Greggy Wallace Posted November 1, 2012 Share Posted November 1, 2012 Currently reading The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart. Very interesting concept and I've found myself flipping a coin to make decisions once or twice since starting it, which I wouldn't normally do. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kejan Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 (edited) Raw Spirit - Iain Banks 3/10 - a dull, uninspiring read. It's his first non-fiction book so maybe I should cut him slack but it feels like it was rushed through and it is not very interesting at all, I gave up around page 140 and I think I've only stopped reading 2 books in the past. I noticed on the side it's £18.99! Thank crikey, I rented that out from the library. Banks goes on a trip around Scotland to find the perfect dram. Yet he doesn't write enough about this process, baring a half page in each chapter of the whisky or distillery he tasted and visited. The rest of the pages are filled with rubbish about him being a dyed in the wool socialist yet rolling on about his fancy BMs and Land Rovers, speedboats, castles and luxurious hotels that he has stayed in - he comes off as the type who is constantly referring to himself as working class in the pub yet lives in a 5 bedroom b*****d house and has 3 cars in the driveway. Along with long-winded descriptions of minor and back roads of Scotland - we have a beautiful country and these roads are fantastic to drive with the scenery but he fails to even capture that as he ends up droning on about the road itself and car stuff that I do not understand or like. I doubt even a petrolhead wouldo enjoy it either. Continued with stories of his drunken and youthful capers which just aren't funny at all. Guess I had to be there, but it's like going to the pub with one of your pals and his other group of friends when they are all giggling away about the weekend before where they got up to no good yet because you weren't there it just sounds alien. And the Iraq war - I wasn't keen on it either, but constantly droning on about it when he's meant to be writing about whisky. Currently reading Jennifer Egan's - A Visit From The Goon Squad which so far has restored my faith in reading and is fairly funny. Edited November 3, 2012 by Kejan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Currently reading The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart. Very interesting concept and I've found myself flipping a coin to make decisions once or twice since starting it, which I wouldn't normally do. Have you been round and raped your neighbours yet? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Just finished "The Ghost of White Hart Lane", written by Rob White & Julie Welch. Rob was only 6 months old when his father John, a Spurs and Scotland legend, was killed after being struck by lightning on a golf course. It's a very emotional read as Rob tries to somehow get to know the father he never had. Excellent contributions from many of John's old team mates and definitely well worth a read. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 (edited) Just finished Ry Cooder's LA Stories, a book about LA in the 1950s, the concept being you just sit down at a bar and each one of these guys tells his stories. It's fine. Now I'm going to start The Brilliant Disaster; JFK, Castro and America's Doomed Invasion by Jim Rasenberger, a history of the Bay of Pigs invasion, which I hope is even half as fascinating as it sounds. Edited November 23, 2012 by Savage Henry 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 (edited) The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. It was billed as 'laugh out loud funny', and full of 'belly laughs'. Er.....no. It was quite amusing at bits, and generally quite interesting and informative (even disturbing at times), and certainly worth a read. Prior to that, I read The English Monster by Lloyd Shepherd. Another decent read, and quite eerie and atmospheric, if a tad disjointed in the plot at times. Before that, I enjoyed The Tao of Muhammad Ali. An interesting take on Ali, and written in a way that makes a change from the typical boigraphy affair. Edited November 23, 2012 by Drooper 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. It was billed as 'laugh out loud funny', and full of 'belly laughs'. Er.....no. It was quite amusing at times, and generally quite interesting and informative (even disturbing at times), and certainly worth a read. Prior to that, I read The English Monster by Lloyd Shepherd. Another decent read, and quite eerie and atmspheric, if a tad disjointed in the plot at times. Before that, I enjoyed The Tao of Muhammad Ali. An interesting take on Ali, and written in a way that makes a change from the typical boigraphy affair. I really like Jon Ronson's stuff, he seems like a good guy and has a unique take on the subjects he tackles, but ever since they made that film of The Men Who Stare At Goats, his books have been labelled as something they plainly are not. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 I really like Jon Ronson's stuff, he seems like a good guy and has a unique take on the subjects he tackles, but ever since they made that film of The Men Who Stare At Goats, his books have been labelled as something they plainly are not. Aye, I thought the film was a bit shite, and imagine the book was far superior. As you say, he's a self-effacing guy (or certainly comes across that way), and I liked his writing style. I'll look out for his other material. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Aye, I thought the film was a bit shite, and imagine the book was far superior. As you say, he's a self-effacing guy (or certainly comes across that way), and I liked his writing style. I'll look out for his other material. Have you ever seen the series? It was fascinating, strange, and from time to time funny. But it wasn't slapstick. It's worth a wee couple of hours on Youtube looking at his older C4 stuff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drooper Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Have you ever seen the series? It was fascinating, strange, and from time to time funny. But it wasn't slapstick. It's worth a wee couple of hours on Youtube looking at his older C4 stuff. What was the series called. I'll check it out, cheers. