What are you reading at the moment?

[Zear0]

13 hours ago, Samilktray said:

Just started Stephen Fry’s Oddysey after watching the film earlier today at the cinema. Might do a bit of a deep dive into this stuff so any recommendations for fictional books relating to greek mythology will be appreciated. 

Madeline Miller has a highly regarded fictional series on Greek myth characters. Not read them personally but heard they’re good.

[The Bear]

Doesn't Fry have a whole Greek mythology series of books? 

[Manley Farrington-Brown]

17 hours ago, Samilktray said:

Just started Stephen Fry’s Oddysey after watching the film earlier today at the cinema. Might do a bit of a deep dive into this stuff so any recommendations for fictional books relating to greek mythology will be appreciated. 

Ooh, there are plenty of these! It's become a whole genre over the last couple of decades. Madeline Miller's as suggested are good. Natalie Haynes has written some (her podcast on classical myths is great). If you want something more literary, Pat Barker's done a trilogy of books about the Trojan War. There are loads - if you go to a half decent bookshop you'll find a bunch of them. Pick whatever takes your fancy - you can't really go wrong, the stories are so good.

Percy Jackson if you can cope with stuff aimed at kids!

Not a book, but Kaos on Netflix is another fun take on greek mythology.

Enjoy! It's a massive but worthwhile wormhole!

[The Blur]

On 08/08/2026 at 15:36, Number 6 said:

Was struggling through this year but have had a decent run lately.

 

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones. Historical fiction set around the Marias Massacre in 1870. Native American tale with Vampires. Great fun with a few different timelines. 

 

Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Was surprised the reviews for this were as positive as they were. It's a light read but felt a lot like riffing on Hunger Games/ Battle Royale to me.

 

Erasure by Percival Everett. What a book. A black author, fairly unsuccessful, apparently due to his novels not being black enough. Set around a whole set of family events and told sort of journal style so we get odd musings interspersed. The work of a genius.

Erasure sounds quite similar to the plot of American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright, it is a quite good satirical film.  

[Mark 'expert' Lawrenson]

Just finished HAIL CLAUDIO, it was nice going back to far better days. It was a really good read although I’m not sure going into details regarding the media problems that Nigel Pearson had were warranted. 

[Number 6]

19 hours ago, The Blur said:

Erasure sounds quite similar to the plot of American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright, it is a quite good satirical film.  

Yep that is the book it is based on! I've queued that up to watch too. Have heard good things.

[The Blur]

On 05/08/2026 at 11:33, Officer Doofy said:

 

I was torn between this and Max Hastings version.   Chosen Hastings in the end which were really good if you can be bothered enough to read whole book,  it was epically long.  

[ozleicester]

Just a note for those people who use "audible" A number of people are talking about audible taking their paid for books. (FFS) there is an app called "Libation" that allows you to actually download and keep your paid for books.

Also, for those who dont mind sailing the seas Audiobookbay is incredible.

 

 

[The Bear]

5 hours ago, ozleicester said:

Just a note for those people who use "audible" A number of people are talking about audible taking their paid for books. (FFS) there is an app called "Libation" that allows you to actually download and keep your paid for books.

Also, for those who dont mind sailing the seas Audiobookbay is incredible.

 

 

Cheers. I've been using Audible for a while now on just the basic plan where you get one title per month. But you don't get to keep it, and the price of books is ridiculous - £12-13 per title. 

 

Libation is a desktop app only, so I've weighed anchor and taken a look at ABB.

[Zear0]

On the subject of books/audio books, my dad of all people showed me the PressReader app that you can log into with a library card that is packed with titles and newspapers.

[ozleicester]

9 hours ago, Zear0 said:

On the subject of books/audio books, my dad of all people showed me the PressReader app that you can log into with a library card that is packed with titles and newspapers.

@The Bear Borrow Box is also amazing (not sure if its international)... free access to THOUSANDS of books through public libraries (ahh the Library, socialism at its finest  )

edit just checked it is available in UK... just an incredible tool.

