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Which Book Are You Reading thread

Football us life said:
It's an absolute epic....

And reveals a patient, intellectually curious reader who is drawn to life's complexities. You're getting deep human psychology, philosophical questions on history, fate, and free will, and of course Tolstoy's nuanced view of that particular era of Russian society.

Committing to it and its 1200+ pages often indicates someone who values depth over quick entertainment and has the discipline to sustain the required attention.

My hat is tipped ro anyone who has sat down and read it.
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Twice... and it damn near killed me.... First time was in my late teens, mum would load us up with a pile of books we asked for in the Summer and must have got jack of me finishing them before we went away and always complaining I had nothing to read so she presented me with a slab of old mate Bolkonski and his family with words to the effect of "now piss of leave us alone".

Stubborn little me finished it in 10 days.... hahahahahaha
 
RIMB said:
Syncronicity indeed!

I am 2 chapters from completing Day of the Triffids having just brought my Wyndham 'Penguin Classics' up from their plastic storage.

Felt it was time to revisit quality story construction in the old style having re-read The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and many of my more recent science fiction/fantasy books for the hundredth time. More recent meaning 80s and 90s in this case.

Next stop Web, The Trouble with Lichen, then probably Chokky.

The great thing about Wyndham and these classics is that they were written when the concepts were new and largely unexplored. We all know now what to do in a zombie apocalypse (the modern day equivalent of the triffid I think), and have picked out the safest place to go when it happens. But when these stories were written the authors were really putting themselves in the position of their characters and developing realistic actions and reactions from scratch.

I am loving how refreshing it is to revisit books without magic, the supernatural, or physics defying activities - delivered in a fast enough writing style to keep me engaged without getting too bogged down in fluffy descriptions of scenery and such except where the author deliberately wants me to imagine and place myself squarely in the circumstances unfolding.

The balance of right and wrong, conventional morals versus survival, is especially well handled and thought provoking.

The 'funniest' thing to me this time through is the concern over stealing following the breakdown of society. We are so well versed in post apocalyptic norms that the concept of looting in that world has passed from a moral conundrum to an automatic 'I know where I'd go first to stock up'.
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Quality review, RIMB.
 
socceroosmad said:
Reading and Hellas in my reading life: "The Story of Greece" by Mary McGregor (available with illustrations online) a kid's history book of ancient Greece. That book filled my imagination. Introduced me not only to history, but to mythology, philosophy, democracy v oligarchy. My heroes were Sophocles, Demosthenes, Pericles and good old Diogenes:) In later years read "Last of the Summer Wine" by Mary Renault, set in Athens during the Peloponnesian War.
In my twenties read "The Magus" by John Fowles" - puzzling mystery set in the islands. And in my 40s read Louis de Berniere's "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" set in Cephalonia during the Italian occupation in WW2
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Good post, SM.
 
Football us life said:
It's an absolute epic....

And reveals a patient, intellectually curious reader who is drawn to life's complexities. You're getting deep human psychology, philosophical questions on history, fate, and free will, and of course Tolstoy's nuanced view of that particular era of Russian society.

Committing to it and its 1200+ pages often indicates someone who values depth over quick entertainment and has the discipline to sustain the required attention.

My hat is tipped ro anyone who has sat down and read it.
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I wish I had a hat...
 
RIMB said:
I wish I had a hat...
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A man should always wear a hat because it completes the moral geometry of his silhouette — a shield against spectacle, a frame for solitude, and a quiet assertion of dignity in an absurd world......

Especially in Brisbane, where the sun doesn’t just shine it assaults! The hat stops being an aesthetic gesture and becomes a philosophical necessity.....

In Brisbane, a man's hat is survival with dignity.

Well maybe not so much today!!
 
Picked up a gem of a secondhand book in a give away stall, Clifton Beach, just north of Cairns.

STANDING IN ANOTHER MAN’S GRAVE: IAN RANKIN

Genre : Crime/Murder mystery.

Setting: Edinburgh and Inverness in Scotland, about 15 years ago.

Length : 356 pages.

Why I chose the book? Have read quite a few Ian Rankin books prior.

Review:

A cold case comes back to life. Former Detective Inspector, John Rebus, is a civilian working in a cold case unit, and is used as an auxilary on the case. Rebus is out of date with the internet plus Facebook, Twitter used in investigations.

Most senior current cops don’t want Rebus involved with his maverick, anarchic style, except his old prodigy, now Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke.

He constantly annoys careerist seniors, and has to break rules and use his crim and old police contacts to solve the case. Rebus is a superb detective.

Clarke recognises Rebus’ innate talent and experience, plus his dogged persistence to recognise clues to identify the perpetrator, that no other working cop does.

A few cops are exposed as bent, and their cop colleagues are furious with Rebus for exposing their corrupt mates.

Rebus is constantly funny and makes witty comments. He and Clarke have a lot of witty dialogue. Love the humour.

Clarke is a bit of eye candy and attracts a lot of male attention, particularly senior male cops, who don’t like her working closely with Rebus.
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Brilliant book! Ian Rankin is unequivocally one of the best crime writers! His author peers adulate him.
 
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I am currently reading an excellent publication that ties in football, politics, combative ideology, mateship, loyalty, respect, deception and outright lies.

It is taking me longer than it took Mono to read his epic twice and to be frank it feels like there is no end in sight.

Usually I can't stand multiple authors on the one publication, but in this case the number of diverse and undirected authors actually creates quite a captivating world.
 
RIMB said:
I am currently reading an excellent publication that ties in football, politics, combative ideology, mateship, loyalty, respect, deception and outright lies.

It is taking me longer than it took Mono to read his epic twice and to be frank it feels like there is no end in sight.

Usually I can't stand multiple authors on the one publication, but in this case the number of diverse and undirected authors actually creates quite a captivating world.
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Wait till we release the movie adaptation... George Clooney can play me :cool: :cool:
 
RIMB said:
Do you think he will be able to body sculpt soon enough for filming?

Are there enough tasty treats commercially available in the limited time we have?

I imagine they will use Clown from Adventure Island for me :(
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A couple of months on the treadmill, he should be OK.

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Monoethnic Social Club said:
.... and so concludes another chapter in the never ending saga of RIMB and his envy of MSC's physique.

Chapter 15,576 - A New Hope.
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Yes, yes, Leia - we all know you are the royalty in this family.

I have to say that in early filming I heard the crew talking about Mono the Hut more than once.

I don't see it myself of course - just saying...
 
RIMB said:
Yes, yes, Leia - we all know you are the royalty in this family.

I have to say that in early filming I heard the crew talking about Mono the Hut more than once.

I don't see it myself of course - just saying...
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Hahah shut up Luke, you're always trying to kiss me...
 
RIMB said:
That wasn't my mouth, sister dear.

<prepares for the inevitable ban for posting both inappropriate content and being irrelevant to the thread...but wait - I can save this yet...>

Go Socceroos! Win, Draw or Lose - make it hard for the US, lads.

Damn...

This was the book thread...
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YAY SPORTS!!!!!!!
 
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