Book review thread

[Explosive Newt]

Resurrecting this thread to say how much I enjoyed my Christmas buy of Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe. One of Obama’s top ten books of 2019 and rightly so. I wasn’t very up on NI recent history and it’s just such a gripping account.

[Pete_]

Resurrecting this thread to say how much I enjoyed my Christmas buy of Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe. One of Obama’s top ten books of 2019 and rightly so. I wasn’t very up on NI recent history and it’s just such a gripping account.

Thanks for the recommendation, I downloaded this on Audible today and have listened straight through the first fifteen chapters.

[RobYob]

After the ending of The Expanse season 4 I was inspired to revisit one of my favourite books from childhood, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. Such a great tale although starting to show a few of it's 54years. With a few updates would make an awesome TV series.

[DaveE]

I work in healthcare these days, with several ex NHS people and they recommended "This is going to hurt" by Adam Kay

It's basically excerpts from his diary.

Amusing, shocking, sad. Often in the same diary entry.

Recommended.

[NotoriousREV]

I work in healthcare these days, with several ex NHS people and they recommended "This is going to hurt" by Adam Kay

It's basically excerpts from his diary.

Amusing, shocking, sad. Often in the same diary entry.

Recommended.

That’s on my list. Last holiday chose between that and The Secret Barrister.

[Swervin_Mervin]

I'm back to Norwegian Wood. Very relaxing read before bed.

Just finished reading The Conquerors before that about the 30yr period of Portuguese conquest of the Indian Ocean. Incredible some.of the tales

[DeskJockey]

In the same vein as DaveE I'm reading Bill Bryson's "The Body". While not as good as some of his best, it is enlightening and full of the kind of gruesome "medicine" and experiments that was carried out by doctors in the past.

For those of strong constitution look up the history of lithotomy...

[Swervin_Mervin]

Thread resurrection!

Currently making my way through "Beyond the Pale" the Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. story, by its founder, and it's a really enjoyable read. Incredible how far back the craft brewing movement started - even as a once keen amateur brewer I had no idea.

Going to order "Heavy: How Metal Changes the Way We See the World" by Dan Franklin, but a couple of other suggestions would be welcome if anyone has any?

I've been reading a lot of Murakami and Banks (Culture) so it would be nice to read something else for a change.

[16vCento]

Ooo thanks, that Sierra Nevada book is right up my street I'll get it bought

[duncs500]

Some great suggestions there Swerv, might look into them.

I'm currently reading The Boundless Sea: A Human History of the Oceans. Quite a slow pace, but interesting and helps me sleep.

Also got Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe ready to go.

All ears for other suggestions though.

A friend recommended The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival so also keeping that in mind.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Ooo thanks, that Sierra Nevada book is right up my street I'll get it bought

It can be a bit stream of consciousness but it makes up for it with the stories. There's a life lived! A different age in so many respects as well

[mik]

It’s been MANY years since I have read anything non-fiction, but I have been off this week and enjoying James O’Brien’s “How to be right (in a world gone wrong)”.

Only slightly smug (and to be fair he recognises that he has picked examples from his radio call-in show that demonstrate his points).

I did laugh heartily at his Schrodinger’s immigrant comment.

[Simon]

God, doesn't he plug his books too much though? I've phoned in and spoken to him maybe 3 or 4 times about things over the years and he's been kind enough, but if you're unlucky enough to hold an opinion that he doesn't agree with then he can be pretty obstinate and rude.

[Swervin_Mervin]

That's because he's a throbber

[mik]

I was going to say earlier that I would not be surprised if others on here hold the opinion he’s a massive cock

[Swervin_Mervin]

There's a problem at the moment of people not being accepting of others if they don't quite hold the same opinion on something. Could be that you share 99% of the same views as someone else, but that 1% is what people really hone in on, and with such a lack of tolerance. It's poisonous and is at the root of so much division we see at present.

JOB is all of that distilled, and then spread throughout the airwaves, Twitter etc. It doesn't matter that I might share the same views as him on many things - he's an intolerant arsehole. Worse than that, he's utterly bereft of any self-awareness of the fact that he comes across the same as many of the people he spits his venom at. A gammon-faced anti-gammon if you like.

[RobYob]

There's a problem at the moment of people not being accepting of others

Actually it's a bit like "kids these days have no respect" being a comment for at least the least 4000years, probably since proto-man had the ability to articulate their annoyance at the next generation.

Social media is certainly the giving these people a much much bigger platform though.

This joke is from the early 80s
"Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, "Don't do it!" He said, "Nobody loves me." I said, "God loves you. Do you believe in God?"

He said, "Yes." I said, "Are you a Christian or a Jew?" He said, "A Christian." I said, "Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?" He said, "Protestant." I said, "Me, too! What franchise?" He said, "Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?" He said, "Northern Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?"

He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist." I said, "Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region." I said, "Me, too!"

Northern Conservative†Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?" He said, "Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912." I said, "Die, heretic!" And I pushed him over."

https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2005/ ... y.religion

[RobYob]

Back on topic I recently read the set of Sci-Fi comedy essays Luke Skywalker can't read very funny any enjoyable if you're into your Jedi/Trek/Barbarella/Terminator etc.

[V8Granite]

Currently reading the Gulag Archipelago.

It makes the Nazis look like a group of angry girl guides in comparison to the Communist elite. Quite an upsetting book.

Dave!

[dinny_g]

I recently order this The Silenced:

Argentina,1978. President Jorge Rafael Videla's military dictatorship reigns with an iron fist, regularly kidnapping, torturing and murdering political activists and opponents and their families at secret concentration camps. The country is locked in a spiral of fear and chaos - and are soon to host the World Cup.

This is the story of a rugby club that refused to be silenced. When one of their teammates is found dead assassinated the Club La Plata first XV took a minute s silence before their next game. The minute ran to two ... to three ... For ten long minutes they stood in furious silence.

When the junta learned of this protest it wasn t long before another player disappeared. And then another. Over the course of four years, twenty La Plata players were murdered by the regime: gunned down, assassinated, 'disappeared'.