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What are you reading at the moment?

Rawns

By Rawns
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GrumbleDook

GrumbleDook

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Posted
@Andrew_C @GrumbleDook - how do Spike Milligan's war diaries stand up to the social mores of 2025 - I havent read them in probably 20 years, but was just saying at Smoothwall Book Club (yeah) that they're some of the funniest books I have ever read

 

Like a number of things written in the past, you do need to take it into account that people often thought differently about things, and expressed them in the ways that they had available to them.

Having read his biography, as well as materials from other Goons, writers and performers, it is pretty clear to see that Spike was pushing against what was typical for people of the era, and the memoirs really do give you an insight into how people survived ... or didn't, as the case can be.

 

Does it excuse his brown-face, stereotypes and racial slurs? Nope, but there was also a lot of poking at the stereotyping that was going on too. There is a lot of reading between the lines that is needed ... and if you can do that sort of thing, I would also recommend the Kenneth Williams diaries.

6Foot2

6Foot2

Posted
Posted
"Insomnia" by Stephen King - which is contradictory cause I love a good gripping psychological thriller but I also suffer from insomnia.

 

Next book for you: Doctor Sleep.

 

:p

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mikes

mikes

Posted
Posted

I'm reading "The Memoirs of Hadrian" - not actually written by Hadrian (apparently he did write memoirs but they are now lost which is a massive shame) but by a writer in the 1950's (kind of similar to I Claudius) - it's really well written and makes you wonder what being Hadrian (one of the few thinking Emperors) must have been like.

Didn't know Kenneth Williams wrote memoirs, I'll give those a read - apparently despite his success he wasn't a very happy man - of course that may well be due to the times he was living in (as with Alan Turing I bet they'd be amazed had they been transported to our times)

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LeMarchand

LeMarchand

Posted
Posted

Just finished Thunder City by Philip Reeve.

 

Set some time after the events in the "Fever Crumb" trilogy and around 100 before the start of the "Mortal Engines" quartet, this sees Tamzin Pook, a slave/fighter in Brighton's Amusement Arcade, set free by Miss Lavinia Torpenhow, a teacher, who needs Tamzin's particular set of skills to free the town of Thornbury. They gather a motley crew that may just be able to save the town.

 

A welcome return to the Traction Era for Philip Reeve, with his trademark poetic descriptions and offbeat humour. This one is obviously the potential start to a series; let's hope sales warrant sequels. So far, much better than "Fever Crumb". My only nitpick would be that I don't think the target audience would get some of the references, like the "Steptoe & Son" one.

Syman_a

Syman_a

Posted
Posted

Just started the third book of the Scythe series by Neal Shusterman.

A YA novel really, but pretty good nevertheless.

 

Also been snapped up for a tv show i believe.

Theldron

Theldron

Posted
Posted
Just finished Riptide by Preston and Child. A team are looking for lost pirate treasure on a island. Loosely based on Oak Island. Felt the ending was a little rushed, but enjoyed it.
Theldron

Theldron

Posted
Posted
Sir Terry Pratchett died ten years ago today. I think I will be reading a Discworld book tonight.

 

GNU Sir Pterry

 

I have never read Discworld books, what are they like? Do they need to be read in order?

Andrew_C

Andrew_C

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I have never read Discworld books, what are they like? Do they need to be read in order?

 

REALLY funny, and oft quite cutting.

 

As to order - not really. However there are a few pairs/sets that do need to be read in order. Witches Abroad before Carpe Jugulem, the "Moist arc" .

 

I'd recommend starting with Equal Rites. It is a more polished book than the very early ones, which you could go back and read once the bug has bit.

 

My favorites are probably The Watch arc, or something with DEATH in it. He's an Anthropomorphic Personification...

Norphy

Norphy

Posted
Posted
I have never read Discworld books, what are they like? Do they need to be read in order?

 

Need? No. Most of them work perfectly well as standalone books. However, as the series goes on, it is very beneficial to read them in at least some kind of order as there frequently callbacks to plot points and/or characters in previous books and if you haven't read them, the reference would go straight over your head. For example, the Discworld book that's generally considered to be his best is Night Watch but if you started with that, you'd miss out on a lot of the context of the characters. That said, STP himself said not to start with the very early novels as he was still finding his feet at that point and they really are not representative of what the series became.

 

A good starting point is "Guards, Guards". It's the first novel in the Watch series and it was about that point that he really started to hit his stride. I'd suggest that if you do want to read Discworld, start with that one and see how you get on.

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LeMarchand

LeMarchand

Posted
Posted
Terry Brooks, author of the Shannara series has announced his retirement.

 

https://www.thepopverse.com/live-literary-terry-brooks-delilah-dawson-shannara-eccc-2025

 

I didn't realise the Shannara books were still going!

 

Maybe George R R Martin should take note. That way ASoIaF might actually get finished.

 

Need? No. Most of them work perfectly well as standalone books. However, as the series goes on, it is very beneficial to read them in at least some kind of order as there frequently callbacks to plot points and/or characters in previous books and if you haven't read them, the reference would go straight over your head. For example, the Discworld book that's generally considered to be his best is Night Watch but if you started with that, you'd miss out on a lot of the context of the characters. That said, STP himself said not to start with the very early novels as he was still finding his feet at that point and they really are not representative of what the series became.

 

A good starting point is "Guards, Guards". It's the first novel in the Watch series and it was about that point that he really started to hit his stride. I'd suggest that if you do want to read Discworld, start with that one and see how you get on.

Maybe one day I should try "Guards, Guards". I read the "The Colour of Magic" when it came out and didn't really get into it, so never bothered with any more. That said, I very rarely enjoy humorous fiction.

simpsonj

simpsonj

Posted
Posted

The Colour of Magic is, to my mind, essentially a bunch of sketches and ideas loosely held together by the main character Rincewind running through them.

 

Guards Guards feels more like a proper novel, and introduces some the most beloved Discworld Characters. An equally good place to start would be Wyrd Sisters, and follow the Witches series of books.

midweek

midweek

Posted
Posted
I started with Mort many, many years ago (remember buying the book in Boots of all places!) and was hooked from there on in. Guards, Guards is a good one to go for.
LeMarchand

LeMarchand

Posted
Posted
The Colour of Magic is, to my mind, essentially a bunch of sketches and ideas loosely held together by the main character Rincewind running through them.

 

That's kinda how I felt. Plus i don't think I had the right range of references to get the jokes.

Rob_D

Rob_D

Posted
Posted

I tried to start with Colour of Magic because I was coming off the old point-and-click adventure games and was looking for "the Rincwind novels", and found it hard going. Years later I read Guards Guards and both loved it and realised most of the first game's plot was taken from it.

 

For my own part, I'm reading Fourth Wing at the moment. Good, fast paced action.

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