Stickied What are you reading right now?

[Techno Natch]

I think the last five books I've read have all been in the top 100 list so it's a good place to start.

 

[blade1889]

The Dark Tourist by Dom Jolly is another good holiday book.

If you say you don't like Dom Jolly either I'm done with you.

Well....

Cant imagine him writing a book tbh, only know him from that irritatingly large telephone and I'm a Celeb

 

[blade1889]

Looking through that list I think I'll probably go for Bill Bryson or a Ben Elton. Not read Bill Bryson before but apparently hes not too heavy going? Read Popcorn by Elton and enjoyed it, found it pretty easy reading.

Would like to read 1948 but assuming its quite heavy going as its an Orwell?

But random but is there anything with a genetic/cloning story running through it?

 

[Techno Natch]

I reckon 1984 is quite easy to read actually. Animal Farm was even better in my opiniom and thats really easy. Both good books.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

The only tough part of 1984 is the chapter which is an extract of the book Winston is reading. Love that book though.

 

[Veggie Legs]

Looking through that list I think I'll probably go for Bill Bryson or a Ben Elton. Not read Bill Bryson before but apparently hes not too heavy going? Read Popcorn by Elton and enjoyed it, found it pretty easy reading.

Would like to read 1948 but assuming its quite heavy going as its an Orwell?

But random but is there anything with a genetic/cloning story running through it?

Bill Bryson is a sound choice for a holiday read, especially if you pick one of his travel books related to where you're going. They're all good though.

 

[blade1889]

Cheers guys, will have a wonder round te shops in the airport trying to find a Bryson &/or 1984

 

[mistermagic]

I wouldn't say that 1984 is easy to read. The heavy political implications of the book are quite deep.

 

[SALTIRE]

The Mauritius Command, another Aubrey / Machurin novel.

 

[Scrumpy]

The entire Bachman (Stephen King pseudonym) book series.

Highly recommend The Long Walk in particular. Also includes The Running Man. The Arnie adaption isn't quite 'in line' but is based on the book.

I believe that the movie rights belong to Frank Darabont and will be a project once he's finished with The Walking Dead.

Personally, I'm much of a fan of post-apocalyptic books.

For that matter, I also enjoyed World War Z and the Hunger Games trilogy.

Not long read A Canticle For Leibowitz. Very good and worth checking out.

 

[Pyeman]

Slightly off topic but what are people's thoughts on audio books?

I'm travelling to Berlin via coach in a few weeks and need something to pass the time. I've always assumed it won't be as satisfying as actually reading a book but unfortunately for me reading + driving = sicky time.

 

[Veggie Legs]

I don't find it as enjoyable as reading but it's a reasonable alternative. I also find that I sometimes tune out and miss bits because I'm concentrating on something else, so most audiobooks I listen to are books that I've previously read.

 

[Scrumpy]

Slightly off topic but what are people's thoughts on audio books?

I'm travelling to Berlin via coach in a few weeks and need something to pass the time. I've always assumed it won't be as satisfying as actually reading a book but unfortunately for me reading + driving = sicky time.

A friend of mine went through all the Game of Thrones books via audio and rated it highly.

S'pose which book(s) you'd like to purchase as audio. Some are probably better suited than others. Probably genre based - some can be better than others?!

 

[Pyeman]

A friend of mine went through all the Game of Thrones books via audio and rated it highly.

S'pose which book(s) you'd like to purchase as audio. Some are probably better suited than others. Probably genre based - some can be better than others?!

Cheers. I've read the GoT books but I've seen a few people mention the First Law series here so I might give them a try.

I'm also thinking of podcasts but that's really taking this thread off topic.

 

[Aber gas]

Slightly off topic but what are people's thoughts on audio books?

I'm travelling to Berlin via coach in a few weeks and need something to pass the time. I've always assumed it won't be as satisfying as actually reading a book but unfortunately for me reading + driving = sicky time.

Rogue male by Geoffrey household, read by micheal jayston is an excellent audio book . I first heard it serialised on now defunct bbc 7 and absolutely loved it .

 

[mistermagic]

I finished The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Very good and the first Le Carré I enjoyed. It's just a very simple and very short (250-odd pages) spy novel where the characters are well developped and the plot is just great. Why can't Le Carré write like this in all his books and not make things overly complicated by using difficult adjectives and abnormally long sentences I simply cannot fathom.
I started We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver. I don't like the epistolary format as a chapter basically equates to a letter that a wife is sending to his husband. Hope it kicks off.

 

[Baz]

Re-Reading Bret Harts autobiography. Not sure why I chose to do that but it kind of happened on holiday.

 

[BCFC Jordan]

Slightly off topic but what are people's thoughts on audio books?

