New now reading

in reality, all of this has been a total load of old bollocks
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Re: New now reading

Postby Jimbo » 21 May 2017, 18:20

I'm well into Excalibur, book three and the last of the Bernard Cornwell series featuring King Arthur. Cornwell has written so many books since Sharpe and I must say his writing gets better and better.
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Re: New now reading

Postby Deebank » 21 May 2017, 18:55

Jimbo wrote:I'm well into Excalibur, book three and the last of the Bernard Cornwell series featuring King Arthur. Cornwell has written so many books since Sharpe and I must say his writing gets better and better.


I enjoyed the last series of The Last Kingdom on the Beeb, indeed I have enjoyed all of them... perhaps I should read them.
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Re: New now reading

Postby clive gash » 22 May 2017, 08:59

Deebank wrote:Following one of Clive Gash's non sequitur links to CaB I bought the book he linked to a thread about... So thanks Clive :)

Scarred For Life Vol 1 tackles TV, books, culture etc in the '70s - it is a mine of great info about series like Sky, Children of the Stones, The Owl Service and many more (I have since watched all three on YouTube). These vaguely remembered horrors proved remarkably good, excellent even, especially when you think they were kids shows.

The book is great and treats the subject matter with a bit of respect unlike the tedious 'It was OK in the '70s' TV twat-fests.

Next up I'm watching The Changes and perhaps Ace of Wands (theme tune by Andy Bown!)

Robust.


Glad to be of help. Do I get the book when you've finished it?
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Re: New now reading

Postby Deebank » 22 May 2017, 09:17

clive gash wrote:
Deebank wrote:Following one of Clive Gash's non sequitur links to CaB I bought the book he linked to a thread about... So thanks Clive :)

Scarred For Life Vol 1 tackles TV, books, culture etc in the '70s - it is a mine of great info about series like Sky, Children of the Stones, The Owl Service and many more (I have since watched all three on YouTube). These vaguely remembered horrors proved remarkably good, excellent even, especially when you think they were kids shows.

The book is great and treats the subject matter with a bit of respect unlike the tedious 'It was OK in the '70s' TV twat-fests.

Next up I'm watching The Changes and perhaps Ace of Wands (theme tune by Andy Bown!)

Robust.


Glad to be of help. Do I get the book when you've finished it?


Potentially... I have promised to lend to a mate who first reminded me about Sky and CotS. He said he may get it himself though.
I've been talking about writing a book - 25 years of TEFL - for a few years now. I've got it in me.

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Re: New now reading

Postby echolalia » 22 May 2017, 10:30

Toby wrote:
echolalia wrote:
What do you make of Pax Romana then, Toby?


I liked it. I mean, I know the sources that Goldsworthy concentrates on, such as Pliny's letters and the Gallic War quite well, so there was quite a bit that wasn't that new to me. I'm in agreement with his conjecture that, essentially, life outside the Roman empire was barbaric and probably quite short, so that life inside it was probably worth living in contrast. No doubt the Army on the frontier were brutish and prone to bullying. But they were also the method of gaining citizenship for many.

Isn’t the Gallic War the one where he mentions a wicker man?

I was holiday in the Salento in Italy a few years ago, a long time after my initial ancient Roman history kick, and we were staying in a place which was quite curious because the countryside was flat as a billiard table for miles around. There was a fancy plaque-monument on the road outside and I wandered up to read it. It marked the site of the battle of Cannae, where as you know Hannibal fought the Roman army and inflicted on it the biggest defeat in its entire history. I was thrilled! Then I had a facepalm moment when I remembered the village down the road was called Canne della Battaglia.

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Re: New now reading

Postby Snarfyguy » 22 May 2017, 14:21

Image
GoogaMooga wrote: The further away from home you go, the greater the risk of getting stuck there.

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Re: New now reading

Postby joels344 » 25 May 2017, 15:10

Reading Naoki Urasawa's most recent work. Having read his other Manga series before, I have to say he's the most sophisticated, complex, and mature author in the business. He has one true masterpiece, in the genuinely horrifying thriller series known as Monster. He also has two brilliant works of science fiction; Pluto, and the epic and ambitious, 20th Century Boys. Those two series unfortunately fell apart under their own ideas towards the end but still crafted in a stunning and unique manner.

Billy Bat seems to be a grade below the aforementioned series, which is why I'm reading it at such a slower place. I usually get so immersed into an Urasawa universe that I read entire series in 5 to 8 days. This one, however, has some intriguing moments, but I'm skeptical as to how he connects all the dots he's made throughout the series so far. I get the impression he's attempting to out do himself in terms of ambitious storytelling.

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Minnie the Minx
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Re: New now reading

Postby Minnie the Minx » 25 May 2017, 19:02

Italo Calvino - Marcovaldo

I came really late to Calvino, and was dumbfounded by the glory of 'Baron in the Trees' and 'Difficult Loves'.
'Marcovaldo' contains a couple of dozen tiny stories, each one about four or five pages long, and each a beautiful, tiny vignette. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors - if not my favourite.
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Re: New now reading

Postby Snarfyguy » 25 May 2017, 20:29

Minnie the Minx wrote:Italo Calvino - Marcovaldo

I came really late to Calvino, and was dumbfounded by the glory of 'Baron in the Trees' and 'Difficult Loves'.
'Marcovaldo' contains a couple of dozen tiny stories, each one about four or five pages long, and each a beautiful, tiny vignette. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors - if not my favourite.

