Do you read?

[veloman]

16 hours ago, mjmooney said:

Really enjoying "Born to Run", Springsteen's autobiography. Very engaging writing style, reminiscent of his lyrics, and incomparably better than Neil Young's equivalent effort. 

Not a great fan of Neil Young - not percussive enough for me. But ... do you agree his number 'Only Love Can break your Heart' is simply beautiful ?

[mjmooney]

2 hours ago, veloman said:

Not a great fan of Neil Young - not percussive enough for me. But ... do you agree his number 'Only Love Can break your Heart' is simply beautiful ?

Erm... yeah, but it's a bit "greatest hit" for me. I have most of his albums, and I mostly like the long electric guitar jams with Crazy Horse. 

[chrisp65]

I'm currently reading Max Hastings' book on Vietnam. It would appear I'm going through my 'giant historical doorstop of a book' phase.

Fascinating insight in to the early years of it, the French desperation to hang on to colony and empire to retain some 'pride'. Rather than working out from the war that perhaps foreign occupation and violence are not a good look.

The French were using the Foreign Legion to try and suppress any thoughts of independence. At that time the legion had a high number of ex nazi's and north africans in the ranks. The French had no money, so the Americans were supplying them with uniform and helmets, guns and jeeps. So for roughly 10 years before the first American troops were on the ground, ex nazi's wearing american helmets, driving jeeps, were on a mission to drive from village to village raping and killing, carrying out public beheadings, to instill fear in the population.

When the U.S. turned up, in American helmets and driving jeeps, some white, some black, they were somewhat surprised at the unfavourable reception.

[KentVillan]

On 20/07/2019 at 16:50, chrisp65 said:

I'm currently reading Max Hastings' book on Vietnam. It would appear I'm going through my 'giant historical doorstop of a book' phase.

If you're enjoying that, I would strongly recommend Vietnam: The Definitive Oral History by Christian G. Appy. I've never read a book that presents a conflict in such a balanced, generous way to everybody involved on every side. Really made me think more clearly about life in general. You still come away thinking Vietnam was a huge mistake, but you understand why the Americans dragged it out for so long.

[Rodders]

finished a couple recently, 

The Medici book noted on the previous page and the Chernobyl book were both fascinating, though the former, is a very idiosyncratic style - the historian indulges his personal observations quite frequently particularly when talking about the renaissance art, as well as some odd, Fast-Show esque nod and a wink type comments towards homosexuality then. Didn't feel bigoted, just odd, probably just an author from a different time I suppose. But the history itself was really absorbing.

read my first and last jules verne - Around the World in 80 Days - very much going to stick to film adaptations of those stories if I feel a need thank you very much, the writing is absolutely woeful, it's ad adventure story for kids. Simpleton characters, and a stilted prose that is unreadable. Only interesting from a historical perspective, otherwise, it's just rot.

 

Now starting

A Ladder to the Sky - by John Boyne

Quote

You’ve heard the old proverb about ambition, that it’s like setting a ladder to the sky. It can lead to a long and painful fall.

If you look hard enough, you will find stories pretty much anywhere. They don’t even have to be your own. Or so would-be-novelist Maurice Swift decides early on in his career.
A chance encounter in a Berlin hotel with celebrated author Erich Ackerman gives Maurice an opportunity. For Erich is lonely, and he has a story to tell; whether or not he should is another matter.
Once Maurice has made his name, he finds himself in need of a fresh idea. He doesn’t care where he finds it, as long as it helps him rise to the top. Stories will make him famous, but they will also make him beg, borrow and steal. They may even make him do worse.

So far so entertaining. 

and also on the go

The Man with the Poison Gun by Sergei Plokhy - who also wrote the book about Chernobyl:

Quote

1961. The height of the Cold War. Just hours before work begins on the Berlin Wall, a KGB assassin and his young wife flee for the West before the Iron Curtain comes down and traps them in the East forever.

This gripping story of real-life espionage and intrigue began when the Soviets invented a special weapon that killed without leaving a trace and put it in the hands of Bogdan Stashinsky. It is a tale of exploding parcels, fake identities, forbidden love and a man who knew the truth about the USSR’s most classified programme. By the time Stashinsky had his day in court, the whole world was watching

 

 

and Graham Greene's Monsignor Quixote - which is immediately engaging. Have never read the original Cervantes book, mind so I am sure I will be regularly missing references. 

Quote

With Sancho Panza, a deposed Communist mayor, his faithful Rocinate, an antiquated motorcar, Monsignor Quixote roams through modern-day Spain in a brilliant picaresque fable. Like Cervantes' classic, Monsignor Quixote offers enduring insights into our life and times.

( It says modern day, the book was written in 1982)

[A'Villan]

Just got a book by Robert Kiyosakee that I have to read in the next few days as part of a vetting process.

[Rodders]

On 26/07/2019 at 11:24, Rodders said:

The Man with the Poison Gun by Sergei Plokhy - who also wrote the book about Chernobyl:

This was a lot of fun. About the defector Bogdan Stashinksy. Very breezy, accessible history, without ever feeling short-changed on the detail. Impressively written. Reads like a spy novel, though that may have something to do with the subject matter, assassinations, defections and a last minute crossing of Berlin - literally the night the wall was going up and an explosive trial. 

[MrDuck]

On 21/07/2019 at 01:44, mjmooney said:

 I have most of his albums, and I mostly like the long electric guitar jams with Crazy Horse. 

This. One of the best things I have ever experienced in this life was the Greendale tour in 2003. After they'd finished playing the Greendale album with accompanying stage show featuring about 20 actors, they came back out for an encore. Jacked the volume up to 11, and played 5 more songs. Those 5 songs went for 90 minutes. Absolute Crazy Horse heaven!

