Melanius Mullarkey Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 Just now, Thane of Cawdor said: The Wasp Factory was Simon Pegg's choice of reading material on a recent Desert Island Discs broadcast. Seemed a strange choice to me given the unusual twist, but you may be pleased/appalled to find such a kindred spirit in celebrity form. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peasy23 Posted May 30, 2023 Share Posted May 30, 2023 Was on holiday last week so managed to get a couple of books finished. A Song for the Dark Times - Ian Rankin Typical Rebus fare, although his former police partner Siobhan Clarke features just as much. Decent enough read. Killing for Company, The Case of Dennis Nilsen - Brian Masters A forensic insight into both the murders and the murderer, with the author having become a confidante of Nilsen when he was on remand. Fascinating but gruesome in parts. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Tennis Posted May 31, 2023 Share Posted May 31, 2023 (edited) Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. I'd not read Shuggie Bain - I think the fuss put me off, but will now do so pretty soon. This is an excellent book. It's an easy read in that it's so well written with such fluent dialogue. It's anything but easy though in terms of its content, which is really grim in places, although it can be funny and uplifting too. It's superb. Read it. Edited June 1, 2023 by Monkey Tennis 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 12 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. I'd not read Shuggie Bain - I think I the fuss put me off, but will now do so pretty soon. This is an excellent book. It's an easy read in that it's so well written with such fluent dialogue. It's anything but easy though in terms of its content, which is really grim in places, although it can be funny and uplifting too. It's superb. Read it. I've had this on my shelf pretty much since it came out, but haven't gotten round to it yet. Will need to recitify that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbitterandgrumpy Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 13 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said: Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart. I'd not read Shuggie Bain - I think I the fuss put me off, but will now do so pretty soon. This is an excellent book. It's an easy read in that it's so well written with such fluent dialogue. It's anything but easy though in terms of its content, which is really grim in places, although it can be funny and uplifting too. It's superb. Read it. Shuggie Bain. Highly recommended even allowing for all the fuss at the time. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 1, 2023 Share Posted June 1, 2023 This is How You Stop the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. Beautifully lyrical and moving. Really really good. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 The Neil Gaiman at the End of the Universe by Arvind Ethan David. A very fun wee short story. Having Neil Gaiman himself narrate it was a nice touch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oystercatcher Posted June 2, 2023 Share Posted June 2, 2023 Just finished this. A brilliant insight on the ruling classes and their boarding schools. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Baker Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 On 16/04/2023 at 23:31, Melanius Mullarkay said: Brave New World. An interesting concept, thought provoking philosophical stuff. Bit Meh if I’m honest though. I read it not so long ago. It has a reputation as a seminal novel and is often promoted in these lists of "100 books you should read before you die" along side the likes of "1984" . Like you I found it a bit meh, in fact a bit childish...and as a prophecy of the future as seen from the 30s or 40's it has proven to nowhere near as accurate as "1984" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorgie greatness Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Currently reading clean living under difficult circumstances Eddie pillar. #modlife 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 (edited) Hardly read anything for a couple of years because I was listening to the top 500 7 inch singles from each year from 1950 to 2019. It takes quite a long time to listen to 35,000 singles. Anyway, having done that I've started reading again and have got 5 under my belt so far this year. 'Narcissus and Goldmund' by Herman Hesse When I originally read this I considered it one of the best novels I'd ever read and re-reading years later hasn't altered my opinion. Except that Goldmund's ageing process hits home even more now. 'Fighter - The True Story of the Battle of Britain' by Len Deighton A reasonably good history of the BoB which suggests the true heroes of the battle were the inventors and operators of Britain's radar installations. It won't blow you away but it's an easy read and gives some insight on the politics and internal backstabbing within both the RAF and Luftwaffe. By this account they were each more interested in fighting their own side... 'The Man In The High Castle' by Phillip K. Dick What can I say? I thought this was pretty awful. Style and structure were boring and misconceived respectively and the ending is hack Twilight Zone episode guff that's almost an insult to the reader. Honestly, comparing this to someone like Herman Hesse is like holding up a child's crayon drawing against a Rembrandt. 'The Quiet American' by Graham Greene Yeah! A real writer again. This falls just short of my five out of five favourite novels but this was proper literature and I very much enjoyed it. I'll probably read this again at some point. Story - a jaded English journalist meets a preppy, naive American who's innocent ideologies suddenly intersect with reality in French governed Vietnam. 'The Trouble With Happiness' by Tove Ditlevsen Despite never really engaging with any of the Scandinavian authors I've read before I've been circling Tove Ditlevsen for a while although I don't think I was actually aware this was a collection of short stories when I bought it. As with all collections of short stories some are better than others although most revolve around the same kind of themes, fair to say she wasn't a fan of marriage on this evidence. Almost all of these stories are based on the anxiety, hopelessness and quiet desperation of failing personal relationships. Husbands, wives, children, family. Her style is plain but effective and there is some sharp psychological insight but let's face it, longer works are always more satisfying than short stories of similar quality. Will still probably read the Copenhagen Trilogy at some point. Edited June 3, 2023 by Ya Bezzer! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melanius Mullarkey Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 Completely agree with the Man in the High Castle review here. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deanburn Dave Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 No Plan B written by Lee Child AND Andrew Child. It's the latest "Jack Reacher" book. I have read every one in the series and this will be my last. The first 20+ books all written by Lee were excellent. But then he "took a back seat" and his younger brother Andrew took over writing duties and it's boring, lazy writing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oystercatcher Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 14 hours ago, Jimmy Baker said: I read it not so long ago. It has a reputation as a seminal novel and is often promoted in these lists of "100 books you should read before you die" along side the likes of "1984" . Like you I found it a bit meh, in fact a bit childish...and as a prophecy of the future as seen from the 30s or 40's it has proven to nowhere near as accurate as "1984" Aldous Huxley taught Eric Arthur Blair (Orwell) French at university conniving scallys 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Baker Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 6 minutes ago, Oystercatcher said: Aldous Huxley taught Eric Arthur Blair (Orwell) French at university conniving scallys Not a lot of people know that. ( I certainly didn't). But in this case the pupil mastered the teacher. Fascinating fact Oyster Catcher 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oystercatcher Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 4 minutes ago, Jimmy Baker said: Not a lot of people know that. ( I certainly didn't). But in this case the pupil mastered the teacher. Fascinating fact Oyster Catcher Only learned that myself this week after reading the book angry little men (see the last book you read thread) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Internet Citizen Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 The Power and The Glory by Graham Greene. This is my 4th Greene novel this year and it’s another good one. A priest on the run from authorities in Mexico as they try to drive religion out of the region. It feels more of a character study of the priest and his own inner thoughts but Greene also builds worlds so well that it all just feels complete. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thane of Cawdor Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 25 minutes ago, Oystercatcher said: Aldous Huxley taught Eric Arthur Blair (Orwell) French at university conniving scallys He didn't. Orwell never went to university. Huxley briefly taught him at Eton. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oystercatcher Posted June 3, 2023 Share Posted June 3, 2023 15 minutes ago, Thane of Cawdor said: He didn't. Orwell never went to university. Huxley briefly taught him at Eton. Sorry. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig fae the Vale Posted June 8, 2023 Share Posted June 8, 2023 Star Wars: The High Republic - Cataclysm by Lydia Kang. Wow, an absolute Jedi bloodbath. Another entertaining entry in the series. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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