Read Any Good Books Lately?

[the_engineer 1,415]

battle royale by koshun takami . Such a great book has great characters and a real good page turner and very action packed .

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen. A trippy account of an unconventional ménage à trois. Nothing is quite as it seems. One of the lead characters - "F" - transpires possibly not to actually exist at all, other than in the imagination of the other two (one of whom turns out to have been dead all along). A Mohawk god/spirit/thing features prominently, for no reason at all as far as I could fathom. Cohen also finds the time to regale his readers with rambling accounts of bisexual shenanigans.

 

I'd always wondered if the great man's novel writing matched up to his music. Now I know. 3/10 and that's giving him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Indeed, I'd say 3/10 is generous. Whatever you do, don't attempt Bob Dylan's Tarantula, it's enough to make Cohen's efforts look focussed and down to earth. Speaking of tales of rampant sexuality my PhD studies lately led me through H.G. Wells' three volumes of autobiography. The third one - H.G. Wells in Love - is summat of a relentless bonk-fest, with some splendid psycho-babble about his eliptical relationship with his "Lover-Shadow" thrown in. A bit old-school in the telling and lacking the specifics of exactly what got shoved where but it's an eye-opener to the levels of rampant shagging in supposedly constrained times.

[Godot 149]

Beautiful Losers by Leonard Cohen. A trippy account of an unconventional ménage à trois. Nothing is quite as it seems. One of the lead characters - "F" - transpires possibly not to actually exist at all, other than in the imagination of the other two (one of whom turns out to have been dead all along). A Mohawk god/spirit/thing features prominently, for no reason at all as far as I could fathom. Cohen also finds the time to regale his readers with rambling accounts of bisexual shenanigans.

 

I'd always wondered if the great man's novel writing matched up to his music. Now I know. 3/10 and that's giving him the benefit of the doubt.

 

Indeed, I'd say 3/10 is generous. Whatever you do, don't attempt Bob Dylan's Tarantula, it's enough to make Cohen's efforts look focussed and down to earth. Speaking of tales of rampant sexuality my PhD studies lately led me through H.G. Wells' three volumes of autobiography. The third one - H.G. Wells in Love - is summat of a relentless bonk-fest, with some splendid psycho-babble about his eliptical relationship with his "Lover-Shadow" thrown in. A bit old-school in the telling and lacking the specifics of exactly what got shoved where but it's an eye-opener to the levels of rampant shagging in supposedly constrained times.

 

Michael Foot's biography on Wells is worth reading if it's Wells you're studying MPFC, not as much shagging in that one but lots on his loopy ideas on eugenics. I mean he was no Adonis,so how did he pull the women?

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

Pulling the women...well, politically incorrect and ranter-fire inducing as it is, the elephantine proportions of a man's wad wallet are relevant here. Wells' high celebrity standing and massive disposable income seemed at potent combination. Not, probably, summat Foot found most interesting about the man. His utopian and unfeasible ideas feature large in his autobiography and part of his relentless shag-fest of a life is explained by his inability to find a woman who took them seriously for more than a few weeks.

 

 

...and them ranters think we're retarded sick ghouls eh.

 

Anyone up for discussing Jean Luc Goddard next?

[Grim Up North 3,726]

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - the book is narrated by death so should have some appeal to death listers - good book although I struggled a bit between pages 100 to 150, make sure you get past this slow bit. About a young refugee girl in the war and her various relationships but its better than I've just made it sound.

[our Sydney 11]

Hi

I am a big fan of Alistair Reynolds, if you are a science fiction fan I would highly recommend reading anything by him. However Century rain is in many ways his most atmospheric book, I think an excellent read and I would think has an appeal beyond just SF fans. About his most adventurous is Terminal world, it is just a good SF story if you are a fan of science fiction and have not discovered him, I would suggest giving his work a go.

Best regards

Syd

[ITDY 20]

Just finished "The Strain" trilogy by Chuck Hogan and Guillermo Del Toro and rather enjoyed it.

Last week I read the Shawcross biography of the Queen Mother and loved it. Highly recommend both.

[ITDY 20]

The "Artemis Fowl" author Eoin Colfer has a new book out for adults called "Plugged" and it's fantastic. It is full of his trademark wit and humour. Curled up with Plugged and a hot cuppa was a great way to spend my day off.

