What book are you reading atm??

baron von something

The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins

cloudatlas

Mars Bar wrote: »

I finished "More Fool Me" by Stephen Fry last night.
Quite disappointing. It starts by rehashing the previous two books and then a whole load of diary entries from the early 90's that show just how much cocaine and drinking he did in the Groucho and then it comes to an abrupt finish.

Yea the reviews in the newspapers weren't favourable so I decided to give it a miss.

Reading: At Home: A short history of private life by Bill Bryson.

So far very interesting especially enjoying the historical origins of the names and phrases associated with domesticity.

Aglomerado

cloudatlas wrote: »

Reading: At Home: A short history of private life by Bill Bryson.

So far very interesting especially enjoying the historical origins of the names and phrases associated with domesticity.

That's an excellent read.

I've just finished "The Casual Vacancy" by JK Rowling. Many people are divided on it but I really enjoyed it. I started into the last 100 pages last night and didn't stop till I was finished ... at 2am!

Next I think "And the Mountains Echoed".

Rosie Rant

A few chapters into Persuasion by Jane Austen and loving it .

ThunbergsAreGo

Mam of 4 wrote: »

Let me know how you get on with it, have read the first two and loved them, so am interested in hearing how this one reads before I buy it. Will probably wait til my brother buys it and borrow his

Enjoyed it but not as much as the previous due mostly due to

1. Not as interesting a time (Cold War vs WW2)
2. The ridiculously flat portayal of some of the characters (women especially)
3. Serious amount of repitition (was everyone a politician from 1900 to 1980)

Still worth a read though

Birneybau

figges wrote: »

The Goldfinch - Donna Tartt

500 pgs in (of 800 !) - v sadly losing the will to carry on with it - characterisation and story becoming a bit unbelievable - anyone advise as whether its worth carrying on ?

Loved The Secret History - so long since I read that barely remember the storyline - but the amazing sense of getting drawn into a story so you almost feel part of it remains. For that I stuck 500 pgs of The Goldfinch - its been good in parts but ....

Stick with it, I enjoyed it although it does get a bit flaky.

Reading 'Then We Came To The End' by Joshua Ferris, enjoying it but haven't read it since last week due to life.

Mam of 4

naughtb4 wrote: »

Enjoyed it but not as much as the previous due mostly due to

1. Not as interesting a time (Cold War vs WW2)
2. The ridiculously flat portayal of some of the characters (women especially)
3. Serious amount of repitition (was everyone a politician from 1900 to 1980)

Still worth a read though

Thanks for that feedback, really appreciate it. somehow I think I'll wait until my brother finishes his and borrow it Really enjoyed the first two, loved the first one more to be honest, but will read this one also.

Thanks again

pharmaton

33 strategies of war. Don't know how but I came across it recently and with a lack of anything better on hand turned out to be an interesting read. Based around the philosophy of the art of war by Sun Tzu and peppered with stories of (slightly embellished) historical military conquests and achievements. I like.

FloatingVoter

Strawberry Swan wrote: »

I am currently reading Writing Movies for (Fun and) Profit. I have absolutely no intention of ever becoming a writer let alone a screenwriter but so far it's an insightful account into the machine that is Hollywood. A very enjoyable funny read.

Hilarious book....expect to be fired (often) ...do not do art...robots and naked women are the way to go etc. If after all the effort you discover you are illiterate, become a producer.

Currently reading The Hollow Crown by Dan Jones. All about the War of the Roses and the rise of the Tudors. Game of Thrones with extra blood and guts.

the evasion_kid

Moby dick by Herman melville

Scuid Mhór

Thomas Pynchon's Mason & Dixon, it's been a journey at times but what a novel! About five sevenths the way through it now so as soon as my midterm exams are over I'm gonna dedicate an evening to finally finishing it. Well worth the read - only problem is that you may end up speaking in casual conversation as if you lived in the eighteenth century.

eviltwin

The Known World by Edward P Jones, a story of black slave owners in the South, an incredible book, very moving.

smurfette2212

I just started 'The Narrow Road to the Deep North' by Richard Flanagan - I was hoping he would win the Booker! I'm only a few chapters in, but absolutely loving it so far. He has such an incredible way of writing!

david75

Bringing down the house-Ben Mezrick

How a group of students from MIT took Vegas for millions.

LenaClaire

david75 wrote: »

Bringing down the house-Ben Mezrick

How a group of students from MIT took Vegas for millions.

I read that a few years ago, I remember liking it.

