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Post by DC on Oct 16, 2013 20:09:55 GMT
One of the things I loved about the 'old' board were the book threads. As with the music threads I got many great recommendations from it.
So here goes nothing; what are you reading, would you recommend it and please tell us/me a little spoiler free bit about it.
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Post by hayleybailey on Oct 16, 2013 20:51:49 GMT
I've just finished re-reading Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides which was once recommended to me by Marie and Emma. It's one of my favourite books. It's beautifully written and very evocative, just a brilliant piece of storytelling. I always find it hard to describe so here's the Amazon description: ‘I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day of January 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of l974.’
So begins the breathtaking story of Calliope Stephanides and her truly unique family secret, born on the slopes of Mount Olympus and passed on through three generations.
Growing up in 70s Michigan, Calliope’s special inheritance will turn her into Cal, the narrator of this intersex, inter-generational epic of immigrant life in 20th century America.
www.amazon.co.uk/Middlesex-Jeffrey-Eugenides/dp/0007528647/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381956594&sr=8-1&keywords=middlesex
Can't recommend it highly enough.
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Post by cazzah on Oct 16, 2013 22:54:58 GMT
Just finished The Calling by Neil Cross, which was basically a prequel to the Luther TV programme,a must read for any Luther fan. Just started Hanging Hill by Mo Hayder. Only a couple of chapters in but haven't read anything that's not been good by this author.
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Post by tomw on Oct 17, 2013 7:54:10 GMT
The Expats by Chris Pavone
I'm still quite early into it so difficult to give much of a synopsis at this stage, except to say that it's a thriller about an ex-CIA agent whose past is going to catch up with her. I got it out of the library after reading a very positive review in the Observer a few months back. I'm enjoying it a lot so far, will report back when I'm done!
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Post by retlivdead on Oct 17, 2013 10:23:13 GMT
I've put everything aside for now whilst waiting for Morrissey's autobiography to drop through my letterbox.
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Post by misterg on Oct 17, 2013 10:40:21 GMT
I've put everything aside for now whilst waiting for Morrissey's autobiography to drop through my letterbox. It should be a book that I can't wait to read, given the influence his music has had on me since I was a kid. But he's just so bitter these days, I don't think I can bear to read it. I really don't want to read a few pages on The Smiths and several hundred pages on the court case.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 17, 2013 12:59:16 GMT
Most of the books I'm reading at the moment are non-fiction, and about Space, mostly the Moon. I love the Moon and all the men that went there Here's a couple I'd recommend though, if you're into that sort of thing: "Moondust: In Search Of The Men Who Fell To Earth" (Andrew Smith) This one is particularly addictive. I love hearing how the Apollo astronauts perceived the world completely differently after their return. It doesn't matter how many times I hear the stories and how many different books I read about it, I am always in awe. This one is pretty good at telling the story but it does flit around all over the place on occasion, you have to keep your wits about you to keep up. "James Van Allen: The First Eight Billion Miles" (Abigail Foerstner) This book is a real insight into everything else that Van Allen did (sure he was the man behind Explorer 1 and the subsequent discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belt but there's much more to him that that). A very humble guy by all accounts and definitely deserving of more acclamation in mainstream astronomy history books than he's been afforded.
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Post by retlivdead on Oct 17, 2013 13:41:00 GMT
I've put everything aside for now whilst waiting for Morrissey's autobiography to drop through my letterbox. It should be a book that I can't wait to read, given the influence his music has had on me since I was a kid. But he's just so bitter these days, I don't think I can bear to read it. I really don't want to read a few pages on The Smiths and several hundred pages on the court case. I'm trying to avoid reviews of it and it's getting quoted all over Twitter but yeah, I share your concerns. I really want it to be a celebration of Mozza's life and not just an excuse for him to settle old scores. Although, of course, one or two would be fine, Morrissey is always funny when he's at his most cutting.
