What book are you reading atm??

stannis

recylingbin wrote: »

What type of book is it?

Narrative history. Not a story, exactly, but historical events and people presented in a more vivid way than usual. It deals with the final century and fall of the Roman Republic. For me the most interesting part is his description of daily life and society in the city of Rome itself.

heathledgerlove

Del-Boy's autobiography

ancapailldorcha

heathledgerlove wrote: »

Del-Boy's autobiography

Just ordered this at work. My hopes aren't high but there's a certain irony in the fact that it wasn't written by the show's writer.

Ken.

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston

Upon reflection not the best book to be reading while waiting to get in to see the wife's MRSA riddled uncle yesterday. Still a great read thought.

How close we came to a species ending pandemic is unreal. If one woman had had a nose bleed in a government office in Nairobi in 1994 then 90% of us would be gone.

Birneybau

Was reading 'The Making of Henry' by Howard Jacobson, a third through it and out it down for a while, now fully grabbing me.

Re-reading 'The Circle' by Dave Eggers, have highly recommended it here previously, amazing book.

Also finished a short story collection 'The Apple:Crimson Petal Stories' by Michel Faber, which followed up on a few characters from his 'The Crimson Petal and The White'.

Anaiyela

I finished The Girl on the Train. What a boring predictable pile of rubbish. I would not recommend

I have started re-reading Robin Hobb's Farseer Trilogy, The Assassin's Apprentice

I am more than half way through Stephen King's IT. I have to say it's a fantastic story. King can be very hit and miss but this particular book is him at his best.

"On This Day" by Myles Dungan. It's a collection of essays from RTEs Drivetime programme about events in Irish history. They are short 2 or 3 page stories about the likes of Parnell, Michael Collins, Brendan Behan, etc. from the 13th to 20th Century. You can read one or two and then leave them for a while. I find myself looking up the characters to find out more about them. A very interesting book.

gutenberg

sadie06 wrote: »

Just reporting in on The Children Act. It is a short read and I enjoyed it, but it certainly isn't McEwan at his best. It centres around a character involved with family law and the author's research is literally dripping off every page.

Some of the cases referred to were in fact more interesting than the story being told. It tries (and fails IMO) to take a giant leap from dense clinical detail to emotional resolution via a clumsy nod to Joyce.

I enjoyed it though!

Good to know, thanks. What do you think is McEwan's best book? I actually haven't read much by him...

sadie06

gutenberg wrote: »

Good to know, thanks. What do you think is McEwan's best book? I actually haven't read much by him...

Well I adored Atonement, particularly the middle section, which is masterful.

Enduring Love is another of his that leaps to mind, though I think that is more for the unforgettable opening pages than anything else.

Many people consider The Child in Time to be his masterpiece. I avoided it when my children were younger, but you have just reminded me to give it a try.

I have just started The Absent Mind by Eric Rill. I can't remember ever deliberately reading anything labeled 'inspirational fiction' before, but as it links in to my area of work I'm giving it a go.

gutenberg

gutenberg wrote: »

Good to know, thanks. What do you think is McEwan's best book? I actually haven't read much by him...

For me On Chesil Beach and Saturday are his best books. They demonstrate his wonderful grasp on what it means to be human.

fro9etb8j5qsl2

I starred reading the Half A Yellow Sun kindle sample but when I went to download the rest of it, there was a glitch (has happened a few times recently ) so I gave up and got stuck into The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. Easy chick-lit style reading that isn't going to win any awards for literary genius but it's pretty readable all the same. Will hopefully get back to Half A Yellow Sun when my kindle app fixes itself.

gutenberg

Addisyn Agreeable Seeker wrote: »

I starred reading the Half A Yellow Sun kindle sample but when I went to download the rest of it, there was a glitch (has happened a few times recently ) so I gave up and got stuck into The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty. Easy chick-lit style reading that isn't going to win any awards for literary genius but it's pretty readable all the same. Will hopefully get back to Half A Yellow Sun when my kindle app fixes itself.

I absolutely loved Half of a Yellow Sun (I love all of Adichie's books) - I hope the glitch gets sorted soon!

Rothko

The Silmarillion. Found it a bit tough to get into at the beginning but starting to enjoy it now.

heathledgerlove

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Just ordered this at work. My hopes aren't high but there's a certain irony in the fact that it wasn't written by the show's writer.

I'm finding it just as funny as the show, every other sentence is a pun or a joke!

Eg. Trig didn't know who his dad was, didn't like to talk about it; just said that he died a couple of years before he was born

kirk buttercup

Suas11 wrote:

The Silmarillion. Found it a bit tough to get into at the beginning but starting to enjoy it now.

Always loved Tolkien however I got about 2/3 through this and had to put it down I didnt have a fecking clue what was happening

GLaDOS

The Silmarillion is one of the very few books I couldn't finish. I am determined to one day go back and read the full thing.

recylingbin

stannis wrote: »

Narrative history. Not a story, exactly, but historical events and people presented in a more vivid way than usual. It deals with the final century and fall of the Roman Republic. For me the most interesting part is his description of daily life and society in the city of Rome itself.

Ordered it.
If you haven't read Robert Harris's Cicero trilogy, I think you'd enjoy it.

fleet_admiral

Going to start Spring/Summer by Argos over the next few days

baron von something

Just finished Powerless by first time Irish author Niall McCreanor. It's not bad

MRnotlob606

Winter is coming - it is about the possible threat of Vladimir Putin to global security

figges

fleet_admiral wrote: »

Going to start Spring/Summer by Argos over the next few days

It has apparently been well received. Though pales into comparison to Autumn :- The Ramp up to Festive Folly - which will go down as a classic. The earlier wittier works are probably their best but generally their back catalogue is outstanding IMHO.

Wichita Lineman

Just about to start 'Kiss Me Like a Stranger' - autobiography of actor Gene Wilder.

conorhal

stannis wrote: »

Rubicon by Tom Holland. If you have even a passing interest in Ancient Rome or Classical history in general, you should give it a read.

It's a cracking read. Even though it opens with an explicit instruction that this book should not be read in the context of modern history, nor is it about American hegemony... it so bloody is.
I know it's often far too easy to draw lazy analogies between empires and their rise and fall, but reading the book you can't help but think, the more things change the more they stay the same.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Just started David Attenborough's Life on Air. I don't usually read auto biographies but so far this is very entertaining and a pleasure to read.

This Fat Girl Runs

This Fat Girl Runs wrote: »

I'm reading a YA book called Partials, enjoying it so far.
Also reading Narrow Road to the Deep North, very good.
And a book called 'The Wife of Jesus' which I'm just getting started so not sure what I think of it.
Oh, and my college textbook on Human Resource Management.
And a book called 'North Korea Undercover' which I find fascinating even if though I think the author is obviously biased and somewhat patronising.

A few more books waiting in the wings but these are the main ones I have on the go for now.

I've finished the YA series and am now onto The Girl Who Played With Fire.
Finished The Wife of Jesus, very short book with arguments for both sides.
Nearly finished North Korea Undercover. Still fascinating!
Going to start And The Mountains Echoed next.

Means Of Escape

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

Compelling read .

scdublin

Reading Solitude Creek by Jeffery Deaver - brilliant so far. Absolutely love his books, find it hard to put them down.

arayess

Hanns and Rudolf
by Thomas Harding

Biography of both Rudolf Hoss Kommandant of Auschwitz and Hanns Alexander the man who tracked him down after WW2.

really interesting read so far.

thomasm

Michael Korytas - Those Who wish me dead

One of the most enjoyable thrillers I've read in a long time. Quality writing and very hard to put down. Will be looking for more of his books.