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I read The Hunter by Richard Stark (filmed as both Point Blank and Payback) and it was fucking boss. I've now lined up the next Porter book for after I finish Game of Thrones, which I'm about a third of the way through.

 

I also read The Nightwatch by that Russian dude on holiday and have lined up the others (by swapping them off the shelf in the villa where we stayed with two books I'd read). However, I'm not sure I can be arsed with them now. It was fine while I was reading it but I don't feel any compelling desire to carry on.

 

I read the Joe Abercrombie First Law trilogy, which was good. Can anyone comment on what are the other ones by him are like? They're set in the same world, aren't they?

 

I also read The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon which is a bit of a spooky one for teens. It was alright.

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I read The Hunter by Richard Stark (filmed as both Point Blank and Payback) and it was fucking boss. I've now lined up the next Porter book for after I finish Game of Thrones, which I'm about a third of the way through.

 

I also read The Nightwatch by that Russian dude on holiday and have lined up the others (by swapping them off the shelf in the villa where we stayed with two books I'd read). However, I'm not sure I can be arsed with them now. It was fine while I was reading it but I don't feel any compelling desire to carry on.

 

I read the Joe Abercrombie First Law trilogy, which was good. Can anyone comment on what are the other ones by him are like? They're set in the same world, aren't they?

 

I also read The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon which is a bit of a spooky one for teens. It was alright.

 

I've mentioned it before but you should try The Passage by Cronin. He's borrowed a lot from King but the result is up there with King's best.

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I've mentioned it before but you should try The Passage by Cronin. He's borrowed a lot from King but the result is up there with King's best.

 

Already read it. I bought in hardback when it first came out on the strength of the Amazon reviews (and because it was cheap). I enjoyed it (without loving it) and mentioned it on here I think.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

9781906694203.jpg

 

Recently finished this harrowing read: a posthumously published account from a young man who survived a year in Treblinka before escaping. The main section is fairly brief - you could finish it in a couple of sittings - but the images just won't budge. Idiosyncratically, I'm wary of translations but the hell is described in such cold, matter-of-fact terms that it was less of an issue here. Like I say it's rather slight, but I'd definitely recommend raiding the library for it.

 

By pure co-incidence (or perhaps to restore my faith in humanity) I've also been dipping in and out of Steven Pinker's new one The Better Angels of Our Nature: The Decline of Violence in History and Its Causes. A lot of academics sneer at Pinker's style and question his approach, but I think it's healthy to have your worldview challenged... no matter how dubiously.

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Doing some reading on the Bush/Cheney presidency.

 

"One Percent Doctrine" by Ron Suskind

 

A look at Cheney's approach to foreign policy: "If there's a one percent chance of something bad happening, we have to do something about it. Pre-emptively."

 

Gives some excellent insight into why they attacked Iraq. Speaking of:

 

"Plan of Attack" by Bob Woodward

 

Basically a blow-by-blow of how Bush/Cheney went to war against Iraq, starting their preparations in November 2001 (if not before 911).

 

It's good for the basic details, but not much analysis. I hope to find a couple more books to do some comparison.

 

Listened to "The Spanish Civil War: A Very Brief Introduction" by Helen Graham

 

One of a series of "Brief Intros" to all sorts of subjects, published by the Oxford Uni Press. I've read/listened to a dozen or so, and they're all excellent. Detailed, but accessible to a dummy like me.

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How does Paul fit it all into a day, he works full time, he spends a lot of time cooking and has a family, it baffles me.

 

I literally have no social life (or not one most single blokes would recognise as such) and I wake up very early in the morning. Bonné de douche, everyone's a winner.

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  • 1 month later...

Moriarty: the Hound of the D'Urbervilles by Kim Newman: excellent memoir by Colonel Sebastian Moran, detailling his career working with the Napoleon of Crime. Probably one of the most enjoyable books I've read for years.

 

The Martian Ambassador by Alan K Baker: 6 years after the Martians of HG Wells' War of the Worlds contact Earth (they came in peace) tension builds between the two planets after the ambassador to Queen Victoria dies in suspicious circumstances. Not bad.

 

Tough Luck by Jason Starr: a young man in Brooklyn is working in a fish store on his year out before college, taking care of his father who suffers from Alzheimers and making small time bets with his bookie. When a mafia connected customer stiffs him on bets he put on on his behalf, his friend Chris comes up with a sure fire way to make him some quick cash. You get the feeling things could only get worse and they do.

