What book (s) are you reading now ?

Factual but fairly light hearted history of the mental cold war politics of South and Central America and America's meddling

Just starting... who knows.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

My Rating: TBA

Post your last book then current, after you have read current add a rating (or review) and post next current read. If you want.

Great to now what you are all reading and especially if any gems turn up 🙂

Just started Les Misérables, Tome 1 : Fantine

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51375812726_5d4e6fba53.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51375812726_5d4e6fba53.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mgUtdA ]Les Misérables, Tome 1 : Fantine[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Pretty much exclusively reading French this year. Gave away the A1 books, almost finished all the A2s and will start B1 next.

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376547734_d8847e4f90.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376547734_d8847e4f90.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mgYeH9 ]Hachette Lire francais facile[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Having no access to Waterstones for anything to catch my eye, i've been hitting up music magpie and working my way through all the Pratchett books right from Colour of Magic - can't believe I first read that as a 16 yr old on a camping holiday in France with my parents. Now 52.

Every book still an enjoyable read.

Edit - now feeling particularly low-brow following footflaps post!

http://werodeallday.cc/

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

There's a film adaptation of that too. Was an OK way to spend a lockdown evening for nowt, but I'd expect the books offer a richer experience.

Our library has started doing a service where you tell them what sort of stuff you like and they select some books for you, so I've asked them to break my hard sci-fi habit. Just finishing "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" by Kate Atkinson which I think they chose for its interesting narrative style - it's well reviewed but for me the entertainment has been the way it's structured, I've not really felt "involved". 3/5 from me.

Next up is Nutshell by Ian McEwan, another library selection and I've not even read the back cover to find out what it's about.

Fake Law by The Secret Barrister - full of seething rage at how the press has convinced us that the government needs to reduce our right to access fair justice.

Three cheers for me, the Bandy Papers vol.1 by Donald Jack. Rereading to be honest, read them (seven in series) as a teenager and found them equally funny, cringe making and informative on WW1 aviation.
Recently reread Winged Victory by VM Yeates, a semi-autobiographical account of the same period, and realised that some of the details in the former are very similar to the latter.
Edit: rating, 4.5/5 for both

Just finished a couple of procedural crime thrillers, Loose Tongues and Marked Men by Chris Simms.

Now rereading Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

Not sure why I wasn’t expecting much, but really enjoyable read so far (much better than the TV show, as you’d hope)

Fake Law by The Secret Barrister – full of seething rage at how the press has convinced us that the government needs to reduce our right to access fair justice.

Yes, that's on my to read list....

Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan.

Fantastic read, will stay with me for a long time.

Just finished. Not sure enjoyed is the right word.

Finding some light relief now with James Herbert.

Just finished. Not sure enjoyed is the right word.

The only IB book I've ever read. Can't recall much so must have been a bit dull.

Broken Angels by Richard Morgan. Altered Carbon was much better than the TV version series 1, I thought. This is shaping up to be better than series 2.

The only IB book I’ve ever read. Can’t recall much so must have been a bit dull

Not dull, well written but disturbing. An imagination is a great thing but it's scary how someone could dream this stuff up. Not sure I'll forget it in a hurry.

It's not going well for the Americans, or the British, or the Dutch...

Although I somehow started with the middle book of the trilogy and have gone back to the start with this one so I've a fair idea things start looking up for the allies. Even though they didn't industrialise their murder on the scale of the Germans the Japanese military in general really were an absolute shower of evil shits.

Just finished Wanderers by Chuck Wendig. Not a million miles from The Stand (which is actually mentioned a couple of times in the novel) but I thought it was a lot better, less cartoonish than King gets in that. Very long, maybe a little bit baggy in the middle (like me! Ha!) but very well written and thought provoking. There is a twist which I found a little underwhelming, but that was probably due to the sheer weight of the rest of the story. Really captures an essence of America, both geographically and politically. Would recommend.

I like the look of the one BoardinBob posted

Last book I finished cover-to-cover was Danubia by Simon Winder, recounting the history of the rulers of most of Europe prior to the first world war.

The pace, enthusiasm and irreverent tone kept me going through what could have been fairly heavy material.

Anyway, am now following it up with Lotharingia, his history of (basically) Belgium and the Netherlands. More of the same basically which is no bad thing.

