Books The BOOK thread

Nickosaur said:
@PedroMendez how are you finding 2666? Have you reached The Part about the Crimes yet?
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It is brilliant. I absolutly love the writting/style. I am at the beginning of "La parte de los crímenes" (part4). Sadly I forgot to take it with me, so it is laying at home and I can´t read it for a couple o weeks. It is definitely one of my favorite fiction books already. Once I am back, I´ll finish it asap and pick up another book from Bolaño.
I might give Blood Meridian also a look.
 
PedroMendez said:
It is brilliant. I absolutly love the writting/style. I am at the beginning of "La parte de los crímenes" (part4). Sadly I forgot to take it with me, so it is laying at home and I can´t read it for a couple o weeks. It is definitely one of my favorite fiction books already. Once I am back, I´ll finish it asap and pick up another book from Bolaño.
I might give Blood Meridian also a look.
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Yeah it's such a complex, sprawling piece of work. Incredible sense of scale.

And definitely give Blood Meridian a read when you can.
 
I'm halfway though 'The good liar' by Nicholas Searle. It is the first book i've ever read that makes me want to punch myself in the face whilst reading it. But i can't leave a half finished book. It's torture i tell you.
 
December_16 said:
The Girl on the Train: I seriously don't understand the praise/hype around this book. Gone Girl it's not - it's actually a far cry from it. The story is very mediocre, the twist is somewhat disappointing, if not predictable. The main character is just plainly annoying (excuse me if I can't relate to an amnesic alcoholic). The whole thing could've been a lot more condense, too, maybe by a hundred pages.
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I'm a bit late in reading this - but just finished it today and felt the same. While I did finish it relatively quickly (I'm not a quick reader) so it was easy to read and it kept me hooked - I was left thinking it was just an OK - no where near the qualities of Gone Girl or even Dark Places. It did have a similar feel near the start, but yeah, the twist was something I saw coming early on. The story was a bit mediocre like you said, and didn't like the main character, or any of the characters at all - with the exception of maybe her flatmate and her boyfriend. It may have been a better read if there wasn't so much praise for it.
 
Golden Nugget said:
I'm a bit late in reading this - but just finished it today and felt the same. While I did finish it relatively quickly (I'm not a quick reader) so it was easy to read and it kept me hooked - I was left thinking it was just an OK - no where near the qualities of Gone Girl or even Dark Places. It did have a similar feel near the start, but yeah, the twist was something I saw coming early on. The story was a bit mediocre like you said, and didn't like the main character, or any of the characters at all - with the exception of maybe her flatmate and her boyfriend. It may have been a better read if there wasn't so much praise for it.
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I think the main reason I liked it was because the protagonist was an alcoholic. It was a unique perspective for the storytelling and the author nailed it. It's a very simple thriller but I'd rather read a flawed protagonist than some of the "superman" characters you often see leading the narrative.
 
Just finished 'God Bless You, Mr Rosewater' by Vonnegut.

Every kid in school should be forced to read some Kurt Vonnegut. The world would be a happier place I'm sure.
 
Golden Nugget said:
I'm a bit late in reading this - but just finished it today and felt the same. While I did finish it relatively quickly (I'm not a quick reader) so it was easy to read and it kept me hooked - I was left thinking it was just an OK - no where near the qualities of Gone Girl or even Dark Places. It did have a similar feel near the start, but yeah, the twist was something I saw coming early on. The story was a bit mediocre like you said, and didn't like the main character, or any of the characters at all - with the exception of maybe her flatmate and her boyfriend. It may have been a better read if there wasn't so much praise for it.
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I enjoyed the journey but i felt the charactors changed too quickly simply to fit the plot.

I did enjoy it, i felt the plot was decent but the end let it down. I guessed the twist relatively early too.
 
Nickosaur said:
Just finished 'God Bless You, Mr Rosewater' by Vonnegut.

Every kid in school should be forced to read some Kurt Vonnegut. The world would be a happier place I'm sure.
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Read it recently and it's very good. Probably not as good as S5 or Cat's Cradle but still excellent. Some fantastic phrases in there, as there are in all Vonnegut books.
 
