What book did you just read and how was it?

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Networkn
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#3064442 17-Apr-2023 09:55

Handle9: I got a new kindle basic to replace my aged 7 year old paper white. The experience has come a long way, it’s so much more responsive.

Yeah, there are no 'bad' kindles now. It's such a shame they don't have physical buttons on all but their most expensive model. For me, it's huge to be able to click a button rather than move my thumb to the screen.

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#3064443 17-Apr-2023 09:59

blackjack17:

No Plan B Andrew/Lee Child

Was slog. Normally Reacher books easy to read and you can fly through them. This one just didn't catch me. Too unbelievable, he has become almost a caricature of himself

I didn't hate it, but it's far less engrossing than earlier. I guess there are only just so many ways you can tell the same stories over and over again.

I am not sure I like Andrew Lee's writing style as much. He is clearly trying to make Reacher more sophisticated so the guy can carry on see point a. Does make it less of an easy read.

Lizard1977

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#3064460 17-Apr-2023 10:12

afe66: Terry Pratchett a life with footnotes.

I've been a great fan of his from late 1980's and remember going to book signing in Dunedin in 1991.

I really enjoyed learning more about his life and his writing.

The author was his personal assistant who ended up typing a lot of books even before his illness and this come through in the book. While most of the book was not written by Pratchett, his humour is present through all of it.

Highly recommended.

I wholeheartedly second this recommendation for anyone who is a Pratchett fan. Rob Wilkins does an amazing job of channelling Terry Pratchett, and treats his subject with a care and reverence that is unmatched. I was genuinely in tears as the story progressed and we got deeper and deeper into Terry's diagnosis. TP has been the centre of my literary interest since I was 11 years old and my mother gave me Equal Rites to read (after she had finished it). That started a lifelong shared obsession where my mum, dad and I would shuffle the books between us as we devoured the entire series, reading parts out loud in the living room, chuckling all round. The gift came full circle when I was able to read extracts from Terry's biography to my mum - now with dementia, legally blind and unable to read anymore - and it moved her to tears to listen to parts of Terry's life recounted.

"A man is never truly dead while his name is spoken."

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#3064513 17-Apr-2023 14:40

Lizard1977:
afe66: Terry Pratchett a life with footnotes.

I've been a great fan of his from late 1980's and remember going to book signing in Dunedin in 1991.

I really enjoyed learning more about his life and his writing.

The author was his personal assistant who ended up typing a lot of books even before his illness and this come through in the book. While most of the book was not written by Pratchett, his humour is present through all of it.

Highly recommended.

I wholeheartedly second this recommendation for anyone who is a Pratchett fan. Rob Wilkins does an amazing job of channelling Terry Pratchett, and treats his subject with a care and reverence that is unmatched. I was genuinely in tears as the story progressed and we got deeper and deeper into Terry's diagnosis. TP has been the centre of my literary interest since I was 11 years old and my mother gave me Equal Rites to read (after she had finished it). That started a lifelong shared obsession where my mum, dad and I would shuffle the books between us as we devoured the entire series, reading parts out loud in the living room, chuckling all round. The gift came full circle when I was able to read extracts from Terry's biography to my mum - now with dementia, legally blind and unable to read anymore - and it moved her to tears to listen to parts of Terry's life recounted.

"A man is never truly dead while his name is spoken."

That’s very moving about reading to your mum @Lizard1977. It must be very comforting for her just hearing your voice. May your actions be repeated when your time comes.

I have borrowed the book on Libby and looking forward to it. There are a couple more copies left that can be borrowed.

In the Libby description;

*Before his untimely death Terry was writing a memoir, the story of a boy who aged six was told by his teachers he would never amount to anything and spent the rest of his life proving him wrong.*

That brought similar memories of a teacher telling my struggling dyslexic child that she would never amount to anything...but she also was proved so very wrong as the child became a lawyer with a double degree plus Masters and later promoted to director of a large multinational.

Lizard1977

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#3064525 17-Apr-2023 15:36

It was lovely to be able to do that for her. I then played her some of Tom Lehrer's songs. As a result of her dementia she forgets so much, but she sang along and knew all the lyrics - especially When You Are Old and Grey which she and my dad played at their 25th wedding anniversary. It brought such a sweet smile back to her face as we sang along to "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"

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#3064528 17-Apr-2023 16:02

Lucky mum to have a son like you.

blackjack17

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#3184990 22-Jan-2024 09:32

Have just finished a road trip so have read a few.

The Southern Reach trilogy -Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annihilation_(VanderMeer_novel)

The first one, Annihilation, is about exploring in a zone that mutates/changes/weirdafies biology, leaves things nicely unexplained. Strange but enjoyable.
The second one, Authority, delves into the organisation that manages the zone. Way to long, characters act bizarre. Was a slog.
The third one, Acceptance, back into the zone, only finished it because I started it.
The series should have finished after the first one, or the editor should have done their job.

The Forever War and Forever free by Joe Haldeman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Forever_War

The forever war looks at the effect of time dilation on war and the technological progress that those not traveling at near light speed would make. Despite being written in 1974 it doesn't feel old (apart from the sexuality bits which felt strange, i.e. future governments encouraging homosexuality as a means of population control.

Forever free

Continuation of the main character after the war has finished with a strange ending. Not as good as the first one.

