morrison Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 I'd agree with your assessment, however I'm glad Rebus is back - great fictional character and potential for another, better book. I also wish Ken Stott would agree to do more TV adaptations; if ever there was a perfect fit for a character.... New Rebus offering to be released on 7th November, "Saints of the Shadow Bible". Just finished Goldfinger. I enjoy the Bond books, always a good read. I've also recently read Consider Phlebas, the first of Iain Banks's forays into sci-fi, and found it entertaining. And also Maribou Stork Nightmares by Irvine Welsh. It starts oddly, but things become clearer as the book develops - again, thumbs up here. Read A Disaffection by James Kelman too. This is effectively a stream of consciousness effort, inside the head of a teacher in Glasgow. Well written, and split opinions of the people I've spoken to that have read it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saint dave Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 Just finished World War Z. Really enjoyed this, it is a smart book which brings in some interesting political ideas to the genre. If you like horror / fantasy and enjoyed World War Z movie then I would really recommend this book. This isn't a spoiler because it's on the blurb at the back, but a good example of the political dimension is when the 'outbreak' begins in China but the Chinese government try to cover it up instead of addressing the problem. The author is quite clever in thinking how different countries would react / fail to react. The section on North Korea is absolutely chilling. The book is split into different sections accounting for the outbreak and then the war and the recovery told from different characters' perspectives. I can see why Brad Pitt's production company bought the rights to this book as it seems every other section could be a zombie movie in its own right. It would good to see a follow-up to the movie sticking closer to the novel. The book has got amazing potential as a TV series I reckon. They would have to steer clear of becoming a Walking Dead clone , but , in the right hands it could be immense. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 The Black Swan by Nicolas Taleb http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Black_Swan_(2007_book) It's all about uncertainty and the false confidence given by mathematical risk assessment, the limits of human knowledge, chaos and lots of other things including predicting the banking crisis It's tough going at times and he talks about himself a bit too much but it's worth a read if you're into philosophy, social sciences or history 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 'The Phantom of the Opera' by Gaston Laroux. I'd never seen any of the various films or the musical so I had nothing to compare against but I thought it was pretty good read. A little bit of comedy, a little bit of Poirot style detective stuff, some spooky goings on, horror and adventure. What more do you want? Easy to read but with some more intellectual content just below the surface. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DomDom Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) when it that? Lee Child is there next Sunday at 5pm. Jo Nesbo is on the Saturday at 6.30. Both at the Albert Halls. EDIT: There's a few big names appearing. Arne Dahl, Mark Billingham and Val McDermid among them. Details are here... http://www.bloodyscotland.com/authors/ Edited September 8, 2013 by DomDom 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedDevil96 Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 An Idiot abroad! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat(The most tip top) Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Asterix Le Gaulois I loved the Asterix books as a child and now I've finally moved up from reading Garfield in French to Asterix. One of these days I might be able to read a real book with no pictures but I've just seen that there's a graphic novel of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra so maybe that's the intermediary step 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkfish Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 1Q84 - Murakami Was a bit disappointed by this. There are moments of brilliance in there but overall it felt bloated and in the end I didn't really care about what happened to the characters. I think with the way he plots his novels (basically nothing happens and there are no satisfactory conclusions) it is hard to sustain the interest over such a long book. It works in Wind Up Bird Chronicle but not this. Not really sure why - would be interested to hear what anyone else who's read it thinks. Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka at the Shore I both remember being excellent, hope I don't go back to them and feel the same way 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoBNob Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Read the hunger game trilogy, were actually very, very decent, really impressed. Slight complaint is that towards the end of the third book things seem awfy rushed, like Collins has set herself a page limit? Anyone else whos read it get what I mean? But I did enjoy reading them, which is all that matters really. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SodjesSixteenIncher Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Quite enjoy this chap's analysis of classic literature. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForeverSinging Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Reading The Cone Gatherers 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footiechick Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Liked the start, was getting really annoyed with it through the middle and then couldn't wait to finish it. A wife goes missing on their 5th wedding anniversary. Husband is main suspect obv. Book told from her diary entries and his in real time. Still can't make up my mind whether I liked it or not. