Books

[dainesefreak]

What you reading, just read or planning on reading and why?

I've just finished The hunt for Zero Point by Nick Cook, quite heavy in the middle with a good last quarter. I fancied something about the SS Occult side of WWII and sort of got onto this from there. Secret weapons, UFO's, Time Machines, Nuke, Deep Black, etc, all good stuff. Next, I think I'm onto something about Telsa, sounds like an interesting bloke.

[Mister James]

I've just finished 'Scar Night' by Alan Campbell.

Pretty good, interesting mythos, especially where it mixes fantasy/steam-pink with what we would recognise as traditional sci-fi tech later on in the story.

Last week I read 'The Armour of Contempt' by Dan Abnett, the latest in the Gaunt's Ghost series of Warhammer 40k novels. Excellent, as are all of the others.
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
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[dainesefreak]

Just looked up Scar Night on Amazon, added it to my Bookmarks so I remember what it's called. I think it'll be next on my list when I've finished the three I've got lined up. I decided to start reading the Discworld books after all this time and just received the first four, one and a half down, two and a half to go. Might fit in the Tesla book before this one though, whilst it's still fresh in my mind.

[TheShaggyDA]

Last book I read was "The World According to Clarkeson", I'm kind of halfway through "One Man Caravan" by Robert Fulton, and "The DaVinci Code" has been sitting on my bedside table for months; I might start it soon.
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[tokarev]

I have just finished reading Race to Dakar by Charley Boorman. It was a very interesting read.

It starts of by showing how Charley first got into the whole Dakar thing and then goes on to telling about his intense training scheme to prepare himself for the Dakar (from training in the mountains of Wales to the dunes in Dubai and to entering enduro events for the first ever time!).

The second part of the book is all about the experience of the three team members; Charley Boorman, Simon Pavey and Matt Hall as they attempt to reach Dakar on their BMW enduro bikes by crossing the Sahara. Each member writes of their experience (of which when half way to dakar become totally different to one another). It also tells a bit of the experience had by the support crew in their converted BMW X5.

I found it enjoyable.

[Mister James]

Clarkson books, along with Boris Johnson's latest, are perfect toilet reading when I've run out of bike mags!

I'm blessed/cursed with an obscenely fast reading speed. Most books don't take me more than a few hours, which makes buying them pretty expensive entertainment, especially when it's one I've been waiting for and is only available in hardback!
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>Soultrader Mister James, I bet you are a copper
>Bazza Wow. Eyes like a shithouse rat, you...

[dainesefreak]

I've been there with the Hardbacks; I used to refuse to pay that much but I caved. The last six or so have been from Play though so they weren't too bad. I think I actually paid less than Amazon could deliver their usual paperbacks.

I find it hard to change genres, I read a particular type of book to death then struggle to find a different genre to change to. I've been on the Fantasy thing for a while so the Nick Cook book was quite a change. I think I'm hooked on physics for a while after that though. I might try a Biography soon and see how that goes, not many people interest me that much to be honest. I've been toying with the idea of Mein Kampf I must admit.

[McJamweasel]

I've just started 'The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail' by Baigent, Leigh & Lincoln. It's basically the book that Dan Brown got his Da Vinci Code mythology from. It's heavy going, so I've not read much yet.

I've also got George R R Martins 'A Feast for Crows' on my bedside table for a re-read and a book about the Kursk tank battle, imaginativly titled 'Kursk'. Mind you, I've had that for months and have read hardly any yet.

One of our regular customers at work has just had a book published, 'Sugarcoated War', about his experiences in Bosnia. I've got a freebie copy on the way so will dive into that as soon as I get it. I'll let you know if its any good.

I think I might read a bit more WW2 history, got any suggestions (apart from the Stephen Ambrose books)?

[dainesefreak]

I quite like the idea of the challenge of Mein Kampf, I've read a good few reviews and get the idea of what I'd be in for.

What part of WWII are you interested in? My interest was peeked again by this J P Farell book. I'm actually yet to read it as it was quie difficult to get hold of at the time. I also fancy this.

[McJamweasel]

'Reich of the Black Sun' has just gone on my wish list. I'm not too fussy really, I've read all sorts, from Band of Brothers to a woman civilians account of the Soviet occupation of Berlin to detailed historical accounts of the battle of Stalingrad to...
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[Paivi]

Just finished "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova, a Dracula yarn. Weird but entertaining. I've barely started "1599" by James Shapiro, a year in the life of William Shakespeare.

Once I'm done with the Bard, I will finish Anna Karenina, then I'll finally start Don Quixote.

[Paddy Blake]

This is as far as i got.

[dainesefreak]

Did you not even do any Johnny Redhat at school?

[techierob]

[techierob]

[dainesefreak]

To be honest I'm not overly inspired to read any Nietzsche as I'm afraid I find the whole philo/psychological debate a bit pretentious. My interest in Hitler is from purely down to historic aspects of WWII and family history. Mein Kampf possibly, Nietzsche possibly wrist slitting.

Now sounding twee, I am interested in Weaveworld.

[Suzuki]

I've just finished 'The Colditz Story' by P. R. Reid.

It basically chronicles the captive years of his live during WWII, his escape attempt from his first prison, and then being moved to Colditz.
The things they got up to, and their ingenuity is quite frankly staggering.

It was a brilliant read, and quite a pleasant change to be reading 'proper' english, rather than the lazy english of today's writers.

The book I read previous to that was a Sci-Fi novel called 'Bloom'.
Humans had developed nano-technology to the point that the nano-machines were self-replicating. Something goes wrong, and this 'technogenic-life' goes out of control and starts destroying the earth.
Humanity then flees to the Asteroid belt and the moons around Jupiter.
The story focuses on a space mission to drop probes on the remains of earth to monitor what's happening.

An easy read, with nothing particularly challenging to think about. It wont leave you with a long-lasting impression, but it's worth a look if you've run out of other books to read.
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[JonB]

Currently reading 3 books. (Not at the same time )

The foundations of the Welfare state / The evolution of the Welfare state and finally, British Social Welfare. This is for my essay on Friday.

But for more light reading I might get out Karl Marx's theory if I can be bothered to go to the library.
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[Bendy]

[dainesefreak]

What generally influences what you buy? An interest, hobby, just browse around and find something that takes your fancy? What? I notice that the boys have a bit of a WWII slant/Fantasy at the moment.

[Annabella]

I'm struggling my way through "Judus Unchained" the sequel to "Pandora's Star".

I didn't enjoy Pandora's Star, nor am I enjoying Judus Unchained. I normally race through books too quickly to enjoy them, but this is becoming a mammoth chore. Both books are huge, and the writing style long winded (an in my opinion unecessary - how many times do you need to write 'enzyme-bonded concrete', 'malmetal' and 'ply-plastic windows', I get the idea you don't need to keep telling me!)

I will be most relieved when I can close the back on 'Morning-Light-Mountain' and it's alien invasion of the Human Commonwealth and open a fresh new book \o/
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[dainesefreak]

Didn't strike me as a Scfi sort Ann, thought this would be more up your street. Brownies Survival Guide.

[Annabella]

[dainesefreak]

I've done Tom Holt, left him feeling dirty and used at the side of the road after "Earth, Air, Fire and Custard". I liked the first few then "Custard" left me feeling a little disappointed so I moved on. He's always someone I'd consider returning to though.

[Clanger]

Still reading Ted Simon's Jupiter Adventure, its a fairly thick book with wee writing, but Im in the very last section...so not long now!
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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter won't mind - Dr. Seuss