Last Book You Read....

[JMDP]

I finished this years Pultizer winnger A Visit From The Goon Squad it didn't strike me as instantly brillaint, but i think I'd want to reread it to appreciate it. Biggest compliment i can play just now is that I wanted to spend more time with the characters,a nd the stories were pretty enagaging

Staying with "Great American novels" I'm thinking about reading Jonathan Franzen's last two books, but should i do The Corrections or the more recent Freedom first? I have the latter on my kindle already.

I'm currently reading How I Became A Famous Novelist by Steve Hey, which is shaping p well

I'd go for Freedom - it's a stunning novel. Read it twice in a row, absolutely loved it. The Corrections is great too though.

I finally finished 1Q84, Books 1 & 2 - typical Murakami brilliance. About halfway through book 3, which has been enjoyable so far too.

[T_S_A_R]

I finally finished 1Q84, Books 1 & 2 - typical Murakami brilliance. About halfway through book 3, which has been enjoyable so far too.

pretty epic.

it's so slow paced but that that just forces you to become completely involved. i fucking love tengo and aomame.

(and fuka eri)

[nelsjfc]

Not quite as high-brow as some others but just finished the Alan Partridge "autobiography" I, Partridge. Was one of the few books to make me genuinely break out in laughter, and if you are a fan of the series, you will probably enjoy the book. Even if your not, it works as a parody of the whole autobiography genre. One of the biggest compliaments I can give it, that it read throughout like Alan Partridge was dictating it. Wish I had done the soundtrack though!

9/10

Edited November 27, 2011 by nelsjfc

[Marsh]

Graeme Souness' and Neil Lennon's autobiographies that I found lying around since I've been bored out my tits since I got here due to lack of employment.

[chico]

Weirdly, I actually didn't. I know that it can also be an issue when using Internet Explorer...but I didn't. Ah well.

Hmm very strange..

[)typically]

Last book I read was Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything", it was excellent, would recommend to anyone with even the slightest interest in science. NB You do not need to know anything about science to understand this book.

Last book I started reading was Tom Sharpe's "The Gropes" which I thought was really poor and could not be bothered finishing it. A piece of nonsense really.

Edited November 27, 2011 by Cammy35

[aberfeldy]

James Corden autobiography was surprisingly quite good. I read it on the Kindle so I guess the paperback version is exactly the same

[Gordon EF]

me and this guy darren watched lord of the rings last night

does that count

Wrong thread...http://www.pieandbovril.com/forum/index.php/topic/21841-losin-your-virginity/

[nelsjfc]

Last book I read was Bill Bryson's "A Short History of Nearly Everything", it was excellent, would recommend to anyone with even the slightest interest in science. NB You do not need to know anything about science to understand this book.

A terrific read and, as you say, a very accessible book.

If you liked that, I would recommend his "At Home" book.

[morrison]

Currently dividing my time between Cloud Atlas, The Sacred Art of Stealing and The Shape Of Things To Come.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - I can't help feeling I missed something here. This was chosen as a local book club choice and no one else even bothered finishing it they thought it was that bad. There are six characters followed from different times working from the 1800s to the distant future and back again - I actually enjoyed the majority of the stories, and the six tales outright wind themselves up nice and neatly. There's a tenuous link between the characters but no real reason to be brought together and an absence of any kind of all consuming closure. I know it's received acclaim but I'm not sure the hype was entirely deserving here.

The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre (I'll give him the full name for you, mhak) - This was excellent, particularly loving the bank scenes and the the closing stages. The football references throughout are always going to go down well on here too, top stuff.

The Shape of Things To Come by H. G. Wells - a wee bit tough going at times I felt, hence picking up the above books. His wish to see the world united under one banner is particularly interesting to read as the Eurozone saga of today unfolds, though I imagine the end to capitalism he envisages is a wee bit further away just now. Read in the right frame of mind, this is entertaining.

Now reading P.G. Wodehouse's Much Obliged, Jeeves. These books really are nonsensical fun.

[drs]

Cloud Atlas is one of the great novels of the century so far.

[Gordon EF]

Cloud Atlas is one of the great novels of the century so far.

This sentence screams "twat".

[itzdrk]

Wrong thread...http://www.pieandbov...your-virginity/

i was more aiming at the reading champion bit

but touché sir

[morrison]

Cloud Atlas is one of the great novels of the century so far.

That's certainly what many critics thought. As I said myself I did enjoy most of the individual stories - particularly Somni and the Zachary/Meronym (after initially hating the style used) sections - I'm unsure how highly I'd rate it as a whole. It'd be a dull world if we all reacted the same way to something.

[broon-loon]

I was at a meeting in Aberdeen last year and Willie Robertson was also in attendance. It was raised in conversation that he had written a book so I decided to have a look!

Brilliant account of growing up and lots of humour....Well worth a read...

[kiwififer]

Anything like Gary robertson's book about growing up in Dundee? I got my dad that for his Christmas last year.

Yes, he worked on the milk as well!

[broon-loon]

Anything like Gary robertson's book about growing up in Dundee? I got my dad that for his Christmas last year.

Yes, he worked on the milk as well!

Is this the one about the gangs in Dundee? I have seen it, but haven't read it...!

The Willie Robertson book is very easy read.

[T_S_A_R]

That's certainly what many critics thought. As I said myself I did enjoy most of the individual stories - particularly Somni and the Zachary/Meronym (after initially hating the style used) sections - I'm unsure how highly I'd rate it as a whole. It'd be a dull world if we all reacted the same way to something.

here's my review of cloud atlas from this thread a year or so ago.

cloud atlas by david mitchell - it's a novel featuring six different characters at different points in time who's strories are discovered and rediscovered by each other the stories go 1,2,3,4,5,6,5,4,3,2,1. each section is in a different style and mimics different types of fiction and authors, there's a 'moby dick style 19th century sea story, a very dodgy, dandy 1920s composer, a 70s style corporate thriller, a modern day comedy about old age, a futuristic horror story and a post apocolyptic narrative. the mimicry and borrowing was quite frustrating at times and i often felt i'd be better spending my time reading something more original rather than a novel which seemed to be designed to pack lots of different literary elements into the one novel for less discerning readers. on the whole though it was an entertaining read and the deeper theme connecting the characters - that human nature is naturally destructive and it's up to individuals to attempt to overcome it - was rendered well.

[MONKMAN]

Cobra - Frederick Forsyth

Good read up until the last 10 pages or so. Reading the end, was like having one of them dreams where you know whats going to happen but can't do anything about it

[Sooky]

The Catcher in the Rye(1951) - J.D Salinger

I picked this book up at the library due to having heard many things about it before, without actually knowing what exactly it was about. Thus, my expectations were quite high. It turns out that I was not disappointed. A very good book, one that I would recommend to anyone else who haven't read it before.

8/10