What Are You Currently Reading?

First topic message reminder :

As the title suggests; this is just a post to find out what people are currently reading (I don't want any sarcastic comments stating "This thread" )

I'm currently reading What The Night Knows by Dean Koontz. I'm only about 19 chapters in, but it's really good so far.

I finished Shattered Bones by Stuart MacBride at the weekend. That was okay, but the editing was poor so it detracted from my enjoyment a little.

Actually that is another question for this thread. Is it just me, or does sloppy editing bother you? I'm talking in terms of spelling mistakes, double words etc. I find it really off putting and I can't really explain why. I guess it could be because it interupts the flow of the story.

It really grinds my gears

Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth excellent read will definitely get some more of his books. Have just started Lost At Sea by Jon Ronson. Love Ronson, is a geniunely funny writer about subcultures and general human weirdness.

Rowley wrote:Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth excellent read will definitely get some more of his books. Have just started Lost At Sea by Jon Ronson. Love Ronson, is a geniunely funny writer about subcultures and general human weirdness.

Jeff, if you liked American Pastoral (which is easily in my top 5 books of all time) then try 'The plot against America next'. I won't bother telling you what it's about as I'm sure you're capable of finding a review yourself but it is a fantastic book and Roth almost at his best. Moving, interesting and thought-provoking in equal measures.

Trust me on this one, pal.

Cheers Tina, got Indignation out of the library the other day but plan to work my way through Roth's books, will probably chuck a load on the Kindle for the holiday as I did enjoy American Pastoral enormously.

Tried reading "Quicksilver" by Neal Stephenson...nearly died of boredom...and have severely sprained wrists from holding the frickin' thing.

Currently re-reading "Room on the Broom" for approximately the 67364th time!

Also just re-read "Fup" by Jim Dodge - a mini classic.

Also read the Jesse Stone series of books by Robert B parker - Tom Selleck made them into TV movies and to be honest they weren't that bad.

DAVE667 wrote:Also just re-read "Fup" by Jim Dodge - a mini classic.

Have you read Stone Junction and Not Fade Away by Dodge? Both highly recommended.

Thought "Stone Junction" was great but the ending left me a little cold and simply couldn't get into "Not Fade Away" Not a lover of these coming of age novels, I'm nearly 42 and teenagers irritate the heck out of me at the best of times. The ones in these novels all tend to be interesting and highly articulate when my experience is that they're generally duller than an well used spoon.

One of my favourite authors, Joe Lansdale seems to be doing a fair few these days. Wish he'd stick to the Hap and Leonard stuff.

War and peace by Tolstoy............

Started it in 1989 and now I'm 2/3 of the way there.

Reminds me of that episode of "Bottom"

Richie "Where's my bedtime book? War and Peace, we've been at it a few years now haven't we old chum? Right where was I? Ah yes, chapter one, sentence three (three seconds later) Oh, where's the dictionary? At this rate I'll be lucky to find out what they did, let alone who did it"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-War-Wars-Struggle-1789-1815/dp/078672028X

Lovely account of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars in one volume.

I'm getting through "All Hell Let Loose" by Max Hastings. Interested to see a couple on here have read it/started it. Heavy going, but well written and quite obviously brilliantly researched. Tend to agree with the view of Hastings as a brilliant historian but terrible journalist (if you could even call him one at all). I think he lets himself down a bit by downplaying the French resistance at times (having read quite a bit of Hasting he seems to have a rather irrational dislike of the French).

Almost a miracle by John Ferling..........

Reading how a small colony of brave, handsome, spirited, great American men battered the woefully inadequate. useless, non-handsome, unspirited, not-great British Army during the War of independence.....

Almost makes me want to divorce my British Wife, get on a plane and marry a wholehearted worthy American girl and make merry hay....

Almost....

sohotnot wrote:Reading 'Junk Mail' by Will Self, a selection of essays he wrote for various publications back in the early 90's, some really interesting stuff. Wish I'd read it sooner. !st thing I've read of his, gonna try some of his fiction next, any recommendations?

I didn't like Great Apes and didn't even make it halfway It's a shame because I liked the idea but I just didn't connect with his writing.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

Almost makes me want to divorce my British Wife, get on a plane and marry a wholehearted worthy American girl and make merry hay....

Please carry on reading then Truss

Just finished a journey to the centre of the earth and around the world in 80 days (I read that yesterday) , the latter is great but the former -what a brilliant brilliant book, i'd forgotten how good it was since I read it last.

Almost finished "Pale Horse Coming" by Stephen Hunter. It's begging to be made into a movie (although I'm the only one who can hear it)

Alan Sugar - The way I see it.....

