The GF book thread

[SasaS]

16 minutes ago, polymerpunkah said:

Viva La GF Book Thread!

 

Ironically, now that I'm off work, I'm "reading" less, as I generally listen to books all day on the job.

 

Just finishing "The History of Sri Lanka" by Patrick Peebles.

 

Not the best book I've ever read, but it does cover the entire history of the island, up to '05 or so, so it's a decent framework for further reading.

 

 

So, are the Tamil Tigers good guys or bad guys? How culpable were the Brits in all that?

[elvis]

The wasp factory (again)  , Iain Banks - fucking class book 

[elvis]

On 24/02/2020 at 11:46, El Rojo said:

The Wall by John Lanchester.

 

Set in a future Britain after waters around the world have risen. Most citizens have to serve two years guarding the walls surrounding the island from displaced 'invaders' on boats. If people get over the walls on any guards' watch, they themselves are put out to sea instead. Written from the perspective of somebody beginning their term manning the barricades.

 

Fantastic novel that works great as a dystopian thriller or as a warning about the future. Couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. 

Definitely downloading  that today . 

Nice one 

[Mudface]

8 minutes ago, elvis said:

The wasp factory (again)  , Iain Banks - fucking class book 

"Let's go fly a kite..."

[polymerpunkah]

52 minutes ago, SasaS said:

So, are the Tamil Tigers good guys or bad guys? How culpable were the Brits in all that?

Based on the two books I've read, I'd say the Brits weren't culpable in contributing to the civil war--particularly when compared to other former colonial possessions. 

 

As for the LLTE I haven't done enough reading to say whether or not what they did was justified. When is insurrection ever justified? Were their methods justifiable? How severe was Sinhalese repression, political and religious, etc.

 

I was headed there next month, actually. And I was going to visit Jaffna and the north to get a sense of how the region was recovering. 

 

Maybe next spring, virus-willing.

[SasaS]

1 minute ago, polymerpunkah said:

Based on the two books I've read, I'd say the Brits weren't particularly culpable in contributing to the civil war--particularly when compared to other former colonial possessions. 

 

As for the LLTE I haven't done enough reading to say whether or not what they did was justified. When is insurrection ever justified? Were their methods justifiable? How severe was Sinhalese repression, political and religious, etc.

 

I was headed there next month, actually. And I was going to visit Jaffna and the north to get a sense of how the region was recovering. 

 

Maybe next spring, virus-willing.

 

I thought the Tamils were settled in Sri Lanka by the British, something to do with tea growing. Might be mistaken, I know next to nothing about that part of the world.

[polymerpunkah]

6 minutes ago, SasaS said:

 

I thought the Tamils were settled in Sri Lanka by the British, something to do with tea growing. Might be mistaken, I know next to nothing about that part of the world.

No, the Tamils were there prior to British arrival.

 

There was migration from India to SL to work on the plantations, and the treatment of those people after independence was "less than ideal", but the main issue was much broader than that.

 

 

[Bjornebye]

Did anyone watch that thing about the Easter Sri Lanka attacks last year, the other night? Grim viewing. Truly evil bastards. 

[Sugar Ape]

Some decent sounding sci-fi and fantasy books in this months Guardian roundup. 
 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/apr/10/the-best-science-fiction-and-fantasy-review-roundup?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

[Bob]

I’m absolutely rubbish at reading books. I just don’t stick at it unless I get gripped really quickly, and I hate starting new ones.

 

ib the last few months I’ve tried a few and put them back down again, but I’m currently about half way through Archangel by Robert Harris.

 

its the third of his I’ve read after Fatherland and Enigma which were both fantastic - the former being one of the books I’ve most enjoyed reading ever.

 

this one is good so far, but needs to pick up soon, though it feels like it is going to. 

[Bob]

Finished it last week. Decent enough, nowhere near as good as the other two of his I have read, and a bit too fanciful an ending for my liking, but not bad.

 

I’m now 50 pages in to Life of Pi and I can’t decide whether I’m enjoying it or not. I think I am, but it’s not what I was expecting or like anything I’ve read before so difficult to quite be sure.

