What book (s) are you reading now ?

Just finished Good cop, bad cop by Simon Kernik. I liked it. But then I like all the books of his that I have read 🙂

Coffee First, Then The World by Jenny Graham – every bit as good as I hoped it would be.

I’ve just discovered Tim Winton, read Breath and just finishing Dirt Music.

Really enjoyed both so looking forward to reading more of his work.

Heartstone by CJ Sansom (reading through the Matthew Shardlake series) and Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart.

Alternating between the two.

@matt10214

Hope you are enjoying >> Caledonian Road by Andrew O’Hagan.

Went to hear him do a reading from it last night,he was very,very good ,and interesting to hear the places his research took him. He had been working on it since 2013.

I recently finished the Last Policeman by Ben Winters; it had been in storage for 3 years so I was looking forward to it! Definitely not as good or as multi-textured as Underground Airlines, but a fantastic overarching premise, gripping enough to want to find the next book somewhere.

Also whipped through book 4(?) of Slow Horses by Mick Herron. Fantastic as ever, some definite “wtaf?” moments. And the beauty of the TV adaptation is that when reading it now the characters do feel like the actors – Ho, Louisa, Lamb, Cartwright et al.

Just started on Solitary by Albert Woodfox; very much a companion piece to In the Place of Justice by Wilbert Rideau, about life as a black prisoner in the infamous Angola prison in Louisiana

I’ve just discovered Tim Winton, read Breath and just finishing Dirt Music.

Really enjoyed both so looking forward to reading more of his work.

I’ve got a load of his books. Generally I like them, but he really can’t write a good ending IMO. They just go weird.

Notes On A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig.  Hoping to inspire myself to cut back on social media and be happier with my lot.

@reeksy haha, just read Shepherds Hut as my first intro after nabbing it from my sister’s & couldn’t agree more

Oh yeah @dickyboy that’s a bit nuts.

Mister-P
Free Member
Notes On A Nervous Planet by Matt Haig. Hoping to inspire myself to cut back on social media and be happier with my lot.

Pretty sure I’ve got this in my pile somewhere. I can manage max 1 ‘sensible’ book and 1 fun book at a time, though – the sensible ones get read less quickly than the fun ones. So I’ve had it in the pile for a couple of years now!
Currently working through The Norm Chronicles as my sensible book – it’s about stats and probabilities of death. Quite interesting (to me), quite well presented.

How about this for minority interest – “Be glad for the song has no ending – an Incredible String Band  anthology”.  800-odd pages about the band and their records.  Very limited numbers printed (hardly surprising, really).  I’m loving it.  Even I, as a long time fan, was surprised to discover how popular they were.  Very influential, too.

Am near Wigtown for a few days, where the books are. Picked up the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft and the selected writings of Dylan Thomas for starters. Was already halfway through Project Hail Mary and have an Anthony Bourdain. Deciding which Lovecraft to read my girls before bed.

@fasthaggis – Yes really enjoying it, you can tell there’s a lot of work gone into it from a very talented writer.

About halfway through Ken Macleod’s Beyond The Hallowed Sky and tbf it’s a bit rubbish. I love Ken Macleod, his Fall revolution series is superb but this just isn’t hitting on any counts. Maybe it’ll pick up, it got great reviews

The Patient Assassin, by Anita Anand – really enjoying the Empire podcast she does with William Dalrymple so thought I’d try a book. Not sure what I expected but it’s way more engaging than I thought it would be, and eye-opening in terms of painting a picture of just how godawful the Raj was.

Holiday reads so far:- Roald Dahl – Going Solo – interesting reading about his life in the RAF during WW2. Herman Hesse – Gertrude – bit like wading through treacle but I guess a lot is lost in translation. Mark Radcliffe – autobiography – of its time, but quite amusing antidotes of his experiences. Tim Winton – Shepherds Hut – if cousin love & survival in the bush is your thing. Just picked up Bill Bryson – At Home.

I’m reading The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones. It’s the last in a trilogy. Only started it last night but looking forward to it as I enjoyed the last two.

War Doctor by David Nott.

A remarkable man who picked up and used a commercial pilots licence in his spare time whilst working full time in the NHS as a surgeon (across 3 hospitals) and spending his holidays operating and teaching in war zones.

Picked up the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft and the selected writings of Dylan Thomas for starters. 

I always think that Lovecraft’s actual writing is  a bit heavy-handed for me, but a lot of the writers who he inspired use that background much better.

I live about a mile from where Dylan Thomas was born and may well be in one of his favourite pubs later. Mind you every pub around here claims to have been frequented by him. Away from the drinking, he was a beautiful writer.

Storm command by Sir Peter de la Billiaire
It’s ok and described clearly how the Iraqi army really didn’t stand a chance

Picked up the collected works of H.P. Lovecraft and the selected writings of Dylan Thomas for starters.

I always think that Lovecraft’s actual writing is a bit heavy-handed for me, but a lot of the writers who he inspired use that background much better.

I know what you mean. The Cats of Ulthar was well received though. “The cats was naughty!”

