The B&B Book Review
-
The actual Hardback is stunning as well , once you took off the cover but is that a spoiler on the spine of the book ?Wii U Themagickman - PSN - Themagickman Xboxlive - Themagickman
-
Not really. Depends what you know about the book already - I don't think there's anything on there that hasn't been publicly mentioned numerous times (I don't have it in front of me though). I adore the hardback without the dust jacket.Kernowgaz wrote:The actual Hardback is stunning as well , once you took off the cover but is that a spoiler on the spine of the book ?
I'm about 100 pages in and loving it so far. Absolutely wonderful. Pullman is a damn master. -
tigerswiftly wrote:
Not really. Depends what you know about the book already - I don't think there's anything on there that hasn't been publicly mentioned numerous times (I don't have it in front of me though). I adore the hardback without the dust jacket.Kernowgaz wrote:The actual Hardback is stunning as well , once you took off the cover but is that a spoiler on the spine of the book ?
I'm about 100 pages in and loving it so far. Absolutely wonderful. Pullman is a damn master.
I was thinkingI hadn't heard anything about the book at allSpoiler:
Wii U Themagickman - PSN - Themagickman Xboxlive - Themagickman -
Yea, that is a bit of a spoiler. Quite mild though and the inclusion of that and other things has been spoken about quite publicly, I believe. Definitely a spoiler for many, but a very minor one.
-
Relics (Tim Lebbon) - clicky - just got read. Skirted the line between magical realism and light fantasy, but I found it pretty enjoyable. Not exactly literature, and a bit of a underwhelming ending, but there'll still be some here would enjoy, i suspect... -
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ
Wow, quite the book. Very highly recommended, one of the most memorable reads I've had fir a while. Basically a retelling / spoof "making of" the new testament, it's creative, great use of english mimicking the bible, knowledgable, intriguing, irreverant, erudite. I'm not religious but the historicity of jesus does intrigue me, and the history of thr bible (who wrote it etc). And it's such a fresh take on it. And leaves you thinking maybe odd more accurate than it makes out.
Read it!! -
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel.
Immensely enjoyed this slightly different take on post apocalypse survival. The actual apocalypse is an event that is only touched on in the book, the focus is before and a long time after (20 years). There are quite a number of characters, to the extent you could argue there isn't a lead, but so many of them are interesting and you want to know their story. Recommended.
The only issue I had is that it does jump around a lot. This was an issue for me as with little time on my hands at the moment, it's taken me three months to read this book, so on occasion it was difficult to remember exactly what had happened and the relationships between some of the characters. Just as I was piecing things together, we're off to 20 years ago with another character. Nope, don't think I remember them, or are they new?
Thank you very much to the lovely Stopharage for sending this to me. Enjoyed it and it's not something I would have picked up in Waterstones. -
I bought it yesterday for 99p on kindle. Sounds like a good purchase!
(Still that price today ftr...) -
However I'm currently reading Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. It's very good.
Recently finished A Head Full of Ghosts. Didn't think that much of it tbh - a couple of good scenes but too much meh. -
Finished Thin Air this evening. A group of English Gentlemen attempt to climb a particularly difficult mountain in the 1930s. However, on the climb the main character begins to see and hear things that shouldn’t be there...
Cracking little ghost story. The setting is great and the description is excellent, as is Michelle Paver’ s ability to create a likeable, interesting main character. It really gave me the chills at points and was a wonderful read.
Gamertag: aaroncupboard (like the room where you keep towels) -
Blood, Sweat and Pixels - Cheers for the rec gav, good read that. Got a little samey at times but game dev is fucking insane. Enjoyed the Destiny fuck up story. -
Stopharage wrote:Just polished of a few decent books:- Jihad Academy:The Rise of Islamic State by Nicolas Henin. Former ISIS hostage, french journalist with a perceptive take and analysis as to why ISIS have had some success. It's a really worthwhile and informative read."When it comes to Islamic State, Western outrage is all the easier, since the organisation records its crimes. Media displays of violence is both a form of cathartic revenge, and also a means of terrorising the enemy. Beheadings, crucifixions, summary executions are shown ad nauseam. The political scientist Francois Burgat said..that Islamic State does not commit more violent acts - individual or collective - than the other parties to the conflict, particularly the Syrian regime. What Islamic State does is simply integrate them into its PR policy, while the Syrian regime denies its acts of violence and places responsibility on the enemy."
