What book are you reading at the moment?

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Speed - Guy Martin

Bought by a well meaning relative. It's exactly as you'd expect, loads of pictures of what you've already seen, My First Psuedo-Physics diagrams, and a couple of words from our Guy (or his ghostwriter), all blokey bloke, rather be working on a truck, matey mate.

Klingon Bird of Prey - Haynes manuals

All background. No troubleshooting, disassembly/reassembly guides, tools required, nothing even about self-sealing stem bolts. Mad

A Short History of the Motorcycle - Richard Hammond

The copy-editing is a bit ropey and it's a little try-hard for the humour, but it is recognisably Hammond writing. It's actually packed with Teflonian reams of stuff from the Early Olden Days through to Very Nearly Now. Hammond is genuinely enthusiastic about his subject, is pretty insightful about bikey-biker motivations, and has done a fair bit of research. This one might not go straight into the next charity bag.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

It rattles along at a fair pace, I'd actually be OK with a few more asides about warm summer's evenings in ancient ~~Greece~~ Margate. I'm only up to the 1980s, I'll let you know if biking survives.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

CaNsA · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Karma :

Oldie · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Karma :

Before I go and splash out on this, has anybody read it?

The Way of Kings: The Stormlight Archive

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

CaNsA · Super Spammer Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Karma :

Oldie · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Karma :

Quarter way through Stephen King's Needful Things - please tell me that it gets better Sad

Having read various reviews, I had high hopes for Stephen King.

So far, it's just a folksie ramble full of "clever" similies.

Having just finished Wolf Hall and The Secret History I was getting used to well written, interesting, books......

Or have I just picked the wrong "King" to start with?

trevor saxe-coburg-gotha · World Chat Champion Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :

I think it's shit. As stated on previous page my favourites are The Shining, Talisman, The Stand, Different Seasons and then maybe Dead Zone and Fire Starter - but I think they're all youngsters' books tbh. Come to them as a big proper adult and a lot of it can just seem too far-fetched and plain daft. Also, his early writing can feel dated these days.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

chris-red · Have you considered a TDM? Joined: 21 Sep 2005 Karma :

Oldie · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Karma :

Had to give up on Needful Things......dreadful.

However, Winter Pilgrims (Kingmaker, Book 1) by Toby Clements was bloody good. It's a 15c adventure taking place around the Wars of the Roses but you don't need O Level history to enjoy it. It's definitely worth a read.

Also finished a child abduction crime novel called The Widow by Fiona Barton. It wasn't exactly one of those books that will stick in your mind, but it's still enjoyable and a bit different.

And, finally, my first John Grisham - A Time to Kill. Hicksville America semi-courtroom stuff and very good. Some nice characters and decent action. It made me think about reading more of his stuff.

Rogerborg · nimbA Joined: 26 Oct 2010 Karma :

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom - Cory Doctorow

Painfully pop-cultural paen to post-scarcity progressiveness.

Serial student Doctorow is oh-so-desperate to show how hip and down he was with the 1337 5p34k that all the cool nerds were using in 2003. His ostentatious use of "core dump", "grepping" and "public folders" have dated as badly as 1930s authors' rocket ships packed with vacuum tubes and teletype printouts (or TTYs as Doctorow would doubtless insist on jargonising).

I'm sure that he was oh-so-proud of "Whuffie" as a jolly clever concept, but an author more interested in telling a story rather than showcasing his manifesto would have just called it something like eKarma and every reader would have instantly grokked it without further tiresome explanation.

The character of wise-beyond-her-years Lil is a painfully obvious Mary Sue for some chick in his Ultima Online crew who wouldn't bang him and who probably never did.

