What are you reading at the moment?

[StevieM]

The Complete Novels of George Orwell - I decided to read them in chronological order and, so far, I‘ve read ‘Burmese Days‘ and ‘The Clergyman’s Daughter’, and am part way through ‘Keep The Aspidistra Flying’.

 

Note to self: Choose something uplifting after all this!

[sted]

started reading the halo books

[LeMarchand]

Read Boom Studio's The Magicians: Alice's Story. Basically the novels told from Alice's POV with so-so art. A bit redundant.

 

Just started the original script for Carnival Row (A Killing on Carnival Row).

[ICTDirect_Dave]

started reading the halo books

I enjoyed the first three that covered events up to the start of Halo 3.

[hardtailstar]

Just started listening to 'The Lost Art of Running' by Shane Benzie & Tim Major

 

If you're not into running it may not be of any use. But its good so far.

[HarryMonkey]

Noel Fitzpatrick's autobiography. A very touching read. Highly recommended.

[Danp]

The Boy Made the Difference - Matt Bishop

[Vegas]

Rip Tide - Stella Rimmington

[pete]

Just started Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

[LeMarchand]

Just started Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

 

I loved the short story collection The Language of Thorns - enough to buy a hardback copy. I did read and enjoy Shadow and Bone, but it wasn't compelling enough to me to jump the rest to the top of the "to read" mountain. Looking forward to the show when it arrives, though.

[paulkerton]

I usually do audiobooks for the commute to and from work, so I will shortly be starting on Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

Had been listening to Dune. I enjoy the storyline, but I do find it quite a dull audiobook.

[LeMarchand]

A Killing on Carnival Row

 

The "blacklist" script that eventually became Carnival Row.

 

This is basically the Philo/Vignette/Creature plot from the show; no Mr Agreus, fewer political machinations and none of the "puppet show" guy. Also the romance plays out differently (they don't know each other from before). I think the show benefited from being able to flesh out the characters and expand the world though, presumably for budgetary reasons, some of the weirder ideas never made it to the screen. Not bad, but I'm glad it became the show rather than a film.

[Vegas]

Secret Service - Tom Bradby

[elsiegee40]

Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez.

 

Really interesting and not feminist man-bashing. Recommended reading and not just for women!

[witch]

Three Things about Elsie

Joanna Cannon

 

Very touching story about the residents, and specifically one lady, of warden assisted flats. The storyline revolves around something that happened in her past and a new resident. Sounds boring but it is really well written, there is humour and pathos and the end may make you cry

[pickman]

So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy?-The Authorized Biography by Simon Young

 

[ICTDirect_Dave]

So Much For The 30 Year Plan: Therapy?-The Authorized Biography by Simon Young

 

 

That'll be a cracking read!

[mikes]

My Twisted World - Elliot Rodger

A fascinating insight into what happens when severe mental illness gets ignored.

 

Before that I had read Look to Windward by Ian Banks, one of the "Culture" sci-fi books (my ideal Utopian setting!)

[ICTDirect_Dave]

Before that I had read Look to Windward by Ian Banks, one of the "Culture" sci-fi books (my ideal Utopian setting!)

 

This is a magnificent book.

[mikes]

This is a magnificent book.

 

It's a fascinating universe, for me every time I read one of the Culture books, I feel a bit sad that I'll never get to live there :-(

 

I might pick up Ringworld next; I remember reading that Amazon were going to do a Ringworld TV series. Though of course that might have just been them hoovering up IP rights

[LeMarchand]

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

 

In the seventies, a strange event anthropomorphised a number of animals. England has the highest population, though an elephant is turning out to be a great politician in India. Here it's rabbits who are most numerous, followed by foxes and weasels. The latter two groups are vaguely tolerated for their uses, but rabbits are generally treated as "blummin' immigrants". Our hero, Peter Knox, meets a rabbit lady he held a torch for in uni and his life is irrevocably changed...

 

After an intro that is typically Ffordian (set during a "speed library management" event) things turn into a fable about racism and acceptance. It's not subtle - the nasty political party UKARP (United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party) are led by Nigel Smethwick - but it is a fun read. Not sure the ending or the sort-of explanation behind the event makes sense (and it certainly wasn't the ending that I was expecting even a few pages before it happened) but it's much better than the last Fforde I read (The Woman Who Died A Lot).

 

Also learned something. The lady rabbit is said to have been the model for the Cadbury's bunny, though she was over-dubbed by an actress. Said actress, I was surprised to learn when checking, was the voice in real life. I never knew that the "sexy" bunny

 

 

was actually Miriam Margoyles!

[LeMarchand]

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

 

In the seventies, a strange event anthropomorphised a number of animals. England has the highest population, though an elephant is turning out to be a great politician in India. Here it's rabbits who are most numerous, followed by foxes and weasels. The latter two groups are vaguely tolerated for their uses, but rabbits are generally treated as "blummin' immigrants". Our hero, Peter Knox, meets a rabbit lady he held a torch for in uni and his life is irrevocably changed...

 

After an intro that is typically Ffordian (set during a "speed library management" event) things turn into a fable about racism and acceptance. It's not subtle - the nasty political party UKARP (United Kingdom Anti-Rabbit Party) are led by Nigel Smethwick - but it is a fun read. Not sure the ending or the sort-of explanation behind the event makes sense (and it certainly wasn't the ending that I was expecting even a few pages before it happened) but it's much better than the last Fforde I read (The Woman Who Died A Lot).

 

Also learned something. The lady rabbit is said to have been the model for the Cadbury's bunny, though she was over-dubbed by an actress. Said actress, I was surprised to learn when checking, was the voice in real life. I never knew that the "sexy" bunny

 

 

was actually Miriam Margoyles!

[Andrew_C]

Definitely a a good read.

 

I'd guess 52% of the population won't realise who it is about.

[Andrew_C]

Following a 'heads up' in another thread - "Children of Ruin" by Adrian Tchaikovsky.

 

If you read Children of Time, this is better. It hasn't lost it's way (yet).

[maark]

I am working my way through Georges Simonen Maigret series plus a few others he wrote.

Fantastic writing - so atmospheric and insights into human behaviour.

Expensive on kindle so getting them off ebay.