Falcon_BlizZACK Posted October 28, 2016 Posted October 28, 2016 My wife bought this, but I've not read it yet. The guy in the bookshop gave it a glowing recommendation though. Can I recommend The Evolution of Everything by Matt Ridley. It's about how the theory of evolution can be applied to pretty much everything, such as cultural and social aspects, and how nothing in society is really planned. I've just started it, and it's really good so far. Sounds good, I'll check it out.
Ashley Posted October 28, 2016 Posted October 28, 2016 I'm working through a few books at the moment: The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers The Good Immigrant The News A User's Manual The Establishment Dove Sei The first four are chapter-based so I can dip in and out without worrying too much about remembering what preceded it. The last is for some Italian practice. Never really been one for doing one thing at once as you can tell
Corsair Posted November 26, 2016 Posted November 26, 2016 And my current reading list. Asked for Slade House, Crime and Punishment, A Very British Coup, and Lolita for my Birthday. Got the other two on a book shop date. The edition of C&P is delicious. Crime and Punishment is a a superb book. The description of a strange dream where they beat the horse to death really bothered me first time I read it. I pretty much stopped reading for about 10 years, but this year I have made a real effort to get back into it. I have been reading the 'classics', the last book I finished was Wuthering Heights. I have gone completely off this track though with the latest - Just as a bit of a space/NASA nerd it is fascinating.
dwarf Posted February 10, 2017 Posted February 10, 2017 Finished Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski today. Had heard the name bandied around but had no idea what his shtick was going into it. Book was ruddy brilliant. He writes about scum-of-the-earth Americans in the depression period and up to WW2, from the perspective of a narrator growing up in a brutal neighbourhood full of broken families and left-behind children. It does have a heart, but by and large the novel is relentlessly cynical about American life and 'the dream'. That's been done to death of course, but here the unfussy, uncompromising honesty makes it fucking hilarious. Sometimes I had to put the book down and bury my head in my pillow, partly to muffle my laugh but also out of excruciating pity for the characters. The father in the novel is the biggest areshole alive, but he's just the right side of macabre for his lines to be funny. It's as close to satire as something can get without being satire - just about grounded enough to feel real. One of the times I died came in a chapter describing a class of kids who attempt to lever a teacher into doing no teaching. Maybe the long, slow build up of horrific relationships leading up to this point was what triggered my pillow resignation this time. My God: I realise it might not have the same effect if you haven't read all the stuff before, but hey.
Kav Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 Finished the current books of A Song of Ice and Fire, really enjoyed each of them, book 4 especially was a real page-turner! I can't wait for the next! I've started reading "Missing, Presumed" today. I'd been recommended it so I'll see how it goes.
bob Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 I read Enchantress by James Maxwell, and it was absolutely rubbish. Honestly it read like it was written by a teenager and had never been proofread by anybody. The pacing was awful, and the less said about the dialogue the better. Overall, 5/10.
Magnus Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 Finished the current books of A Song of Ice and Fire, really enjoyed each of them, book 4 especially was a real page-turner! I can't wait for the next! Boy, did you pick the wrong series to read... 1
Kav Posted February 13, 2017 Posted February 13, 2017 Boy, did you pick the wrong series to read... Yeah I know, haha. I can't believe how long people have been waiting already!
Happenstance Posted June 27, 2017 Posted June 27, 2017 @Ashley am I remembering right that you read the Spelunky Boss Fight Books book? I'm just thinking about getting some of them and was wondering if they were any good?
Ashley Posted June 27, 2017 Posted June 27, 2017 2 hours ago, Happenstance said: @Ashley am I remembering right that you read the Spelunky Boss Fight Books book? I'm just thinking about getting some of them and was wondering if they were any good? I read that one and Mario 2. Preferred the former (as it was from the developer) but only a few quid for the Kindle versions so worth picking up. 1
Happenstance Posted June 27, 2017 Posted June 27, 2017 1 minute ago, Ashley said: I read that one and Mario 2. Preferred the former (as it was from the developer) but only a few quid for the Kindle versions so worth picking up. Thanks. I think I'll pick up the ones that interest me on Kindle.