Basically just a book to slag off all the people who have irked him..like Stephen Fry........

Puke..

Based on the TV series. Its an oldie but goldie. Helping me a lot at the moment as im studying the Sutton Hoo burials

Spoiler:

Steffan, any chance you could stop being a geek and simply write in words what it is you need to say rather than adding spoilers? Some of us can't access them and those who can invariably end up wishing they hadn't bothered.

There's a good boy

The Dirt - Motley Crue

They really were/are vile individuals. Pretty funny in places though and I think a pretty honest account of rock 'n' roll excess.

DAVE667 wrote:Steffan, any chance you could stop being a geek and simply write in words what it is you need to say rather than adding spoilers?

No

Read most of Dumas's works but saved the count of monte cristo for last. In parts, absolutely brilliant and other parts padding but worth the read.

I'm about 1/4 of the way through the count of monte cristo at the moment. Reading it on the kindle on my computer, I'd be lost without being able to double click on words and get the meaning instantly. It's not so much the old English but the general writing style typical of classics that makes it pretty heavy but anyhow I'm still really enjoying it.

What other of Dumas' works do you recommend?

www.classicly.com - excellent set there you can download for free and convert. Lots of other classics too all free to download as pdf or even read off the website on your phone.

actually you can download it for the kindle as well.

Thanks.

Fevre Dream by GRRM. Was better than I expected, the writing is probably better than most of a Song of Ice and Fire, frankly! And I really liked the King-esque retelling on classic horror in a very colourful American setting

Rowley wrote:Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth excellent read will definitely get some more of his books. Have just started Lost At Sea by Jon Ronson. Love Ronson, is a geniunely funny writer about subcultures and general human weirdness.

Read American Pastoral on your recommendation (having previously read Portnoy's Complaint by the same author) & enjoyed it immensely.  Roth isn't the most forgiving author, I occasionally had to reread sentences having forgotten the beginning by the time I reached the end, but well worth the effort.

Galted wrote:

Rowley wrote:Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth excellent read will definitely get some more of his books. Have just started Lost At Sea by Jon Ronson. Love Ronson, is a geniunely funny writer about subcultures and general human weirdness.

Read American Pastoral on your recommendation (having previously read Portnoy's Complaint by the same author) & enjoyed it immensely.  Roth isn't the most forgiving author, I occasionally had to reread sentences having forgotten the beginning by the time I reached the end, but well worth the effort.

Galted, I said the same to Jeff, but try 'The Plot against America' next. If you enjoyed AP I think you would like it. I know what you mean about the writing, but once you have gotten your head round the prose the content is brilliant.

Fantastic author and American Pastoral is superb.

Tina as I believe you have read the Religion by Tim willocks, the follow up is just out. Have got it but not read it yet so cannot review it.

Am reading on the waterfront by Budd Schulberg by the way. Only just started it but love the film so have high hopes.

Rowley wrote:Tina as I believe you have read the Religion by Tim willocks, the follow up is just out. Have got it but not read it yet so cannot review it.

Am reading on the waterfront by Budd Schulberg by the way. Only just started it but love the film so have high hopes.

I am still getting to the end of The Religion, Jeff. I wanted to read his prison one next as I know you, Dave and others recommend it highly.

I am really enjoying The Religion but the language is a bit flowery at times. I sometimes think he scours the dictionary to find as many big words as possible. Brilliant story but there are a lot of words I have never even heard of.

I am a bit dim though so it could just be that.

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Galted wrote:

Rowley wrote:Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth excellent read will definitely get some more of his books. Have just started Lost At Sea by Jon Ronson. Love Ronson, is a geniunely funny writer about subcultures and general human weirdness.

Read American Pastoral on your recommendation (having previously read Portnoy's Complaint by the same author) & enjoyed it immensely.  Roth isn't the most forgiving author, I occasionally had to reread sentences having forgotten the beginning by the time I reached the end, but well worth the effort.

Galted, I said the same to Jeff, but try 'The Plot against America' next.  If you enjoyed AP I think you would like it.  I know what you mean about the writing, but once you have gotten your head round the prose the content is brilliant.

Fantastic author and American Pastoral is superb.

Cheers Tino, have just ordered it off Amazon.  It better be good or you owe me one pound and fifty-seven pence.

Galted, I personally preferred The Plot Against America, am not giving you the one pound fifty seven though if you disagree.

Galted wrote:

Mind the windows Tino. wrote:

Galted wrote:

Rowley wrote:Just finished American Pastoral by Philip Roth excellent read will definitely get some more of his books. Have just started Lost At Sea by Jon Ronson. Love Ronson, is a geniunely funny writer about subcultures and general human weirdness.

