The GF book thread

[SasaS]

Finished Knausgards' Seasons Quartet which often reads like a volume 7 of My Struggle books. Not bad. Not bad at all if you are into that sort of thing. 

[Elite]

Been reading a few survival stories lately both very good.

 

Last Man Off by Matt Lewis about a fishing boat that capsizes in the Atlantic Ocean. 

 

And

 

Jungle By Yossi Ghinsberg. Which has been made into a film starring Daniel Radcliffe, the book is far better though. It's only 0.99p on Kindle. Bargain.

[Numero Veinticinco]

Finished all three books in the Starlight Archive and I'm waiting for the fourth one to come out next month. Incredible series so far. You could argue that it's needlessly long in places, but considering they total around 1.2m words (for reference: Lord of the Rings trilogy is around 520k, as is War and Peace) I was expecting some waffle. Fortunately that waffle actually counts for something in character building and the feeling you get when reading what the characters are going through. All in all, a fucking good set of books. Another nearly half-million words in the next book too. There's going to be 10 books apparently. Fucking mental. I'd say there are parts in the books that reach 10/10 level. Overall I'll go with 9/10. Very good.

 

Moved on to the fourth book in the Bobiverse. Really decent, but it's an adjustment going back to science fiction from epic fantasy. I've almost finished it, and would give it an 8/10. I really like this series. A few lads of here read it and liked it. I wonder if @Paul will pick up the fourth one? 

 

Next up to bridge the gap between the end of book three of Starlight and the release of book four is going to be The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Not sure I'm going to like it but somebody recommended it and the synopsis looked pretty interesting. 

 

 

[YorkshireRed]

I’m really enjoying One Summer: America, 1927 by Bill Bryson.

 

Not quite finished it yet and I know it’s one of those books I’ll grieve for when I do. 
 

As the title suggests, it’s an account of some of the events of that year and the stories behind the major players.
 

Some things I have some existing knowledge of; e.g. Charles Lindbergh’s solo flight across the Atlantic and Babe Ruth’s record breaking season in terms of home runs but the detail Bryson provides is fascinating. There’s plenty of other events I’m learning about for the first time, it’s educational as well as engaging. 
 

It really was an incredible year brought to life by a genuinely brilliant writer. Some may find it quite long with perhaps too much attention to detail. Not me though, I love it.

 

9/10.

[Edward.]

1 hour ago, Nummer Neunzehn said:

Finished all three books in the Starlight Archive and I'm waiting for the fourth one to come out next month. Incredible series so far. You could argue that it's needlessly long in places, but considering they total around 1.2m words (for reference: Lord of the Rings trilogy is around 520k, as is War and Peace) I was expecting some waffle. Fortunately that waffle actually counts for something in character building and the feeling you get when reading what the characters are going through. All in all, a fucking good set of books. Another nearly half-million words in the next book too. There's going to be 10 books apparently. Fucking mental. I'd say there are parts in the books that reach 10/10 level. Overall I'll go with 9/10. Very good.

 

Moved on to the fourth book in the Bobiverse. Really decent, but it's an adjustment going back to science fiction from epic fantasy. I've almost finished it, and would give it an 8/10. I really like this series. A few lads of here read it and liked it. I wonder if @Paul will pick up the fourth one? 

 

Next up to bridge the gap between the end of book three of Starlight and the release of book four is going to be The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Not sure I'm going to like it but somebody recommended it and the synopsis looked pretty interesting. 

 

 

Is that Starlight or Stormlight, can only find Stormlight.

[Numero Veinticinco]

1 hour ago, Edward. said:

Is that Starlight or Stormlight, can only find Stormlight.

Stormlight archive. Sorry mate, I either went mad or my autocorrect was auto incorrect. 
 

1) The Way of Kings

2) Words of Radiance

3) Oathbringer

 

[Edward.]

No problem, six box set available on Amazon £35. Very good reviews too. Payday looming.

[SasaS]

Serotonin by Michel Houllebecq, I seem to recall it got bad reviews in line with writer's diminishing reputation but I really don't see what was that bad here, if it was so good in his first novels.

Every two or three years, Houllebecq delivers a nice dose of cynicism, irony and misanthropy, interspersed with  some great observations, and in that, it was a quite enjoyable reading. Not what you want all the time, but every once in a while this turns out to be just what the doctor ordered.

[Numero Veinticinco]

22 hours ago, Edward. said:

No problem, six box set available on Amazon £35. Very good reviews too. Payday looming.

I think I’m right in saying the second book is the highest rated book on Good Reads or was. Edit: just checked, the first two are in the top ten. 

[Elite]

6 minutes ago, Nummer Neunzehn said:

I think I’m right in saying the second book is the highest rated book on Good Reads or was. Edit: just checked, the first two are in the top ten. 

Any talk of making it into a TV show?

[Section_31]

I bought the latest Timothy Zhan Thrawn book recently and just can't be arsed with it already.