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 What was the series called. I'll check it out, cheers. Crazy Rulers of the World, I believe. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidthebaw Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 i've always found hunter s. thompson rather protracted and obtuse but this is an acute book. covers the whole 360 degrees of a biker gang. tut tut it's a motorcycle club not a gang. Best book about the Hells Angels would be by Sonny Barger in my opinion. Hunters is ok but set in a particular time and place whereas Sonny's book gives us short stories over the last 40 years up to the present. You could argue they are two different types of book. Hunters is about the club whereas Sonnys is about being in the club as a member. The outsider vs insider view. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morrison Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 In the last week I finished Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl. This collection of sixteen adult short stories contains brilliant efforts such as Skin & Galloping Foxley, to the weird in William & Mary and Royal Jelly, to the dull, like Edward the Conqueror. Why it finishes on that low point I don't know, but the beauty of short stories is that the pain's over quickly in the bad cases and there'll be something in there for everyone. Four of the first five stories involve gambling, it seems to be a fixation. Anyway, 8/10 I'd say. I also finished 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Finally got round to it after several positive mentions earlier in the thread. King's an excellent storyteller and I loved 90% of this book. It went a little slowly for me around the ¾ mark, which may well just be my impatience to get to the main event but it still seemed to drag. I enjoyed the characters and the references to earlier work. The ending was strong. 7/10. Currently halfway through The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett, a sci-fi novel. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SodjesSixteenIncher Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 (edited) Europe, Europe by Hans Magnus Enzensberger - A German writer's travelogue, with each chapter dedicated to a European country he passes through in the 80's. Very enjoyable read. He tries to summarise each country and it's people, which he does with mixed success. Some of it feels authentic and insightful, some of it contrived. Really like these kind of travel books - pieces that give you a sense of the places and eras featured. Any recommendations for similar reading would be appreciated actually. ETA: Moving on to Miracle of Castel Di Sangro, which I've seen praised to the hilt on here. Looking forward to it. Edited November 25, 2012 by SodjesSixteenIncher 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewbo Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 In the last week I finished Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl. This collection of sixteen adult short stories contains brilliant efforts such as Skin & Galloping Foxley, to the weird in William & Mary and Royal Jelly, to the dull, like Edward the Conqueror. Why it finishes on that low point I don't know, but the beauty of short stories is that the pain's over quickly in the bad cases and there'll be something in there for everyone. Four of the first five stories involve gambling, it seems to be a fixation. Anyway, 8/10 I'd say. Only book I ever enjoyed in high school believe it or not 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC PETE Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Got a couple on the go right now. The Biggest Secret, David Icke, primarily. Just for a laugh more than anything. It's exactly what I expect, lots of weird stuff about reptilians. Dunno how much I am willing to believe. The Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut. Excellent stuff. Very funny & quite moving in parts. Easily digesteable too, which is important to me (as I read in work). Milton William Cooper's Behold a Pale Horse is one I'm struggling to finish. It's terrifying, but a little tedious. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC PETE Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. Forgot that I've made a start on this too. Looking forward to getting into it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chico Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 The Lion at Bay - Robert Low Second part of his Kingdom series on/about Robert the Bruce and the wars of independence. 8/10. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richey Edwards Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 Let The Old Dreams Die by John Ajvide Lindqvist - a collection of short stories by the author of Let The Right One In - 9/10 The short story of the same title is a sort of epilogue to LTROI but I was initially disappointed that it focussed on new characters and only briefly alluded to what became of Oskar and Eli (the central characters of LTROI). I did enjoy it though even if it wasn't what I expected it to be. I really enjoyed the continuation of Handling The Undead though, which was by far the longest of the stories. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stimpy Posted December 2, 2012 Share Posted December 2, 2012 The Slaughterhouse Five, Kurt Vonnegut. Excellent stuff. Very funny & quite moving in parts. Easily digesteable too, which is important to me (as I read in work). Read this years ago, fantastic stuff. "so it goes" is a great phrase, I use it all the time. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.