HOW we ended up at war in better detail than I have read before (it’s usually ‘Franz Ferdinand got shot, war started’) but it goes into a bit more detail of how the various powers ended up at war, who wanted what etc.

Yeah, sorry Johndoh. Was a pretty pointless response. Hoped you wouldn’t notice 🙂

Just finished Ann Leckies trilogy ancilliary Justice, etc.  great stories

I devour novels.  Can easly read one in a couple of hours! ( if its something light) It means I need a lot of reading material

Just finished Ann Leckies trilogy ancilliary Justice, etc. great stories

You could have taken mine when you stopped here on your epic ride. I thought the first one was ok but didn’t develop, but the second was awful, and I took all three to the charity shop having not struggled through the third. I kept thinking that I was missing something really important about the books, but in reality they are poorly written, with terrible plot structure and no pacing. Let’s get the tea service out for a long cuppa just to break up the flow of this post! YMMV, very obviously. 😀

Still on Game of Thrones (Feast for Crows)
Finding this a bit of a slog 🙁 Feels ghost written.

Hopefully Dance with Dragons will be better 🙂

I have just watched The Last Mountain, which I found deeply tragic, worrying and uncomfortable for many reasons. I now need to read Regions of the Heart for balance and some idea of completeness I hope.

Just finishing a period murder mystery novel (also listening to it on Audible). A bit of a slow burn, detailed scene setting novel with a list of references as well – not something most novels have…..

Have bought the next one in the series to read / listen to.

Still on Game of Thrones (Feast for Crows)
Finding this a bit of a slog 🙁 Feels ghost written.

Hopefully Dance with Dragons will be better 🙂

Set low expectations so you won’t be disappointed redthunder.

I’m a big fan of GRRM on the basic writing level – think he’s really good. So while Feast for Crows goes off the rails big picture, I still more or less liked it page by page. But Dance with Dragons is really a low point, it’s legit boring. if you read voraciously then it’s no big deal, but if you’re more selective I’d park it up after FfC. It was great while it lasted.

The Wim Hof method. It was a Christmas gift so thought I’d have a look.
Currently on day 9 of enduring cold showers 😆 Can now manage about 1 minute whilst remaining ‘relatively’ relaxed! Day 1 was jumping about whilst sounding like a monkey for about 15 seconds!

50 Things About Us – Mark Thomas
Slow Horses – Mick Herron

not usually a book reader but was bought a couple for christmas. finished mortimer and whitehouse go fishing (decent but probably a bit toooo much fishing info in it for the layman) and now on bob mortimers ‘the satsuma complex’, a novel that hes written.

Chased by Pandas – ‘My life in the mysterious world of cycling’ by Dan Martin.

Very enjoyable so far.

Almost final book..

https://www.thehistorypress.co.uk/resources/images/publications/9780750996006.jpg?width=400

I’m about to start The Remains of the Day. Never seen the film so no idea what to expect

Pies and Prejudice
In search of the North .. Stuart Maconie.
Cheers Binners.

”Scarred For Life”
Reliving the 70s 🙂 After seeing their stuff on Twitter, I thought I’d order the book, its great. Not quite what I expected, lotta words, but really enjoying it.