Cardinal Richelieu Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) Reading quite a good book about the dentist who looked like the Communist Albanian leader, Enver Hoxha (who looked a lot more like him after plastic surgery). Apparently they murdered his family and he was forced to spend the next decade masquerading as him. It didn't end well for him. After Hoxha died, he was pilloried in the street. Poor chap. Haven't got to the end so don't know the outcome, but I can't imagine it's going to be a happy ending. Edited December 18, 2013 by Cardinal Richelieu 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 (edited) I recently read World War Z and thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought it was very well thought out and in particular the different ways the countries dealt with the infestation. I have now moved on to The Zombie Survival Guide - Max Brooks. Again Im enjoying it and some considerable thought has been put into it. I also like how zombie attacks have been written into past famous events/civilisations etc. Probably move away from the Zombie theme after this one though. Dont want to sicken myself of it. Philip K Dick again maybe? Or back to the prequel to Wool? Not sure. Any suggestions? You really can't beat a bit of PKD (or if you fancy a bit of classic sci fi, have you read Stanslaw Lem's Solaris - bares little resemblence to the shit movie adaption, honest) Edited December 18, 2013 by renton 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Just finished reading 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Fucking loved it. Not been that gripped by a book for a long time! Anyone else enjoy it? I'm about two-thirds of the way through just now and enjoying it - he seems to be back on track recently after a long period of phoning it in. The only criticism I've got is the same one as always with Stephen King - it could use a wee bit of editing here and there. Then again, who's ever going to tell someone that popular to lose 20-30 pages from the second act? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattBairn Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 You really can't beat a bit of PKD (or if you fancy a bit of classic sci fi, have you read Stanslaw Lem's Solaris - bares little resemblence to the shit movie adaption, honest) I decided on A Scanner Darkly. About 30% through it and enjoying it alot I l'll keep Solaris in mind for my next one, thanks. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross. Posted December 23, 2013 Share Posted December 23, 2013 Too many books to add since I last updated this, so I'll stick with the one I finished this morning - Bad Science, by Ben Goldacre. Decent read and reinforced my cynical nature, particularly in relation to the press. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Leyenda Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Just finished reading Ricky Hatton's autobiography. Was good and bad. Started well. Was interesting reading about his early career, some early characters he fought, the early relationship between him and Billy Graham, and basically everything leading up to and including the Kosta Tszyu fight. After that though it was like he was in a hurry to finish the book. I really wanted to read the behind the scenes stuff from the build-up to the Mayweather and Pacquiao fights, but you don't really learn a thing you didn't already know if you watched both fights and HBO's 24/7 series that went with them. He doesn't go into detail why him and his mum/dad don't speak, though he does offer the olive branch to Billy Graham and basically ask for forgiveness. Was an okay read. 7/10. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bookies Love Me Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Reading The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail at the moment. Conspiracy theories abound. Quite apt that my next read is The Steel Bonnets, about the Border Reivers. Done a few iffy novels recently, but my favourite is still non-fictional British & European History. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebanda's Handyman Services Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Just finished reading 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Fucking loved it. Not been that gripped by a book for a long time! Anyone else enjoy it? That is one of the best books I've read in a long time. Particularly liked the bit where he referenced IT. Nice wee touch. My wife worked her way through The Hunger Games trilogy in a week and raved about them so they might be next on the list after I've finished the new Alex Ferguson autobiography. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 First two are good with The Hunger Games but the trilogy loses its way a bit on the third, so it will be interesting to see how the two films that are planned based on that do. The last book I read was Cloud Atlas to try to work out what the film version was all about. Worth a read but definitely no masterpiece. The film amplified themes about reincarnation that were little more than hinted at in a book in a way that often tended to undermine their overall credibility, while the book placed more emphasis on a darker theme running through it about democracy being replaced by a social system dominated by corporations that ultimately winds up destroying itself. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_B Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 The thirs Hunger Games is a laughably bad book. The series declined Matrix like. I've just finished Gone Girl - I was a bit disappointed to be honest. I expected it to be better - was just a MOR thriller. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morrison Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 First two are good with The Hunger Games but the trilogy loses its way a bit on the third, so it will be interesting to see how the two films that are planned based on that do. Didn't realise they were making stretching the third book into two. Not convinced that's a good idea, but they'll make loads of money so who cares about film quality. The books weren't too bad. Recently finished Ian Rankin's Saints of the Shadow Bible. I really like the Rebus series and Malcolm Fox is a good (if admittedly similar) character. My flatmate was a bit more negative about this offering but I got through it in no time, thought it was great. It took me two months to get through The Three Musketeers but it was well worth it. Also finished my first Philip K Dick book in The Man in the High Castle just before Christmas. It's a look at what life would be like in the USA if the allies had lost WWII. Interesting read, certainly different. I'd say it's worth a go. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