 

ill persevere.

[Paul]

On 24/02/2020 at 11:46, El Rojo said:

The Wall by John Lanchester.

 

Set in a future Britain after waters around the world have risen. Most citizens have to serve two years guarding the walls surrounding the island from displaced 'invaders' on boats. If people get over the walls on any guards' watch, they themselves are put out to sea instead. Written from the perspective of somebody beginning their term manning the barricades.

 

Fantastic novel that works great as a dystopian thriller or as a warning about the future. Couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. 

Read this off the back of your post and really enjoyed it. Think it’d make a great British independent film or a short BBC TV show. It’s very reminiscent of classic British dystopian fiction like Day of the Triffids or The Death of Grass. Cracking read. 
 

I’m now on one that was in the paper on Saturday. It’s called The Book of Koli by MR Carey which is another dystopian/post-apocalyptic thing set in this country. However it’s obviously quite far into the future and there’s mad shit like killer trees in it too. Just started it but it’s good. 
 

Also doing John Connolly’s online daily Parker short story, have got the new Don Winslow waiting and then the new Stephen King on order for Tuesday.  

[Sugar Ape]

I might give the Book of Koli a go, I was looking at it the other day. I didn’t mind his Felix Castor series and the plot sounds good. 

[Ian Sea]

I’m reading ‘The Night Fire’ by Michael Connelly, the latest Bosch / Ballard book. I’m enjoying it (as I usually do) although I feel the Bosch books have become somewhat dumbed down as the series has gone on. The early books were great and I’ll probably revisit them at some point in the near future. 

[Paul]

17 hours ago, Sugar Ape said:

I might give the Book of Koli a go, I was looking at it the other day. I didn’t mind his Felix Castor series and the plot sounds good. 

I’m only about 20% in but it is superb. I’m really enjoying it. 
 

Forgot to mention earlier that I’ve also ordered the new Mark Lawrence book which is out on Tuesday as well as the Stephen King one. It’s set in the same world as the Ancestor books. I’ve gone from struggling to find something decent to read for weeks on end to having about five all stacked up waiting for me. Nice one.

[Sut]

I'm going to be juggling the new Don Winslow set of novellas with Mr King's from tomorrow. I think it'll be one from each, bouncing back and forwards.

[Paul]

Finished The Book of Koli and absolutely loved it. At work all this week so might wait for the new Mark Lawrence in the morning and read Winslow and King after that. 

[redinblack62]

Just finished "The Big Midweek", Steve Hanley talking about his time in The Fall. Well written and laugh out loud funny in parts. Mental doesnt even begin to cover it.

[Sugar Ape]

I’m reading The Witches by Roald Dahl again. Wanted something familiar and not too heavy, probably have it finished by tonight. 

[Sut]

Not heavy? The happy ending of the book is that

because he's been turned into a mouse, he'll die before his Nan. [SPOILER ENDS] That's pretty heavy that, mate.

[Sugar Ape]

4 minutes ago, Sut said:

Not heavy? The happy ending of the book is that

  Reveal hidden contents

 

because he's been turned into a mouse, he'll die before his Nan. [SPOILER ENDS] That's pretty heavy that, mate.

Yeah but two years in mouse years is approximately 70 years in human years. So the little shit probably had a long and full life.

[Sut]

Ha

[Rico1304]

The Bernie Gunther books by Kerr really are good.  

[Edward.]

Fabulous reading them at the minute 

[Bjornebye]

On 14/04/2020 at 19:28, Bob Spunkmouse said:

Finished it last week. Decent enough, nowhere near as good as the other two of his I have read, and a bit too fanciful an ending for my liking, but not bad.

 

I’m now 50 pages in to Life of Pi and I can’t decide whether I’m enjoying it or not. I think I am, but it’s not what I was expecting or like anything I’ve read before so difficult to quite be sure.

 

ill persevere.

Ive got Life of Pi to read. I'll wait for you to finish before I bother.