Noam Chomsky - ‘How The World Works’

(Just started. It’s a dipper)

Ziya Tong - ‘The Reality Bubble’

(Ongoing. Can’t stop reading back and forth, fascinating)

Ian McEwan - ‘Solar’

(My ‘holiday novel’ for this year’s camping. Am just getting to the end but saving it for a last weekend bivi. Cringingly funny. Sharp, topical)

All top notch.

Divine Lola: A True Story of Scandal and Celebrity

James Lee Burke , The New Iberia Blues. Love a bit of Detective Robicheaux

Just finished re-reading after re-watching Tracks by Robin Davidson

Just finished reading The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong. I may have read this description somewhere else but it's a bit like Trainspotting for the Ecstasy generation. Took a little effort to get into the Ned talk and the story starts slowly but draws you in and is a real page turner by the end.

I'm now reading Why We Kneel by Michael Holding.

Ooo, great thread - just back off my jollies, so excuse the self-indulgence! 🙂

Fake Law by The Secret Barrister – full of seething rage at how the press has convinced us that the government needs to reduce our right to access fair justice.

Eye-opening and essential.

Acid For The Children - Flea. Wasn't expecting much but a really enjoyable and accessible read

The Water Dancer - Ta-Nehisi Coates. Don't read much fiction but I love how this guy writes.

Help - Simon Amstell. Funny, startlingly Frank, a quick read.

Longitude - Dava Sobel. A quick but fascinating read about the race to measure longitude.

Kings Of The Yukon - Adam Weymouth. A canoe trip down the Yukon and much about the salmon that live in it. Outstanding.

Currently reading Man On The Moon, by Andrew Chaikin - a great history of the Apollo project. Thought I knew a bit already - apparently not! 🙂

As recommended on here some time ago,

Carrying the Fire by Michael Collins.

No pretty pictures but…

‘The Backyard Adventurer’ by Beau Miles.

https://beaumiles.com/the-backyard-adventurer/

Really enjoy his YouTube stuff but can’t make my mind up on the book largely talking about the YouTube ‘films’. There were some good , in fact mostly it was good, but he also goes off on one at times which for me lost the flow/point.
I will reread at some point though.

Currently reading ‘Endure’ by Alex Hutchinson

https://www.waterstones.com/book/endure/alex-hutchinson/9780008308186

Enjoying so far.

Waiting for this to drop next month…

‘Blueprint’ by Ross Edgely

https://www.waterstones.com/book/blueprint/ross-edgley/2928377064518

Richard Holmes' "Wellington", which has been great but is inevitably going to get dull post-Napoleonic wars.

And "Wrath of Empire" by Brian McClellan. Which tbh is really disappointing so far, I tore through the first in the series but this one's just not clicked

Dipping in and out of
Frank Bethwaite's High Performance Sailing - I fear it won't make me faster but if dinghies / fast keelboats are your thing it's a really challenging and interesting read on the science of beyond hull speed sailing.

Edit pic removed as someone oddly seemed to favourite it who I've never heard of - sorry if it was one of you 🙂

I need something lighter to supplement it.

I've not long finished Vulcan 607. The story of the raid on the airfield at Port Stanley at the beginning of the Falklands conflict. Excellent read if you are a plane nerd.

Going Solo - Roald Dahl

The Human Body - Bill Bryson

Heads you win - Jeffry Archer

Just finishing Watership Down by Richard Adams (first read 36 years ago) amazing read!

Next up The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Breath by James Nestor - properly eye opening about the impact of mouth breathing and an increased respiratory rate. Had me looking at references in the book as some of the stuff was actually hard to believe.
How to win a bike race is current.

Rebel ideas by Matthew Syed is really good too.
Got a nice big pile to catch up on now thanks to bookshop.org

Just finished Billy Summers by Stephen King. Solid 4 out of 5 for me. Some nice nods to previous novels and the usual excellent characters. On to Last Car to Elysian Fields by James Lee Burke next.

Hold My Hand I'm Dying by John Gordon Davis.
Read it when I was 19 and my heart was breaking. Tale of two loves, Africa and Suzi, reading it again 46yrs later and still resonates.

