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So, let's see the cover of the book(s) you're currently reading, and how about a little description of why you're reading them/how you're finding them.
I've gone back to this after a few years away;
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A heavy, meaty tome covering the founding of Australia as a penal colony. Vivid descriptive writing that really captures the journey and isolation. He likens it to sending man to the moon, and to be honest, it was probably easier to do that by the sounds of it.
A very, very good history, highly recommended.
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Much more fun than I thought it would be. He's gloriously scathing about the quality of many of the politicians he comes across.
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getting a little bored of it to be honest.
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when I found out there was a Deadpool spin off from Marvel Zombies featuring the last surviving zombie in our universe- 'Headpool' teaming up with Deadpool, I was in, out of print so only just tracked down the complete graphic novel (that wasnt £100)
Jambo - Count yourself lucky you're not reading this...
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Nearly finished this for my own enjoyment though...
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I'll wait for the film.
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It's about a couple making a documentary about Somali pirates.
I think there's only 1 more Leonard crime book that I haven't read. He died last year, so there won't be any more 🙁
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Reading this as a kind of vaccination against any upcoming tendencies to "celebrate" the centenary of World War I. Maybe someone could sling a copy in Michael Gove's direction.
A beautifully written book. As illuminating on the solace of comradeship/friendship as it is on the horror of the trenches.
Just finished [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/One-Man-Bike-Mike-Carter/dp/0091940567/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394097749&sr=1-3&keywords=mike+carter ]Mike Carter's "One Man and His Bike"[/url], about riding around the coastline of Britain.
Just started [url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/Generation-Douglas-Coupland/dp/0434019836/ref=la_B000APW60C_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1394097831&sr=1-7 ]Generation A, by Douglas Coupland[/url]. Read it when it first came out, but it was included in a #shelfie I sent to an English teacher at work for World Book Day; she said she'd hated and I couldn't remember if I did, so I'm reading it again.
Just finished Mike Carter's "One Man and His Bike", about riding around the coastline of Britain.
I read that this year, I thought it was just fantastic. 🙂 Currently reading...
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[/img]My little drama group is doing The Accrington Pals, based around the Somme, thought I should do some research. And it being the centenary of the start of the war and all, I thought I should learn a bit more about it.
[url= http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01749/mandelastory_1749764f.jp g" target="_blank">http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01749/mandelastory_1749764f.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
got it as a birthday present last month.....cant tell you how good it is yet as i've not started reading it yet.
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(sorry for being so mainstream!)
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Almost finished this... I love Kim Stanley Robinson, greatest sf author IMO, this is a bit of a diversion into speculative past rather than speculative future, and a smaller/more human scale for him, which does work well but I think maybe he does better when he cuts loose a bit more. There's always a bit of reworking old ideas with KSR too, but it's still good.
Savour this day, folks - in future, it coud be known as [url= http://elitedaily.com/news/technology/this-insane-new-app-will-allow-you-to-read-novels-in-under-90-minutes/ ]World Book Hour[/url]
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A book I come back to regularly. If you only know of him as a yachtsman, they were predated by flying exploits that were perhaps more amazing. A genuine adventurer and toughie.
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I'm reading (listening to audiobook actually) it because I like a bit of fun/rubbish to listen to while I mess around the house & TBH I get through so many books in audio format, I grasp whatever I can just to try. It's not exactly riveting and I'm struggling to see how the other 9 books in the series would pan out but at the same time it's entertaining (easy listening) enough. I would preferred to have said I was reading (listening) to the next A Lee Martinez "The Automatic Detective", but I'm saving it for next week - I'm enjoying his humour/stories a lot.
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Well duh 🙂
I should probably try and find an uptodate version. Im reading a loaner written in 1978 and printed in 1992.
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I'm a big fan of his stuff so far but this is probably the hardest to get into. Currently on my third attempt.
StefMcDef - Member
Savour this day, folks - in future, it coud be known as World Book Hour
Takes a lot to amaze me, but that's amazing! I thought, nah, everyone sees words differently, but nope, it worked perfectly.. 500 wpm was easy.
That's pretty clever... I'd like to try it on a novel though, reading comprehension isn't all there is to it, I read back and forth on the page and build images and that...
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Just started, my first Fleming. I'm enjoying the writing style so far.
Yeah, I thought similarly about the Kindle, until I got one.
Finished this last night. Dark and hilarious at the same time!
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Got home and flipped a coined between this
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and this
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Alison Moore won, so she's next (though I ought to have chosen Marilynne Robinson, as the intention is to finish the book by the end of Lent*, and the subject matter would be loosely appropriate).
*not being a person of faith, I have no special attachment to Lent. So rather than do that glib "give something up", I decided I'd do things instead. One of them is to make time to read - Lucky Jim took me four months. But since Home is a book connected to faith (it's a sequel to the superb Gilead, which is an examination of Grace), the connection with Lent could have been appropriate. But the coin said otherwise.
