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Thread: The Book Thread

  1. #701
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    I've struggled this month to finish a book but hopefully will finish this soon. It's absolutely brilliant considering it's just talking about the sea.

    https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pr...hoCRv8QAvD_BwE

  2. #702
    Senior Member niko_cee's Avatar
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    I mostly only read kids books these days, and 99% of them are Dork Diaries level awful, but I'm reading The Beast and the Bethany at the moment and, without knowing how it's going to end up, would definitely recommend it to any small(ish) child owners or weirdos who like kids books [Harry Potter] as adults.

  3. #703
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    "child owners."

  4. #704
    Senior Member Boydy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd View Post
    I consumed Ferguson's autobiography (barf) via audiobook and I would say it was a lot better having Kenny McScot, the generic Scotsman read it to me than it would have been having the man himself doing it slurring the words between glasses of Barolo. Whether that would be the same for Wenger I don't know, but he never really learned to speak English intelligbly so I reckon it would grate.

    I've wanted to read some Roth for a while so currently reading The Human Stain - the writing is top drawer, even though I sometimes wish these people were capable of writing about characters that aren't Ivy League English professors.
    Try American Pastoral or The Plot Against America.

  5. #705
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd View Post
    I consumed Ferguson's autobiography (barf) via audiobook and I would say it was a lot better having Kenny McScot, the generic Scotsman read it to me than it would have been having the man himself doing it slurring the words between glasses of Barolo. Whether that would be the same for Wenger I don't know, but he never really learned to speak English intelligbly so I reckon it would grate.

    I've wanted to read some Roth for a while so currently reading The Human Stain - the writing is top drawer, even though I sometimes wish these people were capable of writing about characters that aren't Ivy League English professors.
    On the flip side - listen to Bobby Robson's. That's definitely worth having him read it.

    I've got Steve Peters Chimp Paradox book as well on the go which he reads which also works.

  6. #706
    Senior Member Jimmy Floyd's Avatar
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    The best one I've ever heard of that type was Ball Four (probably the best baseball book ever written) which Jim Bouton read for audiobook as an old man having written it as a much younger man, and you can hear him sort of laughing to himself at points and the emotion coming through as the memories come flooding back in the text.

    I will definitely try those, Boydy - the writing style I find infectious and he has proper searing insight of the type that, say, newspaper columnists all wish they had.

  7. #707
    Senior Member Lofty's Avatar
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    Decided against audio Wenger.

    Has anyone read Conn Iggulden's Greek series? I enjoyed all his stuff but forgot about him after his War of the Roses series concluded.

  8. #708
    Custom User Title phonics's Avatar
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    Im at the parents so going to re-read A Scanner Darkly again.

  9. #709
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    After almost exclusively reading fantasy this year, I picked up Say Nothing by Patrick Rassen Keefe at the start of the month and just finished it. I knew nothing about Northern Ireland / the Troubles / IRA going into it but feel like I've got at least somewhat of a sense of what went on now. I think it's been receiving rave reviews and justifiably so; would recommend.

  10. #710
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    Reading The Stand and loving it so far

  11. #711
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    I've been pulled back into another F1 book after hearing about Sid Watkins' books. I remember thinking after Newey's book I'd heard enough about Imola 94. In Sid's first book, the first chapter is on Imola. Once I'm done with those two I'll dive back into fiction or something. John Le Carre's Agent Running in the Field is getting some facebook ads so it'll probably be that.

  12. #712
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    I've started Obama's book. Cool that he narrates it for the audio version.

  13. #713
    Senior Member Alex's Avatar
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    I'm reading Moby Dick at the moment. It's a strange book.

    When he allows himself to get going his writing is excellent and it can be really riveting. But then he breaks up the story by occasionally diverging off into these weird, almost text-book style tangents about the history of the whaling industry and what not. For example, he dedicated maybe the longest chapter I've read so for to just meticulously cataloguing all the various types of whales in the world. So it can be quite tough going in places.

  14. #714
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    Back reading Syd Watkins' first book because I need something to kill time at work. I think the way he recounts Ronnie Peterson's death is more harrowing than Senna's. I hate the tifosi more, now.

  15. #715
    Senior Member Disco's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alex View Post
    I'm reading Moby Dick at the moment. It's a strange book.

    When he allows himself to get going his writing is excellent and it can be really riveting. But then he breaks up the story by occasionally diverging off into these weird, almost text-book style tangents about the history of the whaling industry and what not. For example, he dedicated maybe the longest chapter I've read so for to just meticulously cataloguing all the various types of whales in the world. So it can be quite tough going in places.
    Don't try reading any Homer, almost half of the Iliad is him listing the ships they used to get to Troy and what must have been every fucker on them.

  16. #716
    Senior Member CJay's Avatar
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    Last year I read the 5 (excluding prequels) books of Asimov’s Foundation series. The first couple were fantastic, and then the story nearly became too big and it became a bit of trudge towards the end. There are some spectacular plot twists over the course of the series.

    Onto his robot series now. Caves of Steel was very good. I think Naked Sun is next.