I'm in the middle of reading all six Harry Potter books, in no particular order. Thoroughly enjoying them, great summer holiday reading.
Before that A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry, the follow up to Days Without End - both brilliang reads.
Before that Mayflies by Andrew o'Hagen, loved that too.
Haven't read a bad book for over a year - that was a Will Self number that lasted about twenty five pages.....

The Reim East German spy series by Max Hertzber.

Based on the other thread on books recently I’m reading Cider with Rosie, however I’m also re-reading MP the Michael Peterson biography which is a great read about an iconic surfer from the 70s and his struggle with schizophrenia. The latter is getting more of my attention.

Think I am going to order longitude and Danubia, both sound good!

Just finished Anger is An Energy, John Lydon.
Just getting into
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This quite fun

Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan.

Fantastic read, will stay with me for a long time

@Nobeerinthefridge Aye,a belter of a story.
Really hit home.

For now I am re-reading

Please let the film be good,please let the film be good,please let the film be good

Half way through the The North Water by Ian Macguire , there is a tv series coming soon which is meant to be good so thought I’d try and get the book in first as I really struggle to read the book if I’ve seen a tv or film version first . The book has been great so far .

Ooo, forgot to add Pillars Of Hercules, by Paul Theroux - awesome, long, involving travel book, much more entertaining than I feared! I'd be a rubbish travel writer, I wouldn't talk to anyone- he talks to EVERYone, and that's where the good stuff comes from. 🙂

Going through a bit of a Iain M Banks rereading phases so currently deep in ‘Matter’ which is ace.
Just finished battling through ’Feersum Enjin’ again which I just don’t get.

Still sad I’ll never read another new Banks book again.

Ernst Junger - Storm of Steel. Factual (if it can be wholly trustworthy) account of fighting on the trenches in WW1 from a German perspective. Astoundingly written - beautiful in its honesty.

‘Neptune’s Brood’ by Chris Stross, the follow-up to ‘Saturn’s Chilren’. After that I’m going to read the complete ‘Laundry’ series; I’ve got the first three as dead trees, but I’m getting the whole set as ebooks, it’s far easier to read a book on my phone during breaks at work, having a coffee in town, or whatever.
After that, there’s a whole bunch of other books that Stross has written that I’ve only read a couple of, so lots to keep me occupied.

Just finished battling through ’Feersum Enjin’ again which I just don’t get.

Helps to read it aloud to yourself. See also Mason & Dixon.

Just Finished: The Watchmaker of Filigree Street – Natasha Pulley
From the inside cover: 'In 1883, Thaniel Steepleton returns to his tiny flat to find a gold pocke****ch on his pillow. When the watch saves Thaniel's life from a blast that destroys Scotland Yard, he goes in search of its maker ...'
Unusual story, interesting characters, well-written – although I did feel it lost its way a little part way through, but rallied for the ending.

Just started: The Red Notebook – Antoine Laurain
From the back cover: 'Bookseller Laurent Letellier comes across an abandoned handbag on a Parisian Street, and feels impelled to return it to its owner.'
Not sure what to expect really, but I enjoyed the first chapter.

Next up: The Hidden Life of Trees – Peter Wohlleben
From the back cover: '... makes the case that the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families ...'

It’s the actual thread of the story I don’t get. I’ve read reviews and explanations but there are bits I just can’t work out and link together in my own head.
I’m the same with Tinker Tailor…there’s a bit about 2/3s of the way through where Smiley suddenly seems to work it all out and I’m never sure how or why…🤷‍♀️

@jimw Recently reread Winged Victory by VM Yeates, a semi-autobiographical account of the same period,

I've just finished that this week. I found it among the books of of a family friend after he died and it's a great book. If you haven't read it I also found a copy of Warriors for the Working Day by Peter Elstob. A fictional but again semi autobiographical account of a tank crews journey from Normandy to Germany. Like Winged Victory a lot of it is about the intolerable strain on the men and it's an equally good book.

Currently reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and really enjoying it.

I'm reading Philip - A final portrait by Gyles Brandreth.

There are contributions by the Prince himself.
A war hero.
Humorous.
An environmentalist with many ideas which have been put in place now, (tree planting, rewilding).
Not necessarily a good father to Prince Charles.

