What are you reading?

[st dan]

This is an absolutely brilliant read for any football fans in general - not just one for Man United fans.
Talking about his troubles, how he changed British football with his flair, and how a player with relatively few goals (82) and appearances (185) for United has gone down as a club legend and fans favourite. Can’t put it down!

[philipsteak]

Housemate got Shuggie Bain for Christmas and he's now lent it to me. About half way through so far and it's very good. Hopefully the start of a much more productive reading year for me than usual. 

[Haan]

Finished Akala's book Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire. Hugely insightful read. Akala is one of my heroes- his interviews and freestyles are soooo good. This book is no different, easy to follow but very dense. He weaves his personal upbringing into wider history; some of the stories of how he was treated by teachers is insane. 

 

[Homer]

Have decided to shelve the really heavy stuff and just order a load of nice, light 'holiday/beach'-type reads.

Have ordered Jon Ronson The Men Who Stare at Goats, Adam Buxton's Ramble Book and one by Frankie Boyle (enjoyed his autobiography).

The slightly ruined it all by buying Mary Trump's Too Much and Never Enough. I'm sure there will be a few LOLs in there.

[gigpusher]

12 hours ago, Homer said:

The slightly ruined it all by buying Mary Trump's Too Much and Never Enough. I'm sure there will be a few LOLs in there.

99p offer too much to resist. I did the same!! Trying to power my way through my book challenge so that I can get back to reading whatever I want though. 

This is the challenge for this year

A book with a preposition in the title (e.g. in, on, through, under)

A book set in Africa

A book with a colour in the title

A book with a family member (e.g. brother) in the title

A book with the name of a town or city in the title

A book with a school subject in the title (e.g. English, History…)

A book about a journey

A book with a girl’s name in the title

A book by a local author

A book with a type of plant in the title

A book with a beautiful cover

A book with a body part in the title

If anyone knows any Stockport authors let me know I have already read Carol Morley's 8 Miles Out which is annoying as that would have been perfect!!

 

[gigpusher]

16 hours ago, Haan said:

Finished Akala's book Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire. Hugely insightful read. Akala is one of my heroes- his interviews and freestyles are soooo good. This book is no different, easy to follow but very dense. He weaves his personal upbringing into wider history; some of the stories of how he was treated by teachers is insane. 

 

I bought this one recently as well so looking forward to reading it now. 

[found home in 2009]

I've been reading an historical fiction, The Source by James A. Michener that covers the entire history of the area of land that we now know as Israel, from caveman times through to modern times.

Is you can imagine, it's a pretty long book, but despite the fact it's taken me months to read it's never started to drag or feel like a chore.

With things like this I always end up googling what's true and what's fictional. The part I've just finished I thought sounded a bit far fetched. The Jews were fighting the Arabs and were completely outnumbered. The Jews fired a canon and shortly afterwards it started raining (at a time of year rain was unexpected). And the Arabs all fled thinking it was an atomic bomb that had triggered acid rain.

Googled this expecting it to be nonsense and it was a real event

https://www.safed.co.il/war-of-independence-in-tzfat.html

It's been really educational learning about how the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions relate to each other which was something I was previously clueless about

[WestCountryGirl]

6 minutes ago, found home in 2009 said:

It's been really educational learning about how the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions relate to each other which was something I was previously clueless about

This is exactly why I am working on "A History of God", dipping in and out between lighter reads. I'm not completely clueless on the topic, but it's always interested me - my uncle was formerly a priest before giving it all up when he met my auntie, and he always used to talk to me about that stuff. I'm really enjoying the book so far but I find my concentration does wane after too long a session on it.

[found home in 2009]

1 hour ago, WestCountryGirl said:

This is exactly why I am working on "A History of God", dipping in and out between lighter reads. I'm not completely clueless on the topic, but it's always interested me - my uncle was formerly a priest before giving it all up when he met my auntie, and he always used to talk to me about that stuff. I'm really enjoying the book so far but I find my concentration does wane after too long a session on it.

