What book did you just read and how was it?

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gjm

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Topic # 97228 14-Feb-2012 15:52

Went looking for a thread similar to the movie one but couldn't find it so thought I would start one up. I find I am reading more books now that I have a Kindle and am always interested in what other people, with a tech persuasion, are reading.

As per the movie thread, let us know what you just read and what you thought or if you would recommend it or not. Proper title and author would probably be useful and maybe also a quick plot outline / summary if you want.

To kick it off I just read Steve Jobs' Biography by Walter Isaacson. Found the book a bit hard to get through (its quite long) but it was still a good read. Has some very interesting insights into Steve and Apple, sure sounds like some of his personality traits were on the fringe. Guess they have to be to do what he did. I liked that the book showed both the good and bad sides of Steve and tried to paint an honest picture of him.

I'd recommend you read it if you have any interest in Steve Jobs or Apple but expect to take a while to chew through it. For me..7.5/10

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Reply # 581415 14-Feb-2012 16:19

Have fav authors more than books at the moment

Clive Cussler - The Dirk Pitt series are a great read, almost an Indiana Jones style ride :)
Matthew Reilly - Great action and stories in the "Scarecrow" series, his other books are a great read also. If you're into action (with the occasional "monster" thrown in), then start with "Ice Station".

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Lizard1977

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Reply # 581423 14-Feb-2012 16:29

The Fear - by Charlie Higson. 9/10

This is the third book in the "Enemy" series. If I get time, I might post lightning reviews of the first two. Suffice to say, I thought it was excellent. Briefly, the series is about the aftermath of a widespread disease which kills or infects everyone over the age of 14. Many people died, but others are virtually the walking dead. The series follows different groups of kids in England who are adapting to a world without adults.

What I enjoyed about the book was the way it portrayed the difficulties children face in a world where there are no grown-ups. They are faced with rebuilding society with little knowledge of how to go about it. It touches on themes of leadership, brain vs brawn, and order and chaos. There's also an intriguing subtext for the way in which grown-ups have "consumed" the world at the cost of our childrens' future. The characters are well drawn out, and Higson puts a nice element of realism into the storyline by ensuring no character is sacrosanct - I was shocked several times during the series when seemingly key characters are killed off. This helps to build the page-turning factor.

The series is obviously capitalising on the current (and ongoing) fascination with zombies (though the book explicitly doesn't call them "zombies." They're "strangers", or "grown-ups" or "sickos."). It's also pitched as a young adult series. But I found it to be very intelligent and captivating, and doesn't talk down to a younger audience. I've enjoyed reading a lot of young adult fiction lately, and I think it's a bit of a growth market, with many stories more interesting than so-called "adult" fiction.

Being the third book in the series, it requires some prior knowledge of characters (and so I would recommend reading The Enemy first, then The Dead). The fourth book (The Sacrifice) is coming out later this year.

P.S. Excellent idea for a thread!

freitasm

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Reply # 581442 14-Feb-2012 17:03

I can copy and paste the authors and characters I follow on my Kindle - about 120 books in the last twelve months, mostly thrillers/spy stories, with a few biographies there for good measure. Will keep this updated from now on.

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davidcole

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Reply # 581538 14-Feb-2012 20:19

Reading, Read John Birmingham The Disappearance series (America taken out by an energy wave). And his Axis series (Some current ships/people get sent back to the middle of WWII).
Both enjoyable.

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Reply # 581562 14-Feb-2012 21:25

After reading the Millennium trilogy (Stieg Larsson), I found the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo which I thought was a considerably better read.

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Reply # 582588 16-Feb-2012 22:05

Currently reading the Steve Jobs' Biography by Walter Isaacson. A very, very interesting insight into 'the man'!

Prior to that I had (finally) read the Harry Potter series. Fantastic series of books, with so much more story than what you get in the movies. And far darker too!

BurningBeard

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Reply # 582669 17-Feb-2012 08:36

"Who on Earth is Tom Baker?" by Tom Baker.

Very insightful book. Not exactly chock-full of Doctor Who anecdotes, actually, his Doctor Who years is only a small part of the book.

It seems acting was an unexpected refuge for Tom - because he could get away from being Tom Baker for a while. He's full of self loathing and describes himself as an "incomplete personality."

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Reply # 582712 17-Feb-2012 10:16

One person supports this post

Just finishing the lastk book of "The Amtrak Wars" series by Patrick Tilley again.

Given it's the 4th or 5th time I've reread the series I'd have to say I like it :-)

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Reply # 582749 17-Feb-2012 12:29

Reading D-Day by Antony Beevor, all i can say is the allies were lucky, so many mistakes but in the end the German soldiers were just sick of the war and Hitler was a real megalomaniac. it reads like a really good thriller . His book on Stalingrad is also a good read.

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Reply # 582855 17-Feb-2012 15:18

Getting towards the end of A Song of Ice and Fire which I am really enjoying. I started the Game of Thrones series long before the TV series but had quite a big break. I restarted reading once I got my Kindle. Fantastic series 9/10 for me.

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Reply # 582877 17-Feb-2012 16:03

Currently reading 1984, really enjoying it - such an easy read. I'm really into dystopian stories. Recently read World War Z as well - pretty cool retelling of a Zombie War, as told by "witness" recounts.

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Reply # 582882 17-Feb-2012 16:10

My reading over the last 3 months has consisted almost entirely of Robert Crais with the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novels. While sometimes a little strange to start, they are almost always a great reading. Not Jack Reacher good overall, but a couple have been exceptional. I have found myself holding my breath a couple of times recently.

Lullaby Town was the best I've read recently.

Hammerer

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Reply # 582936 17-Feb-2012 18:29

Tidied up a bookcase and reread Desmond Bagley's "Running Blind", a cold war thriller from the 70s.

Reading George R R Martin's series as my son buys it. So far, book 2, it's almost entirely medieval intrigue. Does anyone know if it gets more fantastic?

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Reply # 583084 18-Feb-2012 09:01

@Hammerer If you mean that you are not really enjoying them and hoping it will get better then I would say they are not for you. If you mean you are enjoying it and wondering if it gets even better. Yes it does. I did not think it possible but it does just keep getting better and better with each book.

Edit I take it you are referring to the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. He has many other books but I have not read them yet.

freitasm

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Reply # 583089 18-Feb-2012 09:18

BurningBeard: Just started "Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial" by Simon Singh and Edzard Ernst.

Having read other Singh's books, this one was a bit "light".

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