| What are we all reading? 18:56 - Apr 24 with 9196 views | WarfieldHoop |
We havn't had one of these threads for a while, so what is everyone currently reading or read?
I'm reading The Map by T.S Learner which was only published earlier this year. It's a mystery thriller with history in the style of Dan Brown (only not as good imo). Before that I read Hawk Quest which I reccomend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. Next up will be Scott of the Antarctic by David Crane. [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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| What are we all reading? on 19:07 - Apr 25 with 1301 views | BklynRanger |
| What are we all reading? on 13:39 - Apr 25 by elnombre |
setting aside the Kindle debate...
Audiobooks - surely not! You can't listen to a book?! Where's the time to reflect? Go back a paragraph because you weren't concentrating? Check who a character is or flick back to something a chapter ago?
The best you can hope for from listening to a book is a grasp of some the words it contains, a vague idea of plot and the notion that Martin Jarvis has got quite a nice reading voice.
Jennifer Egan's 'Look at Me' - imagine if John Updike had a sense of humour. And could write. |
You're not listening to the book - that would just be a load of flappy pages making a flappy noise. You're listening to the story - something that's been going on since Ron Gould was a lad! ;)
Mind wandering - that's a fair point - no use at all if you're a bit drunk, may be worse than print but I'm not sure. You can hit a button on the ipod screen and go back '30' of something, think it might be words, but it works fine.
Your point about plot and words is tosh to be honest - I actually remember things a lot better by audio than in print.
But so far its still an experiment for me, not a substitute to printed books but a good option depending on the situation.
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| What are we all reading? on 19:34 - Apr 25 with 1286 views | MrSheen |
| What are we all reading? on 13:39 - Apr 25 by elnombre |
setting aside the Kindle debate...
Audiobooks - surely not! You can't listen to a book?! Where's the time to reflect? Go back a paragraph because you weren't concentrating? Check who a character is or flick back to something a chapter ago?
The best you can hope for from listening to a book is a grasp of some the words it contains, a vague idea of plot and the notion that Martin Jarvis has got quite a nice reading voice.
Jennifer Egan's 'Look at Me' - imagine if John Updike had a sense of humour. And could write. |
Updike no sense of humour? Can't write?
I admit he's badly gone off the boil and should have retired years ago, but Rabbit is Rich (1979) is one of the funniest books I have ever read, and any of his books from the 20 years before and 10 years after are superbly written. And moral, and compassionate in the depiction of human weakness. |  | | |
| What are we all reading? on 19:43 - Apr 25 with 1284 views | MrSheen |
| What are we all reading? on 15:21 - Apr 25 by 18StoneOfHoop |
Sexton,is that even better than Ian Kershaw's masterly double volume classic tomes 'Hitler: Nemesis (1998) and Hubris (2000) ' ?
Great thread.Top Kindle debate.
Don't read much fiction but anything 20thC historical to do with fascist and communist dictatorships I seize upon with alacrity.
Alan Bullock on Hitler and Stalin still stands the test of time and William H Shirer's (the Johnny Yank journo on the spot at the time)The Rise and Fall Of The Third Reich is indespensable too.For an overview of the 1930's Piers Brendon 'The Dark Valley' is tip-top.
Also strongly recommend Russia-wise Simon Sebag Montefiore's 'Stalin:the Court Of The Red Tsar' and Orlando Figes 'A People's Tragedy '
Anthony Beevor's 'Stalingrad' and 'Berlin' should be required reading on every school's history reading list. Anything by Paul Preston and the several books he has written on Franco will be good.
To understand the brutality man can inflict on man everyone should read at least one book by Primo Levi.
Later addendum:
_________________________________________________________________
A few years back I had the displeasure of having two coppers interviewing me at length in my gaff.They took no notice of the QPR memorabilia strewn over every nook and corner but on viewing my substantial 20+ strong Der Fuerher Hitler bookshelf section the clueless numpties started to draw heavy dark inferences - i.e. Is the big fella an David Irving/Nick Griffin/Andres Brevik type nutter?
Mind you if the same two nosey bizzies had ever got into Mettallica's drum I think they'd immediately nick him on seeing the black walls and door leading into the ginger hedgepig dungeon.  [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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I've read a lot of these books too, and it's why I bought a Kindle. A 200-page paperback is fine, but struggling with an 800-page history book that either wants to snap shut or fall to the floor was getting boring, particularly as the Kindle allows me to make notes and bookmarks without defacing the book, cross-reference names and jump about chapters so easily, as well as look things up in other books I have read on it. My holiday packing is a lot lighter, too.
