What are you reading at the moment?

[ozleicester]

On 30/12/2024 at 18:29, jgtuk said:

Not read yet, just received for Christmas. Got four other books on the go atm but will fit this in somewhere eventually. 

I finished this recently.... a hard slog for me but very interesting.

[LanguedocFox]

I got this as a Christmas present and binged-read it over three days at the end of December. I enjoyed it so much that I read it again this week!

 

David Nicholls is one of my favourite modern British authors. He wrote Starter for Ten and One Day both of which have been made into films (One Day was also made into a six-part series on Netflix) and I reckon that You Are Here will also get the treatment. It's a very gentle, funny and well-written love story, and although some of the twists are a bit obvious, it's still enjoyable. Highly recommended.

 

[jgtuk]

Just ordered this. Enjoyed Humankind and love his general outlook. 
 

 

[FoxyPV]

Red Rising sextilogy - unbelievably good

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

6 hours ago, FoxyPV said:

Red Rising sextilogy - unbelievably good

 

And is it very sexy?

[bovril]

This Side of Paradise, which I didn't enjoy very much at all to be honest. Which was a surprise because I love Fitzgerald's other novels, especially Tender is the Night. 

[Grebfromgrebland]

On 26/01/2025 at 20:52, LanguedocFox said:

I got this as a Christmas present and binged-read it over three days at the end of December. I enjoyed it so much that I read it again this week!

 

David Nicholls is one of my favourite modern British authors. He wrote Starter for Ten and One Day both of which have been made into films (One Day was also made into a six-part series on Netflix) and I reckon that You Are Here will also get the treatment. It's a very gentle, funny and well-written love story, and although some of the twists are a bit obvious, it's still enjoyable. Highly recommended.

 

Would you say he's the modern day Nick Hornby?

[Beliall]

currently reading the game of thrones books. finally got a hold of them at christmas and im enjoying them. better than the show of course, quite a lot different in some places but the show did a pretty good job, at least so far. currently halfway through book 3

[LanguedocFox]

16 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

Would you say he's the modern day Nick Hornby?

Yes, I think so, although both Nicholls and Hornby have their particular styles and strengths. I’ve read most of Nick Hornby’s books since Fever Pitch, which I’d rate as the best football fan’s book ever. 

[FoxyPV]

10 hours ago, Beliall said:

currently reading the game of thrones books. finally got a hold of them at christmas and im enjoying them. better than the show of course, quite a lot different in some places but the show did a pretty good job, at least so far. currently halfway through book 3

The books are so good. Couldn't watch the show as it paled in comparison

[Tommy G]

Read Ant Middleton - Cold Justice on holiday, picked it up as finished another book and it was hanging about in the hotel lobby - surprisingly good fiction. 

[LanguedocFox]

 

 

I just finished reading Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. Last year I read his novel All The Light We Cannot See, a story set during World War Two about a blind French girl and a young German soldier. It took me a while to get into that novel, but once it gripped, it wouldn't let go. Cloud Cuckoo Land has a similar appeal: it was one of my Christmas presents, and I started it and put it down a couple of times; about ten days ago, I gave it more of a go, and once again I found it really hard to put down. The main characters are all outsiders, and separated by centuries: a young boy and girl on either side of the sack of Constantinople in 1453, a teenage idealist and an 80-something teacher in the period 1945 to 2022, and a young girl, decades in the future, on an interplanetary spacecraft. Like All The Light... the chapters, which are very short, alternate between the different characters and across time-zones, with an ancient text fascinating each of them in its own way. The ending is brilliant, bringing each of the characters a kind of closure and (in a sense) redemption: absolutely brilliant read, beautifully written and highly recommended.

 

Incidentally, All The Light We Cannot See has been made into a mini-series by Netflix. I'm going to watch it this week, and I'll post a review on the relevant topic.

 

[boots60]

On 16/02/2025 at 13:36, LanguedocFox said:

Yes, I think so, although both Nicholls and Hornby have their particular styles and strengths. I’ve read most of Nick Hornby’s books since Fever Pitch, which I’d rate as the best football fan’s book ever. 

Fever Pitch is partly responsible for the "New breed" of football fans that have invaded our game & consequently led to massive price increases & lack of atmosphere this past 3 decades.

Might not have been so bad if he had actually attended the Liverpool away title decider (not all ticket back then) instead of watching on the box.

There's a passage in the book where he describes his addiction to football on his first visit to Highbury, before a ball has even been kicked.

