oldbitterandgrumpy Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 20 minutes ago, scottsdad said: My dad served in the police with a guy who has turned into a novelist. He brings my dad copies of his new books when they come out. Dad doesn't want to hurt his feelings, but says the books are dreadful. In one, a car was forced off the road and the occupants all shot in the back of the head. A traffic cop showed up and declared the scene to be "suspicious". Hey! Spoiler alert. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coprolite Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 On 31/01/2023 at 02:48, Oystercatcher said: That just tells me lucas ripped off multiple sources Asimov's Foundation being another. It's got a Galactic Empire and a character called Han. He also said he wanted to make a film like the old flash Gordon series so i'd guess there's a lot of that in there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted February 9, 2023 Share Posted February 9, 2023 Jailbird by Kurt Vonnegut. I'm slowly working my way through the Vonnegut lexicon and I really enjoyed this. A wonderfully satirical fictional autobiography that still hits home now, over 40 years after publication. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted February 17, 2023 Share Posted February 17, 2023 Last Night in Montreal by Emily St John Mandel. Having loved Station Eleven, The Glass Hotel and Sea of Tranquility I thought I'd delve into Emily St John Mandel's earlier, lesser known and largely lesser rated work. This debut from 2009 is actually a very good book. Different in style from her later offerings but with all the writing style hallmarks I've come to expect from her. I enjoyed this a lot and I look forward to reading more. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandcowden Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 Hilary mantells final book,"the mirror and the light" Magnificent 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Florentine_Pogen Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 On 25/02/2022 at 20:11, Florentine_Pogen said: Wandered into Cancer Research shop at Newington today on a whim and found Hilary Mantel's Thomas Cromwell trilogy for £7. I hope I get through them before I drop off my perch.......... ETA- I do realise this should be in the 'Your Next Book' thread...... but there isn't one. On 26/02/2022 at 01:07, Antlion said: I listened to these on audio last year. First two - great, tightly written. The third I found too long and long-winded - it just shambled aimlessly through a litany of minor characters’ dramas before rushing through Henry VIII marrying the German wife and Cromwell getting offed. In the end, I was glad to see him go! No idea how close it all was to the historical Thomas Cromwell, whom the movies show as a devious b*****d. I didn’t feel moved by his downfall and thought he deserved all he got, but that might because of how tedious the third book had got. 13 minutes ago, highlandcowden said: Hilary mantells final book,"the mirror and the light" Magnificent Opinions, eh ? BTW, I still haven't finished the first, Wolf Hall. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highlandcowden Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 50 minutes ago, Florentine_Pogen said: Opinions, eh ? BTW, I still haven't finished the first, Wolf Hall. Stick with it I think the speed of the final chapters of his final days is to reflect how sudden his downfall was 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesP_81 Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. The book that coined the terms Metaverse and Avatar as it is used today. Dystopian future where countries are split into gang-run franchises and one of the worst crimes is if a pizza takes more than 30 minutes to get delivered. Throw in some biblical mythology and some futuristic tech that is eerily familiar now and you have a fairly enjoyable bit of escapism. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmic Joe Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 Reading Toy Fights - A Boyhood by Don Paterson. He roughly ages with me, and although he was brought up in Dundee, I can relate to the absolute madness, having spent my school years in 1970s Fife. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tongue_tied_danny Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 For your eyes only - Ian Fleming This is the first James Bond book that I've read. It held my attention but I didn't particularly enjoy it. It just kinda plods along and Bond isn't really how I picture him from the films. The films are much better than the book. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted February 18, 2023 Share Posted February 18, 2023 2 hours ago, Cosmic Joe said: Reading Toy Fights - A Boyhood by Don Paterson. He roughly ages with me, and although he was brought up in Dundee, I can relate to the absolute madness, having spent my school years in 1970s Fife. Next on the list for me. Had a wee spurt since Christmas (steady). If on a winters night a traveler - Italo Calvino. Bit of a mad concept for a book but I do enjoy his writing. Down and Out in Paris and London - Orwell, Paris phase is great but the London bit is just boring tramp shite. The Road - Cormac McCarthy haven’t seen the film but I would imagine it would be a pale effort compared to the book. Bleak as f**k. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottsdad Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 On 18/02/2023 at 13:57, tongue_tied_danny said: For your eyes only - Ian Fleming This is the first James Bond book that I've read. It held my attention but I didn't particularly enjoy it. It just kinda plods along and Bond isn't really how I picture him from the films. The films are much better than the book. I disagree. You would be best starting at the start, with Casino Royale. Remember the books are set in the 50s, not the 60s. A very different character indeed. The only actor I think who came close to the "book" bond was Timothy Dalton. But the books for me are superior. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squalor Vic Posted February 20, 2023 Share Posted February 20, 2023 Heat 2 - really pulpy. Enjoyed it, and you can virtually picture Pacino belting out some of the dialogue. Got to ask myself though if it's needed and do I want to see a film adaptation. Probably no, in both cases 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted February 23, 2023 Share Posted February 23, 2023 The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa. An absolutely beautiful and utterly devastating book. I do not recommend listening to the last hour while driving along the motorway at 70mph. What a triumph. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted February 24, 2023 Share Posted February 24, 2023 Blood Orange by Harriet Tyce. An enjoyable thriller with a couple of twists that don't seem forced. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Just finished A Bell for Adano by John Hersey. Set in WWII, bit dated now but I thought I’d give it a go seeing as we won a Pulitzer for it. It’s no Hiroshima, I’ll give him that. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted February 28, 2023 Share Posted February 28, 2023 Star Wars - The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City by George Mann. This is another enjoyable entry in the High Republic saga. It's a kids book, so not particularly deep, but a fun wee read. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Some People Have Real Problems by Brit Bennett. A quietly affecting wee short story. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stellaboz Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Jack Reacher, The Sentinel. Never read any of these before. My wife picked it up at our hotel on Monday as something to dwindle the time before we could check in. Finished it the next day, absolutely loved it. Will need to devour the entire series now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PWL Posted March 1, 2023 Share Posted March 1, 2023 Just started the Bono autobiography - Surrender which I'm enjoying a lot more than I thought I would. Went for the Audible version which I know is cheating but works well with him reading out his own words. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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