Author Topic: What was the last book you read? (Read 586933 times)

classycarra · « **Reply #7640 on:** January 31, 2020, 10:22:23 am »

Quote from: XabiArt on January 30, 2020, 08:07:59 pm

Made it my new years resolution to read more. Or more specifically read actual grown up books about things that arnt football.

So far this year I've finished half a dozen half finished footy books i started last year and put down and now I need a new list. I'm almost embarrassed to admit I haven't read many or any of the genuine classics.

Any suggestions for books you HAVE to read are more than welcome. Any subject.

Great stuff mate. Sounds like fun.

Your post reminded me that something like this came up before, so I had a search back. I am bad with my reading habits so gave a couple of pieces of advice and recommendations, but the rest of the page is where you'll find the good stuff for recommendations.

You can follow from around here https://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=38831.msg16342703#msg16342703

[includes another recommendation from Bradders for Slaughterhouse Five - it's a good one!]

classycarra · « **Reply #7641 on:** January 31, 2020, 10:25:49 am »

Quote from: Zeb on January 30, 2020, 10:17:11 pm

In other light reading, got sent Steve Cohen's That’s Funny, You Don’t Look Anti-Semitic as a present last year. It's a very thorough Marxist take down of the idea that antisemitism is solely the province of the far right and sets out the history of antisemitic thought within left wing movements. Written 30 years ago, it's quite sobering how applicable it remains. Was asked to share it on if I thought it was decent, so throw me a PM if you'd like to read it but are short for a book at the moment and we can sort out a copy getting to at least a couple who'd want it.

Thanks for this recommendation. I've just found I can get hold of a copy, but appreciate the offer to share it on. Love doing that with a good book

S · « **Reply #7642 on:** January 31, 2020, 02:35:22 pm »

Quote from: XabiArt on January 30, 2020, 08:07:59 pm

Any suggestions for books you HAVE to read are more than welcome. Any subject.

If you haven't read many classics, or even much fiction in general, I'd make sure to start with something accessible. I'll add another vote for To Kill a Mockingbird. Here's some others, all of which should ease you in. Just read the first page of each (either in store or on Amazon) and go with whichever one draws you in the most.

The Great Gatsby - Probably the only 20th century novel whose reputation eclipses Mockingbird. Less "sincere" than that, but it definitely has it's dark parts.
The Catcher in the Rye - Seems to be either a life-changing book or one people disregard with a shrug. I still find it endlessly entertaining, funny and poignant.
The Big Sleep - This veers more into the crime genre than literary fiction, but it's a classic nonetheless. So tightly written. Not a single wasted sentence.
On The Road - With it's rambling style it may come across a little complex at first but don't take it too seriously. Just get lost in the rhythm and don't worry if you're "getting it" or not.
The Grapes of Wrath - Very powerful book and again easy to read, but considerably longer than the rest.

Flaccido Dongingo · « **Reply #7643 on:** January 31, 2020, 03:49:27 pm »

Quote from: S on January 31, 2020, 02:35:22 pm

If you haven't read many classics, or even much fiction in general, I'd make sure to start with something accessible. I'll add another vote for To Kill a Mockingbird. Here's some others, all of which should ease you in. Just read the first page of each (either in store or on Amazon) and go with whichever one draws you in the most.

The Great Gatsby - Probably the only 20th century novel whose reputation eclipses Mockingbird. Less "sincere" than that, but it definitely has it's dark parts.
The Catcher in the Rye - Seems to be either a life-changing book or one people disregard with a shrug. I still find it endlessly entertaining, funny and poignant.
The Big Sleep - This veers more into the crime genre than literary fiction, but it's a classic nonetheless. So tightly written. Not a single wasted sentence.
On The Road - With it's rambling style it may come across a little complex at first but don't take it too seriously. Just get lost in the rhythm and don't worry if you're "getting it" or not.
The Grapes of Wrath - Very powerful book and again easy to read, but considerably longer than the rest.

You can add "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck to that list, possibly my favourite book of all time.

XabiArt · « **Reply #7644 on:** February 1, 2020, 10:56:20 am »

Nice one thanks. I still have a copy of Of Mice and Men from school so I'm just re reading that today. Thanks for the suggestions.

tbonejones · « **Reply #7645 on:** February 1, 2020, 09:40:51 pm »

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

Bleak, and a real page turner. Brilliant.

red mongoose · « **Reply #7646 on:** February 4, 2020, 01:57:59 am »

Quote from: tbonejones on February 1, 2020, 09:40:51 pm

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

Bleak, and a real page turner. Brilliant.

The perfect portrait of mid-century suburban America. Bookend it with "On the Road" and "Rabbit, Run" to get a spectrum of the times.