Cheesy said:
Read it recently and it's very good. Probably not as good as S5 or Cat's Cradle but still excellent. Some fantastic phrases in there, as there are in all Vonnegut books.
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Yeah it's good, but didn't quite touch the holy trinity. My personal favourites are
1. The Sirens of Titan
2. Cat's Cradle
3. Slaughterhouse 5
 
PedroMendez said:
It is brilliant. I absolutly love the writting/style. I am at the beginning of "La parte de los crímenes" (part4). Sadly I forgot to take it with me, so it is laying at home and I can´t read it for a couple o weeks. It is definitely one of my favorite fiction books already. Once I am back, I´ll finish it asap and pick up another book from Bolaño.
I might give Blood Meridian also a look.
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A friend of mine recommended this, and I'm loving this book. The way he writes is just mesmerizing. Have you read any other books by Bolano you would recommend?
 
Anyone read VALIS by Philip K. Dick?

Of the 5/6 books of his I've read, I really enjoyed them all. VALIS is a complete mindfeck so far though (more so than usual). I am still enjoying it, but I also feel like a lot of it is going way over my head...
 
Lucky Buttons said:
A friend of mine recommended this, and I'm loving this book. The way he writes is just mesmerizing. Have you read any other books by Bolano you would recommend?
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I havn´t read any of his other books.
Los Detectives Salvajes/The Savage Detectives (and a bit later Nocturno de Chile/by Night in chile) established his reputation as novelist. The savage detectives seems to have a lot in common with 2666. I´ll certainly look into both in the not too distant future, but I can´t tell you anything else.
 
PedroMendez said:
I havn´t read any of his other books.
Los Detectives Salvajes/The Savage Detectives (and a bit later Nocturno de Chile/by Night in chile) established his reputation as novelist. The savage detectives seems to have a lot in common with 2666. I´ll certainly look into both in the not too distant future, but I can´t tell you anything else.
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Thanks for the respond though. I'm definetely going to look into some more of his books as well.
 
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A well-written & very interesting true crime mystery. 8/10

It is a summer's night in 1860. In an elegant detached Georgian house in the village of Road, Wiltshire, all is quiet. Behind shuttered windows the Kent family lies sound asleep. At some point after midnight a dog barks. The family wakes the next morning to a horrific discovery: an unimaginably gruesome murder has taken place in their home. The household reverberates with shock, not least because the guilty party is surely still among them. Jack Whicher of Scotland Yard, the most celebrated detective of his day, reaches Road Hill House a fortnight later...
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https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suspicions-Mr-Whicher-Murder-House/dp/0747596484
 
Just finished "behind closed doors", enjoyed it, a fairly easy read and worth a look if you're after a psychological thriller.
 
M Bison said:
Just finished "behind closed doors", enjoyed it, a fairly easy read and worth a look if you're after a psychological thriller.
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Got about half way through this and gave up. Didn't you get annoyed by how she should have easily escaped? Have you read girl on a train? It's similar but much better in my opinion.
 
Archie Leach said:
Starting points for Stephen King?
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It, From A Buick 8, The Shining, Misery and of course, The Stand

Are my personal favourites but I haven't read any of the Dark Tower series which seem to be popular. And a lot of his recent work hasn't impressed me so I can't speak for that.
 
Nickosaur said:
It, From A Buick 8, The Shining, Misery and of course, The Stand

Are my personal favourites but I haven't read any of the Dark Tower series which seem to be popular. And a lot of his recent work hasn't impressed me so I can't speak for that.
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Carrie still stands up. Have you read Mr Mercedes? Very good suspense novel.
 
Lost city of Z by David Grann- just finished reading about Percy Fawcett's expedition into the Amazon. The book is so much more than just the expedition. It speculates on the work done by archeologists so far and in the past. I had no idea Indiana Jones was based on Fawcett. I wasn't too satisfied with the ending but that was more or less expected. Didn't know much about the lost tribes in the Amazon until I read this book. Definitely recommend it.
 
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LuisNaniencia said:
Got about half way through this and gave up. Didn't you get annoyed by how she should have easily escaped? Have you read girl on a train? It's similar but much better in my opinion.
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Yes I know exactly what you mean! It's not a classic but thought was a decent read.

Girl on a train is much better I agree, thoroughly enjoyed it. Apparently film due out soon.
 
Archie Leach said:
Starting points for Stephen King?
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Bit late, but I hope this is helpful.

I always think you should start with early-ish King.

Carrie and Pet Semetary are good places to start.