[Bibliogryphon 9,582]

Bringing the level down somewhat. I have just finished Shada by Gareth Roberts based on Douglas Adams script for Doctor Who which started shooting but fell prey to a BBC strike.

Roberts manages to capture some of Adams's style (possibly better than Eoin Colfer) but also has a lot of fun with the characters.

 

Those who have read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency may find some of the elements of Shada strangely familiar.

[Body Snatcher 44 107]

A mate lent me Bear Grylls' auto-biography Mud, Sweat and Tears. a pretty good book for an auto-biography - I don't usually read biographies about living people as I feel there is no real ending so to type.

[millwall32 114]

Just started this. I fell asleep reading the introductionlate last night. My first impression is that Starkey is slightly obsessed with the position of Groom of the Stool.

 

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Henry-Virtuous-Prince-David-Starkey/dp/0007247729/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360672778&sr=1-5

[Josco 49]

A good friend of mine lent me "The Cruel Sea" by Nicholas Monsarrat around 10-11 years ago.

I started it, but never got around to finishing. Nearly every time I saw him in the pub he would mention it, and I would apologise, say I'd not read it yet and offer it back. He would insist that I keep it till I'd finished as it was a good read.

He died last year, his widow said I could keep it as it is what he would have wanted; I still haven't finished it!

I had a look through this comment I made...2006?... surely not. I thought the other day about the aforementioned chap that lent me the book and as I recollected he had died about three years ago. It was a shock to realise that it was eight years. Tempus fugit.

[DevonDeathTrip 2,358]

For some strange reason, I've always enjoyed Australian literature. About five years ago, I set out on a mission to read every single winning entry of the Miles Franklin Award and I'm nearly done. My favourite three were the almost neverending epic Poor Fellow My Country, by Xavier Herbert, the rather trippy Riders of the Chariot by Patrick White, and (the extremely hard to find) Horse of Air by Dai Strivens. On the other hand, Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey was dire and Eucalyptus by Murray Bail was unreadable.

 

It's been a strange voyage and I can say with some confidence that I'm now better versed in understanding the Aussie psyche than your average Man of Holsworthy.

[Godot 149]

A good friend of mine lent me "The Cruel Sea" by Nicholas Monsarrat around 10-11 years ago.

I started it, but never got around to finishing. Nearly every time I saw him in the pub he would mention it, and I would apologise, say I'd not read it yet and offer it back. He would insist that I keep it till I'd finished as it was a good read.

He died last year, his widow said I could keep it as it is what he would have wanted; I still haven't finished it!

I had a look through this comment I made...2006?... surely not. I thought the other day about the aforementioned chap that lent me the book and as I recollected he had died about three years ago. It was a shock to realise that it was eight years. Tempus fugit.

 

I've kept shtum for seven years, can't any more. The Germans lose in the end.

[football_fan 42]

Recently I read the book "Currency Wars: The making of the next global crises" by James Rickards. It was a great read and it does go into great detail of how currencies are manipulated.

[Godot 149]

I've just read Gone Girl that seems to be the book of the moment in reading groups, not that I belong to one. It's a compelling read, with a real monster of a woman, shame it has a pretty crap ending.

[the_engineer 1,415]

Read The devil of Nanking by mo hayder wow such an amazing book but very very gruesome and not for the faint of heart. This to me was the ultimate book as i love anything set in the far east and i'm actually thinking about reading it again it was so good which i never do.

 

I would also recommend the treatment aswell by mo hayder which i read not so long ago.

 

But be aware both these books are quite disturbing .They are though some of the best books i ever read.

 

p.s also for some weird reason mo hayder has the book the devil of nanking under two names the other name is Tokyo .

 

If anyone knows anymore books like this let me know.

[Toast 16,140]

The problem I had with Mo Hayder is that you have to read her series in order, because she gives away so many spoilers about the earlier books. I didn't know that when I started one (I think it was Skin), and it was really just a continuation of the one before. It really isn't necessary to do this. Other crime writers manage to tell a story without recapping beyond the odd vague allusion. Mark Billingham, for instance.

