What book are you reading atm??

GalwayGuy2

Does anybody know any good crime books that are more on the ethnographic/ case study-ish side of things. Kinda like Martina Cole?

I'm watching the wire and I like how the city seems to come alive.

Collie D

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Does anybody know any good crime books that are more on the ethnographic/ case study-ish side of things. Kinda like Martina Cole?

I'm watching the wire and I like how the city seems to come alive.

Try either Homicide: A Year on the Streets or The Corner...both written by the guy who wrote the Wire...Davis Simon IIRC.

I particularly like the second one. Both non-fiction so not exactly what you're looking for although I'm not sure Martina Cole would be classed as a case study of anything but I'm not a fan and we all have our own tastes.

GalwayGuy2

I guess what I was trying to say was, less about a lone officer going after a serial killer, and more dealing with environment, family, petty crime and upbringing.

But, I'll check those books out

Re-reaing the second Fitz book at the moment. Godamn, she's a good writer.

eisenberg1

Aglomerado wrote: »

Duly noted. I think you may be right! Again, downloaded a preview.

I have loads of previews now to read!

And silly amounts of traditional paper books that I've been given as presents over the last two years (Jo Nesbos etc) that I now need to whittle away at, I read very little fiction due to having to write a thesis...

Where to begin is the only problem. I'm still enjoying Under the Dome at the moment.

I would be inclined to leave the Nesbo books last:), just my opinion, I read a couple and didn't think they were very good ( or any good)

hairyprincess

Just started The Truth About The Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker, very good so far. Should keep me going for the weekend!

Thargor

Id really gone off the Count of Monte Cristo by the time I finished it even though I loved it at the start, it really started to drag in the middle, you can see why it was such a sensation in its day but it was a chore for me to finish it and Im glad its over, usually would have read 3 or 4 books in the time it took me to read it.

Moving on to The Martian by Andy Weir.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Martian_%28Andy_Weir%29

Was looking forward to it for a long time but reading it now its only okay, love the subject matter but it doesn't surprise me to hear its originally self published in that wiki article, its written in that dull monotone style where the character just describes everything they do in plain language all the time with no variation like some of those awful vampire or zombie novels every book shop seems to be full of these days, only a few hundred pages though so Ill probably have it read on the bus to Cork this evening.

CatLou

Going on a trip with Huxley's Doors of Perception.

ablelocks

Savage Continent - Europe in the aftermath of World War II

very interesting but frightening too.

5live

ablelocks wrote: »

Savage Continent - Europe in the aftermath of World War II

very interesting but frightening too.

Great book. Really enjoyed it, if 'enjoyed' is a word that can be used in this case.

eviltwin

Just finished the Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyes and onto Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Stereomaniac

Homicide by David Simon

Very good.

pavb2

Agent Zig Zag - Ben McIntyre

True story of WW2 criminal turned spy

Always a sign of a good book how quickly you rattle through it nearly finished this

hairyprincess

eviltwin wrote: »

Just finished the Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyes and onto Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

What did you think of the Horse Dancer? I bawled through Me to You.

ancapailldorcha

Stereomaniac wrote: »

Homicide by David Simon

Very good.

I recommend reading the Corner afterwards. It's very bleak though.

hairyprincess

eviltwin wrote: »

Just finished the Horse Dancer by Jojo Moyes and onto Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

What did you think of the Horse Dancer? I bawled through Me to You.

eviltwin

hairyprincess wrote: »

What did you think of the Horse Dancer? I bawled through Me to You.

It wasn't in the same league as Me Before You at all but it's still very good, Me Before You just killed me though, such a great book. Actually her book, Last Letter from Your Lover is the same, well worth reading if you haven't already.

hairyprincess

eviltwin wrote: »

It wasn't in the same league as Me Before You at all but it's still very good, Me Before You just killed me though, such a great book. Actually her book, Last Letter from Your Lover is the same, well worth reading if you haven't already.

Me Before You is right!
Last Letter was grand. Her latest book The One Plus One I found only ok. I wouldn't recommend it to be honest.

