Last Book You Read....

[H_B]

Orpheus Rising by Colin Bateman.

Terrific. He is such a talent. Should be a lot bigger than he is.

[Yoss]

Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov

Very difficult reading, the "novel" take you on all sorts of twists and truns and is a general mind-f**k. Is Kinbote who he says he is? Maybe not, but not a bad real nonetheless.

7/10

What a fucking great book that is, anyone who hasn't read it should do.

Currently trying to read Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow, but not finding it easy.

[Ebanda's Handyman Services]

I got Peter Shilton's autobiography in secret santa.

Pretty good so far but I've not finished it. Naebody let on what happens at the end.

[Savage Henry]

I'm reading the Warren Report. Saw one of those conspiracy nuts on youtube, and thought I'd do a little research. I will follow it up by reading Crossfire by Jim Marrs.

[Mel Hutchwright]

Hunger ~ Knut Hamsun

The narrator is an impoverished writer in late 19th century Christiania (Oslo) who's mental and physical wellbeing is declining due to starvation. It's at turns both disturbing and blackly humorous, as he is driven to acts of desperation and becomes increasingly irrational as his grip on reality loosens.

Hamsun's a magnificent writer and this is a great novel.

Edited December 29, 2008 by Mel Hutchwright

[Laid Back Maverick]

"The Regiment: The Real Story of the SAS" by Michael Asher.

Very good read, which cuts through all the bullshit and romanticism of the SAS that's evolved over the years. It covers the first 50 years from WW2 Africa via Italy and Normandy, Malaysia, Oman, Borneo, Dhofar, Northern Ireland, Iranian Embassy, Falklands, and ending with the first Gulf War.

Only downer is that the last section covering the first Gulf war is practically copied and pasted from Asher's previous "The Real Bravo Two Zero" or Peter Radcliffe's "Eye of the Storm: 25 Years Action with the SAS, but I suppose there's only so many ways you can write MacNab is a lying arsehole.

Compared to some of SAS books out at the moment, it openly acknowledges mistakes that were made - including the killing of civilians in Northern Ireland.

[Mak]

Further to that, the last book that I read was "The Long Midnight of Barney Thomson" by Douglas Lindsay.

It was... a bit weird, basically. The plot basically revolves around a barber who has a very boring existence until, in separate incidents, he kills both of his workmates by mistake (having previously considered killing them because they were "a pain in the arse"), finds out that his recently deceased mother was a serial killer, and gets into some scrapes trying to conceal all of the evidence of both.

It's written in a "darkly comic" style, but it seems a bit affected at times - at risk of seeming like I'm trying to bum up our resident author, I got the feeling that at times he was trying to copy the humour of the likes of Christopher Brookmyre, but not getting it quite right. The main character wasn't sympathetic enough, for a start, and a lot of what he tried to poke fun at - the press, soap operas, Scotland's obsession with football - boiled down to easy targets which had been made fun of before, and done much better.

For all of the above, I wouldn't say that I actually didn't enjoy it. I've started the second one in the series now, and it seems a lot better, although I'll report back when I've finished it. I'd give this about a 6/10, it was readable enough without being particularly memorable. The second seems like it'd maybe be a seven or an eight, although I'm only about halfway in.

Not going to do another big f**k off book review, but the last book that I read was the second in this series - The Cutting Edge of Barney Thomson.

It was actually a lot better, I think that the first one was the first book that the author had had published, a lot of the parts which grated in the first seemed to have been cut down on in the second. A fair bit better, about an 8/10, I'd say.

About 180 pages into the third in the series now, A Prayer for Barney Thomson. Genuinely really enjoying it, and have now probably reached the stage where I'd reccommend this series. It's worth carrying on with even if not convinced with the first book, although the plots are pretty ridiculous and surreal.

[Nick_BCFC]

Tale of Beren and Lúthien

A book by Tolkien set around 5000 years before the LOTR story.

Nothing special really - 6/10

[Mak]

Tale of Beren and Lúthien

A book by Tolkien set around 5000 years before the LOTR story.

Nothing special really - 6/10

I read a few of the stories which were along those lines a while back, although I can't remember if that was one of them. It's interesting to see how he built up a whole mythology around Middle Earth - the guy was undoubtedly a genius, Lord of the Rings was a masterpiece - but as stories they're a bit boring.