 

Obviously this doesn't apply to the standalone ones like Tokyo.

[Lady Grendel 139]

The problem I had with Mo Hayder is that you have to read her series in order, because she gives away so many spoilers about the earlier books. I didn't know that when I started one (I think it was Skin), and it was really just a continuation of the one before. It really isn't necessary to do this. Other crime writers manage to tell a story without recapping beyond the odd vague allusion. Mark Billingham, for instance.

 

Obviously this doesn't apply to the standalone ones like Tokyo.

 

 

 

That is good to know, I am always on the lookout for good books and I seem to have found myself devouring crime fiction recently so I may give Mo Hayder a try. To me it is a bad writer that gives away what has happened in a past book. I have just read my way through Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae novels, I read one out of order and it made no difference to my reading that I did that. A good editor should pick up on these points and refer the draft back to the author. I shall give those books a try.

 

On another note I got this book for Christmas and it was just great. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hundred-Year-Old-Man-Climbed-Window-Disappeared/dp/1843913720

[time 8,602]

I'm currently 3/4 the way through book 2 of 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami.

 

Ordinarily, I probably wouldn't have gone anywhere near it but someone told me I'd enjoy Life of Pi, so I thought I'd check it out. In Waterstone's it was part of a 'Buy 1 get 1 half price' offer, so I looked for something suitable to take advantage. Just along the shelf was 1Q84, books 1 and 2 in one volume, so, not being able to resist a bargain, that's what I went for. I'm glad I did.

 

Having read Book 1 I went straight into Book 2, and having got half way through book 2 I went out and bought book 3, just to make sure I had it ready when I'd finished Book 2; its that good!

 

Its one long story spread over the three books, clocking in at a hefty 1250-plus pages all told, but its a great read.

 

I still haven't started Life of Pi. I will be checking out some more of Murakami's stuff though.

 

Oh, btw @the_engineer, it's set in Japan.

[maryportfuncity 10,646]

I've finally got to a stage with the PhD where I'm editing the whole thing and have time to read summat not linked to my research. Whilst chatting to my mate who runs the local Oxfam bookshop I saw Charlatan Messiahs Colin Wilson's history of some of the dodgiest spiritual leaders/pretenders etc. Greatly enjoying it. And, it does remind me that Wilson is very old and still alive (just thought I'd mention that).

[CarolAnn 926]

I've been reading the California Administrative Code regarding Medicaid....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

[the_engineer 1,415]

The problem I had with Mo Hayder is that you have to read her series in order, because she gives away so many spoilers about the earlier books. I didn't know that when I started one (I think it was Skin), and it was really just a continuation of the one before. It really isn't necessary to do this. Other crime writers manage to tell a story without recapping beyond the odd vague allusion. Mark Billingham, for instance.

 

Obviously this doesn't apply to the standalone ones like Tokyo.

 

 

To be honest i have only read those two books but thanks for telling me about the spoilers in later books for earlier books , if i do read them i will read them in order. Though kind of already messed up since the treatment is the second book .lol

[adrian0719 220]

Finished A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry recently. It was bleak, almost unrealistically so, at many parts, however one of the best "long reads" that I've committed to. It wasn't heady and intellectual, yet you still learn a lot about India, the caste system, and The Emergency under Indira Gandhi.

[Toast 16,140]

The problem I had with Mo Hayder is that you have to read her series in order, because she gives away so many spoilers about the earlier books. I didn't know that when I started one (I think it was Skin), and it was really just a continuation of the one before. It really isn't necessary to do this. Other crime writers manage to tell a story without recapping beyond the odd vague allusion. Mark Billingham, for instance.

 

Obviously this doesn't apply to the standalone ones like Tokyo.

 

To be honest i have only read those two books but thanks for telling me about the spoilers in later books for earlier books , if i do read them i will read them in order. Though kind of already messed up since the treatment is the second book .lol

 

Unfortunately yes - more than you realise! The presence of one particular character in The Treatment ruins the suspense of the climax in Birdman ... that can't be helped I suppose, but I think it's Treatment which makes unnecessary mention of a funeral, and even worse the name of the deceased! she could have left that out. As it is, when you read Birdman, you will already know the fate of two characters.