Storm Front By Jim Butcher

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_Front_(The_Dresden_Files)

A wizard private detective. Nice easy reading, might read the rest of the series.

The Reckoners series, Steelheart, Firefight and Calamity by Brander Sanders

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reckoners

A strange event gives random people superpowers and turns them bad.

Enjoyable easy read but I didn't like the way the series ended.

Mither Mages trilogy, The Lost gate, the Gate thief and the Gatefather by Orson Scott Card

Groups of people have special powers weaving stories from myths and legends, such as the Norse gods into the present day. The main character can open gates from one place to another which is an ability which was thought to have died out and a death sentence if found.

Once again a nice easy read series.

Influx by Daniel Suarez

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668803-influx

Interesting read about an organisation that suppresses technological breakthroughs to prevent humanity from progressing too fast.

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

The main character is part of an organisation that protects against the supernatural. Something happens and her memory is wiped.

I really enjoyed this one and didn't want to finish it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rook_(novel)

The Magicians, The Magician King and The Magician's Land By Lev Grossman

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magicians_(Grossman_novel)

An adult Harry Potter, also an excellent TV series.

Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_as_We_Knew_It_(novel)

The moon gets knocked closer to earth causing a range of effects. The story follows a girl and her family. Really enjoyed this one despite the characters doing lots of stupid stuff.

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networkn

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#3184992 22-Jan-2024 09:43

Lee and Andrew Child - The Secret.

NGL, I am not enjoying this anywhere near as much since Andrew took over. I have tried to like it, but I struggle to stay engaged, the way I have done for the last 10 books.

6.5/10 for me.

I wait all year long for the new Orphan X series. Considerably more violent and visceral, but more interesting IMO.

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#3185000 22-Jan-2024 10:11

Didly squat pigs might fly, great entertaining book easy to pick up and just read a chapter. I have always found Clarkson to be a great journalist and author

TLD

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#3185248 22-Jan-2024 16:29

I agree regards the Jack Reacher books. Still one of my favourite series, but a long way short of what it was.

I put all of the Jo Nesbo Harry Hole, Daniel Silva Gabriel Alon, and Mike Lawson Joe Demarco books on my phone before a four week holiday in South America in August. I managed the first ten Harry Hole books before deciding life is too short to spend listening to books you don't enjoy, but I am still enjoying the Joe Demarco and Gabriel Alon books. About a week back I discovered I had 18 Jason Bourne audio books, so loaded those up.

I can remember the first time I read the first Bourne book. I was at work and became so addicted I was hiding behind a stationary cupboard reading it, and got caught by my senior engineer/supervisor, who was not amused. So it surprised me to find that book so dated and awkward to read/ listen to. I gave up half way through and skipped to the first Eric Van Lustbader, and that was better, but still not as good as I remembered it. I've even found this to be the case with some of the early Asimov books which were too wordy explaining the bleeding obvious in too much detail, and definitely a bit misogynistic — and I say that as someone about as un-Woke as Jeremy Clarkson.

Trevor Dennis
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#3185315 22-Jan-2024 21:29

blackjack17:

...

Influx by Daniel Suarez

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22668803-influx

Interesting read about an organisation that suppresses technological breakthroughs to prevent humanity from progressing too fast.

...

Sounds like Silo.

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davidcole

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#3185316 22-Jan-2024 21:32

Just finished the Ramses series from Christian Jacq. A fictional, with some aspects based o. Actual events account of Ramses II.

Now on the ancient Egypt series from Wilbur Smith. Somewhat less based on real events.

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#3185318 22-Jan-2024 22:16

davidcole: Just finished the Ramses series from Christian Jacq. A fictional, with some aspects based o. Actual events account of Ramses II.

Now on the ancient Egypt series from Wilbur Smith. Somewhat less based on real events.

I grew up reading Wilbur Smith and the Diamond Hunter series, and those based in Africa. I should re-read them at some point.

TLD

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#3223699 28-Apr-2024 14:37

I have come across a couple of half decent book series recently, and good enough to share.

The first is SiFi and by Laurence E Dahners and specifically his seven book Stasis series. The author makes the point at the end of each book (IIRC) that he is big on the pseudo-science aspects of the tech the stories are based on, but I personally found that side lacking. It's about a new material (that is claimed not to be a material) that does not flex dent, has zero friction and does all sorts of other clever stuff. The characters and stories were better than average. Book seven was particularly good, and it broke my heart reading that he had no plans to write more in the series.

The second series are the Charlie Muffin books by Brian Freemantle, which are a sort of John LeCarre cold ware era UK spy series with toffs and working class spies, with the former looking down on, and constantly trying to do the dirty, on the latter. Charly Muffin is the underdog of course, but he is clever as, and keeps getting the better of the posh barstards. He reminds me of the Ricki Tarr character who was played by Hywel Bennett in the first TV series of Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy (1979).

Other good books I have recently finished were two of the Liz Carlye books by Stella Rimington (who was the real life Director General of MI5 till 1996) She is a truly excellent author, and definitely worth a read.

I'm currently listening (I only do audiobooks nowadays) to the Starship For Sale series by M R Forbes. The 10 books (so far) all get close to 4.5 stars on Goodreads, which is rare indeed. So far, not bad.

Trevor Dennis
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#3223806 28-Apr-2024 19:42

@TLD: ... I'm currently listening (I only do audiobooks nowadays) to ...

Can I ask what audiobook reader you use?

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