Magnus Posted August 21, 2017 Posted August 21, 2017 (edited) I've had terrible luck with audio books after finishing up the Discworld series earlier this year. I decided to tackle The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I loved the first book, but after that, the way Douglas Adams was clearly just making things up as he went along and the way he would constantly stall for time when he couldn't think of what should happen next quickly started driving me nuts. It didn't help that Martin Freeman did an awful job as a narrator, either. Despite all that, I thought I'd listen to the Artemis Fowl series next, since Eoin Colfer wrote the final Hitchhiker's novel. I realized less than an hour into the first book that I'd made a huge mistake, but I still trudged through the first three novels because I'd bought them and by God, I was going to get my money's worth (I didn't realize until I had two hours left of the third book that Audible has a 'great listen' guarantee, but oh well). After that, I discovered that Tina Fey's Bossypants was available on Audible (it hadn't been the last time I'd checked). And it was good! Finally! I'm currently listening to the Hunger Games trilogy, and... it started out so well. I loved the first two books, and I thought people were probably exaggerating about the third one, but man. It has been completely horrible so far. I have no idea how Suzanne Collins managed to drop the ball this badly. I only have four chapters left, so I should have this wrapped up tomorrow, thank God. I'm not sure what to listen to next. I've been toying with the idea of listening to Stephen King's It, but it's 45 hours long, and my luck hasn't exactly been the best lately. Edit: Decided to go with Amy Poehler's Yes Please as a palette cleanser. I'm pretty sure no one's going to get their head cut off or get blown to bits in that book. Well, I guess you never know with Amy Poehler. Edited August 21, 2017 by Magnus
Kav Posted September 22, 2017 Posted September 22, 2017 Started reading It on the commute. I’d never thought about it but I’ve never read a Stephen King book before! Just read the part with the blood from the sink. Really enjoying it, even if I know most/some of what’s coming.
bob Posted September 22, 2017 Posted September 22, 2017 I've had terrible luck with audio books after finishing up the Discworld series earlier this year. I decided to tackle The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and I loved the first book, but after that, the way Douglas Adams was clearly just making things up as he went along and the way he would constantly stall for time when he couldn't think of what should happen next quickly started driving me nuts. I thought that too. That's the problem with the Improbability Drive, he can just suddenly change the plot to go somewhere completely different on a whim, and none of it made any sense. It ended up just being a collection of random occurrences. Quite funny, but not good novels. 1
Magnus Posted March 3, 2018 Posted March 3, 2018 I finally finished listening to the audio book for Call Me by Your Name. Quote We had never taken a shower together. We had never even been in the same bathroom together. "Don't flush," I'd said, "I want to look." What I saw brought out strains of compassion, for him, for his body, for his life, which suddenly seemed so frail and vulnerable. "Our bodies won't have secrets now," I said as I took my turn and sat down. He had hopped into the bathtub and was just about to turn on the shower. "I want you to see mine," I said. He did more. He stepped out, kissed me on the mouth, and, pressing and massaging my tummy with the flat of his hand, watched the whole thing happen. So romantic~~ 2
Fierce_LiNk Posted March 3, 2018 Posted March 3, 2018 3 hours ago, Magnus said: I finally finished listening to the audio book for Call Me by Your Name. So romantic~~ 1
Magnus Posted January 1, 2019 Posted January 1, 2019 Here's my year in audio books! I wanted to write reviews for all of these, but I can't be booothered, so have some short impressions instead. Call Me by Your Name: I thought this would be a Love Story for the Ages, but see my post about it above. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda: My favorite book of the year! Super gay, super sweet. Somewhat life-changing. I wish I could have read this back in high school. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August: About a man who keeps reliving his life over and over again. A really creative idea and a really good book. They Both Die at the End: About two teenagers who end up spending the last day of their lives together. It's really sweet and life-affirming (and gay!), as long as you can live with the growing dread as you get closer and closer to the end of the book. The Last Romeo: I thought I would read about an adult homosexual, but this book - about a man who blogs about his adventures in dating - was a bit of a mess, with too many characters and an unfocused plot. History is All You Left Me: From the author of They Both Die at the End, but not nearly as sweet and the main character (who suffers from OCD and just generally being a bad person) is pretty annoying. I didn't really like this. A Gift of Time: A time travel book where the first act is a coming of age novel with a twist, the second act is all about the science of time travel, and the third act is a complete mess. Autoboyography: About a high school senior who takes a class where he has to write a book in one semester. He falls in love with his mentor, a college freshman who took the class the year before, so he ends up writing the book about him. The twist? Almost everyone in the book (except the main character and his family) is a Mormon! I really liked this. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: A book about friendship and growing up. It's about two boys who become unlikely friends. It has some gay themes, but it's not really focused on romance. It was good. It's narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who is of course best known for playing Lin-Manuel Miranda on Curb Your Enthusiasm. American Gods: A book about a man who starts working for a god. But more than that, it's a book about the United States of America. It's a bit annoying how the main character mostly just goes along with whatever happens for most of the book, but it's still a good read. This was a full cast production, which was fun! The Time Traveler's Wife: About a man who travels through time without having any control over it and the very unique relationship he has with his wife. Yes, sometimes I read about men and women who fall in love! Crazy. I thought this was really good, and very romantic. Will Grayson, Will Grayson: I thought this would be about two teenagers called Will Grayson who end up falling in love, but it's not about that at all. It feels like two separate novels with only some crossover. Me: Also, the dialogue in one half of the book is written like this. You: Like this? Me: Yes. You: Doesn't that get annoying? Me: Very. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue: A historical adventure novel, which ended up being more fun than I had expected. I mostly bought it because the main character was bisexual and in love with his best friend. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle: A murder is committed in a secluded manor and only the main character can solve it. That's all you need to know about this book. It was great! Go read it. But in case you need more convincing: the main character keeps reliving the same day, and every morning he wakes up in the body of a different person. 14: A bit like Lost, if Lost had taken place inside an apartment building instead of on an island. Lots of weird things going on. It's fun, but like Lost, the conclusion leaves a bit to be desired. Sodom Road Exit: A book about a girl who gets possessed by the ghost of a lesbian prostitute. Also it's about family. Weird, but pretty good. The Broken Earth: The Fifth Season: Fantasy-ish book about the end of the world, which follows three girls/women. One third of the book is narrated in second-person, and I really liked a lot of the mysteries that are present in the world this book takes place in. The Broken Earth: The Obelisk Gate: Once the mysteries started being answered, some of my interest was lost, and this book spends a lot of time spinning its wheels in anticipation of the last book in the trilogy. The Broken Earth: The Stone Sky: The final book in the trilogy, and a satisfying ending, some plot contrivances aside. I liked this series, but not as much as I had hoped, based on the critical acclaim. What If It's Us: Co-written by the authors of Love, Simon and They Both Die at the End, so I knew this would be super gay. It's a fairly typical love story about two teenagers in New York who fall in love, but I kind of can't get enough of that kind of story when they're gay. Murderbot Diaries: All Systems Red/Artificial Condition/Rogue Protocol/Exit Strategy: Four short books about a security droid who would rather just sit around watching television, but always ends up saving the day. This feels like four episodes of a TV show, telling four separate stories but with a larger overarching story. The Martian: In case you haven't watched the movie, this book is about an astronaut who gets left behind on Mars after a mission goes awry, and his fight for survival. There's a lot of science in this book, but that really helps everything to feel believable. A real page-turner. The Book Thief: The story of an orphaned girl growing up in Germany during World War 2, whimsically narrated by Death. Sometimes sad and sometimes hopeful, this was a really good read. I Capture the Castle: The oldest book I listened to this year by far, this is about a girl whose family has moved to a house built around the ruins of an old castle and the events that unfold over the course of a year. Save for one hour-long chapter that the main character spent being lovesick, I enjoyed the book. The Guernsey and Potato Peel Pie Society: A post-WW2 story about an author who travels to the island of Guernsey, and the people who live there. It's told entirely through letters, and it was a light and fun read to end the year on.
Shorty Posted January 2, 2019 Posted January 2, 2019 I love The Time Travellers Wife. It's hard to get people to check it out now because of the combination of the bad name and the terrible movie, but it is really so worth checking out.
Magnus Posted January 2, 2019 Posted January 2, 2019 I quite like the name, but then I also read books like Sodom Road Exit and Autoboyography, so what do I know. I've only watched the last three minutes or so of The Time Traveler's Wife movie, but the ending seems significantly worse. And the ending is one of the best parts of the book!
Shorty Posted January 3, 2019 Posted January 3, 2019 They also missed out a lot of very important moments. The name didn't bother me at first but when I tried to convince people to read it, I found several people hung up on it, thinking it would be a soppy romance from the perspective of someone who sits at home while their husband goes off Doctor Whoing (ok, I may have not done a good job of selling it to them)
Magnus Posted January 3, 2019 Posted January 3, 2019 I tried to sell someone on The Martian. You'd think there'd be no way to make that book sound uninteresting, but apparently I managed.
Shorty Posted January 4, 2019 Posted January 4, 2019 Another book I loved that had a disappointing movie adaptation! Mind you, it just missed a lot of good bits, but was at least still a good movie overall, unlike TTW.
Magnus Posted January 4, 2019 Posted January 4, 2019 Oh. I've actually recommended the movie just based on how much I liked the book. No wonder people don't take my recommendations seriously!
Kav Posted January 4, 2019 Posted January 4, 2019 (edited) Picked up The Wolf by Leo Carew, the first book in his Under the Northern Sky series... it’s also the only book currently, the second, The Spider, is due April. Only half way through but really enjoying it so far. Edited January 4, 2019 by Kav
Kav Posted January 11, 2019 Posted January 11, 2019 On 04/01/2019 at 10:00 PM, Kav said: Picked up The Wolf by Leo Carew, the first book in his Under the Northern Sky series... it’s also the only book currently, the second, The Spider, is due April. Only half way through but really enjoying it so far. Finished it just now, really good read and has set up the second book quite nicely, but leaving enough open to not really know how it will go.
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