I am stressed so have retreated to fluff books and am reading Spider Robinson's Callahan's series of books again.

eisenberg1

Mars Bar wrote: »

I finished "More Fool Me" by Stephen Fry last night.
Quite disappointing. It starts by rehashing the previous two books and then a whole load of diary entries from the early 90's that show just how much cocaine and drinking he did in the Groucho and then it comes to an abrupt finish.

Mother of Jesus, talk about name dropping. I went to this school and that school, I went to this club and that, I know this famous person and that famous person. I know it only cost a couple of quid, but it bored the arse off me and I gave up half way thru............and I am a big fan of his.

Stinjy

Trying to read Patricia Cornwell's new book "Flesh and Blood" but there's only 5 short chapters released online - the release can't come quick enough!!

However I did just finish Judge Judy's ebook!

LoonyLovegood

Currently going back through my old reliables in terms of relaxation reading. I've gotten halfway through Pride and Prejudice in an evening.

GinnyR

Currently reading Philomena

Remmy

The new Roy Keane book. Not really into soccer but it's pretty interesting so far.

DEFTLEFTHAND

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Just started Life after Death by Damien Echols.

It's about a former death row inmate. Some of you might of heard of the West Memphis three case in the 90s where three teenagers in Arkansas were convicted of a triple homicide on very flimsy grounds (no physical evidence at all)

I should have listened to the warning, awful self indulgent tripe.

On further reading of the case I'm beginning to wonder were they innocent at all, I think I was heavily influenced by the biased Paradise Lost documentaries. I was shocked to learn what was left out of these films, the prosecution in reality actually had a strong case against them.

GLaDOS

Blazing through Andy Weir's The Martian pretty quickly, really captivating so far.

Lenin Skynard

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

I should have listened to the warning, awful self indulgent tripe.

On further reading of the case I'm beginning to wonder were they innocent at all, I think I was heavily influenced by the biased Paradise Lost documentaries. I was shocked to learn what was left out of these films, the prosecution in reality actually had a strong case against them.

Sorry to go off topic, but any chance you could point me in the general direction of the information that was left out? Not challenging you on it or anything, just genuinely interested to have a look.

Pumpkinseeds

eisenberg1 wrote: »

Mother of Jesus, talk about name dropping. I went to this school and that school, I went to this club and that, I know this famous person and that famous person. I know it only cost a couple of quid, but it bored the arse off me and I gave up half way thru............and I am a big fan of his.

Same here, I love his sense of humour but I just can't finish any of his books, so I gave up trying to. I'm most of the way through Hilary Mantels Bring up the bodies, the second in the Oliver Cromwell trilogy, and I'm really enjoying it. I've got an Jonathan Kellerman book to read next, his books are generally reliable for a good story.

david75

This would be a good list to make a dent in
http://www.brainpickings.org/2014/03/03/brian-eno-reading-list/

DEFTLEFTHAND

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

Sorry to go off topic, but any chance you could point me in the general direction of the information that was left out? Not challenging you on it or anything, just genuinely interested to have a look.

There's a lot really, huge chunks of the Prosecution's case are ignored. To skim through a few things, in relation to Jesse Miskelley he confessed a total of six times to police, his lawyer and on one occasion post trial to a volunteer working on his appeal. In the doc they make out that a confession was coerced from him after 12 hours of interrogation without his parents consent. In reality he confessed after 4 hours in custody, a total of 3 in actual police interview, his father gave consent and he declined a lawyer. Miskelley's IQ is 88 not 72 like the film says, from a legal and medical standpoint he is mentally competent to give a statement.

All three boys had no solid alibi that could be verified and all three failed lie detector tests. Echols knew that one of the victims was more mutilated than the other two, this information had not been released to the public at the time he was questioned. Echols mental health record was hardly touched on at all in the docs, his file from the Arkansas mental health Institute is 500 pages long and contains quite disturbing events, such as beating a Great Dane to death, assaulting another patient and sucking blood from their wound, numerous attempts at arson at his school. Expressing homicidal thoughts in sessions with counsellors. (It was one of these youth counsellors who first alerted police to Echols being a potential suspect)

All the facts of the case and transcripts of the trial are available online, including the reports etc. It's fascinating to read through to try and get a balanced and clearer picture of things.

Lenin Skynard

Thanks for that comprehensive reply. I'm going to have a good look now, interesting to see there are even more layers to this.

FreeFallin94

200 pages into The Cider House Rules by John Irving. Really enjoying it so far, and I have heard such amazing things about it.

eisenberg1

FreeFallin94 wrote: »

200 pages into The Cider House Rules by John Irving. Really enjoying it so far, and I have heard such amazing things about it.

An excellent read......the film aint too shabby either.

gutenberg

Finally got a copy of Howard Jacobson's J from local library. I've heard mixed things but I'm a sucker for a dystopia...