RugbyRebels

Son of Mathonwy wrote: ↑Wed Nov 01, 2023 9:06 am

paddy no 11 wrote: ↑Fri Oct 27, 2023 6:16 pm Station Eleven - excellent post apocalyptic (pandemic) novel. Written before covid so kudos to the author

Nice book. Kind of on the other end of the spectrum from The Road. Nasty things happen but they don't get the book's whole attention. There's a TV adaptation - have you watched it? (I haven't)

I haven't seen it, yep definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum to the road. Both are very good, there's bits of the road I can easily recall 10 years later

Politics on the edge by Rory Stewart. Yes it’s a politicians memoir and thus you have to be sceptical over the recollection in places. But illuminating on the state of government and politics in general.

I read shuggie bain based on this thread

I found it pretty tough going for the most part it wasn't until about 100 pages from finishing that I found it easier to read

Based on donnys review I'm sure the bleakness is entirely accurate and hence unsettling.

Few wtf moments including around Willie's return from the war

Well written though I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone

*the taxi driver union will have the author black listed

Here's another one for you then paddy:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

I only picked it up in a motorway service station as I'm on a school trip and needed some reading while on the bus.
This is an insanely good book. It's enthralling and emotional and held me right until the final page. I mean, it's just the story of Achilles, it's not new. Just, the way it's written is lyrical and shows an understanding of different aspects of male psyche that is profound. The first half is the most tender, sweetest love story, but the tone changes as the story moves and the main characters grow into their destinies in war, Troy and legend. The change in dialogue and character is very skillfully done and you feel sympathy will all the main characters at all points in the story. It's a tragedy, obviously, but well worth the emotional investment.

Donny osmond wrote: ↑Thu Sep 26, 2024 1:06 pm Here's another one for you then paddy:

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.

I only picked it up in a motorway service station as I'm on a school trip and needed some reading while on the bus.
This is an insanely good book. It's enthralling and emotional and held me right until the final page. I mean, it's just the story of Achilles, it's not new. Just, the way it's written is lyrical and shows an understanding of different aspects of male psyche that is profound. The first half is the most tender, sweetest love story, but the tone changes as the story moves and the main characters grow into their destinies in war, Troy and legend. The change in dialogue and character is very skillfully done and you feel sympathy will all the main characters at all points in the story. It's a tragedy, obviously, but well worth the emotional investment.

Lol, I read about 100 pages of this and quit, I was less enamoured with the love story than yourself, I might finish it if the 2nd half is as good as you say

An inconvenient death by Miles Goslett

On the death of Dr David Kelly

The death of Dr Kelly I guess was a huge event in my younger years along with the drama of the dodgy dossier, I picked this up in a hotel in France and got stuck in

It's pretty clear that Dr Kelly died elsewhere to where his body was found on Harrowden Hill

It's most likely he died in the presence of people (spooks, MoD types) who weren't planning on him keeling over and having a heart attack in front of them

The Hutton inquiry is/was an abomination

I'm Interested in other opinions, if you have them?

The Lincoln Highway by amor towles

Bit of hype around this - just found this incredibly tedious and quit 230 pages. Hate quitting books but not worth the time

paddy no 11 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 20, 2024 8:02 pm An inconvenient death by Miles Goslett

On the death of Dr David Kelly

The death of Dr Kelly I guess was a huge event in my younger years along with the drama of the dodgy dossier, I picked this up in a hotel in France and got stuck in

It's pretty clear that Dr Kelly died elsewhere to where his body was found on Harrowden Hill

It's most likely he died in the presence of people (spooks, MoD types) who weren't planning on him keeling over and having a heart attack in front of them

The Hutton inquiry is/was an abomination

I'm Interested in other opinions, if you have them?

Yeah, the whole thing stank.

Blair made sure the inquiry wasn't under oath, so the witnesses could lie to their hearts' content.
Blair lied to the press about Kelly but Hutton gave him a pass.
And that line from Hutton about there being very little blood on the ground because the leaves absorbed it 'like blotting paper' - I'm not a forensic scientist but that sounded like complete bullshit.

Pachinko - generational korean/Japanese work

Set amongst the Japanese occupation of Korea and subsequent partition

The narrative could be described as woe be woman and it may well have been........but it gets a bit much here with women being written out so that new female characters can be written in with a whole new series of problems

Also thought it descended into stereotype and the rhett butler character was ridiculous

Enjoyed the historical narrative can leave the rest

Jesmond ward - where the line bleeds

This was much better, character driven based on two teenage boys in deep south in their post school days

Not often I've read a book where the main characters are black, without them being specifically the accused or victims or their story relates to their relationship with white people. I'd read another from the same author

Good stuff Paddy. Loving these recommendations.