    Currently trying to finish off Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson. It’s taken nearly two years and 3 concerted but stop-start efforts, but I’m finally approaching the end now.

    So yeah I’m on a sci-fi kick right now. Although I don’t know if Foundation is really sci-fi or some kind of geopolitical psychological thriller.

  17. #717
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    If you're into robot-y sci-fi things @CJay I can recommend Steel Frame by Andrew Skinner.

    I'm still on Sunburn at the moment but it's quite easygoing so I'm ripping through that pretty quickly. Deciding whether or not once I'm done I can be arsed with this David Jason sort-of autobiography thing my mum and dad decided to get me for Christmas (the sole reason being "Well he likes Only Fools and Horses", I've never expressed any special interest in David Jason and don't usually read autobiographies.) On Waterstones it has reviews from such luminaries as Zoe Ball and Chris Moyles so it must be good, eh.
    Last edited by Ian; 26-01-2021 at 11:26 AM.

  18. #718
    Senior Member CJay's Avatar
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    Thanks Ian, sounds good. Will add that to the list.

  19. #719
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    After Sunburn (fuck The Sun, man) I went on to The Birdwatcher, a police thriller thing which is pretty light and doesn't have a particularly gripping ending (or endings, as it's also telling a story of the protagonist's childhood) but was a decent enough read.

    I'm now onto Notes from Small Planets by Nate Crowley. Crowley is one of my favourite writers across his gaming stuff and what he puts on Twitter and the other book I've read and I'm liking this so far. It's basically a riff on typical fantasy and sci-fi tropes by way of a travel guide. It is physically a beautiful little book and it's been funny so far.

  20. #720
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    Reading I Am Legend which has been enjoyable and not massively taxing, which is what I need really.

  21. #721
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ian View Post
    I'm now onto Notes from Small Planets by Nate Crowley. Crowley is one of my favourite writers across his gaming stuff and what he puts on Twitter and the other book I've read and I'm liking this so far. It's basically a riff on typical fantasy and sci-fi tropes by way of a travel guide. It is physically a beautiful little book and it's been funny so far.
    I'm really enjoying this. It's like Bill Bryson and Terry Pratchett had a very hairy little baby. Though structured more like an actual travel guide than Bryson's stuff.

  22. #722
    Senior Member Jimmy Floyd's Avatar
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    Middle England by Jonathan Coe. I was looking for a funny, contemporary British novel and this is a pretty enjoyable attempt at exploring the Brexit landscape. There are some very good set pieces but it doesn't really go anywhere narrative-wise and ends up being a bit too floppy to actually make any kind of meaningful conclusion. Although most of the better characters are remainers, I think it's trying very hard to be even-handed (it tries somewhat to sympathise with leavers from the Frank Sobotka 'We used to make things, in this country!' angle) but still ends up being a bit of a smug remainer soup. Was worth reading though, 7/10.

  23. #723
    I used to be funny.
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    One more F1 book for the pile. Murray Walker's 'If I'm Very Much Mistaken'. Not a lot here that I haven't already absorbed by osmosis but still enjoyable. Delves more into the earlier broadcasting stuff but, again, nothing I didn't already know. Some decent anecdotes but the main driving force is Murray's absolute enthusiasm and pride for everything he's done in life.

    The audiobook narrated by the man himself really, really sells it.

  24. #724
    Man(c) of the People igor_balis's Avatar
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    Just read the power and the glory by Graham Greene. It was dead good AND a good length - boshed it out in two evenings. I think 200-250 pages is gonna become the book equivalent of a 90 minute film for me, e.g. a major preference.

  25. #725
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    I finished Notes from Small Planets (it was ace, Crowley is the best) and am onto Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson. Which is the third of this specific trilogy but that itself is part of 7 books in the series or something? I dunno.

  26. #726
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    I'm reading Norman Moss' book about Karl Fuchs 'The Man who stole the Atom bomb'. It's about the race to build the atomic and plutonium bomb and subsequent years after. Amazing how the SCIENCE were able to create something of such magnitude in such a short space of time.

  27. #727
    Senior Member Alex's Avatar
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    I'm reading Dune at the moment and it's very good. I love the whole world he builds in it. It sort of spills onto the page almost fully formed from the get-go too, which is a difficult thing to do. I was invested from the first chapter. There are so many fascinating little details to it and well thought out little quirks and bits of colour and backstory that he throws in that just flesh it out perfectly.

    I also now feel like George Lucas basically owes Frank Herbert a co-writing credit for large parts of Star Wars.

  28. #728
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    I've considered Dune, though people who I've asked said to read the first book and stop there

    I'm on Mistborn 3 at the moment. Sanderson is very readable.

  29. #729
    Senior Member Pepe's Avatar
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    I bought Dune a year or so ago. Should probably get to it at some point.

  30. #730
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    Masters of Doom was going for a fiver on Apple's book store. Looking forward to getting into that. I've heard it's a good tale of Doom's development and ID software.

  31. #731
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    Well I finished the Mistborn book I was on and it came to a surprisingly good ending so after that trilogy and finishing off Wheel of Time Sanderson clearly knows how to do an ending so which is not the most common trait.

