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Last Book You Read....


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On 10/01/2022 at 22:56, JamesP_81 said:

The Book Thief is excellent , would highly recommended it. Very dark and such a clever take on a pretty grim subject.  I would say The Man in the High Castle is also worth a read , tho possibly suffers the same as Brave New World in that it feels like it finishes just as it could be getting going. 

This is an unusual work in that, while I really appreciated the film, I simply couldn't get on with the book (which I tackled first). The unorthodox narration I found off-putting. Looking back, this may have been a failing on my part, as a few people whose opinion I respect have mentioned they enjoyed it.

Fúck it, it's back on the "to read" list.

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The last book I read, I was advised by the guys from the audiobook site, was a novel by Frank Herbert, Dune. I really liked the movie "Dune", based on the book by American Frank Herbert, so I decided to read the book. I immersed myself in the world of "Dune" more details here аnd for a week I immersed myself in this wonderful world and did not regret it, although in general I do not like science fiction and books of this genre I read very rarely. 
 

Edited by Chubakazubaka
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Really enjoyed several of the ones mentioned here...1984, Fahrenheit 451 and Dune. Haven't read Brave New World but enjoyed the fairly recent TV adaptation.

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Surprised to see Catch 22 not getting overall positive reviews here. I consider it one of my top 10 novels of all time.

I do a lot of long distance driving and have got into audiobooks to while away the time. I decided to try Pulitzer/Booker winning novels to see if I agreed with the hype. So far have completed:-

Shuggy Bain by Douglas Stewart - Grim but compelling. 8/10
The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt - Top class story telling. Excellent 9/10
A Brief History of 7 Killings - Marlon James. Political murder/mayhem in 70s Jamaica and 80s crack cocaine USA to the backdrop of Bob Marley. IMHO a must read Brilliant 10/10
The Overstory - Richard Powers. Follows the lives of various people, all of which are related to trees in some way. Sounds bizarre but very good. 9/10
Wolf Hall/Bring up the Bodies/The Mirror and the Light- Hilary Mantell. Fantastic writing. Brings the historic past to a clear light 10/10

Currently started The Brothers Karamasov by Dostoyevsky ( I know, not Booker/Pulitzer)- At 36 hours long, I suspect it may take some time. Having read Anna Karenina as a teenager, it’s my first foray into classic Russian novels since then and I must admit I’m struggling somewhat. Will update when/if I finish


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On 13/01/2022 at 22:46, NotThePars said:

One of the funniest things about Dune to me is how the climactic fight is just... Skipped over. It won't happen but would be really funny if Villeneuve did the same thing for Part 2.

Aye I listened to the audiobook and thought I'd just been tuned out while it was all going on. Read the book properly last month and realised, no, he just couldn't be arsed writing it. 

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I read Dune when I was 16 or 17 and while I remember liking it I literally can’t remember anything from it. I watched the movie and couldn’t recall anything. 

I am reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hariri, not the sort of thing I’d normally read but I was bought it as a gift so thought I should. It’s interesting so far, I like reading about the Neolithic and prehistory so am enjoying that bit.

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36 minutes ago, ICTChris said:

I read Dune when I was 16 or 17 and while I remember liking it I literally can’t remember anything from it. I watched the movie and couldn’t recall anything. 

I am reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Hariri, not the sort of thing I’d normally read but I was bought it as a gift so thought I should. It’s interesting so far, I like reading about the Neolithic and prehistory so am enjoying that bit.

Sapiens is decent. He does make some pretty interesting points and observations.

I'm currently reading the follow up called Homo Deus, where he is attempting to predict the future. Again it's pretty interesting.

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Just finished The Sealwoman's Gift by Sally Magnusson.

I fully expected to despise a big sweepy historical nonsense by someone off the telly, and was quite looking forward to doing so. 

However, I wound up really loving it.  It's about a raid on 17th century Iceland that saw a few hundred seized and traded as slaves in Algiers.

It manages to be about loss, expediency and the difficulties attached to certainty, whether religious, moral or personal.  I found it very affecting in places.

I totally recommend it.  Reporting Scotland will never again look the same.

 

 

Edited by Monkey Tennis
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20 minutes ago, Craig the Hunter said:

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel.

A fascinating portrait of what the end of the world as we know it would look like. You come to know and care about the characters and the end leaves you satisfied, but at the same time wanting more.

Probably my favourite novel of the last ten years. Her other stuff is really good too and well worth checking out. 

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45 minutes ago, MSU said:

Probably my favourite novel of the last ten years. Her other stuff is really good too and well worth checking out. 

I read and adored The Glass Hotel as well. Really looking forward to The Sea of Tranquility when it comes out in a couple of months, she's a very good writer.

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3 minutes ago, Craig the Hunter said:

I read and adored The Glass Hotel as well. Really looking forward to The Sea of Tranquility when it comes out in a couple of months, she's a very good writer.

I pre-ordered Sea of Tranquility, which isn't something I usually do. It sounds amazing.

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Reading John Cooper Clarke - I wanna be yours.
I am enjoying it, im about a quarter of the way through. Hes a good observer of the little things in life and his memories reflect that.
Good sense of humour too.
Full review in due course would be appreciated, as I'm in a bit of an autobiography groove at the moment. Just finished Tom Jones', which was surprisingly readable, and just about got through And Away.., Bob Mortimer's. Still got Bobby Gillespie and Dave Grohl' s to read as well.
Also currently re-reading The Wee Free Men, as I decided granddaughter the first could do with stepping up from Potter to some proper fantasy writing, and I'm enjoying discussing the story of the Nac Mac Feegle as she takes the first steps to becoming as much of a Pratchett fan as I am. Big Jobs!
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