Andy @ Allerton! · « **Reply #7647 on:** February 4, 2020, 11:45:02 am »

Been reading some Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) and am onto a new set of books

Book 1: Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

newrosswaterford · « **Reply #7648 on:** February 4, 2020, 03:31:58 pm »

Quote from: Andy @ Allerton on February 4, 2020, 11:45:02 am

Been reading some Sherlock Holmes (Arthur Conan Doyle) and am onto a new set of books

Book 1: Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

Gardens is great, just remember it was written as a tv show premise and as such moves really fast with no explanation. Stick with it though, some great characters in that series.

Just finished Catch-22, took 150 pages to get it, but once the penny dropped it became one of the best I've read.

Reading The Magic Mountain. 2/7 through it and while not a real slog it needs to be read in fairly large stretches. The language is dated and a translation at that. Added to that it's an old school idea's book which can often stop the story to drop pages of concept's...

Which makes getting into a flow tough, and once you hit a purple patch of understanding it's best to keep it going.

Saying all that it's starting to stretch it's legs in the way Catch-22 did. So I am enjoying it and will finish it.

tbonejones · « **Reply #7649 on:** February 4, 2020, 07:37:11 pm »

Quote from: red mongoose on February 4, 2020, 01:57:59 am

The perfect portrait of mid-century suburban America. Bookend it with "On the Road" and "Rabbit, Run" to get a spectrum of the times.

Thanks, On the Road is on my list, but I need to add Rabbit, Run to it!

Sheer Magnetism · « **Reply #7650 on:** February 4, 2020, 08:56:48 pm »

Quote from: tbonejones on February 1, 2020, 09:40:51 pm

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates.

Bleak, and a real page turner. Brilliant.

I like Yates but I'd recommend his short stories ahead of Revolutionary Road along with Easter Parade, which I think works better. RR feels too telegraphed too early, the way EP unfolds is astonishing.

KillieRed · « **Reply #7651 on:** February 5, 2020, 09:11:52 am »

"The Second Sleep" by Robert Harris, which I initially enjoyed but left me disappointed.

"Chaos: Charles Manson, the CIA and the Secret History of the Sixties’" by Tom O`Neill. Subject matter reawakend by it`s recent 50th anniversary and depiction in popular culture (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Mindhunter etc). A labour love/hate for O`Neill as a short essay for Premiere turned into a 20 year obsession. It`s very readable though he struggled to get people to talk to him about it, especially those close to it`s heart & (unsurprisingly) the surviving members of the Hollywood elite.

https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/book-charles-manson-cia-secret-history-1960s-tom-oneill-856651/

redk84 · « **Reply #7652 on:** February 5, 2020, 04:31:24 pm »

Having been exclusively reading non-fiction upto now...I'm branching into fiction now

Looked up a few "must-reads" that i've downloaded to my kindle of all types.

Just want to be engrossed by a story really, the films that do that for me are mostly crime-related or mysteries of some sort....

I know there a gazillion books out there that I could go for, but I am starting with The Alchemist. Apparently a classic, and so far so good!

red mongoose · « **Reply #7653 on:** February 5, 2020, 07:32:23 pm »

Quote from: just redk84 will do on February 5, 2020, 04:31:24 pm

Having been exclusively reading non-fiction upto now...I'm branching into fiction now

Looked up a few "must-reads" that i've downloaded to my kindle of all types.

Just want to be engrossed by a story really, the films that do that for me are mostly crime-related or mysteries of some sort....

I know there a gazillion books out there that I could go for, but I am starting with The Alchemist. Apparently a classic, and so far so good!

Two great reads in crime are "The Big Nowhere" - the first of the LA Quartet - by James Ellroy, and "The Power of the Dog" by Don Winslow. Both have been spoken about loads on here, and I have yet to meet anyone who read them and came away disappointed. The great thing about both is that they lead into series where the quality just keeps rolling.

Two excellent crime authors whose books are less serious are Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, and with both you can pretty much dip into anywhere. Love both of them to death.

For a classic take in the genre, it's Raymond Chandler all the way - a great writer who seems to be slowly getting the due he has always deserved.

afc tukrish · « **Reply #7654 on:** February 5, 2020, 07:41:18 pm »

Quote from: red mongoose on February 5, 2020, 07:32:23 pm

Two great reads in crime are "The Big Nowhere" - the first of the LA Quartet - by James Ellroy, and "The Power of the Dog" by Don Winslow. Both have been spoken about loads on here, and I have yet to meet anyone who read them and came away disappointed. The great thing about both is that they lead into series where the quality just keeps rolling.

