Stickied What are you reading right now?

[Jarvis]

As you may tell by my avatar, which is my band's logo...I'm a big fan of The Dark Tower series...

Aaron Paul IS Eddie Dean.

 

[mnb089mnb]

As you may tell by my avatar, which is my band's logo...I'm a big fan of The Dark Tower series...

I thought you were a fan of Paul Hardcastle.

(That's one for older posters)

 

[Jarvis]

I thought you were a fan of Paul Hardcastle.

(That's one for older posters)

Heard that one before, haha.

 

[Luke Imp]

Started reading Pep Guardiola's book, 'Pep Confidential'.

Only three or four chapters in, but it's already one of those books that'll be difficult to put down.

 

[smat]

Sticky cover?

 

[Luke Imp]

This isn't he bad joke thread

 

[lordofthepies]

Smat is a bit of a maverick; he posts bad jokes in most threads.

 

[D B Disco]

half way through The Abyss Beyond Dreams, the latest book by Peter F Hamilton......the best current science fiction author out there.

 

[mowgli]

Sword In The Storm - David Gemmell. Can't beat a bit of swords and sorcery and Gemmell's books are the best i've read.

 

[Veggie Legs]

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I'm just over half way through and I'm finding it a bit of a slog. I find McCarthy's writing style quite hard work and there's not much about this book that compels me to keep reading - I can only manage about ten pages at a time before I've had enough.

 

[Etty Abrics]

I just finished ORDINARY THUNDERSTORMS by WILLIAM BOYD. It's about a chap, right, who gets caught up in a murder investigation (wrong place, wrong time) and has to go off the grid in London. It's what they call a 'page turner' I think (lol isn't every book that? wtf). I found it to be acceptable and read all the way to the end (!)

Currently reading The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo...a refreshing change from all the Nazi related stuff I've been reading recently (Stalingrad and Berlin from Antony Beevor, Robert Harris's Fatherland).

Not sure whether to go with the next Harry Hole or with Harris's Enigma next.

 

[This Charming Mike]

Currently reading The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo...a refreshing change from all the Nazi related stuff I've been reading recently (Stalingrad and Berlin from Antony Beevor, Robert Harris's Fatherland).

Not sure whether to go with the next Harry Hole or with Harris's Enigma next.

The answer is always more Harry Hole.

 

[SUTSS]

Read a bit of Richard Carrier's On The Historicity of Christ yesterday. Whilst it is very interesting and he makes some very good points it does feel like he is occasionally overstating the proof for his arguments which is what he spends a lot of time accusing his opponents of doing. Still, plenty of the book to go and maybe more evidence will be provided and these issues will be non-existent.

 

[mistermagic]

Currently reading The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo...a refreshing change from all the Nazi related stuff I've been reading recently (Stalingrad and Berlin from Antony Beevor, Robert Harris's Fatherland).

Not sure whether to go with the next Harry Hole or with Harris's Enigma next.

Didn't like Fatherland. Nor Enigma for that matter. Both overrated.

 

[Etty Abrics]

OK will kick Enigma into the long grass then.

I was told the other day that if I like crime novels, I should check out Kathy Reichs' Bones trilogy...not sure I trust the opinion of the guy who suggested it though

 

[Son of Cod]

I read that a couple of years ago, just unlike any other book ever.

Oh, this knocked Smally's post out. I love The Marabou Stork Nightmares, though. I'd go as far as saying it's Irvine Welsh's most underrated book. Up there among Flith, Glue and Trainspotting as one of my favourites. Along with Filth it's one of the ones that most notably plays about with typesetting. Let us know what you think of the ending when you're done Smally.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I'm just over half way through and I'm finding it a bit of a slog. I find McCarthy's writing style quite hard work and there's not much about this book that compels me to keep reading - I can only manage about ten pages at a time before I've had enough.

I found it difficult at first, but once I got into it I thought it was amazing. It's just brutal in places. I haven't read all of his books (something I'm gonna work on soon), but Blood Meridian is probably the least accessible one that I have. I remember having to re-read sections of it, so I know exactly what you're talking about. I do think you should persist though, mainly because if it does end up clicking you'll inevitably love it and partly because you're already halfway there!

