What book are you reading atm??

Hobosan

Just finished 'The Conspiracy Against The Human Race' which was a good laugh.

Halfway through 'The Gay Science' (Don't be put off, it contains very little actual science). Always interesting to read a considered philosophy from a different era. Nietzsche has a keen sense of humour which is refreshing compared to most other notable philosophers.

Yeah, what I remember from the gay science was the humour.. brilliant..

Black Swan

Sharp's Escape (2004)
by Bernard Cornwell

andekwarhola

Ingenious Dublin: a guide to the city's marvels, discoveries and inventions by Mary Mulvihill

BalcombeSt4

1916: Ireland's Revolutionary Tradition by Kieran Allen

Kieran Allen’s new book is an essential and unparalleled joy to read. I grew up in Derry during the troubles, witnessed the signing of the Good Friday agreement, and watched the rise and fall of the Celtic tiger; I have now witnessed the movement against the water charges and felt the joy of the Yes vote for gay marriage. At times you can almost feel the hand of history on your shoulder… and to think that all these events have been shaped by the 1916 Easter rising.
On the 24th April 1916 Patrick Pearse stepped outside Dublin’s occupied General Post Office and read aloud the Proclamation of the Irish Republic, declaring a strike for Irish Freedom against the world’s greatest imperial power.
This event and the six days of intense fighting that followed set the course for the next 100 years of Irish history. This fascinating book weaves through Ireland’s revolutionary tradition showing us its uneasy marriage of socialism and republicanism.
What began as an armed uprising on this day in this small corner of the empire started a revolution that was to play out over the next decade concluding in the counter-revolution that has shaped Irish society since.
What makes this book so important is that it firmly places the 1916 rising within the revolutionary tradition and takes on the revisionist approach of the Irish establishment.
Given the backdrop of the water charges movement the ruling elite of Ireland aren’t that keen to commemorate a day in which the main players involved — James Connolly and Pearse — would have been leading the charge against them if alive today.
Connolly is an important part of the socialist tradition and the author goes some way to firmly explain why this is the case and offer an alternative history of this giant within our movement.
Connolly so prophetically predicted the effects of partition before it happened by stating:
Such a scheme — the betrayal of the national democracy of Industrial Ulster, would mean a carnival of reaction both North and South, would set back the wheels of progress, would destroy the oncoming unity of the Irish labour movement and paralyse all advanced movements while it lasted.
And it is this betrayal today that socialists in Ireland are fighting to overturn.
It’s a testimony to Kieran Allen that he is able to stand on the shoulder of the giant Connolly and in my opinion carry on expertly where Connolly’s “Labour In Irish History” finishes.
1916 provides a historical critique of one of the architects of the rising by supplying a much-needed and class-orientated critique of Irish republicanism.

Hobosan

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Yeah, what I remember from the gay science was the humour.. brilliant..

Correct.

Sorry..crass..

batgoat

Graces7 wrote: »

why? never heard that idea.. it is still communication of the written word. Used to read aloud to a blind friend and it is still reading .. many authors give live readings

If I recall correctly, it's a similar level of absorption of the info but it just hits our brain slightly differently. Eg I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo and picked up an audiobook copy so I could carry on when I couldn't physically read. And I listened to a particularly good copy, the added drama of a good narrator definitely added another layer. Love to physically read but it was another wonderful layer that I could literally hear the characters as I was reading after the great reader.

Then you've got World War Z which benefits from an entire cast. And it's really better as an audiobook imho. But for me audiobooks are primarily an additional way to read that bit more than I could normally.

BalcombeSt4

batgoat wrote: »

If I recall correctly, it's a similar level of absorption of the info but it just hits our brain slightly differently. Eg I was reading The Count of Monte Cristo and picked up an audiobook copy so I could carry on when I couldn't physically read. And I listened to a particularly good copy, the added drama of a good narrator definitely added another layer. Love to physically read but it was another wonderful layer that I could literally hear the characters as I was reading after the great reader.

Then you've got World War Z which benefits from an entire cast. And it's really better as an audiobook imho. But for me audiobooks are primarily an additional way to read that bit more than I could normally.

Yes, but it has to be a "good" one tho, Robert Stack was good at Stephen King Novels, listneing to him say "and then she broke both of his legs with the sledge hammer" amazing.
A bad one tho, can ruin a book.
I suppose the same is true of a TV Show or Movie. Imagine listening to The Wonder Years or Goodfellas without the narrator or bad one in their place.

batgoat

BalcombeSt4 wrote: »

Yes, but it has to be a "good" one tho, Robert Stack was good at Stephen King Novels, listneing to him say "and then she broke both of his legs with the sledge hammer" amazing.
A bad one tho, can ruin a book.
I suppose the same is true of a TV Show or Movie. Imagine listening to The Wonder Years or Goodfellas without the narrator or bad one in their place.

Yep definitely so I'm way more careful with purchasing audiobooks.

voldejoie

I listen to audiobooks when commuting because I feel sick very quickly reading. What I love about audible is their return policy, I've returned a good few audiobooks where the narrator just wasn't working for me!