Two excellent crime authors whose books are less serious are Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen, and with both you can pretty much dip into anywhere. Love both of them to death.

For a classic take in the genre, it's Raymond Chandler all the way - a great writer who seems to be slowly getting the due he has always deserved.

Strongly echo the call for Power of the Dog by Winslow, and he has done some lighter, more humorous but still intense crime fair like his surf novels, The Dawn Patrol and The Gentleman's Hour...

TepidT2O · « **Reply #7655 on:** February 8, 2020, 04:58:20 pm »

Just finished blood and sugar by Laura Shepherd Robinson. (Baldricks daughter)

An historical novel set amongst the slave trade of the late 1780s.

Really very thought provoking, it weaves the obnoxious morals of the slave trade into a story about a man trying to find the killer of his friend.

It never preaches or seems overly woke (a feat given the subject matter) and makes its point more strongly for it.

Mimi · « **Reply #7656 on:** February 11, 2020, 06:03:20 am »

With Indian Horse, Richard Wagamese tackles the horrifying legacy of the residential schools, the ingrained racism of Canadian society, while unexpectedly writing one of the most intimate portrayals of hockey in Canadian literature. Made me see the game anew again. The parts of the book that are about the residential schools defy description; what happened in those schools rivalled the worst crimes against children committed anywhere else in time and history. Basically thousands of child abusers got away scot free because Canadian society is a racist as hell.

idontknow · « **Reply #7657 on:** February 11, 2020, 04:56:34 pm »

Quote from: tbonejones on February 4, 2020, 07:37:11 pm

Thanks, On the Road is on my list, but I need to add Rabbit, Run to it!

On The Road is superb.
And the Rabbit books, there was Run, Redux, was Rest one?, they are amazing, I think it's Harry Angstrom, absolutely incredible, definitely need to read them again.

idontknow · « **Reply #7658 on:** February 11, 2020, 04:58:14 pm »

Quote from: bradders1011 on January 19, 2020, 02:36:51 am

Time's Arrow by Martin Amis. Unsettling.

Is that the one where Keith the dart-player is the hero?
If it is, I liked it a lot.

bradders1011 · « **Reply #7659 on:** February 11, 2020, 06:07:18 pm »

Quote from: idontknow on February 11, 2020, 04:58:14 pm

Is that the one where Keith the dart-player is the hero?
If it is, I liked it a lot.

That's 'London Fields' - read that last year, brilliant book.

KillieRed · « **Reply #7660 on:** February 12, 2020, 08:36:45 am »

Finally got round to:
"Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" by Peter Biskind

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easy_Riders%2C_Raging_Bulls

I love a bit of Hollywood gossip and behind the scenes of 'troubled' productions.

UntouchableLuis · « **Reply #7661 on:** February 22, 2020, 08:18:50 pm »

Hit a bit of a murder mystery/crime binge lately - got into Agatha Christie but also read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and really enjoyed it although I felt it was structurally a bit awkward. The book could have ended 150 pages or so earlier and I'd have been more satisfied.

Ycuzz · « **Reply #7662 on:** February 22, 2020, 09:58:31 pm »

2nd in the Oslo trilogy from Lars Saabye Christensen; 'Maj'.

Fantastic.

TepidT2O · « **Reply #7663 on:** February 22, 2020, 09:59:07 pm »

Quote from: Ycuzz on February 22, 2020, 09:58:31 pm

2nd in the Oslo trilogy from Lars Saabye Christensen; 'Maj'.

Fantastic.

What’s it about?

Ycuzz · « **Reply #7664 on:** February 22, 2020, 10:31:09 pm »

Quote from: Tepid T₂O on February 22, 2020, 09:59:07 pm

What’s it about?

Follows a family of 4, in post-war Norway, (WW2).

I'd recommend pretty much his entire catalogue, brilliant writer. Also, check out his 'Beatles'

KillieRed · « **Reply #7665 on:** February 28, 2020, 01:52:59 pm »

I`m about 100 pages into "The Institute" by Stephen King.

It`s really interesting so far; kinda has Firestarter/The Shine vibes so far. I won`t say too much about it.

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/stephen-king/institute.htm

Ciara (with a capital "C") · « **Reply #7666 on:** March 17, 2020, 10:27:02 pm »

Just finished The Silent Patient.

Spectacular ending - can see why it was picked up by a film studio.

Nitramdorf · « **Reply #7667 on:** March 18, 2020, 07:38:19 am »

Just read Armageddon by Max Hastings about the final 2 years of the war and the advance on Germany from East and West. Amazing and shocking, despite knowing a lot about the war, there is always new things to learn.

