rjw63 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Lee Child's 13th Jack Reacher book, "Gone Tomorrow" is out next month - I'll definitely be getting that Ordered the hardcover of this yesterday, half price at Play.com - can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted April 22, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted April 22, 2009 Been dying to get back into some more Iain Banks, so bought a few in the last week or so. Read the Steep Approach to Garbadale on the way to and from Stirling, really good read, very reminiscent of the Crow Road which is itself brilliant. Big Scottish family, a central character slightly lost removed or dissatisfied with it, unrequited love and a dark secret at the heart of it all, with some social commentary and a dark wit to it too, brilliant and a real page turner. Currently on Complicity, which again I'm finding to be a great read. Also trying to get into some of his sci-fi stuff, which Excession to follow me finishing Complicity. Banks is rabidly becoming one of my favourite authors, I'll be picking up of all of his straight fiction I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa_Rosa Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Just started a James Elroy, the name of which escapes me. I really struggle to get to grips with his 50's LA slang though, so it may not last beyond 100 pages. Got Generation Kill lined up anyhow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Just finished Tutankhamun by Nick Drake .. interesting idea in that it's a sort of detective story based around the events of the time based on the historical evidence that we do know and a bit of license .. think Conn Igguldon and his take on Caesar \ Khan and am now on How I caused the credit crunch by Tetsuya Ishikawa Having spent a few years working in that environment all be it from an IT side I can already pretty much relate to the type of people in the book .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa_Rosa Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Been dying to get back into some more Iain Banks, so bought a few in the last week or so. Read the Steep Approach to Garbadale on the way to and from Stirling, really good read, very reminiscent of the Crow Road which is itself brilliant. Big Scottish family, a central character slightly lost removed or dissatisfied with it, unrequited love and a dark secret at the heart of it all, with some social commentary and a dark wit to it too, brilliant and a real page turner. Currently on Complicity, which again I'm finding to be a great read. Also trying to get into some of his sci-fi stuff, which Excession to follow me finishing Complicity. Banks is rabidly becoming one of my favourite authors, I'll be picking up of all of his straight fiction I think. Can't beat a bit of Banksy like. Is Steep Approach... his newest one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted April 22, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted April 22, 2009 Came out a couple of years ago, but it is the last of his non sci fi stuff, his next one is out later this year I think. Steep Approach is bloody good read though, my only criticism of it would be it seems to rap up all a bit too quickly. You've got this one running storyline of a love story between the main character and his cousin from when they are teenagers that dominates his life, for one reason or another, and the story of the death of his mother, that become entwined and you spend the entire book wanting to get revelations of what went on, and it all comes out in about 3 pages 10 pages from the end and it all gets conveniently rapped up very abruptly. The ride to the point is brilliant though, the central character is one thats quite easy to empathise with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa_Rosa Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Nice one. Will definitely check it out. I think I've read all of the rest of his fiction, and some of his Sci Fi, which is excellent too, if not exactly my bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted April 22, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted April 22, 2009 If you liked Crow Road, you'll definitely enjoy it. While the Crow Road was all about a disenchanted student and the death of his uncle, this one is more of an adult story, the central character is in his 30s and has been involved in the family business before giving it all up, and it hops back throw his different periods of life, especially his teenage years and the time he was in the business. The 2 books definitely have their similarities but thats not a bad thing in my mind. I wanted to get into his sci fi, picked up the Algebraist and while I found it a slog at times it didn't put me off too much, so I'm hoping for good things from Excession. Not sure if it'll grab me or not, but we'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted April 22, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted April 22, 2009 Ernest Hemingway: "For Whom The Bell Tolls" My favourite book of all time. Im reading this at the moment, not really 'caught me' yet, though i am only a hundred or so pages in. I was going to give it up for one of a dozen books i have waiting, but might give it a bit more time now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leemond2008 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 currently reading indelible by karin slaughter then gunna move onto pop goes the weasel by james patterson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted April 22, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted April 22, 2009 Finished the James Stewart biography (which has triggered some serious DVD buying!) and now reading The Spanish Bow by the splendidly named Andromeda Romano-Lax. It's excellent and has the potential to be the next "Captain Corelli's Mandolin", in terms of word-of-mouth success and film adaptation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 ...Also trying to get into some of his sci-fi stuff, which Excession to follow me finishing Complicity. Excession is one of the later "Culture" novels. It's not that they're a sequence exactly, but they draw on ideas from earlier ones. Starting with Consider Phlebas might make it easier to get into. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterms Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Just started a James Elroy, the name of which escapes me. I really struggle to get to grips with his 50's LA slang though, so it may not last beyond 100 pages. Got Generation Kill lined up anyhow. I found American Tabloid a bit meandering, and won't finish it. The LA Noir trilogy is good, and of course LA Confidential and Black Dahlia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted April 22, 2009 VT Supporter Share Posted April 22, 2009 Thanks for the tip, fellers. Never read any Ellroy, but I plan to check him out soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodders Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 I've had WHite Jazz for a while but it is very heavy and really immerses you in it but I can never finish it. But LA Confidential does remain one of my all time favourite films. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 reading WW2 behind closed doors, great book from the BBC looks into all the secret meeting and pacts made by 1st the nazis then the allies with stalin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b23avfc Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Haven't even read this thread but picked up the first two Clarkson books, well The World According to and it's sequel, for 99p each at some charity shop in erdington. Yes, I do charity shops on occasion. I used to get a lot of vinyl lps there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theboyangel Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Currently reading (and enjoying) Be My Enemy by Christopher Brookmyre - would definately recommend one of his other books - Attack Of The Unsinkable Rubber Ducks Both quite grisly, sarcastic and very funny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyh29 Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Haven't even read this thread but picked up the first two Clarkson books, well The World According to and it's sequel i can think of a couple of people who will want to read them after you've finished :-) Finished the James Stewart biography my favourite actor ..Is it a good read , or a bit dull ? ..don't know if it's covered in the book but Stewart was a General in the army and had to chair a court martial resulting from when a group of B-17 pilots dropped bombs on Switzerland instead of Germany .. think the story was that if you missed your primary target it was felt a waste of a mission to return with your load so you dropped them elsewhere ..sadly for this crew the elsewhere was the wrong country Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghost_of_Pongo_Waring Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Anyone into Bernard Cornwell? I absolutely love his grail quest series and I'm just about to embark upon 'Azincourt'. Looks to be another fantastic historical novel. I've read most of his books. Very good reads and it's interesting to read the 'historical' section after where he tells you what bits he 'messed about' with. I've just finished Emperor: The Gods of War by Conn Iggulden about Julius Caesar. It's the last part in a series of four but I got it from a charity shop just to see if I enjoyed it. I'll have to get the first three now I would heartily recommend 'Learning to Breathe' by Andy Cave. An absolutely brilliant book about how he first got into rock climbing, then mountaineering and became part of the first team to achieve one of the steepest and most difficult climbs in the world, the north face of Changabang in India. He's got a very 'easy' down to earth style and you certainly don't need to be 'into' climbing or mountaineering to enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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