Monkey Tennis Posted May 29, 2022 Share Posted May 29, 2022 I was just coming on to post about Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, funnily enough. I really enjoyed it. The book was published in 2014, but the whole pandemic thing obviously lends it a certain resonance now. It's cleverly plotted and doesn't hide too much behind post-apocalypse staples, instead dealing with the world and some of its characters, on either side of the catastrophe. I'll read some more of her stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duszek Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 Enjoyed his Frank Bascombe novels and these short stories are just as good. Set in Montana in the 70s. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton. More than just a fictional oral history of some 70s rockers, this explores racism, sexisim, the cult of personality and ego. A fantastic read. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HK Hibee Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 The new Don Winslow novel - City on Fire. The first in a proposed trilogy. I am a Winslow fan but this was great - characters you cared about, a good plot and a sense there is more to come. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oystercatcher Posted June 2, 2022 Share Posted June 2, 2022 Currently listening to the beastie boys book. Really enjoying it 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaboz Posted June 9, 2022 Share Posted June 9, 2022 Just finished The Young Team. Based on a young gang member from somewhere in North Lanarkshire and his growing up around his mates and surroundings, focusing on their struggles. Enjoyed it but found the midbook jumps in time a little hard to accept, would rather taken more time following some of the school times. Also, some of the chapters really seemed to be set plays to simply mention stuff like Orange Walks, Old Firm day and others without them being meaningful to the plot. Still, was able to enjoy it and saw a little of my own growing up in it from time to time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todd_is_God Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Superb read this. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 Charles Stross - Invisible Sun Final book in the Empire Games trilogy. Nominally sci fi but with limited sci content, more spy thriller with bits of action. There's a multiverse which is used in quite a restrained way. The way it's used gives the feel of a cold war. The intrigue is done really well. I was going to complain about the time gap between this and the preceding books which meant i'd lost a lot of the threads but there's a postscript where he apologises for that due to multiple bereavements. Some good ideas and bits of the story are pageturners but overall a bit disjointed. A decent finale, but not great. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lau03143 Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 (edited) Just finished Ukraine Diaries by Andrey Kurkov. Written and published in 2014 after the Russian invasion of Eastern Ukraine, and scary how much of what is happening now was predicted by Kurkov. A decent read for those interested. Edited June 10, 2022 by lau03143 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 A History of What Comes Next by Sylvan Neuvel. First in his new Take Them to the Stars series. Good solid start to the series. Looking forward to seeing what transpires next. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted June 10, 2022 Share Posted June 10, 2022 I'm on an autobiography binge. The Path to Power by Margaret Thatcher. Chose to read this after discussing Boris Johnson with my son. Not sure how we got onto the topic but I was explaining that Johnson is spineless scum and Thatcher was, er, spineful scum. Anyway, I thought I'd give it a read. Very interesting, if a touch heavy on economics stuff. More enjoyable than Churchill's books, and loads of lovely spite and venom for folk like Ted Heath. Interesting reading through her stuff about devolution. It was in the Tory manifesto in the early 70s, but she wasn't a fan and ditched the idea even though it meant many Scottish MPs quitting as shadow ministers. Unbelievable nowadays to thank that Scottish Tories were trying to convince her that "an assembly" was a good thing and she was against it on the grounds that it threatened the union (which, I guess, it has). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 12, 2022 Share Posted June 12, 2022 The Deep by Rivers Solomon. Another book from Rivers Solomon which promises a great concept but doesn't fallow through on the execution. Disappointing 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 The Creak on the Stairs by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir. A fantastic, twisty crime thriller that had several excellent reveals. Very much looking forward to continuing the series. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GordonD Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill (son of Stephen King). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefybake Posted June 13, 2022 Share Posted June 13, 2022 On 10/06/2022 at 16:31, scottsdad said: Very interesting, if a touch heavy on economics stuff. More enjoyable than Churchill's books, and loads of lovely spite and venom for folk like Ted Heath. Interesting reading through her stuff about devolution. It was in the Tory manifesto in the early 70s, but she wasn't a fan and ditched the idea even though it meant many Scottish MPs quitting as shadow ministers. Unbelievable nowadays to thank that Scottish Tories were trying to convince her that "an assembly" was a good thing and she was against it on the grounds that it threatened the union (which, I guess, it has). I seem to recall that Heath's views on her were similar. By all accounts, he'd almost turn purple at mention of her name. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 14, 2022 Share Posted June 14, 2022 Earthlings by Sayaka Murata. I don't really think I know how I felt about this one. Really well written but excessively weird, and the child abuse in the early stages was a bit much. But I stuck with it, and despite the weirdness it was a decent story. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blootoon87 Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 Got halfway through Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy before giving up. The characters have absolutely no depth to them, it's very repetitive and none of the violence is shocking. A very dull book. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP_81 Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 Just finished off the millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson. Fairly enjoyed it whilst not being utterly gripped by it like some other series but was a nice step back into fiction after having a few months of solely n/f reading. (God Delusion and Magic of Reality - both Richard Dawkins , The Beginning of Infinity - David Deutsch , The Grand Design - Stephen Hawking.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 Half way through Moby Dick. Pleased to say, lacking in dicks at this stage. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 2 hours ago, Melanius Mullarkay said: Half way through Moby Dick. Pleased to say, lacking in dicks at this stage. I must have read the first half of that book three or four times, and never made it to the end. Bored me ragged. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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