Edited 17 August by ozleicester

[ozleicester]

12 hours ago, The Bear said:

Cheers. I've been using Audible for a while now on just the basic plan where you get one title per month. But you don't get to keep it, and the price of books is ridiculous - £12-13 per title. 

 

Libation is a desktop app only, so I've weighed anchor and taken a look at ABB.

yep.. libation is desktop..but you can save all the books and then upload to phone etc.

ABB has almost everything ive ever wanted and no issues. (that i know of  )

I mentioned BorrowBox app above.... highly recommended free access to all Library books and Audiobooks...all legit.

[The Bear]

5 hours ago, ozleicester said:

@The Bear Borrow Box is also amazing (not sure if its international)... free access to THOUSANDS of books through public libraries (ahh the Library, socialism at its finest  )

edit just checked it is available in UK... just an incredible tool.

Yes I think you or someone else mentioned Borrow Box before. I haven't been a member of my local library for years though. I tried online but it kept giving me errors trying to register. Would need to nip down and rejoin. 

Edited 17 August by The Bear

[Ian W LCFC]

I don't have any issues with Audible, I wait until they have the 3 months for 99p per month deal on the Premium plan. Take advantage of some of the sales like the 2 for 1 credits or just cheap books (got quite a few good ones for about £3.50 each the other month). Then I cancel my subscription and read the books I've got on the cheap, and only resubscribe when the 99p deal pops up again

[The Bear]

17 minutes ago, Ian W LCFC said:

I don't have any issues with Audible, I wait until they have the 3 months for 99p per month deal on the Premium plan. Take advantage of some of the sales like the 2 for 1 credits or just cheap books (got quite a few good ones for about £3.50 each the other month). Then I cancel my subscription and read the books I've got on the cheap, and only resubscribe when the 99p deal pops up again

I've still yet to see that deal and have been using it for a while. 

[Zear0]

38 minutes ago, Ian W LCFC said:

I don't have any issues with Audible, I wait until they have the 3 months for 99p per month deal on the Premium plan. Take advantage of some of the sales like the 2 for 1 credits or just cheap books (got quite a few good ones for about £3.50 each the other month). Then I cancel my subscription and read the books I've got on the cheap, and only resubscribe when the 99p deal pops up again

What ive tended to do as well, they also often offer discounts when you go to cancel online too.

[Grebfromgrebland]

On 17/08/2026 at 04:16, ozleicester said:

@The Bear Borrow Box is also amazing (not sure if its international)... free access to THOUSANDS of books through public libraries (ahh the Library, socialism at its finest  )

edit just checked it is available in UK... just an incredible tool.

It's good but not quite as good as audio book bay or ocean of pdf.

 

But each to their own I guess.

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

Bought Leviathan Awakes today, the first book in the Expanse series. I've never seen the TV series, so looking forward to this.

[LcFc_Smiv]

On 11/08/2026 at 11:46, Zear0 said:

Madeline Miller has a highly regarded fictional series on Greek myth characters. Not read them personally but heard they’re good.

Im reading Circe but really struggling, no appetite to pick it back up to the point I've just gone and ordered Don Winslows The Power of The Dog trilogy to get me back reading.

[foxy tiler]

Clive barkers weaveworld

[Sampson]

15 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Bought Leviathan Awakes today, the first book in the Expanse series. I've never seen the TV series, so looking forward to this.

Nice. The Expanse is really high on my to read list as well. Will probably tackle it next year.

[Sampson]

All Systems Red - the first of the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells,

 

Figured these would be good shott novellas to read when I need to take breaks from bigger series.

[Sampson]

Starting Jade City - first book in the Green Bone trilogy by Fonda Lee.

[TheLittleBigMan]

Chaos by Tom O'Neil. Charles Manson, the CIA and the secret history of the sixties.

[Samilktray]

Just downloaded the Jon Ronson book mentioned by @Finnegan in the General News thread, to my Kindle. Sounds quite good