Merkin

eviltwin wrote: »

It wasn't in the same league as Me Before You at all but it's still very good, Me Before You just killed me though, such a great book. Actually her book, Last Letter from Your Lover is the same, well worth reading if you haven't already.

I really don't like her books. Me Before You was OK although I don't understand the hype. I really hated Last Letter from your Lover and I had great hope for Ship of Brides because of the intriguing subject matter but again a massive let down. I just feel she's really over hyped but I know lots of people love her so it must just be me!

big dar

I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes is very good

PartnerSeeds

Ghosts in the Wires by K. Mitnick very good read

FouxDaFaFa

PartnerSeeds wrote: »

Ghosts in the Wires by K. Mitnick very good read

Thanks for reminding me, I've been meaning to pick that up.

You might like "Hacker Crackdown - Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier" by Bruce Sterling, it's available as a free e-book.

And maybe "Kingpin" by Kevin Poulsen.

smellmepower

Half way through Factotum by Charles Bukowski.Read 'Ham on Rye' earlier in the week and thought it was hilarious,Factotum not so much.

smellmepower

GalwayGuy2 wrote: »

Does anybody know any good crime books that are more on the ethnographic/ case study-ish side of things. Kinda like Martina Cole?

I'm watching the wire and I like how the city seems to come alive.

Read this a few weeks ago.Really interesting and very funny at times,and great descriptions of how aspects of criminality can differ wildly between each race/nationality in New York.

PartnerSeeds

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

Thanks for reminding me, I've been meaning to pick that up.

You might like " by Bruce Sterling, it's available as a free e-book.

And maybe by Kevin Poulsen.

Thanks for the suggestions will look into them

sadie06

i'm reading The Sisters Brothers by Patrick Dewit and loving it so far. It is episodic, and laugh out loud funny at times, but quite sad also.

FouxDaFaFa

Going through a Jon Ronson phase and read two of his books back to back.

The Psychopath Test - very interesting subject. The idea that "functional" (for want of a better word) psychopaths occupy some of the most influential or lucrative positions in society. Not a new concept but I like Ronson's style. I particularly enjoyed his interviews with "Tony", who claimed he had feigned insanity to serve time for a crime in a mental institution rather than prison and who now is "trapped" in the asylum, a supposedly sane man amongst the murderers and child molesters. Although I felt the ending was a little lacklustre. It just kind of...stopped.

The men who stare at goats - Very enjoyable again.

Currently reading Mission Mongolia by David Treanor. (Travel writing). David and his friend, both in their 50s, take voluntary redundancies from the BBC, buy a cheap jeep and (hopefully) drive from London to Ulaanbaatar and donate the jeep to a charity there. I'm enjoying it so far, even though the author is going into pain-staking detail about each meal, etc.

GalwayGuy2

Hmmm, should we create an after hours book club?

MagicIRL

The Way of the Fight - Georgres 'Rush' St. Pierre

A great little book about the mind of a champion (Welterweight GOAT) and what it takes to succeed.

eisenberg1

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

Going through a Jon Ronson phase and read two of his books back to back.

The Psychopath Test - very interesting subject. The idea that "functional" (for want of a better word) psychopaths occupy some of the most influential or lucrative positions in society. Not a new concept but I like Ronson's style. I particularly enjoyed his interviews with "Tony", who claimed he had feigned insanity to serve time for a crime in a mental institution rather than prison and who now is "trapped" in the asylum, a supposedly sane man amongst the murderers and child molesters. Although I felt the ending was a little lacklustre. It just kind of...stopped.

The men who stare at goats - Very enjoyable again.

Currently reading Mission Mongolia by David Treanor. (Travel writing). David and his friend, both in their 50s, take voluntary redundancies from the BBC, buy a cheap jeep and (hopefully) drive from London to Ulaanbaatar and donate the jeep to a charity there. I'm enjoying it so far, even though the author is going into pain-staking detail about each meal, etc.

I will give the first one a miss, but the second two seem like good reads, for me. T hanks

smellmepower

Women by Charles Bukowski.

Not as interesting as Factotum or Ham on Rye,decent enough though.