I'm a huge fan of Lin Manuel Miranda and was thrilled to find out he is the narrator of one of my favourite books (Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe).

eviltwin

Currently reading Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol

My current audio book is The Twelfth Day of July by Joan Lingard.

pavb2

Count Belisarius by Robert Graves

Just finished Count Belisarius by Robert Graves, the strength of the book lies in RG's narrative of events and portrayal of characters that reads like a work of fiction. On a side note I've always thought it a fascinating discussion of where and how historical events and facts blur into fiction.

I recommend buying the paperback version as I read this on a kindle and only found the maps at the end. My kindle is quite old so even at that I think it would have been difficult to view them. Blurb below.

The sixth century was not a peaceful time for the Roman empire. Invaders threatened on all fronties, but they grew to respect and fear the name of Belisarius, the Emperor Justinian's greatest general. With this book Robert Graves again demonstrates his command of a vast historical subject, creating a startling and vivid picture of a decadent era.

mariaalice

voldejoie wrote: »

I listen to audiobooks when commuting because I feel sick very quickly reading. What I love about audible is their return policy, I've returned a good few audiobooks where the narrator just wasn't working for me!

I'm a huge fan of Lin Manuel Miranda and was thrilled to find out he is the narrator of one of my favourite books (Aristotle and Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe).

.
I find audiobook difficult to listen to, I have to here the stroy in my own voice in my head if that makes sense.

Garrson Keillor lake Woebegon days is the only audio where I dont find the narration intrusive.

voldejoie

Listening to Calypso by David Sedaris at the moment and loving it!

storker

Current Kindle books:
"Crete: The Battle and the Resistance" by Anthony Beevor. Well put-together account of a campaign about which I know very little.
"The Mammoth Book of Vampire Stories by Women" by various.

Current paper book:
Just finished "Airframe" by Michael Crichton. Nothing outstanding but a well-paced whatdunnit that keeps the pages turning. Anyone who enjoys the programme "Air Crash Investigation" will probably enjoy this book.

otnomart

voldejoie wrote: »

Listening to Calypso by David Sedaris at the moment and loving it!

Oh, I read it a few weeks ago and loved it !
It introduced me the mad fab world of David Sedaris.
Since then, I also red his: "Dress your Family in Corduroy and Denim"

TheRepentent

At the moment I'm reading The Borribles.


Read it as a young teenager so thought I'd read it again 30 years later.


Enjoying it I have to admit.

batgoat

Just finished The Count of Monte Cristo which was wonderful but long(1200 pages). Loved it though. Currently on something a bit shorter, The Big Short by Michael Lewis. One of the few people who can explain complex financial areas in simplistic terms.

appledrop

appledrop wrote: »

When all is said by Anne Griffin. Just started it but hooked so far. It's about an old man who reminises about 5 people who have had an impact on his life. I have a feeling it's a book that will have me crying.

This book was outstanding. I creid 3 times reading it as very sentimental!

This is the type of book that deserves awards not that crap 'The Milkman'

Just started 'Librian of Auschwitz' very interesting do far. This is about my 10th book on this topic so always holds my interest.

quickbeam

batgoat wrote: »

Just finished The Count of Monte Cristo which was wonderful but long(1200 pages). Loved it though.

Oh it's amazing!! Yes, it's long, but worth every page!

batgoat

quickbeam wrote: »

Oh it's amazing!! Yes, it's long, but worth every page!

I did wonder how the abridged versions compare, I can't abide reading abridged novels but I did wonder what differences there are. Suspect they may take away from the story though.

quickbeam

I don't know, but I imagine it's like the film adaptation, which just gives the bare bones of the storie. In other words: Cack.

I've been considering reading the count of Monte Cristo..must pick it up..

Reading HHhH atm.. about a plot to kill Heidrich in WW2..kind of broken fourth wall sort of thing..it's very good so far though..

TheRepentent

Deleted User wrote: »

I've been considering reading the count of Monte Cristo..must pick it up..

Same here..being reading predomiantly Fantasy and Sci-Fi since my teens with the odd foray into crime fiction and some non-fiction historical books.

Need to read some classics and see if I can enjoy them.

Ah you should do.. A lot of them are classics for a reason..

batgoat

TheRepentent wrote: »

Same here..being reading predomiantly Fantasy and Sci-Fi since my teens with the odd foray into crime fiction and some non-fiction historical books.

Need to read some classics and see if I can enjoy them.

My rule is to read one of the longer classics each year. The shorter ones I normally a read a few of each year. Great to see the influences they have on modern media.

quickbeam

I think with books originally written in a foreign language, it can often depend on the translation.

I highly recommend the Penguin Classics version of The Count of Monte Cristo translated by Robin Buss.

Even the intro about the translating is fascinating to read, once you've finished the book.

Edit: Actually, I just remembered - a snip of the cover of it is my avatar
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batgoat

quickbeam wrote: »

I think with books originally written in a foreign language, it can often depend on the translation.

I highly recommend the Penguin Classics version of The Count of Monte Cristo translated by Robin Buss.

Even the intro about the translating is fascinating to read, once you've finished the book.

Edit: Actually, I just remembered - a snip of the cover of it is my avatar
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Yep very true. Eg Monte Cristo hadn't been translated for nearly a century by the time Penguin redid it.

Foweva Awone

My Life As A Rat, by Joyce Carol Oates. It's good! Something a bit different.