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Nooka Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss A very highly rated fantasy novel which I enjoyed although it was rather slow and not much actually happened in a very long novel, haven't decided whether to read the sequel yet! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_S_A_R Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 (edited) 1Q84 - Murakami Was a bit disappointed by this. There are moments of brilliance in there but overall it felt bloated and in the end I didn't really care about what happened to the characters. I think with the way he plots his novels (basically nothing happens and there are no satisfactory conclusions) it is hard to sustain the interest over such a long book. It works in Wind Up Bird Chronicle but not this. Not really sure why - would be interested to hear what anyone else who's read it thinks. Wind Up Bird Chronicle and Kafka at the Shore I both remember being excellent, hope I don't go back to them and feel the same way 1Q84 is a lot slower than his other novels but that reflects the subject matter. i thought the book was about japanese people becoming disconnected from society and family life which is why there are so many scenes which are nothing but the one of the three POV characters sitting in a room by themselves and so many instances of repetition. the book is about the unhealthy nature and danger of solitary existence. tengo is estranged from his father and is having an affair with a married woman, aomame's family are cultists and she has no healthy relationships and the private detective is divorced and a terrible father. tengo and aomame escape 1Q84 by creating a family. i don't agree with your assesment of nothing happening in wind up bird. the middle section flashback to WW2 is one of the most astonishing things i've ever read and the book overall is about the nature of right wing japanese nationalism which is shown explicitly in the 1930s and 1940s sections and linked to the politician brother in law in the shadow world. Edited September 11, 2013 by T_S_A_R 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophe Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 Number:The Language of Numbers by Tobia Dantzig It goes into brilliant subjects, in fascinating detail. Like going back to before they invented 0, zero, there was a time when that didn't exist, fucks everything up, whoever invented that, I'd like to shake them by the hand 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkfish Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 1Q84 is a lot slower than his other novels but that reflects the subject matter. i thought the book was about japanese people becoming disconnected from society and family life which is why there are so many scenes which are nothing but the one of the three POV characters sitting in a room by themselves and so many instances of repetition. the book is about the unhealthy nature and danger of solitary existence. tengo is estranged from his father and is having an affair with a married woman, aomame's family are cultists and she has no healthy relationships and the private detective is divorced and a terrible father. tengo and aomame escape 1Q84 by creating a family. i don't agree with your assesment of nothing happening in wind up bird. the middle section flashback to WW2 is one of the most astonishing things i've ever read and the book overall is about the nature of right wing japanese nationalism which is shown explicitly in the 1930s and 1940s sections and linked to the politician brother in law in the shadow world. Yeah nothing happens was a poor turn of phrase. Not plot driven perhaps is better. I could understand the theme of isolation, I just thought it was boring 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted September 11, 2013 Share Posted September 11, 2013 I'm working my way through Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May series. They're London-based detectives now in their 70s/80s. A touch of the supernatural (mebbees) and characters that seem like they've always been part of your consciousness. Start with Full Dark House and luxuriate in the fact that there are 10 instalments so far and 2 more coming next year. A fantastic wallow. Fowler's great, although I prefer his stand-alone novels - Disturbia is a particular favourite (I've just now gone and bought it on Amazon again, as I can't remember the last time I saw my copy!), although I also recommend Roofworld and Spanky. There's a cracking SS compilation of his as well - Personal Demons. He's the author I used to lend to people who thought James Herbert was talented... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgow_bairn Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I recently finished Equations of Life by Simon Morden which was an enjoyabke read and part of a 3 or 4 book series. Now im in to about 300 pages of post apocolyptic novel Wool by Hugh Howey which is excellent thus far! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBairn Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Now im in to about 300 pages of post apocolyptic novel Wool by Hugh Howey which is excellent thus far! Thanks. Im going to download this for my kindle. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glasgow_bairn Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 You will emjoy mate 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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