I'm travelling to Berlin via coach in a few weeks and need something to pass the time. I've always assumed it won't be as satisfying as actually reading a book but unfortunately for me reading + driving = sicky time.

I got the free trial for Audible thing a while back and listened to The Martian (being made into a film this year) and A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. Enjoyed both thoroughly. I'd recommend them both but particularly The Martian, as 'AWITW' is more based on someone's travels and experiences, which may not suit everyone's tastes.

Like others have said, it's easy to get distracted whilst listening - I tended to only listen at night when lying in bed. I don't think it would be as enjoyable during the day, although that may just be me. I know some enjoy listening when exercising, too.

Funnily enough I've renewed with Audible again recently because I was offered a discount in a promotion. Chose 'The Count of Monte Cristo' which is a daunting 52 hours long.

 

[Pyeman]

I got the free trial for Audible thing a while back and listened to The Martian (being made into a film this year) and A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. Enjoyed both thoroughly. I'd recommend them both but particularly The Martian, as 'AWITW' is more based on someone's travels and experiences, which may not suit everyone's tastes.

Like others have said, it's easy to get distracted whilst listening - I tended to only listen at night when lying in bed. I don't think it would be as enjoyable during the day, although that may just be me. I know some enjoy listening when exercising, too.

Funnily enough I've renewed with Audible again recently because I was offered a discount in a promotion. Chose 'The Count of Monte Cristo' which is a daunting 52 hours long.

Thanks for the info. I've read notes from a small island by Bryson. Enjoyed it.

Do you know if you can audiobooks put on an iPod?

 

[BCFC Jordan]

Do you know if you can audiobooks put on an iPod?

Not sure about IPods, sorry. I'd imagine you could get them on your phone, though. That's where I've listened to the one's that I've had.

 

[blade1889]

Well East Midlands has two pathetic WHSmiths so barely any there and we were late anyway! No Bryson or Orwell. So currently reading Andy McNabs 'state of emergency', enjoying it so far...very easy reading and like a slightly more grown up Alex Rider-which are the books i loved as a kid.

 

[Smally]

Finally finished Filth by Irvine Welsh at the weekend. It was starting to drag on me but the last 50-80 pages were excellent, and brought some sense and direction to the story. Going to read Glue next, hopefully I won't take as long reading that

 

[Aber gas]

Finally finished Filth by Irvine Welsh at the weekend. It was starting to drag on me but the last 50-80 pages were excellent, and brought some sense and direction to the story. Going to read Glue next, hopefully I won't take as long reading that

I love glue , it's my favourite of welshs novels . It seems more ambitious and complete than his others . Hope you enjoy it .

 

[mowgli]

Spartacus - The Gladiator by Ben Kane. The first of 2 novels about the escaped gladiators battle against Rome, a pacy and brutal read.

 

[blade1889]

Finished Andy McNab a couple of days ago, very easy reading and kept my interest.

Nearly at the end of Kathy Reichs' 'Bones Never Lie' which is decent but I'm not a fan of the first person its written in and the twist id been waiting for since early on in the book...very predictable.

 

[blade1889]

Now onto 'the zone of interest' by Martin Amis as it was one of the only English books in the shop here. Anybody else read it? Different in that it alternates between three different characters perspectives every chapter. About a prisoner of war camp, not called Auschwitz but assumed to be based on it. At the moment there isn't much of a story to it, more of an informal historical retelling of the day-to-day running of the camp told from a predominantly German perspective - although its fiction its clearly based on events that happened. Cant say its really holiday reading!

 

[mistermagic]

Could be if you're planning a trip to Southern Poland...

 

[SUTSS]

Started Fergal Keane's Season of Blood. It is his account of his time in Rwanda during the genocide. It's very well written.

 

[Murphy]

Went through a few books whilst on holiday. Two of which were autobiographies, Chris Hargreaves and Alex Ferguson respectively (Sort of enjoyed the former more than the latter, especially the anecdote about Kevin Nicholson), and one of my favourite books now, Brave New World.

Really like dystopian fiction and I've already read 1984 which I found engrossing, one of those that you can't put down, so Brave New World was the next step. I've seen a few people say that they didn't like it, but like 1984 I found it engrossing, especially towards the end (although not the last chapter), which I really liked, the confrontation between George and the Director. So yeah, up there with 1984 as one of my favourites now.

Anyone got any other Dystopian fiction recommendations?

 

[Techno Natch]

I've just finishes The Martian, throughly good book and really enjoyed reading it. Not sure how accurate the science is but it was quite interesting and not to much. Even when I didn't understand the science it didn't take away from the story.

One thing that bothered me though -

Spoiler: Spoiler

He didn't ever really seems to get depressed and he never spoke about his family and friends. He was on his own for a year and a half but he always kept focused pretty much. I know he didn't have any choice but it's surely unlikely.

Going to get on with Dust now.