 

[mowgli]

The Chalice by Phil Rickman. It's a Glastonbury ghost story wihich isn't bad. Set in modern day Glastonbury and involving travellers and mystics falling out with the locals which happens all the time down here.

 

[Smally]

Oh, this knocked Smally's post out. I love The Marabou Stork Nightmares, though. I'd go as far as saying it's Irvine Welsh's most underrated book. Up there among Flith, Glue and Trainspotting as one of my favourites. Along with Filth it's one of the ones that most notably plays about with typesetting. Let us know what you think of the ending when you're done Smally.

Finished it last night, and loved that ending. He finally started to make sense of things in his life and starts to show a bit of remorse rather than being a pig headed idiot and then...wow

 

[SALTIRE]

Just finished HMS Surprise, the third book in the Aubrey/Machurin series. Think I'll listen on audiobook next to I, Partridge.

 

[Smally]

I read I, Partridge, loved it. Audio book is meant to be even better though

 

[Veggie Legs]

I found it difficult at first, but once I got into it I thought it was amazing. It's just brutal in places. I haven't read all of his books (something I'm gonna work on soon), but Blood Meridian is probably the least accessible one that I have. I remember having to re-read sections of it, so I know exactly what you're talking about. I do think you should persist though, mainly because if it does end up clicking you'll inevitably love it and partly because you're already halfway there!

Finished it this morning. I did find the last third much better than what had gone before and I'm glad I finished it, but overall I didn't think it was particularly good.

 

[lordofthepies]

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick de Witt. A notorious pair of brothers, Eli and Charlie Sisters have been hired to track down some shady prospector. It's set in 1851 at the height of a gold rush on the American frontier and is atmospheric, funny and heart-breaking so far.

 

[Martino Knockavelli]

I enjoyed that, but I was a little puzzled that it was such a darling with the awards and so on. I'm by no means an expert when it comes to written westerns, but it struck me as a well executed genre exercise with an above average helping of self-awareness rather than some vaulting literary achievement a la Blood Meridian. And not that there's anything wrong with that (he hastened to add), but there are quite a lot of westerns that fit that description, and not many of them get the Man Booker brigade salivating.

 

[Pyeman]

I read I, Partridge, loved it. Audio book is meant to be even better though

I've got this sat on my book shelf waiting to be read. I'm in between books at the minute and was going to go for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", but your glowing review might have just swayed my decision.

 

[Smally]

I've got this sat on my book shelf waiting to be read. I'm in between books at the minute and was going to go for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", but your glowing review might have just swayed my decision.

They're both great books to be honest, you should be happy with either one

 

[Pyeman]

They're both great books to be honest, you should be happy with either one

Yeah I definitely think they'll be my next two books. I'll probably go with Dragon Tattoo first, then lighten the mood with Partridge.

 

[lordofthepies]

I enjoyed that, but I was a little puzzled that it was such a darling with the awards and so on. I'm by no means an expert when it comes to written westerns, but it struck me as a well executed genre exercise with an above average helping of self-awareness rather than some vaulting literary achievement a la Blood Meridian. And not that there's anything wrong with that (he hastened to add), but there are quite a lot of westerns that fit that description, and not many of them get the Man Booker brigade salivating.

I think that's probably fair. I finished it a few days ago and still really liked it, but it's a little surprising that it made it as far as the Booker shortlist. I've not read many Westerns beyond True Grit and the usual Cormac McCarthys but this only makes me want to read more.

 

[lordofthepies]

Savages by Don Winslow. I've not seen the film, which didn't sound great. The book is certainly entertaining but it's also been quite annoying in places so far.

Also just started William Gibson's Neuromancer, which I'm expecting to like.

 

[Arkan]

Bought The Holy Qur'an from Waterstones today as well as The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. I think it'll be a nice balance.

 

[RavenBish]

I'm by no means an expert when it comes to written westerns