    Currently reading a Warhammer/Blackhearts book as I just wanted something short and breezy so I'm already nearly done with that.

    A Joe Abercrombie book next.

    After that I should probably read something non-fantasy to mix it up.

  32. #732
    Senior Member Lofty's Avatar
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    I am a boring non fiction master at the moment, once I have completed the latest round I might get my kindle charged up again and start getting fiction devoured.

    The last few books I have read are Wenger's autobiography (haven't finished it, terribly dry, didn't even get to the Arsenal part). That's Not The Way It Works by Bob Saenz, a book on screenwriting, currently half way through Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, a book on screenwriting, to be followed up by The Film Director's Intuition by Judith Weston, a book on screenwriting. Bit of a theme there.

  33. #733
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shindig View Post
    Masters of Doom was going for a fiver on Apple's book store. Looking forward to getting into that. I've heard it's a good tale of Doom's development and ID software.
    I read it yonks ago and It was great.

  34. #734
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    Yeah, I'm early days on it but I'm amazed at how much of an edgelord Romero was.

    https://dondeq2.com/2018/11/30/melvi...y-john-romero/

  35. #735
    mischamischaracterisation Dquincy's Avatar
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    I have been reading a James Patterson novel, but lost interest in it halfway through. The problem is I have bought a new book on 9/11 that I want to read, but I have a rule that I cannot read the new book until the old book is completed. It's a whole catch-22.

  36. #736
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    James Patterson is balls. Just sack that off.

  37. #737
    mischamischaracterisation Dquincy's Avatar
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    Yeah I think you're right. Still might just get through it quick time. Maybe just read every other page.

  38. #738
    Webly Ian's Avatar
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    I always knew they weren't GREAT but I had to read some back to back when I ran out of my own stuff on a holiday years ago. I'm sure this would be true of many authors if you powered through a few of their books in a row but it really drove home how not very good he is.

  39. #739
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    Masters of Doom is finished. I really enjoyed that. You see how game development changes from an indie pursuit to a big effort requiring dozens of people and all the highs / lows that come with it. The author's got one about GTA but I just don't find the Housers especially compelling. That terrible BBC effort with Daniel Radcliffe probably ruined them for me.

    I've spent way too much time watching Carmack lectures on youtube.

  40. #740
    Senior Member Lofty's Avatar
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    A lot of 'airport' authors are just brands now rather than quality. I used to enjoy the odd Lee Child inbetween genre changes/series changes as a pallette cleanser, literary sorbet in the form of short clipped sentences.

    Forgot I pre-ordered a signed copy of Bob Mortimer's autobiography which turned up yesterday, nice surprise.

  41. #741
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    I bet that's a good read. Although I wonder if he erm... switches off for it.

  42. #742
    Senior Member Lofty's Avatar
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    It is what you would expect so far, fishing and WILTY blended up and spat out.

  43. #743
    mischamischaracterisation Dquincy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ian View Post
    James Patterson is balls. Just sack that off.
    I finished The Summer House by James Patterson. It was alright but no better.

  44. #744
    Isn't he banned? Baz's Avatar
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    Anyone listen to audiobooks?

    I've a few books I want to read but as I've not been on holiday in ages, I've just not. So I figured I'd put podcasts on hold for a little while and listen to an audiobook in the car instead. I only get like 15 mins a day but I'm enjoying it nonetheless. Can see me listening to more once I've finished this one. First one I've gone for is an Elliott Smith biography, Torment Saint. Widely panned by fans, mostly because he used a misheard lyric (torn mid sail) as the title and well apparently he backs up Jennifer Chiba who most of us want to believe did a murder, rather than believe our sweet sweet prince took his own life, but I'm really enjoying it.

    Best part is, if I didn't know better, I'd say it was being read to me by Agent Doggett from the X-Files, aka T-1000, so it all sounds cool as fuck. I've never heard throwaway stories about 15 year olds recording songs onto a cassette in their mates garage sound so damn badass.
    I'm a twit

  45. #745
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    I periodically listen to them. I've got Bob Mortimer ready to go and my father in law actually has just recorded one so that'll be the next two. Last one was Obama which was long but good to hear him actually read it.

    I used to listen more when I was on long walks but I barely do it anymore so don't really find time to dedicate to it.

  46. #746
    ram it up your shitpipe Giggles's Avatar
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    I can neve find the time. I already gave up music because of podcasts and it's at the stage now that I can't even listen to all the ones of those I want to.

  47. #747
    Administrator Kikó's Avatar
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    My hour walk to work was perfect because you couldn't distract yourself with this place.

  48. #748
    Senior Member Manc's Avatar
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    27 in the library currently with 6 outstanding. The narrator is key.

  49. #749
    Isn't he banned? Baz's Avatar
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    Started reading The Magical Faraway Tree, or whatever it's called but my wife's old copy was too tatty so bought a new copy, and it had changed the names of the three kids from Jo, Bessie and Fanny to Joe, Beth and Frannie.
    I'm a twit

  50. #750
    I used to be funny.
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    Modern names for modern times.

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