Read American Pastoral on your recommendation (having previously read Portnoy's Complaint by the same author) & enjoyed it immensely.  Roth isn't the most forgiving author, I occasionally had to reread sentences having forgotten the beginning by the time I reached the end, but well worth the effort.

Galted, I said the same to Jeff, but try 'The Plot against America' next.  If you enjoyed AP I think you would like it.  I know what you mean about the writing, but once you have gotten your head round the prose the content is brilliant.

Fantastic author and American Pastoral is superb.

Cheers Tino, have just ordered it off Amazon.  It better be good or you owe me one pound and fifty-seven pence.

No worries. So long as I can pay it off over 30 months I can cover it.

You don't need to Rowley, you've already proved yourself with your American Pastoral recommendation.

Not really acceptable Tino, I would expect immediate payment (my mate Mad Doug offers loans at very reasonable rates for panic-stricken people). Lets not be hasty though, might just like it.

The Joy of sex by Alex comfort............

I get to read about all the positions other couples get to share while we read and drink our cocoa..........

I am about two thirds of the way through 'the dice man' which has a cult following allegedly. I've laughed at bits but found it very repetitive in parts too.

Adam D wrote:I am about two thirds of the way through 'the dice man' which has a cult following allegedly. I've laughed at bits but found it very repetitive in parts too.

Thats a book iv been meaning to get around to. I know so many people who have read it. On a Welsh theme Adam have you ever read 'The Uninvited'? Its about UFOs in Pembrokeshire during the 1970s. I havnt read it yet but am going to purchase a copy this week

I've read the Dice Man. Is one of those books that really splits opinion. Know of some people who treat it with almost religious reverence and others who hated it. Personally I could take it or leave it, enjoyed it well enough but didn't blow me away. Now if you want a proper counter culture classic the book of One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest is the far superior read.

Currently reading ..."THE FAN -the life of d4" .........One Man's determination to be heard.....It's got everything...From a doomed romance with a person across the sea........to a simmering hatred for a fellow human being and a desire to get even.....ending in triumph over adversity re-establishing himself after being kicked out of internet home after home...

A real tearjerker........Foreword by Coxy !!

Finished Tim Willocks' "The Twelve Children of Paris". Sunno if Rowley's read it yet but it's cracking. Just hope we don't have to wait seven years for the final installment.

Also read "The Third Bullet" by Stephen Hunter. His take on the Kennedy assassination (50th Anniversary this year) and a very well researched read and hypothesis on how it could have happened (Obviously Oswald did it etc etc etc etc so don't go getting your knickers in a twist)

Also reading Charlie Brooker's compendiums of his newpaper columns back when he was a tv critic. Vile, caustic, hate-filled, misanthropic....I love it!

Just started Willocks Dave, only about 600 pages to go. Up to his usual standard thus far.

DAVE667 wrote:Finished Tim Willocks' "The Twelve Children of Paris". Sunno if Rowley's read it yet but it's cracking. Just hope we don't have to wait seven years for the final installment.

Also read "The Third Bullet" by Stephen Hunter. His take on the Kennedy assassination (50th Anniversary this year) and a very well researched read and hypothesis on how it could have happened (Obviously Oswald did it etc etc etc etc so don't go getting your knickers in a twist)

Also reading Charlie Brooker's compendiums of his newpaper columns back when he was a tv critic. Vile, caustic, hate-filled, misanthropic....I love it!

I've read quite a few if those compendiums (screenburn springs to mind) and although great they do become samey after a while.

Rowley wrote:Just started Willocks Dave, only about 600 pages to go. Up to his usual standard thus far.

I'm thinking Hugh Jackman for the film (obvious choice would have been Russell Crowe circa "Gladiator" or failing that Daniel Radcliffe)

Have been rereading the dick francis collection. Still my favourite collection. Always learn about some new industry/job in every book.

ShahenshahG wrote:Have been rereading the dick francis collection. Still my favourite collection. Always learn about some new industry/job in every book.

Ron Jeremy's biography should be a real eye opener then!!!

DAVE667 wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Have been rereading the dick francis collection. Still my favourite collection. Always learn about some new industry/job in every book.

Ron Jeremy's biography should be a real eye opener then!!!

Who's that?

The Long War by Pratchett and Baxter

ShahenshahG wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:

ShahenshahG wrote:Have been rereading the dick francis collection. Still my favourite collection. Always learn about some new industry/job in every book.

Ron Jeremy's biography should be a real eye opener then!!!

Who's that?

Google him..although I believe you have to register your interest before being able to do any further research

Ah - porn director?

A positively delightful biography of Edward III written by Ian Mortimer that I had always meant to get around to reading.