The GF book thread

[Nunavut Patrick]

Originally Posted by joeyb pat, Into thin air is bollocks mate. Read the unbiased account by mountain legend Anatoli Boukreev who wrote The Climb. Karakuer has been criticized by mountaineering associations as not being faithful to the events as they occurred, especially since it was Boukreev going up and down from Camp 4 to rescue climbers while Krakauer was sitting...waiting to be rescued.

I read The Climb and it filled in the spots were Krakeur was suffering altitude sickness. I think Boukreev died before the book was published. As I recall his English wasn;t good but he had an American climbing mate and told him that Krakeur was questioning him. If I recall, Krakeur questioned Bourkeev climibing without oxygen, but he was accomplished at high altitude climbing without oxygen.

It could be argued that Krakuer slept in his tent as the Texas (Beck Weathers?) surgeon froze on the slope.

I also read Beck Weathers book and it was terrible. Three-quarters of it were aboot him and his climbing obsession and his faltering marriage. I live in the middle of the Barrenlands and I went through a period of Everest obsession.

Right now I read everything I can aboot Arctic exploration/history. They say the only thing that brings the whitey's to the Arctic is 3M- money, martrydom or madness.

[Stu Monty]

Originally Posted by Nunavut Patrick I read The Climb and it filled in the spots were Krakeur was suffering altitude sickness. I think Boukreev died before the book was published. As I recall his English wasn;t good but he had an American climbing mate and told him that Krakeur was questioning him. If I recall, Krakeur questioned Bourkeev climibing without oxygen, but he was accomplished at high altitude climbing without oxygen. It could be argued that Krakuer slept in his tent as the Texas (Beck Weathers?) surgeon froze on the slope. I also read Beck Weathers book and it was terrible. Three-quarters of it were aboot him and his climbing obsession and his faltering marriage. I live in the middle of the Barrenlands and I went through a period of Everest obsession. Right now I read everything I can aboot Arctic exploration/history. They say the only thing that brings the whitey's to the Arctic is 3M- money, martrydom or madness.

If there were monkeys there that would deffo be four Ms.

[Dirk]

I'm currently reading In Search of The La's: A Secret Liverpool by MW Macefield. It's obviously about The La's but more than anything, it becomes a tale about Lee Mavers' search for musical perfection and the effect that this unfulfillable perfection has on the band. A perfection that resulted in numerous changes in band members, taking an eternity to get Mavers to lend his blessing to recordings. In fact, he vary rarely gave his blessing and after Go! Discs released the album without him being happy he got fucked off with it and gave it up. I've seen him in an interview and he calls the album "shit".

[RedKnight]

Just ordered Calcio by John foot. Looks really interesting.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by karl_b Just received it this morning. It should have been here days ago, bloody postal system. Ill let you know in a week or so what I think.

Finished reading this last week and have to say it was very very good. A very intense SF novel with some great characters and a hell of a plot, with many twists and turns. The writing style seemed very laid back at times, which I enjoyed, it didnt try to over complicate things and was cleverly done. Some of the ideas in the book were fantastic, the idea of 're-sleeving' and eternal life are very thought provoking, especially when you bring in the 'meths' and how they seemingly abuse the technology.

Kovacs is a cracking character, and I am definitely going to be getting hold of the other books in the trilogy.



I am now reading Jonny Cash's autobiography, which is brilliant. The stories that man had and the way he tells his life story is fascinating.

I have also just read 'The Timewaster Letters' by Robin Cooper. A very funny read. Basically, this guy writes letters to companies to see if they reply. Some do and some dont and some he keeps up a correspondance over numerous letters. An example is when he writes to the British Halibut foundation to tell them his wife had cooked him some Halibut and it was bloody marvelous. The chairman then responds by saying he was glad to hear from him and that he too had enjoyed some Halibut.

[Son of L8]

At a mate's insistence, I recently picked up Tom Robbins' Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates and finished it the other day. A very good book, definitely his best. Robbins is brilliant, completely mad, utterly perverted, rambling and irreverent, wickedly clever and funny as fuck.... In other words, right up your average TLW forumite's alley.

[peekay]

I just read Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon..thought it was pretty good

[MLB]

What happened to The La's reunion? I know they went on tour.. was it last year? Nothing much seems to have come of it since though.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by karl_b Finished reading this last week and have to say it was very very good. A very intense SF novel with some great characters and a hell of a plot, with many twists and turns. The writing style seemed very laid back at times, which I enjoyed, it didnt try to over complicate things and was cleverly done. Some of the ideas in the book were fantastic, the idea of 're-sleeving' and eternal life are very thought provoking, especially when you bring in the 'meths' and how they seemingly abuse the technology. Kovacs is a cracking character, and I am definitely going to be getting hold of the other books in the trilogy. I am now reading Jonny Cash's autobiography, which is brilliant. The stories that man had and the way he tells his life story is fascinating. I have also just read 'The Timewaster Letters' by Robin Cooper. A very funny read. Basically, this guy writes letters to companies to see if they reply. Some do and some dont and some he keeps up a correspondance over numerous letters. An example is when he writes to the British Halibut foundation to tell them his wife had cooked him some Halibut and it was bloody marvelous. The chairman then responds by saying he was glad to hear from him and that he too had enjoyed some Halibut.

Don't bother with Market Forces. It's not a Takeshi Kovacs novel and is shit. Woken Furies and Broken Angels are both ace, however.

[Paul]

Just putting in my Amazon summer holiday reading order and have gone for quite a few recommendations off here:

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
Nineteen Seventy Four - David Peace
Margrave of the Marshes - John Peel
The Illuminatus Trilogy - Robert Shea
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
Revelation Space - Alistair Reynolds

[CharleyKnight]

Got a personalised signed copy of Chris Eubank's autobiography a few years back. Just started reading it now and its a good read. He's a spot on bloke and when I met him he was a proper gent and took time out to chat about the Benn fight etc.

[Budared]

I, Claudius and Claudius the God - Robert Graves
Shogun - James Clavelle

both brilliant, historical novels i love 'em.

also just read 'an ordinary man' by the actual guy that the film Hotel Rwanada was based around - scary stuff, one day your neighbour, next day machete weilding maniac

[Stu Monty]

Originally Posted by Paul Just putting in my Amazon summer holiday reading order and have gone for quite a few recommendations off here: Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card Nineteen Seventy Four - David Peace Margrave of the Marshes - John Peel The Illuminatus Trilogy - Robert Shea Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell Revelation Space - Alistair Reynolds

Did you see my Michel Houllebecq thread?

If not, have you heard of him and if so, what do you reckon to him?

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Stu Monty Did you see my Michel Houllebecq thread? If not, have you heard of him and if so, what do you reckon to him?

I did, I hadn't and I don't. I will delve on Amazon, but I have to say that the many negative replies to your thread didn't exactly win me to the cause.

[redrosetints]

Just read Ben Eltons Dead Famous, very good, turn the page stuff. Ive got a couple more for the holidays.

[05 Milan]

"The Secret Man" by Bob Woodward, where he spills the beans on Deep Throat. A rather intriguing read, but I think other fellow journos will enjoy it more than people of other occupations.

I also just read "The Catcher in the Rye", just to have read it. Didn't think it was all that special, but the ending is one of the most touching things I've ever come across.

[bri]

just finished yes man by danny wallace, very good. A touch of the dice man about it but still had me laughing out loud on the tube.

Just about to get my teeth stuck into Neal Stephensons Quicksilver but might be convinced that life's to short.

Might have a look at that Altered Carbon book