 

He wrote the original Heir to the Empire trilogy in the late 90s which were credited with bringing Star Wars back to life. They were amazing books and the publishers want to keep juicing the character of thrawn, but the last few have got shitter and shitter. We're not far off now from "Thrawn goes shopping" or some shit.

 

You see this a lot with TV shows. Guy or gal has an idea, is bursting with creative energy, then it just becomes about paying the bills and you can tell from a mile away.

[Numero Veinticinco]

53 minutes ago, Elite said:

Any talk of making it into a TV show?

Not Stormlight. Brandon Sanderson is active on YouTube and he recently did a video about that subject. I think he sees it more as a movie, but nothing is in the works. 

[Numero Veinticinco]

On 07/09/2020 at 12:30, Dave D said:

May have a look- try Gemmell books- you'll love them.

 

 

I’m at a lose end with audiobooks until the full release of the next Stomlight book. Where do I star with Gemmell then, old bean. 

[Dave D]

3 hours ago, Nummer Neunzehn said:

I’m at a lose end with audiobooks until the full release of the next Stomlight book. Where do I star with Gemmell then, old bean. 

Either of these would be a good start (probably got updated covers now)

 

[Paul]

I’ve just finished a book called The Midnight Library off the back of that new book show with Sarah Cox. It was basically a woman’s book (life, love, all that shit), but I quite enjoyed it. 

[Juniper]

Currently reading The Massacre of Mankind.

 

Written by Stephen Baxter and authorised by the estate of HG Wells its the sequel to War of The Worlds.

 

Its great, it’ll be hard to stand up to the original as that’s an all time classic however this does a really good job at capturing the essence of the first book and has some new ideas also.
 

Set 13 years after the original earth has been monitoring the skys and its soon evident that the Martians are back and very, very pissed off. 

Loving every page so far. Like with the original I’m already regretting getting ever closer to the end of the book.

 

[SasaS]

Nesbo's Kingdom is a pretty ambitious effort, not bad. I think his non Harry Hole crime novels may be better overall than the series. 

[YorkshireRed]

Just finished this one. An absolute incredible read. As harrowing as it is humbling it’s the true story of a Polish resistance fighter who volunteered to manufacture an arrest that would lead to him being sent to Auschwitz. Once there he built a movement that attempted to let the world know about Nazi atrocities and the plans to turn the place into the death camp it would become. 
 

The book takes us beyond Auschwitz though, it details the incredible sacrifices many made during the Warsaw uprising and the despair of a new enemy on their doorstep once the Nazis had finally been defeated. 

Everyone should read this book, they should then tell everyone else to read it. It’s that important. 
 

10/10.

[SasaS]

10 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

Just finished this one. An absolute incredible read. As harrowing as it is humbling it’s the true story of a Polish resistance fighter who volunteered to manufacture an arrest that would lead to him being sent to Auschwitz. Once there he built a movement that attempted to let the world know about Nazi atrocities and the plans to turn the place into the death camp it would become. 
 

The book takes us beyond Auschwitz though, it details the incredible sacrifices many made during the Warsaw uprising and the despair of a new enemy on their doorstep once the Nazis had finally been defeated. 

Everyone should read this book, they should then tell everyone else to read it. It’s that important. 
 

10/10.

Why?

[YorkshireRed]

9 minutes ago, SasaS said:

Why?

Rather than answer that I’ll just invite you to read it yourself. I’d be interested to know your own answer to your question and whether you agree with me or not in relation to the books importance. 

[Rico1304]

The Bobiverse books recommended above are very good. 

[SasaS]

5 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

Rather than answer that I’ll just invite you to read it yourself. I’d be interested to know your own answer to your question and whether you agree with me or not in relation to the books importance. 

So it is not all that important after all.

[Numero Veinticinco]

2 hours ago, Rico1304 said:

The Bobiverse books recommended above are very good. 

How dare you.

[Edward.]

Just started reading the Daniel Faust series, very similar to Harry Butcher although a little more aimed at an adult audience.

[Bjornebye]

6 hours ago, YorkshireRed said:

Just finished this one. An absolute incredible read. As harrowing as it is humbling it’s the true story of a Polish resistance fighter who volunteered to manufacture an arrest that would lead to him being sent to Auschwitz. Once there he built a movement that attempted to let the world know about Nazi atrocities and the plans to turn the place into the death camp it would become. 
 

The book takes us beyond Auschwitz though, it details the incredible sacrifices many made during the Warsaw uprising and the despair of a new enemy on their doorstep once the Nazis had finally been defeated. 

Everyone should read this book, they should then tell everyone else to read it. It’s that important. 
 

10/10.

 

6 hours ago, SasaS said:

Why?

 

5 hours ago, YorkshireRed said:

Rather than answer that I’ll just invite you to read it yourself. I’d be interested to know your own answer to your question and whether you agree with me or not in relation to the books importance. 

 

5 hours ago, SasaS said:

So it is not all that important after all.

@SasaS Why do you have to be such a cock. Why wouldn't a book about Auschwitz be important?