I am currently reading ‘We must talk about Kevin’. It is rather heavy.

If you’re more than halfway through, perservere – it is worth it by the end. If you’re less than halfway through… you could just skip to the end and not miss a huge amount in terms of plot development.

Don’t skip to the end, stick with it.

Brilliant book and her next one “So much for all that” is really good too.

‘The City and the City’ by China Mieville at the moment. Good, if a bit generic so far. ‘The Scar’ is properly awesome.

Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein – exposing the extortion, racketeering, prostitution and gambling rings associated with Japan’s yakuza.

Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein – exposing the extortion, racketeering, prostitution and gambling rings associated with Japan’s yakuza.

What, you mean there’s a link between gangsters and organized crime? Amazing! 😉

Saw Iain Banks at the book fest last year in Edinburgh he was great, although his favorite of this books is “The Bridge”

I might agree although it was a while ago and one of the first few I read. It was outstanding.

Surface Detail was heavily layered with loads of stuff though – topical social issues, a sort of meta-allegory and secular evangelism too.. if that makes sense… I wonder what Banks thinks of Dawkins and co..?

Whilst in the middle of reading about the Culture I looked up.. glanced at my top end laptop sitting there and thought ‘we are just pathetic…’

Anyway, before that the last book that properly sucked me in was the Poisonwood Bible by Barbra Kingsolver. Different, but good. Quite mainstream for me too 🙂

Europe: A History by Norman Davies

Epic but engrossing :-

Way behind the times, and probably a bit mainstream for many but I’m on the final part of the millenium trilogy – ‘the girl who kicked the hornets nest’. Enjoyed all 3 books so far.

Also halfway through the Bourne trilogy. Can highly recommend ‘Endurance’ about Shackleton by Alfred Lansing. Slow to get going but an incredible tale.

Way behind the times, and probably a bit mainstream for many but I’m on the final part of the millenium trilogy – ‘the girl who kicked the hornets nest’. Enjoyed all 3 books so far

Currently on book two, great series.

Oh another favourite is London Fields, especially as when I read it I lived there.

+1 on Jo Nesbo

Read the Snowman and Red Breast and am now on Nemesis.

+1 on Iain (M) Banks.

William Gibson does it for me. The older ones are technically a bit out of date now, but still a cracking read. The last 3 are more contemporary, but still fantastic.

Alastair Reynolds is pretty good too. Only read the one so far – Chasm City – and enjoyed that.

…and of course anything by Terry Pratchett…

Helmet for My Pillow – Robert Leckie, having just finished With the Old Breed by E B Sledge. Sledge book is superb. Both follow US marine campaigns in the pacific in WWII.

Another Nesbo fan here; may I suggest ‘Jar City’ by Arnaldur Indridason in a similar vein.

Joe Abercrombie’s ‘The Blade Itself’ looks good – thanks to whoever suggested.

+1 William Gibson. Love everything he’s written, but particularly the ‘Bridge’ trilogy, and the ‘Bigend’ trilogy.
Attended a talk by him at the Brighton Worldcon in ’85, I think it was, the most incredibly laid-back bloke you can imagine. Practically horizontal. Nice guy, too.

I started “The Count of Monte Cristo” at New Year, but put it aside to read some cycling books. So far I’ve enjoyed:

“We Were Young and Carefree”, Laurent Fignon’s autobiography. Very candid and revealing.

“The Rider”, Tim Krabbe. Contains the unforgettable lines

“Tourists and locals are watching from sidewalk cafes. Non-racers. The emptiness of those lives shocks me”

“The Escape Artist” by Matt Seaton. Very poignant.

Normally I’m of the opinion that 99% of STW forum posters are as thick as shit and not afraid to make it obvious.
But this thread has nicely highlighted the fact that there are bright people here and despite their sometimes socially inept choice of book, one or two of them do have a modicum of intellect.

Samuri,

You must be brainier than me because I thought it was only 93%.

well I only get to see English posts so that probably pushes the stupidity index up.

+1 China Mieville

Just finished reading the Kraken. Intersting weirdly good but not as good as Perdido St station or the Scar.

I love m Banks and rate Peter Hamiltons Commonwealth Saga (Pandora Star & Judas unchained) & Nights Dawn Trilogy right highly. Both are epic sci-fi & up there with my favourite Banks (no piss taking 80km ships though)

stuartie_c – Member
I started “The Count of Monte Cristo” at New Year, but put it aside to read some cycling books. So far I’ve enjoyed:

Dumas is still one of my favourite authors, and this is one of his best.

Just finished Forever War, Joe Haldane. Excellent read. I’m amazed that I missed it when I went through my teenage sci-fi phase in the 80s.

Before that I read Cormac McCarthy, The Crossing. Another excellent book. One of the best I’ve read in a long time, I’d say. Somebody mentioned a sense of loss after finishing Surface Detail (which is in my ‘to read’ pile!). I had the same sense of loss after finishing The Crossing. Never mind, I’ll read Cities of the Plain soon.

I read JG Farrell’s The Troubles at the end of last year, which I’d recommend although it is a slow burner!

Another one for ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ – I’m not much of a reader (short attention span) but it was properly awesome 😉 Also agree on persevering with ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’, but I actually quite liked it from the start..

Everything else I’ve read is either probably considered a classic or will be writings on the New York school/abstract expressionism or Zen Buddhism.. (Zen in the Art of Archery is quite good). Glad I was obliged to read One Hundred Years of Solitude because it has one of the best endings to a book I’ve ever read, and The Naked Ape is good for bed-time reading

OK – must get back to “The Count…” and make time for it. I’ve spent the afternoon trying to read “Reflective Teaching” for my masters – holy jesus, it’s hard going…

IdleJohn – agree on The Crossing. Great book with a haunting ending. Have you read “Blood Meridian”? My all-time favourite book, probably.

I had the same sense of loss after finishing The Crossing

Snap. The she-wolf’s final stand especially so – and the closing scene is about as sad as anything I’ve ever read.

Easily one of my favourite books of the last few years.

I’m nearing the end of the Sharpe series. It’s easy-going and stereotyped to the hilt but it’s a damned good yarn. Also started “I, Claudius” last night, which looks like it might take a bit more staying power! I don’t think you can beat Sebastian Faulks though as far as contemporary literature goes.

Just finished Operation Mincemeat, great book. Now reading Saints of New York by RJ Ellory.

Last two I have just finished.

The tent the bucket and me – Emma Alexander, hilarious!
Why Does E=mc2 (and why does it matter) – Prof Brian Cox, brain overload
Good Morning Nantwich – Phil Jupitus