After that, The Shining is a brilliant read.

The Stand is an immense read, long, engrossing. You'll be surprised how quickly you get through it.

Contrary to what someone said earlier, I enjoy the more recent work - Under the Dome is brilliant (well, the end is a bit ropey, but the journey there is great) and the Bill Hodges trilogy (Mr Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch) are a bit of a departure as they're essentially detective stories. 11.22.63 is effing brilliant too.

Some of his collections are brilliant. Different Seasons (the collection which spawned the films The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and Apt Pupil) is great, as is Night Shift and The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

Finally (phew) On Reading is part memoir-part writer's manual and is simply brilliant.

EDIT: Sorry for the overuse of "brilliant" but it is worth it here!
 
redspoony said:
Bit late, but I hope this is helpful.

I always think you should start with early-ish King.

Carrie and Pet Semetary are good places to start.

After that, The Shining is a brilliant read.

The Stand is an immense read, long, engrossing. You'll be surprised how quickly you get through it.

Contrary to what someone said earlier, I enjoy the more recent work - Under the Dome is brilliant (well, the end is a bit ropey, but the journey there is great) and the Bill Hodges trilogy (Mr Mercedes, Finders Keepers and End of Watch) are a bit of a departure as they're essentially detective stories. 11.22.63 is effing brilliant too.

Some of his collections are brilliant. Different Seasons (the collection which spawned the films The Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and Apt Pupil) is great, as is Night Shift and The Bazaar of Bad Dreams.

Finally (phew) On Reading is part memoir-part writer's manual and is simply brilliant.

EDIT: Sorry for the overuse of "brilliant" but it is worth it here!
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Did you read these? Absolutely loved them and hope King does some more thrillers.
 
SwansonsTache said:
The Stand is imo King's best work. One of my favourite books of all time. Would be so good as a HBO series.

His second best is the Dark Tower series. Also his New "Bill Hodges" series is brilliant. It is about a private detective.

https://www.goodreads.com/series/137422-bill-hodges-trilogy
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I have tried reading the Gunslinger and was bored to death. I know the series gets much much better, but I just can't bring myself to pick up the Gunslinger again.
 
I started The Stand months ago and lost interest about halfway in. Found it became very dull after a strong start and the religious stuff was just awful.

I enjoyed The Shining, It and Misery a fair bit when I read them years ago so they'd be my recommendations.
 
While waiting for The Stand to arrive I read Ready Player One. I haven't read any YA since I was about twelve and thought I'd see what all the hype was about. It was terribly written, like some shitty fan fiction, but it was easy to read and made me a little nostalgic about old gaming. But still, is all YA this terrible?
 
SwansonsTache said:
Currently reading Pandora's Star which is book #1 in the Commonwealth saga by Peter F. Hamilton. One of the best scifi books I've ever read. Hamilton surely must be one of the best descriptive and world building scifi authors around. A lot of stuff to keep tabs on though since he jumps from planet to planet and storyline to storyline with each chapter.
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Finished that brick of a book, now on to the sequel which really is more of a direct continuation than a sequel. Also an amazing book.

This is Scifi on a whole different level than I've ever read before. His attention to detail and abillity to weave the universe and stories together is astonishing. Would probably be considered a masterpiece if it was in a more mainstream category than Scifi.
 
LuisNaniencia said:
What does everyone make of Dan Brown's books?

I read The da Vinci Code as I found the theme quite interesting but generally find his stuff pretty unreadable.
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I enjoyed Digital Fortress and Deception Point. Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons, and the rest are sort of guilty pleasure books. No real literary merit, but they can be read in a day or two and are a decent cheap thrill.
 
I finished Portrait of a Lady by Henry James at the weekend. It's a nicely written book but I didn't enjoy the characters. All of them seemed a bit bland for me. Wouldn't mind hearing a few opinions on this because it's a classic and I just couldn't wrap my head around why it would be. Story wise it was ok and characters seemed a bit weak. Maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind for this 600 page one!
 
Just finished "the book thief" it's got great ratings and whilst I enjoyed it, found it slow in parts.

Well worth a read though.
 
"The Flame Bearer", 10th book in The Last Kingdom series (first two books have been adapted to TV recently) just came out. Can't wait to dive into it after work. Love the series. Character development, historical elements, and the most amazing battle scenes ever.
 
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