The GOT Book Club

[summerisle]

I recently finished Sue Prideaux's I Am Dynamite! A Life of Nietzsche (2018), which is very good so long as you're not looking for detailed, thorough analyses of his books. The author provides brief glosses on his various works and ideas, of course, but mostly focuses on the gut Doktor as a dude with constant health problems, recurrent girl trouble, and a marked susceptibility to music.

I also recently finished the debut novel by Ottessa Moshfegh, Eileen (2015). It's a surprisingly suspenseful quasi-noir about how a very messed up young woman escapes from her life. (Just now, looking up the publication date, I learned that it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Go USA!) Moshfegh's been getting a lot of press as an up-and-comer in recent years and I'll be pleased to check out her other stuff.

Currently I'm reading Wildland: The Making of America's Fury (2021) by Evan Osnos, whose day job is at the New Yorker. The author examines three places where he lived/spent a lot of time in his life (Chicago; Greenwich, Connecticut; and Clarksburg, West Virginia, which, in the author's schema represent increasing racial division and attendant violence; the skyrocketing wealth of the 0.1%; and the steep decline-unto-hopelessness of a great mass of others, respectively), how they'd changed while he was posted overseas for many years, and the now apparent implications for America's economy, society, and culture. The period he's looking at roughly spans September 11, 2001 through January 6, 2021, and so far I'm finding it a rueful look at how my country's been going down the sh*tter in those two decades. Living in interesting times is interesting for sure.

In a similar vein, I've just finished :

It details the turmoil in Nutwood following Rupert's decision to enter the race for the leadership of the Conservative party. Bill Badger is especially stunned at the news, and vows to do all in his power to see to it that the day will come when nobody knows his name.

 

[sdk]

In a similar vein, I've just finished :

It details the turmoil in Nutwood following Rupert's decision to enter the race for the leadership of the Conservative party. Bill Badger is especially stunned at the news, and vows to do all in his power to see to it that the day will come when nobody knows his name.

They always say "Four legs good, two legs bad," but whenever they're caught in candid pics, as above, they're always going about bipedally.

Liars all, wild animals and mild animals alike.

 

[Bilko]

I have to say I enjoyed this more than I expected, I'm a bit hesitant usually on books that go over 400 pages, tend to think there's a lot of waffle if they are that length.
Good reads rates the 2nd book better so I will invest in that also.

 

[roydo]

No Ordinary Man.

Kevin Browning.

I was given a copy of this the other day by Kev, (he is a mate), and I cant recommend it highly enough. Born in The Falklands, his description of being 17 during the occupation is jaw dropping. He came to the UK, joined the Paras, and ultimately ended up owning and running a global tunneling company.

Reading my local being named, and a few other mates as well, was a bit odd, but I read it in one sitting. Its on Amazon, obvs, and if you get better value/interest/insight for £9.99, let me know where from.

 

[TyphooToffee]

Reading this after rereading three Agatha Chritie's (Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, The Body in the Library and A Caribbean Mystery - the last two featuring Miss Marple).

Halfway through and can't put it down. Two men, unknown to each other, meet on a train. During a drunken overnight journey one suggests a plan where they each murder someone who is making the other's life difficult - a wife and father. One takes the suggestion more seriously than the other and the results are frightening.

 

[Bilko]

No Ordinary Man.

Kevin Browning.

I was given a copy of this the other day by Kev, (he is a mate), and I cant recommend it highly enough. Born in The Falklands, his description of being 17 during the occupation is jaw dropping. He came to the UK, joined the Paras, and ultimately ended up owning and running a global tunneling company.

Reading my local being named, and a few other mates as well, was a bit odd, but I read it in one sitting. Its on Amazon, obvs, and if you get better value/interest/insight for £9.99, let me know where from.

Going to give this a go.

 

[Del-boy]

Managed to get a copy of this. Was difficult to get a few years back as it was no longer being printed. However they have printed it again. Very good read if you’re into your WW2 books.

 

[Oddball]

.

oh aye, i've only done Hard Times...excuse the obvious pun, but i had a hard time with it! The names alone are such a grind to read.

not a Dickens man here.

Have a go at David Copperfield- truly mesmerising. Probably the best book i`ve ever read.

 

[summerisle]

Bought this yesterday and a snip at £1.49, goes from 1887 to 2013. Looking forward to it. Showing off my technical ability here lol :

 

[Old Blue 2]

 

[verreauxi]

@COYBL25
The new Cormac McCarthy book--The Passenger--just showed up on my Kindle today. Now, I need to find time to read it...so busy with work stuff over the next month or so. Thanks for informing me about it!

 

[Bilko]

This is worth reading, very cleverly written tale which runs along the lines of "black lives matter" theme. A story of a police shooting a black man. It's more than that though and the author writes a really thoughtful novel. I believe it was banned in certain areas off curriculums as being anti Police. It's not imo. Have a look of reviews on ' goodreads' for a better review.

 

[COYBL25]

@COYBL25
The new Cormac McCarthy book--The Passenger--just showed up on my Kindle today. Now, I need to find time to read it...so busy with work stuff over the next month or so. Thanks for informing me about it!

I’ve got it in pre order - came out on 25th October, so I’m hopeful my hardback copy should be here very soon.

I think his next book is also due out in November - I’m getting that for Christmas.

 

[wm02]

I’m about halfway through this novel.
Excellent.
Tracks several generations of a Korean family in occupied Korea and Japan.
It’s been adapted into a TV series on Apple.

 

[verreauxi]

This just arrived from the UK, not out in the USA as of yet. I'm not sure how engaging the writing is, but the topic is definitely something that interests me. The first two chapters, respectively, cover Italy and Iberia...which obviously makes sense. Other chapters cover Central/Eastern Europe, South America, Britain, etc.