[Laid Back Maverick]

I read a few of the stories which were along those lines a while back, although I can't remember if that was one of them. It's interesting to see how he built up a whole mythology around Middle Earth - the guy was undoubtedly a genius, Lord of the Rings was a masterpiece - but as stories they're a bit boring.

Was it The Silmarillion that you read? Beren and Luthien is one of the chapters in that.

I've tried to read the Silmarillion twice, but just found it a bit hard going - there's far too many names to remember if you try to read it from start to finish. (Seriously how many names does Gandalf actually need?!?). Although if you take it seriously, then Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast and Sauron were all Maiar in the beginning, so surely Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast together could have defeated Sauron ages before LOTR? (Although, I suppose that's the same as the "fly the ring to Mt Doom on an eagle" argument isn't it)

Edited December 29, 2008 by Laid Back Maverick

[Mak]

Was it The Silmarillion that you read? Beren and Luthien is one of the chapters in that.

I've tried to read the Silmarillion twice, but just found it a bit hard going - there's far too many names to remember if you try to read it from start to finish. (Seriously how many names does Gandalf actually need?!?). Although if you take it seriously, then Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast and Sauron were all Maiar in the beginning, so surely Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast together could have defeated Sauron ages before LOTR? (Although, I suppose that's the same as the "fly the ring to Mt Doom on an eagle" argument isn't it)

Yeah, think that it was the Silmarillion that I read. As you say, it was hard going and I probably wouldn't read it again.

Just finished the next again book in the series that I've posted on previously - a prayer for Barney Thomson. This one was actually really good, 9/10.

[Nick_BCFC]

How many more books are there by him I should read?

I've done LOTR as couple of times, Hobbit and the one I mentioned above.

Any where some enchanted maids get it on or owt?

[Laid Back Maverick]

How many more books are there by him I should read?

I've done LOTR as couple of times, Hobbit and the one I mentioned above.

Any where some enchanted maids get it on or owt?

I think the rest are just edited by his son (just like the Silmarillion) and aren't necessarily the finished product.

[mighty meadow]

"The Regiment: The Real Story of the SAS" by Michael Asher.

Compared to some of SAS books out at the moment, it openly acknowledges mistakes that were made - including the killing of civilians in Northern Ireland.

Currently about halfway through Killing For Britain by John Black which claims a lot of the civillian deaths in Northern Ireland were not mistakes but were actually sanctioned by the British government. A lot of the book so far seems unbelievable but still got a fair bit to read so will reserve judgement for the time being.

[Thundermonkey]

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

Sweet, funny but utterly depressing account of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and war with Iraq. I shall be seeking out the second part ASAP.

[Mel Hutchwright]

Never Let Me Go ~ Kazuo Ishiguro

I actually originally read this about 3 years ago and became somewhat evangelical about it's brilliance. Then, having lent it to a couple of friends who were equally impressed by it, I felt compelled to re read it over the festivities and found it as moving and powerful as before.

It's set in a dystopian England in the 90's and could be regarded as a Magic Realism novel, even sci fi to some extent, which are not genre's that usually appeal to me in the slightest. However Ishiguro, who is a novelist I love, has a beautifully understated style of prose, which really makes this horrifying story completely plausible and moving. What is particularly heart wrenching is the main protagonists almost complete acceptance of the awful fate that awaits them.

A geinuinely powerful and affecting read.

[MattBairn]

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - An interesting look at how the media, pharma companies, media nutritionists and various others use 'pseudo science' to baffle and basically con the average consumer. Infuriating and interesting without going too deep. Its a decent, light enough read which manages to unearth various issues that everyone should be made aware of. 8/10

Edited January 8, 2009 by MattBairn

[Mak]

I just read a book called "Bulldog Drummond" about a detective guy after the First World War.

Was quite good in a forgettable kind of way. Written in a very old fashioned style, which is funny in itself, and not meant to be taken too seriously even at the time, I imagine. 7/10.

[Centre Stand Hero]

Just finished Back from the Brink by Paul McGrath, quite moving stuff, how that bloke played top class football for so long with what was going on in his life is just incredible.

[uberman]

The Happy Dust Gang - David Leslie 8/10

Biography of Scotland's first major cocaine smugglers from their beginnings as small time smugglers to international big time smugglers and ultimately their capture.