The GOT Book Club

[Deleted member 48881]

I`ve read the reviews on this book, as I was thinking of getting it.

It sounds very complex ?

it is, it is kind of complex. but i'm more interested in the style of the author rather than events tbh. he is really dancing with the words, all those weird little details of daily life, he's making us remember them, imo. also at times vibes of the catcher in the rye too as first person is a 21 yo college student.

this is a series I gather, so no idea how it went later on. also I didn't buy it, reading it on epub (sorry, Allen, I'm skint), so for me it was a no risk read and it's so far so good.

 

[COYBL25]

it is, it is kind of complex. but i'm more interested in the style of the author rather than events tbh. he is really dancing with the words, all those weird little details of daily life, he's making us remember them, imo. also at times vibes of the catcher in the rye too as first person is a 21 yo college student.

this is a series I gather, so no idea how it went later on. also I didn't buy it, reading it on epub (sorry, Allen, I'm skint), so for me it was a no risk read and it's so far so good.

Cheers

 

[wm02]

Excellent interview about Cormac McCarthy and the Road. Remember his books came up quite a bit earlier in the thread

Podcast #760: Cormac McCarthy, The Road, and Carrying the Fire

Note: Cormac McCarthy died last week at the age of 89. To commemorate his passing, we’re rebroadcasting one of my favorite episodes about one of my favorite books: The Road. Please enjoy. Once a year, I read The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It’s a cathartic annual ritual for me. What is it about...

www.artofmanliness.com

 

[COYBL25]

Dead Mans Grave - Neil Lancaster.

A new author enters the “ Tartan Noir “ club.

A cross between the writing of Rebus and Stuart Macbride books.

For a debut crime novel, this is a fantastic book, well written, you really identify with the characters, and flows at a cracking pace.

I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

@anjelikaferrett one for you

 

[Blue 1]

Got Mark Lanegan's autobiography "Sing Backwards and Weep" for Christmas. Bloody hell it's grimy, but one of the best and most honest rock autobiographies I've read, and not without humour. You wouldn't have put money on him being just about the last surviving frontman from the "grunge" era's successful bands. I suppose there's Eddie Vedder, too, mind. Highly recommended.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Ian Livingstone knighted today - for services to Warhammer.

Huge achievements as an entrepreneur, basically bringing RPGs to Europe, but also a very creative guy who wrote (with Steve Jackson) the fighting fantasy gamebooks in the 1980s - Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Deathtrap Dungeon, Forest of Doom etc. Formative stuff for a generation (and reet hard, sure some of them were impossible to complete).

 

[Bilko]

Not one to usually read political thrillers , a present was how I came about this one. Decent plot, fairly short punchy chapters which put me in mind of Dan Brown's style of writing . it's a page turner and though it's nearly 500 pages, I fairly flew through it
Fairly clear that Clinton took a few swipes at Donald Trump and his government throughout the book, I found that amusing though I guess others might not.

 

[jazzy]

View attachment 148935

Dead Mans Grave - Neil Lancaster.

A new author enters the “ Tartan Noir “ club.

A cross between the writing of Rebus and Stuart Macbride books.

For a debut crime novel, this is a fantastic book, well written, you really identify with the characters, and flows at a cracking pace.

I genuinely couldn’t put it down.

@anjelikaferrett one for you

Thanks for that I'll look out for him.

I really like both Rankin and MacBride.

Just finished the SMB latest. Ash Henderson is an interesting anti hero but Alice is just plain batty.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Read China Mieville's Embassytown over Christmas - very impressive book but I didn't actually love it. Creativity and confidence of the writing is top drawer, wildly creative theme on alien linguistics, but the more normal nuts and bolts of characterisation, dialog etc was a bit thin.

Great writer who seems to have taken a step back from the novels in recent years - wrote a book on the Russian revolution a couple of years back and his latest one is about the Communist Manifesto.

 

[COYBL25]

Started working my way through my Christmas books :

No Surrender - my thirty year war.

Memoirs of Hiroo Onada, a Japanese soldier, who spent 30 years on an island off the Philippines, dug in, believing that WW2 was still ongoing.

Quite a dry read, but maybe that’s due to the translation into English.

He seemed to have survived quite easily, stealing off the villagers and living off the land.

 

[Efcjake]

I've done book 1, 10% book 2, you need your wits about you to keep track of all the characters - but is been worth it so far

Just got about this far into Malazan.

I had to find a podcast to really understand what I had read about 300 pages into the first book.

I love the world building but some of his prose is awfully self indulgent and overtly confusing for no real reason.

I am into it now but there is 0 handholding from the author and with so many characters and seemingly separate plots that the narration jumps around in you can get lost very easily.

Tagging @Black Belt Jones because I saw you read this too

 

[degsy]

Just got about this far into Malazan.

I had to find a podcast to really understand what I had read about 300 pages into the first book.

I love the world building but some of his prose is awfully self indulgent and overtly confusing for no real reason.

I am into it now but there is 0 handholding from the author and with so many characters and seemingly separate plots that the narration jumps around in you can get lost very easily.

Tagging @Black Belt Jones because I saw you read this too

I see my post was in August, well a lots happened since then and I didnt get to finish Book 2.
I'll make a mental note to myself to get back on to it - and I'll also try not to forget where I left this mental note.
If you think on, jog my elbow a month or so down the track will you.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Just got about this far into Malazan.

I had to find a podcast to really understand what I had read about 300 pages into the first book.

I love the world building but some of his prose is awfully self indulgent and overtly confusing for no real reason.

I am into it now but there is 0 handholding from the author and with so many characters and seemingly separate plots that the narration jumps around in you can get lost very easily.

Tagging @Black Belt Jones because I saw you read this too

I read his most recent one last year, same Malazan world - loved it. But I was re-reading some summary stuff on the first series to refresh my memory of the world - Lord have mercy he packed a lot into those books. So many lines and plots, some hits and misses.

Think I probably said but Gardens of the Moon is my favourite, but consensus opinion is that he didn't know how to write a novel at that stage. The next two are miles better in terms of technique - he finds his stride as a writer.

 

[gonetomorrow]

Not one to usually read political thrillers , a present was how I came about this one. Decent plot, fairly short punchy chapters which put me in mind of Dan Brown's style of writing . it's a page turner and though it's nearly 500 pages, I fairly flew through it
Fairly clear that Clinton took a few swipes at Donald Trump and his government throughout the book, I found that amusing though I guess others might not.

Her husband did one also with James Patterson. Big money spinner. Bit of a daft story but that's normal.

 

[Bilko]

Another part of the rivers of London series. Si fi easy read, this is book six, you do really need to start from the beginning to fully appreciate the characters. Clever stuff.