What book are you reading atm??

Dancing with the Tsars, the latest book on the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

The books have ran their course a while ago, but there has always been some funny moment or line that would make me laugh out loud.
Half way through this book and hasn't been the case so far.

CrankyHaus

Barna77 wrote: »

Dancing with the Tsars, the latest book on the Ross O'Carroll-Kelly series.

The books have ran their course a while ago, but there has always been some funny moment or line that would make me laugh out loud.
Half way through this book and hasn't been the case so far.

You confirm what I suspected. Though it's impressive that it got anywhere near this far.

The whole thing was originally supposed to be a one-off satirical column in The Sunday Tribune for the Leinster School's Cup Season back in 1998.

Paul Howard managed to turn it into a cottage industry that has long outlasted the paper that commissioned it.

Just read "The Double" by George Pelecanos.
Not bad, a little dry in parts. I expected more from one of the writers of The Wire and an author sometimes described as the greatest living American crime writer. I think Dennis Lehane is better.

Currently reading "Defending The Motherland: The Soviet Women Who Fought Hitler's Aces" by Lyuba Vinogradova.
Vinogradova's name caught my eye as she is a prolific Russian research assistant for famous western historians like Anthony Beevor, Max Hastings and Simon Sebag Montefiore. I wasn't aware before this that she wrote books of her own and so far I'm quite impressed. Her talents for research are clear, she managed to get detailed first hand information from several of the surviving female pilots before they passed away which gives the book a freshness missing from many western histories on Russian subjects that rely on secondary sources or translations.

For instance the official history of "The Russian Amelia Earhart", Marina Raskova, is immediately overturned as the author reveals that she was an NKVD agent who particiapted in the stalinist purge of the aviation industry and was always spoken of with clear dislike by her fellow famous pilot Valentina Grizodubova - who was presented in the media as a very close friend but privately stated that Raskova had no credentials and was pushed upon her as a navigator for record breaking flights by state secuity against her will.

Very good so far.

So jumped in and bought the translation of the Count of Monte Cristo....never read it and its been maybe 30 years since I watched a movie of it so have pretty much forgotten what its about.

Maybe 50 pages in , enjoying it so far , the 'archaic' language took me a while to get used to.

batgoat

TheRepentent wrote: »

So jumped in and bought the translation of the Count of Monte Cristo....never read it and its been maybe 30 years since I watched a movie of it so have pretty much forgotten what its about.

Maybe 50 pages in , enjoying it so far , the 'archaic' language took me a while to get used to.

Might need to look at other translations as there's one that actively avoids archaic language.

CrankyHaus wrote: »

You confirm what I suspected. Though it's impressive that it got anywhere near this far.

The whole thing was originally supposed to be a one-off satirical column in The Sunday Tribune for the Leinster School's Cup Season back in 1998.

Paul Howard managed to turn it into a cottage industry that has long outlasted the paper that commissioned it.

The one liners were always good, but Ross can't get into more situations of I do this and screw up everything, everyone hates me, and then saves the day in some plot twist, and again, and again...

TheRepentent wrote: »

So jumped in and bought the translation of the Count of Monte Cristo....never read it and its been maybe 30 years since I watched a movie of it so have pretty much forgotten what its about.

Maybe 50 pages in , enjoying it so far , the 'archaic' language took me a while to get used to.

I've read lots of Dumas' books but somehow I've never been interested in reading the Count of MC. Maybe some day.

Tauriel

Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark

Barna77 wrote: »

I've read lots of Dumas' books but somehow I've never been interested in reading the Count of MC. Maybe some day.

I hear you...was really off my radar as mentioned I normally stick to Sci-Fi Fantasy.But I seen some else mention it and said feck it I'll take a chance. Still enjoying the book so far.

Is there others by him that you recommend?

I started into 'the year of the flood' by Margaret Atwood last night..seems ok..

Had I a copy of 'The count of MC' to hand I would have started that..

Read 'The Brooklyn Follies' by Paul Auster over the weekend too..enjoyed it..

Riddle101

Just about to start reading Mario Puzo's The Godfather. I'm a big fan of the movies but never read the books so I guess this is my chance to finally get to read the novel of which the movie was based on.

TheRepentent wrote: »

I hear you...was really off my radar as mentioned I normally stick to Sci-Fi Fantasy.But I seen some else mention it and said feck it I'll take a chance. Still enjoying the book so far.

Is there others by him that you recommend?

