Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[Scepticalscribe]

Unearthed (still in their wrappings), two books by the superb cookery writer Nigel Slater (and I already have several of his books) that I had bought ages ago, and only now thought to browse.

They are "Kitchen Diaries II', and "Appetite".

 

[moderniste]

Finally reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

This month was great for new releases though. I've read Quichotte (Rushdie), The Testaments (Atwood) and The Ten Thousand Doors of January (Harrow).

 

[yaxomoxay]

Personally, I think that the books are seriously brilliant, but they must be read in the order in which they were written, as the story unfolds and is constructed layer by layer.

You have a treat in store for you.

I read only the first one, but I must admit that it's a much better reading than expected. I plan to read the entire series sooner or later.

 

[ucfgrad93]

Finally reading Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

How is this? I've downloaded a sample to my Kindle, but haven't started it yet.

 

[txa1265]

Personally, I think that the books are seriously brilliant, but they must be read in the order in which they were written, as the story unfolds and is constructed layer by layer.

You have a treat in store for you.

Absolutely agree! We started off when my kids were young, reading aloud and me doing the voices. By the end of the series they were able to re-read all 6 books in the week prior to midnight release of #7, but still wanted to do a family read-aloud. Really special place in our hearts as a result.

Funny thing though - reading aloud like that, you can FEEL any issues with pacing or editing much more than reading it yourself. And there were a few times where I was thinking ‘jeez this could have used some crisp editing!’ Not to touch the story, just to tighten things up.

Enjoy!

 

[moderniste]

How is this? I've downloaded a sample to my Kindle, but haven't started it yet.

I'm only about 1/3 through it, but I'm enjoying it so far. I've only read a couple of novels by Gaiman and didn't really like them, but I suppose this one is more Pratchetty. It's cute and funny, a nice light read if you're looking for something cheerful.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I'm only about 1/3 through it, but I'm enjoying it so far. I've only read a couple of novels by Gaiman and didn't really like them, but I suppose this one is more Pratchetty. It's cute and funny, a nice light read if you're looking for something cheerful.

Thanks, I appreciate the response.

 

[RootBeerMan]

Just finished up "Death Warmed Over" by Kevin J. Anderson. If you like gumshoe novels, this is a good. It stars Dan Shamble, Zombie Private Eye and is set in a world where the supernatural has made a comeback. A really fun romp and I enjoyed it immensely. Now I'm on to "Rogue Protocol", book 3 of the Murderbot series. This is truly well written sci fi and one of the most enjoyable series I've come across. The writing is superb and the characters memorable. Sadly, all the books are novellas, but she is writing a full blown Murderbot novel, so there is that to look forward to!

 

[Gutwrench]

Today having a look through some of the late Mary Oliver's essays in her book Upstream. I meant to spend half an hour and it's been more like three times that... so it's not just her poetry that can draw one in and provide food for thought.

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I had this inexplicable but pretentious thought I’d meet her one day at a book signing or maybe wandering through the woods at dawn. It never happened. ?

 

[LizKat]

I had this inexplicable but pretentious thought I’d meet her one day at a book signing or maybe wandering through the woods at dawn. It never happened. ?

Not inexplicable really, nor pretentious either! She was really connected to what she wrote about and never seemed to write down or withhold herself from the poems, so one could easily end up feeling it possible just to bump into her in the course of a day.

I've crashed out of Oliver's serene book of essays into Steve Coll's Private Empire: ExxonMobil and American Power. Without getting all political about it, I can say that it sheds some light on why the respective cultures of Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson were bound to clash, although Tillerson was still at Exxon when Coll's book was published, and so not yet serving as Trump's first Secretary of State. But a founding principle of Exxon's precursor company, Standard Oil, was "bringing order to chaos" and meaning to do that by rigorous application of science, and those themes transferred to the successor company. The book is fascinating.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Picked up "The Anarchy - The Relentless Rise of the East India Company" by William Dalrymple in a bricks'n'mortar store today; they had phoned me yesterday to let me know that it had arrived. A nice, fat, beautifully put together, hard back. Looking forward to reading it.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Picked up "The Anarchy - The Relentless Rise of the East India Company" by William Dalrymple in a bricks'n'mortar store today; they had phoned me yesterday to let me know that it had arrived. A nice, fat, beautifully put together, hard back. Looking forward to reading it.

AAAAH! I read the review on the Wall Street Journal last week and I immediately added it to my list. Let me know if it's worth the $$$!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

AAAAH! I read the review on the Wall Street Journal last week and I immediately added it to my list. Let me know if it's worth the $$$!

Physically, it is beautiful - heavy, exquisitely illustrated and just gorgeous to behold.

Thus, from a purely physical perspective, I am already smitten, as I love beautiful books, (the computer's silly auto-correct seemed to think I wished to write "boys" instead of "books", tsk, tsk), books where it is clear that effort and energy and thought and care have been put into producing a gorgeous quality product.

