Tamdunk Posted January 8, 2011 Share Posted January 8, 2011 I'm reading a book called cross country which is annoying cos whenever I look at the cover it looks like Ross County 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mak Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Napoleon: the Myth of the Saviour by Jean Tulard. Really enjoyed this. It managed to tread the line between popular and academic history almost perfectly, so that it could be read and enjoyed as a biography of a fascinating character whilst at the same time actually having academic merit. Would recommend it to anyone interested in the Napoleonic period. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Real Zippy Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 The Forgotten Highlander by Alistair Urquhart. Very moving read. Summed up the Japs neatly - a truly disgusting nation. Have never apologised for its actions against our POW's and will never forgive that Greek c**t Philip for attending Hirohito's funeral. How Mr Urquhart lived to relive his ordeal is a miracle in itself. -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arab_joe Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 Now... Life of Pi by Yann Martell. Wow, Life of Pi is a belter of a book; can't believe it has taken me to the age of 25 to read it. Great story, great twist. Now reading 'Sister' by Rosamind Lupton. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jojo Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 rendevous with rama by Arthur C. Clark. I've been getting into science fiction book recently and i was wondering if anyone would recommend any particular author? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiwififer Posted January 9, 2011 Share Posted January 9, 2011 50 pages to go on Clancy's latest, I have to say that he's nowhere near as good as he was. Red Storm Rising/Red October/The sum of all fears are the best things to read on a beach and some of my favourite reads, but he really should have left it at Bear and Dragon. Very, very disappointed. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footiechick Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Alone in Berlin by Hans Fallada 7.5/10 Nazi Germany in the 1940's during the war. A couple learn of the death of their son and from then on decide to resist the Nazi regime. Some very interesting characters especially from the Gestapo. The Quangels start wrting postcards questioning the regime and leave them in buildings hoping to move others towards resistance. The book covers their quest and their eventual comeuppance. Based on actual events. I really enjoyed this but the end dragged on a wee bit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drs Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 One Day - I'm upto 1999. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Freud Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 rendevous with rama by Arthur C. Clark. I've been getting into science fiction book recently and i was wondering if anyone would recommend any particular author? Iain M Banks - Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons, Palyer of Games, THe Algebreist...any of them really. Ian McDonald - River of Gods, Brasyl Phillip K Dick - Anything at all by this guy If you can handle the old writing style, Ray Bradbury, particularly his short stories, though Farenheit 451 is good. Isaac Asimov, the Foundation trilogy Frank Herbert, the Dune series Get through that lot then come back for more. I'm dead jealous actually - your in for a real treat. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 You're Next, By Gregg Hurwitz. Its recommended in Richard &Judy's Book Club,but don't let that put you off. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arab_joe Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Now reading 'Sister' by Rosamind Lupton. Quite a good book, that... I felt it was heavily aimed at a female audience but, in the end, it was quite compelling and had an exciting end. I then read a book that was a Christmas present, WHEN THE MATCH FINISHES, THE GAMES BEGIN, which is the stroy of the Dundee Utility from the mid-1980s until the 2005 Cup Final arrests. Quite interesting from the point of view that I was familiar with the settings they were describing and knew of some of the games they were at, but it is written spectacularly poorly and is, essentially, just an ego massage of the Utility thugs. Probably the last football hooligan book I'll be tempted to read. Picked up ROSES ARE RED by James Patterson for £1 in Asda. Good fun detective book, pretty much what you'd expect. I've got VIOLETS ARE BLUE waiting to be read in due time. Am reading SCHINDLER'S ARK at the moment; absolutely brilliant stuff thus far. A truly vital story! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Am guiltily reading 'The Strain' by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan Hiding it in my work bag. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renton Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Iain M Banks - Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons, Palyer of Games, THe Algebreist...any of them really. Ian McDonald - River of Gods, Brasyl Phillip K Dick - Anything at all by this guy If you can handle the old writing style, Ray Bradbury, particularly his short stories, though Farenheit 451 is good. Isaac Asimov, the Foundation trilogy Frank Herbert, the Dune series Get through that lot then come back for more. I'm dead jealous actually - your in for a real treat. I would largely concur, with repsect to iain M. Banks, you are better starting with Player of Games - it's a good introduction to his main universe, although I enjoyed the Algebraist as well. Philip K. Dick is indeed the absolute master, probably my favourite author of all time. Start either with Do Androids dream of electric sheep (became Blade Runner), or the man in the high castle which is generally felt to be the defining counter factual history story in science fiction. Either way, make sure you read A scanner darkly, an incredibly affecting, dark story. In addition to PF's list as well, I'd recommend: Solaris by stanislaw Lem. Forget the shit Clooney movie adaption, this is a very intelligent, thought provoking tale of first contact between two uncomprehending species, the sense of mystery, doubt, misery and hope combines to make a brilliant first person account. this is Lem's best riff on his own unique, and sceptical analysis of first contact between human and extra terrestrial life. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. This is the coutner argument to Heinlein's pro military, almost fascist Starship Troopers novel. This book was written by Haldeman and base don his Vietnam experience. Combines the author's own front line experience with realistic physics that depicts a war between humanity and an alien race. Becuase the war is fought at near light speed velocities, time dilation causes the centrla character to become increasingly isolated from the world that he is fighting for, whiel he ages merely ten years, centuries pass on earth. Fantastic story. Ringworld by Larry Niven, the central premise of the expedition to a strange artificial structure is simple enough, and became the inspiration for the worlds seen in Halo. However, it's a very easy read, the characters are all well drawn and the depiction of the alien species seen in the story are all well thought out. It's also part of a much larger 'shared universe'. one more piece of advice - avoid at all costs any novels that are tie ins to tv series, particularly Star trek. these are derivitive shite with zero imagination. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footiechick Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Am reading SCHINDLER'S ARK at the moment; absolutely brilliant stuff thus far. A truly vital story! This is on my bedside table. Think I'll save it for the holidays though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ayrgirl Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 You're Next, By Gregg Hurwitz. Its recommended in Richard &Judy's Book Club,but don't let that put you off. I've just bought that. Currently reading Live to tell by Lisa Gardner. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unleash The Nade Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 I've just bought that. Hope you like it. Good story ,fast moving and I found it difficul to put down at times. Really sad when the main character gets killed in the end Kidding!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T_S_A_R Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 i finished the satanic verses by salman rushdie a wee while ago. it's a bit hard to explain but half of it is about two indian muslim actors who survive a plane being blown up by terrorists and their varying fortunes afterwards in london. the other half describes the dreams of one of the actors which depicts the beginnings of islam in mecca, a pilgrimage to the sea by an indian village and a strange episode with the shah of iran. i much prefered the dream sequences and the parts set in india to the sections in the uk which don't seem very authentic. the sections in mecca are excellent although you can see why it pissed off muslims. as usual with rushdie the writing excellent but it's nowhere near as good a novel as midnight's children. since then i've been reading gravity's rainbow by thomas pynchon. it's quite slow going as the sentence structure and language are quite complex but it's been pretty enjoyable so far. the basic premise is that the nazi's are launching v2 rockets at london during ww2 and everytime a certain american service man has sex a rocket hits that location not long after. there's a lot of other weird stuff going on as well. i didn't fancy my chances of being able to follow the pynchon book on the bus back from pumping aberdeen the other night so i took less than zero by bret easton ellis to reread. i read the sequel a few months ago and i thought it was gash but i wasn't sure if actually was or if i had grown out of b.e.e. less than zero was as good as i remembered and now i'm really tempted to hammer through all his novels again in order but i need to stick with the pynchon then get further battered into my do list. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yabass Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Philip K. Dick is indeed the absolute master, probably my favourite author of all time. Start either with Do Androids dream of electric sheep (became Blade Runner), or the man in the high castle which is generally felt to be the defining counter factual history story in science fiction. Either way, make sure you read A scanner darkly, an incredibly affecting, dark story. Started reading this last week for the umpteenth time, a masterpiece of alternative history literature. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddfg Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Just finished the John Twelve Hawks Fourth Realm Trilogy, had never heard of him before coming across the first one by chance on a freebie and then went and got the next two. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drs Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Another great read, with a lot of laughs and a superb twist. I identified far too much with the character who was meant to be a twat, but c'est la vie. I'd highly, highly recommend both One Day Oh jesus, just finished it - cracking bit of misdirection for all you who read the last page first but apart from that oh jesus like Emma I didnt see that coming - I think I've cried all the way home after reading it. Read this NOW before the film ruins it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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