To the list already mentioned of 20th Century history, of which my personal favourite is "A People's Tragedy", I would add "Bloodlands" by Timothy Snyder, an account of the agonies suffered by the peoples between Germany and Russia, (principally Poland, Belarus and Ukraine) during the period 1928-45. Previous lack of access to Soviet archives, and the determination of Western historians to turn a blind eye to the behaviour of the enemy of Fascism, to the point of slandering the witnesses of it, means that too much of this story is unknown here, while the acts about Nazi Germany are much better understood. | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 20:45 - Apr 25 with 1274 views | WarfieldHoop |
On the Kindle debate, I can see the attraction of it when going on holiday and thus saving extra packing room but I just don't like the idea of sitting down in my chair or wherever reading from one. I think it would take a certain amount of the pleasure away from reading considering the amount of time I spend on computers and other technology equipment anyway.
And apart from that I can't really load my book cases with kindles! | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 20:47 - Apr 25 with 1270 views | DaiHo0p |
'As It Stands Table' by The BBC. |  | | |
| What are we all reading? on 20:54 - Apr 25 with 1290 views | DanVanDyke |
| What are we all reading? on 14:48 - Apr 25 by sexton |
The Third Reich at War, the final part of a brilliant and very readable trilogy on Nazi Germany by Richard J Evans (an expert witness at the David Irving trial). |
It's all very well being erudite, but this thread is now costing me a fortune! Persian Fire downloaded and the Nazi trilogy. Fcking Kindles!!!! |  | | |
| What are we all reading? on 21:11 - Apr 25 with 1282 views | westolian |
Not very high-brow I'm afraid but just read about 12 books by Lee Childs - all about Jack Reacher
Absolutely loved them and couldn't put them down - just bought the wife a kindle and might have to commandeer it !! |  |
| I've found a team sheet for the weekend - anyone interested ? |
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| What are we all reading? on 22:13 - Apr 25 with 1268 views | SonofNorfolt |
Mine is coming out on audio books soon.
I haven't yet decided on who will narrate, it's narrowed down to three options.
Ray Winstone, Nigel Tufnell from Spinal Tap or Scott Jones.
You decide. |  | | |
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| What are we all reading? on 22:20 - Apr 25 with 1266 views | WarfieldHoop |
| What are we all reading? on 22:13 - Apr 25 by SonofNorfolt |
Mine is coming out on audio books soon.
I haven't yet decided on who will narrate, it's narrowed down to three options.
Ray Winstone, Nigel Tufnell from Spinal Tap or Scott Jones.
You decide. |
Will you invite a celebrity along to the launch? Maybe Ted Hendrix? | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:23 - Apr 25 with 1265 views | TW_R |
| What are we all reading? on 17:14 - Apr 25 by scot1963 |
lot of wrongness on here - the delivery system is all intertwined with the love of reading the written word - a kindle can't smell like an old book or a new book, it isn't tactile, there is no joy in owning the words on a kindle - i want to be buried with my books [Post edited 1 Jan 1970 1:00]
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Exactly! And that's why the Kindle is a better delivery system than a physical pile of paper. I can browse more books online than any book shop in the world, without leaving my home (or pretty much anywhere else with 3G) and download the book I want immediately. Once I start reading said book, I can turn the Kindle off without having to fold a page or find a bookmark because when I turn it back on again it will be on the page I left it.
I don't have to take up a wall with shelves of books that basically sit there for years for no real benefit.
The other major positive is it's opened the book market to any author who wants to publish a book. You used to have to be signed by a publisher to get a book out there. You can now publish direct to Amazon with pretty much no cost whatsoever. It's all in the author's hands.
The amount of trees saved due to electronic books must also be a good thing, surely?
Surely a book isn't about owning the words!!? It's about the content, the story as a whole. |  | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:28 - Apr 25 with 1257 views | MrSheen |
| What are we all reading? on 22:23 - Apr 25 by TW_R |
Exactly! And that's why the Kindle is a better delivery system than a physical pile of paper. I can browse more books online than any book shop in the world, without leaving my home (or pretty much anywhere else with 3G) and download the book I want immediately. Once I start reading said book, I can turn the Kindle off without having to fold a page or find a bookmark because when I turn it back on again it will be on the page I left it.
I don't have to take up a wall with shelves of books that basically sit there for years for no real benefit.
The other major positive is it's opened the book market to any author who wants to publish a book. You used to have to be signed by a publisher to get a book out there. You can now publish direct to Amazon with pretty much no cost whatsoever. It's all in the author's hands.
The amount of trees saved due to electronic books must also be a good thing, surely?