[rjw63]

A friend of mine (sort of) Jon Stebbins, noted Beach Boys/Dennis Wilson authour and historian, gave me a rave review of "Chaos" by Tom O'Neill. O'Neill spent 20 years writing this book after initially being given the task of writing a 30th anniversary story on the Manson Murders (in 1999).

I'm 140 pages in, and it really is some story. If you've read "Helter Skelter" or even watched the TV movie, you can safely disregard Bugliosi's theories. Massive cover up.

[MaVilla]

My favourite books - not in order.

- Dune (Original books 1 to 6 - not the Brian Herbert nonsense)

- The Expanse Series - including the short stories (what the TV series is based on)

 

Good Reads - not in order:

- Altered Carbon

- Red Rising trilogy/Series

- Chasm City & the Revelation Space series.

- All the Witcher books

- Foundation Series

- Hyperion Series

- Metro Series (Metro 2033/3025)

- Rama Series

- The Godfather (what the famous film was based on)

- Good individual books - The Martian / The Forever War / Neuromancer

 

Factual good reads:

- Operation Paperclip

- The Five Families

- Welcome to the Universe

- The Corporation

- Donnie Brasco - My Undercover Story

-

Edited August 11, 2019 by MaVilla

[mjmooney]

Dune? The original book. That's it. No sequels. Even 'Dune Messiah' was crap. 

[MaVilla]

6 hours ago, mjmooney said:

Dune? The original book. That's it. No sequels. Even 'Dune Messiah' was crap. 

Yeah dune is probably the best book, loved children and emperor too, rest were ok but as a world building series amazing so I kind of lump them all in, mainly for me as I feel you need up to and including god emperor to really understand the story.

Read those books so many times it's sad

[mjmooney]

Sequels written to cash in on successful novels (and films) would go in Room 101 for me. 

That said, it's not a new phenomenon. Miguel de Cervantes wrote an amusing preface to Part Two of 'Don Quixote' that more or less said "Yeah, I know what you're thinking: cash-in sequel, it's bound to be crap, they always are - but trust me, this one's good" (I paraphrase, obviously). And he was right. 

[A'Villan]

Blue Rage, Black Redemption.

Great read.

[useless]

I finished reading Petersburg by Andrei Bely then tried reading Into The Heart of Darkness, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Peter Pan and Vanity Fair, but quit reading them all as for some reason I couldn't quite get into them. Am now reading 'At Swim Two Birds', not far from the finish won't quite that one.

[Sam-AVFC]

Glad to find this thread as I've been looking for some new books to read recently.

Out of interest, has anyone else ever visited Bookbarn near Bath? I used to absolutely love going there when I was younger and still would now, but am unfortunately no longer based in the South West. They actually popped up on Dragons Den a couple of years ago, but had large debts so couldn't get investment.

It's hard to get an idea of scale from a lot of the pictures online because, while the rooms are enormous, it's all sectioned off by shelving. I'm pretty sure they have a stock of something like 1 million books. The below picture give you some context:

Bear in mind that is taken from the centre of the room.

In terms of what they sell, I'm pretty sure it's all second hand. It ranges from the sort of stuff you'd get in any old charity shop to rare books and some interesting reproductions. One of my favourites I saw there was a Chinese book with of all of Da Vinci's sketches in it...only downside was I can't read Mandarin so the annotations were a bit useless!

[Sam-AVFC]

11 hours ago, useless said:

I finished reading Petersburg by Andrei Bely then tried reading Into The Heart of Darkness, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Peter Pan and Vanity Fair, but quit reading them all as for some reason I couldn't quite get into them. Am now reading 'At Swim Two Birds', not far from the finish won't quite that one.

I started to read more classic novels a while ago when I realised you can download most of them for free on a Kindle - started with The Great Gatsby being well know and a short read and was hooked.

Is Petersburg good? It's one I've had my eye on for a while.

Has anyone read Romance of The Three Kingdoms before? I'm really interested in it as a historical and mythical text that still influences so much of modern Chinese culture. The size of the thing is quite daunting and I can't start something then not finish so don't want to start and find myself still trying to finish it 6 months down the line.

[Rodders]

I have learned not to worry much about classic novels - well any types really: if I don't like them quickly enough, I'll discard them. The styles from bygone ages are just too obtuse for me to waste much time with. I'm not teaching English, etc so why bother, unless I really do want to get to know a particular author. 

I've picked up my first Hemingway fiction - For Whom The Bell Tolls and I've found the style pretty odd so far. I know he's all about efficiency of language, using the least amount necessary, but this one seems to read like it's a slightly off translation from another language. I was wondering if he was trying to convey the impression of this text being "orginally" written in spanish, hence the slightly weird expressions, or whether again, that was just the 30's / 40's for you. 

To accompany this , I've got Anthony Beevor's Spanish Civil War book for my non fiction read which hopefully will work well.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Rodders

[Sam-AVFC]

I know what you mean, Rodders. There are a few, like War of The Worlds, I've started and not been gripped by at all so stopped reading. I just struggle to not finish a book once I've started it so try not to get roped in with something I probably wont enjoy. I know it's a bit silly.

It's definitely interesting to see the different writing styles, but the main thing I like is how compact a lot of early 20th century classics are. Whereas all movies & books nowadays just seem to get longer and longer there didn't appear to be a problem with telling your story then finishing.

[useless]

Petersburg is one of my favorite books that I've read, it seems to get compared to Ulysses a lot, it's similar to that book in that the main setting of the story plays a central part to the story and almost feels like another character, but it's no where near as difficult to read, although I personally did have to read it more carefully than I normally read to take it in properly, and I'm a slow reader anyway, but it's definitely worth it, especially if you like other modernist authors, or Russian literature in general.