What are you reading?

[WestCountryGirl]

Well, we've got the telly bingeing thread, so here's a thread for books - or whatever reading material you fancy really! What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations? Favourite authors? I've been reading a lot of fiction this year but would love some good non-fiction reads.

I've just started 'The Underground Railroad' by Colston Whitehead. Not an easy subject matter for sure, but very much enjoying the book so far.

@Gilgamesh69 here you go 🙂

[Homer]

Big up to @gigpusher- recommended this, which luckily arrived just before I left home for my holiday. Can kick back with it, enjoy my week off work with it and chill!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lose-Country-Warning-Populism/dp/0008294011

[Punksnotdead]

3 minutes ago, WestCountryGirl said:

Well, we've got the telly bingeing thread, so here's a thread for books - or whatever reading material you fancy really! What are you reading at the moment? Any recommendations? Favourite authors? I've been reading a lot of fiction this year but would love some good non-fiction reads.

I've just started 'The Underground Railroad' by Colston Whitehead. Not an easy subject matter for sure, but very much enjoying the book so far.

@Gilgamesh69 here you go 🙂

Great idea for a thread. I've exhausted most of my favourite authors (Stephen King, Roddy Doyle, John Niven, amongst others) so looking forward to some recommendations for any good page turners - especially as I'm signed off sick for another 4 weeks.

[Ted Dansons Wig]

Black and British - David Olusaga and Rage - Bob Woodward. Both shocking and unputtdownable in their own way

 

[Homer]

Non fiction - keep banging this drum but would highly recommend this book re what is going on in the States.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hiding-Plain-Sight-Invention-Erosion/dp/1250210712

Fun fact, my mate is a librarian at the House of Commons and he told me that the below two books are the most in demand there. I happen to have read them both and would recommend them both.

I thought political books might be a bit 'heavy' but found them all to be real page-turners (Fire and Fury especially; was on furlough when I read the Brexit book, though, which may have helped). The 'sequels' to the two below are def worth reading too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_and_Fury

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=brexit+tim+shipman&i=stripbooks&adgrpid=61779639788&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9MeA4riv7AIVQbTtCh11pgvLEAAYAiAAEgJt3fD_BwE&hvadid=259031417652&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9045880&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=12500772778943634542&hvtargid=kwd-316945287018&hydadcr=10779_1749385&tag=googhydr-21&ref=pd_sl_3asmeb3mrx_e

Edited October 12, 2020 by Homer

[Homer]

5 minutes ago, Ted Dansons Wig said:

Black and British - David Olusaga and Rage - Bob Woodward. Both shocking and unputtdownable in their own way

 

Is Rage worth reading? Was going to get it but have read three on Trump so thought I may have done it (though now want to read Mary Trump's too for a diff angle).

[gigpusher]

7 minutes ago, Homer said:

Big up to @gigpusher- recommended this, which luckily arrived just before I left home for my holiday. Can kick back with it, enjoy my week off work with it and chill!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Lose-Country-Warning-Populism/dp/0008294011

Hope you think it's enlightening as well. 

I'm currently reading my 50th book of the year. I read a big variety of stuff but my favourite book of the year so far is probably Broken Greek by Pete Paphides. I hope there's a sequel because I enjoyed it so much. 

Glad someone has created this thread because it's always good to get new suggestions. 

[Ted Dansons Wig]

Just now, Homer said:

Is Rage worth reading? Was going to get it but have read three on Trump so thought I may have done it (though now want to read Mary Trump's too for a diff angle).

It is - if only that Woodward is such a great journalist that he quotes and you feel you can trust his sources (which are often the orange one himself) and hes so readable. Mary Trumps is also worth a read not so much for the Donald material - but the baleful influence of the Mum and Dad and how it fucked the rest of the family up.

 

[Homer]

More book chat over here FYI (at least there was!):
 

 

[Gilgamesh69]

11 minutes ago, Homer said:

More book chat over here FYI (at least there was!):
 

 

Aye but nobody ventures into the Discussions forum...

 

[Sawdusty surfer]

Non fiction...mostly.

I read a lot. This is one of the best books I've read in the last year or three.

Shantaram by Gregory Roberts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantaram_(novel)

[Kizzie]

17 minutes ago, Sawdusty Surfer said:

Non fiction...mostly.

I read a lot. This is one of the best books I've read in the last year or three.

Shantaram by Gregory Roberts.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shantaram_(novel)

Ha, I'm a Librarian, and everyone wants this book in the establishment I work in.  I'm forever buying multiple copies. I have read it....meh 😏

[mcshed]

Currently reading Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. It's an excellent tale of a fictional 60s band and much less fantastical than most of his work. It somewhat stretches credulity by the sheer number of famous names from the 60s the various band members seem to constantly bump into but is certainly a thoroughly good read.

 

 

 

[Quark]

For the last God knows how many months I've been slogging through On Politics by Alan Ryan, a history of political thought. All 1,011 pages of it. 