There's doubtless some sort of a plot, but I couldn't discern it amongst the deliberately obtuse socio-symbology and tub thumping. I got about a quarter of the way through it and core dumped it from my public folder. It's not worth the price of grepping through the freeware license at the start.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

hedgehugger · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Nov 2007 Karma :

Mawsley · Traffic Copper Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Karma :

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514dP3zdZYL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

A work of outstanding excellence.

https://cdn3.digitalartsonline.co.uk/cmsdata/slideshow/3580293/policemanwww-scarfolk-blogspot-com.jpg

Oldie · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Karma :

If you like a bit of history then Imperium (Robert Harris) is a fantastic way to delve into ancient Rome. Full of political intrigue and brilliantly written. Finished it this morning and already looking at the next two books in the series, although might pick up a modern thriller first.

Dr. DaveJPS · World Chat Champion Joined: 24 May 2008 Karma :

ZX-7R · Banned Joined: 24 Jan 2016 Karma :

Book 14 in the Charlie Parker series.Been reading this series since the first book came out. Thumbs Up

____________________
Current Bike - 2000 ZX-7R

TheSmiler · World Chat Champion Joined: 14 Apr 2011 Karma :

I've been reading these, after watching the Tv series recently; which is absolutely marvellous mind you.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/63/0e/74/630e74459f3749b3e2d99137ec7dae8a.jpg
____________________
CB125>CG125>GN125>ER5>K100RS>R1100RS>K100RS
A2 completed 23/07/15 Ready for the Golden Crisp Packet

WULFSTAN · World Chat Champion Joined: 18 Sep 2010 Karma :

I've been reading god of war by christian cameron i think he's a great writer.
____________________
Your backside is better enough for you to run again, if need be – bristle up the courage of the cornered rat, put on a bold front, and to hell with them. Bluff my boy – bluff, shift and lie for the sake of your neck and the honour of Old England

Oldie · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Karma :

Just finished a couple of cheap buys, more to try out the author than anything.

The Woman in Blue (Elly Griffiths) is part of a series about archaeology/detective/murder stuff in rural England. Standard fare and helps pass the time. Don't bother though.

My Sister's Grave (Robert Dugoni) is better. A Seattle female cop seeks justice for her kid sister (disappeared 20 years previously) and the facts begin to unravel in a fairly fast and interesting way. Believable, and well told, story. Not earth shattering but you could do worse if you were looking for something for a long train journey. Not as good as Girl on a Train, which was quite good, but what else are you going to read without having to think too much?

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

Gave up with the crime fiction as I can't find an author that holds my attention, so instead, I've gone with non-fiction.

Currently reading Gotti - The Rise and Fall, by Jerry Capeci and Gene Mustain. Aka the 'Teflon Don', and the 'Dapper Don'. One of the highest profile mob bosses there has ever been.

Think I read this a while ago, but I'm fascinated by Mafia stuff. Beats any of the crime fiction I've read so far.
Got a few more in the same vein lined up:

The Masters of Murder - two book U.S. Mafia history. Strangely, don't know who the author is.

Gaspipe: Confessions of a Mafia Boss, by Philip Carlo. Story of the Lucchese family boss, Anthony 'Gaspipe' Casso.

The Brotherhoods - true story of two cops in N.Y. who did dirty work for the mob.

Casino, by Nicholas Pileggi. The true story that the film came from; the mob in Las Vegas.

Murder Machine. The story of the DeMeo crew, among the most violent of hitmen for the mob.

Mob Boss: The Life of Little Al D'Arco, The Man Who Brought Down The Mafia. Underboss of the Lucchese family, he was the highest ranking mobster to turn government witness in 1991.

Should keep me going for a while Smile

____________________
Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

Pigeon · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Sep 2012 Karma :

I buy a book every 3-6 months, read 20 pages and put it down to gather dust. The only books to have been finished in the last 5 years are:

Guy Martin (Autobiography pt1, 2 and 3)

Lois Pryce - Lois on the Loose

Lois Pryce - Rad Tape and White Knuckles

And that's it Embarassed

Currently reading The Street Riding Years: Despatching Through 80s London - Chris Scott - Initially found his style annoying, so put it down. Picked it up a month later and laughing + enjoying it.