What books have you been reading lately?

About 18 months ago, I set myself the task of reading the Discworld novels in order. What a ride! I thought they would focus mostly on the Unseen University, but it's almost a bit player in one of many threads. I'm near the end now (just finished "Thud!"), and the standouts have been the Witches and of course Vimes and the City Watch.

After this, I move onto some of Robert Rankin's self-contained series, probably starting with the hilarious Armageddon trilogy, which I read a long time ago and can't remember.
 
Finished up the last ones.
Finished Bells Bio and "Our Southern Highlanders"

I just ordered two books.
"Book of Disquiet", Fernando Pessoa
and
"The Strange Case of Mr Pelham"
Anthony Armstrong
Am working on an Oliver Cromwell Bio. If it gets tedious and boring I will drop it. You know how it goes.
 
Smithers XKR said:
All of the great rock guitarists were white yeh? Except the two greatest ever where people of colour. An African American and an Indonesian Dutch boy....

Think about it?



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If they have seen far it is because they stood on the shoulders of giants and both would be the first to tell you that.
 
grimtraveller said:
I've just finished reading a book called "Inspired Imperfection" by Greg Boyd. it's about the Bible and its problematic passages and information. It's pretty deep but Boyd, being a bit of a firebrand, has a way of putting things that make for easy reading and it was hard to put down. There were a couple of major points that I disagreed with him big time on, but it's an excellent book.
As soon as I finished it on Saturday, I began reading "I ran with the gang" which is the autobiography of Alan Longmuir who founded the Bay City Rollers. So far, it's a riveting read. Like Greg lake, he died while completing the book.
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That Greg Boyd book sounds interesting. I enjoy books on religion from time to time. Having grown up in the church but not participated much in the last twenty odd years, they're helpful in revisiting and reexamning my own views on religion and the 'big picture' in general.
 
Just wrapping up the Brothers Karamazov. Great read but sometimes it feels like a bit of a chore! Also recently read most of Kurt Vonnegut's short stories, really enjoyed his style.
 
Fromthenorthwest said:
Just wrapping up the Brothers Karamazov. Great read but sometimes it feels like a bit of a chore! Also recently read most of Kurt Vonnegut's short stories, really enjoyed his style.
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Read "Brothers" twice, it is quite the chore. "Crime and Punishment" is even more of a chore.
 
dogooder said:
Read "Brothers" twice, it is quite the chore. "Crime and Punishment" is even more of a chore.
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Try the autobiography of Michael Heseltine. I deserve an award for getting through that. The worst part was that I couldn't even fall asleep in the bath, drop it in and ruin it !
 
dogooder said:
Read "Brothers" twice, it is quite the chore. "Crime and Punishment" is even more of a chore.
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Why did you read it twice, and what did you think about it the second time? I've really enjoyed a chunk of this book, but some of the extended monologues are mind-numbing.

Somebody told me Crime and Punishment was supposed to be an easier read than Brothers, not the case in your experience?
 
Fromthenorthwest said:
Why did you read it twice, and what did you think about it the second time? I've really enjoyed a chunk of this book, but some of the extended monologues are mind-numbing.

Somebody told me Crime and Punishment was supposed to be an easier read than Brothers, not the case in your experience?
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I read those books fifty years ago. In Crime and Punishment it was the constant inner turmoil of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov that I found
tedious but without it what have you..?
 
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Fromthenorthwest said:
Why did you read it twice, and what did you think about it the second time? I've really enjoyed a chunk of this book, but some of the extended monologues are mind-numbing.

Somebody told me Crime and Punishment was supposed to be an easier read than Brothers, not the case in your experience?
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Why did I read it twice? My grandparents were Dragunas and Jeckylowsovitch, maybe an insight to where they came from.
 
Fromthenorthwest said:
That Greg Boyd book sounds interesting. I enjoy books on religion from time to time
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Yeah, Greg's book was definitely good. It's worth a read but I'd be careful who I recommend it to.
Fromthenorthwest said:
Having grown up in the church
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I'm glad I didn't grow up in the Church. Having been atheist for a number of years before meeting with Christ, that experience gave me an angle that many I know don't have.
Fromthenorthwest said:
Just wrapping up the Brothers Karamazov
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They sound like high-quality chocolatiers.
Fromthenorthwest said:
the Brothers Karamazov
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Or purveyors of fine wines.....
Fromthenorthwest said:
the Brothers Karamazov
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Or even importers of quality cheeses !
Fromthenorthwest said:
the Brothers Karamazov
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Or a circus act. I can just see them on their way to the trapeze.
 
TAE said:
Wow interesting that we have a lot of readers here..
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Something that I notice I've been doing a lot recently is anticipating the next line or sentence in what I'm reading. For example, in Alan Longmuir's book, he describes a party he was at and some of the people there and I found myself thinking "it's funny how he doesn't describe any of the women there." Then just as I thought it, I got to the next line, and he makes the point that there were no women and there were guys snogging on the sofa.
I found myself doing it a lot with Greg Boyd's book too. And in the one I'm reading in the loo, "The Music's all that Matters - a history of Progressive Rock" by Paul Stump, I've found it happening there too.
 
60's guy said:
I prefer reading storylines that incorporate historical fact woven into a mystery
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I find it interesting when I learn something from a book that isn't really to do with the book. For example, discovering that Cliff Richard once acted as a decoy for the Bay City Rollers so they could escape from crazed little girls wanting to rip their hair out. Or discovering those little 11-15-year-old girls carried a hefty punch when trying to grab a Roller's testicles.
 
grimtraveller said:
Yeah, Greg's book was definitely good. It's worth a read but I'd be careful who I recommend it to.

I'm glad I didn't grow up in the Church. Having been atheist for a number of years before meeting with Christ, that experience gave me an angle that many I know don't have.

They sound like high-quality chocolatiers.

Or purveyors of fine wines.....

Or even importers of quality cheeses !

Or a circus act. I can just see them on their way to the trapeze.
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Ha! You're right, that's a very merchant sounding name..especially for chocolate.

Yes, it seems like growing up in the church may produce a type of 'religion fatigue' for some individuals.
 
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