Decided this year that I wanted to understand politics more, otherwise how can I argue about it?  Wish I'd just stuck with ignorance

It's actually picking up now. The really early stuff was hard going as it's quite abstract, but getting to Martin Luther and the Reformation I can start seeing some of the development of how we think now. Still drier than Gandhi's flip flops though.

For a lighter touch I'm alternating between that and Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos stories. Always fun before bed.

Recently read Moby's second book as well. It's a weird one, he comes across massively irritating throughout, but by the end you realise a) why that is and b) that he very much knows it himself and it's the story of his realising that.

Edited October 12, 2020 by Quark

[SwedgeAntilles]

Got this delivered on Friday and just making a start on it now. 

https://www.versobooks.com/books/3254-futures-of-socialism

 

[Homer]

25 minutes ago, Quark said:

For the last God knows how many months I've been slogging through On Politics by Alan Ryan, a history of political thought. All 1,011 pages of it. 

Decided this year that I wanted to understand politics more, otherwise how can I argue about it?  Wish I'd just stuck with ignorance

It's actually picking up now. The really early stuff was hard going as it's quite abstract, but getting to Martin Luther and the Reformation I can start seeing some of the development of how we think now. Still drier than Gandhi's flip flops though.

For a lighter touch I'm alternating between that and Lovecraft's Cthulu Mythos stories. Always fun before bed.

Recently read Moby's second book as well. It's a weird one, he comes across massively irritating throughout, but by the end you realise a) why that is and b) that he very much knows it himself and it's the story of his realising that.

Didn't know Moby had written books, will pick up ta. Bought Karl Hyde's the other day.

[Quark]

1 minute ago, Homer said:

Didn't know Moby had written books, will pick up ta. Bought Karl Hyde's the other day.

His first one covers the lead up to Play and making it big. Not read that one.

The one I read alternates between childhood and how he subsequently fell to bits after the success of Play. 

[Ted Dansons Wig]

30 minutes ago, mcshed said:

Currently reading Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell. It's an excellent tale of a fictional 60s band and much less fantastical than most of his work. It somewhat stretches credulity by the sheer number of famous names from the 60s the various band members seem to constantly bump into but is certainly a thoroughly good read.

 

 

 

Cant make my mind up about Mitchell. Enjoyed Cloud Atlas - but have kept trying other ones and given them up as pretentious nonsense and not that well written. Bought this one from local bookshop but finding it hard to get the enthusiasm to start it.

[Homer]

7 minutes ago, Quark said:

His first one covers the lead up to Play and making it big. Not read that one.

The one I read alternates between childhood and how he subsequently fell to bits after the success of Play. 

Does Natalie Portman get a mention? (Grimace emoji.)

[st dan]

Anybody looking forward to Piers Morgan’s book ‘Wake Up’ our later this week? 
Obviously I don’t agree with everything he says, but I do think he has gone solid points underneath the bravado at times, and should be an interesting read given the current climate. 

[mcshed]

8 minutes ago, Ted Dansons Wig said:

Cant make my mind up about Mitchell. Enjoyed Cloud Atlas - but have kept trying other ones and given them up as pretentious nonsense and not that well written. Bought this one from local bookshop but finding it hard to get the enthusiasm to start it.

As I say it's much straighter than anything else of his other than Black Swan Green, so if it's that which bothers you then this should be fine. I think it's great but then I've enjoyed everything he has written. 

[Quark]

8 minutes ago, Homer said:

Does Natalie Portman get a mention? (Grimace emoji.)

Yeah, that's the bit that kicked up after publication. Its cringey rather than "oh Christ" though 

[SheffJeff]

I've only read 2 books since the start of lockdown... 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' by Heather Morris and 'Two Brothers' by Ben Elton. Both of which I'd recommend though I have an unhealthy obsession with WW2 so I am a bit biased.  Now I've completed Netflix though I am planning on doing a bit more reading so this thread has come at a perfect time.  I've just received 'Natives' by Akala which I am going to start tonight but I look forward to getting some inspiration from here for my next read. 

[Kizzie]

1 minute ago, SheffJeff said:

  I've just received 'Natives' by Akala which I am going to start tonight

I really liked this, he's a bit up his own bum at times but it's a good read, hope you enjoy it.

[WestCountryGirl]

44 minutes ago, Ted Dansons Wig said:

Cant make my mind up about Mitchell. Enjoyed Cloud Atlas - but have kept trying other ones and given them up as pretentious nonsense and not that well written. Bought this one from local bookshop but finding it hard to get the enthusiasm to start it.

The only one of his I've read is Slade House. It's really short so only spent an afternoon on it, but I enjoyed the creepyness of it. Apparently there were lots of references in it to his other works which I obviously didn't get, but much as I liked it for what it was it didn't send me rushing out to buy all of his other books.