My simplified understanding I've gained is Muslims/Jews and Christians all believe in Moses and the commandments and all the old testament stuff. Then Christians and Muslims all belief in Jesus and the new testament. With the only difference being Christians believe Jesus was the son of God/God, whilst Muslims believe he was a prophet sent by God.

Then Muslims believe Mohamed was the 3rd and most important prophet and he's pretty unique to their religion.

The father, son and holy spirit division of god by Christians seems really controversial to other religions. To be honest, even though I was sort of brought up as a Christian (though my parents aren't that religious and I would consider myself agnostic) I find the splitting of god into 3 as a bit weird and confusing.

The main focus of the book I'm reading is the Jewish faith and I find it crazy the amount of rules they have to follow. I don't think I'd enjoy being a strict Jew. It seems like the rabbi's that wrote the Torah took Moses 10 commandments and then tried to find the most strictest interpretation of them that would make life as miserable as possible.





 

[Homer]

I was reading a book... 'the history of glue' - I couldn't put it down.

(Tim Vine)

[mcshed]

4 hours ago, found home in 2009 said:

I've been reading an historical fiction, The Source by James A. Michener that covers the entire history of the area of land that we now know as Israel, from caveman times through to modern times.

Is you can imagine, it's a pretty long book, but despite the fact it's taken me months to read it's never started to drag or feel like a chore.

With things like this I always end up googling what's true and what's fictional. The part I've just finished I thought sounded a bit far fetched. The Jews were fighting the Arabs and were completely outnumbered. The Jews fired a canon and shortly afterwards it started raining (at a time of year rain was unexpected). And the Arabs all fled thinking it was an atomic bomb that had triggered acid rain.

Googled this expecting it to be nonsense and it was a real event

https://www.safed.co.il/war-of-independence-in-tzfat.html

It's been really educational learning about how the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions relate to each other which was something I was previously clueless about

For a modern perspective on the Middle East Colum McCann's Apeirogon is excellent. It's the story of two men; one Palestinian, one Israeli, who both lost their daughters in the violence and became friends after bonding over their loss and promoting peace. Whilst listed as fiction it was written after extensive interviews with the two men and their story is real. The book it self is beautiful, split into 1001 mini sections that can either further the story or meander to tell you about migratory birds or the history of a handgun. The effect is hypnotic, I raced through it and was in tears many times.

[WestCountryGirl]

8 minutes ago, mcshed said:

For a modern perspective on the Middle East Colum McCann's Apeirogon is excellent. It's the story of two men; one Palestinian, one Israeli, who both lost their daughters in the violence and became friends after bonding over their loss and promoting peace. Whilst listed as fiction it was written after extensive interviews with the two men and their story is real. The book it self is beautiful, split into 1001 mini sections that can either further the story or meander to tell you about migratory birds or the history of a handgun. The effect is hypnotic, I raced through it and was in tears many times.

Ooh, that sounds great. Added to my list 🙂 thanks!

[Homer]

Latest Amazon arrival has left me at a bit of a crossroads. Think I currently need some lighthearted lockdown LOLs - so I just started the one about Trump’s ‘personality’. 

[philipsteak]

I got the audio book of Ramble Book. It's pretty much exactly what you think it's going to be, and that's no bad thing 

[funkychick2007]

Ive started reading Victoria Hislops cartes postales from Greece! Not something i would normally read just liked the picture on the front of the book!! but im really enjoying the escapism from reading all the covid stuff!! Especially before bed!!! there comes a point for each individual where to much social media and screen time isnt good for one! 🙄

[gigpusher]

14 minutes ago, funkychick2007 said:

Ive started reading Victoria Hislops cartes postales from Greece! Not something i would normally read just liked the picture on the front of the book!! but im really enjoying the escapism from reading all the covid stuff!! Especially before bed!!! there comes a point for each individual where to much social media and screen time isnt good for one! 🙄

Yep definitely. I don't even watch the briefings anymore. Binge watching TV shows and reading are my sanity for this lockdown. Really enjoying Rebecca my current read. It's very intriguing. 