Bad Blood by John Carreyrou.

Very well written and a fascinating insight into the fake it until you make it culture and n software development and crossing the line into medical care.

I've just completed my first complete re-read of all 16 books, 28 years after first picking up Apprentice.
Good night Nighteyes, prince amongst wolves, you will forever have a place in my heart. My own dog is obsessed with hedgehogs - so whilst a step down, I get it, the fascination is real.
I think next up will be some STP (GNU) as a palate-cleanser, but then what?
Some comfortable old favourites? LotR? WoT? Dune? Warlord Chronicles?
Or something new (for me) and exciting?
Maybe something I read when it was 2-3 books long, but has expanded into far more since then (eg Mistborn)?
Paper or electronic (I prefer the former, but the latter is more practical)?
Not wanting an incomplete series, burned too strongly by GRRM, Lynch

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 4:36 am I've just completed my first complete re-read of all 16 books, 28 years after first picking up Apprentice.
Good night Nighteyes, prince amongst wolves, you will forever have a place in my heart. My own dog is obsessed with hedgehogs - so whilst a step down, I get it, the fascination is real.
I think next up will be some STP (GNU) as a palate-cleanser, but then what?
Some comfortable old favourites? LotR? WoT? Dune? Warlord Chronicles?
Or something new (for me) and exciting?
Maybe something I read when it was 2-3 books long, but has expanded into far more since then (eg Mistborn)?
Paper or electronic (I prefer the former, but the latter is more practical)?
Not wanting an incomplete series, burned too strongly by GRRM, Lynch

Just googled to see what series you mean - I've never read any Robin Hobb. Is it worth starting or does it need the nostalgia of starting young?

I've got recommendations it you are looking for something new?

Puja

As long as you can cope with the principle protagonist going through hell (but getting a bittersweet ending) - then it's excellent.

Whilst I started them 28 years ago, I was a grown-arse adult - though granted that the genre has generally matured since then.

Just don't bother with the audiobooks, if Ali's opinion means anything to you.

Whilst they're 16 books (and a few short stories) there are plenty of dropping-off points if you're not getting on with them, as it's essentially 5 trilogies (well, 4 trilogies and a quadrilogy)
Currently, after 4 million words, I... need something comforting at the moment, as I mourn the end of my time with the characters.

ETA: Oh, and don't be put off with the name of books 4-8 and their mini-series. I didn't read them as they came out, because I thought the underlying principle was silly. She makes it work, and they're probably my favourites of the whole series.
They're also a good jumping-in point, as they don't* share any characters with the first trilogy.

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 4:36 am
Not wanting an incomplete series, burned too strongly by GRRM, Lynch

Avoid The Name of the Wind: it's brilliant and in that genre but the author has frozen after book two because of the pressure. A fact that I only learnt after finishing the entree recently

switchskier wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 8:26 pm

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 4:36 am
Not wanting an incomplete series, burned too strongly by GRRM, Lynch

Avoid The Name of the Wind: it's brilliant and in that genre but the author has frozen after book two because of the pressure. A fact that I only learnt after finishing the entree recently

Is that the Rothfus one? If so, it's been sitting in my TBR pile for a couple of years, but not got into my hand yet because of that

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 8:52 pm

switchskier wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 8:26 pm

Which Tyler wrote: ↑Sat Jun 28, 2025 4:36 am
Not wanting an incomplete series, burned too strongly by GRRM, Lynch

Avoid The Name of the Wind: it's brilliant and in that genre but the author has frozen after book two because of the pressure. A fact that I only learnt after finishing the entree recently

Is that the Rothfus one? If so, it's been sitting in my TBR pile for a couple of years, but not got into my hand yet because of that

That's the one. Both it and the sequal are really good. The occasional fantasy cliche but it doesn't matter as the narrative is great and the characters are engaging. But the author said that it's taken about a year to finish polishing the last one, and that was in 2014. His publisher said that she's never seen a page of it.

I have been re-reading Dune, but have ground to a halt near the halfway point. It's good, and I wouldn't have a problem if this was my first read of it, but having got through the best part (IMO) I just can't face hundreds of pages of Paul building the resistance with the Firemen all over again.

From a writing POV it's interesting to see Herbert making the unusual choice to shift the focus between main characters (Leto, Paul and Jessica) in the same scene, including hearing their thoughts. It doesn't happen much but it's a little jarring.

IMO although it is written well, the best thing about Dune is the setting, the world-building with all the different castes and guilds etc, not so much the story.