RugbyRebels

I've just finished "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu and I can recommend it to anyone who likes quirky, unconventional science fiction. It's a bit of a misnamed novel, because the problem isn't the relationship between three bodies, but four: the trinary system of Alpha Centauri and the fictional world of Tri-Solaris. That aside, I enjoyed the life and times of Chinese cosmologist Ye Wenjie as she struggles to come to terms with the death of her father, beaten by Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution, her subsequent banishment, imprisonment and attempt revenge on the whole of humanity. The slightly weak ending left too many stones un-turned, perhaps deliberately so, as there two other novels in the series, which are supposedly better. They're on my list. A Chinese native speaker tells me that the translation loses some of the beauty and grace of the original, but I guess that's a problem with the process in general.

Reading Inferno (in Dutch). Not good book but easy for me.

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

http://chimamanda.com/books/americanah/

Very clever writer, great characterisation. Insightful

Hooky wrote:Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

http://chimamanda.com/books/americanah/

Very clever writer, great characterisation. Insightful

That looks good, Hooky.

UKHamlet wrote:

Hooky wrote:Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

http://chimamanda.com/books/americanah/

Very clever writer, great characterisation. Insightful

That looks good, Hooky.

It's very good. It was recommended to me. Apparently it's not her best either. I like her writing style.

Just started Dave Cullen's Columbine, an exhaustively researched piece about the Columbine High School shootings, which debunks myths about it that had since been accepted as fact, and looks at how the survivors had coped with what had happened.

Probably late to this, but just finished The Undefeated by Rhodri Davies about the 1974 Lions. Best rugby book I've ever read, by a distance. If you haven't read it yet, read it now!

Speaking of rugby books, I highly recommend John Daniell's Confessions of a Rugby Mercenary, which is a look at the early days of professionalism in the French club scene, looking up from the bottom.

Excellent rugby read,,,The Grudge by Tom English. The political ans sporting build up to Scotland v Will Carling's England, who were odds on favourites to win the Grand Slam in Edinburgh in 1990. If you hate Carling don't read this, you may just change your mind.

welshsaint wrote:Excellent rugby read,,,The Grudge by Tom English. The political ans sporting build up to Scotland v Will Carling's England, who were odds on favourites to win the Grand Slam in Edinburgh in 1990. If you hate Carling don't read this, you may just change your mind.

I don't think anyone really "hated" Carling. He got the usual stuff poured over England Captains, but at least he was reasonably good and by way of contrast with the last two, quite intelligent.

UKHamlet wrote:I've just finished "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu and I can recommend it to anyone who likes quirky, unconventional science fiction. It's a bit of a misnamed novel, because the problem isn't the relationship between three bodies, but four: the trinary system of Alpha Centauri and the fictional world of Tri-Solaris. That aside, I enjoyed the life and times of Chinese cosmologist Ye Wenjie as she struggles to come to terms with the death of her father, beaten by Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution, her subsequent banishment, imprisonment and attempt revenge on the whole of humanity. The slightly weak ending left too many stones un-turned, perhaps deliberately so, as there two other novels in the series, which are supposedly better. They're on my list. A Chinese native speaker tells me that the translation loses some of the beauty and grace of the original, but I guess that's a problem with the process in general.

Isn't it a play on words taken from A Scandal in Bohemia - Sherlock Holmes story (A Three Pipe Problem)?

Primo Levi - If this is a man, the truce

First hand account of the concentration camp, Levi doesnt get overly emotionally involved which makes it bearable I guess, one or two of the scenes where people get marched off to their death are just despairing. I was frozen the whole time reading it, not sure id have lasted a day. The second have the truce was more intriguing and enjoyable to read

Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", is a fascinating book written in the first person about a 15 year-old boy who has Asperger's Syndrome.
It gives the reader a vivid insight of a boy whose parents have a very hard time coming to terms with their son's behaviour - a boy who is brilliant at maths and hates the colours yellow and brown and has little understanding of his fellow humans.
A strange, but compelling book that I thoroughly recommend.

Numbers wrote:

UKHamlet wrote:I've just finished "The Three Body Problem" by Cixin Liu and I can recommend it to anyone who likes quirky, unconventional science fiction. It's a bit of a misnamed novel, because the problem isn't the relationship between three bodies, but four: the trinary system of Alpha Centauri and the fictional world of Tri-Solaris. That aside, I enjoyed the life and times of Chinese cosmologist Ye Wenjie as she struggles to come to terms with the death of her father, beaten by Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution, her subsequent banishment, imprisonment and attempt revenge on the whole of humanity. The slightly weak ending left too many stones un-turned, perhaps deliberately so, as there two other novels in the series, which are supposedly better. They're on my list. A Chinese native speaker tells me that the translation loses some of the beauty and grace of the original, but I guess that's a problem with the process in general.

Isn't it a play on words taken from A Scandal in Bohemia - Sherlock Holmes story (A Three Pipe Problem)?

It may be, but the three body problem has status of its own as a physics problem.

francoisfou wrote:Mark Haddon's "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time", is a fascinating book written in the first person about a 15 year-old boy who has Asperger's Syndrome.
It gives the reader a vivid insight of a boy whose parents have a very hard time coming to terms with their son's behaviour - a boy who is brilliant at maths and hates the colours yellow and brown and has little understanding of his fellow humans.
A strange, but compelling book that I thoroughly recommend.