 

The Hunter by Richard Stark. As Paul says, excellent.

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  • 1 month later...

The Edinburgh Dead. 1820s Edinburgh and a veteran of the Napoleonic wars has a job with the City Police. When a body is found mauled to death and nobody else is interested he investigates, discovering a conspiracy involving bodysnatchers, experiments into resurrecting the dead and Satanic worship. Excellent.

 

Sherlock Holmes: the Breath of God. Dr John Silence, spiritual investigator, comes to Holmes with a case concerning a supernatural death. Joining forces with Silence, Carnacki the ghost hunter, Aleister Crowley and Karswell, the villain of Night of the Demon, Holmes investigates the case. I was sceptical at first but have to admit by the end of it thought it was really well done.

 

The Feaster from the Stars. Sequel to The Martian Ambassador. A good concept involving a malevolent spirit from outside space that wants to reach Earth to consume everything on the planet let down because Alan Baker keeps bringing fucking faeries into it.

 

Tarzan Alive. Philip Jose Farmer's biography of the Lord of Greystoke. Excellent book that maps out Tarzan's life, straightening out inconsistencies and relating him to other literary creations.

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Just finished 'The Fifth Witness' by Michael Connelly which I got for my birthday last week.

Again another very good solid courtroom based thriller using the character from 'The Lincoln Lawyer.'

I love Connelly books but cannot watch the film of The Lincoln Lawyer as it casts Matthew McConaughey in the role.

 

According to the foreword in the book,HBO are planning on making films regarding Connelly's main character Harry Bosch.

I just hope they get the casting right on that.

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Doing some reading on the Bush/Cheney presidency.

 

"One Percent Doctrine" by Ron Suskind

 

A look at Cheney's approach to foreign policy: "If there's a one percent chance of something bad happening, we have to do something about it. Pre-emptively."

 

Gives some excellent insight into why they attacked Iraq. Speaking of:

 

"Plan of Attack" by Bob Woodward

 

Basically a blow-by-blow of how Bush/Cheney went to war against Iraq, starting their preparations in November 2001 (if not before 911).

 

It's good for the basic details, but not much analysis. I hope to find a couple more books to do some comparison.

 

Listened to "The Spanish Civil War: A Very Brief Introduction" by Helen Graham

 

One of a series of "Brief Intros" to all sorts of subjects, published by the Oxford Uni Press. I've read/listened to a dozen or so, and they're all excellent. Detailed, but accessible to a dummy like me.

 

On a similar note I'm reading Washington's China by James Peck, which is a look into the NSC history and their strategic thinking. It's a really good read but China's ascendancy and the real prospect of a Republican Senate and President returning this year make it absolutely terrifying.

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If you haven't read King's The Stand or IT, I'd put them on the top of your list.

 

I read most of kings when it came out (being old, not condescending) but you are spot on with those 2. It frightened the shit out of me and despite being about 800 pages long I didn't want The Stand to end.

 

Since I posted that I've read Deal Breaker and am halfway through A madness of angels. First one was average, second slightly better.

 

This kindle is costing me a fortune! Think I'll go for the sci fi option next.

 

Cheers

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Started Richard Morgan's 'Woken Furies' the 3rd of the Takeshi Kovacs books and like everything else I've read of his its got me instantly hooked.

 

If you're a scifi fan who hasn't read his Altered Carbon you're missing out

Indeed - it's the very first book mentioned on this thread. It's not just for SF heads, either; it's a great thriller too. In fact it's basically a thriller set in the future, more than it's an SF novel.

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  • 5 weeks later...
Just finished reading The Passage today. Can't believe how much I enjoyed and now I have to wait until the Summer for the next book.

 

Can anyone recommend me something similar to tide me over?

 

Try these RK, if you like the passage they should be up your street.

 

This is ace.

 

Swan Song: Amazon.co.uk: RobertR McCammon: Books

 

In case you haven't read the book, much superior to the film :

 

I Am Legend (S.F. MASTERWORKS): Amazon.co.uk: Richard Matheson: Books

 

The Strain Trilogy by Guillermo del Toro are decent.

 

The Strain: Book 1 of The Strain Trilogy: Amazon.co.uk: Guillermo del Toro, Chuck Hogan: 9780007311293: Books

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