But, beauty alone - while necessary (and desirable - and I speak only of the world of books, here) is not sufficient; thus, what is of equal - or, frankly, greater - importance, is the fact that this book also received excellent reviews in a number of the very good British publications, which is what prompted my decision to order it.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Physically, it is beautiful - heavy, exquisitely illustrated and just gorgeous to behold.

Thus, from a purely physical perspective, I am already smitten, as I love beautiful books, (the computer's silly auto-correct seemed to think I wished to write "boys" instead of "books", tsk, tsk), books where it is clear that effort and energy and thought and care have been put into producing a gorgeous quality product.

But, beauty alone - while necessary (and desirable - and I speak only of the world of books, here) is not sufficient; thus, what is of equal - or, frankly, greater - importance, is the fact that this book also received excellent reviews in a number of the very good British publications, which is what prompted my decision to order it.

I am very intrigued. The book received a good review in the WSJ, and the topic is fascinating to say the least. Oh well, I think I will have to read it

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I am very intrigued. The book received a good review in the WSJ, and the topic is fascinating to say the least. Oh well, I think I will have to read it

I have also read some very interesting interviews with (and articles written by) William Dalrymple over the past couple of years where he touches on this subject; viewed through a wider lens, the idea of the influence wielded by large, globally powerful and unaccountable companies is strangely relevant once again - and this one had its own army and bureaucracy, which recruited on merit and insisted on high standards of competence (though not always, alas, of probity) - and paid its employees extremely well - at a time when the British public service did none of this.

A while ago, I read Ferdinand Mount's exceedingly good "Tears of the Raja" which also covers some of this material though from a more subjective and personal perspective, as some of his ancestors had played a role in the EIC.

 

[AVBeatMan]

Picked this up at the weekend whilst in London. Looking forward to reading it.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Just released this week and delivered to me an hour ago by UPS... looking forward to reading this.

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^^I finished this the other day and highly recommend it. ^^

I started reading this now. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29445603-a-perfect-union-of-contrary-things

New York Times Bestseller A Perfect Union of Contrary Things is the authorized biography of musician and vintner Maynard James Keenan. Co-author Sarah Jensen's 30-year friendship with Keenan gives her unique insight into his history and career trajectory. The book traces Keenan's journey from his Midwest childhood to his years in the Army to his time in art school, from his stint at a Boston pet shop to his place in the international spotlight and his influence on contemporary music and regional winemaking. A comprehensive portrayal of a versatile and dedicated artist, A Perfect Union of Contrary Things pays homage to the people and places that shaped the man and his art. Until now, Maynard's fans have had access to only an abridged version of his story. A Perfect Union of Contrary Things presents the outtakes, the scenes of disappointment and triumph, and the events that led him to take one step after the next, to change direction, to explore sometimes surprising opportunities. Included are sidebars in his own words, often humorous anecdotes that illuminate the narrative, as well as commentary by his family members, friends, instructors, and industry colleagues. The book also features a foreword by Alex Grey, an American visionary artist and longtime friend of Keenan. Accompanying the text are photos of Keenan from childhood to the present. Maynard's story is a metaphor for the reader's own evolution and an encouragement to follow one's dreams, hold fast to individual integrity, and work ceaselessly to fulfill our creative potential.

cc: @D.T.

 

[RootBeerMan]

Currently reading "Stars and Stripes Forever" by Harry Harrison. The first novel in his alt-history of the Civil War. Also reading a stack of this weeks newly released comics.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Currently reading "Stars and Stripes Forever" by Harry Harrison. The first novel in his alt-history of the Civil War. Also reading a stack of this weeks newly released comics.

I have heard of this series; what is it like?

 

[RootBeerMan]

I have heard of this series; what is it like?

So far it is very good! The novel hinges on the historical part that Prince Albert played in tempering the British response to the Trent Affair. In Harrison's alternate history Prince Albert dies before he can draft a more tempered and less aggressive response and Victoria blames his death on the Americans and starts a war with the Union. Much of the first half of the book is just a look at the characters in that moment of history and what was occurring. Really a well written novel, (as all of Harrison's usually are). I am enjoying it immensely and already have the other books in the trilogy lined up.

 

[moderniste]

I'm currently reading Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. Description from wikipedia:

The story fictionalizes the notorious 1843 murders of Thomas Kinnear and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery in Canada West. Two servants of the Kinnear household, Grace Marks and James McDermott, were convicted of the crime. McDermott was hanged and Marks was sentenced to life imprisonment.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Angel Mage by Garth Nix.

 

[pachyderm]

Man I don't know if I can read two at once anymore.

I never finished "..Owen Meany...".

Fingers crossed I can now.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Man's Search for Meaning

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Man's Search for Meaning has become one of the most influential books in America; it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Man's Search for Meaning

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A genuine and timeless classic.