On audio I’ve just listened to Soul Music, read by Tony Robinson.  Fortunately audiobooks are included in my Spotify subscription, he can’t do Death’s voice.

Just finished The Last Continent, good to revisit Terry Pratchett.

Just started One Man and His Bike.

Am near Wigtown for a few days, where the books are.

Shaun Bythell’s diary of a bookseller books are really funny, worth popping in his shop if you’re there.

Just finished The Book Of Strange New Things by Michael Faber. My second time reading it, found a totally new perspective in this time round, completely different to how I remembered it!

Just finished The Book Of Strange New Things by Michael Faber. My second time reading it, found a totally new perspective in this time round, completely different to how I remembered it!

have you read Under the Skin? Weird but really good and better than the film.

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this arrived today, which seems topical given current events. Where did I put those iodine tablets….

I always think that Lovecraft’s actual writing is a bit heavy-handed for me, but a lot of the writers who he inspired use that background much better.

Actually, who are you thinking of, other than Gaiman?

Am near Wigtown for a few days, where the books are.

Shaun Bythell’s diary of a bookseller books are really funny, worth popping in his shop if you’re there.

Our first port of call 🙂

November 1942 – Robert Englund. 

A view of a very pivotal month in the war told through the personal experiences and diary entries of the people that experienced it. Not just soldiers, sailors or airmen, but journalists, writers, folks at home, POW etc etc (Albert Camus complaining about a review of L’Estrager by Jean Paul Sartre is one highlight) He adds nothing to their words really, just footnotes and the odd explainer here and there, but leaves it to the stories and experiences that he’s found.  Pretty impressive amount of research if nothing else, but it’s extraordinarily affecting to hear this sort of history stripped of the normal ‘adventure story’ narrative of lots of these sorts of books

Also having another  go at some more of the Laundry Files as some-one else has also suggested them to me (as well as @Alex on here) admittedly they do get better, but I still think the main character’s a prick though

On audio I’ve just listened to Soul Music, read by Tony Robinson.  Fortunately audiobooks are included in my Spotify subscription, he can’t do Death’s voice.

I’m reading the Thief of time currently.

I cleared out a lot of my Pratchetts (mostly hardback) a few years back. Now wish I hadn’t, really, especially since I now have more bookcase space!
Finished Solitary by Albert Woodfox. Just started Revenger by Alastair Reynolds, which I guess I must’ve bought at some point.
It’s not bad, but obviously Reynolds trying to write more accessible sci-fi, for teens or whoever. So it’s easier going than usual, a little light but enjoyable anyway

I always think that Lovecraft’s actual writing is a bit heavy-handed for me, but a lot of the writers who he inspired use that background much better.
Actually, who are you thinking of, other than Gaiman?

That’s a great question and I can’t answer it. 😀 I had a book of Cthulhu stories by other authors and I’ve no idea where it is now – probably in the Oxfam shop several years ago. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Robert E Howard’s Conan stories, which although not Cthulhu, share the same sort of feel, with extra fantasy of course. I may be mistaken but I think they were friends or acquaintances?

Anyway, I’m currently reading The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi. Dreadful, but thankfully it is very short. He seems to have been inspired to write a Godzilla story channelled through The Big Bang Theory.

Just finished Mike Carter’s ‘All Together Now’. Excellent book IMHO

I had a book of Cthulhu stories by other authors

Maybe Ramsey Campbell? many years ago I was in a band with a bloke who’s dad was an author in the same area – Brian Lumley. Used to recommend authors and Campbell was one.

Anyway, I’m still going on the big fat Can (ahem, Can the band 😂) book, but also got The Revenant (Michael Punke) going for the fiction fix.

I have been working my way thru the lensman series again.  Very much of their time but great space opera.  Before that it was “Attack surface” by Cory Doctorow which I really enjoyed

I was in a band with a bloke who’s dad was an author in the same area – Brian Lumley.

I’ve read some of his stuff. Can’t remember how good it is though! (I read too much and have the brain of a goldfish!)

I have been working my way thru the lensman series again.  Very much of their time but great space opera.

I’ve got one of the Lensman compilations on my Kindle but haven’t got around to it, but keep thinking ‘Lensman, what a great name!’

Currently half way through Prophet Song by Paul Lynch – a grim (so far, and I don’t think its going to get any brighter) tale of a family’s experience in a dystopian Ireland.  Its written without speech punctuation which is a bit irritating, but I’m finding it compelling and unsettling.

I’ve got that on my shelf, ready to read when I feel in the right mood. Seems it’s been a fairly popular book round these parts (S Dublin) – ‘popular’ in that a lot of them have read it, rather than that they actually liked it…

‘popular’ in that a lot of them have read it, rather than that they actually liked it…

Aye….in a few days I’ll report back on which category I can fit it in…….

Lee Cragie – Other Ways to Win
and
Andrew O Hagen – Caledonian Road

@creakingdoor … Going to give the Shardlake series on Disney+ a spin tonight.
Sean Bean as Cromwell 🙂