The GF book thread

[Numero Veinticinco]

Apologies if already mentioned, havent been through the thread.

 

SciFi/Fantasy books you'll find no better than David Gemmell.

 

The Drenai series in particular Ive re-read so many times.

 

Id be very envious of anyone into this genre that has not discovered Gemmell- the books that await you....

I haven't read them. I have obtained a lot of the stuff recommended here - Malazan Book of the Fallen, Red Sister and other books by him, and today I picked up the Drenai books. I've not started anything as I've been a bit busy, but this coming weekend is going to be invested into seeing how much I hate reading books.

[Dave D]

I haven't read them. I have obtained a lot of the stuff recommended here - Malazan Book of the Fallen, Red Sister and other books by him, and today I picked up the Drenai books. I've not started anything as I've been a bit busy, but this coming weekend is going to be invested into seeing how much I hate reading books.

Pretty sure Ive got all of his books, around 26 them, types of books you happily re-read every few years.

 

Much fun ahead for Mr 9 God

[Rico1304]

I've started the Lawrence Block books on Crouchie's recommendation - very good so far.

[Jockey]

I have just started a book called 'Born to run'.

 

I am sure the runners against you have already read it.

 

I've just finished that. Learned nothing about running, but I know loads about Springsteen! 

 

Finished The Underground Rail Road last night - really amazing book. Re-imagining, and literal interpretation of the Underground Rail Road. Doesn't make you feel good about being white. 

[Remmie]

A mate of mine has started writing a book, releasing it a chapter at a time on facetwat. I'm only 4 chapters in but really enjoying it so far, if you like it and on FB like it on here: https://www.facebook.com/gavinfurypb/ & you can read some more chapters as they are released. He's definitely influenced by Irvine Welsh. At least give the first chapter a go and see what you think:

 

https://gavinfury.co.uk/2017/09/26/one/

 

https://gavinfury.co.uk/2017/10/02/two/

 

https://gavinfury.co.uk/2017/10/07/three/

 

https://gavinfury.co.uk/2017/10/07/four/#more-95

[Remmie]

Chapter five is out: https://gavinfury.co.uk/2017/10/12/five/

[Kidder Bukowski]

Reread 'God is a Bullet' which is still brilliant.

 

Read 'The Circle which is laboured and shite.'

[Jairzinho]

Guernica - Dave Boling. 

 

Absolutely top class this, best book I've read for a year or two. 

[VladimirIlyich]

Guernica - Dave Boling.

 

Absolutely top class this, best book I've read for a year or two.

Is it a Spanish Civil War/History book?

[Jairzinho]

Is it a Spanish Civil War/History book?

It's a novel, obviously set in the build up to the civil war. The first half is a really nice story about the town and surrounding area, really interesting characters, etc. Then the place gets levelled, and you have 30/40 pages of really powerful stuff.

 

It's just class.

[Qwikage]

Alan Coren 69 for 1. Laugh out loud writing. 

 

Executioner Pierrepoint: An Autobiography, Not as many laughs but interesting reading.

[Kidder Bukowski]

Guernica - Dave Boling. 

 

Absolutely top class this, best book I've read for a year or two. 

I read it years ago and felt it was basically a poor mans Captain Corelli. As if he'd thought to himself 'where could I set a story like that?'

[El Rojo]

Heroes Of The Frontier - Dave Eggers

 

The adventures of a mother who quits her dental practice to travel around Alaska with her two kids in an RV van after her husband deserts the family. A refreshingly light departure from what I'd usually read. Well written, funny and warm. 

 

The Adversary - Emmanuel Carrere 

 

Non fiction. Utterly bizarre and compelling story of a French fantasist who murdered his wife, children and parents. He'd been living a lie for decades, on the surface leading a normal middle-class life, pretending he was a qualified doctor working a high-end job with the WHO  swindling friends and family out of money.  'Work' every day involved sleeping in his car, hanging out in cafes or pretending to attend conferences abroad.

[Guest]

Just in case it's of interest to anyone, a well reviewed book is available for kindle for 99p today. Ready Player One.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline-ebook/dp/B005CVWWJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508428751&sr=8-1&keywords=ready+player+one+book

[Paul]

La Belle Sauvage, the first part of Philip Pullman’s The Book Of Dust, is out tomorrow (and arriving at ours). Fuck me, I’m genuinely giddy about a book release! I’ve only waited a decade or more for it.

[Paul]

And it’s here. First book I’ve bought in years; usually just download to Kindle.

[Jockey]

Just in case it's of interest to anyone, a well reviewed book is available for kindle for 99p today. Ready Player One.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline-ebook/dp/B005CVWWJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508428751&sr=8-1&keywords=ready+player+one+book

That is a film soon isn't it? (Speilberg).

[Elite]

And it’s here. First book I’ve bought in years; usually just download to Kindle.

Don't get too excited the pages will stick together.

[Tony Moanero]

And it’s here. First book I’ve bought in years; usually just download to Kindle.

Books > Kindle

[Guest]

Books > Kindle

Books = Kindle

 

Kindle = Books

 

Books + Kindle = Kindle + Books

[SasaS]

Audio books > books / kindle / e-books.

[Jairzinho]

Cuntdle.

[SasaS]

Arundhati Roy 's new novel The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is interesting  and intriguing, if not exactly great.

 

It looks like she had one novel she couldn't finish, and then just lumped it with another, with elements of other stories started and abandoned used not to go to waste. But she can write a good yarn and sheds light on many aspect of modern India that would be new to a Western reader. Roy seems to hate Hindu nationalists with a passion and the feelings are apparently more than reciprocated.  There is a lot about Kashmir in it too, plus all the anti-capitalist, anti-corporatist anti-establishment stuff you'd expect. There are also trans-genders and hatred of modern economic miracle India, which, again, judging by some Indian reviews, hates her right back. In fact, it's harder to find a topic she didn't  put in then identify all the motifs in under 400 pages.

 

The main Kashmiri freedom fighter / terrorist is a bit of a Victor Laszlo type of what-does-he-do-exactly character. On the plus side, there is humour and a considerable ability too use irony on herself too.
 

So if you are at all interested in any of the above mentioned, dive in, this novel may be many things, but one thing it isn't - boring.  

[Paul]

Just finished Part 1 of The Book Of Dust, La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman and it everything I wanted it to be and more. I had no real conception of how it could sit alongside His Dark Materials and feature Lyra without it being explicitly about her. But it achieves that perfectly.

 

Pullman’s storytelling is just brilliant. You feel like you’re in Lyra’s Oxford and the pages just whip over as you rattle through the book with no shit bits that you feel you want to flick past. New characters and old meet but the sense that this story is consistent with the other whilst also feeling brand new is perfect.

 

Loads of little details also click into place with HDM and then there are the little touches like the illustrations and the wonderful spine and cover hidden under the dust jacket.

 

His themes are those of individuality, freedom and religion as before but with references to sexuality, both conventional and darker, and burgeoning adulthood with characters who seem entirely at home in a kids’ book but who swear aggressively.

 

This is the best book I’ve read since Northern Lights. It makes me feel how I used to feel as a kid reading C.S. Lewis or John Christopher. If you’ve read HDM get onto this ASAP. And if you haven’t, read that trilogy do you can read this. These stories are amazing.

[Dave D]

 Bill Brysons "Notes from a small island" is a good read.

 

*If you have a dry sense of humour