Surely a book isn't about owning the words!!? It's about the content, the story as a whole. |
Admittedly, makes it hard to lend to someone. How many great books have I discovered by borrowing off a friend? | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:38 - Apr 25 with 1245 views | TW_R |
| What are we all reading? on 22:28 - Apr 25 by MrSheen |
Admittedly, makes it hard to lend to someone. How many great books have I discovered by borrowing off a friend? |
That's true. In the US they've been trialing a "lending" system where you can lend a book to another Kindle user for 14 days. May not be long enough for some of the monster-sized books you're reading though! | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:40 - Apr 25 with 1244 views | MrSheen |
| What are we all reading? on 22:38 - Apr 25 by TW_R |
That's true. In the US they've been trialing a "lending" system where you can lend a book to another Kindle user for 14 days. May not be long enough for some of the monster-sized books you're reading though! |
Sounds a good idea in theory, but you're right.
Another drawback is that maps are crap on a Kindle as they come out small and shading is difficult. Maybe they will look better in colour. | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:47 - Apr 25 with 1240 views | jo_qpr63 |
the bible | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:51 - Apr 25 with 1234 views | westberksr |
| What are we all reading? on 22:47 - Apr 25 by jo_qpr63 |
the bible |
on a kindle? |  | | |
| What are we all reading? on 22:54 - Apr 25 with 1232 views | PeterHucker |
don't have a Kindle but it's the wife's birthday today and she got one so we'll see how that goes. She reads a lot of fiction whereas I read mostly non-fiction, especially books about music and football.
I just finished reading The Invisible Man.
H.G. Wells went to my school (quite a few years before I went there) so I thought it was about time I read one of his books.
Having never seen any film or tv adaptation of the Invisible Man, it was a very different story to what I was expecting. Much darker.
Before that I read The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins, amazing book as are all of Dawkins' books when he sticks to the biology rather than all the anti-religion stuff.
Just started Morbo, a non-fiction book about Spanish football which was lent to me by another QPR fan. Very interesting stuff, wish I'd read that book years ago when I was spending quite a bit of time in different parts of Spain.
PS. for those that mentioned audiobooks, try www.bookshouldbefree.com
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| What are we all reading? on 03:18 - Apr 26 with 1211 views | BklynRanger |
| What are we all reading? on 22:13 - Apr 25 by SonofNorfolt |
Mine is coming out on audio books soon.
I haven't yet decided on who will narrate, it's narrowed down to three options.
Ray Winstone, Nigel Tufnell from Spinal Tap or Scott Jones.
You decide. |
Ronnie Corbett would be my choice. He could intersperse it with several of his witty tales.
"The producer said to me..."; I love that goddamn Limey sh*t. | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 09:21 - Apr 26 with 1191 views | elnombre |
| What are we all reading? on 19:34 - Apr 25 by MrSheen |
Updike no sense of humour? Can't write?
I admit he's badly gone off the boil and should have retired years ago, but Rabbit is Rich (1979) is one of the funniest books I have ever read, and any of his books from the 20 years before and 10 years after are superbly written. And moral, and compassionate in the depiction of human weakness. |
Oh no no no, you mistake the irony - as long as we don't talk about 'Terrorist', there is no denying Updike's breathtaking genius - I was trying to convey my admiration for Egan in counterpoint. Perhaps I ought to have said, 'imagine if Henry James had a sense of humour and could write'...
I stand by my view on audiobooks though - anything that is delivered at you is always going to yield less than you going to it, which is not to say they're not entertaining and illuminating, just that they miss the point a bit.
I'm going to stop now before I say something hideously pretentious about being buried with my books (What do you mean 'some idiot already has'...?) | | | |
| What are we all reading? on 09:49 - Apr 26 with 1178 views | londonscottish |
Currently reading The Pregnant Widow by Martin Amis. Haven't read anything by MA for Donkey's years and am really enjoying it.
Previously tried to struggle to the end of the Damned United. Nearly made it but I was beginning to find it a chore.
There are some great suggestions on here - great thread.
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| What are we all reading? on 09:57 - Apr 26 with 1168 views | TheBlob |
| What are we all reading? on 03:18 - Apr 26 by BklynRanger |
Ronnie Corbett would be my choice. He could intersperse it with several of his witty tales.
"The producer said to me..."; I love that goddamn Limey sh*t. |
Oy,Scottish shit if you don't mind |  |
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| What are we all reading? on 11:16 - Apr 26 with 1146 views | MrSheen |
| What are we all reading? on 09:21 - Apr 26 by elnombre |
Oh no no no, you mistake the irony - as long as we don't talk about 'Terrorist', there is no denying Updike's breathtaking genius - I was trying to convey my admiration for Egan in counterpoint. Perhaps I ought to have said, 'imagine if Henry James had a sense of humour and could write'...
I stand by my view on audiobooks though - anything that is delivered at you is always going to yield less than you going to it, which is not to say they're not entertaining and illuminating, just that they miss the point a bit.
I'm going to stop now before I say something hideously pretentious about being buried with my books (What do you mean 'some idiot already has'...?) |
My apologies. Not wanting to admit I didn't know who Jennifer Egan is made me miss the point. | | | |
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