Savour this day, folks - in future, it coud be known as World Book Hour
Handy for reading stuff you have to read, however is the point of reading a novel to get it over with as quickly as possible? Surely I'm not the only person who sometimes takes weeks over a book (currently 30 or 40 pages into the one pictured above - not because it's rubbish, but because I've been picking at it). I have to admit I also missed a word or two - maybe I wasn't concentrating enough.
Stef 😯
The death of paper books makes me feel sad.
How easy it was to blink in that high speed text ,made me feel sad.
It will all be downloadable neural implants next . 🙁
Boy off to nursery with this
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A classic
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I have read a few of Patterson's books and this looked a little different from his detective novels.
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This is the book my daughter wanted for her bedtime story last night.
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Starting to work my way through the SF masterworks series, almost finished the above book and really enjoying it.
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Reading this at the moment - very good, an account of his own adventures but with loads of historical data about previous expeditions.
Paul Sussman (sadly no longer with us) I've read all of his books and found them facinating and gripping. This says it all really....
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Last nights bedtime reading for my two boys.
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I was enjoying it too.
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Gaiman is one of my favourite authors. It's very good, so far: Very difficult to put down at times.
Just finished this:
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A must read after his excellent Bad Science and it doesn't disappoint (well other than crushing any faith you had in the pharmaceutical industry. They'd sell you arsenic labelled as antibiotics if they thought they could get away with it).
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edit: I find the concept of World Book Day strange.
It seems like something one shouldn't criticise but
just comes across as a bit of a love-in for literary
mediocrity. I'm probably wrong but going up to an
adult and suggesting they should read more seems a
bit weird. Read or don't read if you want.
Currently trying to learn more about Israel/Palestine conflict. Definitely worth a read.
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Just purchased Bad Pharma, looking forward to being depressed by it.
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Recommended by a friend and it's good. Reading Gone Girl next.
People read books? ...for fun?
Clear waters rising - Nicholas Crane
Picked it up in a charity shop this week. Walk across Europe from Cape Finnisterre to Istanbul along the mountain chains. He's a good writer; the last book of his I read was his Kilimanjaro bike ride, which really inspired me as a young cyclist.
Bloody hell I feel like a long adventure, it's been too long.
wiggles - MemberPeople read books? ...for fun?
"Whatcha reading for?"
"So I don't become a ****ing waffle waitress"
Ooo! Ooo! I know who said that! 😀
"Hey, you - come 'ere!"
Enjoying this at the moment:
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Mmmmmm waffles.
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If it ain't about literacy, what is it for?
Currently reading "The Immortal Life of Henrietta lacks". It is about the first successful cell cultures, taken from an impoverished black woman without consent. very well written and fascinating for the science and the ehtical questions it raises. Not as hard to read as it sounds!
I read for pleasure and to turn my brain off rather than make me think so I prefer more ripping yarn type thrillers that don't need a lot of brainpower to absorb.
Just finished this last night
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Found that current events (Ukraine) sort of had a downer on my enjoyment of the book with me running out of sympathy for the "good guys".
I've basically just re-read the whole of the "Jack Ryan" series for the umpteenth time up to this book which delayed the reading of my current. I've still yet to take the plunge into some of Clancy's co-authored "Ryanverse" novels.
This is now my current;
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I love the way Pratchett writes, his sense of humour appeals to me directly particularly the City Watch. This isn't his best by far but it is very enjoyable about 1/3 of the way in.
and I will follow that with this;
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Watched the film last Sunday (how the hell did I miss that in the cinemas?) and now need to dive into the book.
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Fugging ace.
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Also fugging ace.
Every day is book day (BTW - nice Stumpjumper, Wordnumb 🙂 ).
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As a result of the thread on here i am rereading Ian Banks " Surface Detail " and loving it .
Crankbrat took "i took the moon for a walk" to nursery as his choice for his favorate book . he was asked on a couple of occasions over a few days and consistantly picked it. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Took-Moon-Walk-Carolyn-Curtis/dp/1841488038#reader_1841488038
Got the Gormenghast Trilogy Folio Edition.
Read the stories a dozen times but have wanted this edition since I found out it existed.
Very lovely! No children's sticky fingers !
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I read for pleasure and to turn my brain off rather than make me think so I prefer more ripping yarn type thrillers that don't need a lot of brainpower to absorb.
Nothing wrong with that IMHO (see my contribution above, though I do stretch to Sebastian Faulks, which is supposedly intellectual, but still does the same job). Got bored with Clancy a while ago - though to be fair I did read a lot of his stuff, and not suggesting there is anything wrong with it.
Just finished this:
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[/img][url= http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1447257103 ]An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth[/url]
Fascinating insight into what it takes to be an astronaut. But also full of stuff that's applicable to everyday life as well.
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Appropriate. Well not reading it yet, it arrives tomorrow for holiday reading for me then the wife.
May need something a bit lighter so will probably re read something like this
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@bruk - chimp paradox is good. It's pretty easy reading tbh. I've found it useful.
Good to hear OMITN, will also have to select a 'classic' at the airport. Trying to broaden my reading by choosing something different. Recently read On the Road and The Picture of Dorian Gray which were both pretty good. Catcher in The Rye was 1 I came to too late in life I think to truly enjoy it