What book are you reading atm??

arybvtcw0eolkf

The Extraordinary Voyage of Pytheas the Greek.. By Barry Cunliffe

On paperback (given to me by a friend)

Around 330 b.c., a remarkable adventurer named Pytheas set out from the Greek colony of Massalia (now Marseille) on the Mediterranean Sea to explore the fabled, terrifying lands of northern Europe. Renowned archaeologist Barry Cunliffe here re-creates Pytheas's unprecedented journey, which occurred almost 300 years before Julius Caesar landed in Britain. Beginning with an invaluable pocket history of early Mediterranean civilization, Cunliffe illuminates what Pytheas would have seen and experienced--the route he likely took to reach Brittany, then Britain, Iceland, and Denmark; and evidence of the ancient cultures he would have encountered on shore. The discoveries Pytheas made would reverberate throughout the civilized world for years to come, and in recounting his extraordinary voyage, Cunliffe chronicles an essential chapter in the history of civilization.

Really good so far, easy reading.

arybvtcw0eolkf

The Extraordinary Voyage of Pytheas the Greek.. By Barry Cunliffe

On paperback (given to me by a friend)

Around 330 b.c., a remarkable adventurer named Pytheas set out from the Greek colony of Massalia (now Marseille) on the Mediterranean Sea to explore the fabled, terrifying lands of northern Europe. Renowned archaeologist Barry Cunliffe here re-creates Pytheas's unprecedented journey, which occurred almost 300 years before Julius Caesar landed in Britain. Beginning with an invaluable pocket history of early Mediterranean civilization, Cunliffe illuminates what Pytheas would have seen and experienced--the route he likely took to reach Brittany, then Britain, Iceland, and Denmark; and evidence of the ancient cultures he would have encountered on shore. The discoveries Pytheas made would reverberate throughout the civilized world for years to come, and in recounting his extraordinary voyage, Cunliffe chronicles an essential chapter in the history of civilization.

Really good so far, easy reading.

_Godot_

Got Circe from the library, I sat down in the library and easily read 4 chapters, then read more when I got home. I'm really liking it so far.

Foweva Awone

I'm reading my way through Augusten Burroughs' various memoirs at the moment. Very funny and entertaining!

SaltSweatSugar

I’ve just started reading ‘Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out Of The Box’ by The Arbinger Institute. It was recommended to me by my friends husband and it sounded fascinating so I picked up a cheap copy on Amazon. Enjoying it so far. I’ve been trying to improve myself and reach my potential these past few months and this book should increase my success. (Should!! :pac:)

Tauriel

Daddy's Little Girl by Mary Higgins Clark.

Better than the last two books that I read by her but still not great. I've only got 5 more of her books on my shelf to get through.

friendlyfun

Scoundrel wrote: »

The great war for civilisation the conquest of the middle east by Robert Fisk.

Fisk is an incredible writer. I'd say hes probably the most reliable Western writer on Middle Eastern issues today.

His PhD was on Ireland during the emergency also.

Up Donegal

I've just started reading 'The Valley of the Squinting Windows' by Brinsley MacNamara.

CrankyHaus

Just finished these three in the last week or two:

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt - Excellent, better than the film.

Agent Zigzag - Ben Macintyre - a true account of a British safecracker imprisoned in Guernsey when the Nazi's occupy it who enters service with the Abwehr and turns MI5 double agent. The LeCarré endorsement on the cover got me and I wasn't disappointed. Great fun, a film must be in the works.

The Fifth Witness - Michael Connelly - Great plot and knowledge of criminal trials offset by shallow characters. Very good, but not great.

Scoundrel

friendlyfun wrote: »

Fisk is an incredible writer. I'd say hes probably the most reliable Western writer on Middle Eastern issues today.

His PhD was on Ireland during the emergency also.

I didn't know that about his PHD I must admit yeah his knowledge and personal experience of the middle east is second to none a serious journalist not just a propaganda spewer for Western governments and what ever rebels they are backing like we have now

Widdershins

I've just opened ''The Gods of Love '' by Nicola Mostyn.

friendlyfun

Scoundrel wrote: »

I didn't know that about his PHD I must admit yeah his knowledge and personal experience of the middle east is second to none a serious journalist not just a propaganda spewer for Western governments and what ever rebels they are backing like we have now

It was published as a book too.

Scoundrel

friendlyfun wrote: »

It was published as a book too.

I must pick that up so thanks.

Ipso

Can't really get into Roddy Doyle's Paddy Clarke, Ha Ha Ha so I'm going to try Jeffrey Deaver's Bond book, Carte Blanche.

Foweva Awone

CS Lewis "The Screwtape Letters: Letters from a Senior to a Junior Devil". I'm really enjoying it, it's something completely different and very funny!

Carry

Widdershins wrote: »

The Last Person Who Called Me Sweetpea Ended Up Dead. I'm only on the first page, which is like reading the Boards ''annoyances '' thread if all the posters were having psychotic episodes AND the wrong team won. It's a long ''people are sh1t'' rant, before she kills 'em all (I think ). I like dark humour but I'm finding it hard work so far.

I'm reading that now (halfway through), thanks to your rather mixed "recommendation".
I thought a rant from and the killings by a female anti-hero might be fun, and it is sometimes. The idea as such isn't half bad.

