What are you reading

[gavroche]

"Viking Spitfire", the story of Finn Thorsager by Tor Idar Larsen and Finn Thorsager

 

[Paulus]

I am working my way through the Peter James novels, Roy Grace is the main character. I am up to book 5 at the moment.

 

[SteveF]

The spy who came in from the cold... Picked it up on a whim at the airport, rather enjoyed it.... Will have to read a bit more Le Carre

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

At work
The Pie At Night (Stuart Maconie)

Bought, from Wakefields Waterstones this afternoon
Might take it to work, for when I finish 'Pie'
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Triumphs-T...qid=1497554592&sr=1-1&keywords=chris+boardman

 

[DCLane]

Whilst in for my surgery today I finished my copy of Do No Harm by Henry Marsh. It seemed apt.

 

[gbb]

Have a copy of that banging around, started reading it but couldn't get on with the way it's written. Would be interested in your opinion and might give it another go.

I think k I've realised what you mean.
Solzenhytyns work is from the heart, he's been there, he gives the political reasoning behind it the numbers, the system, etc etc, but he lived it and thus he conveys the abject misery, the tales of personal despair, the complete depth of it all, including detailed recollections and stories.
Applebaums book has all the background the others do but tells the story in a detached way, it's really just the system, the peoples, the numbers and a few recollections from history and survivors thrown in...it doesn't pull you in in the same way Solzenhytyns books do.
I'm enjoying reading it nevertheless.

 

[Tin Pot]

The Power, Naomi Alderman

About a hundred pages in, it's good.

It's an interesting exploration of the rise of women across the globe, due to the awakening of - essentially - a superpower. I could critique it for where I think it doesn't quite link up with reality, but that would be missing the point. I could also critique the the fundamental assumptions about human psychology and current world culture, but again that would be just trying to reassert my worldview over the authors. So, I'm just trying to let it wash over me and accept this woman's eye view of the world and how it could be different...and it's very readable.

If anyone wants to borrow it when I'm done, PM me.

 

[Tin Pot]

I have the whole of his cyberpunk novels , and a couple of his real world stuff too , i do re read occasionally and i agree he kinda went downhill.In fact i used to run a pen and paper rpg game set in a very similar universe
View attachment 357144

Trying to decide what to read atm as i dont have a book i havent read at least twice if not more times.

ShadowRun was weird, cool and not quite right imho. Tried to blend too much so it didn't let people settle in like MERP or D&D. We tried a few near and far future ones and settled on SpaceMaster.

I listened to some university podcasts analysing sci Fi and the cyberpunk genre last year, and its rekindling an interest - I've not read Snow Crash which is meant to be a key novel.

 

[Tin Pot]

[QUOTE 4844854, member: 259"]Although he was only a minor character in that book, if you've never read the Smiley books Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and Smiley's people you're in for a huge treat. Out of that trilogy I thought the Honourable Schoolboy was a bit under par though. A Perfect Spy is very good too.[/QUOTE]
+1

I became an instant fan about four years ago, now I've done pretty much all the books, audiobooks, radio broadcasts, tv series and films..!

 

[flatflr]

I think k I've realised what you mean.
Solzenhytyns work is from the heart, he's been there, he gives the political reasoning behind it the numbers, the system, etc etc, but he lived it and thus he conveys the abject misery, the tales of personal despair, the complete depth of it all, including detailed recollections and stories.
Applebaums book has all the background the others do but tells the story in a detached way, it's really just the system, the peoples, the numbers and a few recollections from history and survivors thrown in...it doesn't pull you in in the same way Solzenhytyns books do.
I'm enjoying reading it nevertheless.

That’s it, I found Applebaums work to be very clinical and theoretic and didn’t understand the Russian people, while Solzenhytyns and the rest really lived it.

I also found that Applebaums was a little anti the Russian people, however from all the time I spent there, they are just like anybody else trying to get on with life (making the best of a bad situation).

 

[Reynard]

[QUOTE 4855695, member: 259"]Blitzed - about drug use in Nazi Germany (and the Weimar republic, to be fair). In spite of having done two years of German history, I wasn't aware of the extent that methamphetamine held Germany together, and the astonishing industrial machine that helped it along.[/QUOTE]

This sounds like something my mum might enjoy - I'll have to keep an eye out for it. She's currently ticking off Mein Kampf from her bucket list of books.

She's braver than me, I have to say. All the books I've read that reference it make a point of saying that it's a stodgy, rambling and sometimes confusing read. Going by what the parental unit says, that sounds about right.

 

[Reynard]

[QUOTE 4855733, member: 259"]Blimey, my mum would probably have agreed with most of that - well, she did read the Express![/QUOTE]



Mind, it has proved intriguing. And it's interesting that some of the topics covered are still relevant today in one form or another. We've had a good bit of debate over a brew and a plate of bix. FWIW, mum grew up in occupied Europe.

 

[Dayvo]

On a milder note, I've just finished RD Wingfield's first 'Frost' book - Frost at Christmas.

It was written over 30 years ago, but seems almost like a contemporary work, apart from a lack of mobile phones, computers and other hi-tec stuff.

I only saw one or two of the Frost TV series, but David Jason was most evident in this book. I now look forward to the following five books in the series.

 

[Drago]

Some Clive Cussler rubbish that was cheap on the Ferry.

 

[John the Monkey]

Capital in the 21st Century - Thomas Piketty