And So You've been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. He looks at a number of people who've been shamed in the media or via Twitter and how some of them overcame the shame and how some have faltered. Really engaging and full of interesting incidents. Mentions the case of Kevin Tunell who avoided going to jail when he killed a girl whilst drunk-driving. Instead her parents agreed that he should instead send them a cheque for $1 every Friday for 18 years, made out in their daughter's name. After some years he couldn't cope with having to do it. Discusses how General Motors employed prostitutes to sleep with Ralph Nader when he was trying to introduce mandatory seat belts, in the hope they could shame him. Interesting, intriguing and a fairly quick read."We should at least have the decency to understand the disgust of Syrians, who, even after more than 200,000 people have been killed, see that the West is only affected by the beheading of its hostages."
So You've Been Publicly Shamed is 99p on Amazon for the Kindle today. Well worth a read. -
Nice one - been meaning to pick that up for a while.Gamertag: gremill -
Shameless plug, but some might find it genuinely interesting. A mate has just got his first copies back of his book, on Jazz, Propaganda and the War. Never read anything he's written long form, but his music has always been very intelligent. Not many punk rock bands singing songs about Radio Maryja, Sophie Scholl, and quoting WH Auden and Leigh Hunt. Not cheap but it's likely to be quite the tome. WIll have a read in the new year and come back with thoughts
"I spent years thinking Yorke was legit Downs-ish disabled and could only achieve lucidity through song" - Mr B -
Anyone read A Boy on the Bridge? The girl with All the Gifts writer, set in the same world, cheap today oon kindle...
-
As much as I loved Invisible Cities, it's a shame Calvino was evidently some kind of mega perv. -
I was unconvinced by it. So go me.
-
Meanwhile, I've finished Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, which really was to drawer; Ender's Game, which was fun enough (and "better than the movie"); and now The Time Machine, which is old-school, short, but intriguing thus far.
-
I finished Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce recently. Wasn’t really what I was expecting. Very low key, would probably make for a good play. Was sad to read the author passed away recently.Get schwifty. -
I've bought the book after Annihilation, think that one's Authority, haven't really started yet. Noticed I got $3 off with a purchase of a $5 or more book, and since I have some money in my Google account from Google rewards, I thought to give it a go.
I'm not even sure how much I like Annihilation, I like the concept and story a lot, but felt disconnected by the writing. I remember someone here feeling the same (was it DS?) and enjoying the second one more, so I'm looking forward to going back to Area X's mysteries. -
Yeah it was me Nina. Really, really disliked the ending of the first, didn't feel anything from what occured.
-
I don't even really remember the ending of the first, I hate my memory. It was just a couple of months ago that I finished it.
Remember it going a bit of rails at some point, when she goes into theMight need to re-read that part, start of the second one made me wonder a couple of things to.Spoiler: -
Annihilation was a weird one, I really couldn't care less for the story, characters or mystery.Live= sgt pantyfire PSN= pantyfire
-
Restarted my Culture readings with Excession. 100 pages in and I'm loving it by magnitudes more than Use of Weapons.
-
Quality, love that one. I do think that Use of Weapns is the one M.Banks that would translate best to the screen though.iosGameCentre:T3hDaddy;
XBL: MistaTeaTime -
I found it the least Culturey novel I've read thus far. You could transpose the general gist into a modern day spy novel without much effort.
In comparison Excession in the first few pages has diplomacy with sadistic gasbag aliens and a ship AI that poses passengers in cold storage in huge tableaux. And one AI all the others call "Meatfucker". -
Interesting- I've only read the first two, and initially bounced off Use of Weapins a year or so back, but was planning on giving it another go... a friend says it's his favourite but maybe he's wrong and bollo is right...
-
Heh
I've now finished The Time Machine. Very short, well wirth reading, not quite what i expected (more social commentary than sci-fi, kinda). Thumbs up.
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- All Discussions2,715
- Games1,879
- Off topic836