But - she seems to stray a little too much into chicklit territory and the prose, though littered with slang and swear words, comes across as quite flat, as do the characters, and it's full of exaggerated clichés.

I certainly wouldn't rank it as one of my best reads this year and I was often tempted to give it up, but it's strangely addictive and I'm going to finish it. Maybe there is a surprising twist somewhere...

I was expecting more like Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels, only with a cold-blooded but still understandably "lovable" female killer. But Highsmith is unique (and highly recommended with her very unimpassioned yet complex prose), so the Sweetpea writer is a bit of a letdown.

Immortal Starlight

Hide And Seek by James Patterson. I love his books.

The Princess Bride

I've just finished reading Chris Difford's autobiography- Some Fantastic Place.
Really enjoyed it, such an easy read.

All about how Squeeze started and his own personal journey with and without the band.
Definitely worth reading.

branie2

The Reckoning by John Grisham

otnomart

Carry wrote: »

I was expecting more like Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels, only with a cold-blooded but still understandably "lovable" female killer. But Highsmith is unique (and highly recommended with her very unimpassioned yet complex prose)

You might want to check out Tangerine by Christine Mangan.
She gets the decriptions well I think, although I did not find the killler "lovable" at all.

Widdershins

Carry wrote: »

I'm reading that now (halfway through), thanks to your rather mixed "recommendation".
I thought a rant from and the killings by a female anti-hero might be fun, and it is sometimes. The idea as such isn't half bad.

But - she seems to stray a little too much into chicklit territory and the prose, though littered with slang and swear words, comes across as quite flat, as do the characters, and it's full of exaggerated clichés.

I certainly wouldn't rank it as one of my best reads this year and I was often tempted to give it up, but it's strangely addictive and I'm going to finish it. Maybe there is a surprising twist somewhere...

I was expecting more like Patricia Highsmith's Ripley novels, only with a cold-blooded but still understandably "lovable" female killer. But Highsmith is unique (and highly recommended with her very unimpassioned yet complex prose), so the Sweetpea writer is a bit of a letdown.

I might give it another go...I think the character was just too cynical and not lovable , for me, but the Ripley series sounds promising .

Dial Hard

appledrop wrote: »

Well I finally finished the Milkman. What a load of c**p. Never has it taken me that long to read a book less than 400 pages. The only real thing that happen she tells us about in first few pages. Full of pretentious prose nonsense.

I got about 150 pages into that and had to take a break from it. Can't see myself going back to it, tbh, pretty much any (non critical) reviews of it I've read all agree that nothing much else happens in it anyway.

I just finished a re-read of Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors and am now reading Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies which is the follow-up to Wolf Hall. So far, so good.

After that it'll be Joseph O'Connor's Shadowplay and The Rapture by Claire McGlasson, both of which I won in a radio competition last week

pavb2

Just finished Blue Monday - Niccci French a crime/thriller the first of one in a series about a female psychiatrist living in London. The book started well but deteriorated quite soon after, too many incidental characters that didn't really contribute to the plot. I wasn't really that interested in the descriptions of London as she walked the streets, probably ok if you lived there or were familiar with the places.

The premise was a bit unimaginative and there were many scenes that simply stretched credibility to breaking point. As one of the reviewers wrote 'I finished it to find out what happened in the end.' I don't think I'll read any more.

gmisk

Unnatural causes
It's by Britain's top pathologist fascinating insight into an area I have no clue on.

Finished this is going to hurt by Adam Kay as well...outstanding funny, sad and heartbreaking.

bobbyss

Have two on the go.
Ernie O'Malley, On another man's wound

Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote

appledrop

Dial Hard wrote: »

I got about 150 pages into that and had to take a break from it. Can't see myself going back to it, tbh, pretty much any (non critical) reviews of it I've read all agree that nothing much else happens in it anyway.

Yep nothing else happens so your not missing any plot.

Reading 'Just one more question' by Niall Tubridy. Very interesting read about conditions/patients he has come across as a Neurologist. I never knew for example that a stroke can have a different impact on a person if they are left handed compared to right handed.

appledrop

Finished this is going to hurt by Adam Kay as well...outstanding funny, sad and heartbreaking.[/quote]

I agree an outstanding book. It's a shame he felt he had to leave his career as a doctor

gmisk

appledrop wrote: »

Finished this is going to hurt by Adam Kay as well...outstanding funny, sad and heartbreaking.

I agree an outstanding book. It's a shame he felt he had to leave his career as a doctor[/quote]
I agree, his empathy and decency shone through but it sounds like an impossible job, the stress would be insane!

I am guessing he isn't with the long suffering H any longer? He mentioned a bachelor pad and H wasn't mentioned in the thank yous that I remember?

corks finest

bobbyss wrote: »

Have two on the go.
Ernie O'Malley, On another man's wound

Breakfast at Tiffany's, Capote

On another man's wound around a long time,ok though

Widdershins

Widdershins wrote: »

I might give it another go...I think the character was just too cynical and not lovable , for me, but the Ripley series sounds promising .

highly recommend The Gods of Love for the chapter with Frida, Cerberus (the 3 headed hell hound) and the cakes. Hilarious and surreal and she's likeable, smart arsed without being depressingly snide.