An excellent book, they've made it into a play I believe.

Just started The Hotel New Hampshire - John Irving, thoroughly enjoyable so far.

I have some John Niven books at the ready once that's done, The Sunshine Cruise Company looks as though it may be a good read.

John Le Carré's The Night Manager. Crammed this in with a day to spare before the series started on BBC1 last week. It is not Le C's best by a long stretch (And at nearly 600 pages it is a long stretch) but on the evidence of the 1st 2 episodes it is miles better that the TV adaptation.

... and since I can't be arsed to crank up a separate thread, I'll stick my Great War reading in here, too. So ...

Kevin Johnston's Home or Away: The Great War and the Irish Revolution. As general introductions go, this is sound and accessible. It sets all the right bits in all the right contexts and deals well with some of the accepted heroes and villains. The first half of the book is a little tedious, but Johnston gets into his stride about the time the 36th (Ulster) Division are getting into theirs; the 2nd half of the book is pacy and engaging. He deals well with the likes of O'Neill and Dev and sticks the boot into Carson, Lloyd George, Maxwell and Gough - and how well they deserve it. One for you Paddy?

Enjoyed reading 'Unbroken'

Much better than the film, compelling, well written and full of interest.

The Girl With All The Gifts by MJ Carey.

Good so far, although I feel the opening is harmed by the book being marketed as a zombie book. Don't let that put you off.

CH Sisson - On The Look Out. The book is the partial autiobiography of a Civil Servant and poet on the fringes of 1950s Soho Bohemia, I read it for thesis padding but it does offer an interesting account of the middle decades of the London 20th century as well as some excellently recounted descriptions of the era's pub culture, it's also oddly written with an inverted chronology.

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:John Le Carré's The Night Manager. Crammed this in with a day to spare before the series started on BBC1 last week. It is not Le C's best by a long stretch (And at nearly 600 pages it is a long stretch) but on the evidence of the 1st 2 episodes it is miles better that the TV adaptation.

is that the one about gun-running in the Caucasus or the pharmaceutical trials in Africa? I liked the Africa one better although there was a nice put-down in the arms-dealing one about Americans not knowing the origin of the word Trojan.

one thing that annoys me about Le Carre is he has to end his novels with the protagonist making some grand romantic gesture which is ultimately pointless and futile.

Uprooted by Naomi Novak. A rarity in that it's a short, self contained, fantasy book about a girl who is mistakingly selected as the sacrifice to a great magician who protects a village from an evil darkness.

Even I thought it sounded naff when I read the blurb but it is by far the best thing I've read in the past year, including the Curious Incident of the Dog in the night, very unexpected.

cymroo wrote:

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:John Le Carré's The Night Manager. Crammed this in with a day to spare before the series started on BBC1 last week. It is not Le C's best by a long stretch (And at nearly 600 pages it is a long stretch) but on the evidence of the 1st 2 episodes it is miles better that the TV adaptation.

is that the one about gun-running in the Caucasus or the pharmaceutical trials in Africa? I liked the Africa one better although there was a nice put-down in the arms-dealing one about Americans not knowing the origin of the word Trojan.

one thing that annoys me about Le Carre is he has to end his novels with the protagonist making some grand romantic gesture which is ultimately pointless and futile.

Arms dealer based in the Caribbean. It might take in the Caucasus at some point? Might be you're thinking of a different one. Pharma trials in Africa is the Constant Gardener.

I remember when I read it I found myself enthralled for maybe the first hundred, still captivated by the next two hundred, then slowly losing interest... ended up skipping to the last fifty at some point. Brevity is Le Carre's friend and it's a shame. Still, I love reading him write about people.

Peat wrote:

cymroo wrote:

SerjeantWildgoose wrote:John Le Carré's The Night Manager. Crammed this in with a day to spare before the series started on BBC1 last week. It is not Le C's best by a long stretch (And at nearly 600 pages it is a long stretch) but on the evidence of the 1st 2 episodes it is miles better that the TV adaptation.

is that the one about gun-running in the Caucasus or the pharmaceutical trials in Africa? I liked the Africa one better although there was a nice put-down in the arms-dealing one about Americans not knowing the origin of the word Trojan.

one thing that annoys me about Le Carre is he has to end his novels with the protagonist making some grand romantic gesture which is ultimately pointless and futile.

Arms dealer based in the Caribbean. It might take in the Caucasus at some point? Might be you're thinking of a different one. Pharma trials in Africa is the Constant Gardener.

I remember when I read it I found myself enthralled for maybe the first hundred, still captivated by the next two hundred, then slowly losing interest... ended up skipping to the last fifty at some point. Brevity is Le Carre's friend and it's a shame. Still, I love reading him write about people.

yeah you're right, well summed up. Tailor of Panama and Perfect Spy are awesome descriptions of the characters' innermost psychological makeup.

Well I finished - The Hotel New Hampshire - typical Irving tragicomic fare, I quite enjoyed it.