Also have finally read a Charles Dickens book, The Old Curiousity Shop and really liked it. Ive tried a few times over the years, as reading is my main hobby and have always felt obliged to read Dickens. Its never really gone in before, something wasnt gripping me, maybe its an age thing but I now get it.
Ive always been interested in that era and world, timewise. Will be working through the rest of his works over the next couple of years.

UntouchableLuis · « **Reply #7668 on:** March 18, 2020, 07:52:24 am »

Quote from: Ciara (with a capital "C") on March 17, 2020, 10:27:02 pm

Just finished The Silent Patient.

Spectacular ending - can see why it was picked up by a film studio.

Absolutely loved this - lent it to my girlfriend afterwards. We both raced through it in a day or two. Much prefer this to Girl on The Train and Woman in the Window which were similar big hitting psychological thrillers.

KillieRed · « **Reply #7669 on:** March 18, 2020, 08:11:58 am »

"The Mirror & The Light" by Hilary Mantel, people going about their political intrigues whilst constantly living in fear of the outbreak of plagues. What`s not to like? The book is, of course, awesome.

I`d also like to refer you all back to a book i read recently; "The Fifth Risk" by Michael Lewis about the gutting of the US Govt Department by Donald F Trump and the unforeseen risks that it might face because of that. Lewis describes him as a deeply ignorant man with no interest in learning.

Also, a bit lighter reading: "A Legacy of Spies" by John Le Carre. Smiley Universe? Either way its like meeting an old friend, so comfortable. Seemingly sparsely written, but just economic with words when it needs to be, incredibly detailed about spycraft etc.

TepidT2O · « **Reply #7670 on:** March 18, 2020, 06:27:34 pm »

The Mirror and the light is 900 pages long...

It’s almost as if she saw this lock down coming..

Ziltoid · « **Reply #7671 on:** March 18, 2020, 08:46:35 pm »

Our library is shutting for 12 weeks. It's a ball ache but I have enough to read for at least two months.

KillieRed · « **Reply #7672 on:** March 19, 2020, 08:25:19 am »

Quote from: Ziltoid on March 18, 2020, 08:46:35 pm

Our library is shutting for 12 weeks. It's a ball ache but I have enough to read for at least two months.

We still have to come in to work, despite closing our doors.

Those of us who remain healthy might provide a housebound service, particularly for those who are vulnerable.

Also, check your local library website to see if they have e-books. On ours you can log-in with your library card and stream/download audio and regular books to your devices. The service works like library borrowing; the item is issued for a set period and automatically comes off your device once that period is over (if not renewed). Our App is called "Libby", but different areas use different platforms. We also have Press Reader where you can get free access to newspapers and magazines via your library card. Of course you`ll have to read on a phone or tablet...

UntouchableLuis · « **Reply #7673 on:** March 21, 2020, 05:09:36 pm »

Just finished Mystic River by Dennis Lehane. Was a great gritty crime read. Reminded me of Stephen King in the way he writes.

bradders1011 · « **Reply #7674 on:** March 21, 2020, 07:19:44 pm »

East of Eden. A masterpiece.

UntouchableLuis · « **Reply #7675 on:** March 21, 2020, 07:27:32 pm »

Quote from: bradders1011 on March 21, 2020, 07:19:44 pm

East of Eden. A masterpiece.

One of the greatest works of Literature I have read. I ordered Grapes of Wrath the other day, hoping it can live up to it!

Gerry Attrick · « **Reply #7676 on:** March 21, 2020, 07:28:06 pm »

Ordered a couple of Jonathan Wilson books yesterday; Angels With Dirty Faces and The Names Heard Long Ago.

jillcwhomever · « **Reply #7677 on:** March 21, 2020, 08:13:32 pm »

Quote from: UntouchableLuis on March 21, 2020, 07:27:32 pm

One of the greatest works of Literature I have read. I ordered Grapes of Wrath the other day, hoping it can live up to it!

Have you read Of Mice and Men, that was one of the most touching books I ever read. He is a great writer Steinbeck.

afc tukrish · « **Reply #7678 on:** March 21, 2020, 08:22:49 pm »

Quote from: Gerry Attrick on March 21, 2020, 07:28:06 pm

Ordered a couple of Jonathan Wilson books yesterday; Angels With Dirty Faces and The Names Heard Long Ago.

Angels with Dirty Faces is really good, you'll enjoy it massively...

UntouchableLuis · « **Reply #7679 on:** March 21, 2020, 08:37:19 pm »

Quote from: jillc on March 21, 2020, 08:13:32 pm

Have you read Of Mice and Men, that was one of the most touching books I ever read. He is a great writer Steinbeck.

Yes read it in school and have taught it myself for years being an English teacher! It's a perfect novella - just brilliant.