murphy1970 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Off work for a fair bit, great holidays in my job if nowt else so been doing a fair bit of reading. Recently finished The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, 1st of a trilogy of fantasy novels, and I really enjoyed it. I just hope that he cranks out the finale a bit quicker than George RR Martin. Also read two biographies, both very different but fascinating reads. The first was Its So Easy and other lies by Duff McKagan, the bassist with GnR. How he survived to tell the tale is a medical miracle. Also recently completed Autobiography by Morrissey. An interesting, if at times, difficult read, not helped by the lack of chapters. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Currently about 80%(Kindle edition) through The Republic of Thieves, by Scott Lynch, and racing through it at every opportunity. Final book of the Gentleman b*****ds trilogy, it's split between what appears to be the endgame of Locke and Jean's adventures, with a shitload of chickens coming home to roost, and an explanation from their early years as to how the whole messy situation with Sabetha originally arose. I highly recommend this series, and reckon it could really do with being filmed as a high-end TV series, á la Game of Thrones. In fact, the same style of treatment would be absolutely ideal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkfish Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 (edited) Currently about 80%(Kindle edition) through The Republic of Thieves, by Scott Lynch, and racing through it at every opportunity. Final book of the Gentleman b*****ds trilogy, it's split between what appears to be the endgame of Locke and Jean's adventures, with a shitload of chickens coming home to roost, and an explanation from their early years as to how the whole messy situation with Sabetha originally arose. I highly recommend this series, and reckon it could really do with being filmed as a high-end TV series, á la Game of Thrones. In fact, the same style of treatment would be absolutely ideal. I gave up on the first book in the series about half way through, I just didn't care about any of the characters and there was barely any interesting or novel about it. If it had been a real page turner that's excusable, but I didn't think the story was good enough to make up for it. Disappointing as I thought it started well. I know it's well thought of in fantasy circles though.Read Christopher Priest's The Affirmation over the holidays, a very good book about identity, reality, and mental illness. Deals with a lot of hefty themes and has many layers, but is really well written. He's got a very clean prose style that manages to be poetic without being at all flowery. He also wrote The Prestige, which Christopher Nolan made into a film. Edited January 8, 2014 by monkfish 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Kincardine Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I took my weans to the Hunger Games Catching Fire on Ne'erday but only finished the book last night.. Again, the book is better than the film. I also read Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London and Mood Over Soho. Both are good yarns but nothing special. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Just finished Killing For Company by Brian Masters, on Will Self's recommendation. A psychoanalytical study of Dennis Nielsen, the Muswell Hill killer. A definite class above your average real crime study. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I gave up on the first book in the series about half way through, I just didn't care about any of the characters and there was barely any interesting or novel about it. If it had been a real page turner that's excusable, but I didn't think the story was good enough to make up for it. Disappointing as I thought it started well. I know it's well thought of in fantasy circles though. Read Christopher Priest's The Affirmation over the holidays, a very good book about identity, reality, and mental illness. Deals with a lot of hefty themes and has many layers, but is really well written. He's got a very clean prose style that manages to be poetic without being at all flowery. He also wrote The Prestige, which Christopher Nolan made into a film. Strangely, I had to"get past" the fantasy stuff to enjoy the story initially. I can see where it sometimes seems to wander a bit but, trust me, it does gather pace quite well as you go on. I say "it" because the the books really are episodes one to four of the same story - although weirdly episode one is contained mostly in the third book, if that makes sense... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkfish Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 Strangely, I had to"get past" the fantasy stuff to enjoy the story initially. I can see where it sometimes seems to wander a bit but, trust me, it does gather pace quite well as you go on. I say "it" because the the books really are episodes one to four of the same story - although weirdly episode one is contained mostly in the third book, if that makes sense... I'm finding I'm more and more willing to give up on a book as I get older. Think I've binned at least 3 this year, and I hardly ever used to give up. Not sure if that's because before I would have thought it was my fault I didn't "get" a book but now I'm more confident in my own opinion, or general impatience / conceitedness. Probably the latter! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhiteRoseKillie Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 I'm finding I'm more and more willing to give up on a book as I get older. Think I've binned at least 3 this year, and I hardly ever used to give up. Not sure if that's because before I would have thought it was my fault I didn't "get" a book but now I'm more confident in my own opinion, or general impatience / conceitedness. Probably the latter! Strangely enough, I seem to be going in the opposite direction, where I'm more willing to try stuff that I'd previously have dismissed as "not really for me". Especially when you can "obtain" whole libraries of e-books for very little, I often find a hidden gem or two - just check the rating out on Amazon, and never mind the genre (within reason - I've got an interest in erotica (even written and published some), and that Fifty Shades is some of the worst writing, let alone erotic writing, I've ever had the misfortune to read). As well as the standard thriller/detective stuff, I've come to like big, panoramic novels of the type Michener used to churn out in the 60s and 70s (Aztec was a good one, which led me to Spangle, both by Gary Jennings. The most entertaining history lessons you'll ever read - apart from GMF's Flashman series, natch), and also got into more biographies than before. Strangely, I used to devour SF and fantasy as a younger reader, but cannot be bothered with SF at all now (not even Banks, although I love his regular work), and Fantasy has to have a gripping storyline, not just be "Tolkien by the Pound". Yes, Jordan. Yes Donaldson. I'm looking at you. I realise that I may be the exception, but on an average i get through a couple of books a week (more on nights), so I'll never be far from the next cracking read. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jester Posted January 9, 2014 Share Posted January 9, 2014 The Sunlit Summit by Robin Lloyd Jones Primarily one for the hillwalkers among you, it's the biography of WH Murray, climber, author and environmentalist. I've done a full review HERE. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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