[gigpusher]

Loved Rebecca. Since then I have read The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce (ok) and Made In Scotland: My Grand Adventures in a Wee Country by Billy Connolly. Every word of Billy's book I could hear his voice which made it a very comforting read at the moment. Not quite an autobiography although it partly was but mostly just his ramblings and pleasant ramblings they were. 

I have started The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare almost a quarter of the way through it and enjoying it so far. Well enjoying might be putting it too far as it is about a child bride being sold to a 50 plus year old but finding it interesting. 

[Gilgamesh69]

Ended up slipping out of my reading habit and not reading again for over a month! I find it really hard to focus on multiple things in one period; especially when I've also got games, internet, and TV to distract me. It's bad...

 

Anyhow, I'm still reading Herodotus... had hoped to be on Thucydides by now, but oh well. Herodotus drags a little bit at times (Why yes Mr H, I sure do want to read all about these rivers!) but he has some really cool folk tales and whatnot in it too. Pretty interesting to read about like the cultural practices and beliefs of these peoples that lived thousands of years ago 🤓

 

@gigpusher I recall you were reading Count of Monte Cristo, right? Did you finish it? What did you think of it?

Edited January 25, 2021 by Gilgamesh69

[gigpusher]

14 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Ended up slipping out of my reading habit and not reading again for over a month! I find it really hard to focus on multiple things in one period; especially when I've also got games, internet, and TV to distract me. It's bad...

 

Anyhow, I'm still reading Herodotus... had hoped to be on Thucydides by now, but oh well. Herodotus drags a little bit at times (Why yes Mr H, I sure do want to read all about these rivers!) but he has some really cool folk tales and whatnot in it too. Pretty interesting to read about like the cultural practices and beliefs of these peoples that lived thousands of years ago 🤓

 

@gigpusher I recall you were reading Count of Monte Cristo, right? Did you finish it? What did you think of it?

I finished it but wasn't a fan. I found the whole premise ridiculous and when I refer to him now I remove the O from his name 😄 Glad I read it and it was well enough written but it had more plot holes than a Swiss cheese. 

[Gilgamesh69]

Honestly, it seems like men back then (and far too often, still today 👀) were just really bitter and moody and had no chill 😅.

In this ( quasi-)historical book i'm reading, there's a tale about an old Egyptian king. The Nile was acting up so he threw a spear into it, and because of that the gods cursed him with blindness. So he spoke to an oracle, who told him that his blindness would be cured if he  "washes his eyes in the urine of a woman who had only ever slept with her husband, and no other man". So he tries his wife, but it doesn't work. So he keeps trying more and more women until finally one of them does. He marries her, but then shuts the rest inside a town and burns it down with them in, including his former wife. 😬😂

[gigpusher]

22 minutes ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Honestly, it seems like men back then (and far too often, still today 👀) were just really bitter and moody and had no chill 😅.

In this ( quasi-)historical book i'm reading, there's a tale about an old Egyptian king. The Nile was acting up so he threw a spear into it, and because of that the gods cursed him with blindness. So he spoke to an oracle, who told him that his blindness would be cured if he  "washes his eyes in the urine of a woman who had only ever slept with her husband, and no other man". So he tries his wife, but it doesn't work. So he keeps trying more and more women until finally one of them does. He marries her, but then shuts the rest inside a town and burns it down with them in, including his former wife. 😬😂

Yes the idea that he would spend that long seeking revenge was ridiculous especially given he effectively just ditched the love of his life for a teenager at the end. The idea that said teenager had such perfect recall of something that happened when she was 3 as well was crazy. Glad things have changed for the better but a lot of it did feel like toxic masculinity at its worst. 

