Book review thread

[RobYob]

Thread CPR...

I did finally finish the very enjoyable The Witcher saga, pace drags during the fifth and final book unfortunately but on the whole it's excellent.

Then tried The Three Body problem, famously hit Chinese Sci-Fi. It's first book is very interesting you can tell it's from a whole different perspective/culture which is refreshing and builds slowly (oh so slowly) to a good ending vagualy hinting a potential Iain M. Banks level of coolness in future books. The second part is sadly a bunch of really very cool ideas held hostage by the most irritating characters you'd never want to meet. Third book I read the plot synopsis on wiki.

After TBP boring slow I feasted upon The DaVinci code, the ubermensch of airport thrillers, and I'd have to say as a way to fill in a couple of four hour flights I really really enjoyed it. I didn't feel inclined to pick holes in the plot, just enjoyed the ride. I doubt I'll read another Dan Brown as I've heard they're all basically the same but credit where it's due.

[duncs500]

Five Billion Years of Solitude - Lee Billings

Fairly short book about the search for habitable exoplanets intertwined with the looking back at the development of earth and how this knowledge can aid the search.

Amazing book, admittedly it's a subject I'm quite interested in, but I found it totally captivating. I could easily see myself reading it again.

[McSwede]

Five Billion Years of Solitude - Lee Billings

Fairly short book about the search for habitable exoplanets intertwined with the looking back at the development of earth and how this knowledge can aid the search.

Amazing book, admittedly it's a subject I'm quite interested in, but I found it totally captivating. I could easily see myself reading it again.

Thanks. Just ordered that from ebay.

[DeskJockey]

Finally finished "The Diamond Age", that took a long time! That isn't really a reflection on the book, but more with sharing a bedroom with our youngest who is a very light sleeper, so no bedtime reading until we moved her out a couple of months ago.

The book is very different from his normal ones and I can't really decide on what I think of it. I think my main issue, as mentioned before, is that time has run away from it. I think the concept is brilliant and the characters genuinely compelling, but it failed to engage me fully. It was never one that I was immersed in - that's the crux of it, I suppose.

[JLv3.0]

That's exactly how I felt about it. Fantastic concepts but never quite hit its stride in terms of a read.

[ZedLeg]

Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

Surreal post apocalyptic thing about the dangers of environmental collapse, genetic modification and late capitalism. Written by the guy who wrote Annihilation, I really enjoyed it. It also has a giant flying bear.

[duncs500]

Any more interesting non-fiction recommends anyone?

[DeskJockey]

Can't remember the last non-fiction book I read. Michelle Obama's bio is supposedly very good.

[duncs500]

I've heard it's good too, but not really my thing. Well written science and/or history books are what I really enjoy.

[DeskJockey]

Thinking back, I enjoyed reading Bill Bryson and Danny Wallace. Not science, but observational and funny. The former peppered with interesting facts.

[Explosive Newt]

Any more interesting non-fiction recommends anyone?

My last few reads, mostly narrative nonfiction

Car related -
High Performance: When Britain Ruled the Roads- Ben Grimshaw - interesting account of the UK sports and racing car industry 1930s-1970s

Not car related
Spy and the Traitor - Ben Macintyre - tremendous real life story of the KGB man who defected to MI6. He takes advantage of a lot of interviews with people and you get a very well told story of absolutely incredible deception and escape, and really get under the skin of the motivations behind people’s actions.

The Professor and the Parson - bonkers story about this defrocked vicar who went around the world’s universities conning them. Not as insightful as Macintyre but a bit more silly and incredible, with bigger characters

Chernobyl - Serhei Pilloki (spelling?? No idea) - another very full account which mixes the social aspect of the small town politics and interpersonal factors along with the (surprisingly readable) science. Read it last year and ended up re reading bits after watching the TV series.”

[ZedLeg]

I bought Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich a few weeks ago but I've not got round to reading it yet.

Currently reading The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemesin, it's the last part of the Broken Earth series. It's a kind of fantasy post apocalypse series. It's very good.

[Zonda_]

Currently reading The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemesin, it's the last part of the Broken Earth series. It's a kind of fantasy post apocalypse series. It's very good.

Sounds interesting, what’s the first part of the series called.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Just finished The Gameplayer by Banks. Only the 2nd one of his Culture books I've read, and the 4th or 5th of his wider work. The first I've read in a long time as well, and I really enjoyed it once it got going.

Now started on "Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire" by Roger Crowley. Not far into it, but it's fascinating so far. So much I didn't know about their conquests, and the preludes to it.

[ZedLeg]

Currently reading The Stone Sky by N.K. Jemesin, it's the last part of the Broken Earth series. It's a kind of fantasy post apocalypse series. It's very good.

Sounds interesting, what’s the first part of the series called.

The Fifth Season.

[Explosive Newt]

I bought Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievich a few weeks ago but I've not got round to reading it yet.

The other half just read this and thought it was brilliant- she loves individual stories in larger events, just finished a set of diaries of German women living through WWII.

[ZedLeg]

Just finished The Gameplayer by Banks. Only the 2nd one of his Culture books I've read, and the 4th or 5th of his wider work. The first I've read in a long time as well, and I really enjoyed it once it got going.

The Player of Games? I've read that one and thought it was great, the whole set up of the tournament at the end was brilliant.

I've read a couple of his other ones, Consider Phlebas and The Algebraist. Keep meaning to read more but there's always other books in the pile.

[dinny_g]

I've just started "All the light we cannot see" by Anthony Doerr on the basis of a recommendation from my sister in law because I'd said how much I'd enjoyed The Lovely Bones...

Too early to give it a review but it's challenging...

[IanF]

Simon Singh is an good non-fiction author. My favourite is the Code Book, but Big Bang and Fermat’s last theorem are good too.

[DeskJockey]

Banks's Culture series has been one of my best reading experiences for a long time. Sadly I ran out of books a couple of years ago.

Currently reading Shadow Captain by Alistair Reynolds. It is the second book in the Revenger series and it is slow to get going.