Have you read his If On a Winter's Night, A Traveler...?

I can't recommend it enough. In fact, I want to read it again RIGHT NOW.
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Re: New now reading

Postby Walk In My Shadow » 25 May 2017, 20:48

now:



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next:


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Beneluxfunkmeisterlurvegod


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Minnie the Minx
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Re: New now reading

Postby Minnie the Minx » 25 May 2017, 21:13

Snarfyguy wrote:
Minnie the Minx wrote:Italo Calvino - Marcovaldo

I came really late to Calvino, and was dumbfounded by the glory of 'Baron in the Trees' and 'Difficult Loves'.
'Marcovaldo' contains a couple of dozen tiny stories, each one about four or five pages long, and each a beautiful, tiny vignette. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors - if not my favourite.

Have you read his If On a Winter's Night, A Traveler...?

I can't recommend it enough. In fact, I want to read it again RIGHT NOW.


Weirdly, it's the only one I couldn't get with! And I tried. I just didn't like it.
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Flower wrote:I just did a google search.

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Re: New now reading

Postby echolalia » 26 May 2017, 11:23

Scenes in America Deserta – Reyner Banham

It’s an English architectural critic’s account of his travels in the Mojave desert and environs, where buildings are very scarce indeed. He finds them though.

Zzyzx is a wonderful name for a dusty desert town. Sounds like a fly being electrocuted!

I can’t find a decent pic of the edition I’m reading, which is a pity as it’s great: paperback, with a small colour photo of a desert skyline set on a white background – it’s very LP-cover. In the foreground of the photo is a small, lonely tree which is lying down and looks dead, except its branches have traced a full circle in the dust below it. I’ve no idea what’s going on here and am hoping Banham will explain.

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Re: New now reading

Postby Snarfyguy » 26 May 2017, 14:19

Minnie the Minx wrote:
Snarfyguy wrote:
Minnie the Minx wrote:Italo Calvino - Marcovaldo

I came really late to Calvino, and was dumbfounded by the glory of 'Baron in the Trees' and 'Difficult Loves'.
'Marcovaldo' contains a couple of dozen tiny stories, each one about four or five pages long, and each a beautiful, tiny vignette. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors - if not my favourite.

Have you read his If On a Winter's Night, A Traveler...?

I can't recommend it enough. In fact, I want to read it again RIGHT NOW.


Weirdly, it's the only one I couldn't get with! And I tried. I just didn't like it.

Oh well! :)
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Re: New now reading

Postby Minnie the Minx » 26 May 2017, 14:30

I'll give it another go :D
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.

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Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?


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Re: New now reading

Postby hippopotamus » 26 May 2017, 20:51

Minnie the Minx wrote:Italo Calvino - Marcovaldo

I came really late to Calvino, and was dumbfounded by the glory of 'Baron in the Trees' and 'Difficult Loves'.
'Marcovaldo' contains a couple of dozen tiny stories, each one about four or five pages long, and each a beautiful, tiny vignette. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors - if not my favourite.



You've completely sold me, I'm going to look out for that. I've never even heard of Calvino.
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Re: New now reading

Postby hippopotamus » 26 May 2017, 20:52

Image

It's taking me so long to read this, even though it's so short.

I like all the Irishness, but it's just VERY Irish.
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nev gash wrote:What is point?


Indeed, what is point?

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Minnie the Minx
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Re: New now reading

Postby Minnie the Minx » 26 May 2017, 20:54

hippopotamus wrote:
Minnie the Minx wrote:Italo Calvino - Marcovaldo

I came really late to Calvino, and was dumbfounded by the glory of 'Baron in the Trees' and 'Difficult Loves'.
'Marcovaldo' contains a couple of dozen tiny stories, each one about four or five pages long, and each a beautiful, tiny vignette. He is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors - if not my favourite.



You've completely sold me, I'm going to look out for that. I've never even heard of Calvino.


Good! He's fabulous!
You come at the Queen, you best not miss.

Dr Markus wrote:
Someone in your line of work usually as their own man cave aka the shed we're they can potter around fixing stuff or something don't they?


Flower wrote:I just did a google search.

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Re: New now reading

Postby KeithPratt » 28 May 2017, 10:21

Image

This is terrific - the sort of hybrid memoir/metanovel that the French seem to do better than anyone else.

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Re: New now reading

Postby BARON CORNY DOG » 28 May 2017, 16:54

Just finished Pride and Prejudice after a long reading break and am moving on to Mansfield Park. I don't think these will ever be my very favorite books, but I have really enjoyed reading them so far.
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Re: New now reading

Postby Snarfyguy » 30 May 2017, 14:13

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Superb! Really enjoyable and quite a page turner.
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