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Lolli
Obsessive
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Post by Lolli on Oct 17, 2013 15:39:01 GMT
It should be a book that I can't wait to read, given the influence his music has had on me since I was a kid. But he's just so bitter these days, I don't think I can bear to read it. I really don't want to read a few pages on The Smiths and several hundred pages on the court case. I'm trying to avoid reviews of it and it's getting quoted all over Twitter but yeah, I share your concerns. I really want it to be a celebration of Mozza's life and not just an excuse for him to settle old scores. Although, of course, one or two would be fine, Morrissey is always funny when he's at his most cutting. Peter Serafinowicz tweeted this: The clip made me laugh but I've not linked it directly in case you don't want to watch it
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Post by retlivdead on Oct 17, 2013 15:52:25 GMT
I'm trying to avoid reviews of it and it's getting quoted all over Twitter but yeah, I share your concerns. I really want it to be a celebration of Mozza's life and not just an excuse for him to settle old scores. Although, of course, one or two would be fine, Morrissey is always funny when he's at his most cutting. Peter Serafinowicz tweeted this: The clip made me laugh but I've not linked it directly in case you don't want to watch it I'll save that for after I've read page one! Anyway it didn't arrive today, I'm getting so impatient I'm even beginning to see the appeal of a Kindle.
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Post by misterg on Oct 17, 2013 16:55:34 GMT
I'm trying to avoid reviews of it and it's getting quoted all over Twitter but yeah, I share your concerns. I really want it to be a celebration of Mozza's life and not just an excuse for him to settle old scores. Although, of course, one or two would be fine, Morrissey is always funny when he's at his most cutting. Peter Serafinowicz tweeted this: The clip made me laugh but I've not linked it directly in case you don't want to watch it That is funny.
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Post by cazzah on Oct 17, 2013 20:45:33 GMT
Peter Serafinowicz tweeted this: The clip made me laugh but I've not linked it directly in case you don't want to watch it That is funny. That is brilliant.
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Post by bewildergirl on Oct 17, 2013 23:49:58 GMT
My name is Glen, and I read chick lit.
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Post by misterg on Oct 18, 2013 9:11:32 GMT
My name is Glen, and I read chick lit. Are we talking Jane Austen or Erica James here?
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Post by bewildergirl on Oct 18, 2013 10:34:50 GMT
Nothing so high brow.
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Post by misterg on Oct 18, 2013 11:07:20 GMT
Not as high brow as Erica James? Holy cow, what are we talking about then? Not...
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2013 13:02:08 GMT
I really like listening to books, it's not quite 'reading' I know, but providing the narrator doesn't have an awful voice and is enthralling to listen to, you can get really engrossed in it.
An hours run in the gym can fly by whilst listening to a book, much better than the monotonous dance tunes they pipe out of their speakers.
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Post by bewildergirl on Oct 18, 2013 13:15:02 GMT
Hell no. Jane Green/Jill Mansell/Cecilia Ahearn type froth.
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Post by misterg on Oct 18, 2013 13:44:24 GMT
I really like listening to books, it's not quite 'reading' I know, but providing the narrator doesn't have an awful voice and is enthralling to listen to, you can get really engrossed in it. An hours run in the gym can fly by whilst listening to a book, much better than the monotonous dance tunes they pipe out of their speakers. I really like audiobooks, they're great to listen to in the car. And you're right, the narrator is hugely important. I had one that I had to give up on after about two chapters because the narrator was so bad. Currently listening to 11/22/63 by Stephen King. It's excellent so far and the narrator is fantastic. The best audiobook I have listened to though is I Partridge (unabridged) read by Alan Partridge. It is just brilliant although there were a couple of times I genuinely thought I was going to crash because I was crying with laughter.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 18, 2013 17:42:28 GMT
The best audiobook I have listened to though is I Partridge (unabridged) read by Alan Partridge. It is just brilliant although there were a couple of times I genuinely thought I was going to crash because I was crying with laughter. 100% agreed. Absolutely brilliant book.
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