If you have small children - could I recommend 'Interview with a tiger' and Interview with a shark' both by Andy Seed.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08MWTGSVJ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZJMZC6Q/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

Also available from your friendly local bookshop

Longitude is a great book. If you liked that, let me recommend 'The Prisoners of Geography'. Different but just as interesting.

I'm always reading multiple books. Short attention span 😉

Enjoying all of them. I think - when I last checked - I have around 50 unread books. Mostly paperbacks. I buy whenever I see an indy book shop. I fully intend to read them all when I retire 🙂

APT The Untold Story a technical and commercial insight into the development and ultimately the failure of British Rail's advanced passenger train project. Ten years and £42 million pfft.

About 3/4 done with Under the Volcano (Malcolm Lowry) - was on holiday last week so wanted to read something large. About as glorious as you'd expect, and very sad.

Not a book to read if you have a drink problem - you'll think you're a picture of health because no one has a drink problem compared to the consul.

Thinking of going full Wirral and reading something from Olaf Stapledon next - formative SF writer (1930s). Star Maker gets a lot of praise.

@lister - apologies, I shouldn't have assumed it was the phonetic spelling you were referring to.

I struggle to remember which culture novel is which.

Also read The Last Unicorn with my daughter at bedtime recently - high quality for sure but found it a little underwhelming, I know some folk have it on their all time lists. Daughter liked it but was a bit too young for the very metaphoric / dreamy style.

Was reading that the author Peter Beagle has had an absolute torrid time with a criminal agent exploiting him (he's quite old - the book sold millions, was made into an animated film, but a long time back). He recently won a lengthy court battle to own his own work.

https://www.tor.com/2021/03/25/peter-s-beagle-last-unicorn-lawsuit-resolved-ip/

It's fun to see what other people are reading, but it would be good if people could give a quick summary of what these books are about. I read loads but have never heard of most of these books or authors and can't really tell if I want to read them or not.

I've just finished That Old Ace in the Hole by Annie Proulx. She has a great ability to produce little thumbnail sketches of the (usually hard) lives of people living in rural communities. She creates a great sense of place and the plot itself often feels like it's just a device to allow her to weave these stories together. This time we're in the modern day Texas panhandle following somebody scouting sites for industrial hog farms. But the stories go from the early pioneers, through the dustbowl era and the oil boom along with reflections on industrial scale farming and water shortages. She leaves a few loose ends, which can be frustrating for the reader, but is part of her style and while it's not quite up there with the Shipping News (or even Postcards) in my opinion, it is still an enjoyable read.

Next up is a short story: Men in the Sun by Ghassan Kanafani, which is part of an attempt to read more by authors from cultures outside my normal diet of British, American and Australian authors. Kanafani was an author and also a leading figure in the PLO, before being killed by Israeli agents in 1972. From Wikipedia "originally published in 1962. Men in the Sun follows three Palestinian refugees seeking to travel from the refugee camps in Iraq, where they cannot find work, to Kuwait where they hope to find work as laborers in the oil boom."

PS. Thanks @stevenmenmuir I think I'll give The Young Team a go.
@matt10214 I've read most of Tim O'Brien's stuff. It was a long while ago but I seem to remember that The Things They Carried was one of his best.

Alternating between various (mostly political) non-fiction books, and the books by Dodge, Fante and Bukowski from this list.
https://twitter.com/williamsonkev/status/714174268486066176?s=20

A few there Ive read Alex, esp Hastings and Holland, both good but very different historians.

Currently reading Black Earth by Timothy Snyder. It’s a history of the Holocaust, predominantly in Eastern Europe. It’s grim but really fascinating. It details the miscalculations and apathy of established states that led to catastrophe and murder. Frankly it feels more relevant today than ever.

@roverpig As someone who enjoys reading about the Vietnam War i'm a bit late to the party regarding Tim O'Brien!

I have just finished reading Lost Baggage written by me! The last proof-read before hitting the publish button. It is the sequel to His Favourite Hole that our fine Scottish forum members help me with earlier this year.

Happy to pass on once done

@matt10214 After reading Tim O'Brien I remember I got into the short stories of Thom Jones. I think the Vietnam war featured in a few of those. Especially his first collection (The Pugilist at Rest) if I remember correctly. Might be worth checking out, although again it was a long while ago and I can't remember much more than that I enjoyed them at the time.

About to start 'A People's History of London' (L.German)
Rover, check out Accordion Crimes, if you haven't already, it's superb.