Nick Hornby is undoubtedly an intelligent chap & popular author but as for football he's a bandwagon jumper.

[HighPeakFox]

14 minutes ago, boots60 said:

Nick Hornby is undoubtedly an intelligent chap & popular author but as for football he's a bandwagon jumper.

What? How do you justify this opinion? Or is this just code for 'Nick Hornby is middle class'? 

[LanguedocFox]

17 hours ago, boots60 said:

Fever Pitch is partly responsible for the "New breed" of football fans that have invaded our game & consequently led to massive price increases & lack of atmosphere this past 3 decades.

That is an enormous evidence-free link. All-seater stadiums (following Hillsborough) and Sky were far more influential.

 

17 hours ago, boots60 said:

Might not have been so bad if he had actually attended the Liverpool away title decider (not all ticket back then) instead of watching on the box.

That match was on a Friday night, and if I remember correctly, Hornby was a teacher in London at the time.

 

17 hours ago, boots60 said:

There's a passage in the book where he describes his addiction to football on his first visit to Highbury, before a ball has even been kicked.

That match was when his addiction to football began, and what he described (the sounds, smells of beer and cigarette smoke, the swearing) is something most fans of a certain age can relate immediately to.

[Beliall]

through the first 3 books of song of ice and fire, and just started book 4 last night. this story is incredible and its quite a lot different from the show now. the things they included  they did ok ( so far) but they missed out  a huge amount of nuance and detail, and made some shit up too. i will still re watch the whole thing when im done but im gripped on the books. started reading them on the 1st of jan, 3 months later i still have 2 books to go  

[SecretPro]

Just Finished Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan. What a book. Shed a tear. Great author.

[Parafox]

The Body Keeps The Score.

 

A detailed work of the research and understanding of how trauma of any kind, emotional, childhood abuse, domestic abuse, war, even trauma that one might not recognise. It's not dry or so scientific that ordinary people can't read it and be enlightened and better informed.

 

I am reading it because I have experienced trauma in most aspects of my life/career. It is thought provoking, particularly for those experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, fear and unexpected anger, supressed grief. It offers insight into trauma and how it affects the whole (human) being that has suffered.

 

Having read most of it so far, I can see and understand how my experiences, abused by my father, the trauma caused by my daughter's MH issues and her rejection of us, the loss of 2 granddaughters through adoption and the things I've come across and had to deal with, sometimes alone, whilst doing my job have made me withdrawn, angry, anxious, fearful, living a false existence by covering up and keeping relationships at arms length. Lack of trust in others and the fear that something bad is always about to happen. 

 

I might copy and post this in the Depression topic.

 

 

[ozleicester]

5 hours ago, Parafox said:

The Body Keeps The Score.

 

A detailed work of the research and understanding of how trauma of any kind, emotional, childhood abuse, domestic abuse, war, even trauma that one might not recognise. It's not dry or so scientific that ordinary people can't read it and be enlightened and better informed.

 

I am reading it because I have experienced trauma in most aspects of my life/career. It is thought provoking, particularly for those experiencing depression, anxiety, stress, fear and unexpected anger, supressed grief. It offers insight into trauma and how it affects the whole (human) being that has suffered.

 

Having read most of it so far, I can see and understand how my experiences, abused by my father, the trauma caused by my daughter's MH issues and her rejection of us, the loss of 2 granddaughters through adoption and the things I've come across and had to deal with, sometimes alone, whilst doing my job have made me withdrawn, angry, anxious, fearful, living a false existence by covering up and keeping relationships at arms length. Lack of trust in others and the fear that something bad is always about to happen. 

 

I might copy and post this in the Depression topic.

 

 

An important read, especially for those suffering chronic ill health

[ClaphamFox]

Just finished this. Very good indeed. 

 

[ozleicester]

[Grebfromgrebland]

13 hours ago, ozleicester said:

The bad guys have won in the end 

[ozleicester]

40 minutes ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

The bad guys have won in the end 

and worst of all... none of it is a fluke, it didnt just happen, they planned, prepared and paid for this.

[Grebfromgrebland]

11 hours ago, ozleicester said:

and worst of all... none of it is a fluke, it didnt just happen, they planned, prepared and paid for this.

Yes and the sad thing is that history constantly reminds us that evil never rests and is always organising and the whole world has been distracted by mobile phones and consumerism.

 

I just can't stop thinking it's too late.

[ozleicester]

highly recomended