He has (at least) three series of books on French history.
- 16th century: Queen Margot; La Dame de Monsoreau, and The Forty Five
- 17th century, these are the D'Artagnan novels: The Three Musketeers; Twenty Five Years Later; The Vicomte de Bragelonne.
- 18th century, with the lead up to the Revolution. From wikipedia:

Joseph Balsamo
Andrée de Taverney, or The Mesmerist's Victim
The Queen's Necklace (Le Collier de la Reine,
Ange Pitou,
The Hero of the People,
The Royal Life Guard or The Flight of the Royal Family,
The Countess de Charny,
Le Chevalier de Maison-Rouge (1845)

He didn't stay idle, and now you're spoiled for choice

Definitely go for the D'Artagnan novels

Barna77 wrote: »

He has (at least) three series of books on French history.
- 16th century: Queen Margot; La Dame de Monsoreau, and The Forty Five
- 17th century, these are the D'Artagnan novels: The Three Musketeers; Twenty Five Years Later; The Vicomte de Bragelonne.
- 18th century, with the lead up to the Revolution. From wikipedia:
He didn't stay idle, and now you're spoiled for choice

Definitely go for the D'Artagnan novels

Wow didn't know that he also wrote the 3 musketeers..

EDIT: and was going to ask was la reine margot based on his book...google answered it for me

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Reine_Margot_(1994_film)
great movie btw

Nigel Fairservice

I started A Beautiful Mind by Sylvia Nasar this morning. I loved the movie. I'm only a few pages in but I know I'm going to like it.

I'm 1/2 way through 'the year of the flood' by Margaret Atwood.. forgot it was part of a trilogy..I bought the three of them a year or so ago.. I'll finish it, then read the first one..kind of sickened though..

Mars Bar

Mars Bar wrote: »

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

I've only just realised it's 1,007 pages long. Guess my 8 hour flight in a couple of weeks will be useful for keeping me on my Goodreads challenge track.

A long time later and I'm finally nearing the end. That was a long build up but I found myself not wanting to stop reading last night so that's good!

Hector Savage

Life on Earth David Attenborough - the 1979 book has been re released and updated for it's 40th, amazing read.
Hope he re releases the Living Planet and Trials of Life books too ...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Earth-David-Attenborough/dp/0008294305/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PCW0TKU7EMZZ&keywords=life+on+earth+david+attenborough&qid=1565164621&s=gateway&sprefix=life+on+eat%2Caps%2C170&sr=8-1

Mars Bar

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

It was on my wishlist despite being quite different to what I usually read. It was down to 99p on amazon so went with it.

Enjoying it so far

I'm rereading Blood Meridian by Cormac Mccarthy again. It gets better every time I read it. One of the most mesmerising books I've ever read.

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm rereading Blood Meridian by Cormac Mccarthy again. It gets better every time I read it. One of the most mesmerising books I've ever read.

Its a good read but christ is it bleak.

TheRepentent wrote: »

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm rereading Blood Meridian by Cormac Mccarthy again. It gets better every time I read it. One of the most mesmerising books I've ever read.

Its a good read but christ is it bleak.

Like most of his books I suppose, but it's the only one that I keep coming back to though.

Deleted User wrote: »

Like most of his books I suppose, but it's the only one that I keep coming back to though.

Yep..I love the way its written..a very odd style.

Will probably read it again at some stage.

EmmetSpiceland

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Like most of his books I suppose, but it's the only one that I keep coming back to though.

Does it have the same double spacing and large font as “The Road”?

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

Does it have the same double spacing and large font as “The Road”?

I read it on the kindle and didn't notice that, but maybe the print version is different

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Like most of his books I suppose, but it's the only one that I keep coming back to though.

Does it have the same double spacing and large font as “The Road”?

Not my copy anyway. No punctuation. Long sentences, it was hard to keep track of dialogue the first time I read it. Fair bit of Spanish thrown in too which I was always going to Google translate for!

The Princess Bride

Burt Bacharach's autobiography, Anyone Who Had A Heart.
A fascinating and easy to read book.

Deleted User wrote: »

going to Google translate for!

Phew glad it wasn't just me that done that:D

rushfan

Some nice cheery uplifting reading: Air crashes and miracle landings. About to start Michael Collins book on the kindle. As in the astronaut.

ashes2014

Lee Child, No Middle Name

I love all of his books so Im biased but I do think his earlier books were better than the most recent.

I think this happens with alot of authors though-I suppose you only have so much to write about.