Reading bill Brysons: the body which I'm enjoying as usual. Quite like his books, humourous and informative but without too much technical depth...just right for a simpleton like me.

Just finished the most recent Ben Aaranovich novel following Peter Grant "false values" which was ok...not as good as the others in the series but I read it on a kindle for the first time and for some reason found it less engaging that a hard copy??

Thanks @BillMC Not read that one yet, so I've just asked the good folk at Word of Books to send me a copy. Along with The Young Team as recommended by @stevenmenmuir, The Rotter's Club recommended by Geoff Norcott (I think it was) on R4's A Good Read and Tatiana, the 8th Arkady Renko novel from Martin Cruz Smith. I enjoyed Gorky Park and have been working my way through the rest of the series. Should keep me occupied for a little while.

@roverpig thanks for the info! Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes is a brilliant read if you haven't already had the pleasure.

Last book was Dune. Very good.

Currently reading The Cairngorms by Patrick Baker. Which has also been very good.

Next is Legends, Stories in honour of David Gemmell. Which is a book of short stories. I also have Cairngorm John to read after that too.

Thanks @matt10214 I've added that to my World of Books wishlist so I can include it with the next order.

It’s Charles Stross who wrote the books I mentioned, for some reason I put Chris!
Anyway, here’s a Wiki synopsis;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satur n's_Children_(novel)

There’s a short story he wrote called ‘Bit Rot’ that links the two, the second book takes place quite some time after the first; like several centuries.

Just finished: Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid. Really enjoyed this tale of one night of 80's excess.
Reading: Billy Summers, Stephen King. Had a bit of a thing for King's novels the last few years, loved The Institute, but this is a fairly standard, and low key, redemption story. 3.5/5

Recently finished The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy which is a former Booker Prize winner. Beautifully written, and occasionally humourous, tragic story of an Indian family and its interactions with the caste system.

Currently a third of the way through Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart which is the 2020 Booker Prize winner. Set in Glasgow it's about family disintegration due to poverty, alcohol and domestic abuse (among other things)

Also reading The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins which makes some very interesting arguments against the existence of God. The major issue is that Dawkins seems to have the ability to over-complicate most of his arguments and also make them far too long - he could have condensed the whole thing into less than 100 pages rather than the 400+. As a result it's an extremely turgid read and has taken me months to wade through. He also, annoyingly, keeps including his own little humourous anecdotes, particularly where he has got one over another academic or religious commentator.

Reading this one through the day:

This one in the evenings:

Currently having this read to me (Audible) at work:

And this read to me (Audible) while running:

Currently making my way through Command and Control

Which is a history of the efforts to both develop and control and make safe the most destructive weapons ever created, while at the same time looking closely at a fire in an ICMB silo in rural Arkansas in the 80's, and givinbg an alternate historical view of the cold war.

Also have Max hasting's history of the Korean War on the go, although it's now a bit dated, and (like most of his work) is overlaid by his small C leanings and a somewhat "colonialist style" : He can't resist (for example) referring to the Chinese or North Koreans as a "Hoarde", or "Swarm..."

And finally going to re-read

Last read it as a teenager, and it stayed with me. I wanted to see if my views had changed about it at all.

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky.

Thoroughly recommend this fascinating book, I never realised how important salt had been to the developing world - I guess I'd never thought about it tbh.

Re-reading this - such a vivid account of life in the trenches in WW1 from a German perspective.

Fast Trains- Europe at 186mph by Tom Chesshyre. See also: **** Brexit you brexitty ****ers, you ****ed the job for everyone, didn't you? Arseholes.

I have The Little Book Of Humanism by Alice Roberts and Andrew Copson to try next. I will admit to a girl crush on Alice Roberts (and Hannah Fry)... 😊

I’m always reading multiple books. Short attention span

Some good ideas there, might order a few....

Another sci-fi reader (or audible listener) here, listening to the Alex Benedict series by Jack McDevitt's, has more a of an 'old skool' 50's Sci-fi feel, which is surprising, as the majority were authored since 2000.

I'm now reading The Boys In The Boat by Daniel James Brown. It's the story of the eight man rowing team from the USA that went to the 1936 Olympics. It's a fascinating and gripping tale. Would make a great film.