I'm currently trying to finish my book challenge for the year as quickly as possible so that I can read whatever I want for the rest of the year and there will be a few more classics included. 

[mcshed]

4 hours ago, Gilgamesh69 said:

Honestly, it seems like men back then (and far too often, still today 👀) were just really bitter and moody and had no chill 😅.

In this ( quasi-)historical book i'm reading, there's a tale about an old Egyptian king. The Nile was acting up so he threw a spear into it, and because of that the gods cursed him with blindness. So he spoke to an oracle, who told him that his blindness would be cured if he  "washes his eyes in the urine of a woman who had only ever slept with her husband, and no other man". So he tries his wife, but it doesn't work. So he keeps trying more and more women until finally one of them does. He marries her, but then shuts the rest inside a town and burns it down with them in, including his former wife. 😬😂

The Holland translation has some remarkable victim blaming from Herodotus:

"There followed next a massive escalation of what until then had essentially been nothing more serious than a bout of competitive princess-rustling ... Granted, the stealing of women is never acceptable behaviour; but really, they ask, what is the point, once a woman has been stolen, in kicking up a fuss about it, and pursuing some ridiculous vendetta, when every sensible man knows that the best policy is to affect an utter lack of concern? It is clear enough, after all, that women are never abducted unless they are open to the idea in the first place."

Enlightened times they were not. 

[gigpusher]

1 hour ago, mcshed said:

The Holland translation has some remarkable victim blaming from Herodotus:

"There followed next a massive escalation of what until then had essentially been nothing more serious than a bout of competitive princess-rustling ... Granted, the stealing of women is never acceptable behaviour; but really, they ask, what is the point, once a woman has been stolen, in kicking up a fuss about it, and pursuing some ridiculous vendetta, when every sensible man knows that the best policy is to affect an utter lack of concern? It is clear enough, after all, that women are never abducted unless they are open to the idea in the first place."

Enlightened times they were not. 

Yes and I can accept a little bit about different times etc but when the supposed hero of the book is in my opinion a bit of a twat you do lose a bit of sympathy. 

[Homer]

Finished Mary Trump's book about uncle Donald last week. Have read three others about him already`, so thought I was done, but this one gives a different/unique perspective. Her contact with him over the years is sporadic, but there's enough to get an insight into him and his family (and how he tried to screw everyone over). It's an interesting read , especially with her psychology background (spoiler alert: his dad wasn't a very nice man).

Trying to read one serious then one lighter on rotation, so The Men Who Stare at Goats is next up. It's typical Jon Ronson so far (by chapter two he's already meeting up with Uri Geller).`

[gigpusher]

2 hours ago, Homer said:

Finished Mary Trump's book about uncle Donald last week. Have read three others about him already`, so thought I was done, but this one gives a different/unique perspective. Her contact with him over the years is sporadic, but there's enough to get an insight into him and his family (and how he tried to screw everyone over). It's an interesting read , especially with her psychology background (spoiler alert: his dad wasn't a very nice man).

Trying to read one serious then one lighter on rotation, so The Men Who Stare at Goats is next up. It's typical Jon Ronson so far (by chapter two he's already meeting up with Uri Geller).`

I bought that on my kindle when it was on 99p offer but not read it yet. Trying to rattle through my book challenge for this year first so that I am then free to read what I want. The Girl with the Louding Voice was really excellent though. 

I have also read Fierce Fairytales and other stories to stir your soul by Nikita Gill. I also enjoyed that some bits more powerful than others but an interesting feminist reimagining of some fairytales. 

Currently reading a book called Ivy Lane it was the first 99p book I could find about plants 😄 It's a very traditional chick lit kind of book but actually quite pleasant to read at the moment as I've had long working days recently so probably wouldn't want anything too heavy at the end of it. 

After that just these 3 categories left to go and I will have finished my challenge hopefully before the end of February 😄 

A book with the name of a town or city in the title

A book by a local author

A book with a body part in the title